FOX 5 News at 11: October 13, 2026

...in Loudoun County as changes are made to how they choose which school their child will attend. Fox 5 News at 11 starts right now. We begin tonight at 11 with a first check of your forecast. A live look right now outside across the region tonight. A warm spell as temperatures were in the 80s today and could some of us reach 90 tomorrow? Meteorologist Mike Thomas joining us now. And oh my goodness, Mike, it feels a whole lot more like summer than it does fall. No, absolutely. I mean, my goodness, we're talking 90s, the middle of October. We don't do that. We don't do that period here in D.C. We've never done it if D.C. happens to hit 90 tomorrow this late in the year. Now, right now, we're not calling for that, but we do have guidance getting awfully close to those lower 90s in the immediate D.C. area. And, yeah, I do think a few neighborhoods just to the south of D.C. will likely see some 90-degree readings tomorrow. Unusually hot. Now, thankfully, pretty short-lived heat, right? It wasn't that, you know, over the weekend we were cool with the rain showers, warming up a little bit. We're going to go cool, warm, cool, warm as we head through the next few days. So get ready for some big-time fall swings. 82 at D.C. this afternoon. Dulles actually had a record today at 84 degrees. So you see how rare 80s are if your record high is 84. 83 for Baltimore. Average high temperature this time of year just down at 71. So we were 11 degrees above average today, and we'll be well above that number tomorrow. Pretty quiet night across the D.C. area. The thing that stands out most are the temperatures. D.C., the coolest of the three airports at 69 degrees. 71 for Dulles, BWI, Thurgood Marshall at 70 degrees. But this time of night, last night, these were well down into the 60s. So humidity really holding these airport temperatures up here this evening. Satellite and radar, calm and quiet across the D.C. area. Should remain that way through at least the front half of the day tomorrow. Now, second half, things get a little trickier with a cold front coming in. Good deal with some showers and some thunderstorms. One or two of those could even be on the strong side. I mean, a summer-like day, you're going to have summer-like threats with it. 87 is what we're calling for a high temperature. If we hit that number, that ties the record. As mentioned before, a lot of guidance suggesting maybe 88, 89 degrees, and that would, of course, break that record that stood here in D.C. since 1975. Thursday, sort of back to reality. A lot of clouds, some showers, some drizzle. Temperature about 70 degrees, but we're right back up Friday before a big drop this weekend. More on that coming up in just a little bit. Tisha? Pretty incredible, Mike. Thanks so much. New tonight, Prince George's County police want your help finding a stolen French bulldog. Fox 5's Shamari Stone has the story from Camp Springs. Tonight, people who pump gas here at this Royal Farms station behind me can't believe that someone would stoop so low to steal a cute, adorable dog out of a car. Take a look. Here he is. This is Brain, a two-year-old Merle French bulldog. Prince George's County police tell us a thief stole Brain from inside a car at the Royal Farms station on the 5200 block of Auth Road last Thursday. Two witnesses who didn't want to talk on camera tell me Brain's owner parked at the station, went inside, and that's when the thief stole him. Brain has a protruding left eardrum because of a prior medical condition. While police continue to be on the lookout for the little fella, customers say the suspect should be ashamed. I honestly can't believe that. Like, that's petty, first of all, and it's, like, inhumane, you know. They're probably going to sell it. That's what I'm thinking, but it's messed up. Like, I would be heartbroken. My baby, your pet is like, you know, that's your family. Somebody stole my dog, we fighting. And tonight, according to Direct Line Pet Insurance, French Bulldogs have a resale value of thousands of dollars, and that's why they are frequently stolen and also they are in high demand. If you have any information about Brain, if you know where the dog is, call Prince George's County Police. The owner, who didn't want to talk on camera tonight because she is at work, well, she says that she really wants him back. I'm Shamari Stone. Back to you. D.C. police need your help finding a person of interest in a deadly stabbing in Northwest. In September, officers found Osman Bonilla stabbed to death along 13th Street, but investigators believe the stabbing happened on Park Road. Newly released video and these pictures show a man wearing sunglasses, a baseball cap, and a face mask carrying what appears to be a bag. Police believe he may be connected to the case. If you recognize this man on your screen, call police. The Naresh Bhatt murder trial resuming in Manassas today. He's accused of killing his wife, Mamta Khafli, two years ago. Today, a police detective testified as body camera video was played in court. Detective Claudia Ventura testified she found several things concerning in the Bhatt family home, including a large number of cleaning supplies, and says what Bhatt told her about his wife's disappearance just didn't add up. I'm just trying to understand, okay, because when we took the report of her missing, she was in essentially her blue scrubs. She works Thursday, Friday, Saturday, right? So she wouldn't have worked Wednesday the last time you saw her. So the last time you saw her was Wednesday. Yes. Okay. What about Thursday morning? No, I don't. I don't see her on Thursday morning. Usually we don't. So why do you believe she was wearing the blue scrubs Wednesday? The public defender says during each police visit to his home, Bob welcomed them and walked detectives through their home. Court resumes tomorrow morning at 9. The heads of the University of Maryland and Howard University condemning a racist graphic posted by the UMD club tennis team. HU's club team sharing the graphic, which was sent to other tennis clubs ahead of a tournament in College Park. We have blurred part of it, which depicted white supremacist imagery. The UMD club tennis team forfeited their matches because of the post. University police are investigating the incident. Maryland Governor Wes Moore is announcing a new crackdown targeting youth car thefts. New pilot programs are launching in Montgomery County and Baltimore City to stop juveniles from turning roadways into danger zones. The state's Department of Juvenile Services will direct targeted multi-agency interventions involving at-risk kids, their families, social services, and law enforcement. Bottom line, thank you, Governor. I'm very happy with what we're doing here. I think that we have classic events, cases that people in this committee have been deeply concerned about that are addressed by this, and I think it will make it better for those cases. We just, we needed those programs yesterday, but now we're going to build them today. I salute that, but we need them very, very quickly. Governor Moore says the goal is to provide the critical boundaries and support young people need to thrive before life-threatening crashes occur. Tonight, the Loudoun County School Board decided the future of a decades-old policy allowing students to attend schools outside their assigned zones. The change is sparking pushback from parents. Fox 5's Regina Ureta is in Ashburn tonight with more. For decades, this policy has given Loudoun County families free range to send their kids to school outside of their assigned zones. It's a policy dating back to the 1970s, and now school board members say it's outdated. I want to take you into the meeting here. Some parents say scrapping the policy entirely would hurt families who rely on it. Tonight, officials approved an exemption allowing elementary students to attend the same out-of-zone school as their sibling in certain circumstances. This follows last year's approved changes made to manage overcrowding at schools. But the issue is that thousands of transfer requests were still approved this school year. That prompted this proposal discussed tonight to eliminate special permissions and replace them with a stricter policy allowing transfers only in limited circumstances, including overcrowding, child care needs, and certain family situations like students with disabilities. Here's what tonight looked like. I don't think this policy is perfect. I really do think we need to see how this starts to play out in the next year, two years, three years. If this had come out of committee and it wasn't fully baked like it wasn't a couple of meetings ago, it should have gone back to committee, and I realize that there were some issues, But I had no clue that we were going to be coming back from last meeting to this one with more last-minute amendments. It does always come back to students and trying to do what's right so that we don't continue to perpetuate harm. But this was just one of the amendments approved. During the meeting, it seemed like board members were going back and forth with what other restrictions they could include. Some school board members raised questions over what would happen when students moved on to other grade levels. Officials agreed that the policy will only be extended to elementary students who qualify for exemptions. Once they move to a higher grade level, they will have to revert back to their assigned zones. Here's what parents had to say. Just taking away parents' choice to be able to put their kids in another school is not going to solve the problem. It's just going to make people unhappy. It might drive some people to private schools. So I don't really understand why they're driving so hard at this policy. And the changes take effect the next school year. Back to you. A federal judge temporarily blocks the USDA's major reorganization plan that would have permanently closed the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. The ruling stops the transfer of employees and protects an estimated 1,000 jobs in Prince George's County. It also blocks the Trump administration from moving U.S. Forest Service headquarters out of D.C. The judge said the USDA was likely violating congressional funding restrictions. Tonight, a funding controversy in Prince George's County. More than $7 million in grant money is being clawed back. The funds were originally routed through a California nonprofit group led by someone with close ties to County Council Chair Crystal Oriada. County Executive Aisha Braveboy said Oriada issued a joint letter today demanding the money be returned to the county immediately. We are not saying that anything was illegal or criminal. What we're saying is that it was probably inappropriate because we have entities right here in our county that can do the same, if not better work, and that the money can stay here. County Executive Braveboy is also requesting an independent investigation into county grants distributed to the Edward Charles Foundation and community on the front lines. Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer. The Vatican revealed surgeons removed the lower lobe of the Pope's right lung today. Oncologists say even though the nodule is cancerous, they are optimistic about his prognosis since it was removed early. More biopsy results are expected to come in tomorrow. Pope Leo will remain in the hospital for the time being. When we come back, hundreds of trees cut down at East Potomac Golf Links. But what about the ones that are still standing? An update straight ahead. Back with you on this Tuesday night. The remaining trees at East Potomac Golf Links are safe for now. A federal judge issuing a temporary restraining order prohibiting tree cutting through October 26. The ruling follows an initial 24 hour halt order. The judge also ruling that the Trump administration must provide written notice three days in advance before making any more modifications to the historic course in D.C. This all comes after hundreds of trees were cut down over the weekend without any notice. Meanwhile, nearly 22,000 trees are set to be planted across the state of Maryland. The Chesapeake Bay Trust announcing today almost $9 million in funding for 31 projects that will plant trees across urban and underserved communities. Today we're planting more than just roots in the ground. We're planting hope. Invest in our urban neighborhoods by adding trees. It sounds small, but it is profoundly important to future generations that we leave them this. The trees will help improve air and water quality, along with reducing the urban heat island effect. Parents may or may not be pleased if their kid comes home with a C+, but advocates for the Chesapeake Bay are thrilled. That's the grade the Bay received on its latest report card. Fox 5's Josh Rosenthal is in Southwest tonight to explain why the mark is a potentially big deal. This report card isn't just about the Bay. It's also about everything that connects to the bay, including right here, the Potomac River. And in some way, shape, or form, these bodies of water affect us all. The Chesapeake Bay is the jewel of our region. It's what makes this region so special. It is also an economic engine. Today is a celebration of a C+, but certainly not a grade that you want to rest on. Here's the explanation. Every year, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science releases a Chesapeake Bay and Watershed report card. This year, the bay earned a C+, which may sound just okay, but it's actually the highest score the bay has gotten in 40 years of tracking. Officials say it means that long-term trends continue to improve and that restoration efforts are working. The report card also has snapshots of rivers throughout the bay region. And speaking of, it mentions the massive spill that dumped millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River earlier this year. The report says any effects of the spill on bay water quality can be expected in the 2027 report card. Here's Hilary Harp Falk of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, who we talked to about that earlier today. I think the Potomac spill was a huge wake-up call for the folks that live in and around the Potomac. but we've seen spills across the watershed from Harrisburg to Baltimore. I think there are a lot of old and leaky pipes that we need to be concerned about. We've been really concerned about pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay from all the rivers and streams that feed the bay. So, progress, but the job is not done. If you want to read the full report card, we've got you covered over on fox5dc.com and the Fox Local app. Guys. Good to know. Josh, thanks so much. Turning to the weather now. Here's a live look outside at our camera at Arlington. There it is. Hot, hot, hot. Record-breaking heat could be headed our way. Meteorologist Mike Thomas joining us now with a look at the forecast. Yeah, you have that right, Tisha. Tomorrow could be a record-breaker here in the D.C. region. We're talking mid to upper 80s expected. Could we make a run at 90? Some of our southern neighborhoods, I absolutely do think we'll see a 90-degree reading or two on the map tomorrow. Does it reach D.C.? If it happens to, latest in the season, we would have ever seen a 90-degree day. But again, that's not the forecast, but we're so close that if it does happen, I wouldn't say it would be the most shocking thing in the world. Gaithersburg tonight, calm and quiet. That's not a shock either. Partly cloudy, 69 degrees across the D.C. region. Winds out of the south at 7 miles per hour. Dew points certainly elevated. Taking a look at temps across the area at the moment. Well, D.C. is 69. Most of the other temperatures still fill in as we get the data in. Looks like we had a little bit of a data drop right at the top of the hour there. Satellite and radar showing you not too much happening across the D.C. region in that department. So calm and quiet, at least to start off the front half of the day tomorrow. Then out to the west, you see this cold front that's hanging out along the plains, kind of the upper Midwest. That's going to slide in. And notice what's with it, these yellow boxes. Don't see this a lot, at least not in the D.C. region. By the time we hit the middle of fall, usually severe weather season is behind us. Could have a few severe thunderstorms in parts of the area tomorrow, though. And that's all because it's more of a summer than a fall day. Heat building up ahead of that cold front. We're talking about mid to upper 80s, as mentioned before. And then this cold front slicing into it will just have the right environment to work with for some showers and some storms later in the day tomorrow. Does everybody see them? No. But particularly areas out to the west, you'll have the best shot at some of these as the day goes on. Most of us in the 80s, I put 70s on there just to kind of show you what the colors mean. But you see D.C.'s painted in that very bright orange and lower red there. That's upper 80s to right around 90 degrees across much of the D.C. area. 87 is where we're going here in D.C. Look at Manassas, Quantico, 90, Culpeper, 91, Fredericksburg, 92, Lorton, 88 tomorrow. That's a summer day, but we snap right back to fall after that cold front comes through. It gets stuck just to the south of us. A lot of clouds, maybe some showers and drizzle from time to time. Not an overly wet day on Thursday, but not a pretty-looking day. and certainly a much more fall-feeling one with those highs back in the 60s. Here's how it looks on future casts for you. Plenty of sun to start the day as we work our way into those later afternoon hours. Most of the thunderstorm activity still off to the north, but then it comes a little closer as we work our way towards, say, 7, 8 o'clock. And you do see some of these deeper oranges and reds out there. Those would be the thunderstorms, and a few of those could be on the strong side as they work their way towards town. It's even got the thunderstorm approaching D.C. right around 11 o'clock tomorrow night. Beyond there, front gets to the south. There's your cloud cover hanging around through the day on Thursday. And it's got a couple of passing sprinkles or areas that drizzle right on through the afternoon. As mentioned before, it shouldn't be any sort of a washout, but you might still want to throw the umbrella in the car as you might need it from time to time. There's your severe weather risk for tomorrow. Almost gets to D.C. We'll see if D.C. is not included when they release the update on this overnight tonight. But those western zones out along the I-81 and areas west of there, across the mountains of West Virginia and western portions of Maryland, We've had the best shot at a few of those thunderstorms containing some higher wind gusts. That's the main threat that we have tomorrow. Then this warmth, well, it kind of bubbles back late Thursday into early Friday. We'll be right around 80 degrees here on Friday again. And then into the weekend, reality check in terms of what season it is. Down we go temperature-wise. Saturday's high, just 58 degrees. It'll be a little windy, too, so heads up for folks with outdoor plans. Sunday looks great, but still feeling cool at 61 degrees with plenty of sunshine. Once we get beyond the weekend there, temperatures slowly moderate. 66 there next Monday, 70 next Tuesday with a mixture of clouds and sun. The big-time swings of fall have certainly arrived here in Washington. Stay cool tomorrow. Tisha? Good to know, Mike. Thanks so much. Gourd growers from around the world gathering in California for the World Championship. Pumpkin way off. A four-time champion from Minnesota got the win again this year. His pumpkin, named Rocky, tipped the scales at 2,389 pounds. He was awarded prize money of $9 per pound for his winning pumpkin. That comes out to more than $21,000. Not bad. Coming up, local election leaders taking steps to protect voters ahead of next month's election. We'll explain how after the break. After months of repairs and controversy, water is once again flowing into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The refilling process started yesterday. It comes after crews installed a new blue coating earlier this year, but algae problems forced officials to drain it and take on the sealant project. After the work was completed, the pool started peeling, leading to allegations of vandalism. I have no comparison. I don't know how it looked before, but when it fills up, maybe it'll look better. I hope it looks better than it did the last time. You think it's time, money well spent? No. No, I don't. They should have not touched it to begin with, is how I feel, but it's beautiful. The renovation has a cost of somewhere around a reported $15 million, well above the original estimates of $1 to $2 million. dollars. Three weeks away from the midterms, Virginia's attorney general is launching a new voter protection unit. Jay Jones says the team of lawyers will investigate claims of voting rights violations and enforce state election laws. He says the move is in response to the Trump administration's efforts to undermine the November elections. Early voting is currently underway in Virginia and goes through the end of the month. Fauquier County is limiting where new data centers can be built with new zoning rules. The changes restrict new projects to one part of the county with extra approval required before construction. County staff meanwhile cited concerns about power grid strain and also environmental impacts. Three existing or proposed projects are not affected by the changes. The Montgomery County Council is considering three new tax credit proposals. They expand an existing $900 homeowner property tax credit and create a $500 child tax credit. During public testimony, several people blasted the council's previous spending habits and tax decisions. Our senior citizens, they don't benefit from this. Our black family members, they don't benefit from this. So I don't know who you're trying to help, but this is not it. How can you ask us to pay more in taxes for these subsidies? Good government. The biggest question remains, what are we doing to make the housing marketplace more affordable instead of a select few transaction and tax bill? Montgomery County Teachers Union and immigration advocacy groups, including CASA, support the tax credit proposals. When we come back, today's teenagers eager to hit the road as long as their parents are footing the bill. We'll explain. next.