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Commanders release Brandon McManus after lawsuit accuses him of sexual assault

Jake Irvin sets the tone as the Nationals leave Cleveland with a win

Sloppy, strange game sees Dave Martinez ejected and ends in loss for Nats

Why restaurants are so loud, and what science says we can do about it

Post reporter: Verdict against Trump felt 'surreal'

What’s Washington listening to?

New heroes of spaceflight: Not the astronauts but the software nerds

News site editor’s ties to Iran, Russia show misinformation’s complexity

What AI thinks a beautiful woman looks like 

Russia co-opts far-right politicians in Europe with cash, officials say

Young men flee Myanmar in panic after struggling military starts draft

Zelensky comes to Asia and scolds China

For Hunter Biden, a dramatic day with his brother’s widow led to charges

Why the Trump verdict matters

Trump’s guilty verdict sharpens the two big questions of this election 

‘I took an oath to do no harm’: The two doctors wrestling over Fauci’s legacy

It takes up to 5 of these endangered antelopes to make one $20,000 shawl

How to enjoy spas if you’re not a spa person

You asked: Can I fly with weed gummies?

Beauty, death and drama: Live bird cams are nature’s soap opera

Carolyn Hax: How to relate to others without making it about you

Ask Amy: Should I assume that people in need are too shy to ask for help?

Miss Manners: Neighbors are fundraising for a mismanaged private school 

South Africa’s ANC lost its majority. Time for a pivot to the center.

The First Amendment gives the NRA a right to be wrong about the Second

A birthrate bomb? A quiz on world population and what it means for the future.

Used paperbacks change lives behind bars, even with growing prison book bans

Maryland diner turns leftover bacon grease into soap to save money

Dogs are doing the viral ‘paws in’ challenge. Here’s why. 

From the Trump Tower lobby, a gusher of falsehoods about the trial 

Trump’s (misleading) closing argument to the court of public opinion 

Prominent pollster spreads Dominion voting machine misinformation

Capitol Hill

The Washington Post is providing this news free to all readers as a public service. Follow this story and more by <a href='https://www.washingtonpost.com/newsletters/health-science-environment-alerts/?method=SURL&location=ART&initiative=FREE'>signing up for health, science, and environment email alerts</a>.

The number of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/local/dc-maryland-virginia-coronavirus-cases/" target=_blank>known coronavirus cases</a> in the District, Maryland and Virginia stood at 7,252 Sunday morning, with 3,610 cases in Maryland, 2,640 in Virginia and 1,002 in the District. The total of virus-related deaths was 51 in Virginia, 67 in Maryland and 22 in the District, for a total of 140 fatalities.

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/an-additional-21-covid-19-deaths-as-dc-region-marks-largest-one-day-spike/2020/04/04/664f63c6-76b3-11ea-ae50-7148009252e3_story.html" target=_blank><i>From Saturday: 21 new deaths as D.C. region marks largest one-day spike in covid-19 fatalities</i></a>

Here are some of the most significant and recent developments as the region responds to the pandemic of the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease covid-19:

• As the number of coronavirus infections and deaths has surged, so has the national profile of Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who has emerged as chief spokesman for the nation’s governors — and one of few Republicans willing to question the statements and actions of President Trump. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/unafraid-to-call-out-trump-hogan-emerges-as-lead-gop-voice-for-urgent-action-on-pandemic/2020/04/04/909b1fae-7527-11ea-85cb-8670579b863d_story.html" target=_blank>Read more here</a>.

• Another four members of the District’s Emergency Medical Services Department have tested positive for the virus, officials said Sunday. That brings the total number of infected firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians to 32.

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/stay-at-home-maryland-virginia-dc/2020/03/30/167cba86-72a0-11ea-85cb-8670579b863d_story.html">What a stay-at-home order means for you</a> | <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/local/dc-maryland-virginia-coronavirus-cases/">Known coronavirus cases in the region</a> | <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/getting-tested-for-coronavirus-in-virginia-maryland-dc/2020/03/26/5e19f608-6de9-11ea-a3ec-70d7479d83f0_story.html">How to get tested</a> | <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/national/coronavirus-us-cases-deaths/">Mapping the spread in the U.S.</a> | <a href="https://hosted-washpost.submissionplatform.com/sub/hosted/5e7bd9faf362630035018215">Has someone close to you died of covid-19? Share your story</a>

Early Voting in DC:  The Inmate Vote

Four more inmates at the D.C. Jail have tested positive for coronavirus, a city official said Sunday, bringing the total number of infections among inmates to 18. Seven of the jail’s correction officers have also tested positive for the infection, an attorney for the union that represents them said.

The outbreak spreads as advocates <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/disaster-waiting-to-happen-thousands-of-inmates-released-as-jails-face-coronavirus-threat/2020/03/24/761c2d84-6b8c-11ea-b313-df458622c2cc_story.html?itid=lk_inline_manual_14" target="_blank">urge jails and prisons across the country</a> to release those who are accused of minor crimes or are medically vulnerable — like those who are elderly or have underlying conditions.

As inmates in D.C., Maryland and Virginia test positive for the coronavirus, jail officials scramble to reduce the risk

The city’s Public Defender Service has joined the American Civil Liberties Union in a federal class-action lawsuit alleging the city has not done enough to fight the pandemic within the jail, which houses about 1,600 inmates. The city could not comment on the pending litigation, but noted that it was making preparations.

The jail quarantined those who tested positive, placing them in isolation units. The four new infections include two men who were housed in a unit where an inmate had contracted the virus, a man who was previously housed in another building at the jail and a woman whose unit was quarantined after an inmate there tested positive for coronavirus.

According to the latest figures supplied by the city, 126 inmates are currently quarantined, including those who have come into contact with inmates who tested positive for the virus and recent arrivals to the jail, said Olivia Dedner, a spokeswoman for Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Moriah Balingit

Spencer Hsu

Virus Outbreak Maryland

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) issued an emergency order Sunday mandating that nursing homes and assisted living centers take drastic steps to stem the spread of coronavirus, with 81 facilities across the state now contending with outbreaks. 

The order, which carries criminal penalties for those who do not comply, includes requirements that staff wear personal protective equipment. Facilities also must create quarantine units for residents with confirmed or suspected infections, and must send covid-19 tests to a state laboratory.

There are now covid-19 cases or outbreaks at 81 nursing homes or assisted living facilities across the state, Hogan said in a news release. At Pleasant View Nursing Home in Mt. Airy, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/maryland-news/pleasant-view-coronavirus-outbreak-carroll-county/2020/04/04/4a4bb2c2-7520-11ea-87da-77a8136c1a6d_story.html?itid=lk_inline_manual_23">nine residents have died</a>, and at least 99 residents and staff have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

“We will use every tool at our disposal to protect the most vulnerable among us,” Hogan said.

Hogan’s order requires all staff who are in close contact with residents to wear face masks, gloves and gowns. Facilities can request gear from the state.

It also mandates that nursing homes and assisted living facilities send coronavirus tests to the state lab, which prioritizes testing for symptomatic residents of such facilities.

There must be a unit of staff designated by each facility to care for people who have covid-19, or are suspected to have it, along with a specific room, unit or floor. Nursing home residents who are hospitalized must be allowed to return to their nursing home, if the facility is able to follow the precautions for avoiding transmission established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rachel Chason

Revealing the mass coronavirus outbreak at the Pleasant View Nursing Home in Carroll County, Md.

Maryland reported Sunday morning that another 14 people had died after contracting the novel coronavirus, the most deaths reported in a single day. Overall, the District, Maryland and Virginia reported 810 additional infections Sunday, bringing the total number of known cases in the greater Washington region to 7,252.

The death toll in the greater Washington region now stands at 140. The District reported one additional death Sunday; Virginia reported two but removed three earlier cases from its tally.

Maryland reported an additional 484 coronavirus cases Sunday, the largest single-day increase. Prince George’s and Baltimore counties also saw their largest increases to date, with 132 and 99 new confirmed infections respectively. The state has now reported 67 deaths. Maryland officials late Saturday reported the deaths of three additional residents at Pleasant View Nursing Home in Carroll County, bringing the death toll at the site of the state’s worst outbreak to nine. It’s not clear if these deaths are reflected in the Sunday morning fatality count.

Dozens of cases, and nine deaths. Inside Maryland’s worst coronavirus outbreak.

Virginia added 230 cases Sunday, bringing its total of known cases to 2,640. Arlington County saw its largest single-day increase in cases with 31, double the new infections reported Saturday. and bringing the total to 181. Virginia also lowered its death count from 52 to 51. Three previously reported fatalities were removed because the links between covid-19 and the deaths were not confirmed. The state also reported two additional deaths overnight.

The District reported 96 new cases Sunday, climbing into four digits with 1,002 overall infections. City officials also reported death of a 76-year-old woman, bringing the fatality count to 22.

There are slight variations between The Washington Post’s count and those provided by government officials. The Post includes those tested positive in the region, but who were removed from government counts because they live outside the jurisdiction.

See more data on <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/local/dc-maryland-virginia-coronavirus-cases/?itid=hp_local-topic-chain_known-cases-2am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans&itid=lk_inline_manual_37" target=_blank>The Washington Post’s regional covid-19 tracking page</a>.

Fenit Nirappil

District officials have shuttered the Wharf Fish Market in Southwest after customers crowded its open-air marketplace Saturday, defying social distancing orders.

The closure will last through at least April 24, according to a spokeswoman for D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), and may be extended. In the interim, authorities are encouraging Wharf vendors to develop a strategy for serving customers — while enforcing social distancing — and present it to the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

“If the plan allows for safe operations, the venue will be allowed to reopen,” Bowser’s communications director LaToya Foster said in a statement. “DCRA and D.C. Health would continue to monitor compliance.” 

Late last month, Bowser joined Maryland and Virginia in issuing a stay-at-home order for residents. Under the April 1 order, residents are allowed outside for essential activities — for example, grocery shopping — and for recreation such as running, hiking and dog-walking, although outdoor activities should be pursued only with family members.

Bowser has also banned gatherings of more than 10 people, and has instructed those who do venture outdoors to remain at least six feet apart. Violators could be subject to a fine of up to $5,000 and up to three months in jail. But that didn’t stop people from filling the aisles of the Wharf on Saturday, queuing close — inches away from one another — as they waited in line for items such as jumbo lump crab, according to photos posted on social media.

One photo shows crowds of patrons chatting and snacking directly behind a black-and-white sign that reads, “Please maintain a 6’ physical distance from each other while shopping … This is a federal directive.” 

The images gained traction over the weekend, garnering the attention — and condemnation — of other residents and elected officials. D.C. Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) tweeted Sunday that the photos led him to consult with D.C. police commander Morgan Kane about how officers can better enforce distancing guidelines.

Closure of the Wharf, Allen said, is the right move. The “#StayAtHomeDC order isn’t optional; it’s for everyone’s health,” Allen tweeted. “What we saw was unacceptable &amp; dangerous.” 

Hannah Natanson

An additional four members of the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department have tested positive for the coronavirus, the District said Sunday.

That brings to 32 the number of firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians who have fallen ill from the novel coronavirus. An assistant fire chief is included in that tally.

Fire officials said seven members have recovered and cleared for work. The fire department says 173 of its members are in quarantine, and 165 members who had been quarantined have returned to work. The department has more than 2,000 members.

This is what it’s like to be a sanitation worker during the coronavirus outbreak

A total of 17 members of the D.C. police department have tested positive for the coronavirus, and an additional 195 have quarantined. Another 194 members who had been in quarantine have returned to work. District police have said one of its officers is in critical condition.

The police department has more than 3,800 sworn members.

Peter Hermann

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issues stay-at-home order as coronavirus cases surge

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) phoned his favorite country radio station the other day and made a confession. He can’t listen anymore. The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/02/28/what-you-need-know-about-coronavirus/?tid=lk_inline_manual_2&itid=lk_inline_manual_2&itid=lk_inline_manual_57">coronavirus</a> pandemic consumes his every waking moment.

“Do you ever get tired of being interviewed?” she asked. “Because I’m seeing you everywhere.”

As the virus’s infection rate has surged, so has Hogan’s presence on the national news and talk shows he once shunned. The Republican has emerged as chief spokesman for the nation’s governors, offering a message equal parts sobering and hopeful: This pandemic, he says, is worse and will last longer than anyone imagines, and America is going to get through it together.

The media blitz is driven partly by Hogan’s role as chair of the National Governors Association. But it’s also fueled by his unvarnished predictions of an impending catastrophe, his resolute explanations of why a mass shutdown is worth the economic cost, and his position as one of the few Republicans willing to question statements by President Trump and declare that the United States was “caught flat-footed.”

Hogan’s latest siren, based on the projections of epidemiologists advising him, is that the capital region will be the nation’s next hot spot, potentially crippling the federal government’s ability to respond.

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/unafraid-to-call-out-trump-hogan-emerges-as-lead-gop-voice-for-urgent-action-on-pandemic/2020/04/04/909b1fae-7527-11ea-85cb-8670579b863d_story.html?itid=lk_inline_manual_63" target=_blank>Read the full story here</a>.

Erin Cox

Josh Dawsey

Ovetta Wiggins

American University, MA in journalism and public affairs

University of Oregon, BS in journalism

Moriah Balingit is an education reporter for The Washington Post, where she has worked since 2014. She previously covered crime, city hall and crime in city hall at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 

Finalist, Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, National Emmy Award nominee, Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service, Ursula and Gilbert Farfel Prize for Excellence in Investigative Reporting, American Immigration Lawyers Association Media Leadership Award,

Harvard University, B.A. in English

Spencer S. Hsu is an investigative reporter, two-time Pulitzer finalist and national Emmy Award nominee. Hsu has covered homeland security, immigration, Virginia politics and Congress.

2020 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting, finalist 

Duke University 

Rachel Chason is The Washington Post's West Africa bureau chief. Before becoming a foreign correspondent in 2022, she was a reporter on the Local desk, focusing on politics and government in Prince George's County, Md. 

Northwestern University, BS in journalism and political science. 

American University, MSJ in journalism. 

Fenit Nirappil is a reporter for the Health & Science team who covers public health, infectious diseases and LGBTQ issues. He previously covered local politics. 

2020 Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting (part of a team)

2020 National First-Place Award for News Reporting from the Education Writers Association

2022 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service (part of a team)

2024 George Foster Peabody Award in Radio/Podcast

2024 finalist for the Poynter Journalism Prizes First Amendment Award

Harvard University, BA

Hannah Natanson is a Washington Post reporter covering national K-12 education.

Marquette University, BA in journalism, communications

Peter Hermann covers crime for The Washington Post. He previously worked for the Baltimore Sun for 22 years, covering a Baltimore suburb and then the Baltimore Police Department.

University of Colorado, BS in journalism

University of Colorado, BA in biochemistry

Erin Cox is a politics reporter covering Maryland. She joined The Washington Post in 2018 and has written about Maryland since 2007.

White House Correspondents Award for Deadline Reporting

University of South Carolina

Josh Dawsey is a political enterprise and investigations reporter for The Washington Post. He joined the paper in 2017 and previously covered the White House. Before that, he covered the White House for Politico, and New York City Hall and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for the Wall Street Journal.

Rutgers University

Ovetta Wiggins covers Maryland state politics in Annapolis. She came to The Washington Post in 2003 and previously worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Bergen Record in New Jersey.

D.C. jail reports more inmates have tested positive; cases in Washington region climb past 7,000

Live coverage contributors 9