Research shows that over time, alcohol can change the brain. And even relatively low levels of alcohol may worsen feelings of anxiety and depression, disrupt sleep, and, over time, increase dementia risk, in addition to upping other health problems.

Column | Here's what happens to your brain when you stop drinking alcohol

Though even relatively low levels of drinking can cause harm, the brain can recover to an extent if you stop or cut back, evidence shows.

washingtonpost.com

MORE CASES DROPPED: Prosecutors are now dropping charges against three more defendants who'd been accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool. Jeanine Pirro abruptly abandoned the four cases after investigators concluded that botched work by a contractor was the primary cause of "widespread damage."

Prosecutor in D.C. Moves to Dismiss More Reflecting Pool Cases

After revelations that a botched renovation, not vandalism, had caused the pool’s recent problems, the U.S. attorney’s office has dropped several prosecutions.

nytimes.com

A survey conducted by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission revealed that residents rank housing as their top concern, closely followed by education and public transit. Conducted across 17 localities, the survey gathered input from more than 2,000 residents on key regional issues.

Regional planners asked Hampton Roads residents what matters most to them. Here’s what they said.

A survey gave participants a hypothetical $1,000 to spend on regional issues, mimicking the challenges of budget constraints.

whro.org

DOJ is now 0-20 in cases to obtain state voter files. Here is the list: Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Illinois Kentucky Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin

ICYMI: Local and federal officials recently gathered at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton to celebrate the opening of the Flight Dynamics Research Facility, the agency's first major wind tunnel built in more than 40 years. Read more here: tinyurl.com/yc8me43h

Military veteran and D.C. resident Anna King has filed a $3 million lawsuit against the Idaho National Guard, saying three guard members assaulted her while detaining her in front of her home. n.pr/4wyjw9S

A veteran was detained by the National Guard in her front yard. Now she's suing

Military veteran and D.C. resident Anna King has filed a $3 million lawsuit against the Idaho National Guard, saying three guard members assaulted her while detaining her in front of her home.

n.pr

Klobuchar: "More than six months after Renee and Alex's deaths when I asked Acting AG Blanche if the department would finally fully cooperate with state law enforcement in these investigations, he said 'it depends on what full cooperation means'...Minnesotans deserve transparency and accountability"

Whitehouse: "Today I think is a sad and embarrassing day for this committee as it looks like on a party-line vote we are going to advance out of this committee probably the most discreditable person ever to seek the office of attorney general. Let's start with the Epstein files ... "

MONDAY NEWSLETTER! 📰📻 Norfolk is preparing new local programs to help residents navigate impending Medicaid cuts. Plus: Chesapeake opens a new Historical Village at the Dismal Swamp and former crew pay tribute to the USS Nimitz. Catch up on today's top local headlines: tinyurl.com/27h6wuh5

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown says nearly half of the city's neighborhoods have either been evacuated or are at risk as the fires remain uncontained. n.pr/4fJ5f32

Washington wildfires destroy homes, force thousands to evacuate

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown says nearly half of the city's neighborhoods have either been evacuated or are at risk as the fires remain uncontained.

n.pr

NEW: Two government watchdog groups have demanded an investigation into whether FCC officials violated ethics requirements by accepting luxury gala tickets from Paramount as it sought federal approval for its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros.

FCC Commissioners Face Ethics Complaints for Taking Luxury Gifts From Paramount

Citing a ProPublica report on Paramount providing luxury Kennedy Center gala tickets to FCC officials, the complaints note that commissioners accepted the gifts while the FCC was reviewing or about to...

propublica.org

As impending federal Medicaid cuts and stricter eligibility requirements threaten health coverage for thousands of Hampton Roads residents, the Norfolk Health Department is launching two new initiatives to help people maintain care. Read more here: tinyurl.com/2w8zuyfk

www.cnn.com/2026/07/23/u... Man who killed Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years.

Man who killed Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman sentenced to life as family describes trauma, loss | CNN

Friends and family of Minnesota Democratic lawmaker Melissa Hortman said the man sentenced Thursday to two life terms plus 40 years after pleading guilty to her murder failed to eliminate her spirit a...

cnn.com

Once again, we have passed a War Powers Resolution to END THIS ILLEGAL WAR! No more lives lost. No more taxpayer dollars wasted. No more laws broken. The House has spoken: 214-208. Now will our colleagues in the Senate across the aisle ACT to stand with us to end this war NOW!?

Yes. #writingcommunity #WriteSky #BookSky

For Americans who want to avoid the dreaded cyclosporiasis and get a respite from the mayhem at home: visit Canada! The food security is much better than in the US. The lettuce is delicious, fresh, and clean. Canadians are wonderfully nice and a joy to meet. 🍁🇨🇦

Daniel Siad, a modeling agent who introduced young women and teenage girls to Jeffrey Epstein, was found dead at his home near Paris this week, French officials said.

Modeling agent who introduced women to Jeffrey Epstein found dead in France

For roughly a decade, Daniel Siad corresponded with Epstein about young women and teenage girls, according to emails that were released by the Justice Department.

washingtonpost.com

A third American service member believed to have been killed by an Iranian attack on an air base in Jordan has been identified as Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad of New York.

U.S. identifies 3rd service member ‘believed’ killed in Iranian attack

Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of New York, is believed to have been killed in an Iranian attack Friday at a base in Jordan , the U.S. military said.

nbcnews.com

A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to not deport a witness in the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by a federal immigration agent earlier this month in Houston. bit.ly/4weFC0S

Houston ICE shooting witness can't be deported, judge says

The order applies to one of the three passengers in the van Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was driving when he was fatally shot by ICE. Lawyers are seeking the men’s release from detention.

bit.ly

Detroit’s turnaround could offer a roadmap for St. Louis. Civic and philanthropic leaders gathered to explore whether the city can reverse population decline and neighborhood disinvestment.

Detroit had a big renaissance. Could St. Louis do the same?

St. Louis leaders say unity can lead the city in the same direction as Detroit, a city that turned around declining population, mass vacancy and the largest municipal bankruptcy ever filed.

stlpr.org

Wednesday’s Newsletter: From firefighter staffing concerns to Camp Lejeune settlement delays and rising ER visits among uninsured Virginians - here’s what’s making headlines. Read these stories and more in today's newsletter. tinyurl.com/ycup5fw2

As the war in Iran continues, see how much the average gallon of gas is in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts gas prices: Tracking costs at the pump

As the war in Iran disrupts supply chains, the average cost of a gallon of gas has climbed. Here's what drivers are paying in Massachusetts.

trib.al

I love the power of books, their ability to make library kids feel seen, and just as importantly, to see those around them, to learn from those around them 😊🪟🪞 Connecting with ourselves, with our neighbors, reading empowers our empathy to bloom 📖🌱 💙🩵💚 @pbs.org

A new study finds that consumers who are paying a premium for foods advertised as made with avocado oil are probably not getting what they think they're buying. n.pr/4fKymnI

Is that food really made with 100% avocado oil? Likely not

A new study finds that consumers who are paying a premium for foods advertised as made with avocado oil are probably not getting what they think they're buying.

n.pr

Man’s death at Isle of Wight hospital after struggle with deputy a homicide, medical examiner says: https://mrf.lu/2T-zk

Man’s death at Isle of Wight hospital after struggle with deputy a homicide, medical examiner says

pilotonline.com

Watermen collaborating with William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science to recover abandoned "ghost pots" in the Chesapeake Bay are simultaneously collecting vital depth data for scientists. Read more here: tinyurl.com/2d642msr

Fix this, and a lot of problems get fixed with it. fortune.com/2026/07/20/m...

The minimum wage is now the lowest it’s been in 70 years—making the federal wage floor ‘officially a poverty wage,’ report finds | Fortune

“We are currently in the longest period of inaction on the federal minimum wage since its inception in 1938,” economist Sylvia Allegretto wrote in a recent report.

fortune.com

An estimated crowd of nearly 2 million people gathered in Madrid to celebrate Spain's World Cup team after they arrived home from their victory against Argentina. This is Spain's second World Cup title. Read more: https://wapo.st/3RtPbtV

Norfolk officials are preparing to redevelop the shuttered MacArthur Center site into a connected urban district that restores the historic downtown street grid lost when the mall opened in 1999.

MacArthur Center redevelopment aims to reconnect downtown streets, attract a grocery store back to downtown

City officials say the project is designed to rebuild the street grid downtown lost when the mall opened in 1999.

whro.org