Good morning. This is The Washington Sun Metro newsletter for Sept. 18, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!
In today’s newsletter: A federal show of force, Bowser’s legacy and the Goodman League.
Capital Weather’s Daily Digit: 6/10. Humidity may be slow to drop, but at least we’re headed the right direction. A warm day with a mix of clouds and sun, plus only an isolated shower. Read the full forecast.
THE LATEST
Trending
A federal surge into a D.C. neighborhood has left some parents on edge.
Students, staff and parents at Bruce-Monroe Elementary School at Park View were surprised Thursday morning by a sudden influx of federal agents and National Guard troops in the neighborhood, all assisted by a low-flying U.S. Park Police helicopter circling above.
“Some parents asked them what they were doing. They said they were being a friendly face and keeping the neighborhood safe and beautiful,” a parent told The Washington Sun’s Martin Austermuhle.
The initiative was part of President Donald Trump’s D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, which since August 2025 has used federal resources to more aggressively fight crime in the city. Authorities say declining crime numbers this year prove it’s working.
But critics say the deployment into residential neighborhoods like Park View — and around a school whose student body is predominantly Latino — is too much.
“They see these people and the vests and they think ICE. They are in a constant state of fear,” said one person.
“As a parent, I don’t want my kids to get used to armed guards patrolling the street,” added another.
Ward 1 council member Brianne Nadeau criticized the federal show of force. “It’s time for federal agents to leave our communities alone,” she said.
That’s not likely to happen anytime soon, though. Trump has pledged to keep the National Guard in D.C. until 2029, for one. But Janeese Lewis George, the Democratic nominee for mayor, has said she will more aggressively fight federal interference in the District and will immediately end cooperation between D.C. police and federal law enforcement agencies.
FROM THE COURTHOUSE
Questioning heated up Thursday in the bribery trial of Ward 8 council member Trayon White. Defense attorney Warren Gary Kohlman pressed FBI informant and star government witness Allieu Kamara on his trustworthiness and called his testimony “a performance.” Kamara struck back, repeatedly accusing Kohlman of putting words in his mouth.
Kohlman’s arguments took further shape: When asking Kamara about his meetings with White, which the FBI filmed because Kamara was secretly acting as an informant, Kohlman highlighted the parts of the video that made his client more sympathetic. White can be heard expressing hesitation about taking the money, and often looked distracted while Kamara discussed plans for future kickbacks.
Kamara, quick to dispute the defense at every turn, replied, “[White] put the money in his pocket and took it.”
Kohlman also attempted to frame exchanges of money as relatively commonplace — and not necessarily evidence of bribery — because of Kamara’s history of giving White generous campaign contributions in cash. And he raised questions about Kamara’s character, pressing him on billing issues with his D.C. government contracts and allegedly fraudulent tax returns.
Kamara testified that he indeed had a checkered past, committing fraud with pandemic loans and bribing several government officials. But he said he made an agreement with the U.S. government that he would tell the truth and cooperate with them, in exchange for the possibility of a lesser sentence for those crimes.
“If Trayon goes to jail, it doesn’t matter. If Trayon walks out of here, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “All I have to do is tell the truth.”
FROM THE DISTRICT
Trump’s proposed triumphal arch will negatively affect nearby historic sites. The National Park Service said it should be built anyway, The Sun’s Kendall Staton reports. The project, part of Trump’s campaign to reshape D.C., has faced legal pushback for its potential to obstruct the view of Arlington National Cemetery. WAMU reports that some are worried the arch’s proximity to DCA will further complicate an already crowded airspace.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is in legacy-building mode. In a letter to the D.C. Council, Bowser said that in her final three months in office she would push forward with long-awaited development projects involving Chevy Chase, Poplar Point and the Frank D. Reeves Center on U Street. She’s also promising a bill to finance the renovation of Nationals Park to turn it into a “state-of-the-art venue that competes with newer facilities.”
A federal judge ordered the Kennedy Center yesterday to provide a detailed update on its “temporary closure” and emergency repairs by Wednesday, but denied a request for an emergency hearing, The Sun’s Angie Orellana Hernandez and Torrie Herrington report. The order comes less than a day after new photos of Trump renewed fears that he plans to demolish the Kennedy Center as part of his bid to attach his name to the institution.
The Metro’s Yellow Line will be shut down over the next two weekends to work on the route’s rail infrastructure as part of WMATA’s new infrastructure program, The Sun’s Justice Covert reports.
FROM VIRGINIA
A former youth minister for a Northern Virginia church faces federal child-exploitation charges after authorities said he sexually groomed multiple boys across the country under the guise of spiritual guidance, Covert reports.
FROM MARYLAND
Trump rescinded an Obama-era executive order on Wednesday that has long directed federal agencies’ restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, the Banner reports.
METRO MOMENT
This week, a Redditor sought help to fetch a kitten stranded beneath an overpass in Navy Yard. After an hourslong effort involving the fire department, the SPCA and many good Samaritan civilians, he was saved. The Sun talked to the husband-wife team who finally got him down. (Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.)
What brought you onto the scene?
Danielle Joray: I volunteer with A Cat’s Life Rescue in PG County, I’m their trapping coordinator. There’s a Facebook page called the DC Community Cat Club — it’s a bunch of not only cat lovers but rescue people — and somebody had reposted the Reddit thread.
Andrew Marquesen: Danielle sent me the photo of the poor little cat sticking its head over the edge. I was working probably, like, a mile from there, and we were kind of having a slow day anyway. I was able to obtain a trap, got some cat food and headed down there.
What did it take to get the kitten down?
Marquesen: We couldn’t see where it was. You could just hear it meowing. The Brandywine Valley SPCA showed up; we basically devised a plan to box the cat in by putting a trap on either side of that little ledge that the cat was on, just hoping he was hungry enough that he would not pass up the food. Maybe like 10 minutes later, the cat walked into the trap.
Where is he now?
Joray: He’s at the BV SPCA. They named him London; he’s going to get adopted. People were already offering to adopt him, which is awesome, but it’s been a really slow time for all rescues in the area for adoptions.
Marquesen: This one was high-profile because it was in a busy area of town and up on an overpass, but as far as cat rescue stories go, this really wasn’t that extraordinary of a story. There’s a lot of cats that are rescued from similar perils that need to find homes as well.
Have an image from around D.C. you want to share? A question for our reporters? An “only in D.C.” moment? Tell us about it.
SPORTS
The Goodman League is an institution in Southeast D.C. The long-running basketball league, played in Barry Farm, is a way for the community to connect, relax and enjoy some hoops. But Barry Farm, like so many D.C. neighborhoods, is quickly changing. And the league, approaching its 50th anniversary season next year, now faces an uncertain future. The Sun’s Shamira Muhammad talked to the league’s organizers and supporters about what it takes to keep a tradition alive.
By now, you may have seen the viral special teams play from Sunday’s Commanders game. It was made by Tyler Owens, a third-year safety. J.J. Watt, an NFL analyst and future Hall of Famer, called it “legitimately one of the greatest football plays I’ve ever seen.” But what was it like on the field? The Sun’s Martenzie Johnson talked to Owens, his teammates and his coaches to put together a moment-by-moment breakdown of a rep to remember.
Alex Ovechkin addressed his recent appearance in a pro-Putin ad, saying at Capitals training camp Thursday that he supports his home country of Russia and wants “peace and love for everybody,” The Sun’s Emma Baccellieri reports. When asked about the blowback Ovechkin has received, Caps GM Chris Patrick said, “I feel bad for him. … It may not be a popular sentiment among people critiquing him right now, but it’s a hard situation for him.”
What to Watch This Weekend
Friday
MLB: Nationals at Cardinals, 8:15 p.m. (MLB.TV)
Saturday
MLB: Nationals at Cardinals, 7:15 p.m. (MLB.TV)
NCAAF: Maryland vs. Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m. (FS1)
MLS: D.C. United vs. Charlotte, 7:30 p.m. (Apple TV)
Sunday
NFL: Commanders at Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. (Fox 5)
MLB: Nationals at Cardinals 2:15 p.m. (MLB.TV)
WNBA: Mystics at Fever, 4 p.m. (Monumental)
NWSL: Spirit at Chicago Stars, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
NFL: Colts at Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
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The newsletter was produced by Andrew Burton, Michael Errigo and Nikie Johnson.
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