Unhealthy Air Alert Issued — “The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) has forecast a Code Orange air day for [today], June 5, in part of the metropolitan Washington region, including DC and Northern Virginia … Code Orange levels mean the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups like people with heart or lung disease like asthma or emphysema, older adults, and children.” [COG]
Attempt to Toss Murder Convictions Rejected — “Brendan Banfield is set to be sentenced Friday as the Fairfax County chief judge denied a motion to set aside his convictions in the so-called ‘au pair affair’ murders … Defense attorney John Carroll told Chief Judge Penney Azcarate that Fairfax County prosecutors made three errors during Banfield’s prosecution, and that those errors influenced the jury’s decision.” [WTOP]
More Info Wanted on Trump Arch — “The National Capital Planning Commission has kept alive the triumphal arch that President Donald Trump wants built between the Memorial Bridge and Arlington National Cemetery. However, the body is requesting more information on” potential air travel, traffic and construction impacts. [Associated Press/ARLnow]
Guide to Regional Drought Watch — “Regional officials stress that while there is currently an adequate supply of water in the Potomac River and backup reservoirs, residents and businesses are encouraged to take simple, voluntary steps to reduce water use and help protect the region’s water resources if dry conditions persist.” [Fairfax County Government]
Va. Schools Seek for Local Tax Option — “Mathews and other localities hope … lawmakers and the governor approve changes to state law that would allow all localities to generate tax revenue for school construction projects, which have historically been costly for jurisdictions. If approved, voters in each locality decide through a referendum whether to adopt an additional local sales tax to fund school construction and maintenance.” [Virginia Mercury]
Gun Background Checks Surge — “As a new state law banning certain guns classified as ‘assault firearms’ is about to take effect, Virginia is seeing a big spike in background checks for gun transactions. The number of background checks is not necessarily a one-to-one indicator of sales, but it does generally correlate with a surge in people purchasing guns.” [WJLA]
Metro Rolls Out Pride-Themed Vehicles — “This June, Metro is celebrating Pride Month with a specially wrapped train, bus, and Metro Access vehicle, featuring the theme ‘Proudly Join Us on Metro.’ The vehicles will travel throughout the system from June 5-30, and the Pride bus and Metro Access vehicle will participate in the Capital Pride Parade.” [WMATA]
Dashboard Offers Look at Water Quality — “A new dashboard gives the public near real-time water quality data for the Potomac and Anacostia rivers … Water quality is top of mind after last winter’s sewage spill and the Potomac River’s designation as America’s Most Endangered River.” [Axios DC]
It’s Friday — Expect a sunny day with a high of 93°F and calm winds shifting to the west at about 6 mph in the afternoon. Night will be partly cloudy with temperatures dropping to around 69°F and a gentle south wind blowing at 3 to 5 mph. [NWS]
