As the Washington region sweats through another week of scorching temperatures — one of the hottest runs of days on record — and little relief in sight, local governments are warning residents to remain indoors, keep blinds drawn against the sun, take cold showers or baths, and drink water.
Washington, D.C
The scene of D.C.’s heat wave: Cooling centers, free water, canceled events
The D.C. area on Monday hit record temperatures for the second day in a row, with another high of 101. The weather forced officials to shutter outdoor day camps and sporting events and prompted Prince George’s County to push trash pickup an hour earlier through September.
The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang forecasts the earlier half of this week is expected to reach the upper 90s and 100s through Wednesday. Elected leaders from across the region are warning residents to be careful.
“Reminder: we are in an Extended Heat Emergency through Wednesday, July 17,” D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) posted on X Monday morning. “Please stay cool and check on seniors and neighbors.”
The District has opened up nearly 120 cooling stations across the city for residents at community pools, community centers, and shelters for anyone in need of relief as the city braces for another week of triple-digit weather.
Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis and the company’s Doctors Community Medical Center have seen increased numbers of patients reporting to emergency rooms with symptoms of heat exhaustion, including employees who work outdoors, according to Sunil Madan, chief medical officer at the Lanham site.
Physical conditions can deteriorate over hours if people don’t take the proper precautions to replenish fluids and to rest frequently, in cool environments if possible, Madan said.
More severe heat illnesses can result in organ failure, especially for people who suffer from co-morbidity conditions, Madan said.
“Hydrate. Take breaks. Wear sunscreen. Wear a hat,” Madan said. “The information is out there, the warnings. But I do think the public needs to be more aware and heed. It’s a serious thing.”
D.C. Fire and EMS Captain Renaldo Bell said medics have responded to treat patients dealing with cramping, heat exhaustion and, in rare cases, heat stroke. Many calls result from people who get overheated while exercising in extreme heat and children who play in pools and lie out in the sun but fail to continually hydrate.
“The pool will keep you cool, but you’re actually sweating with the energy and playing and you’re losing a lot of sodium and electrolytes,” Bell said.
The city’s pools and cooling centers help lessen the number and severity of calls, Bell said, but responders still have concerns about elderly residents who may not venture outside.
“A lot of the time the elderly don’t like a lot of air, and then it gets hotter than they expect,” Bell said. “At this point you’re dealing with the heat stroke type of environments.”
Mild heat-related symptoms include cramping from a lack of replenishment of fluids. But as conditions worsen, heat exhausted patients may feel faint, sweat profusely and deal with nausea symptoms or vomiting, Bell said. People suffering from heat stroke may have headaches, dry skin, vomiting or fall unconscious.
Maryland’s most populated county — Montgomery — has opted to not open cooling centers, but is urging residents seeking relief to head to public buildings such as libraries and community centers this week.
“We don’t specifically set up specific buildings for cooling centers because historically we believe the majority of residents have access to air conditions,” said Mary Anderson, a county spokesperson. “That said, at the drop of the hat, we are ready to set up cooling stations if, for example, we knew all of Wheaton was without power.”
Free water will be available on Montgomery County Ride On buses.
In Prince George’s County, outdoor programs have been canceled while cooling stations remain open. The county has also opted to move trash removal one hour earlier due to conditions outside. Outdoor recreational programs in Prince George’s have been canceled for Monday.
Fairfax County in Virginia has also opened cooling stations. The county school district announced all activities such as team practices and other outdoor extracurriculars have been canceled.
As of Monday afternoon, the county had not closed any camps or parks. “We continue to encourage all parents — particularly those parents of participants in outdoor camps — to make sure their child comes prepared with appropriate clothing, water bottle and sun protection,” said county spokesperson Ben Boxer.
The city of Alexandria has suspended all outdoor programming until 8 p.m. Monday. This includes organized sports and camps, according to Ebony Fleming, the chief spokesperson. The parks are still open.
Loudoun County has also not yet closed parks or community facilities, according to Kraig Troxell, a spokesperson for the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services. Cooling centers are open for residents.
Washington, D.C
What’s that noise? What you need to know about D.C. flyovers Friday and Saturday – WTOP News
Reagan National Airport will close for America 250 flyover rehearsals Friday and celebrations Saturday featuring the Thunderbirds, Blue Angels and more.
Reagan National Airport will close from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday for rehearsals ahead of this weekend’s America 250 celebrations, meaning people around D.C., Arlington and Alexandria may hear and see low-flying military aircraft.
According to Freedom 250 event organizers, Friday’s “Wings of Freedom” demonstrations over the National Mall will feature parachute teams, helicopters and military aircraft, including the U.S. Marine Corps’ MV-22 Osprey and F-35B, the Navy’s F-18F and F-35C, the Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, the Thunderbirds and a tri-bomber formation.
On Saturday, the FAA will close the airport from noon to midnight for the full celebration. All arrivals and departures at Reagan National are scheduled to end before noon.
Flyovers and demonstrations are scheduled throughout the afternoon and evening along the National Mall and Washington Monument grounds, including appearances by Air Force One, the Thunderbirds, Blue Angels, military aircraft fleet reviews, parachute demonstrations and B-2 stealth bombers.
Highlights include an Air Force One flyover scheduled for 7:03 p.m., a Thunderbirds demonstration beginning at 6:25 p.m., a tri-bomber formation at 6:02 p.m. and a stealth aircraft flyover at 7:38 p.m.
Friday’s schedule of flyovers and demonstration rehearsals along the National Mall and Washington Monument
- 10 a.m.: Golden Knights, Leap Frogs
- 10:15 a.m.: Army Helo Flyover
- 10:20 a.m.: USMC V-22 Osprey Demo
- 10:35 a.m.: USMC F-35B STOVL Demo
- 10:50 a.m.: USN F-18F Demo
- 11:10 a.m.: USN F-35C Demo Team
- 11:30 a.m.: USAF F-22 Raptor Demo
- 11:50 a.m.: NASA F-5s
- 12 p.m.: HUGE (1) Formation
- 12:05 p.m.: USAF Thunderbirds
- 12:55 p.m.: USAF Tri-Bomber
Saturday’s schedule of flyovers and demonstration along the National Mall and Washington Monument
- 1:14 p.m.: – NASA F-5 Flyover
- 1:24 p.m.: -NASA Fleet Review
- 1:44 p.m.: USCG Helo Flyover
- 1:54 p.m.: USCG Fixed Wing Flyover
- 2:09 p.m.: Golden Knights, Leap Frogs
- 2:29 p.m.: Army Helo Flyover
- 2:44 p.m.: USAF Fleet Review – Wave 1 – Heavies
- 2:54 p.m.: USAF Fleet Review – Wave 2 – AFSOC
- 3:04 p.m.: USAF Fleet Review – Wave 3 – Fighters
- 3:29 p.m.: Executive Rotary Wing Airlift
- 3:39 p.m.: USMC Fleet Review – Wave 1 – Rotary
- 3:49 p.m.: USMC Fleet Review – Wave 2 – Fixed Wing
- 3:59 p.m.: USN Fleet Review – Wave 1 – Rotary
- 4:09 p.m.: USN Fleet Review – Wave 2 – Fixed Wing
- 4:19 p.m.: USN Fleet Review – Wave 3 – Fighters
- 4:21 p.m.: USN F-18F Demonstration
- 4:59 p.m.: USN Blue Angels
- 5:26 p.m.: USMC MV-22 Osprey Demonstration
- 5:44 p.m.: USAF Fleet Review – Fighters
- 6:02 p.m.: USAF Tri-Bomber Formation
- 6:05 p.m.: USN F-35C Demonstration
- 6:25 p.m.: USAF Thunderbirds Demonstration
- 7:03 p.m.: Air Force One Flyover
- 7:07 p.m.: USAF Thunderbirds Delta Break
- 7:17 p.m.: HUGE 1 Flyover Led by the Newly Renovated Air Force One
- 7:38 p.m.: U.S. Stealth Airpower Flyover
- 7:39 p.m.: F-22 Raptor Demo
- 7:53 p.m.: F-22 Raptor in Afterburner
- 7:59 p.m.: B-1 Flyover
- 8:07 p.m.: B-1’s in Afterburner
- 8:11 p.m.: HUGE ONE Fly Over Review
- 8:22 p.m.: Golden Knights Twilight Jump
- 10:36 p.m.: B-1 Afterburner Night Pass
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
An Air Force major was arrested in uniform on the steps of the Capitol after he called for the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
U.S. Capitol Police arrested Jason Watson, an active-duty service member, on Wednesday afternoon following remarks at a news conference where he said Trump and Vice President JD Vance should be removed from office.
The event was organized by the Removal Coalition, a group that lobbies members of Congress to impeach Trump, and attended by Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who has repeatedly introduced articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I’m here with him because Rep. Green is the only member of Congress that has demonstrated the courage and conviction to … force a vote on articles of impeachment,” Watson said at the event. “If Congress followed his example, we could remove the entire Trump administration, but Congress remains unconvinced of the urgency and necessity for them to honor their oaths, so we must persuade them with our unrelenting, uncompromising civil resistance.”
Watson said he is not a Democrat and does not share policy positions with Green, who lost his re-election bid this year. Green’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Watson’s arrest.
Capitol Police said in a statement that it “is generally against the law for the public to demonstrate on the House Steps unless they are with a Member of Congress.”
“Yesterday afternoon, a man was escorted to the House Steps by a Member of Congress,” the statement said. “When the Member of Congress left the area, our officers gave the man lawful orders to stop the illegal demonstration or he would be arrested. The man refused our lawful orders.”
Capitol Police identified the man as Watson, adding that he was arrested on charges of “Crowding, Obstructing, and Incommoding” and that it is legal to protest in other spots on the Capitol grounds.
Service members are subject to stricter laws than the average citizen when it comes to protesting. The Uniform Code of Military Justice prohibits officers from “using contemptuous language towards the President, Vice president, the Secretaries of War and of a military department, Congress, and certain other officials,” according to an Air Force memo last year.
An Air Force spokesperson said in a statement Thursday: “Service members must comply with all laws, regulations and policies governing conduct and the wear of the uniform. All Department of the Air Force personnel are expected to uphold the highest standards of discipline and professionalism, both on and off duty.”
All service members, not just members of the Air Force, are prohibited from participating in “political activities” in uniform.
Watson’s criticism of Trump and Vance focused on the administration’s actions in Venezuela and Iran, calling them “an unconstitutional usurpation of Congress’ authority and a violation of the War Powers Clause.”
“These violations resulted in the deaths of 13 service members and injuries of hundreds more,” he said, referring to the number of U.S. military deaths tied to the Iran war. “For this, the president and vice president must be impeached, convicted and removed.”
Watson also called the administration’s immigration policies and tactics unconstitutional.
The Removal Coalition did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Watson could not be reached.
President Donald Trump responded to criticism of a financial disclosure that listed $1.4 billion in crypto earnings largely driven by meme coins.
Berk Kutay Gökmen
02 July 2026•Update: 02 July 2026
US Defense Secretary Hegseth on Thursday faced protesters while hosting the Trump administration’s DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force ceremony in Washington DC.
During the ceremony at Meridian Hill Park, which saw the gathering of National Guardsmen, dozens of demonstrators gathered near the park to protest Hegseth.
Footage shows the demonstrators chanting a short distance away from where Hegseth and roughly 200 members of the National Guard had gathered in the park
In social media posts, one protester was seen holding a Palestinian flag, while another person was holding a sign that reads “arrest Hegseth.” The protesters want a “Free DC,” according to social media posts.
In his address to the National Guard, Hegseth said that “this background noise is perfect,” referring to the protests.
“It’s the sound of ingrates, of ingratitude—of people who are so blinded by ideology they can’t see law and order and common sense in front of them,” he said.
Meridian Hill Park was repaired by the National Park Service and the Interior Department as part of a larger initiative to restore and enhance federal parks and public spaces throughout the nation’s capital in preparation for America’s 250th anniversary, which falls on this Saturday, July 4.
Though such beautification projects are typically popular with the public, the current initiative has been controversial both for its choice of projects and the use of no-bid contracts to hire firms to do the work, sometimes with disappointing results.
The work aligns with President Donald Trump’s DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force, established by a March 2025 executive order that directs federal agencies to coordinate public safety and beautification efforts across Washington.
-
Texas3 minutes agoTesla driver charged with manslaughter over crash into Texas home
-
Utah8 minutes ago3 Trade Scenarios for the Utah Jazz to Find a New Center
-
Vermont15 minutes ago4 Burlington beaches closed due to algae blooms
-
Washington18 minutes agoIndie Films Opening July 3: ‘Young Washington’ Marches Into Theaters
-
Virginia18 minutes agoDiscarded cigarette butts spark $1.3M house fire in Virginia
-
Wisconsin30 minutes agoSoutheastern Wisconsin severe weather; cleanup underway
-
West Virginia33 minutes agoAmerica250 fireworks, events happening this weekend in North Central West Virginia
-
Wyoming38 minutes ago14 Wyoming Cowboys make Athlon All-Mountain West preseason team
