Today in D.C.: Headlines to start your Wednesday in D.C., Maryland and Virginia
Good Wednesday #GoodWednesday
Good morning — it’s Wednesday. Grab your coffee or tea, and … maybe your snow (sleet?) boots.
Today’s weather: Snow, wintry mix or heavy rain depending where you are. Areas to the north and west of the city could see over a foot of snow, while all rain will hit the parts to the south and east. In the D.C. metro area, we’re in for a messy day with little snow, some wintry mix, heavy rain and possible flooding. Highs: Low 30s.
8:19 AM: Videos of vaccine deliveries are making people burst into tears
Health care workers across the U.S. get first dose of coronavirus vaccine
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On Sunday morning, Alex Leyton, 50, awoke in her San Francisco home, scrolled through some news on her phone and landed on a short video clip of trucks loaded with coronavirus vaccine leaving a Pfizer facility in Michigan.
“I started bawling,” she says. “You know how they say ‘ugly crying’? I physically could not stop.” She’d kept it together for nine months. Now, “all that I’ve been holding in and trying to control just flooded out.”
She surprised herself with the reaction. Leyton is not the type to get emotional.
“It’s just some trucks, you know? … It’s the most boring video in the universe,” Leyton says. “God, I’m going to start crying again.”
Just some trucks. Just some cargo. A beginning and an ending, folded together in a refrigerated box. In the spring, Americans nursed their hope for human resilience on videos of New Yorkers cheering hospital workers from balconies. As the country hunkers down for a dark winter, the vaccine-shipment video offered hope that we might not have to be resilient for much longer.
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By: Maura Judkis
8:03 AM: D.C. says it needs $45 million from Congress to host inauguration
As District leaders prepare to shell out tens of millions of dollars on the 59th presidential inauguration, they are sounding alarm bells over the federal government’s failure to repay them for the costs of President Trump’s inauguration four years ago.
The federal government is supposed to cover expenses related to federal activity in the District, but Congress has yet to compensate the city for the $7 million it drew from its emergency fund for Trump’s inauguration. That funding hole has only grown over the past four years as the city routinely spent more money than Congress had appropriated to manage national events and demonstrations.
Now, as local officials await a federal spending bill that will allocate emergency funding to the District, they are warning that the city cannot afford to again dip into its own reserves to cover inauguration-related costs. They are calling on Congress to make good on what they see as long-overdue payments and pour ample resources into the District’s emergency fund in advance of the Jan. 20 event.
In a Dec. 5 letter to President-elect Joe Biden, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) stressed “the use of local revenue to cover expenses related to protecting the federal presence severely limits our ability to fund necessary support for our residents and businesses as we face what are anticipated to be dire winter months.”
Read more of The Post’s coverage:
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By: Emily Davies and Michael Brice-Saddler
7:45 AM: Person struck and killed by Metro on Green Line
A person was struck and killed by a Metro train Tuesday morning, the second time this week that someone has been hit by a train on the rail system.
The latest incident happened at the Navy Yard stop just after 7 a.m. D.C. Fire officials said in a Twitter message that it had become a “recovery rather than a rescue.”
Metro officials said train service is suspended between the L’Enfant Plaza and Anacostia stations. It is not known how long train service will be stopped.
On Tuesday morning, a person was struck by a train on the Yellow Line at the L’Enfant Plaza station.
Metro spokeswoman Sherri Ly said in an email that the person “intentionally placed themselves in the path of the arriving train.” D.C. Fire crews responded and rescued the person from the track.
The person was taken to a hospital “with signs of life,” Ly said.
By: Dana Hedgpeth
7:42 AM: Former NFL player sentenced for fraud conspiracy against Metro
A former professional football player was sentenced to six months of home confinement for participating in a scheme to defraud the D.C. Metro system through his Leesburg, Va., janitorial supply company.
Brian Carpenter, 60, admitted in federal court in Alexandria earlier this year that he charged the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for at least $330,000 in cleaning products he never delivered, splitting the profit with employees who were in on the scheme.
“Mr. Carpenter takes responsibility for his role in the offense, wants to improve his life and contribute constructively to his family and his community,” defense attorney Pleasant Brodnax wrote in a sentencing memorandum. Carpenter has paid $25,000 toward his $330,000 restitution.
But Brodnax also argued WMATA allowed for advance payment for supplies and Carpenter merely “exploited a loophole in that procurement policy.”
Read the full story
By: Rachel Weiner
7:24 AM: Here are the school closings and changes in the D.C. region
Snow forecast: What’s coming for D.C. and the East Coast?
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A powerful winter storm is moving through the Mid-Atlantic on Wednesday, unloading a sloppy mix of precipitation in the greater Washington region. Heavy snow is expected toward the Interstate 81 corridor and the mountains, with heavy rain east of I-95 and a combination of snow, ice and rain in between.
The wintry blast brings with it a list of weather-related school cancellations and changes for Wednesday. Here’s what we know of this morning:
School districts with classes canceled:
● Culpeper County Public Schools classes will be canceled Wednesday.
● Fauquier County Public Schools classes will be canceled Wednesday and Thursday. Teachers may post optional learning resources for students.
● Loudoun County Public Schools classes will be canceled Wednesday.
● Manassas City Public Schools classes will be canceled Wednesday.
● Manassas Park City Schools classes will be canceled Wednesday.
● Prince William County Public Schools classes will be canceled Wednesday.
School districts with virtual class instruction:
● Alexandria City Public Schools will hold virtual learning for students on its regular schedule.
● Arlington Public Schools will hold virtual learning for all students Wednesday.
● Fairfax County Public Schools will hold synchronous virtual learning for all students Wednesday.
● Frederick County Public Schools will hold virtual instruction Wednesday.
● Montgomery County Public Schools will hold virtual learning as scheduled on Wednesday.
Want to know about the next major storm in the D.C. area? Sign up for email alerts by the Capital Weather Gang. Or, Listen to Capital Weather Gang’s morning weather report on your smart speaker.
By: Washington Post Staff
7:19 AM: Republican contender for Va. governor says Trump should declare martial law
RICHMOND — State Sen. Amanda F. Chase, a brash Republican gubernatorial contender who bills herself as “Trump in heels,” called on President Trump on Tuesday to declare martial law to prevent his removal from office.
One day after the electoral college formally confirmed former vice president Joe Biden’s victory over Trump, Chase (Chesterfield) doubled down on baseless allegations of election fraud in an early-morning Facebook post.
“Not my President and never will be,” she wrote, referring to Biden. “The American people aren’t fools. We know you cheated to win and we’ll never accept these results. Fair elections we can accept but cheating to win; never. It’s not over yet. So thankful President Trump has a backbone and refuses to concede. President Trump should declare martial law as recommended by General Flynn.”
Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser pardoned by the president, recently shared a Twitter post advocating the president “temporarily suspend the Constitution” and declare martial law.
In an interview Tuesday, Chase said she was holding out hope that Trump somehow would be declared the winner when the electoral college ballots are formally counted during a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6 — an all-but-impossible outcome, especially as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday publicly acknowledged Biden’s victory for the first time since the election. Barring that extremely unlikely turn of events, Chase thinks martial law is in order.
Read more news from Virginia:
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By: Laura Vozzella
7:04 AM: In first D.C. election with public financing, candidates bumped up against rules
In the first year of public campaign financing in the District, Washingtonians made enough small-dollar donations to generate $3.4 million in taxpayer funding — fueling campaigns for several well-known politicians and many newcomers.
The candidates, in turn, spent that money on everything from takeout food to branded masks and more, campaign finance filings made public last week show.
Fifty-six candidates sought funding to run in either a primary or general election in 2020, and 36 of them collected sufficient donations from the public to qualify for city funding for either D.C. Council or State Board of Education races, according to Office of Campaign Finance records.
Of the three dozen who qualified, seven won their races.
The amount disbursed to each candidate was based on the total of their own fundraising, which was capped at $20 to $100 per donor, depending on the office.
Read the full story
By: Julie Zauzmer and Michael Brice-Saddler
6:46 AM: Hogan deploys National Guard to help with vaccine distribution as death toll rises
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan deployed the state National Guard on Tuesday to help distribute coronavirus vaccines to hospitals, nursing homes and local health departments in an effort to quell mounting anxieties over the pace of inoculations, as the Washington region’s death toll reached its highest weekly average since May.
Hogan (R) said the Guard will help to ensure vaccines are distributed across the state in the coming weeks. As more vaccines become available, it will help to set up mobile vaccination clinics, he said.
“While we still have several months of difficult struggles ahead of us, this is a turning point, a light at the end of a very long tunnel,” Hogan said during a news conference.
Vaccinations began this week in Maryland, Virginia and the District, with the first shipment of doses reserved for health-care workers, first responders and nursing home residents. But not enough doses are expected in the first shipment to fully inoculate that cohort, prompting worries that other populations will be left out in subsequent shipments.
Read more about coronavirus cases in the DMV:
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By: Antonio Olivo, Ovetta Wiggins and Rebecca Tan
6:36 AM: Maryland’s coronavirus numbers are going up. Here’s what you need to know.
The coronavirus is coursing through the greater Washington region, prompting state and local leaders to reimpose restrictions, cancel in-person classes in the places they were held and urge residents to take personal responsibility for stopping the virus’s spread.
Here are the current restrictions in Maryland:
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By: Erin Cox
6:18 AM: Former District employee goes to prison for dealing fentanyl
After serving 19 years in prison for murder, Darrell Pope rebuilt his life and became a program specialist at the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. He married a fellow staffer and joined her church; they built a home in Clinton, Md.
But last year, Pope began selling heroin and fentanyl, and on Tuesday, he was sent back to prison for 63 months.
“I ran into the wrong people,” Pope told a judge in Alexandria federal court. “It was a terrible mistake I made.”
Read the full story
By: Rachel Weiner
6:10 AM: D.C.-area forecast: Snow and sleet arriving late morning, changing to heavy rain this afternoon (then back to snow tonight?)
The Capital Weather Gang rates today’s weather a 2/10: Too much rain and wintry mix take the fun out of too little snow. A somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a scale of 0 to 10.
Today: Snow or a wintry mix moves in from southwest to northeast around 10 a.m. to noon, except mostly rain in southern Maryland, with temperatures in the low 30s. A light accumulation of snow and sleet (up to an inch or two) is possible before areas inside the Beltway, along Interstate 95, and points south and east probably change to heavy rain as we get into the mid- to late afternoon.
North and west of the Beltway in Howard, Montgomery, Fairfax, and northern Prince William counties, we may see a wintry mix last a bit longer. And with temperatures right around freezing, icy spots could develop during the afternoon (especially on untreated surfaces) with temperatures right around freezing. Even here, though, we should change to mostly rain by late afternoon as winds pick up from the northeast.
Farther north and west in Carroll, Frederick, Loudoun and northern Fauquier counties and points north and west are where more significant accumulations of snow, sleet and freezing rain will make roads hazardous during the afternoon into evening. Confidence: Medium
Tonight: The immediate metro area remains mostly rainy into the evening as a gusty breeze develops from the northeast. But by late evening or overnight, the rain may change back to sleet and snow if colder air arrives before the precipitation pulls away. That could leave areas inside the Beltway and along I-95 with another light accumulation (up to an inch or two) of snow and sleet, with up to a few inches north and west in Howard, Montgomery, Fairfax and northern Prince William counties.
Hazardous conditions continue through the evening and into the overnight far north and west in Carroll, Frederick, Loudoun northern Fauquier counties, and points north and west, where total snow and sleet accumulations could reach six to 12 inches.
Overnight lows dip to the upper 20s to low 30s with a gusty breeze from the north and northwest. Confidence: Low-Medium
Tomorrow (Thursday): Temperatures start the day below freezing area-wide, which means some slick spots are possible just about everywhere. Still a bit breezy in the morning, with winds diminishing in the afternoon. Otherwise, we’re partly sunny and cold with highs only in the mid- to upper 30s. Confidence: High
Do you have questions about the winter storm heading toward Washington and the Northeast? Send an email to postlocal@washpost.com.
For other forecasts and more on weather in the Washington region, sign up to receive the Capital Weather Gang in your inbox. (Or, on your smart speaker.)
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By: Dan Stillman
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By: Teddy Amenabar