'Start with an empty bag' — How to avoid travel headaches this July Fourth - Sunday, July 2, 2023 - Top News from WTOP

TOP NEWS | July 02, 2023 [Web version](   [Top tips for stress-free Independence Day travel]( The Fourth of July long weekend is peak summertime travel season and airports nationwide estimate nearly 18 million people will pass through security checkpoints between Friday and Wednesday. [READ MORE](   [2 dead, 28 others injured in Baltimore mass shooting]( The shooting happened after midnight Sunday at a block party in the 800 block of Gretna Court near the Brooklyn Homes area, according to a police statement. [READ MORE](   ADVERTISEMENT [Reach your audience with the right message at the right time]( Is your marketing hitting a dead end? Are you unable to tie business goals to advertising revenue? Not sure if your digital outreach is hitting ROI? Connect with 2060 Digital to discover how you can reach the right audience with the right message.   [Legal recreational weed hits Md. dispensary shelves]( Recreational marijuana dispensaries throughout Maryland opened their doors to curious and excited customers for the first time Saturday, many of whom said it was about time they could buy legal cannabis. [READ MORE](   [Elon Musk imposes daily limits on reading posts on Twitter]( Thousands of people logged complaints about problems accessing Twitter after owner Elon Musk limited most users to viewing 600 tweets a day. [READ MORE](   Sponsored by PenFed Credit Union, federally insured by NCUA [High-yield checking: How it can pay you back]( Checking accounts allow you to have quick access to your money for things like bills, entertainment, expenses and other costs associated with daily life. However, you can optimize your checking account even further and increase interest through a high-yield checking account.   [Capital Caring Health provides robotic pets to veterans]( One organization's approach to mental health is taking “man's best friend” to a new level. [READ MORE](   [‘This is my stop': MetroHero hands conductor's hat to new WMATA commuters, watchdogs]( MetroHero - a D.C. transit project launched in 2015 with the goal of keeping track of Metro's trains, issues and commute changes in real time - has reached its final stop. And officials say a new real time tracker is set to take its place. [READ MORE](   SPONSORED CONTENT [As IRS ramps up taxpayer scrutiny, these 5 tips can help you avoid an audit]( While the IRS plans to increase efforts to identify tax fraud and underpayments by people and businesses bringing in more than $400,000 annually, Shulman Rogers tax lawyer Nancy Ortmeyer Kuhn points out the agency won't be reducing audits of those making less.   [$600k worth of illegal fireworks seized by Stafford Co. Fire Marshal]( The office said it received an anonymous tip about possible illegal fireworks in the White Oak area on Wednesday. [READ MORE](   [Silver Spring fentanyl dealer charged with manslaughter for overdose death]( Along with the manslaughter charge, Junior Salvador Alvarez Paz, 22, was charged with the distribution of a controlled substance, according to a news release. [READ MORE](   Sponsored by Leidos [Cloud Exchange 2023: 4 critical metrics for monitoring performance of high-level, edge services]( As agencies' hybrid infrastructures make the delivery of high-level and edge services from the cloud possible, IT teams must apply consistent metrics to monitor performance and cost. Leidos' Lakshmi Ashok shares the four metrics you'll want to track.   [Judge awards Black church $1 million after BLM banner burned by Proud Boys during protest]( A judge on Friday awarded more than $1 million to a Black church in D.C. that sued the far-right Proud Boys for tearing down and burning a Black Lives Matter banner during a 2020 protest. [READ MORE](   [Fairfax Co. school employee charged with possession of child sexual abuse material]( Fairfax County officers arrested Aaron Matthew Betts, 32, Friday after an anonymous tip was submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in March. [READ MORE](   SPONSORED CONTENT [CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield invests in behavioral health]( CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield is delivering millions of dollars to community-based organizations in an effort to add money and resources to the fight against a behavioral health crisis that was worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.   [Report offers glimpse of what it will take for state to reach ambitious climate goals]( Maryland is halfway toward meeting its ambitious climate goals, and a path exists for the state to reach net-zero emissions by 2045. [READ MORE](   Sponsored by Rocky Gorge Animal Hospital [What to expect if your pet visits the emergency room]( A pet emergency can be a scary experience. To help prepare pet parents for the possible event, here's what to expect and how your local emergency room veterinarians will care for your furry friend.   PARTNERSHIP [Listen live for news, traffic and weather from WTOP News on our FREE App!]( Download the app today - sponsored by Navy Federal Credit Union - to stay up to date on all the latest news in the DMV.   [Check out the latest weather forecast]( [Click here for the latest traffic updates]( [Visit WTOP's Podcast Center]( Download and listen to podcasts created by WTOP and our partners CONNECT WITH WTOP [facebook]( [twitter]( [linkedin]( [instagram]( EVERYTHING YOU NEED EVERY TIME YOU LISTEN [DOWNLOAD THE WTOP APP]( [Click here to manage your newsletter preferences.]( This email and the accompanying website are not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. [Unsubscribe](  | [Contact us.](