WASHINGTON – Beginning on Monday, the D.C. Department of Health will be conducting daily tests for E. coli in the Potomac and Anacostia rivers. 

It comes more than five weeks after the Potomac interceptor collapse sent millions of gallons of sewage into the river.

The testing will also coincide with an important safety advisory being lifted.

Why it matters:

Director of the D.C. Department of Health, Dr. Ayanna Bennett, says they will begin daily testing for E. coli in the Potomac and Anacostia rivers on Monday, along with help from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Currently, D.C. is only testing weekly.

“We feel really secure that the initial sewage is not a threat to people, it’s passed through some time ago, but we do want to get more information about what the long term condition of the river is gonna be and how we should look at it going forward.”

Big picture view:

Monday is also an important day because it’s when the District is expected to lift its advisory that recommends against recreational activities on the Potomac — we’re talking boating, fishing, walking pets by the water.

It’s important to note, however, that D.C.’s advisory pertains to its portion of the Potomac, and it has no bearing on advisories issued by officials in Maryland or Virginia.

Still, this is being treated by many as a hopeful sign.

What they’re saying:

But significant concerns absolutely remain for residents.

“I’ve had tons of messages from people saying they’re not going to let their kids row crew, they’re not going to go to sailing schools. We catch three million tons of blue cats out of the Potomac River. That season starts next week, and they’re not gonna be able to bring those blue cats to market,” said Dean Naujoks with the Potomac Riverkeepers.

“You knew years ago that parts of this Potomac Interceptor were corroded and vulnerable, especially where it broke, in Cabin John, our neighborhood,” one resident said, speaking at a public meeting in Bethesda on Thursday.

“I know there are small business owners here. Who’s accounting for all of our losses that we’re getting due to your sewer blowing up?” another resident asked. 

Officials with D.C. Water, which is a public utility, have been running daily tests and will continue to do so as well.

AUSTIN, Texas — Early voting is wrapping up for the midterm election, and Election Day is March 3rd.

With federal offices, statewide races, and local propositions on the ballot, it’s a packed slate. And for many voters, preparing can feel overwhelming.

Josh Baer knows that feeling well.

“Every year I put an hour on my calendar or two to where I’m supposed to get ready to vote,” Baer said. “I’m supposed to read the voting guides and kind of get prepared. And to be honest, it never seems to work. I always just actually don’t feel very prepared.”

Baer is the founder and CEO of Capital Factory, a startup accelerator and investment hub. This year, instead of struggling through the ballot, he turned to artificial intelligence.

He gave AI two specific instructions.

“I said, one, go download all the best nonpartisan voting guides so that you can read all of them and know what’s going on,” Baer explained. “And then two, I said, interview me so you understand my kind of voting preferences. And then tell me who I should vote for and why.”

Within seconds, the AI generated a nine-page report. It broke down every race and proposition, recommended who he should vote for, and explained why. It also created a condensed cheat sheet for Election Day.

“It was really amazing,” Baer said. “And I felt the most prepared I’ve ever felt going into voting.”

That experience sparked a bigger idea.

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Baer decided to build a website so others could do the same thing. He began what’s known as “vibe coding,” using AI tools to help create the platform.

“It took a few days of me tinkering around with it, but really just from that prompt, I got this incredible website where anybody can go and do the same thing I did,” he said. “And then I said, make it safe. Ensure it’s nonpartisan. Make sure it’s open, and people can trust it.”

The result is TXVotes.app.

Baer says Anthropic’s Claude AI handled much of the heavy lifting behind the scenes. But he didn’t stop there.

He also asked other AI systems — including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, xAI’s Grok, and Google’s Gemini — to review the site and suggest improvements. He then used their feedback to refine the tool.

Baer says privacy and transparency are central to the app’s design.

“You can look at the website and see how it works and why it works,” he said. “But most importantly, in just about five minutes, you can be the most prepared you’ve ever been for any election you’ve walked into.”

As early voting continues, Baer hopes the tool can make researching the ballot faster, easier, and less intimidating for voters across Texas.

Labaron Philon’s No. 18 Alabama Crimson Tide (21-7, 11-4 SEC) hit the road to match up with Ja’Kobi Gillespie and the No. 22 Tennessee Volunteers (20-8, 10-5 SEC) at Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday, Feb. 28. The game starts at 6 p.m. ET.

We have more details below, including how to watch this matchup on ESPN.

Prepare for this matchup with everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s college hoops action.

Tennessee vs. Alabama: How to watch on TV or live stream

• Game day: Saturday, February 28, 2026
• Game time: 6 p.m. ET
• Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
• Arena: Thompson-Boling Arena
• TV Channel: ESPN
• Live stream: Fubo – Watch NOW (Regional restrictions may apply)

Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Watch college basketball on Fubo!

Tennessee vs. Alabama stats and trends

• Tennessee ranks 78th in the nation with 80.5 points per game so far this year. At the other end, it ranks 62nd with 69.1 points allowed per contest.
• The Volunteers are thriving when it comes to rebounding, as they rank third-best in college basketball in boards (39.9 per game) and second-best in rebounds allowed (25.9 per contest).
• So far this season, Tennessee ranks 30th in college basketball in assists, averaging 17.1 per game.
• With 11.8 turnovers per game, the Volunteers are 257th in the country. They force 10.7 turnovers per contest, which ranks 224th in college basketball.
• This season, Tennessee is making 6.9 threes per game (271st-ranked in college basketball) and is shooting 34.7% (139th-ranked) from three-point land.
• With a 30.2% three-point percentage allowed this season, the Volunteers are 22nd-best in the country. They rank 182nd in college basketball by giving up 7.8 three-pointers per contest.
• Tennessee has taken 67.3% two-pointers and 32.7% three-pointers this year. Of the team’s buckets, 75.8% are two-pointers and 24.2% are three-pointers.