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 (7News) — An ice cream truck caught fire in Southeast D.C. on Thursday, the D.C. Fire and EMS Department said.
The commercial vehicle was reported fully engulfed when crews arrived in the 1700 block of Tobias Drive SE.
SEE ALSO | Man, woman injured in Southeast DC double shooting
Firefighters quickly put out the flames and prevented the fire from spreading to nearby buildings.
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No injuries were reported.
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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