Tall Ship Providence, a replica of the original USS Providence used during the American Revolutionary War, has called Alexandria, Virginia, home since 2019.

However, as of Friday, the nonprofit foundation has suspended its educational and tour operations aboard the vessel, which is docked year-round near Waterfront Park in Old Town.

Two weeks ago, Â鶹ąŮÍř’s Matt Kaufax highlighted the Providence’s participation in an America 250 gathering of tall ships.

”The decision to suspend these operations was not made lightly, and the Foundation’s board and staff share in the sadness felt by the community that has supported this mission so faithfully,” according to from the Tall Ship Providence Foundation.

The closure coincides with a proposal by the two-year-old United States Maritime Foundation to build a national museum around the tall ship’s Old Town location.

”The museum will tell the story of America and the sea; the merchants, shipbuilders, sailors, naval leaders, watermen, explorers, conservationists and recreational mariners who helped shape our country,” according to a . “Alexandria is the right place to tell that story for all Americans.”

According to the , the maritime foundation is under contract to buy the property at 1 Prince St., adjacent to Waterfront Park, where it hopes to build a 50,000-square-foot museum.

The maritime foundation is hoping to raise the money and support needed to build the museum, calling it “a major opportunity for Alexandria.”

”It will strengthen the waterfront, support tourism and local businesses, deepen the city’s identity as a historic port, and provide families, students, veterans, visitors, and donors with a meaningful place to encounter America’s maritime legacy.”

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The town council of Haymarket, Virginia, has unanimously passed an ordinance that regulates how and where e-bikes and e-scooters can be ridden.

Haymarket Mayor TracyLynn Pater has said walkability is a top priority in the town of 1,600, located just off Interstate 66, in Prince William County.

The ordinance, which was passed Tuesday, bans electric vehicles from riding on the town’s sidewalks, requiring them to only be operated on roadways.

Riders ages 14 and under have to wear helmets and be under the direct supervision of an adult.

prohibits riders from wearing one or more earphones while operating the vehicles.

When parked on sidewalks, e-bikes and e-scooters must provide a 4-foot zone to avoid impeding pedestrians.

The speed limit for e-bikes and e-scooters is 25 mph, which is the same speed as many of the roads in Haymarket.

Companies that want to rent the devices in Haymarket will have to pay a $5,000 fee up front, and maintain a $5,000 surety bond which the town can use to pay costs for removing and storing bikes and scooters that don’t comply with the town’s licensing requirements.

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LeeAnn Brown, a nurse and certified car seat technician at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center, said in the past few months, at least five unsafe car seats were brought in by parents getting ready to bring their babies home.

In the U.S., child restraint systems are regulated at the federal level by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Brown said approximately 60 car seat manufacturers meet the minimum safety standards.

Yet, a growing number of counterfeit, poorly made seats are being sold through social media marketplaces, primarily on TikTok and Temu, said Brown.

“You have the risk of ejection and for preemies, you have a risk of asphyxiation. And in a rollover crash, that’s not going to keep a baby in one spot,” said Brown.

How do you spot a counterfeit car seat?

“First, pick it up. If it’s markedly lighter than an approved car seat, that’s probably because it doesn’t have any steel in it,” said Brown. “Approved car seats have steel along the base, (which attaches to latches on the car seat), along the seat area, and along the length of the torso.”

Next, Brown looks at the harness system straps.

“Is the harness at least your thumb’s width,” asks Brown. “If not, it’s too thin, it won’t hold the baby in place.”

Another must-have is a chest plate, as part of a five-point system.

“When we say a five-point system, we’re talking about over the shoulders and through the chest plate, that’s two. Then the main buckle through the legs is three. Then around both hips, that’s four and five,” said Brown.

‘It is not meant for an infant’

While labels on car seats that indicate it meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards contain minimum and maximum height and weights for a child’s usage, they also include an expiration date, at which point a car seat should be disposed.

During a webinar with nurse colleague Teresa Baltuano-Post, Brown pointed to a label and said, “Look at this one, this is the kicker. It says ‘Doll baby children product.’ It’s a doll seat. It’s not meant for an infant.”

Baltuano-Post said in Prince William County, in some cases, the language barrier may confuse parents seeking an affordable child safety seat.

While it is not illegal for an individual to sell a car seat, Brown and Baltuano-Post discouraged purchasing a secondhand seat, because it may have been involved in a crash.

“It’s like wearing a bike helmet — if you hit your head, you should be getting a new bike helmet,” Brown said. “If a car seat was in an accident, you should be getting that replaced — and a lot of people don’t realize is your insurance will cover the cost of that car seat.”

Brown said parents should bring their car seat when they check into the hospital, rather than on the day the newborn is expected to go home. She said that’s especially important with premature babies.

“We have a practice in the NICU to encourage parents to please bring their car seats early, a few days before they’re going home, because we may need to do a car seat test, which tells us whether or not the baby’s going to be able to tolerate the position,” she said.

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers for parents, and a car seat product list is available at .

“I’m old enough to remember when my mother’s arm was my car seat,” said Brown, recalling it was 1971 when NHSTS adopted the first federal manufacturing standards for car seats, requiring harnesses and seat belt anchors. “We’ve come a long way.”

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What you see in department stores and shopping malls doesn’t typically end up in outlet stores, according to Jennifer Barger of Washington Consumers’ Checkbook.

“People think they’re getting a bargain at outlet malls, but particularly with mid-level clothing brands and mid-level designer purses, you are getting things that are for the most part especially made for the outlet,” Barger said.

In her article, Barger said that a brand’s 100% linen sundress that’s available at the mall might only be available in an outlet as “a linen and viscose blend, or it’ll have fewer buttons.”

Another example — consumer shoppers found rubber-soled men’s dress shoes at outlets compared to leather-bottomed ones at department stores.

“You’re paying a cheaper price, but you’re getting a cheaper product,” Barger said.

Deals on furniture, home goods

Barger said home outlets for brands like RH — formerly Restoration Hardware — and Pottery Barn might provide bargains.

“They’ll either be floor model, or customer-returned sofas, or what they call ‘open box’ light fixtures, meaning someone bought it and was like ‘This doesn’t work in my house,’ and returned it, and it’s probably fine,” although she suggested “caveat emptor — buyer beware.”

While furniture sold at outlets can range from slightly damaged to very damaged, “If you’re furnishing a home and you don’t have a lot of money, it’s not a bad idea to visit them,” Barger said. “And you can get tons and tons of last season’s linen napkins, and most of that stuff is half off or more.”

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In 2023, 6,535 people were killed in crashes involving heavy-or medium-duty trucks or light vans, accounting for 16% of all roadway fatalities, according to the Arlington, Virginia-based insurance group. David Kidd, vice president of vehicle research for IIHS, said gaps in the U.S. vehicle safety system make commercial vehicles riskier to both their drivers and those they share the road with.

“We’re defining it as vehicles that are purpose-build, like cargo vans,” Kidd told Â鶹ąŮÍř. “They’re built for use by contractors, utilities, or for last-mile delivery.”

Those vehicles include ones such as step vans, or other work vehicles in which the cab and cargo areas are part of the same frame. Kidd said employees driving work vehicles often don’t have the safety equipment that’s built into their personal vehicles.

“You have air bags being required in vehicles that you and I buy, but those aren’t necessarily required for larger vehicles,” Kidd said. “Same thing with electronic stability control, or even automatic emergency braking to avoid rear-end crashes or potentially running over a pedestrian.”

As for why work trucks don’t have the same safety features as cars? “Part of the challenge is these vehicles are built differently, and they’re typically built for certain uses or vocations.”

For example, a step van would contain seats that would enable an employee to get in and out of the truck easily.

“A lot of the focus has been on making vehicles that fit a certain purpose, and that unfortunately has been more of a priority than making sure that they’re as safe as those vehicles that you and I typically would drive,” said Kidd.

The group said it hopes its truck ratings will encourage fleet operators and manufacturers to require safety improvements that facilitate crash avoidance and improved crashworthiness.

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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore spoke about the difference between liberation and freedom, in the opening ceremony of the 2026 Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival, in one of Montgomery County’s oldest historic Black communities.

In Cabin John Regional Park, Moore was joined by local dignitaries, including descendants of William Dove, the first formerly enslaved man who purchased 36 acres of farmland in 1880 for $210, located in what is now Potomac.

Moore said that ending slavery was an important moment of liberation, celebrated by Juneteenth, “but liberation is not freedom.”

Even after liberation, Moore said that “the idea of freedom became something that still remained elusive.”

When Dove purchased property in the Scotland community, Moore said that economic empowerment was a step toward freedom.

“The freedom to be able to own more than you owe. A freedom to be able to pass something along to your children besides debt. A freedom to be able to walk freely, knowing that you should be able to feel safe in your own community, in your own neighborhood, and in your own skin,” said Moore.

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The National Park Service erected heavy steel security fencing around Dupont Circle on Friday morning, closing it to the public ahead of this weekend’s marquee Capital Pride festivities.

In a public announcement, the Park Service said, “The park area will be closed to the public to provide for public health and safety and protect natural and cultural resources in Dupont Circle Park.”

Historically, D.C.’s gay pride movement was nurtured in Dupont Circle, and early Pride events were held at the Circle, located along Connecticut Avenue NW.

The annual Pride parade, which will be held Saturday, no longer passes Dupont Circle, and Sunday’s Pride Festival is held along Pennsylvania Avenue.

The National Park Service said Dupont Circle will be closed through Sunday at 6 p.m.

Last year the security fencing was also installed but later removed after community pressure. There was isolated violence in the vicinity last year, although it’s unclear whether it was connected to the Pride event.

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The National Park Service erected heavy steel security fencing around Dupont Circle on Friday morning, closing the park to the public ahead of this weekend’s Capital Pride events.

“The park area will be closed to the public to provide for public health and safety and protect natural and cultural resources in Dupont Circle Park,” the National Park Service said.

Dupont Circle has long held significance in D.C.’s LGBTQ+ community. The city’s gay pride movement was nurtured in the neighborhood, and early Pride festivals were held at the circle along Connecticut Avenue northwest.

While the annual Pride parade is scheduled for Saturday, it no longer passes through Dupont Circle. Sunday’s Pride Festival will take place along Pennsylvania Avenue.

The National Park Service said Dupont Circle will remain closed through Sunday at 6 p.m.

The park was also fenced off during Pride celebrations last year. The barriers were later removed following community pressure. Isolated violence was reported in the area during last year’s festivities, though it remains unclear whether those incidents were connected to the Pride event.

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Dozens of registered nurses, doctors and maternal care advocates protested the planned closure of a postpartum unit at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, the largest hospital in the District.

“Closing these 11 postpartum beds will directly affect these new parents and their babies during an incredibly vulnerable time,” registered nurse Kiersten Lally with D.C. Nurses Association said at the Thursday rally.

“Postpartum units are a space where patients spend a few days after giving birth to heal, recover and learn how to care for themselves and their baby,” Lally said. “Shortening their stay or forcing them to choose a new hospital to deliver at will certainly create worse outcomes in an already vulnerable patient population.”

One in three of all children born in D.C. are born at Washington Hospital Center. Between 2000 and 2018 all obstetric programs were shuttered, leaving none in Wards 5, 6, 7 and 8.

MedStar Washington Hospital Center and Howard University Hospital have been the only options for delivery for residents in the eastern half of the District, until the recent opening of Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center.

In a statement, MedStar Washington Hospital Center said declining birth rates in the District and financial pressures will prompt the consolidation of its postpartum services.

The closure of 11 beds in Unit 5F will leave 18 postpartum beds available in the hospital, “which are more than sufficient to safely and fully meet the needs of the patients we serve today and into the foreseeable future,” the hospital said in a statement.

Dr. Aza Nedhari said the patients she serves as president and CEO of Mamatoto Village — a nonprofit offering pregnancy and postpartum services — “deserve a hospital that expands to meet them, and not one that quietly contracts when they’re not looking.”

Nedhari made a request of MedStar Washington Hospital Center: “Keep what you already have before you build anything new, before the next initiative, before the next research study — keep the beds that are already serving mothers open.”

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The National Park Service says there have been recent reports of severe sickness along the 101-mile Appalachian Trail, and the suspected cause is norovirus.

Because the virus spreads easily, the Park Service is urging visitors and hikers to take precautions to protect themselves and others.

First, treat all water, since most water filters do not remove viruses. The Park Service says boiling water for at least one minute is the most reliable way to kill germs.

Remember to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. The NPS says hand sanitizer doesn’t work very well against norovirus.

Don’t share food, water or other personal items, since the highly contagious norovirus can be spread on surfaces.

To properly dispose of waste, according to the Park Service, “bury poop at least 8 inches deep and 200 feet from water sources, campsites and trails. Wipe down privy handles, bear boxes and other touch spots with bleach wipes before using.”

If you have symptoms, try to avoid contact with others, including tenting alone if possible and getting single rooms at hostels and hotels.

To report cases of norovirus, email publichealthprograms@nps.gov.

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Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger signed a bill defining agrivoltaics in Loudoun County Wednesday morning, at the Piedmont Environmental Council’s Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows in Aldie.

“Agrivoltaics is simple, you put solar panels on farmland in a way that keeps that land in production,” Spanberger said. “The farmer gets supplemental income and lower energy costs, the grid gets clean power, and nobody has to choose between feeding people and powering communities.”

State Delegate John McAuliff, whose 30th District includes Loudoun and Fauquier Counties, co-sponsored the bill with State Senator Russett Perry, said agrivoltaics provides an alternative to the “either/or” decision that farmers face, when offered the chance to sell their land to an electric company interested in installing solar arrays.

“We’re losing farms here. Far too often, agricultural land is sold for development, or for uses that threaten to take it out of production entirely,” McAuliff told the crowd, sitting on folding chairs near crops that were grown near dozens of solar panels, some of which provided much-needed shade.

“This trend not just threatens individual farms, but the long term future of agriculture in our region,” said McAuliff.

Until now, Virginia has lacked an official definition of agrivoltaics.

The bill, which Spanberger signed into law, defines agrivoltaics as sola energy development that:

• Prioritizes and sustains agricultural production
• Ensures land remains in active farm use
• Allows for the continued sale of agricultural projects on existing farm business
• Maintains flexibility for farmers over time

“Agrivoltaics prioritizes agricultural productivity, keeps land in production for the life of the solar array, and is part of an existing farm business,” said Spanberger.

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came to the D.C. area two decades ago, and started working on the metro desk at the Washington Times.

“I remember seeing you and other reporters including Mark Segraves (of NBC 4) chasing (former Council Chair) Linda Cropp and (Mayor) Tony Wilson all around the Wilson Building,” Mack recalled to me this week.

Back then, I knew Jamie as Jim — one of the best investigative reporters in the area.

“I got into journalism to do some good and to shake up the world,” said Mack. “It seemed like the metrics for success changed — there was so much emphasis on driving web traffic and finding stories that would get a lot of clicks, and I was a part of that.”

At the time, Mack was struggling with drinking and started to see a gender therapist.

“I was living one life in the closet, and then I was living one life in public,” Mack said. “It’s hard enough to live one life. To live two is impossible.”

Dissatisfied with journalism, Mack began working as a private investigator, for a mid-sized firm in D.C. “I did everything from employment law to capital murder cases to traffic accidents.”

Inspired by a seriously ill friend who was determined to live his life to the fullest, Mack realized some changes needed to be made.

“It’s funny talking to you today, because today is my sobriety date,” Mack said. “It was five years ago today that I quit drinking.”

‘There was nothing wrong with me; The problem was theirs’

After quitting drinking, Mack came out as transgender.

“I decided to get a job at a grocery store, and for the first time in my life put Jamie and ‘they/them’ on my name tag,” they said. “People would come up to my register and they would see my pronouns there and get it wrong a little too loud, and a little too often, for me to think it was a mistake.”

Mack’s coworkers accepted them. “I met so many people who were just so incredibly kind to me, and connected with me, and I found so much support, especially among young people.”

The acceptance empowered them.

“I learned to hold my name tag up, and I would say, ‘You can just call me Jamie,'” they said. “It was such an instructive experience for me because it taught me there was nothing wrong with me, the problem was theirs.”

Life as an out nightclub comedian: ‘I’m proud of who I am’

Mack’s nightclub act includes observations of all of their personal transformations.

“I was so worried when I first came out that other trans and queer people and members of the LGBT community would look at me and say, ‘what took you so long,’ Mack said. “The only thing anybody has ever said to me is ‘Welcome, we’re glad you’re here.'”

From their vantage point on stage, “My experience in comedy, playing everything from queer rooms to more conservative rooms in rural areas has taught me that we are not nearly as screwed up as a country, and divided as the people in power and the people in the media would have us believe.”

“I’m proud of who I am, and I’m proud of the selflessness and love of so many people who have seen the best in me.”

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With a growing number of complaints about young people riding e-bikes dangerously, the Northern Virginia sheriff’s office has launched a safety program that includes a way for neighbors to submit.

According to the agency, complaints will be reviewed by a sheriff’s supervisor and routed to a school resource officer, abbreviated SRO, during the summer months for follow-up. In Loudoun County, school resource officers are employed by the sheriff’s office.

The complaint form allows a resident to report the date, time and location of the risky activity, and upload photos or videos if they have them. Complaints can be lodged anonymously.

When a complaint identifies a specific young person or home address, “A SRO will attempt to make direct contact with the parent or guardian for a brief educational conversation — reviewing providing e-bike safety resources, and ensuring that parents and guardians are aware of the community’s concern,” according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.

In a Â鶹ąŮÍř interview earlier this month, Chapman called on parents to make sure their children are being safe on e-bikes.

In announcing this new initiative, Chapman said, “Our goal is not to punish, but rather to ensure that riders and their parents understand Virginia’s laws and make well-informed decisions when purchasing and operating e-bikes on our roads.”

When a complaint describes recurring dangerous activity at a specific location and time, but the riders are unknown, the sheriff’s office said it will increase its presence in that area.

Chapman said the SROs have built a strong relationship with young people and their families.

“Putting SROs on the front end of this issue — knocking on doors, talking to kids, connecting with parents — is exactly the kind of proactive, prevention-focused work they do best,” Chapman wrote in a news release. “We would rather have that conversation up front than after responding to a serious injury.”

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Crews began work Monday to rehabilitate a deteriorating 1,700-foot stretch of the regional Potomac Interceptor sewer line.

Last week, D.C. Water announced that inspections determined a portion of the Interceptor, located near Lock 22 on the C&O Canal, in Potomac, Maryland, was significantly corroded and had exposed and missing rebar inside the pipe.

Monday morning crews began laying what will be temporary overground bypass system to carry the Interceptor’s wastewater around the work site, while the compromised pipe is being replaced. A spill near the location of the emergency work could threaten much of the local drinking water supply.

The January 2026 collapse of the Interceptor along the Clara Barton Parkway, which spilled more than 240 million gallons of wastewater into the Potomac River, happened downstream of the drinking water intakes for all three local water suppliers — Washington Aqueduct, WSSC Water and Fairfax Water

However, if a spill occurred near Lock 22, that would jeopardize the drinking water intakes for WSSC Water and Washington Aqueduct. Fairfax Water’s intake is farther up river, and would not be affected.

D.C. Water expects the emergency work to last through September.

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“The entire Washington metropolitan region — that’s over 5 million people — we rely primarily on a single source, and that’s the Potomac River for drinking water,” said Dr. Priscilla To, WSSC Water’s director of operational reliability and resilience.

“We are currently still working out the details of that cost-sharing agreement, but at the same time, even as we look for other sources of funding for the study, we are also recognizing that it’s very important to have regional support for the funding of an eventual solution, which will be a much bigger investment,” To said.

A water system designed for the entire DC region

Currently, the D.C. region has limited backup capacity — in some cases just about a day’s worth of water if the Potomac River were suddenly unavailable — underscoring the importance of long-term planning.

“As the regional water suppliers, we recognize that there’s a need to pursue large-scale solutions — ones that would provide emergency water backup for several weeks for the entire region,” To said.

A key goal of the study is ensuring any new solution works across jurisdictional lines.

That includes developing an infrastructure that would allow WSSC Water, the Washington Aqueduct and Fairfax Water to have access to the regional second source or storage, in an emergency.

“We are looking at how our water supply system could provide more resilience to every system in D.C., in Maryland and in Virginia — and that would include looking at interconnections,” To said.

Earlier this year, the Army Corps of Engineers completed a studyĚýfocused on near-term improvements, including expanding storage at the Dalecarlia Reservoir, which supplies the Washington Aqueduct system. But officials acknowledged that expanding that reservoir would only provide limited additional storage — measured in hours, not weeks — and wouldn’t solve the region’s long-term need for a true backup source

This new regional study will focus on options capable of sustaining the entire metropolitan area for an extended period of time if the Potomac River becomes unusable because of drought or contamination.

For now, water continues to flow safely from the Potomac. But regional leaders say planning for the unexpected is critical — especially when so many people depend on a single river.

“We’re looking at rock quarries in both Maryland and Virginia that would serve as storage for water in emergencies,” To said, including “the option of using wastewater and treating it to a higher standard for reuse.”

To said once the large-scale options are evaluated, the water companies will carry forward the best option and begin the design process.

Michael Nardolilli, executive director of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin agreed.

“This study is about ensuring that future generations inherit a water system that is resilient, reliable and prepared for the challenges ahead,” Nardolilli said.

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