Good morning. This is the NOTUS Metro newsletter for Sept. 2, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!
THE LATEST
D.C.’s restrictive gun laws have come under legal assault over the past 18 months, leaving local officials concerned that the city’s persistent gun violence could get worse.
There have been legal challenges to D.C.’s ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, and to the law prohibiting people with felony convictions from possessing guns, NOTUS’ Martin Austermuhle reports.
Trending
Many of those challenges stem from a 2022 Supreme Court decision that made it harder for jurisdictions like D.C. to justify their restrictions on guns. The Bruen ruling, as it’s known, says limits on gun possession must have some equivalent in American history or tradition. If not, they’re unconstitutional.
D.C.’s ban on high-capacity magazines has been litigated, and this year a panel of judges on the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled that it was unconstitutional. (That ruling is on hold pending a further appeal.)
The Trump administration has been leading the charge against some of D.C.’s gun laws. It backed the challenge to the high-capacity magazine ban, and separately sued the city over its prohibition on AR-15 assault rifles.
Defense attorneys are now fighting to overturn D.C.’s felon-in-possession law, saying it’s unconstitutional. The office of U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro, which prosecutes most violent crime in the city, told NOTUS that she will “always fight to keep illegal firearms out of the hands of dangerous felons.”
Some of these new legal challenges are already making their way to the Supreme Court. Later this year, the justices will consider whether outright bans on assault weapons are unconstitutional.
“The weakening of our gun laws is only going to make public safety more difficult,” D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson told NOTUS.
DEEP DIVE
Janeese Lewis George made Anacostia’s Union Temple Baptist Church the first stop of her campaign’s citywide listening tour on Tuesday night, signaling a shift from winning votes to gathering community feedback. NOTUS’ Michael Brice-Saddler reports that Lewis George said starting in Ward 8 was an intentional effort to prioritize a historically marginalized part of the city.
The packed crowd — which included Ward 8 council member Trayon White — split into breakout groups to discuss localized issues ranging from homeownership to public safety and education.
Lewis George said she plans to use these ward-by-ward meetings to build a focused administration agenda, setting the tone for her transition by asking the room: “How do we get from words to plans to actions to accountability? That’s what this is about.”
FROM THE DISTRICT
All’s quiet at East Potomac Park. Months ago, President Donald Trump declared that major renovations of the island park’s golf course would begin on Sept. 1. But NOTUS’ Shamira Muhammad reports that it was a sleepy Tuesday at East Potomac. On the day some locals had long dreaded, the area was mostly quiet. A few people fished. A pack of cyclists zipped through bike lanes. A couple enjoyed a mini-golf date.
A few backhoes were staged in a parking lot, but nobody was there to operate them. After a few days of tree removal last week, a Maryland-based tree care company was seen driving around the perimeter of the park. Otherwise, life went on as normal.
There are now fewer National Guard troops in D.C., reports WUSA9. As of Monday, the count stood at 3,865, down 663 from the week before. That decrease is probably linked to the end of summer events for America’s 250th anniversary. Though there are fewer troops, their presence is expected to continue into 2029. As NOTUS recently reported, D.C. residents are conflicted about the Guard’s presence.
He drove a 10-foot-tall homemade guillotine around the U.S. Capitol in the bed of his pickup truck, but Philan Le didn’t expect to get criminally charged for the stunt, The Washington Post reports.
Check, please. Washingtonian magazine resurrected its guide to the D.C. area’s “Best Cheap Eats” for the first time since 2019, listing 60 selections available for under $25.
FROM VIRGINIA
Some Northern Virginia homeowners, sick of living in the data center capital of the world, are moving elsewhere, Axios D.C. reports.
FROM MARYLAND
A deadly wrong-way crash in Montgomery County last weekend has put county police on the defensive about disbanding their impaired driving enforcement unit, WJLA reports.
PLAN YOUR WEEKEND
For quiz masters: Live! At the Library featuring Ken Jennings at the Library of Congress, Thursday.
For jazz enthusiasts: DC JazzFest at Arena Stage and The Wharf, Saturday and Sunday.
For people who like free things: The National Symphony’s free Labor Day Concert at DAR Constitution Hall, Sunday.
For more info on this weekend’s events, read our weekly culture calendar here.
SPORTS
Commanders training camp has come to a close and suddenly Week 1 is around the corner. NOTUS’ Martenzie Johnson looks back on everything we learned about this year’s team since camp opened July 29. From the much-needed arrival of Stefon Diggs to the recent spate of injuries, there was no shortage of drama in Ashburn.
D.C.’s new Major League Volleyball team officially has a name: D.C. Flight. The Washington Business Journal reports that the women’s indoor volleyball franchise will begin its inaugural season in January, with plans to play home games at a “major performing arts venue in D.C.”
What to Watch Today
MLB: Nationals vs. Braves, 1:05 p.m. (MLB.TV)
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The newsletter was produced by Jaden Amos, Michael Errigo and Nikie Johnson. Photo by Lillian Bautista/NOTUS.
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