One of the National Zoo’s giant pandas celebrated a milestone birthday Tuesday evening.

Bao Li, who arrived from China in October 2024, celebrated his fifth birthday, with crowds gathered to watch the “bearthday” boy dig into his special fruitsicle cake, the zoo said. It was Bao Li’s second birthday in the nation’s capital.

The zoo did a shark-themed party for the 5-year-old panda, as keepers put a gray shark fin on top of the cake. Bao Li cleared away the decorative elements — blueberry “bubbles,” carved sweet potatoes, a carved carrot and crushed leafeater biscuits — and bit into the frozen cake tiers, according to the zoo.

The zoo called him an “embodiment of joy,” who loves inflatable enrichment toys.

“He is always in a lively, playful mood,” giant panda keeper Mariel Lally said . “If you aren’t sure what an overjoyed laughing giant panda looks like, keep your eye out for when Bao Li puts his forelimb in his mouth and shakes it around. When bears bite their arms in this manner, it is equivalent to people laughing.”

If you missed the celebration, the zoo will have another birthday celebration for its other giant panda, Qing Bao, on Sept. 12. You can get a free pass for the event on .

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Mechelle Merkerson is the first Black female cigar educator in the D.C. area and the first Black female owner of a cigar education company.

But it all started with a single question she asked her father on her 23rd birthday: How do you enjoy cigars?

“I started to explore in all areas of cigars and just immersing myself in the culture,” Merkerson told �鶹����.

“I enjoy cigars so much is just because it’s a never-ending activity.”

In 2018, Merkerson started doing cigar mixers to have cigar smokers come to a lounge, talk about their experience, drop cigar education and life knowledge, which led to more cigar mixers that grew to big groups.

In July 2022, she launched her cigar education platform called in which she produces short-form content about cigars to inform curious minds. It has been used as a training tool for industry professionals, cigar lounges and consumers.

She said the cigar education experiences are an extension of the cigar education aspect of Cigars with “M,” adding that the classes are more immersive, intimate and real knowledge being given to consumers.

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Merkerson taught a class July 2 at The Craft DC in Northwest. It was an intimate, educational evening designed to make cigars approachable for everyone, regardless of experience level. During the class, attendees enjoyed a cocktail pairing with their cigar, along with a special chocolate pairing to enhance the moment.

She said that in each of her classes, the goal is to educate the consumer through a sensory and guided experience.

How the DC region helped elevate her cigar education career

The Florida native moved to the D.C. area in 2025 after spending some time in Richmond because she wanted to enhance her cigar education business in a bigger market, settling in Arlington, Virginia. She said it has been an enriching experience for her.

“As I’ve been here so far, I’ve been able to network with a lot of people, build many relationships, also continue my cigar education classes, and then expand doing international classes,” Merkerson said.

She was recently honored as the first-ever cigar education resident at Buddy’s DC, a sports bar in Northwest D.C. Merkerson was grateful for the residency, which went from February to June of this year, as it allowed her to educate people about cigars.

“(I) had the ability to create a space for me to be the first Black woman to have a cigar education residency in the industry as a whole,” she said.

Being a cigar educator transformed Merkerson’s perspective on life. Before her current role, she was chasing a career in corporate America. Now, Merkerson says her passion for cigars has put her in a position to have a fulfilling career with no limits.

“It’s motivating, it’s encouraging, it’s character-building. It is also me being able to stretch myself and just believe even more in what God can do in my life,” Merkerson said.

“He’s definitely been working so hard for me because I’ve seen so many things that I would have never imagined happening for me.”

Being a Black woman in the cigar space

Through extensive research, networking and conversations with longtime industry leaders, Merkerson hasn’t identified another Black woman who founded a company dedicated specifically to premium cigar education before Cigars with “M.”

Even though Merkerson is the first in the cigar space, she hopes that she’s not the last.

“I’m grateful to be in this space. I welcome so many other people to join the cigar education realm,” she said.

“It’s very encouraging to know that I am the first, but I don’t want to only be the person doing it. So I welcome folks.”

Merkerson believes that people should get into cigars because it’s a relaxing experience and helps them be around community.

“You should get into cigars if you’re wanting to be in spaces in which you probably may have not been had access to prior to and you should get into cigars if you truly want to have an activity that you continuously are always learning about,” she said. “It is such a beautiful art form.”

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Three men were held at gunpoint during an attempted robbery Wednesday at a skate park in Northwest D.C. and police are looking for the suspect.

Just after 8:20 p.m., police went to the Shaw Skate Park in the 1500 block of 11th Street NW for a report of an attempted armed robbery. Police said the suspect, seen on shared by D.C. police, went toward three men, held them at gunpoint and ordered they give him money.

No one was hurt and the suspect didn’t take any property from the men. Police said the suspect fled the scene in a gray Lexus sedan before authorities arrived.

Police are offering a reward of up to $10,000 to anyone with information of the suspect and the incident. They can call them at 202-727-9099.

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An EF-1 tornado landed in Lake Shore near Patapsco Road at 6:15 p.m. National �鶹���� Service officials determined that the estimated peak winds of the tornado were 100 mph. The twister was on the ground for about two minutes. It was around three-quarters of mile long and 160 yards wide.

National �鶹���� Service Meteorologist Dan Hofmann said, “there appears to have been a second tornado on Lake Drive in Arnold on the south side of the Magothy River,” according to the data.

The tornado touched down in the Arnold/Cape Saint Claire area for “about a minute,” according to the National �鶹���� Service.

On Thursday, the weather service confirmed a third tornado touched down in the Riviera Beach area. The EF-0 tornado packed peak winds of 85 mph and traveled 1.1 miles with a 90-yard width.

The twister ripped the siding off at least one house and snapped trees in its path, the weather service said.

“We knew the atmosphere was going to be very powerful and explosive that day,” National �鶹���� Service Meteorologist Chris Strong said. “We had a severe thunderstorm watch for potential strong storms about two that afternoon, and then as it started evolving by 4o’clock, we saw the tornadic potential, got a tornado watch out, and then warnings out before the actual storms.”

Strong told �鶹���� News that it was fortunate the storm did not result in casualties.

“We heard a lot of people were able to get the shelter because they had advance notification, which is how it’s supposed to work.”

Two other tornadoes were detected in Talbot County on the Eastern Shore.

Damage assessments are ongoing.

Tuesday’s storms caused damage across the region, including a collapsed canopy at a gas station in Northwest D.C.

“It was over 100 reports of trees down and wires down and hail and even a little bit in the way of some flooding yesterday, especially through northern Montgomery County, Northwest D.C. and down around Fredericksburg and Harpers Ferry Way,” 7News First Alert Meteorologist Veronica Johnson told �鶹����.

�鶹����’s Will Vitka contributed to this report.

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In a news conference Friday, owner Chuck Kuhn said he would donate the historic vessel and its operations to Montgomery County. At the same time, the county will purchase the land where the ferry docks on the Maryland side of the Potomac.

The county will pay $1.5 million for the approximately 2.5 acres of riverfront land, a store, a ferry ramp, a boat launch and storage buildings. Once the sale is finalized and the county assumes possession of the property, the vessel will be pulled out of the river and examined for repairs, officials said. The county hopes it can finalize the transition in the next two months.

Kuhn, who purchased White’s Ferry with his wife, Stacy, six years ago, said the goal was to get the ferry open.

“We never were worried about who owned it. We just wanted to make sure the ferry got back open for the community. It was an amazing journey and today is a great step,” Kuhn said.

In December 2020, the ferry shut down after a Loudoun County judge ruled White’s Ferry had been trespassing since the end of a licensing agreement that allowed the ferry to dock at Rockland Farm on the Virginia side of the Potomac.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said the ferry’s shutdown has heavily impacted the city of Poolesville, where the ferry is located. He called the deal a “major milestone, a significant step” toward reopening the ferry. After years of assisting with negotiations with both landowners, he said owning the property itself was the most “logical and simple thing” to resume service.

“I hope that our colleagues in Loudoun County and the Commonwealth of Virginia take note of this major shift, and see their way to acquire the rights needed to restart the service, and we stand ready to work with them to achieve that goal,” Elrich said.

“I’m optimistic that the climate on the other side of the river has improved.”

Over the years, Kuhn has been unable to reach a deal with Libby Devlin and her brother Peter Brown, who own Rockland Farm, to allow the ferry to resume service. This includes the Montgomery County Council putting together a $3 million offer to resolve issues.

In 2021, Loudoun County’s Board of Supervisors urged Kuhn and Devlin to negotiate a deal on their own. “Work it out,” Chair Phyllis Randall encouraged the private owners at the time.

Montgomery County officials said they last spoke to the Rockland Farm owners around February, with Elrich adding that he would like to negotiate a deal to resume service. Devlin told �鶹���� Thursday she was unaware of the deal between Kuhn and Montgomery County and hadn’t been invited to participate in Friday’s news conference.

When asked if this deal might pave the way for Loudoun County to exert eminent domain over the land in Virginia where the ferry docks, Elrich said it’s possible, but it should be the final step, as it could be delayed through a lengthy court battle. However, he admitted it has been a struggle to work with the Rockland Farm owners.

“But if it came down to eminent domain, I’d hope the state would consider doing it,” Elrich said.

“They recognize the economic value and the purpose. This is something they should be willing to do. They certainly have the power to do it.”

In a statement to �鶹����, a spokesperson for the Office of the County Administrator in Loudoun County said that Montgomery County informed them of the White’s Ferry acquisition Thursday, adding that the jurisdiction sees the deal as a positive development.

“This is an important milestone toward improving regional connectivity,” Loudoun Economic Development Executive Director Buddy Rizer said in a statement. “Working together on projects like this creates stronger local economies and better opportunities on both sides of the river.”

Established in 1786, White’s Ferry carried between 600 and 800 vehicles daily across the Potomac River and more on weekends. Once it is open and running, Montgomery County will hire people to operate the ferry.

“The ferry is a vital service that we want to have restored,” Montgomery County Department of Transportation Director Chris Conklin told �鶹����. “With this arrangement, we have the Maryland landing and ferry operations in control and continue to seek solutions by finding answers to where the boat can land in Virginia.”

�鶹����’s José Umaña contributed to this report. 

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The rescheduled White House correspondents’ dinner will be taking place Friday night at the Waldorf Astoria in the District.

The location of the event is about two miles from the Washington Hilton, where the shooting took place that disrupted the annual event in April that led to a suspect being arrested.

As a result of the rescheduled correspondents’ dinner, there will be closures around D.C. that will impact traffic.

According to , these streets will be labeled as emergency no parking from 9:30 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.:

• Pennsylvania Avenue from 9th Street to 13th Street NW
• 10th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Avenue NW
• 12th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Avenue NW

This street will be closed to traffic from 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.:

• 10th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Avenue NW

D.C. police said these streets will be closed to traffic from 2 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.

• Pennsylvania Avenue from 9th Street to 13th Street NW
• Pennsylvania Avenue from 13th Street to 14th Street NW (local traffic needing access to the 1300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue will be allowed through)
• 10th Street from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue NW
• 11th Street from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue NW (local traffic needing access to 11th Street will be allowed through)
• 12th Street Tunnel/Expressway
• 13th Street from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue NW (local traffic needing access to 13th Street will be allowed through)

At the same time, this street will be cut off to through traffic:

• 12th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Avenue NW

Police said that those going to the hotel or the correspondents’ dinner by vehicle are allowed to go to 12th Street by going north from Constitution Avenue, NW. Those who park in the emergency no parking zones will get a ticket and have their cars towed.

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A code purple air quality alert was issued for the D.C. and the Baltimore areas, meaning the level of air pollution was unhealthy for everyone, especially those with health issues, according to the National �鶹���� Service.

Area health agencies strongly recommended that people limit time outside, so as not to be exposed to the heat and smoke.

Beginning Friday morning, residents were met with blurry skies that reeked of smoke.

The thick smoke in the sky was similar to what happened during the summer of 2023, when the region was under code red, purple and maroon alerts, according to 7News First Alert Meteorologist Eileen Whelan.

“The darker the color means a higher concentration of smoke particles in the air, so that can make it more difficult to breathe, especially if you’re doing strenuous activity outdoors, taking deeper breaths,” Whelan said.

Other than the smoky air, the week ended hot, with temperatures in the lower to mid-90s.

An incoming cold front will start to remove the smoky air Saturday while bringing the potential of severe storms and heavy rain. It will still be hot with temperatures in the upper 80s to lower 90s.

“We’re tracking strong to severe thunderstorms, several waves of storms from late morning through the afternoon and then into the evening,” 7News First Alert Meteorologist Steve Rudin said. “Any storm that does develop will have the potential to become strong to severe with gusty winds, heavy downpours, frequent lightning, even an isolated tornado.”

Conditions will continue to improve Sunday, despite starting off muggy, with partly cloudy skies and seasonable temperatures in the upper 80s to around 90 degrees and a chance for an isolated shower.

Air quality poses extra risk for people with compromised lungs

With code purple air quality, taking a deep breath outdoors is “very unhealthy” for everyone, especially people with certain health conditions, according to the .

“Just walking around outside, I could feel a little bit of tightness and burning in my chest,” said Dr. Bobby Mahajan, Chief of Interventional Pulmonology with Inova Health System.

Smoke from wildfires contains fine particulates that are so small they bypass the nose and throat’s natural filters, and travel into the lungs.

Once in the lungs, the smoky air can cause irritation, inflammation and narrowing of the airways.

The typical D.C. combination of heat and humidity is taken to the next level with the addition of the wildfire smoke.

“That’s not only a strain on your muscles and your body with the temperature, but you’re actually affecting your lungs themselves, because every breath you’re taking you’re taking in noxious particulate matter,” Mahajan told �鶹����’s Neal Augenstein.

For someone with lung disease, their airways may already be narrowed or inflamed. Extra inflammation from smoke or pollution could constrict airways ever more, according to Mahajan.

Safety precautions

If you’re feeling unwell or dizzy, call your doctor. You’ll want to stay indoors as much as possible.

Even while inside, some people might be affected by the air.

“If you’re having symptoms of headache — itchy, watery eyes, sore throat, coughing, chest pain, chest tightness — these are all symptoms that you’re being affected by the poor air quality,” allergist and immunologist Dr. Purvi Parikh said.

Air purifiers can help filter out the dangerous particles, Parikh said

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments has recommended that residents avoid arduous activities, take breaks where there’s clean air, wear an N95 mask and use a portable air cleaner in rooms.

In a post on social media, D.C. Health said residents should avoid taking pets on walks and limit their time outside.

D.C. government cancelled outdoor activities and closed outdoor pools and spray parks.

In Virginia, Fairfax County canceling all outdoor activities, such as recess, team practices and extracurricular activities.

• Listen to �鶹���� online and on the radio at 103.5 FM or 107.7 FM.
• Current traffic conditions
• �鶹���� forecast
• Closings and Delays
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Forecast

SATURDAY:
Partly sunny. Very humid. Strong storms possible
Highs: 86-92
Winds: Southwest 5-15+ mph

SUNDAY:
Partly cloud. Isolated shower, storm
Highs: 85-90
Winds: North 5-10 mph

MONDAY:
Mostly sunny
Highs: 85-90
Winds: Southeast 5-10 mph

Current Conditions

�鶹����’s Neal Augenstein and Jessica Kronzer contributed to this report.

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It will take place Oct. 7 at Capital One Arena at 7:30 p.m., the team announced Wednesday.

Take off the cap and pencil it in |

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals)

This will be the second time in four seasons Washington will play Pittsburgh in its home opening game. It will also be the 101st time that the club’s hockey stars and future Hall of Famers — Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby — will face each other.

The Capitals won the regular-season series against the Penguins last year 2-1-0.

The team’s full schedule will be announced Thursday.

The Capitals are looking forward to having their star Ovechkin back for his 22nd season as they attempt to bounce back after missing the playoffs last season.

The NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer is coming off a season in which he played in all 82 games and scored 32 goals. The 2026-27 season could be Ovechkin’s final season and he believes that the team is a contender for the Stanley Cup.

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Ahmed Mohamed, 31, was charged with 13 counts of embezzlement and 13 counts of computer fraud. More charges could be coming, as Fairfax County police told �鶹���� they identified four additional victims on Tuesday after announcing Mohamed’s arrest.

Police said they got information on June 25 regarding a scam involving a promised travel soccer camp in Italy. Their Financial Crimes Online Reporting System revealed that 13 people were victimized by the scam, in which each of them lost between $2,000 and $12,000.

“It’s going to take a little bit of time to be able to work through the legal process and being able to track down and, ultimately, what the goal is to recover the funds in their entirety for the victims,” said Lt. Michael Connor, of Fairfax County police.

Mohamed worked with the Alexandria Soccer Association, which gave him access to some of the victims of the scam, according to police.

He opened up his own business called the in December 2025 and, according to Connor, “it seemed that he had built relationships with the victims.”

“When he opened his own business, it, on paper, was a legitimate LLC and then used that LLC to defraud the victims,” Connor said.

He added that this is a unique case in that Mohamed knew the people.

“That unique element of this case kind of makes it a little bit more difficult for the victims, for them to have been able to identify this as a potential scam,” Connor said. “Because he already operated with legitimacy, under a legitimate camp. He had built that relationship with a number of victims.”

Mohamed was arrested June 30 and taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. He was later released.

Police have asked anyone with information regarding the scam to call the department’s financial crimes unit at 703-246-3533 or submit an anonymous tip at 1-866-411-8477.

�鶹����’s Luke Lukert contributed to this report.

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Announced Friday, the package includes the Housing Investment Protection Act and the Illegal Occupancy Enforcement Amendment Act.

would provide additional support for tenants during repairs or rehabilitation projects, expand the Local Rental Supplement Program and clarify when housing providers can enter units to make repairs.

The bill would also establish a 60-day timeline for eviction hearings, which Bowser said would make the process more predictable for tenants and landlords, while modernizing how eviction notices are delivered and received.

would update short-term rental laws to clarify that guests have no legal right to remain in a vacation rental beyond the terms of their stay. The measure would also allow D.C. police to remove guests who refuse to leave.

“By adding tens of thousands of new homes over the past decade, we’ve been able to blunt the rise in housing costs and get more Washingtonians into affordable housing,” Bowser said . “But to keep making housing more affordable, we have to make sure DC is a place where people want to keep building.”

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The Washington Commanders said they will retire Riggins’ No. 44 jersey during the game with the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 8.

Riggins, nicknamed “Riggo” and “Diesel,” helped “define one of the most successful eras in the team’s history,” the Commanders said in a news release.

“There are certain players whose impact goes far beyond statistics, championships and accolades; they become woven into the identity of a franchise. John Riggins is one of those players,” Commanders owner Josh Harris said in a .

“He played the game with a rare combination of physicality, fearlessness and personality that captivated fans and inspired his teammates.”

Commanders Team President Mark Clouse told �鶹���� that when he told Riggins the news, the former running back was skeptical at first, but turned into excitement about the reactions of fans.

“The fans were so important to him, and what a great representative for our franchise, and for the history of our team,” Clouse said, adding that this is the latest action to connect the past with the present. “We couldn’t be more excited to be celebrating John on that night. … I guarantee it’s going to be a night to remember for all of our fans.”

The running back played in Washington from 1976 to 1985 after spending his first five seasons in the league with the New York Jets. While in the nation’s capital, he led the league in rushing touchdowns twice — including a then-NFL record 24 touchdowns in 1983. Riggins also won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award and was a first-team All-Pro player.

One of his most memorable moments came in Super Bowl 17 against the Miami Dolphins. With Washington trailing 17-13 in the fourth quarter and having a fourth-and-one near midfield, Riggins took a handoff from quarterback Joe Theismann and took it 43 yards for the go-ahead touchdown that would eventually clinch the Burgundy and Gold’s first Super Bowl title.

He would be named Super Bowl MVP because of his performance, in which he had 38 carries for 166 yards.

In 1990, he was voted into Washington’s Ring of Honor along with Theismann. During the ceremony, he came out onto the field of RFK Stadium with his uniform, shoulder pads and game pads on to the delight of the crowd.

“I knew this was going to work. It was going to work and the fans just erupted,” Riggins said in a video of the . “In those moments, they have the memories. I have the memories of that great moment where the fans acknowledge you. … And I say this with all sincerity, the fans were my oxygen.”

Riggins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992. He is Washington’s all-time leading rusher — 7,472 of his 11,352 career yards came while wearing the Burgundy and Gold.

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Jonah Michael Poole, 19, of Davidsonville, pleaded guilty in March to first-degree murder in the death of Edward Stephen Koza, who owned Tropic Bay Water Gardens. Poole had briefly worked at the business.

Kylee Alyssa Dakes, 19, Poole’s girlfriend, has also been charged with first-degree murder and is scheduled to go on trial in December.

Authorities said on May 24, 2025, that police went to the 600 block of West Central Avenue in Davidsonville for a report of a vehicle on fire in the parking lot of a commercial business. Upon arrival, they put out the fire and found human remains, later identified as Koza, in the passenger compartment.

Prosecutors said Poole and Dakes attacked Koza at his store, bound his arms, taped his mouth and took him for a ride in his pickup truck. They then soaked the vehicle with gasoline and set it on fire with Koza in the back seat.

In addition to being charged with Koza’s murder, Poole was also charged with two crimes that took place before the killing: spray-painting a swastika on an Edgewater school and stealing more than $11,000 from a dock bar where Dakes worked.

Investigators said items inside Koza’s business were broken, and they also found blood and a pair of shoes, indicating that there was a struggle. Prosecutors said when they found Koza’s body, he didn’t have shoes on.

Authorities believe Poole and Dakes drove the truck to a gas station. Surveillance video showed Dakes bought about $10 worth of gasoline before the truck was set on fire.

After the fire was put out, investigators said they found a melted sprout from a plastic gas container.

Because of Poole’s age, and in addition to his life sentence, he was ordered to pay about $215,000 stolen from Koza and surrender a $15,000 truck bought with more stolen funds to Koza’s estate, according to .

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Hundreds of Washington Wizards fans attended a watch party at The Anthem in The Wharf Tuesday night to witness the draft selection that could change the franchise.

They erupted in cheers when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the Wizards selected AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick out of BYU.

The fans who attended the watch party are hopeful that Dybantsa can be the superstar who will lead them to the playoffs and possibly an NBA championship, something the franchise hasn’t won since 1978 when they were the Bullets.

“He’s a star and that’s what the city needs, that’s what this team needs,” Wizards fan Malik Shareef, who moved to the D.C. area in 2010, told �鶹����. “He has a big personality. We’re really looking forward to seeing him transform the team and kind of bring some swag. It’s the start of a new era.”

Spencer Belt, who has been a fan of the team his whole life, told �鶹���� that he came to the watch party to see the first overall pick.

“I think he’s going to be the guy within two years,” Belt said of Dybantsa. “I think he’ll be the engine that leads the team and takes us to the playoffs and wins some games.”

Another fan, Max Smith, described the selection of Dybantsa as a “franchise-altering pick.”

“I’m really excited. I think he’s going to change the whole franchise,” Smith said. “I think he’s going to be insane for us.”

Mechelle Merkerson recently moved to the D.C. area and became a fan of the Wizards because of their underdog status.

“They’ve been trying their hardest. The games that I have attended, I have really enjoyed them,” Merkerson said. “The city itself is very surrounded with love toward the Wizards.”

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Dybanta the player

Dybantsa, listed at 6 feet, 9 inches tall and 217 pounds, is a long and athletic player who showed his ability to score and defend at a high level during his single season at BYU, where he averaged 25.5 points per game. He has been compared to D.C.-area native and future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant.

Cameron Gantt, who works for Monumental Sports, said Dybantsa is the type of player the team has spent years looking for.

“This is one of those draft picks that changes your franchise,” Gantt said. “He’s just one of those franchise players that you hope you get when you get the No. 1 pick. … We’re blessed to have this happen.”

Longtime radio play-by-play announcer for the Washington Wizards and former �鶹���� Senior Sports Director Dave Johnson agreed with the sentiment. Before the Wizards made their selection, Johnson told �鶹���� the team has been developing young players, such as Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly.

With the help of veteran players in Anthony Davis and Trae Young, Johnson said, “It’ll start a consistent rise for the Wizards and that’s what this team wants, sustained success.”

Washington Wizards radio broadcaster Glenn Consor was very excited about the pick. Speaking to a crowd of fans before the watch party came to a close, he described Dybantsa as a combination of Basketball Hall of Famers Tracy McGrady and Kevin Garnett — who was known for his competitiveness, passion and intensity.

“You combine those two players, you have something very special,” Consor said. “We all have something very much to look forward to. His athleticism, his ability to score in the paint. … His greatest asset is running the floor in transition. You’re going to see the Wizards run a lot this year. It’s going to be so much fun to watch.”

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D.C. police identified the victim as 22-year-old Jayquan Alexander Sweat of Riverdale, Maryland.

Police said Sweat was riding an electric bicycle northbound on the west sidewalk in the 2300 block of South Capitol Street SE around 4:10 p.m. on June 17 when he failed to navigate a curve and veered off course.

According to investigators, the e-bike struck a curb, causing Sweat to be thrown from the bike. Police said he then hit a metal trash can.

D.C. Fire and EMS crews responded to the scene and transported Sweat to a local hospital. Police said he was unconscious and not breathing when emergency responders arrived and he was being treated for critical injuries.

Despite efforts to save his life, Sweat died from his injuries at the hospital, according to police.

The crash remains under investigation.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact D.C. police at 202-727-9099 or submit an anonymous tip by texting 50411.

Below is a map of the area where the crash took place:

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Efforts to redraw Maryland’s congressional map could be getting new momentum.

The top Democratic leaders have quietly developed plans to take up redistricting in a mid-July special session.

If both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly approve the redistricting plan with three-fifths majorities, a proposed amendment to the state constitution will appear on the November ballot. The new map would take effect ahead of the 2028 election.

The amendment would reverse a 2022 ruling from Senior State Circuit Court Judge Lynne Battaglia that struck down a congressional map designed to favor Democrats, said Mennatalla Ibrahim, a reporter for The Baltimore Sun.

“It seems to us like that language is still being developed, and it’ll be a little different from what we’ve seen in the past year in the legislation that has come out of the past legislative session,” Ibrahim told �鶹����.

Democrats in Maryland have had an on-again, off-again relationship with redistricting.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has repeatedly said he wants Democrats in the state to follow through with a redistricting effort that would likely unseat U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, the state’s lone congressional Republican.

Senate President Bill Ferguson rejected a push to join other states in gerrymandering congressional districts in October 2025. But he had a change of heart, in part due to a Supreme Court ruling that struck down a Louisiana congressional map with two majority-Black districts, according to Ibrahim.

That ruling, Louisiana v. Callais, weakened a provision in the Voting Rights Act that allowed for race to be considered in the drawing of congressional districts and paved the way for Republicans to draw maps with the goal of maintaining control of the U.S. House.

Ferguson’s shift on gerrymandering “might possibly be him changing his mind because his constituents wanted him to,” Ibrahim said. “There’s a primary, obviously, coming up, an election coming up shortly after that.”

It’s unknown whether Democrats have the support needed in the General Assembly to approve the referendum and put the redistricting question to voters in November.

“Even if they do hold the special session, it’s unclear if people have summer plans that they can’t cancel, or if Democrats will hold up their end of the bargain of pushing for redistricting,” Ibrahim said. “Senate Democrats are feeling confident, but they’re still trying to figure out a date that works best for all of them.”

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