WTOP | Washington’s Top News | DC, MD & VA News, Traffic & Weather

Opera - Turandot

Washington National Opera relocates performances away from Kennedy Center to new venues

The Jefferson Memorial

Bundle up! Long holiday weekend comes with surge of cold weather in DC region

Marc Elrich

Elrich’s $6.6B capital plan calls for record-high funding for Montgomery Co. schools

ChatGPT-Ads

ChatGPT's free ride is ending: Here's what OpenAI plans for advertising on the chatbot

Border Patrol Zizian Killings

Judge allows members of Zizians group to work together on defense ahead of Maryland trial

Election 2026 Redistricting Virginia

Virginia lawmakers back redrawing congressional maps, paving the way for a voter referendum

New
Defendant in Charlie Kirk's killing asks judge to disqualify prosecutors

What's next for Maryland man awaiting a decision on whether he can stay in the US

Foodies rejoice! DC's winter restaurant week is about to kick off

Moon, here we come: NASA inches closer to lunar return with Artemis II mission

Washington Spirit kicks off 2026 NWSL season with home opener at Audi Field

Majority of frontline Social Security employees earn less than a living wage, study finds

Chevy Chase development plan

New homes — plus recreation center and library — coming to Chevy Chase

Laptop scrolling

Data Doctors: 6 laptop fixes for malfunctioning touch pad

woman politician speaking at victory party with large crowd

How Virginia's inauguration events could impact your weekend

Abigail Spanberger

Virginia prepares for historic moment as Spanberger takes office in Richmond

close up shot of child in hospital bed with focus on hand

First child death reported from flu this season in Virginia

a bucket of popcorn in the foreground and empty movie theater in background

Friday Freebies: Headed to the movies on MLK Day? What to wear to get a free large popcorn

Front angle of the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE

Volkswagen Jetta Sport: A throwback with modern perks

Hockey for everyone: Washington Capitals host inclusive skating day

Virginia’s largest indoor waterpark to open this year

How a Fairfax Co. dad turned a passion project into a bagel business

A new study on river otter poop shows us what we can learn from nature's call

Brazilian au pair testifies against former employer, lover in double homicide case

DC council member says schools should prepare for declining birthrates

Kenyan McDuffie announces run for DC mayor

Attorneys give dueling narratives in ‘au pair affair’ double murder trial

Protesters gather outside Supreme Court as decision on trans athletes looms

New exhibit on camouflage coming to DC’s Spy Museum

DC Water takes a big step forward in its Potomac River Tunnel Project

Mary is a gentle girl who loves long, sniffy walks and cozy naps

DC Mayor’s final year in office starts with walking tour of Ward 8

The mysteries of Mother Nature come to life at this hidden Md. Smithsonian campus

As the Kennedy Center faces controversy, local theaters get more support

Alexandria revisits hate crime policies after alleged assault

Protests continue in DC as calls to end ICE violence intensify

Elementary students are learning the 'how' behind AI

Who will replace Steny Hoyer in Congress?

RFK stadium is almost completely demolished

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basketball player clutches the ball in close-up shot

Beltway Basketball Beat: Eagles get crucial conference win

Commanders stadium renderings

Neighbors of Commanders planned DC stadium say what they want developed nearby

Immigration Enforcement Minnesota

What you should show to prove your US citizenship to an ICE agent

SOSi charts a long-term course in national security contracting

Insight by JP Morgan Chase

Commanders new stadium

Commanders unveil initial renderings for new stadium in DC

Military acquisition reform has important backing

Insight by Amazon Leo

NIL Deals

NCAA basketball players and gamblers are charged for allegedly rigging games

Bagels

How a Fairfax Co. dad turned a passion project into a bagel business

MLK Day Parade

DC's annual MLK Jr. Day parade will go ahead as planned, despite safety concerns from some

Gov. Glenn Youngkin looks into the gallery of the House of Delegates before delivering his final State of the Commonwealth speech on Jan. 14, 2026. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)

Gov. Youngkin touts economic, education gains in final address to Virginia General Assembly

65th Annual Grammy Awards - Show

Harry Styles announces first album in 4 years, 'Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally'

Virginia Wife Killing

Digital and DNA evidence take center stage on day 3 of au pair affair murder trial

basketball player hunches over during game

Former NBA player arrested in Fairfax Co., charged with robbery and assault

Maryland State Senate President Bill Ferguson

Can Democratic lawmakers curb federal immigration efforts in Maryland? They think so

APTOPIX Immigration Enforcement Minnesota

Trump threatens to use the Insurrection Act to end protests in Minneapolis

An image captured by a drone above Clarksburg Premium Outlets.

What’s going to happen to the ‘big white elephant’ in Clarksburg?

Spanberger inauguration, bridge rebuilding efforts and more Top Local Headlines

County News

Bundle up! Long holiday weekend comes with surge of cold weather in DC region

Washington National Opera relocates performances away from Kennedy Center to new venues

New homes — plus recreation center and library — coming to Chevy Chase

Virginia lawmakers back redrawing congressional maps, paving the way for a voter referendum

Foodies rejoice! DC’s winter restaurant week is about to kick off

The Washington, D.C. Travel & Adventure Show is being hosted at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Jan. 17 to 18.

Things to do in the DC area: Travel & Adventure Show, Restaurant Week ... and more!

drone shot of kalahari water park in virginia

Largest indoor waterpark in Virginia to open this year

old photo of a woman

New 'American Nightmares' podcast episodes reveal mystery behind Bowie woman’s murder in 1998

VIDEOS

WTOP’s Beer of the Week: Fox Farm Annata 2024 Grape Harvest Farmhouse Ale

WATCH: Fairfax County husband accused of double murder goes on trial

Gadget Show

Tombot’s ‘Jennie’ puppy steals hearts at CES 2026

PHOTO GALLERIES

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JULY 01: John Forte performs onstage during the 2022 Essence Festival of Culture at the Louisiana Superdome on July 1, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Essence)

2026 celebrity deaths

DC-area athletes competing in the Winter Olympics

2 dogs

WTOP's Pets of the Week

Sports

Goalkeeper Charlie Lindgren poses with a kid on the ice

'It was surreal': Caps players invite kids with disabilities onto the ice after practice

DC

otters

An ongoing Smithsonian study of our region's cutest apex predator (and its poop!)

NATIONAL

Washington Post Reporter Probe

Press freedom advocates worry that raid on Washington Post journalist's home will chill reporting

Sponsored

Industry Exchange Cloud 2025: Palo Alto Networks’ Joe Sangiuliano on how to simplify, improve multicloud security

Industry Exchange Cloud 2025: Palo Alto Networks’ Joe Sangiuliano on how to simplify, improve multicloud security

Insight by Palo Alto Networks

22 Hours: A Second Look

S2 E10 - Answered Prayers

Total Wine & More’s David Trone: The strategies behind a $6B retail giant

Beyond the Fame with Jason Fraley

Cary Elwes

WTOP's DC Sports Huddle

How the Commanders 'win' NFL free agency

493 | Denmark Confronts Trump Administration over Greenland

thERINpy with Erin Washington

Marni Battista, life design coach and author of Your Radical Living Challenge

From Our Partners

WTOP News Welcomes John Wordock as New Business Reporter 2026

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