The potential overturn of Roe v. Wade has Democratic leaders around the region fearful about Republicans intervening in the District and the possibility of Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin pushing to restrict abortion access.

Why it matters: Despite being solidly blue, the region is uniquely susceptible to a rollback in abortion access. Congress has the final say over the District’s laws and already bans the city from spending local dollars on abortions for the poor.

• And Youngkin yesterday again declared himself staunchly “pro-life” and said states should decide on abortion.

What they’re saying: “A Republican Congress is likely to use this decision to try and ban abortion in D.C. in particular,” said D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, surrounded by Mayor Bowser and a majority of the D.C. Council yesterday afternoon at Planned Parenthood’s clinic in Northeast.

Yes, but: Saving abortion rights could galvanize Democrats to turn out in Virginia races and nationally in congressional elections this November, forestalling Republican attempts to restrict access in D.C.

• And if Republicans did take Congress, President Biden would likely veto any restrictions to the city’s abortion rights.
• In Maryland, where the right to abortion is already protected, Democratic lawmakers went further last month to expand access, over the veto of Governor Larry Hogan.

Still, local officials note that the District has been used as a bargaining chip before.

• A provision could be slipped into a federal budget bill, the way President Barack Obama in 2011 reportedly told then-House Speaker Republican John Boehner, “I’ll give you D.C. abortion” as a compromise, thereby giving up the city’s right to fund abortions for low-income women.

Go deeper: Check out Axios’ dashboard for ongoing coverage of this issue.

Read the full story.

Donations began pouring in to the DC Abortion Fund within hours of news breaking that the Supreme Court intended to strike down Roe v. Wade.

By 6 p.m. Tuesday, the fund had raised nearly $64,000 — enough to cover hundreds of abortions.

Why it matters: D.C. lawmakers yesterday reaffirmed the District’s commitment to abortion access. That means that absent interference from Congress, people could continue coming to D.C. seeking a legal, safe abortion. The fund covers abortion costs for those in need, no matter their state of residence.

State of play: Clinics in both D.C. and Maryland reported seeing additional patients from Texas last year in light of the state’s restrictive abortion laws.

• And 69% of abortions performed in D.C. in 2019 were for out-of-state residents, per the Kaiser Family Foundation.

It’s possible many people are traveling from Virginia or Maryland, not because the neighboring jurisdiction is their closest provider geographically, but because it’s where they might be able to receive a legal abortion depending on how far along they are, Guttmacher Institute senior research scientist Liza Fuentes tells Axios.

• Virginia, for example, limits abortion before the third trimester, whereas Maryland and D.C. have fewer gestational limits.

Read the full story.

D.C. again topped the chart for the best park system, per Trust for Public Land’s annual ParkScore index out today. Arlington is not far behind.

• The index ranks park systems in 100 U.S. cities based on: park equity, access, acreage, investment, and amenities.

According to the report, 24% of land in D.C. is reserved for parks.

• Neighborhoods where a majority of residents are people of color are equally likely to be within a 10-minute walk of a park as majority-white neighborhoods.
• Park space per capita is also evenly distributed across the District.

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Across the region, mask requirements have been lifted on public transportation and within schools and indoor spaces, but not everyone feels comfortable unmasking.

So, we asked you, our readers, for your thoughts. Here’s a summary of the 956 responses we received.

The big picture: 71% of readers said they’d continue to wear masks on the Metro, and 72% said the same for planes and airports. Just over half (57%) said they wear them at grocery stores, while 54% said they don’t wear them in the office.

What they’re saying: Many locals feel that mask-wearing is a situational decision.

• Some people described wearing masks only in indoor spaces among strangers but ditching them among friends. Others said they feel more comfortable forgoing masks only when a restaurant or their gym has a vaccine requirement.

Hear from your fellow readers in their own words:

• “I’m immunocompromised, so not the average Washingtonian. But I have LOVED not having the usual colds & bugs since March 2020.”
• “I’m 72, vaxxed and boosted. I meet friends and family unmasked, but why take chances in enclosed public spaces with strangers? It’s no big deal to wear a mask ... and certainly not a political statement.”
• “Don’t wear them at restaurants or while running quick errands (dropping off dog at daycare, etc.) but do wear them in large gathering places, etc.”
• “My workplace is 98% vaccinated, so I feel safer there than in other public spaces.”

And perhaps the most sensible response about where to mask: “In bar bathrooms.”

A wild fox entered the National Zoo and killed 25 American flamingos and one Northern pintail duck, the zoo announced yesterday.

What they’re saying: “The barrier we used passed inspection and is used by other accredited zoos across the country," said zoo director Brandie Smith. "Our focus now is on the well-being of the remaining flock and fortifying our habitats.”

• The zoo has also added live traps and digital camera traps in an effort to catch future predators.

Our thought bubble: It’s been a wild time for D.C. animals. A rabid fox on Capitol Hill bit several people in April, and a giant turkey has been accosting people on the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, even as the bird’s resurgence is a victory for conservation. Plus, who could forget the zebras?

Read the full, sad story.