The District hit a sweltering record-tying high of 104 degrees Tuesday afternoon — the third straight 100-degree-plus day — as health providers reported an uptick in suspected heat-related illness and some summer programs for kids were moved inside.
Washington, D.C
D.C. heat hits 104 degrees as people seek shelter and AC
Temperatures are expected to remain high again Wednesday, before returning closer to normal on Thursday.
Capital Weather Gang reports the District had gone nearly eight years without reaching 100 until June 22, when it again touched the century mark. The recent heat wave has prompted local governments to take action.
D.C. Public Schools, which hosts several academic programs and camps during the summer months, canceled outdoor activities due to extreme temperatures, a district spokeswoman said. Surrounding school districts — including those in Arlington and Fairfax County — also moved to cancel outdoor programs, such as recess and team practices.
Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) on Saturday activated an Extended Heat Emergency through Wednesday, opening cooling centers and homeless shelters around-the-clock.
Despite health warnings, urgent care centers affiliated with Inova have seen an uptick in heat-related illnesses this month and have sent several people to emergency rooms for IV fluids and testing, said Meredith Porter, the medical director for the 22 GoHealth locations in Northern Virginia.
Mild heat-related illness can begin with swelling in extremities and muscle cramping and progress to heat exhaustion with dizziness, headache and fatigue, both of which can be treated at most urgent cares. But heat stroke, with neurological symptoms, such as confusion and agitation, requires rehydration at an emergency department.
Porter stressed that anyone, regardless of age and health status, can be sidelined by the high heat and humidity our region and East Coast are experiencing.
“Most of these heat-related illnesses are largely preventable,” Porter said. “Anybody can be affected by a heat-related illness so having that awareness is the most important part of this.”
Anyone who works outside, such as athletes, construction workers, firefighters and medics as well as members of the military, should take extra precautions, she said.
High risk groups include people who are under 15 and above 65, pregnant, have chronic medical conditions like heart and lung disease and diabetes, are taking certain medications and have experienced heat exhaustion or heat stroke in the past, Porter said.
People experiencing homelessness or anyone lacking access to shade, air conditioning or water also need extra attention at this time, she said.
She urged residents to check on elderly neighbors and make sure to stay hydrated with water, not caffeine or alcohol, wear light loose clothing and a hat, use sunscreen and even an umbrella. It’s never safe to leave children or pets alone in a car, but that’s critical in a heat wave, she said.
Monday was so hot that piece of the Blue and Yellow Line metal track near National Airport bent sideways, causing what is known as a “heat kink.”
Metro spokeswoman Whitney Nichels says the bent rail was fixed overnight and the rail was fully functional as of Tuesday.
Any time outside temperatures rise above 90 degrees, Metro workers check the rail lines for kinks, which can happen when the heat has made the metal expand beyond its cross ties. If the rails are 135 degrees or hotter, trains have to slow down on outside track to 35 miles an hour to avoid a catastrophe caused by deformities in the rail line.
The extreme temperatures made Carla Brewster think twice Tuesday afternoon when she walked across Montello Street in Northeast Washington and found a man unable to respond.
Brewster, 40, of Trinidad, cautiously jostled him and tried to give him food and water, but ultimately called 911.
Paramedics, unsure whether drugs, alcohol, the high temperatures or some combination of factors were to blame, moved him to a cool ambulance where they tucked ice packs around him and rushed him to a hospital.
“His head was under the tree, his body was hanging out in the street, if somebody decided to park they probably would have run over him,” she said. “I know it’s hot out here.”
Ian Livingston, Jason Samenow and Rachel Weiner contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WSAW) – It’s a day for gathering and remembering victims of internet crimes.
The parents of Bradyn Bohn, the D.C. Everest teen who was a victim of sextortion, are in Washington, D.C. for the event.
A sign with Bradyn’s picture, his name, ‘forever 15′– along with too many more– sit outside the capitol.
It’s the inaugural ‘Social Media Victims Remembrance Day.’ A number of lawmakers were on hand. Bradyn’s mom, Brittney Bird, says Congress needs to choose families over big tech.
“My first thought is it’s absolutely heartbreaking,” she said. ”None of us should be here. These groups have been doing this for coming up on four years now. And there hasn’t been a change. If four years ago there would have been a change, my son would be here. Countless children would still be here. It’s heartbreaking, but at the same time there’s strength in numbers. So there’s that strength. And it gives us hope, you know, that things will change and that we’ve got each other.”
Bradyn died by suicide in March 2025 after a sextortion scheme. The efforts of his parents helped lead to the creation of Bradyn’s Law, signed into law last December. It established sextortion as a new crime, and imposes severe penalties on perpetrators.
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Washington, D.C
First Nebraska civics bee champion crowned, will head to Washington, D.C. for national competition
The state competition, which was put on by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry, had three rounds. The first two rounds included 20 multiple choice questions about various historical documents, court cases and civics concepts.
In the final round, the top five students gave short pitches about the essays they submitted on improving a problem in their community. Bernal wrote about the Tyson Plant closure after she visited Lexington in December.
“Things were really starting to be like, ‘Oh my gosh, the Tyson plant is actually closing,’” Bernal said. “Around two weeks later, during the first day back from winter break, my social studies teacher said we’re going to be writing an essay about a problem we see in our community. I thought, ‘Wow, this is something really positive I could use my voice for.’”
In her essay, Bernal said she wanted to bring awareness to the closure and host job fairs for those impacted. Other topics included student mental health, impacts of flooding and the childcare crisis.
Tara Lea, executive vice president of partnerships and programs for the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said more than 500 students submitted essays across Nebraska, making the state fifth in the nation for participation and first per capita.
“We had no idea what to expect when we signed up to do this,” Lea said. “We were just excited all 50 states were doing it. We were proud to be one of them, but Nebraska showed up.”
Washington, D.C
Now streaming: ’51st State’ documentary on a young activist’s fight for DC statehood – WTOP News
One of D.C.’s most personal statehood activism stories can now be seen by a larger audience, two years after its premiere.
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WETA+ adds ’51st State’ documentary as DC voters choose new leadership
One of D.C.’s most personal statehood activism stories can now be seen by a larger audience, two years after its premiere.
WETA has added the documentary “51st State” to its District Docs collection, now streaming on WETA+. The station has also posted the documentary on its YouTube channel.
Voters in last week’s D.C. Democratic primary selected nominees for mayor and delegate who have vowed to keep up the fight for the District’s autonomy, so it’s a fitting time to revisit the film, which follows a young Washingtonian whose life has been shaped by the fight for representation.
D.C. statehood movement is personal for Jamal Holtz. It started long before he became the face of a movement or the subject of a documentary. It began at home.
“When my mom talked about having lack of access to health insurance and the impacts on me and going to school, that was all rooted in our lack of being a state,” Holtz said. “The fact that we didn’t have a vote on the matter of the Affordable Care Act was to show people that, like, people in D.C. actually experience real issues and real problems.”
“51st State” director Hannah Rosenzweig first met Holtz at a 2021 event in Brooklyn organized by 51 for 51 and New Yorkers for D.C. Statehood. The group pushes for D.C. to become a state with 51 votes in the Senate instead of the 60‑vote filibuster threshold.
Rosenzweig said one part of the movement immediately caught her attention.
“I just love the framing of young native Washingtonians,” Rosenzweig said. “Really looking at them as part of a voting rights and civil rights movement.”
She said Holtz stood out from the beginning, saying she knew “he was going places.”
“He’s a leader,” Rosenzweig said. “He’s charismatic — people listen when he talks.”
Filming began in June 2021, when Holtz was 23.
Holtz, who is now 28, said: “You had me when I had braces, to me with facial hair and no braces.”
Serving the community isn’t new to Holtz. He was a member of the Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute, the city’s long‑running program that trains D.C. teenagers in leadership and public service.
The documentary, which premiered June 16, 2024, at the DC/DOX Film Festival, follows the push for statehood through the House’s passage of H.R. 51, the advocacy campaign in the Senate and the everyday life of a fourth‑generation Washingtonian.
“It talks about D.C. statehood through a different lens,” Holtz said. “What does lack of statehood look like in people’s day‑to‑day lives?”
Rosenzweig said she wanted viewers to see the real Washington — the neighborhoods and the families who rarely appear in national conversations about the city.
“There’s a culture of D.C. that most people don’t know about,” she said. “I love that. In fact, I wanted to move there.”
Holtz spoke to WTOP outside the Wilson Building by the Marion Barry statue, and was asked where he saw himself in 20 years.
“I’ll be standing on the grounds of the 51st state,” Holtz said. “Helping to govern our state and helping live up to the American dream and democracy that the people of D.C. want.”
When the question turned to which office sounded more fun, governor or senator, Holtz smiled and said, “The title will figure it out.”
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