Prosecutors drop mask-wearing charge filed after Virginia gun rally

By The Associated Press
February 13, 2020 | 10:40 AM

RICHMOND, Va. — Prosecutors have dropped a felony charge filed against a woman who was cited for wearing a mask in public following a gun rights rally at the Virginia Capitol last month.

News outlets report 21-year-old Mikaela E. Beschler was arrested an hour after the Jan. 20 rally when Richmond police asked her to remove a bandanna covering her face.

Her attorney said the mask-wearing charge was dismissed Wednesday after the state acknowledged it would be difficult to prove she had criminal intent to conceal her identity.

A prior Virginia case allows an exception under weather conditions, and news outlets said it was freezing the day thousands of gun-rights activists rallied.

Trump announces a $22.5B makeover of Dulles airport that will eliminate the ‘people movers’

By The Associated Press
July 29, 2026 | 6:40 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a $22.5 billion renovation of Washington Dulles International Airport that will end the use of the widely disliked “people movers,” the mobile lounges that have been used for decades to shuttle travelers to and from the main terminal. In place of the people movers, the airport will add a new U-shaped passenger train, a central walking tunnel, more moving walkways and new concourses. An above-ground parking garage closer to the main terminal with space for 32,000 vehicles is also in the offing, according to Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The airport makeover would add to a long list of renovation projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave a lasting mark on the Washington region after his term ends in January 2029. Among other undertakings, he is building a new White House ballroom and wants to build a towering triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial. But of all the construction projects Trump is pursuing, the renovations at Dulles could prove to be his most popular and benefit the greatest number of people. The airport, the area’s primary international airport, served roughly 29 million passengers over the past year, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

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