Transportation officials will hold a news conference Thursday morning to update the public on efforts to improve air travel experience ahead of one of the busiest holiday travel seasons on record.

The NFL authorized players to wear Guardian Caps during games this season in an effort to reduce head injuries.

Boeing is replacing the head of its defense and space business.

Suzann Pettersen fell short in her second stint as European Solheim Cup captain.

LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan has taken responsibility for the tour’s failure to get fans to the Solheim Cup in time to see the opening tee shots.

The opening match of the Solheim Cup began in front of half-empty grandstands surrounding the first tee at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, with transportation issues preventing fans from getting to the golf course.

The Washington Commanders say they have fired an employee after he was shown making derogatory comments about players and fans in undercover video posted on social media.

Military veterans have spent years lobbying for the use of psychedelic drugs to treat PTSD, but a sharply critical review of the club drug MDMA has put the therapy's approval in doubt.

President Joe Biden on Monday is expected to mark Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery.

Lejeune Empowered Advocacy for Widows (LEAWS) is a nonprofit founded in August 2023 from the Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Widows Facebook group. We help widows navigate the VA system and the Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Lawsuit under the PACT-Act. As Marine widows and social service professionals, we unite the community through our weekly Facebook group meetings, yearly retreats and outreach. We need community support for fundraising, donations, and services to assist widows facing financial and emotional challenges. Call to Action: Support Marine widows by donating funds, goods, or your time to help brighten their lives and provide essential relief.   www.leaws.org

Lejeune Empowered Advocacy for Widows (LEAWS) is a nonprofit founded in August 2023 from the Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Widows Facebook group. We help widows navigate the VA system and the Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Lawsuit under the PACT-Act. As Marine widows and social service professionals, we unite the community through our weekly Facebook group meetings, yearly retreats and outreach. We need community support for fundraising, donations, and services to assist widows facing financial and emotional challenges. Call to Action: Support Marine widows by donating funds, goods, or your time to help brighten their lives and provide essential relief.   www.leaws.org

The NFL says it will allow players to wear protective soft-shell helmet covers known as Guardian caps during games next season if they choose.

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Regional Director of Finance to oversee the financial operations of our television stations and digital media businesses.

Certain Medicare patients may get help paying for the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, as long as they also have heart disease.

President Biden is expected to participate in the 70th annual National Veterans Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery starting at 11 a.m. Saturday to honor the men and women who have served and continue to serve in the U.S. armed forces during war and peacetime.

Vice President Kamala Harris says the Biden administration is beginning the process to remove medical bills from people’s credit scores.

Save the date! Veterans with questions about benefits, claims, PACT Act, and more, can get the answers next week in person.

Ron Rivera says he spoke to Eric Bieniemy about his comments that some Washington Commanders players expressed concern over the new offensive coordinator's coaching style.

The first practice of Washington Commanders training camp under new ownership definitely felt different than any opening day in decades.

An American metropolis known for freeways and traffic has a newly discovered species named in its honor: The Los Angeles Thread Millipede.

The stage is set for a new women’s hockey league to begin in January.

New Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is making his voice heard at offseason workouts.

China has stepped up a feud with Washington over security by telling users of computer equipment deemed sensitive to stop buying products from the biggest U.S. memory chipmaker, Micron Technology Inc. The country's cyberspace agency says Micron products have unspecified “serious network security risks” that threaten China’s information infrastructure and affect national security.

Kyle Larson passed Joey Logano with 29 laps to go and went on to win his second Cup Series race of the season Sunday at Martinsville Speedway on a day when NASCAR welcomed back Chase Elliott.

A federal appeals court has ruled against a Trump administration ban on bump stocks, the devices that enable a shooter to rapidly fire multiple rounds from a semi-automatic weapon after the initial trigger pull.

Coach Ron Rivera says rookie Sam Howell is expected start at quarterback for the Washington Commanders in their season finale against the Dallas Cowboys.

Christopher Bell worked his way into NASCAR’s championship round the only way he could, winning at Martinsville Speedway to claim a spot in the finale.

Japan said it is providing a major U.S. chipmaker a subsidy of up to $322 million to back its plan to produce advanced memory chips at a Hiroshima factory.

President Joe Biden says a deal has been reached to avert a looming freight rail strike that could have disrupted numerous commuter rail services across the country.

Micron will invest $15 billion though the end of the decade on a new semiconductor plant in its hometown that the chipmaker said will create 17,000 American jobs.

The Washington Commanders say rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr. was shot during an attempted robbery or carjacking.

The federal government is proposing tougher rules for when airlines must give passengers refunds for changing their travel plans.

The Senate has passed a bill that's designed to encourage more semiconductor companies to build chip plants in the United States.

Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera says defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio addressed the team to apologize for his comments about protests in the summer of 2020 and the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Groups across the state of Virginia work all year long to get students registered to vote in high school and college -- the idea being, if these students start young, they’ll vote their entire lives.

Vice President Kamala Harris says the U.S. is safer if people in other countries have sufficient water to drink, grow food and safely dispose of sewage.

An inspector general’s report has found that most of the 10,000 smartphones purchased for a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs program during the pandemic went unused.

The Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs.

Quarterbacks Malik Willis and Matt Corral are among 21 prospects who will attend the NFL Draft in Las Vegas later this month.

The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association has decided to break off talks with the rival Premier Hockey Federation.

William Byron took the lead on pit road after Stage 2 pit stops and held it pretty much the rest of the way at Martinsville Speedway to become the first repeat winner this season in NASCAR’s Cup Series.

NASCAR's top drivers expect some beating and banging to be on the menu when they race at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday night.

The CIA says it will create a top-level working group on China as part of a broad U.S. government effort focused on countering Beijing’s influence.

American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue will require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Ryan Fitzpatrick says he did not need the public declaration from Ron Rivera that he's Washington starting quarterback.

The NFL has informed teams they could potentially forfeit a game because of a COVID-19 outbreak among nonvaccinated players, and players on both teams wouldn’t get paid that week.

A key senator wants to know whether labor shortages are causing delayed and canceled flights at major U.S. airlines.

A person familiar with the vaccination rates says two NFL teams remain under 50% vaccinated less than two weeks from the start of training camp.

The Biden administration has formally ended a Trump-era immigration policy that forced asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says people traveling for Memorial Day weekend should be patient because there will be long lines at U.S. airports.

The Jaguars stuck to offense in the first round of the NFL draft.

An American Airlines jet sits parked at a gate as light snow falls at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, in Arlington, Va. American Airlines says bookings are coming back they're nearly at pre-pandemic levels. Gasoline demand is up too, as more Americans travel by car. “I would just sort of reiterate the recommendations from CDC, saying please limit travel to essential travel for the time being.”New reported cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. have increased 18% in the past two weeks. However, deaths declined 29% over that same period, to an average of 1,363 per day to 970 per day by Sunday. White House officials said Monday that more than 50 million Americans — nearly one in five adults — are now fully vaccinated.

Donna Garlitz lives in Jacksonville but was in Lake City on Thursday to get her first shot of the vaccine. The VA’s Health Service will also vaccinate high-risk veterans who are homeless, hemodialysis patients, solid organ transplant patients or patients enlisted for transplant, and chemotherapy patients of any age. It will also vaccinate veterans employed as essential workers (firefighters, police officers, corrections officers, food and agricultural workers, Postal Service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit workers and those who work in the educational sector (teachers, support staff and daycare workers) of any age. AdThe clinics will continue to vaccinate anyone in the VA system age 65 and above. AdAs supply increases and Veterans Health Service has filled the needs of veterans who meet the current criteria, additional groups of veterans will have the opportunity to schedule an appointment.

NEW YORK – Those $600 stimulus checks got Americans shopping again. After three months of declines, retail sales soared a seasonally adjusted 5.3% in January from the month before, the U.S. Commerce Department said Wednesday. The $600 stimulus checks, sent out at the very end of last year, pushed people to buy new furniture, clothing and appliances. Darryl Crum bought a new washing machine with his stimulus money, since his old one wasn’t spinning clothes well enough anymore. Besides strong sales at furniture and appliance stores, sales jumped an eye-popping 23.5% at department stores after slumping 3% in the last year.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System is now offering the COVID-19 vaccination to veterans who receive care at the VA and are in the following professions:FirefightersPolice officersCorrections officersFood and agricultural workersGrocery store workersU.S. Postal Service workersManufacturing workersPublic transit workersEducational sector (teachers, support staff and daycare workers)Veterans may call 352-548-6000 ext. 103755, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, or 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturdays to schedule an appointment. Appointments are limited, and veterans unable to schedule an appointment will be documented and contacted when additional scheduling options are available. Qualifying veterans may receive the COVID-19 vaccination at no cost.

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Kenny Brooks has won nearly 63% of his games since becoming the Virginia Tech women’s basketball coach in 2016. Aisha Sheppard scored 18 of her 28 points in overtime to help Virginia Tech upset No. Virginia Tech had never beaten an opponent ranked higher than No. That was the difference.”AdElizabeth Kitley added 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Azana Baines had 16 points for Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech: Hosts North Carolina on Sunday.

Louisville coach Jeff Walz gestures during the first half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Virginia Tech on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, in Blacksburg, Va. (Matt Gentry/The Roanoke Times via AP, Pool)For the first time in school history, coach Jeff Walz has Louisville at No. 1 in The Associated Press women’s college basketball poll. Louisville received 20 first-place votes from a 29-member national media panel. UConn coach Geno Auriemma is tied with the late Pat Summitt for the second most victories in women’s basketball history. ___More AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

The Jacksonville VA Outpatient Clinic will hold COVID-19 drive-thru vaccination clinics beginning Tuesday. To qualify, veterans must be age 75 or older and receive care at VA in Jacksonville. There is no cost to receive the vaccine, according to a news release from the VA.No more that two veterans will be vaccinated per vehicle to promote social distancing. Veterans are asked to wear a mask during the vaccination. The clinic will not be open on weekends and holidays.

In this image provided by the Washington Capitals, Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson wears a helmet bearing a Capital One logo during NHL hockey practice, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, in Arlington, Va. (Zach Guerette/Washington Capitals via AP)There will be advertisements on NHL players' helmets this season as teams try to recoup revenue lost to the pandemic. The New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators became the first teams to unveil helmet ads Tuesday. “Of course, the teams are in a big hole,” Nashville chief revenue officer Chris Junghans said after the team announced its deal with Bridgestone. “So, they're looking for valuable, real valuable, tangible assets that will help us, guys like me, make partners whole. Each of the first three teams got a deal done with the company that sponsors the naming rights for its arena.

A U.S. official confirmed Saturday that the Pentagon has a plan for separating the National Security Agency and Cyber Command. In his letter to Miller, Smith said the Pentagon has not met conditions set by the 2017 defense bill for severing the NSA from Cyber Command. The notion of splitting NSA from Cyber Command goes back to the Obama administration, which proposed to elevate the status of Cyber Command by making it a unified military command, taking it from under the purview of U.S. Strategic Command. That move was approved by President Donald Trump in 2017, and it was foreseen that at some point Cyber Command would split away from the NSA, although such a move had strong opponents in Congress. It's not clear who the Trump administration might install as head of the NSA if it were split from Cyber Command before President-elect Joe Biden takes office Jan. 20.

(Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Jupiter and Saturn will merge in the night sky Monday, appearing closer to one another than they have since Galileo’s time in the 17th century. Jupiter passes its neighbor Saturn in their respective laps around the sun every 20 years. Saturn and Jupiter have been drawing closer in the south-southwest sky for weeks. Despite appearances, Jupiter and Saturn will actually be more than 450 million miles (730 million kilometers) apart. A telescope will not only capture Jupiter and Saturn in the same field of view, but even some of their brightest moons.

(AP Photo/Morry Gash)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Southeastern Conference championship game between No. This will be the ninth time Alabama and Florida have met in the SEC title game, which has been played in Atlanta since 1994. It was moved to take the place of the Michigan-Ohio State game, which was canceled due to COVID-19 issues within the Wolverines’ program. ___UConn has postponed a second men’s basketball game as it continues to deal with a player’s positive coronavirus test. Should the game be played, the winner of the Washington-Oregon matchup will be Pac-12 North champions and play in the conference title game on Dec. 18.

Miami quarterback D'Eriq King passes during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, in Blacksburg, Va. (Matt Gentry/The Roanoke Times via AP, Pool)

D’Eriq King threw for 255 yards and a touchdown and ran for a score, rallying the Hurricanes to a 25-24 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday. Miami announced it had 13 players unavailable before the game, including three starters and several offensive linemen. Hendon Hooker paced Virginia Tech, throwing for 201 yards and rushing for 53 yards and a touchdown. “I hurt for them,” Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente said of his players. Virginia Tech: The Hokies travel to Pittsburgh — if the Panthers are ready to play.

Liberty's CJ Yarbrough catches a touchdown pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Virginia Tech, Saturday, Nov. 7 2020, in Blacksburg, Va. (Matt Gentry/The Roanoke Times via AP, Pool)

25 Liberty to a 38-35 victory over Virginia Tech. But officials ruled that Virginia Tech had called a timeout before the kick. “I’ve always done this,” Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente said. Hendon Hooker paced Virginia Tech, throwing for 217 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 156 yards and a touchdown. Virginia Tech: The Hokies play Miami at home on Saturday.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tentative settlements have been reached in several civil lawsuits filed on behalf of the families of veterans who died at a West Virginia hospital where a former nursing assistant admitted to intentionally killing seven people with fatal doses of insulin. The settlements were disclosed by U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia on Saturday as well as in federal court filings stemming from the deaths of six veterans at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg. Manchin said in a statement that the tentative settlement “is further evidence that the VA and the Clarksburg VAMC were negligent in the murders that happened under their watch.”The veterans' deaths involved in the settlements occurred in 2018. Fired hospital nursing assistant Reta Mays pleaded guilty in July to intentionally killing seven patients with wrongful insulin injections. Mays admitted at a plea hearing to purposely killing the veterans, injecting them with unprescribed insulin while she worked overnight shifts at the hospital in northern West Virginia between 2017 and 2018.

8 schools, VA clinic among thousands of Clay Electric customers without power for hoursPublished: September 25, 2020, 5:10 pmAn issue with Clay Electric knocked out power for almost 23,000 customers just before 5 a.m. -- nearly 10% of the utility’s customers.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced Thursday that it is allowing home mortgage loan deferments for veterans who have experienced financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many veterans have taken advantage of the loan forbearance program provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). As Veterans exit their CARES Act forbearance periods, they must work with their mortgage company to determine when to repay the missed amounts. “Providing loan deferment as an option could be the one thing standing between financial normalcy and foreclosure.”VA cannot require mortgage companies to offer loan deferments. Veterans who want to know whether loan deferment is an option should consult their mortgage company directly.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The Department of Veterans Affairs' new outpatient clinic in St. Johns County is expected to be named after Pvt. First Class Leo C. Chase Jr., the first man from St. Johns County to be killed in the Vietnam War. This new VA outpatient clinic located on County Road 207 at Deerfield Preserve Boulevard is expected to open before the end of the year. Chase was killed on Nov. 15, 1965, in the Ia Drang battle dramatized in the book and film, We Were Soldiers. “At 23 years old Private Chase was killed while serving with an Airmobile unit in Vietnam just five days before he would have gone home.

That’s the case for one Roanoke man who’s known to share Wrigley’s Gum with everyone he meets. John has been in Roanoke for a few months to be by Suttie’s side as his health declines. Suttie asked Sammy Oakey at Oakey’s Funeral Home to have his casket painted like the iconic gum box. And before he knew it, hundreds of packs of gum were on their way to Roanoke, and he had good news to share. Suttie’s family said his health is improving, and that’s a good thing, because they need someone to give away all the gum.

As planned, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio stepped in and ran practice ahead of Washington's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)Ron Rivera missed Washington's first game week practice to begin treatment for a form of skin cancer, so Jack Del Rio stepped in as planned. Del Rio didn't have an update on how Rivera was feeling, but expects him back at the team's practice facility Wednesday. I really dont hear Coach (Rivera) when he's here doing, cornerback Ronald Darby said. But to be honest, it did feel a little weird because whats going on and what he's going through, but we've got to keep pushing.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018 file photo, Jerry Falwell Jr., right, answers a student's question, accompanied by his wife, Becki, during a town hall meeting on the opioid crisis at a convocation at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. On Aug. 7, 2020, Falwell stepped down, at least temporarily, from his role as the president of the school. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

FILE -This Wednesday Nov. 28, 2018 file photo shows Rev. Jerry Falwell Jr., right, and his wife, Becky during after a town hall at a convocation at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. Falwell Jr. says he is seeking help for the "emotional toll" from an affair his wife had with a man who he says later threatened his family. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Washington head coach Ron Rivera, center, talks to his team during practice at the team's NFL football training facility, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

This aerial drone photo shows the Call Federal Credit Union building, front, Tuesday June 16, 2020, in Midlothian, Va. Police were able to obtain geofence search warrants, a tool being increasingly used by law enforcement. The warrant sought location histories kept by Google of cellphones and other devices used within 150 meters (500 feet) of the bank. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

John Moore/Getty ImagesMARTINSVILLE, Va. - A Virginia doctor convicted in May of illegally prescribing more than half a million opioid tablets will be sentenced to federal prison Wednesday. Joel Smithers, who was convicted of 859 counts of illegally prescribing drugs, faces between 20 years and life in prison, the US Department of Justice said in a news release. Smithers prescribed more than 500,000 opioid tablets in 19 months before federal agents arrived at his Martinsville office in March 2017 with a search warrant, prosecutors said. A woman from West Virginia died after Smithers prescribed her oxycodone and oxymorphone, the Justice Department said. Every day, more than 130 people in the United States die from opioid overdoses, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.