Top News from WTOP - 8 a.m. update - July 31, 2026

Good morning, everyone. I'm Kristen Diaz. I'm John Aaron, our top local story. Three weeks until the Freedom 250 Grand Prix on the National Mall and drivers will see significant detours in parts of the nation's capital. Some go into effect this weekend. WTOP's Neil Augustine has the details from Constitution Avenue. A number of parking restrictions and road closures going into effect starting tomorrow. Emergency no parking signs will be in effect on Pennsylvania, Constitution and Independence Avenues, same as on 6th and 7th streets and Maryland Avenue. As of tomorrow, you won't be able to drive northbound on this stretch of 9th Street from Constitution to Pennsylvania Avenue. Madison and Jefferson streets are now closed to traffic and parking in front of the museums stretching from third to seven streets. You can see the full list of closures and restrictions at WTOP.com, as well as what you need to know if you're heading downtown to watch the racing the weekend of August 22nd and 23rd. On Constitution Avenue, Neil Ogdenstein, WTOPP News. Fairfax County Police say a situation between an Annadale man and a police officer ended in gunfire. WTOP's Matt Small brings us the details. Police Chief Kevin Davis says 26-year-old Nahemia Nick Fuentes Beniguez was grazed by a bullet during Tuesday's struggle. Our suspect takes his right hand. He grabs the firearm that the police officer had in his hand. The officer obviously startled, discharged his firearm. Three times. Investigators say video helped them recover two knives. They believe he carried before the confrontation. Fonitez Benigez, who was also tased by another officer, is charged with attempted disarming of a law enforcement officer. He's being held without bond and ICE has lodged a detainer, saying he's in the U.S. illegally. The officer involved in the struggle, a 12-year veteran, remains on restricted duty while the investigation continues. Matt's small WTOP News. More than 35 years after the first Gulf War, the Desert Storm Memorial is nearing completion on the National Mall. WTOP's Mike Marillo got an early look. At the center of the memorial is a massive coalition shield, ringed by the names of nations that joined the effort to liberate Kuwait. The idea that this was a shared effort. The shield will soon be part of a fountain, according to lead designer Skip Graffam. And it's meant to activate, make this feel like a really kind of beautiful, peaceful oasis in the center. Granite walls shaped like desert dunes surround the space with scenes of the war appearing to emerge from the sand. protective covering still hide a falcon and eagle, symbols of Kuwait and the United States. The idea that they're flying in relation to each other, but the Kuwait sacred falcon is flying off on its own eventually. It's been liberated. It's free. Desert Storm veteran and National Desert Storm Memorial Association President Scott Stump, who spent more than 15 years making this a reality, hope it inspires those who visit. Through the beauty and all of the different commemorative elements, to want to learn more, to be inspired to learn the depth of the story. On the National Mall,

Mike Marillo, WTOP News. That memorial is set to be dedicated October 24th. Well, as Monday's MLB trade deadline approaches, Foster Griffin is possibly making his last start as the Washington National tonight in Atlanta. In today's D.C. sports filtered. Rob Woodfork says. The decision about the Nats All-Star is the team's biggest deadline call. After years of Nationals ownership demonstrating an allergy to spending, money isn't the big question entering a pivotal weekend for the franchise. It's more centered on the guy taking the mound tonight. Foster Griffin, the 31-year-old rookie, having the season, nobody saw coming, a 12-and-2 All-Star with the best ERA in all of baseball since early June and a free agent this winter. Two of my most trusted baseball voices have differing opinions. Mark Zuckerman told me Griffin's the number one guy Washington moves if they fall too far back in the wildcard race. Tom Levero says keep him and live with the risk he walks for nothing the way Bryce Harper did years ago. The Nationals are reportedly exploring an extension with Griffin, which tells you where their heart is, even if their head has yet to decide. Here's where I land. Keep him. I know the Nats are buyers and sellers, but a franchise selling fans on a worthwhile rebuild shouldn't turn around and trade an All-Star. This is the year the Nationals buy their own hype. I'm Rob Woodfork, and that's DC Sports Filtered. Rob's column lays out the full trade deadline picture on the sports page at WTOP.com. Money news. Taco Bell is trying to wing back customers after that parasite outbreak linked to lettuce. The chain says sales dropped after health officials connected the outbreak to lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms. Taco Bell says it did pull that lettuce within 72 hours of being notified. Now it's hoping to... Bring customers back with bargain deals with promotions like $1 Mexican pizzas and other limited time specials. A local real estate investment company is changing its name. WTOP business reporter John Wardock brings the details. Avalon Bay is merging with fellow real estate investment giant equity residential, and they have unveiled a new name. Vivmark Residential, drawing from a Latin word that means to live fully. The two companies plan to have two headquarters, one in Arlington, the other Chicago, and they will roll out new branding and a new logo in the coming weeks. John Werdock, WTLP News. WTOP, no paywall, no subscription, no nonsense, just the latest local stories, traffic, and weather. To keep up with what's happening in the DMV, you don't have to pay. Read, watch, listen, for free. WTOP and WTOP.com. News happens here. Welcome back. I'm Kristen Diaz. I'm John Aaron. It is a brand new day for a familiar superhero. Maybe that's my responsibility to live alone with the truth.

Because I'm not just Peter Parker. I'm Spider-Man. Yeah, we have a new Spider-Man movie. It is called Spider-Man Brand New Day. We got a review from Cuyapie of Nerds Rule the World. Everybody loves the MCU, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And when we last left off Spider-Man, everybody forgot about it. It was the only way to save the world. So how do we continue being a hero? Also, though, being a human being, when you don't have your friends anymore, your family anymore, that is what we're exploring in Spider-Man brand new day out in theaters this week. And what an adventure. We're getting a lot of nostalgic moments if you're a Spider-Man fan. But I will say this is also one of the darker films now because how do you function when you can't have your friends? And so we see him kind of snooping in on those past friends and family to just kind of see what they're up to, but he's trying to protect them. That's why they can't. know that he's still around. So now is a lot of comic book stuff that we know from the comics. We're getting a lot of nostalgic interactions and we're introducing new things. And I would say for this new film, John and Kristen, A lot of us that are fans of the MCU have been wondering the threads, how it's all going to connect together as they move along with these big event films. You're going to get a lot in Spider-Man brand new day. And so I will say it is action-packed. It is dark, but it's also everything you love is a Spider-Man fan. And you're going to love it. Everyone's Back, Zendaya, Tom Holland. It's spectacular. You're going to want to get in the web. of Spider-Man's Grammy Day guys. Oh, my goodness. And, you know, I'm really looking forward to it, too, because there's been so much hype around it with Zendaya's, you know, fashionable choices and all of the premieres that they've had around the world. So I know it's going to be good. It's going to be good. It's going to be good all the hype for it. Hopefully we'll turn out to equate to a great show. All right, so parents might also want to turn down the volume for the sultry name of this next film. Can you tell us a little bit about this next one? So we're turning it down. It's called I Want Your Sex. That's the name of the film. It is an amazing film starring Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman. Olivia Wilde was in the invite earlier this year, Kristen, which is one of my favorite films, a lot about relationships. And I will say this one takes a relationship to a whole other level. We have Olivia Wilde as this eccentric artist. She takes on Cooper Hoffman's character as an assistant. But then certain relationships happen there where she's a what we call a Dom and he wants to be a submissive. and we just explore that relationship in this film. Greg O'Raki is the writer-director behind this, and he's known for doing great queer cinema, and this is an amazing addition to that list. The dialogue, the cinematography, the acting is wonderful. Again, this is a society, this is a community that isn't really expressed a lot in film, and I think they just do a marvelous job in this, and no matter if you're in that society or not, I think we can relate to regards to relationships and friendships. Great film, hilarious. Finally, if you're staying in, we have a story about revenge that is streaming. Tell us about Fightland.

For people that love the power from 50 Cent, he's an amazing rapper, but he's also a producer. He gave us power on stars. He is now moving over to the fight game, John, with Fightland. It's about a British boxer who wins the championship in the U.S., but on that same night as he's celebrating, his brother gets taken out, and he goes to get revenge and gets locked up for eight years. It's now eight years after, and I want some revenge. I want to know who took out my brother and the like. So it's a mixture of mob gang. type stuff along with the boxing world. It's really well done. Its entire cast is made up of a lot of great British actors who I actually had the pleasure of interviewing for Nerds Rule the World, so you can check that out on YouTube. But the entire cast is phenomenal. It's got intrigue. There's crime, thriller, boxing, just a great new series that is going to be on Stars and for everybody that loves power. They're really bringing it with this new series because the power is going away for those that didn't know. Power is kind of going away. Fightland is what you're going to want to check out. And it's just amazing. Highly recommend if you love... crime and boxing and all of that on stars right now, guys. I was a huge power fan, so I cannot wait for this fightland. I'm going to be looking at for for sure. Hey, that's Cooia P. I'm nerds rule the world, which previews the latest in film, TV, and streaming. Here are the top stories we're working on at WTOP. President Trump says a deal has been reached with Hamas to bring peace to Gaza. Federal officials issue national warnings to water systems after dozens of cyber attacks. Keep it here full details on these stories in the minutes ahead. You're due for a change of scenery. So see yourself in Harford County with outdoor fun for everyone. Explore local hiking and waterways. Great for fishing, kayaking, and boating. Spend an afternoon at one of the 11 breweries, distilleries, and wineries, plus outdoor concerts, festivals, and events every weekend. Conveniently located just off I-95. It's time you see what Harford County has for you. Plan your trip at helloharford.com. See you soon. This is WTOP. News happens here. They're being called GLP1 babies. ABC's Good Morning America reports women on social media are saying they became pregnant. after taking the popular weight loss and diabetes medication. Several women told the show they struggled with infertility for years and then became pregnant after starting GLP1 drugs. Doctors stress the medications are not fertility treatments, but they say they can improve fertility by addressing underlying conditions like obesity and insulin resistance. Plus, the FDA warns that one GLP1 drug, can actually reduce the effectiveness of oral birth control resulting in pregnancy. Sports Now on WTOP brought to you by Amentum, delivering advanced solutions for space and defense day, Preston. Hey, we're going to Arnold's after the morning updates, no. Oh.

It was a little bit before my time. Okay. I must admit, all. A lot. It was in syndication forever. Your outfit rocks. Happy Fonzie Friday, everybody. Nationals visiting Atlanta last had him for a while that looked as though they'd be starting this road trip in cruise control. Now the set the 2-2. Lyle, last one again to right center field. Chasing Acuna and Harris looking up at the wall and it's gone. Lyle is homered again. That one down to the Braves bullpen. Dave Jagler on 1,500 a.m. but like a latter season episode that had Ted McGinley instead of Ron Howard, the Nats. couldn't sustain a great effort. Braves would rally with five runs off of Washington starter Jake Irvin and beat the Nats 5.4, the club falls to 500 on the season for the 11th time this year. So they've been even Stephen early and often. NFL former commander's wide receiver, Debo, Samuel's returning to familiar surroundings. According to the NFL network, he's getting a one-year deal with his previous team, San Francisco that's worth up to $7 million. Samuel leading the Burgundy and Golden Catches and receiving yards in 2025. That was a byproduct of Terry McLaren's holdout and injury. But the two-time pro bowlers in camp to start. 2026. Normalcy. You know what I mean? Just being able to have a full offseason, get some working with the guys. It was great as well. And have full OTAs and just being out here day one. You know, it just feels like normal. So, you know, business is business. And that was last year. But I've just been really excited to be a part of the whole process. So a little normalcy. So he's channeling his inner Warren G. Harding. And then he says business is business. He's got Calvin Coolidge coming at us as well. There are a lot of references in this sports cast. hard one to keep up with. Way too many. Mubedala, D.C. Open tennis men's top seat at least demeanor and number two Ben Shelton both advance. Women's number one, Jessica Pagula and second seat alina's Fitilina post wins. Dave Preston, WTOPP Sports. Thank you.