Washington, D.C
Heightened security, road closures in DC for Jan. 6 vote counting, Carter funeral
Expect to see more police officers and road closures in Washington, D.C., over the next few days as the city prepares for the certification of the presidential election at the Capitol and the state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter.
“I want to be very clear that we will not tolerate any violence, rioting, destruction of property or any behavior that threatens the safety and security of our city,” Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said at a news conference D.C. authorities held Friday.
Fencing is up around the U.S. Capitol and will remain in place until the inauguration on Jan. 20.
While officials say there are no credible threats, security will be high next week given the deadly terrorist attack in New Orleans and the car explosion in Las Vegas.
Road closures around the Capitol building are in effect Friday night through Monday for the counting and certification of electoral votes taking place Monday.
Closures will then expand down Pennsylvania Avenue on Tuesday for the motorcade carrying Carter from Join Base Andrews to the U.S Navy Memorial. Then, a public procession will take Carter from the memorial to the Capitol Tuesday afternoon.
Drivers should expect widespread road closures on Thursday for Carter’s funeral, especially surrounding the Washington National Cathedral in Northwest.
Security will also be enhanced above the city.
“I advise everyone that the Secret Service will use drones as part of our comprehensive security plan. Do not be alarmed if you see these assets during the upcoming events or training in the days ahead,” said William McCool, the special agent in charge for the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office.
While authorities said there’s no known threat, they are concerned about the potential for a lone wolf attack. A suspect who planted two pipe bombs near the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. That person was never caught.
“We’re absolutely concerned that person is still on the loose and at large. Those were two viable devices left, not only outside of the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters, but in a neighborhood where people work and live and we have had a consistent effort alongside our partners to try to identify that person. That is going to remain a threat until we can identify that person,” said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge for the FBI Washington Field Office.
Road Closures
The following roads will close at about 8 p.m. on Friday:
- First Street between Constitution Avenue, NW, and Independence Avenue, SW
- Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd Street, NW, and First Street, NW
- Maryland Avenue between 3rd Street, SW, and First Street, SW
These roads are closed starting 7 a.m. Monday:
- First Street between Constitution Avenue, NE, and Independence Avenue, SE
- East Capitol Street between First Street and 2nd Street
- Constitution Avenue between Louisiana Avenue, NW, and 2nd Street, NE
- Independence Avenue between Washington Avenue, SW, and 2nd Street, SE
- D Street between First Street, NE, and 2nd Street, NE
- Maryland Avenue between First Street, NE, and Constitution Avenue, NE
- First Street between Louisiana Avenue, NW, and Constitution Avenue, NW
The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic from 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday at 4:30 a.m.:
- 13th Street from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
- 12th Street from E Street to Independence Avenue, SW
- 11th Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
- 10th Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
- 9th Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
- 8th Street from E Street to D Street, NW
- 7th Street from E Street, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
- 6th Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
- 5th Street from E Street to D Street, NW
- 4th Street from D Street, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
- 3rd Street from E Street, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
- Northbound 3rd Street Tunnel Exit 9 toward US Capitol
- 2nd Street from C Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
- 1st Street from E Street, NW to Maryland Avenue, SW
- New Jersey Avenue from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
- Louisiana Avenue from Columbus Circle, NE to Constitution Avenue, NW
- Delaware Avenue from Columbus Circle to Constitution Avenue, NE
- North Capitol Street from E Street to D Street, NW
- 1st Street from Columbus Circle, NE to Independence Avenue, SE
- D Street from 9th Street NW to 2nd Street, NE
- Indiana Avenue from 7th Street to 3rd Street, NW
- C Street from 6th Street to New Jersey Avenue, NW
- Pennsylvania Avenue from 14th Street to 1st Street, NW
- Constitution Avenue from 14th Street NW to 2nd Street, NE
- Madison Drive from 14th Street to 3rd Street, NW
- Jefferson Drive from 14th Street to 3rd Street, SW
- Maryland Avenue from Independence Avenue to 1st Street, SW
The following streets will close on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.:
- Independence Avenue from Washington Avenue, SW to 2nd Street, SE
The following streets will close on Tuesday from 1 to 3 p.m.:
- 8th Street from F Street to E Street, NW
- F Street from 9th Street to 7th Street, NW
- E Street 10th Street to 6th Street, NW
The following street will be closed intermediately on Thursday from 4 a.m. to 3 p.m.:
- Calvert Street from 29th Street to Connecticut Avenue, NW
The following streets will be closed on Thursday from 12:01 a.m. to 3 p.m.:
- Garfield Street from Massachusetts Avenue, NW to 34th Street, NW
- 34th Street from Woodley Road to Garfield Street, NW
- Woodley Road from Wisconsin Avenue to 34th Street, NW
- Wisconsin Avenue from Lowell Street to Massachusetts Avenue, NW
- Cathedral Avenue from Massachusetts Avenue to Wisconsin Avenue, NW
The following streets will be open for local traffic only on Thursday from 12:01 a.m. to 3 p.m.:
- Garfield Street from 34th Street to 32nd Street, NW
- Woodland Drive from Garfield Street to 32nd Street, NW
- 33rd Place from Cathedral Avenue to Garfield Street, NW
- Cleveland Avenue from 34th Street to 32nd Street, NW
- Cathedral Avenue from 34th Street to 32nd Street, NW
- Klingle Road from 34th Street to 32nd Street, NW
- Woodley Road from 33th Street to 32nd Street, NW
- 34th Street from Macomb Street to Woodley Road, NW
- 35th Street from Lowell Street to Woodley Road, NW
- 36th Street from Lowell Street to Woodley Road, NW
- Wisconsin Avenue from Macomb Street, NW to Lowell Street, NW
- Woodley Road from 38th Street to Wisconsin Avenue, NW
- 36th Street from Garfield Street to Massachusetts Avenue, NW
- 35th Street from Garfield Street to Fulton Street, NW
- 34th Place from Garfield Street to Fulton Street, NW
- 34th Street from Garfield Street to Fulton Street, NW
Parking restrictions
The following streets will be posted as Emergency No Parking from Saturday at 12:01 a.m. through Wednesday at 4:30 a.m.:
- 13th Street from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
- 12th Street from E Street to Madison Drive, NW
- 11th Street from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
- 10th Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
- 9th Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
- 8th Street from F Street to D Street, NW
- 7th Street from E Street, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
- 6th Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
- 5th Street from E Street to D Street, NW
- 4th Street from E Street, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
- 3rd Street from E Street, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
- 2nd Street from C Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
- 1st Street from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
- New Jersey Avenue from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
- Louisiana Avenue from Columbus Circle, NE to Constitution Avenue, NW
- Delaware Avenue from Columbus Circle to Constitution Avenue, NE
- North Capitol Street from E Street to D Street, NW
- 1st Street from Columbus Circle, NE to Independence Avenue, SE
- F Street from 9th Street to 7th Street, NW
- E Street 10th Street, NW 6th Street, NW
- D Street from 9th Street NW to 1st Street, NE
- Indiana Avenue from 7th Street to 3rd Street, NW
- C Street from 6th Street to New Jersey Avenue, NW
- Pennsylvania Avenue from 14th Street to 1st Street, NW
- Constitution Avenue from 14th Street NW to 2nd Street, NE
- Madison Drive from 14th Street to 3rd Street, NW
- Jefferson Drive from 14th Street to 3rd Street, SW
- Maryland Avenue from Independence Avenue to 1st Street, SW
- Independence Avenue from Washington Avenue, SW to 2nd Street, SE
The following streets will be posted as Emergency No Parking on Thursday from 4 a.m. to 3 p.m.:
- Calvert Street from 28th Street to Shoreham Drive, NW
WASHINGTON (7News) — The Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C., Cardinal Robert McElroy, on Wednesday removed a well-known priest as an exorcist of the archdiocese after he made public comments suggesting that UFO sightings were the work of demons.
McElroy said the archdiocese also was cutting ties with the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, a Washington-based nonprofit headed by the priest, Monsignor Stephen Rossetti.
The archbishop said Rossetti’s statements “linking UFOs to demonic presence and the Center’s recent use of social media gravely undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism.”
“There’s a danger here,” Rossetti said in a May 29 video posted on his Facebook page addressing UFO sightings and the existence of aliens. “As an exorcist I wanted to raise that danger. And that is that demons like to hide. … They don’t want us to know what they’re doing because they’re more effective when we don’t realize it.”
“They can kind of get into your head, you know, and manipulate things in the world to influence us to do evil.”
“It’s my personal belief that probably many if not most of these UFO sightings are in fact demons,” Rossetti added.
Rossetti also said that people can be good Catholics and believe there’s life on other planets, though he does not personally believe life exists elsewhere.
In a statement posted on the St. Michael Center website, Rossetti said he was saddened by the action of the archdiocese.
“I ask forgiveness for any ways that I have not been faithful to the teachings of the Church’s Magisterium, particularly in the cited video on ‘aliens and the demonic,’” he said. “I believe it is of the utmost importance to be obedient to the Church and I will continue to endeavor to subject all that I do and the Center to be thus obedient.”
Rossetti, who has over 148,000 followers on Instagram, is a prominent psychologist as well as an exorcist. His center has specialized in offering spiritual healing for priests troubled by various difficulties.
In 2023, he told The Associated Press there was increasing and renewed appetite for information about demonic possession and exorcism.
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.
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