Top News From WTOP - 5PM UPDATE - AUGUST 3, 2026

What's the secret recipe to making money topics interesting? I think you start off by relating money to your everyday life, like more vacations, more living, less worry about your next paycheck. And that's how we built the Stacky Benjamin Netanyahu Show, the personal finance show. It's full of good times, great laughs, and big lessons. Whether you're paying off debt, building wealth, or just trying to stop hemorrhging money at the grocery store. We got you. Find the Stacky Benjamin Netanyahu Show wherever you get your podcasts. The greatest money show on earth, now part of the Gamut Podcast Network. From ABC News. I'm Lindsay Davis, anchor of prime streaming weeknights on ABC News Live. A last chance warning to Iran if it doesn't sign a deal with the U.S. from President Trump at the White House. I want to give him every last chance before decapitation. Very tough to do what we have. Planned. Still planned. We'll see what happens. On talks with Iran about the Strait of Hormuz. We're talking about the Strait, the opening of the Strait, having it open literally by tomorrow. Completely open. President Trump also again insisting without evidence that vandalism was involved in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool case, criticizing the U.S. attorney handling the investigation. I was disappointed with Janine Piro. Really disappointed with Janine Piro. She, uh... She folded like an umbrella. The Justice Department dismissed charges against a man saying documents from the Interior Department indicated botched work by the contractor. The president's company Trump Media is launching a new feature that critics say is corrupt. An example of a president making money off of his office, ABC's Peter Haralumbos. Now the president's company is selling instant access that Trump's social media posts through service designed for big financial firms. that could make millions from having Trump's announcements milliseconds faster than their competitors. Two Republican senators who delayed the Todd Blanche nomination for Attorney General say they're satisfied that Todd Blanche has met their demands and a judiciary committee votes expected tomorrow. Todd Blanche sent written documents indicating a proposed fund that could have compensated January 6 rioters was dead. Hundreds of homes are destroyed by wildfires, say fire officials in Spokane, Washington. ABC's Alex Stone in Spokane. More than 7,000 acres burning. Home after home burned to the ground. Residents and their family members are coming back to find what's left. No known deaths, according to fire officials. Crude oil prices close lower. Wall Street's major index is closed strongly higher. The Dow adding 693 points. The S&P up 110. You're listening to ABC News. It is 5.02 on Monday, August the 3rd. We have sunshine and clouds right now. Temperatures are holding in the upper 80s.

87 in Germantown. Good afternoon. I'm Ann Kramer. And I'm Brennan Hazleton, the top stories we're working on for you this hour. Demonstrators rallied outside D.C. Superior Court today to protest recent arrests and criticize policies enacted by the Trump administration. But as WTOP's Anna Lisa Gale tells us, D.C. U.S. Attorney Janine Piro's office is pushing back against those claims. More than a dozen people protested outside the D.C. Superior Courthouse on Monday calling for D.C.'s U.S. attorney to be fired. They claim Janine Perro and the Trump administration has led to thousands of arrests which are questionable. It's just not acceptable at all, especially for people of color. And some say they're especially concerned about young people in the city. All they need is guidance. Perro, she's not going to give them nothing. She wants to all of us, all of us shouldn't go to jail and all of us are locked up. In a statement to WTOP, a spokesperson for... U.S. Attorney Janine Piro's office says she is, quote, fighting for this administration's effort to provide the people of D.C. with safety from the criminal element and the only people who will be held accountable are those who violate the law. Annalisa Gail, WTOP news. Well, the president is reportedly now considering getting rid of firing Janine Piro after dropping that criminal case tied to the damage at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. President Trump was not happy about the court filing last Friday that said problems with the pool. were actually caused by flawed renovation and not vandalism. Here is White House correspondent for CNN, Elena Treene. I spoke with two people who have been talking with the president all weekend about that filing. They told me that the president was fuming all weekend specifically at Janine Piro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. And I'm told that he's so angry, he's so frustrated with her, that he is now considering removing her from her role. One of the sources told me that he was furious with Piero. You can hear the full interview coming up on WTOP at 7 o'clock. 504 Maryland lawmakers are fighting over a proposal with national political implications at issue. is whether the state's constitution should be changed to give lawmakers more flexibility when drawing congressional district lines. We get this story now from WTOP's Kate Ryan. Should the Maryland Constitution be changed so that congressional boundaries can be redrawn? That's at the heart of a bill that lawmakers are considering in Annapolis. Republican Senator Christopher West put the question to Democrat Senate President Bill Ferguson with the premise that Republicans in the state would be disenfranchised. Would you not agree that in such an event, Maryland would no longer qualify as a republic? Ferguson's response? Simply, Senator, I don't believe that a political party is a favored class of citizens. So I think the premise of the question is faulty. Democrats insist that no congressional maps are being redrawn as a result of this bill, but if passed by voters in November, it would open the door to doing just that. In Annapolis, Kate Ryan, WTOP News.

Election 2026 on WTOP, primary election day in Virginia tomorrow. Voters will choose candidates in several U.S. House races. Three Republicans are fighting for the chance to face off against Democratic U.S. Senator Mark Warner in November. In Northern Virginia, Democratic Congressman Don Byers facing several challenges on the Democratic side in the 8th Congressional District. If you look at the challenge for the people not named Don Byer in this race, it's an immense one. Beyer has been a longtime Democratic. incumbent, and for those people who would vote in a Democratic Party and not be positively disposed towards the incumbent, those alternatives are numerous. And so the anti-buyer vote to the extent there is much of one in the Democratic primary in Arlington and Alexandria is going to be splintering in a bunch of different directions. There's also a real financial disparity. Byers been able to raise a huge amount of money compared to the other Democratic challengers. Stephen Farnsworth, Professor Emeritus, a political science at the University of Mary Washington. joined us earlier here on WTOP. Holes and Virginia open tomorrow at 6 in the morning. They'll stay open until 7 at night. Now to an update from Woodbridge, a 16-year-old boy who was shot during a late-night car meet has now died from his injuries. Prince William County Police say that shooting happened Friday on Crossing Place. Detectives recovered shell casings at the scene, but no arrests have been made. Prince William County Police are urging anyone who might know something about what happened to give them. a call. Money news on WTOP. to Ian Crawford. Traders had their rally caps on as the Dow surges ahead, 693 points for a record close above 53-178. The NASDAQ was up over 2%, and the S&P just missed a record, gaining 110. Better than half of the home sales in one part of McLean this spring were luxury homes. Of the 144 homes sold in a part of McLean bounded by the Potomac River, the dullest Connector Road and the Beltway, 76 were luxury homes, and that's the most in the mid-Atlantic this spring, according to... Bright MLS. That includes a pair of four bedroom estates on the Potomac River that each sold for over $12 million back in April. Attention, pumpkin spice latte lovers. Starbucks is bringing back your favorite drink on August 25th. The menu also including an iced pumpkin cream shake and espresso, a pumpkin spice chai, and an ice pumpkin cream macha. Starbucks also adding something called the chider, described as a comforting beverage, blending chai and cider-inspired flavors. Ian Crawford, WTOP News. Coming up on WTOP are Janine Piro's days in D.C. numbered. President Trump is indicating he is not happy with her decision in regards to the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. We will talk about it with Scott McFarland, Chief Washington correspondent at Midas Touch. Well, there are reports this afternoon that President Trump is pretty upset and is now considering removing the U.S. attorney for D.C., Janine Piro, after the Justice Department dropped last Friday that criminal case tied to the damage at the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial. Trump is not happy about that court filing because he continues to say the pool was caused, the damage was caused by vandalism. But the report and in the court filing on Friday, as we reported here on WTOP.

But Todd Blanche reportedly gave them that part of it, Scott, but kept the IRS immunity deal in place for the Trump's, correct? He says he has scaled that back, that it is now just retroactive and doesn't cover future IRS scrutiny. But nobody put pen to paper and signed that statement about the immunity deal. And that leads people to believe that there can be some backtracking and that Trump himself can stand and say the immunity deal still stands for me. Democrats are not coming on board at all because of this. And it looks like enough to get through the day for Todd Blanche, but it's a long way between now and Saturday. Scott, thanks as always for your time. Thank you both. Scott McFarland, WTOP contributor and Chief Washington correspondent at Midas Touch. And just ahead on WTOP. Union Station's future is taking a different track. I'm Mike Marillo. A new National Park Service review is raising concerns about President Trump's proposed Triumphal Arch. The agency says the project could have adverse effects on 37 historic sites in and around the nation's capital, including the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, U.S. Capitol, and the National Mall. The arch would be built near Arlington Memorial Bridge, and if it does actually happen, would be one of the largest monuments of its kind in the world. Park Service says the structure could obstruct important historic views and alter the character of several landmark sites. The proposal remains under review. The Trump administration is now pulling the plug on that long-planned expansion of Union Station in the district. WTOP's Mike Murillo tells us instead it wants to replace the federally approved project with a new public-private partnership to remake it. The Transportation Department is moving away from the Biden-era vision for expanding Union Station and instead wants to bring in private investment to help shape the project's future. The agency says it's putting up another $24 million to develop a public-private partnership after announcing $466 million for repairs and upgrades earlier this year. The federally approved plan that goes away had been years in the making and called for major rail expansion, including additional tracks, platforms, and a new train hall and received final federal approval in 2024. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says in a press release, the new approach will focus on fixing the station's most pressing needs while moving faster and keeping costs down. What's still unclear is what a replacement plan will look like and whether it will deliver the same real capacity envisioned under the proposal being set aside. Mike Marillo, WTOP News. To Virginia now, where some lawmakers are pressing Governor Abigail Spanberger to call a special session saying the state needs to take a closer look at data center growth. groundwater concerns, and a proposed merger involving Dominion Energy and Next Era. There's one source I spoke to earlier this afternoon who said the most likely outcome here is actually a special session, focus on that Dominion next era energy merger. And the reason for that, again, is the implications are so significant, the fear there being that customers could see their bills going up as a result of all of that. Now, whether that happens remains to be seen. And there's also a call for more time, right? The process in Virginia for a proposed merger like that one.

There's a call for six more months. Governor Abigail Spanberger and House of Delegates have previously supported the idea to extend this state corporation commission's review period another six months. They already have a six-month window. A special session would be needed to do that. And that is WTOP's Scott Gelman. It is time for sports on WTOP. We're brought to you by Amentum, delivering advanced solutions for space and defense. Please don't be bringing me any more bad news. George Wallace says the trade deadline is just a half an hour away now. Okay, well then turn your heads. Close my ears. Okay. Brennan, I'll just talk to you then. Okay, you just talk to me. That's good. Orioles unloading today, friends. The Orioles are in a fire sale mode. They traded Adley-Rutchman, former number one pick to the Boston Red Sox for their second, fourth, and fifth prospects. That is the good news for Altimer. They're getting a pretty good return. But he lost 100 games, three straight years, tanking on purpose, and now he's just gone. Wells also has just been traded, Tyler Wells, Taylor Ward to the Mariners. And we still have 35 minutes left, Brennan. So you see Ann, tell her what I just told you. She's numb. That's not just because it's Arctic in here. That's right. Nationals training Luis Garcia yesterday. Nothing as of yet, but there's still 35 minutes left. CJ Abrams voted NL player of the month. Hit 348, 10 homers 23 driven in. Now, the Nats in Philadelphia. Blake Bataire has yet to put out a lineup tonight because he doesn't know what's going to happen between now and 6 o'clock. The Phillies get three-time batting champ Luis arrives from San Francisco. They're moving Bryce Harper to right field now as they shuffle around. We'll see how many. Philly fans are happy with Bryce going to right field. Well, Bryce did say publicly they need some help, right? So they got help. Now you got to go play right field. Commanders put on the pads today. There was some hitting. There was some fun. There was lots of energy in Aspern as the first padded practice. Nearly about two hours today. A lot of one-on-one stuff. O-line D-Line, a lot of 11-on-11. Terry McLaren. A few touchdowns today. Chigakouac, the touchdown of the day from Jaden Daniels. Sonny Stiles, very impressive today as well. Injury Front, Tress Way and Trey Amos will be evaluated on Thursday as they've been dealing with minor injuries. Trey Amos from last year. Nick Allegretti with the calf, he injured it on. Day one. He is expected to be evaluated again Thursday as well. George Wallace. WTOB Sports.