Good morning. This is the NOTUS Metro newsletter for Aug. 14, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!
THE LATEST
The masked ICE agent who pulled a gun on a Northern Virginia woman this week wore a body camera. Will the footage ever be released?
Probably not, NOTUS’ Martin Austermuhle and Zara Norman report. The incident, which took place in a Fairfax County office park Monday after Carolina Molina yelled at ICE agents from her car, has sparked a wider discussion about transparency. The Department of Homeland Security, which accused Molina of “weaponizing” her vehicle against agents, releases body camera footage only when “it is in the best interests of the agency.”
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That policy differs from those of many local law enforcement agencies, including D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, which mandates that footage showing a serious use of force be made public within five days of the incident, unless the victim or their family objects.
“[The ICE] policy makes clear that they don’t care about the American people; they only care about themselves and protecting the administration and its immigration overreach,” Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, Molina’s representative, told NOTUS.
Though Molina recorded video of the incident herself, Subramanyam is demanding DHS release the body camera footage and said the agent should face criminal charges. But accountability might be difficult to come by.
“When you see federal agents violating someone’s rights, there should be an avenue to seek relief in court,” an attorney specializing in police conduct for a libertarian institute told NOTUS. “But there is very little to be done, and we’ve had to piece together novel theories to restore some avenue for federal accountability. The federal government has no interest in holding itself accountable no matter how egregious the behavior is.”
FROM THE DISTRICT
The Department of Justice is feuding with the D.C. Council over a request by the council that governors who have sent National Guard troops withdraw them by Sept. 1. Council members say keeping the troops in D.C. is expensive and question their public safety value. U.S. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald acerbically responded to their request this week, accusing the council of “callousness” and “impotent theatrics” and arguing that the Guard has contributed to the “largest decline in violent crime in the history of the city.”
The Kennedy Center’s board voted Thursday to carve President Donald Trump’s name into the building’s white marble facade and proceed with a $250 million renovation that will shutter the venue for two years, NOTUS’ Jenna Monnin reports.
The White House misrepresented and exaggerated a recent crime report to overstate the impact of last summer’s federal intervention in four cities, including D.C., NOTUS’ Ben T.N. Mause reports.
D.C.’s condo market is bottoming out, City Cast DC reports. Sales are expected to drop about 40% from pre-pandemic levels this year, a shift experts attribute to amenity-rich apartment offerings, job market uncertainty, steep condo fees and high interest rates.
METRO MOMENTS
Join the malophiles set to eat an apple in Malcolm X Park this Saturday. The five-minute event is BYOA, BTW.
We want to hear from you: 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
Jayden Daniels is not happy with LSU. An attorney representing the Commanders’ quarterback recently sent a cease-and-desist letter to the school, saying it can no longer use his name, image or likeness. ESPN reports that the dispute centers on the fact that the school plans to allow a player to wear the same number Daniels made famous in his Heisman-winning 2023 season with the Tigers. While the No. 5 has not been retired, this season would mark the first time since that an LSU player would wear the jersey number.
Daniels posted to Instagram on Thursday afternoon saying there are “issues to be worked out between my team and LSU” but that he is focused on training camp.
What to Watch Today
NFL preseason: Commanders vs. Dolphins, 7 p.m. (WUSA9)
MLB: Nationals at Mets, 7:10 p.m. (MLB.TV)
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The newsletter was produced by Jaden Amos, Michael Errigo and Nikie Johnson.
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