IRS Rule Change Announced: Here's Who May Benefit IRS Rule Change Announced: Here's Who May Benefit
IRS Rule Change Announced: Here's Who May Benefit A new IRS change could make penalty relief less of a paperwork chase for some taxpayers. The Internal Revenue Service announced on Wednesday, July 8, that it is introducing an Automatic Exemption from Penalty program for eligible taxpayers with a history of filing and paying on time. The new process will replace the long-standing First Time Abate administrative relief program, the IRS said. First Time Abate has allowed eligible taxpayers to request removal of certain penalties when they have a timely compliance history. The new system is designed to apply relief automatically rather than …
'Lucky Us' Turned Into A Nightmare For Maryland Family After Fourth Of July Boat Explosion 'Lucky Us' Turned Into A Nightmare For Maryland Family After Fourth Of July Boat Explosion
'Lucky Us' Turned Into A Nightmare For Maryland Family After Fourth Of July Boat Explosion Lucky them? What was supposed to be a Fourth of July on the water has become months of recovery. Nearly a week after a boat exploded at a Cecil County marina, a Maryland family at the center of the blast is beginning what loved ones describe as a long physical and emotional road to recovery while the community rallies around them. The explosion was reported just after 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, at Schaefer's Canal House in Chesapeake City, where emergency crews responded after a roughly 32-foot boat exploded while tied to the dock. The Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal said nine …
Trooper Struck As Wrong-Way Driver Tears Through I-95 Express Lanes In Virginia: State Police Trooper Struck As Wrong-Way Driver Tears Through I-95 Express Lanes In Virginia: State Police
Trooper Struck As Wrong-Way Driver Tears Through I-95 Express Lanes In Virginia: State Police A Virginia State Police trooper was struck while trying to intercept a wrong-way driver barreling along I-95, ending a dangerous pursuit that also left another driver caught in the crossfire. The chaos began shortly after 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, when Virginia State Police received reports of a driver traveling north in the southbound I-95 Express Lanes in Prince William County. A trooper located the vehicle after it continued into Fairfax County along I-395. Rather than wait for the driver to come to him, the trooper entered the interstate north of the driver's location in an attem…
New Rankings Reveal America's Most Loved Cities New Rankings Reveal America's Most Loved Cities
New Rankings Reveal America's Most Loved Cities A new travel ranking is giving vacation dreamers a fresh reason to argue over the map. Travel + Leisure released its 2026 World's Best Awards list of the best cities in the US on Monday, July 7, after readers weighed in on their favorite travel experiences. The magazine’s readers put Santa Fe, New Mexico, at No. 1 with a score of 88.85, ahead of Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia, according to Travel + Leisure. Santa Fe also ranked No. 19 among the best cities in the world. Travel + Leisure highlighted its sunshine, food, skiing, and cultural stops, including the Georgia O'K…
Free Slurpee Day Returns With New Flavor, Anniversary Cups: When To Get One Free Slurpee Day Returns With New Flavor, Anniversary Cups: When To Get One
Free Slurpee Day Returns With New Flavor, Anniversary Cups: When To Get One 7-Eleven is giving away free Slurpees nationwide as the frozen drink celebrates its 60th anniversary. Customers can get a free small Slurpee at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes stores on Saturday, July 11. The annual Slurpee Day also marks 7-Eleven's 99th birthday. The drinks will be served in commemorative 60th anniversary cups while supplies last. The convenience store chain is also launching the new Mountain Dew Confetti Chill Slurpee, a citrus birthday cake-inspired flavor that combines lemon cake and vanilla icing. Pink, green, and blue sugar crystals can be added to the …
Gas Station Card Charge Surprise? What Drivers Should Know Gas Station Card Charge Surprise? What Drivers Should Know
Gas Station Card Charge Surprise? What Drivers Should Know A confusing charge after a routine fill-up can look worse than it really is. If a gas station purchase appears twice on a card account, the first thing to check is whether both transactions are pending or whether both have posted. That difference usually decides what to do next. AARP says gas stations often place a temporary pre-authorization hold on a credit or debit card because the pump does not know how much fuel a customer will buy before the sale is complete. The hold can range from $1 to more than $100, depending on the station and card issuer, AARP reported. That hold may appear be…
Cancer Cases Could Surge Worldwide, New Report Warns: Here's Why Cancer Cases Could Surge Worldwide, New Report Warns: Here's Why
Cancer Cases Could Surge Worldwide, New Report Warns: Here's Why One of the world’s most feared diseases is on track to become an even larger global burden. The World Health Organization said on Wednesday, July 8, that annual cancer cases are projected to rise from an estimated 20.6 million to nearly 35 million by 2050 without urgent action. The warning came in the "WHO Global Status Report on Cancer 2026," developed with the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Cancer is already the second-leading cause of death globally, behind cardiovascular disease, WHO said. It accounts for close to 10 million deaths each year, or more than 26,000 lives eac…
Eating These Foods May Raise Early Death Risk, Research Reveals Eating These Foods May Raise Early Death Risk, Research Reveals
Eating These Foods May Raise Early Death Risk, Research Reveals Some supermarket shortcuts may come with a longer-term cost. High intake of ultra-processed foods, including processed meats, sweetened drinks, packaged snacks, frozen meals, and sugary breakfast foods, has been linked to a higher risk of early death in multiple large studies. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health reported that a 30-year study of more than 114,000 American adults found those who ate the most ultra-processed foods had a four percent higher risk of death from any cause than those who ate the least. The same study found an eight percent higher risk of death from neurodege…
Get Free Meals, Waffle Fries At Chick-Fil-A: Here's How Get Free Meals, Waffle Fries At Chick-Fil-A: Here's How
Get Free Meals, Waffle Fries At Chick-Fil-A: Here's How Chick-fil-A is giving customers a chance to score free meals and waffle fries in the middle of July. The chain launched its new "Spot the Cows" game in the Chick-fil-A App on Tuesday, July 7. The limited-time game is available exclusively to Chick-fil-A One members through Monday, July 13. Members who complete the game will receive a reward for one free medium waffle fries, available while supplies last at participating restaurants. Players search different scenes for cows without their costumes and tap them to help them "suit up" before the timer runs out. The reward is limited to one per…
Damaging Winds, Downpours Possible In New Storm Round: Timing Damaging Winds, Downpours Possible In New Storm Round: Timing
Damaging Winds, Downpours Possible In New Storm Round: Timing A new round of scattered, severe storms will not wait long to make its move. A strong cold front will help trigger the storms across much of the Northeast on Friday, July 10, with the main threat arriving during the afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service. The storms will develop in humid air ahead of the front, with the highest risk east of the Appalachians and near the I-95 corridor. Damaging wind gusts, isolated large hail, frequent lightning, and torrential downpours are the main concerns. Localized flash flooding will also be possible where storms repeatedly m…
Arlington Native Katie Couric Reveals Terrifying Medical Scare Arlington Native Katie Couric Reveals Terrifying Medical Scare
Arlington Native Katie Couric Reveals Terrifying Medical Scare Katie Couric has spent decades guiding viewers through breaking news. This time, the breaking news was happening to her. The 69-year-old journalist detailed the frightening episode in a Substack essay titled "The Day I’ll Never Remember: How I suddenly lost hours of my life," published Monday, July 6. Couric wrote that the scare happened Saturday, June 27, while she was in Aspen, Colorado, for the Aspen Ideas Festival. She was scheduled to moderate one panel and speak on another. Her day started normally. She walked into town, bought iced coffee, peaches, nectarines, kettle corn, and a str…
Lauren Bennett's Family Shares New Details After Popular Singer's Death At 37 Lauren Bennett's Family Shares New Details After Popular Singer's Death At 37
Lauren Bennett's Family Shares New Details After Popular Singer's Death At 37 Lauren Bennett’s family is sharing more about the months before her death. The singer, best known for her featured vocals on LMFAO’s "Party Rock Anthem," died at 37, Daily Voice reported earlier this week. Her former group, G.R.L., announced her death in an Instagram post on Monday, July 6. Bennett’s father, Richard Bennett, later shared additional details in an Instagram post, saying the family had no suspicions about the circumstances of her death. "Months before her death, Lauren experienced a severe reaction to a prescribed medication," he wrote. "As a family, we all rallied around he…
Weather May Play Role In Mental Health, Study Shows Weather May Play Role In Mental Health, Study Shows
Weather May Play Role In Mental Health, Study Shows The forecast may affect more than weekend plans. Fewer hours of sunshine were linked to more mental health-related health care contacts in a large study of England’s National Health Service data, StudyFinds reported. The study analyzed about 4.6 million unscheduled mental health-related health care contacts across England from January 2014 through December 2022. The findings were published in the journal "Frontiers in Psychiatry," according to StudyFinds. Researchers looked at emergency department visits, NHS 111 calls, and after-hours general practitioner contacts. NHS 111 is a medi…
Check Fraud Warning: How Scammers Use Fake Payments Check Fraud Warning: How Scammers Use Fake Payments
Check Fraud Warning: How Scammers Use Fake Payments A check that looks like free money can quickly turn into a costly trap. Fake check scams often begin with an unexpected payment tied to a prize, mystery shopping job, online sale, personal assistant offer, or other pitch, according to the Better Business Bureau. The hook is simple: scammers send a check, tell the recipient to deposit it, then ask for money to be sent back through a wire transfer, gift card, money order, or cryptocurrency. The check may appear to clear at first. That does not mean it is real. The Federal Trade Commission says banks must make deposited funds available quick…
Battery Fire Risk Sparks Massive Recall For Many Types Of Power Tools: See Which Ones Battery Fire Risk Sparks Massive Recall For Many Types Of Power Tools: See Which Ones
Battery Fire Risk Sparks Massive Recall For Many Types Of Power Tools: See Which Ones More than 554,000 Kobalt yard power tools and batteries are being recalled because they can catch fire while charging. Greenworks Tools issued the recall for about 554,780 Kobalt 24V and 48V tools and batteries, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday, July 9. The recall includes trimmers, blowers, mowers, chainsaws, pruning saws, and other tools with USB-C batteries. The lithium-ion batteries can short-circuit while they're being charged through the USB-C port while inserted in a tool. The recalled tools use 24V Kobalt-branded batteries with 3.0Ah, 4.0Ah, 5.0…
Boyfriend Convicted After Woman Found Wrapped In Plastic, Encased In Concrete Boyfriend Convicted After Woman Found Wrapped In Plastic, Encased In Concrete
Boyfriend Convicted After Woman Found Wrapped In Plastic, Encased In Concrete Sherron Turner wasn't just murdered. Police found the 44-year-old woman's body wrapped in plastic and partially encased in concrete inside a Maryland apartment she shared with her boyfriend. More than a year later, Michael McClanahan was convicted of her murder in Suitland, the Prince George's County State's Attorney announced Thursday. McClanahan, 38, was convicted of second-degree murder and disposing of a body in an unauthorized place in connection with the grisly April 2025 killing. The case began when officers conducted a welfare check at the couple’s home in the 2300 block of Ewing …
Rabid Cat That Didn't Look Sick May Have Exposed People In Northern Virginia: Health Officials Rabid Cat That Didn't Look Sick May Have Exposed People In Northern Virginia: Health Officials
Rabid Cat That Didn't Look Sick May Have Exposed People In Northern Virginia: Health Officials She didn't look sick. That's what has Loudoun County health officials warning anyone who may have handled a stray cat or her five kittens in a Virginia neighborhood to come forward before it's too late. The alert centers on a Chantilly neighborhood near the intersection of Crossfield Drive and Center Street, just west of Loudoun County Parkway, where the mother cat and her litter were seen between Saturday, June 6, and Tuesday, June 16, according to the Loudoun County Health Department. Officials say the average-sized brown tabby with white feet and white markings on her face appeared heal…
Virginia Fugitives' Luck Runs Out After Officer Recognizes Wanted Man, K-9 Finds Drugs: Police Virginia Fugitives' Luck Runs Out After Officer Recognizes Wanted Man, K-9 Finds Drugs: Police
Virginia Fugitives' Luck Runs Out After Officer Recognizes Wanted Man, K-9 Finds Drugs: Police He never made it out of the parking lot. A Virginia fugitive's attempt to slip away ended in handcuffs after a Fredericksburg police officer recognized him on sight, setting off a traffic stop that also landed the department another wanted man and a cache of illegal drugs. The arrests happened Wednesday, July 2, after Officer Sheffield spotted two men acting suspiciously in the 300 block of Amaret Street in Fredericksburg, according to the Fredericksburg Police Department. One of the men was Damien Stewart, whom Sheffield immediately recognized as being wanted on active warrants out of Spo…
Cash For Supplies That Never Arrived: Former DC School Official Admits Bribery Cash For Supplies That Never Arrived: Former DC School Official Admits Bribery
Cash For Supplies That Never Arrived: Former DC School Official Admits Bribery She was supposed to be buying supplies for students. Instead, federal prosecutors say a longtime DC school administrator was taking cash under the table while approving payments for orders that never showed up. District resident Tracy Hatton, 60, admitted to her role in the scheme after pleading guilty to bribery, according to the US Attorney's Office for DC.  The guilty plea, entered in November 2025, was unsealed Thursday, July 9. Hatton worked as the administrative officer at McKinley Technology High School, where she controlled the school's supply budget, selected vendors, approv…
DOJ Sues Maryland Over 'Sanctuary' Policies, Claims State Is Blocking Immigration Enforcement DOJ Sues Maryland Over 'Sanctuary' Policies, Claims State Is Blocking Immigration Enforcement
DOJ Sues Maryland Over 'Sanctuary' Policies, Claims State Is Blocking Immigration Enforcement Maryland is now in the Trump administration's legal crosshairs. The US Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday, July 9, accusing the state and Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown of adopting so-called sanctuary policies that federal officials say unlawfully interfere with immigration enforcement. The lawsuit claims Maryland's policies prevent state and local facilities from cooperating with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement by refusing to honor immigration detainers and transfer people in custody to federal agents. According to the Justice Department, those polic…
NY Mom Suffocated To Death In Ireland, 'Asylum Seeker' Suspect Fled To Turkey: Reports NY Mom Suffocated To Death In Ireland, 'Asylum Seeker' Suspect Fled To Turkey: Reports
NY Mom Suffocated To Death In Ireland, 'Asylum Seeker' Suspect Fled To Turkey: Reports A Westchester mother who moved to Ireland with her young daughter was suffocated to death inside her new home, and authorities are now searching for the suspect, who police worry has already fled to the Middle East, according to multiple reports. Jamey Carney, 43, an Armonk native who relocated to Killarney, County Kerry, in 2021 with her now-13-year-old daughter, was found by a family member early Tuesday, July 7, according to The Irish Times. A postmortem examination determined that Carney had been assaulted and suffered head injuries, but died from suffocation, the outlet reported. Garda…
Molding Grown-Ups: Play-Doh Launches First Product Line For Adults Molding Grown-Ups: Play-Doh Launches First Product Line For Adults
Molding Grown-Ups: Play-Doh Launches First Product Line For Adults Play-Doh is growing up with its first product line designed specifically for adults. Hasbro announced the launch of Blooms by Play-Doh in a news release on Thursday, July 9. The new craft collection lets people create realistic floral arrangements with Play-Doh compound. Each kit includes Play-Doh compound, tools, molds, a vase, and finishing spray. The spray is designed to help preserve the flowers so they can be displayed for months. The kits guide users through making lifelike flowers, from shaping petals to arranging a finished bouquet. "The Play-Doh brand has always been ab…
Would-Be ISIS Fighter Captured At BWI Airport Said His 'Plan B' Was Killing Jews Would-Be ISIS Fighter Captured At BWI Airport Said His 'Plan B' Was Killing Jews
Would-Be ISIS Fighter Captured At BWI Airport Said His 'Plan B' Was Killing Jews He was stopped at the airport before he could leave. Now, a Maryland man who admitted plotting to join ISIS and discussing plans to attack Jews and supporters of Israel in the US will spend the next 15 years behind bars. Michael Sam Teekaye Jr., 22, of Hanover, was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty earlier this year to attempting to provide material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland announced. According to prosecutors, Teekaye spent more than a year telling an undercover FBI officer he wanted t…
Arlington Firefighter Remembered For Infectious Smile, Positivity After Sudden Death Arlington Firefighter Remembered For Infectious Smile, Positivity After Sudden Death
Arlington Firefighter Remembered For Infectious Smile, Positivity After Sudden Death He was the firefighter everyone wanted to work with. Whether the shift had been long or the day had gone sideways, fellow firefighters say Larry Wright always found a way to make it better. Now, the Arlington County Fire Department and firehouses across Northern Virginia are mourning Wright, who died Thursday, July 9, following a medical emergency. Wright joined the Arlington County Fire Department on Oct. 29, 2018, as a member of Recruit Class 76. During nearly eight years with the department, he served the Arlington community with what colleagues described as dedication, compassion, and …
10-Story Maryland Office Building Evacuated After Partial Parking Garage Collapse (DEVELOPING) 10-Story Maryland Office Building Evacuated After Partial Parking Garage Collapse (DEVELOPING)
10-Story Maryland Office Building Evacuated After Partial Parking Garage Collapse (Developing) A structural scare forced the evacuation of a 10-story office building in Maryland Thursday afternoon after crews discovered shifting inside a parking garage, prompting a major emergency response and road closures. The incident happened around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, July 9, at Empire Towers in the 7300 block of Ritchie Highway in Anne Arundel County's Glen Burnie, where construction work was underway in an underground parking garage, according to the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. Initial reports suggested a possible building collapse. Fire officials later clarified that the building it…
Fairfax 'Bachelor' Star Hooked Up With Producer, New Memoir Confirms Fairfax 'Bachelor' Star Hooked Up With Producer, New Memoir Confirms
Fairfax 'Bachelor' Star Hooked Up With Producer, New Memoir Confirms For years, "Bachelor Nation" debated whether Pete "Pilot Pete" Weber's rumored romance with producer Julie LaPlaca was real. Now, the 41-year-old Goshen, CT native is putting the speculation to rest. In her new memoir, "The Love Producer: My Unscripted Journey from a Reality TV Career to My Own Happily Ever After," released this summer, LaPlaca confirms the pair secretly hooked up after Weber's season of "The Bachelor." LaPlaca writes that she and Weber, who was born in Fairfax but lived with his parents in California before and after filming, formed a close bond while filming his season o…
Armed Maryland Mail Thief Used USPS Master Key Before Wild Virginia Chase: Feds Armed Maryland Mail Thief Used USPS Master Key Before Wild Virginia Chase: Feds
Armed Maryland Mail Thief Used USPS Master Key Before Wild Virginia Chase: Feds One key. Hundreds of mailboxes. A Maryland man who federal prosecutors say stole mail from a Fairfax Station post office collection box while armed with a loaded handgun has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison after a getaway that ended with a crashed car, a foot chase, and a trove of stolen mail. Jose Arnulfo Reyes, 27, of Oxon Hill, was sentenced Thursday, July 9, to one year and 10 months in federal prison for mail theft and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, authorities announced. According to court documents, Reyes and another person drove to the Fairfax Station Po…
Maryland Teen Walking Again Days After Severe Neck, Spinal Cord Injury On Family Vacation Maryland Teen Walking Again Days After Severe Neck, Spinal Cord Injury On Family Vacation
Maryland Teen Walking Again Days After Severe Neck, Spinal Cord Injury On Family Vacation One dive changed everything. Now, less than two weeks after suffering a severe neck injury and spinal cord injury during a family vacation in Florida, a Maryland teenager is already back on his feet, taking his first steps toward what his family hopes will be a full recovery. Centreville resident Landon Brown was seriously injured on Saturday, June 27, while spending the day on the water with his family. According to a fundraiser organized by longtime family friend Nicole Herman, Brown had been enjoying what had been a safe, familiar tradition for hours, jumping from a local bridge into th…
'Grey's Anatomy' Star Addresses Rumored Run In Controversial Senate Race: 'I Want Integrity' 'Grey's Anatomy' Star Addresses Rumored Run In Controversial Senate Race: 'I Want Integrity'
'Grey's Anatomy' Star Addresses Rumored Run In Controversial Senate Race: 'I Want Integrity' "Grey's Anatomy" star Patrick Dempsey said he won't run for the US Senate in his native Maine after Democratic nominee Graham Platner's exit from the race. Dempsey, who was born in Lewiston, Maine, announced his decision in an op-ed on Wednesday, Sept. 8. The Portland Press Herald published Dempsey's column just hours before Platner said he would withdraw from the race following a sexual assault allegation that he denies. Platner's anticipated departure prompted Maine Democrats to begin searching for a replacement candidate to challenge five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins…
Man Who Shot Driver, Dumped Body In Maryland Woods Faces Life Without Parole Man Who Shot Driver, Dumped Body In Maryland Woods Faces Life Without Parole
Man Who Shot Driver, Dumped Body In Maryland Woods Faces Life Without Parole He thought he was giving three people a ride. Instead, prosecutors say Delondre Sawyer was shot in the back of the head while he was behind the wheel, stripped naked, dragged into the woods, and left to die. A Maryland jury has now convicted the man prosecutors say pulled the trigger. Quinnton Eric Brown, 39, of no known address, was found guilty Wednesday, July 8, following an eight-day trial in Montgomery County Circuit Court of murder and now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the state's attorney's office. The killing unfolded in the early morning hou…
Firefighter Hurt As Massive Overnight Maryland House Fire Sends Flames Through Roof Firefighter Hurt As Massive Overnight Maryland House Fire Sends Flames Through Roof
Firefighter Hurt As Massive Overnight Maryland House Fire Sends Flames Through Roof The flames were already punching through the roof by the time firefighters arrived. A massive house fire tore through a Maryland home overnight, leaving one resident displaced and sending a firefighter to the hospital before the blaze was finally brought under control. Firefighters were called shortly after 1 a.m. on Thursday, July 9, to the 10900 block of Trafton Drive in Kettering, where crews found a two-story single-family home with heavy fire showing through the roof, according to the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department. The fire in Prince George's County. Prince George…