| Good morning. It's Wednesday, June 21, and the summer solstice is here. Onward to the news. 🌧 Near 70/Low 60s. Rain throughout the day and night. Capital Weather Gang gives it a 6/10. | | |  | Virginia Democrats favored more liberal candidates to run for state office. | - Ousted: Sen. Joseph Morrissey, who favors more restrictions on abortion rights, was projected to lose his central Virginia primary to Lashrecse Aird, a staunch abortion rights supporter.
- Sen. Louise Lucas, a champion of liberal values from the Tidewater region, was projected to defeat a socially conservative colleague. (See the full results here.)
- Why it matters: Aird's projected victory could shore up Virginia's status as the South's last bastion of broad abortion rights. Every General Assembly seat will be on the ballot this fall.
| | |  | Democratic incumbents in Virginia mostly held on in local races last night. | - Board chairs: In Fairfax, Jeffrey McKay (D-At Large) held off a primary challenge. But in Prince William, newcomer Deshundra Jefferson holds a sizable lead over incumbent Ann Wheeler.
- Commonwealth's attorneys: Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Steve Descano and Buta Biberaj, liberal prosecutors in Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties, respectively, defeated their challengers.
- Still counting: No results are expected until Friday in the Democratic primary for two open seats on the Arlington County Board, the first publicly run election in Virginia to be decided using ranked-choice voting.
| | |  | Metro said it needs a massive funding increase to avoid "catastrophic" cuts. | - The situation: The agency is trying to raise support from local jurisdictions and the federal government to avoid thousands of layoffs, reduced operating hours and 30-minute waits for trains.
- Why now? Metro, the nation's third-largest rail system, is facing a projected $750 million operating budget shortfall in the 2025 fiscal year because of telework's effects on commuting.
| | | | | | |  | A majority of the D.C. Council want more details about a former city official. | - Eight council members called for an independent investigation yesterday into allegations of sexual harassment against John Falcicchio, Mayor Muriel Bowser's former chief of staff.
- How we got here: Serious accusations by a female staffer were substantiated in a city-led report released Saturday — including that Falcicchio, who resigned in March, exposed his genitals and engaged in unwanted sexual touching.
| | |  | Another bear was spotted in the region, but that doesn't mean there's a spike. | A black bear spotted in Arlington. (Animal Welfare League of Arlington) | - Wild visitors: Animal welfare officials said they received a few dozen calls over the weekend from residents reporting black bears. The creatures have been spotted in the District, Rockville and, most recently, Arlington.
- What's happening? In the spring and early summer, young bears will leave their dens and roam for food. And people are working from home more, thereby seeing more wildlife — including bears.
| | |  | The Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals settled their MASN dispute. | - What they were fighting about: Money owed to the Nationals over TV rights. The Orioles control Washington's rights in perpetuity, as part of an agreement made when the franchise moved to D.C.
- What it means: The Orioles will pay the Nationals nearly $100 million for rights from 2012 to 2016. And now they must determine how much is owed for the 2017 to 2021 period.
- The bigger picture: The settlement might help jump-start the sale of the Nationals, as the MASN dispute has been a roadblock for potential buyers.
| | |  | Meet the Spring 2023 All-Met Players of the Year. | Katie Kutz. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post) | - The Post's picks for the season's best high school athletes across the region were announced yesterday.
- Baseball: Bryce Eldridge, from Vienna's James Madison High School, was a two-way star this season.
- Softball: Katie Kutz, a pitcher for Bishop O'Connell High School, won her second consecutive top honor.
 | Today's Perspective | From John Kelly: Suburban street names have stories to tell. Before you go … chat with Post food critic Tom Sietsema today at 11 a.m. And finally … test your news knowledge with today's On the Record quiz. Click here to play. You're all caught up. See you tomorrow. (Illustration by Katty Huertas/The Post) | Do you know someone who would like this newsletter? Share it with them. Want more local coverage? Get the latest stories and exclusive content on D.C., Maryland and Virginia here. Want to catch up quickly on the biggest global news? Sign up for The 7 morning briefing. | | | |
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