Did you hear it? The distant thud that came from the National Mall this weekend? That was the Justice for J6 rally landing with an underwhelming meh. 

The gathering began and ended with little fanfare Saturday. The right-wing rally was to support the hundreds of January 6 insurrectionists who have been charged for storming the Capitol. Capitol Police said only 400 to 450 people were counted at one point during the weekend event, which one Reddit user captured from the Washington Monument.

The size of the response does not mirror the hype leading up to the event. Fences returned around the Capitol. D.C.’s National Guard had armored vehicles ready. The Department of Homeland Security warned of online discussions of violence. Officials worried about the event spilling out into the nearby H Street Festival, Howard and Nationals sports games, and a Harry Styles concert.

The day of the event, the Metropolitan Police Department’s entire force was on the clock, the Capitol was completely empty, and police only made four arrests and confiscated two weapons. These 400 to 450 people in attendance were completely outnumbered by the police, journalists, and counterprotesters. It made it all seem like an overreaction.

But it’s better to be over prepared for a dud rather than under prepared for a crisis. January 6 proved as much. Capitol Police were left to essentially fend for themselves from a group of right-wing terrorists emboldened by a once, and eventually twice, impeached president who assured them a rigged election is the reason he failed to win a second term. The event ended in five deaths and four Capitol officers taking their own lives.

But what else happened in D.C. this weekend? Here are some highlights:

Weirdly Placed Wendy’s Wrapping Up

The Wendy’s smack dab in the middle of Dave Thomas Circle is officially closing its doors Tuesday. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Friday the Wendy’s would shutter and be out of the building by Sept. 30. The city seized it via eminent domain to make way for a redesign of the intersection that doesn’t require you to make three separate turns to continue along Florida Avenue NE. Wendy’s has gained an infamous reputation for its mind-boggling, borderline sadistic location. If you want to grab one last Frosty from an evil villain lair… tomorrow is your last day.

2026 FIFA World Cup?

The game is afoot to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and D.C. lined up for a kick Sunday. A delegation from the leading fútbol/soccer institution met with Bowser and other officials and toured D.C. locations for games and fan events. At a press event at the International Spy Museum, she made the case for a milestone D.C. anniversary: “We think it’s the perfect marriage to bring the world’s greatest sporting event to the nation’s capital on the Fourth of July for the nation’s birthday.”

Education Exasperation

Only weeks into the school year, questions about how COVID quarantines should be instituted have left parents bum-puzzled. D.C. reports over 1,500 public school students and staff have been isolated after contracting or being exposed to COVID. The Washington Post detailed in a Sunday piece how that responsibility has fallen to school principals to decide who is quarantined. It’s also showing the city’s testing goals are falling short of where they need to be. While there are risks to not having children go back to school, many parents say they have been told siblings of students who test positive won’t be excused to quarantine, which as Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen puts it, is “bananas.”

Monday morning, Bowser announced new vaccination requirements for schools. By Nov. 1, all public, charter, and private school workers, as well as daycare workers, are required to be vaccinated without exception for those who prefer weekly testing.

—Bailey Vogt (tips? bvogt@washingtoncitypaper.com)

• To see today’s COVID-19 data, visit our coronavirus dashboard.
• Pfizer claims their COVID vaccines may be coming soon to a kid near you aged 5 to 11. [WUSA9]
• A 90-year-old woman, Evelyn Brown, died two weeks after she was injured in a car crash in Southeast D.C. Her death comes as more eyes are on vehicle accidents after a van driver fatally struck 5-year-old Allison Hart in Northeast D.C. last week. [Post]
• Three shootings in 40 minutes across the District on Friday afternoon. Police are still investigating whether the shootings are related. [WUSA9]
• Two Montgomery residents suffered traumatic brain injuries after falling from their balcony this morning. [WTOP]

By Ambar Castillo and Bailey Vogt (tips? acastillo@washingtoncitypaper.com and bvogt@washingtoncitypaper.com)