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Stafford bus crash

Bus driver in deadly Stafford County crash seeks delay of October trial

Fairfax County Public School buses

After boundary review, some Fairfax County students attending new schools this fall

Washington National Cathedral

Looking back on the day the DC region shook, rattled and rolled

Pages from the U.S. Affordable Care Act health insurance website healthcare.gov.

‘Mitigating the harm’: Virginia prepares for sweeping Medicaid changes

cheerleaders

WATCH: DC-area students return back to school and other Top Local Headlines

Online education course, E-learning class and e-book digital technology concept with pc computer notebook open in blur school library or classroom background among old stacks of book, textbook

Prince William Co. starts school year with new buildings but under threat of local funding cuts

Teen girl dies after being pulled from water near Francis Scott Key Bridge

What to expect from Alexandria City Public Schools 'necessary' boundary changes

New
Iran's rial currency hits new record low as US prepares to announce more sanctions

Near-total lunar eclipse is coming up with the Americas in prime position

Maryland Zoo's lone female elephant moving as facility transitions to all-male herd

More troops reported sexual assaults last year as incidents fell

Row of parked yellow school buses.

DC Public Schools work on lowering on chronic absenteeism, 'a national challenge'

student exits from emergency exit on school bus

School bus emergency? Fairfax County students have a plan to handle it

In this Feb. 12, 2015 photo, Marquez Allen, age 12, reads test questions on a laptop computer during in a trial run of a new state assessment test at Annapolis Middle School in Annapolis, Md. The new test, which is scheduled to go into use March 2, 2015, is linked to the Common Core standards, which Maryland adopted in 2010 under the federal No Child Left Behind law, and serves as criteria for students in math and reading. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

DC-area schools look to balance screens and traditional learning

Target-Ulta-Separation

AI could have a big influence on local back-to-school shopping this year

Antoinette Mitchell speaks at a news briefing

DC students made small gains on last year's standardized tests, but still below prepandemic levels in math, data shows

01:17

Freedom 250 Grand Prix in the nation’s capital attracts motorsports fans

00:39

School bus emergency? Fairfax Co. students can handle it

01:24

A front-seat view of the IndyCar Grand Prix track

00:40

Fairfax County firefighters return after assisting Colombia earthquake victims

00:43

Why Chuck Brown's family pulled out of DC's Chuck Brown Day

01:26

How DC is preparing for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix

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Metro and IndyCar team up for a busy weekend of Grand Prix events

00:46

Commuters say Freedom 250 Grand Prix traffic is ‘worse than cherry blossoms’

02:58

This WWII-era machine was used to decode Shakespeare’s works

01:11

‘Yokai Parade’ exhibition explores Japanese supernatural monsters

00:46

Commuters say Freedom 250 Grand Prix traffic is ‘worse than cherry blossoms’

01:20

Commanders hold final open practice of 2026 preseason

01:18

Man charged in Great Falls stabbing has confessed, police say

01:17

How DC schools are preparing for returning students

01:16

Rare photos reveal how DC changed in the years after World War II

01:05

Meet Sallie, a charming, lively and endlessly fun dog

01:17

School spirit takes over Prince George's Stadium ahead of new year

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What to expect from the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, according to one of the drivers

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Street closures have started for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in D.C. (WTOP/Alan Etter)

DC road closures, parking restrictions remain in effect after Freedom 250 Grand Prix

Kyle Kirkwood (27) poses for a photo after winning the IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix auto race in Washington, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. 6. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Kirkwood gives the Freedom 250 an American winner on the streets of downtown Washington

Race car drivers and pit crew members prepare to take practice runs

PHOTOS: Freedom 250 Grand Prix attracts thousands to nation’s capital

Washington Mystics center Shakira Austin (0) dribbles the ball during overtime of a WNBA basketball game against the New York Liberty, Sunday, May 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

Shakira Austin scores 31 as the Washington Mystics rally to beat Portland, clinch first playoff berth since 2023

‘Spider-Man’ tops box office in fourth weekend; ‘The Odyssey’ becomes Nolan’s highest-grossing film

Election 2028 Buttigieg

Pete Buttigieg returns to South Carolina as he weighs another White House run

Trump Rose Garden Statues

Inside Trump's remake of the White House Rose Garden. First a stone patio, then statues

Author Sunyi Dean signs her fantasy novel 'The Girl With A Thousand Faces' for a fan at the National Book Festival, July 22, 2026.

2026 National Book Festival celebrates the enduring power of books

First responder lights at crime scene

Virginia man charged with impersonating a police officer at a police station

Which issues are dominating federal CFO priorities right now? Register to find out!

FNN Event

Bowie police car

Bowie mother shot in the head while holding her baby, another child tried to intervene, police say

At SOME, food is everything

Insight by Kaiser Permanente

'My concerns are more for our service members': Former Stars and Stripes editor on his and other firings

Declan Moore

Declan Moore named president of WTOP and Federal News Network

Police lights

Driver dead after Prince George's Co. Police officer shoots him in Camp Springs

St. John’s Episcopal Church

After 130 years, Arlington neighborhood bids farewell to Episcopal church

Man arrested in connection to armed robbery in Northwest DC pharmacy

County News

Bus driver in deadly Stafford County crash seeks delay of October trial

Prince William Co. starts school year with new buildings but under threat of local funding cuts

What to expect from Alexandria City Public Schools ‘necessary’ boundary changes

DC Public Schools work on lowering on chronic absenteeism, ‘a national challenge’

After boundary review, some Fairfax County students attending new schools this fall

NATIONAL

USS Lincoln Soldier Father Arrested

He was waiting for his son to return from the USS Lincoln. Then Border Patrol arrested him.

Tech

Screenshot-2026-07-29-at-12.57.07 PM_10728807107947621871.jpg

This new video game can help prevent depression in teens, researchers say

Maryland

Flo the Skunk

Bat and skunk test positive for rabies in Charles Co., following 2 rabid beaver attacks

Sponsored

Maximus earns ‘top workplace’ award by investing in employee growth, training and AI skills

Maximus earns ‘top workplace’ award by investing in employee growth, training and AI skills

Insight by Maximus

VIDEOS

glass of beer next to beer can on table

WTOP’s Beer of the Week: Ocelot Home IPA

Trump

WATCH: Why Trump says states, towns should welcome data centers

Guinea Pig Sanctuary

WATCH: A look inside a sanctuary taking in hundreds of guinea pigs

PHOTO GALLERIES

Kyle Kirkwood stands up from his car and celebrates after winning the IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix auto race in Washington, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Freedom 250 Grand Prix

Car Review: Land Rover Defender OCTA

a dog and a cat

WTOP's Pets of the Week

22 Hours: A Second Look

American Nightmares Season 6 Primer: From The Garden to The Canal

#17, Justin Baer: Building a $75M men's lifestyle brand from 1 shirt

Beyond the Fame with Jason Fraley

Corbin Bleu & Soara‑Joye Ross

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 Kristin Diaz as New AM Drive Anchor

WTOP News Welcomes John Wordock as New Business Reporter 2026

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