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Tree removals at East Potomac golf course raise alarms

The Interior Department says the tree work is "routine maintenance." But park advocates are on high alert.

Politics

Crews are cutting down trees in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="East Potomac Park" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/07/30/trump-east-potomac-golf-course" data-vars-content-id="379b72e0-7a77-4791-931a-4c0356a62032" data-vars-headline="Tree removals at East Potomac golf course raise alarms" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/07/30/trump-east-potomac-golf-course" target="_self">East Potomac Park</a>, putting park advocates on high alert over what comes next.Why it matters: Golfers, bikers and birders are watching like hawks for signs the Trump administration will begin work on its planned overhaul of the municipal golf course on Sept. 1, as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the president has said" data-vars-click-url="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116829203090822692" data-vars-content-id="379b72e0-7a77-4791-931a-4c0356a62032" data-vars-headline="Tree removals at East Potomac golf course raise alarms" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116829203090822692" target="_blank">the president has said</a>.<ul><li>But with that start date days away, the public still hasn&#x27;t seen a final plan or price tag.</li></ul>

RFK site looms larger as D.C. construction slows

The proposal aims to build out the site with 6,000 housing units.

Development

Sometime in the next few decades, the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="RFK Stadium" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/06/30/dc-unveils-sweeping-master-plan-for-commanders-stadium-and-rfk-campus" data-vars-content-id="c8b929cf-d9dc-401e-8029-5e77fa0865e2" data-vars-headline="RFK site looms larger as D.C. construction slows" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/06/30/dc-unveils-sweeping-master-plan-for-commanders-stadium-and-rfk-campus" target="_self">RFK Stadium</a> site will look as tall as downtown or Navy Yard.<ul><li>That&#x27;s the goal, at least, after Mayor Muriel Bowser this week proposed designating the 190-acre site for &quot;high-density&quot; commercial and residential development.</li></ul>Why it matters: The city is effectively sketching out a new chunk of D.C. while the construction market <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="is slowing" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bisnow.com/news/washington-dc/construction-development/dc-construction-starts-down-for-third-year-in-a-row-133995" data-vars-content-id="c8b929cf-d9dc-401e-8029-5e77fa0865e2" data-vars-headline="RFK site looms larger as D.C. construction slows" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bisnow.com/news/washington-dc/construction-development/dc-construction-starts-down-for-third-year-in-a-row-133995" target="_blank">is slowing</a>, making the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="190-acre RFK campus" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2025/07/29/what-the-new-rfk-stadium-neighborhood-will-look-like" data-vars-content-id="c8b929cf-d9dc-401e-8029-5e77fa0865e2" data-vars-headline="RFK site looms larger as D.C. construction slows" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2025/07/29/what-the-new-rfk-stadium-neighborhood-will-look-like" target="_self">190-acre RFK campus</a> even more consequential.

Ted's Bulletin owner has big plans for former Woodmont Grill

Owner Steve Salis tells Axios how he plans to turn the longtime Bethesda institution into Ted's biggest bet yet.

Food and Drink

Goodbye, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Woodmont Grill" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2025/10/30/woodmont-grill-hillstone-closed-bethesda-why" data-vars-content-id="acd45398-9e6c-4102-95c4-85fa91b4dd9a" data-vars-headline="Ted&#x27;s Bulletin owner has big plans for former Woodmont Grill" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2025/10/30/woodmont-grill-hillstone-closed-bethesda-why" target="_self">Woodmont Grill</a>. Hello, Ted&#x27;s Bulletin.<ul><li>Restaurateur Steve Salis bought the prime Bethesda property that Hillstone Group vacated last year in a $7 million deal — and plans to turn it into a splashy Ted&#x27;s flagship.</li></ul>

Data center fears are driving some Northern Virginians to move

Real estate agents say worries over noise, development and the unknown are causing some to pack up.

Real Estate

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="data center debate" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/27/data-center-backlash-pr-strategy" data-vars-content-id="664fd833-7b20-4045-8c99-a7a2af063fdb" data-vars-headline="Data center fears are driving some Northern Virginians to move" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/27/data-center-backlash-pr-strategy" target="_self">data center debate</a> has hit full force — and Northern Virginia real estate agents say it&#x27;s driving some residents out of the area.The big picture: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="NoVa" data-vars-click-url="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/virginia-has-a-data-center-boon-officials-debate-whether-its-time-to-scrap-its-tax-breaks" data-vars-content-id="664fd833-7b20-4045-8c99-a7a2af063fdb" data-vars-headline="Data center fears are driving some Northern Virginians to move" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/virginia-has-a-data-center-boon-officials-debate-whether-its-time-to-scrap-its-tax-breaks" target="_blank">NoVa</a> spent decades welcoming <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="data centers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhL7j3zzrVc" data-vars-content-id="664fd833-7b20-4045-8c99-a7a2af063fdb" data-vars-headline="Data center fears are driving some Northern Virginians to move" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhL7j3zzrVc" target="_blank">data centers</a>, and it now has the world&#x27;s highest concentration of them.<ul><li>Now, growing <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="public backlash" data-vars-click-url="https://www.notus.org/metro/northern-virginia-data-centers-politics" data-vars-content-id="664fd833-7b20-4045-8c99-a7a2af063fdb" data-vars-headline="Data center fears are driving some Northern Virginians to move" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.notus.org/metro/northern-virginia-data-centers-politics" target="_blank">public backlash</a> has some local governments rethinking where — and how much — the industry can grow.</li><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Fairfax" data-vars-click-url="https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/node/857" data-vars-content-id="664fd833-7b20-4045-8c99-a7a2af063fdb" data-vars-headline="Data center fears are driving some Northern Virginians to move" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/node/857" target="_blank">Fairfax</a>, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Loudoun" data-vars-click-url="https://virginiamercury.com/2026/07/30/loudoun-county-other-virginia-localities-consider-hitting-the-brakes-on-data-center-development" data-vars-content-id="664fd833-7b20-4045-8c99-a7a2af063fdb" data-vars-headline="Data center fears are driving some Northern Virginians to move" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://virginiamercury.com/2026/07/30/loudoun-county-other-virginia-localities-consider-hitting-the-brakes-on-data-center-development" target="_blank">Loudoun</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Prince William" data-vars-click-url="https://virginiamercury.com/2026/07/09/after-digital-gateway-project-fails-prince-william-supervisors-reject-dulles-cloud-south-data-center-proposal/" data-vars-content-id="664fd833-7b20-4045-8c99-a7a2af063fdb" data-vars-headline="Data center fears are driving some Northern Virginians to move" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://virginiamercury.com/2026/07/09/after-digital-gateway-project-fails-prince-william-supervisors-reject-dulles-cloud-south-data-center-proposal/" target="_blank">Prince William</a> counties have all moved to rein in growth in recent years.</li></ul>

Where high-stakes AI needs human judgment

AI is entering high-stakes decisions, and Virginia Tech is studying how to use it wisely and fairly.

Education

Artificial intelligence (AI) can sort, score and make recommendations faster than people alone can. But when a decision can change someone&#x27;s life, speed isn&#x27;t the same as judgement.What you need to know: As AI moves deeper into health care, education, housing and public services, organizations need to know where automation helps and where human expertise still has to lead.<ul><li>That&#x27;s what Virginia Tech researchers are studying by applying AI for social good.</li></ul>

Construction has a productivity problem — Virginia Tech has a solution

The U.S. is under pressure to build faster and smarter, from housing and public infrastructure to data centers and disaster-resilient communities.

<div data-sponsor-disclosure="&quot;{&quot;logoUrl&quot;:&quot;https://images.axios.com/R3vsrLVTLNMgEdi0Ya8o_4_GCBs=/2026/07/08/1783536617281.jpg&quot;,&quot;headline&quot;:&quot;A message from: Virginia Tech&quot;}&quot;"></div><div style="display:none"></div>The U.S. is under pressure to build faster and smarter, from housing and public infrastructure to data centers and disaster-resilient communities.<ul><li>But the construction industry often still runs on fragmented, reactive systems.</li></ul>Virginia Tech&#x27;s Coalition for Smart Construction is a new way for the industry to test what&#x27;s next.

How research is shaping the future of national security

Learn how Virginia Tech is helping meet the needs of the nation's intelligence and defense communities.

Partners

The threats facing the U.S. are growing more complex — spanning cyberattacks, climate-fueled disasters, emerging defense technologies and global instability.Why it&#x27;s important: Responding to those challenges requires research that can move quickly from academic settings into real-world use — especially in the D.C. area, where federal agencies, defense leaders and industry partners are working on urgent national security needs.

How Virginia Tech is advancing wireless communications research

Virginia Tech is shaping safer, smarter 6G and future-ready wireless systems.

Every text, satellite signal, AI query and video call depends on one thing: wireless communication keeping pace with a world producing more data than ever before.Why it&#x27;s important: Existing communications infrastructure is under growing pressure to move, compress and process massive amounts of information quickly, securely and sustainably.<ul><li>That challenge is reshaping everything from AI-enabled devices and satellite systems to national security and space communications.</li></ul>

D.C. schools lead U.S. in academic recovery, but absenteeism persists

But students are still performing below pre-pandemic levels, and chronic absenteeism remains high.

D.C. schools are leading the country in post-pandemic academic recovery, according to a new report.The big picture: Despite the top national ranking, D.C. students are still performing below pre-pandemic levels, and chronic absenteeism remains a serious problem.

Amid immigration uncertainty, Georgetown loses international students

Universities across the country ended up enrolling fewer international students this fall.

Georgetown University&#x27;s international graduate student enrollment dropped 20% this fall, a sign of the times as U.S. colleges lose international students under President Trump.The big picture: Universities across the country ended up enrolling fewer <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="international students" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/08/27/trump-admin-overhaul-student-visas" data-vars-content-id="5d175b50-ca59-44a8-bb6e-7faea0ae878e" data-vars-headline="Amid immigration uncertainty, Georgetown loses international students" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/08/27/trump-admin-overhaul-student-visas" target="_self">international students</a> this fall.

Walk in groups, no headphones: D.C. families start school under Trump crackdown

Families worry immigrants and kids of color could face heightened enforcement.

News

As back-to-school season begins amid D.C.&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="federal crackdown" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/14/trump-dc-national-guard-fbi-crackdown" data-vars-content-id="dea3db25-5d9d-44d4-86f3-7dbf72539e72" data-vars-headline="Walk in groups, no headphones: D.C. families start school under Trump crackdown" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/14/trump-dc-national-guard-fbi-crackdown" target="_self">federal crackdown</a> on crime, some residents are worried that students and their parents — especially immigrants and people of color — may be at greater risk.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="D.C. Public Schools" data-vars-click-url="https://mayor.dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser-to-welcome-dcps-educators-back-new-school-year" data-vars-content-id="dea3db25-5d9d-44d4-86f3-7dbf72539e72" data-vars-headline="Walk in groups, no headphones: D.C. families start school under Trump crackdown" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://mayor.dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser-to-welcome-dcps-educators-back-new-school-year" target="_blank">D.C. Public Schools</a> begin classes Monday.

DMV schools lock down cellphones, boost security for new year

What to know about the new policies for the 2025 school year.

Phones will be <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="locked away" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/01/16/school-cell-phone-bans-2025-legislation" data-vars-content-id="056d4087-47c4-473a-aa94-807951598b41" data-vars-headline="DMV schools lock down cellphones, boost security for new year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/01/16/school-cell-phone-bans-2025-legislation" target="_self">locked away</a> — and new surveillance tech is coming in — as D.C.-area schools revamp their policies for the new year. Why it matters: Schools say the changes aim to boost learning, improve student wellbeing, and curb threats.

Over half of D.C. students go to school in extreme heat zones

Sometimes schools lack adequate air conditioning, jeopardizing students' health in periods of extreme heat.

Climate

Over half of D.C. students go to school in an extreme <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="urban heat zone" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/11/heat-islands-us-record-temperatures" data-vars-content-id="cb6d2617-a6ff-4f95-9fd0-1a240eea4620" data-vars-headline="Over half of D.C. students go to school in extreme heat zones" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/11/heat-islands-us-record-temperatures" target="_self">urban heat zone</a>, per a new analysis. Why it matters: The heat island effect can make some neighborhoods notably warmer than others, especially during <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="heat waves" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/23/heat-wave" data-vars-content-id="cb6d2617-a6ff-4f95-9fd0-1a240eea4620" data-vars-headline="Over half of D.C. students go to school in extreme heat zones" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/23/heat-wave" target="_self">heat waves</a> like the one <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="this week" data-vars-click-url="https://x.com/AlertDC/status/1941814482579124562" data-vars-content-id="cb6d2617-a6ff-4f95-9fd0-1a240eea4620" data-vars-headline="Over half of D.C. students go to school in extreme heat zones" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://x.com/AlertDC/status/1941814482579124562" target="_blank">this week</a>.

D.C. officially ends redshirting for kindergartners

The pivot has enraged parents who are being told their kids must skip kindergarten and go straight to first grade.

D.C. is cracking down on families who want to enroll their kids late into kindergarten — a practice known as redshirting.Why it matters: D.C. Public Schools used to let principals allow families to delay enrollment, especially if a child has developmental concerns.

Education 📚

Where high-stakes AI needs human judgment

Construction has a productivity problem — Virginia Tech has a solution

How research is shaping the future of national security

How Virginia Tech is advancing wireless communications research

D.C. schools lead U.S. in academic recovery, but absenteeism persists