A full moon crossed the skies in the D.C. area Saturday morning, setting the stage for what would be a day of historic heat.
Washington, D.C
Full moon beams above D.C. to start day of historic heat
It had been perfectly, astronomically full only a few hours earlier, and to the unschooled eye, still appeared spectacularly so as it prepared to vanish from sight with the coming of the dawn.
The sight of the moon has always been imbued with meaning, playing an important role in myth and legend. On Saturday, it could have been viewed as especially portentous, a glowing prelude to daylight hours of history-making heat.
The official reading for the District was 100 degrees, one degree short of the record for the date. However, it was the first time since 2012 that 100 degrees had been reached in D.C. in June, according to the National Weather Service.
At Dulles International Airport, Saturday’s high was 101 degrees.
It broke the Dulles record for the date, which was 99 degrees, reached in 1988. At Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport, the mercury reached 100 degrees, breaking a record of 99 set in 1988.
It was the first Saturday since the June 20 solstice, and even without the dramatic guest appearance by the moon, it seemed to live up to expectations for a summer day in the Washington region.
It offered a helping of hot-weather discomfort, but some grounds for enjoyment as well.
Temperatures in the triple digits, even if only briefly, made it indisputably hot. If it wasn’t always 100, it was in the upper 90s for much of the afternoon.
It was also humid, with enough water vapor floating around to frustrate the body’s efforts to cool itself.
It raised feels-like temperatures to 105 in Washington and at BWI.
And the third “h” in the infamous summertime triumvirate also showed itself. It was hazy.
Summer’s vapory haze blurred the shapes and shadows of distant vistas, and imparted a vaguely gray-blue tinge to the sky.
The same haze seemed to join with a sea of clouds in moderating the full fierceness of Saturday’s sun. It was not clear how much less comfortable it might have been otherwise.
On the small scale, far from the movements of great masses of air and strong atmospheric currents, conditions seemed to vary from place to place and from moment to moment.
Comfort, at least of the relative sort, could be found in the shade of a leafy tree. In addition, the outdoor experience became instantly more endurable when a cloud drifted across the face of the sun, producing a widespread shadow.
And a breeze stirred on occasion, whipping at the edges of the blanket of humidity that often could be encountered when the air was still.
To add to the historic nature of the day, and to enhance its memorability quotient, nature seemed to present the moon as a consolation prize to those prevented by the heat from sleeping soundly.
Beaming through the summer haze, it was the very moon that has become legend in American popular culture, for giving romantically inclined songwriters a word to rhyme with June. And spoon and swoon.
It will be close to full again above the D.C. area on Sunday morning.
Washington, D.C
Nurses at Washington D.C.’s largest hospital call on leadership to reverse planned cuts to maternal health
RNs at MedStar Washington Hospital Center say closure of postpartum unit will disproportionately harm marginalized and underserved communities
Union nurses at MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC) in Washington, D.C. are demanding that management stop the planned closure of an entire postpartum unit, announced National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU). The hospital notified the union on May 26, 2026 of its intention to eliminate 11 maternal health beds and displace eight nurses by July 26, 2026, leaving MWHC with one postpartum unit.
In a follow-up town hall with staff nurses, Chief Nursing Officer Ariam Yitbarek confirmed the closure. Other leaders have additionally informed staff that the hospital will strictly limit scheduled C-sections and inductions for patients from numerous D.C. maternal health organizations. The list of organizations includes many that primarily serve low-income patients, immigrants, and patients of color, all communities with significantly higher risks of maternal mortality. Additionally, staff were informed that Kaiser Permanente, which notably insures a large number of DC city employees and even many of MWHC’s own workers, will see a strict limit on scheduling inductions and C-sections for their patients as well.
“Closing postpartum unit 5F will gravely impact those most affected by health disparities,” said Stephanie Sims-Coates, RN in the neonatal intensive care unit. “Our low-income families and families of color will be most affected by this closure. Families trust the medical staff at MWHC and plan to come to us for their care. In a city where Black women make up 90 percent of pregnancy-related deaths despite being only half the population, the hospital’s decision to close this unit is a significant mistake.”
Community leaders and healthcare workers are joining the call for MedStar to put patients before profits and keep the unit open. This past weekend, nurses met with D.C. mayoral candidate and Ward 4 councilwoman Janeese Lewis George about the planned closure and the impact it would have on DC’s most vulnerable residents.
“Maternal mortality is a crisis for Washington, DC, and our healthcare system needs to address the crisis immediately, rather than exacerbate the challenges that birthing parents face,” said Councilwoman Janeese Lewis George. “Now is the time to invest in health care, rather than make cuts. I want to work with the hospital to identify solutions that work for patients and the provider.”
“In my time at Washington Hospital Center, I’ve seen the hospital tout its Safe Moms, Safe Babies program and host a community baby shower specifically designed to call attention to the maternal mortality crisis,” said Marcqueata “Tiya” Butler, RN in the Mother/Baby unit. “Their current plan to shut down 11 postpartum beds betrays the hospital’s stated commitments. They are aware of persistent inequities in access to care. We are calling on the hospital to consider the impacts on the community, safeguard the mothers and infants of DC and commit to addressing the maternal mortality rate.”
In 2024, MedStar Health, a registered non-profit, reported $9 billion in operating revenue.
NNOC/NNU represents more than 2,200 registered nurses at Washington Hospital Center.
National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.
The LINE DC is delighted to announce the appointment of Sherry Abedi as its new General Manager. In her new role she will oversee all aspects of the hotel, including operations, people and culture, sales and marketing, and guest experience strategy. Abedi will lead day-to-day hotel operations while driving programming, business development, and initiatives that strengthen the property’s connection to Washington D.C.’s cultural and creative communities.
WASHINGTON (7News) — Tuesday was the last day the D.C. Council could vote to enact an expanded curfew in time for summer.
7News learned it never even made it on the agenda for a discussion and went to council members to find out why.
For the next two months, it’ll be up to the mayor to declare a curfew until the permanent version kicks in. There is already a city curfew. The curfew that has been up for debate for more than a year is the expanded version of the curfew. The expanded version allows the Metropolitan Police Department to create zones where teens 17 and under cannot gather in groups of nine or more.
RELATED | DC curfews pushed large groups into local neighborhoods, some residents say
Mayor Muriel Bowser currently has her own curfew order in place, which ends Saturday. The mayor can continue issuing an order. Councilmembers against the expanded curfew said that’s why it doesn’t need to come from the council.
In a video posted two weeks ago, D.C Council public safety chair Brooke Pinto said she wanted her councilmembers to vote to fill the gap today. 7News asked her why she never presented it to the council.
“Unfortunately, in working with my colleagues over the last several weeks, we did not have the votes,” said Pinto. “We have to have enough votes to pass the law and make sure that we didn’t have a gap.”
Bowser, in a letter to council Tuesday, said councilmembers Trayon White, Robert White, Zachary Parker, Brianne Nadeau and Janese Lewis-George are “blocking the will of the public and majority of council.”
7News spoke to three of the members she called out about the mayor’s pushback.
“I reject the rhetoric and the political games that are being played, and I’m wanting for us to get to the bottom of how do we stop the teen takeovers and the delinquent behavior we’ve been seeing,” Parker said.
“I stand by my belief that a curfew policy is a failed policy, kind of smoke and mirrors, and what we really needed is investments in our young people, so I’m pretty firm on that,” Nadeau said.
“We have to choose our tools and the time we use those tools. I’ve supported the curfew in the past, but I think with the current surge of more federal troops that have been impending, we’re putting our youth in even more danger by extending that work. I know the executive has put in an emergency executive order that will fill the gap. I hope that comes alongside extended hours, I’ve funded at DPR, extended weekends, and opening more safe spaces for youth here in the city. And that’s the solution that we do agree on,” Lewis-George said.
The mayor has not confirmed if she’ll issue another order, but it is on the table.
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