Skip to main content

Visitors will need to show ID, as Arlington National Cemetery ramps up security

Visitors to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia will need to present an ID, as the landmark increases its security. Effective immediately, visitors who are 16 and older must show a valid state- or government-issued photo ID when entering the cemetery. Visitors who are 16 or 17 years old may use a school-issued ID. Whether you are attending a funeral, part of a tour group, on a school trip or a personnel on official business, you will need to show an ID. This includes pedestrians, drivers and passengers. The cemetery asked visitors to be patient, as this will add time to their travel. “Physical security is everyone’s responsibility,” the cemetery said in a statement.

The military cemetery, which is under the U.S. Army, said the change is due to “current conditions.” It did not specify what these current conditions were. The U.S. Park Police said it is stepping up patrols and vigilance at landmarks in three major American metropolitan areas as a result of mounting tensions with Iran, The Associated Press reported. A U.S. Park Police spokesman told The Associated Press the agency will have increased visibility and vigilance at different icons, though he declined to specify which ones. U.S. Park Police is responsible for protecting several attractions in D.C., including the Washington Monument and the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the city, its police department and the Department of Homeland Security “will remain in close contact with regional and federal partners to monitor evolving events — both at home and abroad.” In the wake of the U.S. airstrike near Baghdad’s airport that killed the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, cities across the U.S. have increased security despite reassurances there are no specific or credible threats against each location. The Los Angeles Police Department said that it is monitoring events developing in Iran. Police in Boston said they are monitoring events around the world. As an added precautionary measure, Chicago has increased security presence at its airports. And New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that there will be heightened security at locations around the city. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Former Brazilian au pair testifies her ex-lover plotted to kill his wife, though lacks some details

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A former Brazilian au pair testified on Wednesday that she turned against her former lover in a sprawling double homicide scheme involving his wife because she “wanted the truth to come out.” For more than a year, Juliana Peres Magalhães did not speak with officials about the 2023 killings of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan, or about Brendan Banfield’s alleged involvement. But attorneys say that days before her own criminal trial, the former au pair changed her mind and began to talk. Now, Brendan Banfield is facing a trial in the aggravated murder of his wife and Ryan, and Magalhães’ testimony has become a key component of prosecutors’ case. Banfield, who has pleaded not guilty, could face life in prison if convicted. The way officials tell it, Banfield and Magalhães lured Ryan to their house. The two then shot him, staging the scene to look as if Ryan had been a predator stabbing Christine Banfield.
Read Next Story