One year after the death of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, hundreds of people gathered to honor her life and legacy at the Butterfly Vigil, named for her love of butterflies. Those in attendance included family members, survivors, supporters and a member of Congress.

Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin told WTOP that Giuffre, a prominent survivor of Jeffrey Epstein鈥檚 sex鈥憈rafficking operation, carried 鈥渁 lot of pain and a lot of anguish鈥� throughout her life.

鈥淪he grew up with just unspeakable abuse,鈥� Raskin said. 鈥淗er name will not be forgotten, and the names of a lot of her abusers and victimizers, the people who took advantage, will go down in history as villains, and she will be a hero.鈥�

Speakers on stage called for accountability for sexual abuse by powerful figures and spoke about Giuffre鈥檚 courage and how it inspired others to come forward.

鈥淰irginia means everything to the survivor community,鈥� said Dani Bensky, an Epstein survivor. 鈥淣ot just Epstein and Maxwell survivors, survivors as a whole. She is the reason I came forward.鈥�

Bensky said watching both Giuffre and fellow survivor Maria Farmer helped reshape how she viewed herself.

鈥淭hey changed the word 鈥榲ictim鈥� for me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 felt a sense of community, even without knowing them yet. And when I stepped out of that courthouse, I said my name. It was almost like I felt her spirit with me, pushing us along.鈥�

Near the end of the ceremony, Giuffre鈥檚 brothers and sisters鈥慽n鈥憀aw addressed the crowd, many of whom held butterflies in their hands.

鈥淚 want you to know you changed the world, Sis, you really did,鈥� her brother Sky Roberts said from the stage. 鈥淵ou continue to teach the world that it鈥檚 OK to wear your scars with pride, to show that the ugly people and ugly things that exist don鈥檛 define who you are. You do.鈥�

After the vigil, Giuffre鈥檚 older brother, Daniel Wilson told WTOP the family didn鈥檛 have time to grieve when she died by suicide in Australia, more than 10,000 miles away.

He said the gathering marked an important step in the family’s healing.

鈥淭he women standing up there with us today, we鈥檝e gotten really close,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淭hey call it trauma bonding, and it鈥檚 easy to love people who hold her in the same regard that I do.鈥�

Along with family members, survivor sisters and organizers, people from across the region came to honor the memory of the mother of three.

Linda, who traveled from North Beach, Maryland, stood near the stage, choking back tears.
Julie, from Gambrills, Maryland, said Giuffre paved the way by telling her story again and again, even when people didn鈥檛 believe her.

鈥淭hey threatened her life and her family,鈥� Julie said. 鈥淪he was so courageous. She endured so much. She deserves to be honored and remembered 鈥� and she鈥檚 an example of how to fight for what鈥檚 right, no matter what.鈥�

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The event held at Ballou High School in Southeast D.C. was hosted by Moss鈥� 89 Ways to Give Foundation in partnership with Health Services for Children with Special Needs.

鈥淲e鈥檝e got a bunch of kids out here going through drills,鈥� Moss said. 鈥淚鈥檓 here to make sure they have a great time.鈥�

Between stations, Moss stopped to shake hands, pose for selfies and talk with participants and their families.

鈥淵ou can come out and make a difference. Make an impact with just your presence,鈥� he said.

Organizers said the clinic was designed to give children a chance to learn the basics, build confidence and have fun in a supportive environment.

Ashley Young, who helped plan the event, said creating opportunities for children with disabilities is personal to her.

鈥淓ven though my child doesn鈥檛 have a disability, being able to work with kids who do and put on events like this means a lot to me,鈥� Young said.

Moss said the clinic was about more than football fundamentals. He said he wants kids to leave believing they can succeed well beyond the field.

鈥淚 always tell them, if you can touch me, you can be me,鈥� Moss said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not necessarily about being a football player it鈥檚 about being successful in life.鈥�

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On Friday, fans of decorated artist Michael Jackson rolled into a skate party being hosted by the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation.

Along with sequined gloves and fedoras, the “Michael Jackson Skate Party” included the participation of kids who were born just years after the “Thriller” musician died. Eventgoers enjoyed hot dogs, popcorn, and, of course, sampled some of the biggest hits in recorded music history.

Many parents seemed as excited about the free party as their little ones.

鈥淚 was a little bit surprised that they was having an MJ party,鈥� said Myeisha, who attended the event with her daughter Kior. 鈥淢ichael Jackson music transcends through generations and generations, and you could tell by just stepping inside that gym.”

In addition to the skating, the party included a modern photo booth where guests could take a picture with Jackson.

Danielle Hunter, chief of the , acknowledged with a smile that some of the skaters were 鈥渂etter than others,鈥� but that trainers were on scene to help anyone who took a tumble.

鈥淚t’s always a good time on Seventh Street with the Roving leaders,” she said.

The Roving Leaders is a youth outreach program that uses leisure activities to address anti-social or aggressive behavior. They often host events similar to the skate party, which attendee Myeisha said was 鈥渁mazing.鈥�

鈥淭hey’re always free, and they always have so much stuff for the kids to do. They always have food, games,鈥� Myeisha said. 鈥淚 love it. I bring my daughter to every event that DPR has, no matter what it is.鈥�

Like a lot of the kids at the skate party, Myeisha loves Jackson鈥檚 dancing, especially the moonwalk.

It’s a sentiment that was echoed by Sharrif Scott, who told WTOP that he liked Jackson’s 鈥渜uick and fast” dance moves “and the way that he made dancing very popular.鈥�

While the 10-year-old admitted he didn鈥檛 quite have the same abilities as Jackson, he liked coming to the skate parties because he got 鈥渢o meet new people鈥� and have fun.

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A Republican member of Congress is raising some eyebrows in Northern Virginia with his push to make Arlington and Alexandria a part of D.C., taking 400,000 residents’ votes away from the more politically competitive Virginia and lumping them in with the already deep-blue District.

Georgia Rep. Rich McCormick introduced the on the heels of Virginia’s special election Tuesday on a gerrymandered map that could give Democrats a 10-1 seat advantage in the House of Representatives and potentially tip the balance of power in the congressional chamber.

Voters approved the new map by about 100,000 votes, with 98% of the total vote counted as of Friday evening. However, a judge blocked Virginia from certifying those results and enacting the new congressional map.

McCormick’s bill would return the two Virginia jurisdictions back to D.C., as it was until the 1840s.

Until then, President George Washington had designed D.C. to be a near perfect 10-mile square.

McCormick said his bill would put an end to the redistricting debate in the commonwealth.

鈥淭hat has warped the system since then. If you think about it, that’s what’s caused all this consternation,鈥� McCormick said in a social media video. 鈥淕ive back Virginia exactly what it should have, give D.C. what it should have, and get this thing right.鈥�

WTOP asked some residents who were enjoying a beautiful late Thursday afternoon at the waterfront in Old Town Alexandria about the plan, which caused many to scratch their heads.

鈥淣o, no, no, no, that’s not fair,鈥� Amanda Tucker said. 鈥淗e only wants to because it didn’t go the way that he wanted to go. So my vote, of course, no.鈥�

Tucker’s significant other, Terrence Augustus, admitted he was caught off guard.

鈥淚 had to think about that. I really don’t know,鈥� Augustus said. 鈥淲hen we were talking about Maryland, I would say no.鈥�

As the two talked it over, Augustus pointed out D.C. and Virginia have 鈥渁 logical separation.鈥�

鈥淭he bridge and everything else in the Potomac River, leave it in Virginia and not back in D.C.,” Augustus said.

As the couple enjoyed the rest of the evening at Waterfront Park, people were having dinner outside at nearby restaurants. Others were playing with their kids and walking their dogs, including Terri, who was with her 130-pound Great Pyrenees.

鈥淚 lived in D.C. for three years prior, and you seem to have the same demographic here that is in D.C. 鈥� which is not a pro, that鈥檚 not a con, that鈥檚 just a neutral statement,鈥� Terri said.

Terri, who was aware Arlington and Alexandria were once part of the District, didn鈥檛 think she could answer if they should return.

鈥淚 don’t know how long I’m going to be staying here,鈥� Terri said. 鈥淚 do like it here. 鈥� It’s great, and it’s a very dog-friendly community.鈥�

Walking from where the water taxi dropped and picked people up was Carla Thomas, who said on this topic, she had 鈥渟kin in the game.鈥�

鈥淢y family 鈥� has been here since there was a D.C.,鈥� Thomas said. 鈥淚ndentured people came to St. Mary’s, married African American freed women.鈥�

Thomas said she has lived all around the D.C. region 鈥� from being born in D.C., growing up in Montgomery County, Maryland, and now calling Alexandria home.

鈥淚’m a liberal Democrat, and I think that this is an important pocket in Northern Virginia that I wouldn’t like to see ceded back to D.C., because it would dilute the political strength of Democrats in this commonwealth,鈥� Thomas said.

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Little did Emma Lazarus know that her poem written to fund Lady Liberty鈥檚 stone pedestal would become an anthem for generations of those seeking a new beginning.

As we honor the many contributions that citizens have made to our nation over its 250 years, we must also celebrate the immigrants who arrived seeking the American Dream and in turn helped elevate our country to new heights.

Only seven years after Orville and Wilbur Wright piloted the first flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in New Zealand, Elizabeth Pickering gave birth to a baby on Christmas Eve that would grow up to be an .

鈥淢ore than any other individual, Bill Pickering was responsible for America鈥檚 success in exploring the planets 鈥� an endeavor that demanded vision, courage, dedication, expertise and the ability to inspire two generations of scientists and engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,” Thomas Everhart, president emeritus of California Institute of Technology, once said.

Before Elton John, and President Donald Trump鈥檚 pen pal Kim Jong Un, the original Rocketman was Sir William Pickering.

In “Rocketman,” the 2004 documentary on Pickering, he tells of his mother dying before he was six years old.

鈥淢y grandparents brought me up; they lived in Havelock,鈥� Pickering said. 鈥淚t was a little village way out in the countryside of New Zealand.”

During his childhood, Pickering witnessed in real time the change the second industrial revolution brought to that little village, from electricity, telephones, and the first automobile.

Always a good student, Pickering had a passion for science. After spending a year at The University of Canterbury, his life and the history of humanity would soon never be the same.

Thanks to his uncle, who married an American, Pickering made his way in 1928 from Down Under to the United States to attend The California Institute of Technology.

By 1936, he had earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, a master’s degree, and a PhD in Physics. Half decade later, he made the decision to become a naturalized citizen of the United States of America.

During World War II, he conducted research on the absorption properties of cosmic rays with the Nobel Winning physicist Dr. Robert A. Millikan along with investigating Japanese balloon warfare techniques for the .

A decade after coming on board of the Caltech-operated Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1944, he was named its Director and stayed in the position until the Nation鈥檚 bicentennial year.

鈥淚 said I would like to do the deep space program, and they gave it to me and I was delighted, ” Pickering said in “Rocketman.” 鈥淚 was sitting there with a contract that said go out and explore the solar system, and that was a wonderful contract to have.鈥�

The space race started in 1957 with the news that the Soviet Union had launched Sputnik, the first satellite into space.

83 days later, with the pride of the nation resting on his shoulders, Pickering led the effort to build Explorer I, America鈥檚 first satellite into space, which would launch only four months after Sputnik.

Later that year, JPL would be under the umbrella of the new civilian space agency, NASA.

The world got to see pictures of what Mars, Venus and the Moon really looked like, thanks to missions led by Pickering and his staff at JPL. They pioneered the electronic telemetering techniques that were a precursor to our smartphones.

Known as “Mr. JPL,” he appeared on the cover of Time Magazine twice, and while another immigrant, Wernher von Braun was known as the person who built the rockets, Pickering鈥檚 team was the brains and eyes of the missions.

鈥淎ll of us who knew those early pioneers, look with great respect on anyone that we recognize, and right up there at the very top, in the scientific robotic space craft is Bill Pickering,鈥� Buzz Aldrin said in “Rocketman.”

Before Neil Armstrong could take a giant leap for humanity, NASA had to make sure the Moon was solid enough to land on. The fear was that the Moon was covered in a layer of swallowing dust, and any craft would sink and disappear in it.

Thanks to Pickering鈥檚 Ranger and Surveyor missions, it was confirmed that the surface of the moon was solid enough to land on.

The 22 years Pickering spent leading JPL spanned the Space Race. From the beginning, overseeing the launch of Explorer I, America鈥檚 first satellite launched into space, and by the end of his tenure the U.S. had successfully landed on the moon 11 times, five robotic, (Surveyors 1, 3, 5, 6, 7,) and six manned crews, (Apollos 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17.)

As we celebrate the achievements of our great nation over the last 250 years, remember the next time you look up into space, don鈥檛 forget there is an American Flag planted into the surface on the moon, thanks in part to immigrants.

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Teddy bears normally bring smiles to faces old and young, but on the National Mall on Thursday, there was a display of 20,000 bears that had a heartbreaking message.

On several chain link fences stretching 230 feet, the tiny, white and brown teddy bears were used as a canvas with red teddy bears spelling out, 鈥淧utin abducted 20,000 Ukrainian children. Bring kids back.鈥�

Razom for Ukraine, a Ukrainian advocacy nonprofit, was behind the display.

Daryna Lesniak from the group said they 鈥渄idn鈥檛 want a metaphor.鈥�

鈥淲e wanted the sign to scream,鈥� Lesniak said. 鈥淭hese kids are taken to camps. 鈥� They are indoctrinated. They are forced to forget their Ukrainian heritage.鈥�

Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, Lesniak said Russia has taken children as young as toddlers; some have been adopted into Russian families, while others are sent to militarization camps when they turn 16 and 17 years old.

鈥淭hey are even drafted into the Russian army and sent back to fight against their own people,鈥� Lesniak said.

There was a news conference by the wall of teddy bears. Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Texas Rep. and House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul were all in attendance and pledged their support to the effort of returning the kids to their parents.

The event brought not only locals, but visitors from hundreds of miles away to the National Mall.

鈥淚 feel, as a woman 鈥� children kidnapped, killed, it hurts,” Marusia Durbak said.

Durbak traveled from New Jersey along with her husband, Ivan, to see the teddy bears with their daughter, Katrina, who lives in the D.C. area.

Ivan, who carried giant American and Ukrainian flags, said he still has 鈥�42 cousins, nephews and nieces鈥� living in Ukraine.

鈥淲hen I was infantry in Vietnam, over 50 years ago, we were taught by the U.S. Army, properly avoid civilian casualties,鈥� Ivan said. 鈥淩ussia, the opposite, deliberately targets Ukrainian civilians, murders women and children on purpose, and that’s what bothers me the most.鈥�

鈥淭he issue of abducted children has to be part of any peace negotiation, and that’s why we’re here,鈥� Katrina said.

For nearly a week, 120 volunteers worked in a local church basement to put the display together.

鈥淪ince my dad is serving on the front line, for me, it is important to do everything I can as a civilian,鈥� volunteer Mariia Hlytem said. 鈥淭o make sure that people understand the scale of the tragedy of this war crime, which Russia keeps doing.鈥�

Hlytem, who lives and works in D.C., said these 20,000 kids are 鈥渘ot bargaining chips in negotiations.鈥�

鈥淲e tend to forget about children, and children cannot speak for themselves. They cannot protect themselves,鈥� Hlytem said. 鈥淭hat’s why we have to make sure we talk about it.鈥�

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About 19 students from Harriet Tubman Elementary School traded in their backpacks for white coats Wednesday thanks to Howard University’s “Mini-Med School.”

The partnership between Howard University and D.C. Public Schools brings students from the university’s School of Medicine to introduce fourth and fifth graders to medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and nursing.

“We do have a shortage of Black and brown doctors in this country,” said Dr. Andrea Hayes-Dixon, dean of the Howard University School of Medicine.

Before the coat ceremony, Hayes-Dixon pointed out why programs like these could eventually help save lives.

鈥淩esearch has shown that if your doctor looks like you and you’re from the Black and brown community that you actually live longer,鈥� Hayes-Dixon explained. “We desperately need to have more doctors in this country that can go back into their own communities and help their own communities.鈥�

As the ceremony began, the next generation of healers took their seats on stage at the former Banneker High School, Tubman Elementary鈥檚 temporary home.

The students waved and smiled at their Howard mentors, who had walked across the street from campus to fill the front three rows in their white coats.

It was hard to tell which group of students were more excited to see the other.

鈥淥ur goal is to help them see that there are many different career paths, especially in medicine, that they can choose, and just broaden that horizon of things that they can do in their life,” medical student Jacquanna Easy said.

Seeing the kids learn and work together as a team has been some of Easy’s favorite parts of the program.

鈥淪eeing them apply the things that we teach them, and just seeing them feel very happy about learning,鈥� she said.

Hayes-Dixon presented each of the young students with their white coats, which were purposely several sizes too big for them.

鈥淪o they can keep it in their closet until they get to the age where they’re in graduate school, and can realize the dream and the seed that we have planted right here,鈥� Hayes-Dixon explained.

One of the young students who just might use that white coat one day was fifth grader Wisal Redi.

鈥淲hen I grow up, I would like to be a doctor or a teacher,鈥� Redi said.

The 10-year-old said she liked the program because she got to learn “cool stuff.”

After the ceremony, as both groups of students made their way to an after-party of cupcakes and pizza, fifth grader Jordan Lopez made his way to one of the Howard students to perform a special handshake that looked like the two would be teammates on the gridiron.

鈥淚t started with me being me and him being my favorite doctor,鈥� Lopez told WTOP.

He said the experiments were his favorite part of being part of the “Mini-Med School.”

鈥淢e and my team did the most explosions,鈥� Lopez said.

Next year, Lopez is headed to middle school, but said he would like to go on to become a doctor or surgeon when he gets older and acknowledges it may be a tough job.

鈥淚f you’re like a kid doctor, it might not be that hard,鈥� he said.

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April is World Wish Month. WTOP has teamed up with Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic to spotlight the amazing kids and volunteers who help make their wishes come true.

For 32 years, Dr. Shruti Paranjape has devoted her life to helping children breathe.

at Johns Hopkins Children鈥檚 Center treats a wide range of chronic and complex lung diseases, from asthma to bronchopulmonary dysplasia, but said much of her work focuses on cystic fibrosis.

鈥淚 take care of children with chronic lung diseases from birth to young adulthood,鈥� Paranjape said.

Before her career truly started, Paranjape, who attended the University of Pennsylvania and did her medical training at the University of Pittsburgh, knew the medical path she wanted to travel.

鈥淪o I knew I was already attracted to pulmonary physiology in general. When I was in medical school, children were for me. I did not really want to take care of adults,鈥� Paranjape said, laughing.

鈥淲ith children,鈥� Paranjape said, 鈥渋nnocence and resilience shines through, even in the face of serious illness.”

Paranjape, who is nearly 5 feet tall, said she will treat patients from birth until they outgrow her.

鈥淐hildren can live with chronic diseases, they can grow into adulthood, they can lead normal lives. I have relationships with my patients and families that begin at birth,” Paranjape said.

Through her work as a member of Make-A-Wish鈥檚 medical advisory council, she sees that strength through a different perspective.

鈥淲orking with wish families is so incredible, because I get to see aspects of care, and I get to see that kind of engagement from families and communities,鈥� Paranjape said. 鈥淪omething that is really kind of detached from my office and my hospital setting.鈥�

During a Make-A-Wish open house at WTOP, Paranjape said 鈥渁 wish offers families so much hope鈥� and creates moments where the illness is forgotten for 鈥渁 day or a week.鈥�

, done in 2022, showed 75% of doctors believe a wish can improve a child鈥檚 actual medical outcomes.

Those looking to contribute to making wishes come true .

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Federal authorities, including the Department of Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, and the Federal Highway Administration, argued the bike lanes would impair foot traffic before upcoming major events like the America250 celebrations.

But last month, the sued the DOI to permanently stop the effort.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled the Interior Department’s case was “arbitrary and capricious,” and it failed to explain how removing the bike lanes that run beside the Washington Monument would improve traffic. Jackson also said the DOI skipped the required safety and environmental reviews.

WABA’s executive director, Elizabeth Kiker, described the ruling as a “very good day” for cyclists.

“I’m on my bike right now, though I stopped. I stopped!” Kiker said with a laugh. “Our case was not that they couldn’t take out bike lanes 鈥� but there are rules and there are environmental protections and safety protections that they have to show they have considered.”

Kiker’s case alleged the federal government had not considered those necessary protections.

“And we won that case,” she said.

Nearly 4,000 cyclists use the lanes, which have been in place since 2021, every day.

The cyclist group cited that showed a 46% drop in crashes and 17% increase in vehicle speed after the bike lanes were added.

“There was a clear path for pedestrians, for bicyclists, for drivers, and it made sense and it made it (possible for) everyone to get through faster and safer,” Kiker said.

As Kiker was on her way to a celebration with some of the 5,000 members of WABA at the Washington Monument, she said the ruling set “a precedent for other advocates across the country.”

“Secretary of Transportation (Sean) Duffy sent a note to governors yesterday, saying, ‘take the roads back for cars.’ And this precedent says, ‘No, unless you can prove that it is safer, you cannot just do that.'”

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held its grand opening Saturday in the 1100 block of Okie Street in Northeast, off New York Avenue.

Food trucks were parked outside the large 21,000-square-foot black industrial-looking building, which features a mural of a woman smoking.

General Manager Louie Mrad, who seemed to know most of the customers lined up outside, shook their hands and slapped their backs as he welcomed them to the grand opening.

The facility includes a medical treatment lounge and an on-site, seed-to-sale cultivation operation. Mrad told WTOP the space was designed to bring multiple aspects of medical cannabis production and use under one roof.

鈥淲e’re going to make this a very special place for everybody to come here. A destination,鈥� Mrad told WTOP.

If D.C. legalizes cannabis, Mrad said he believes Higher Ground will become what he called an 鈥渋nternational destination.”

As Mrad gave WTOP a tour, he pointed out high-end glassware in the private members area, that is worth between $80 and $100,000. 鈥淭hese are all art pieces of some of the finest glass blowing people in the country. And some of them are the very first ones that they’ve done,鈥� Mrad said.

From the medicinal consumption lounge to the private members area, it has a look that could be compared to a fancy wine or cigar bar.

鈥淭his is an all-in-one place where you get to come in here and experience the plant,鈥� Mrad said. 鈥淲e have a window behind our bar, and that’s our flower room, where we have our highest genetics, where you get to experience the plant when the lights are on.鈥�

Mrad said he immigrated to the United States from Lebanon at the age of 13 grew up in the D.C. area. He credited his business partners with helping bring Higher Ground together.

“Just trying to bring positivity to this community, that’s it, man,鈥� Mrad said.

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The numbers are eye-opening. During the 2023 to 2024 school year, , compared with roughly 51,000 students enrolled in D.C. public schools.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 uncomfortable for some folks in Montgomery County to acknowledge,鈥� said Dr. Thomas Taylor, superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools.

Taylor said the official numbers may not tell the full story.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a huge percentage of families that could qualify but don鈥檛 take advantage of it for various reasons,鈥� Taylor added.

“You have a number of students in between the free-lunch program and paying full price,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淐andidly, they accumulate debt over time because they can’t afford to pay it.鈥�

To deal with MCPS鈥檚 $1.2 million in unpaid student meal debt, the Dine with Dignity campaign was launched.

鈥淔ood insecurity is very real in our country and our state, and it is real here in Montgomery County,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had generous donations from DARCARS.鈥�

Taylor said that the Darvish family, who owns the Silver Spring-based dealership group, donated $250,000 to help offset meal debt.

鈥淲e’re really making this a mission for philanthropic support to help get Montgomery County students fed and supported,鈥� Taylor said.

As MCPS attempts to pay down the debt, The Banner reports officials are considering raising the price of school lunches, beginning with a 30 cent increase next year, due to rising food prices and labor costs.

Talia Richman, an education reporter for The Banner, told WTOP that school officials have said that students qualifying for free or reduced lunch would not be affected.

鈥淭he district says, if we don’t do this, there could be real consequences. They might have lower quality meals,鈥� Richman said. 鈥淭he wait times for meals might be longer. They might have to get rid of breakfast at some campuses.鈥�

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In a Friday, he alleged that the Virginia鈥慴ased ride-share app Empower is trying to intimidate him.

鈥淭he chief of staff to Empower CEO Joshua Seer threatened me that if I did not meet with Empower and support their bill, the company would send negative messages about me and urge consumers not to rank me on their ballots in the upcoming mayoral election,鈥� McDuffie said.

In the same video, he said the clash between him and the app led to things getting personal.

鈥淢y daughter is receiving vile messages like this one as a result of their effort,鈥� McDuffie said.

In the video, a screenshot of an online message is shown threatening his life if he does not 鈥渦nban Empower.鈥�

McDuffie did not identify who sent the message and went on to say he will not be intimidated.

鈥淚 will not reward threats, and I will not agree to meet with any organization that believes it can pressure public officials into looking the other way while it violates the law for political gain, and let me be absolutely clear, I will do everything humanly possible to protect my family,鈥� McDuffie said.

This rift between McDuffie and Empower goes back to his time on the D.C. Council.

Not only was McDuffie part of the council鈥檚 investigation into the business practices of Empower, he also voted against them several times.

Empower is banned from doing business in the District of Columbia because it refused to register with the city鈥檚 Department of For鈥慔ire Vehicles. The agency verifies insurance, conducts background checks and enforces anti鈥慸iscrimination rules.

Empower has argued that the registration requirements are overly burdensome and has pushed for legislation exempting it from some of those rules.

In a statement to WTOP, Empower said it condemns any harassment of former Council member McDuffie or his family.

“Over the past several months, Empower made repeated good鈥慺aith requests to meet with former Councilmember McDuffie regarding a critical pocketbook issue affecting hundreds of thousands of District residents. When those repeated requests went unanswered, the company informed Mr. McDuffie that it would publicly communicate where he stands on this issue and encourage D.C. residents to communicate to him where they stand,” the company said in a statement.

“Given the close ties between his campaign and Uber, it鈥檚 not surprising that Mr. McDuffie would view having to discuss his position on affordable transportation and the right of drivers to work for themselves instead of for Uber as a threat to his campaign.”

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While the official theme of the D.C. Emancipation Day event was 鈥淒emocracy at 250 & Beyond: The District鈥檚 Story,鈥� another theme emerged as speakers paid tribute to D.C.鈥檚 longtime congressional delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Attendees at the luncheon rose to their feet for a standing ovation as Mayor Muriel Bowser honored Norton, who will be leaving office at the end of her term in January 2027.

鈥淵our service and your story are inseparable from the story of Washington, D.C.,鈥� Bowser said. “Like some other of us, you are passing the baton. Eleanor, I want to say for 700,000 grateful Washingtonians, job well done.鈥�

Bowser, who also will be leaving office, stepped off the stage and hugged Norton, the 18-term delegate, who leaned her head against the mayor as she was presented with a decorative bowl.

Speaker after speaker echoed the message of gratitude by saying 鈥渢hank you, Eleanor,鈥� including the keynote speaker the Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, president & CEO of the National Council of Negro Women.

鈥淓leanor Holmes Norton is a living legend,鈥� Arline-Bradley said. 鈥淪he started as a young lawyer, organizing on the ground to ensure that young black people were able to vote in the Deep South in Mississippi.鈥�

Speaking with WTOP after her speech, Arline-Bradley said Norton 鈥渇ought for women’s rights, for children’s rights, for families and to ensure jobs came to the city.鈥�

Many speakers mentioned Norton’s early life, noting she will turn 89 in June and graduated in the last segregated class at Dunbar High School before earning her law degree from Yale University.

鈥淚 think Eleanor means a great deal. She is one of us,” said former D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt. “Born here, reared here, and even as a young person got involved with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.鈥�

Pratt, D.C.鈥檚 first female mayor, said she gives Norton 鈥済reat credit and kudos,鈥� for her work elevating D.C. statehood.

鈥淲e don’t have sovereignty. People can come along and interfere with our monies, our budget,” Pratt said.

Another one of 狈辞谤迟辞苍鈥檚 lasting legacies will be the 鈥渟cholarship program that she has initiated.鈥� she said.

狈辞谤迟辞苍鈥檚 (DCTAG) program has awarded more than $700 million to D.C. residents since it started in 2001.

鈥淪he’s brought that spirit of and fight to everything she’s done, particularly on trying to advance the interests of Washington, D.C. So they call her the ‘warrior on the Hill.’ She is all of that,鈥� Pratt said.

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聽is proud to partner with WTOP to bring you this series.

As we look toward America 250, we are reflecting on the leaders who built鈥嬧�� the nation’s safeguards that we often take for granted.

Often overshadowed by his dog Checkers, his trip to China and the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon’s role on the average American鈥檚 quality of life can鈥檛 be overstated.

Only minutes after taking the oath of office in 1969, the California native set a path in his inaugural address.

鈥淚n protecting our environment and enhancing the quality of life 鈥� in all these and more, we will and must press urgently forward,鈥� Nixon said on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

While politicians have made promises in speeches and addresses since the first election, Nixon put his money where his mouth was.

One of the first efforts the Nixon administration focused on was the .

“The moment is at hand to put an end to hunger in America itself. For all time,鈥� Nixon said.

The Conference held at the Sheraton-Park Hotel in D.C. on Dec. 2-4 followed workshops and meetings across the country.

There were 1,800 recommendations from the conference headed by nutritionist Dr. Jean Mayer, Special Consultant to the President.

The National School lunch and breakfast programs were expanded, the creation of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. (WIC), Expansion of Food Stamps/SNAP and Nutrition Labeling were just some of the results from the conference.

An update on how a couple of those programs have done over the last half century.

In 2024, 41% of all infants in the U.S. received WIC benefits.

If the National School Lunch Program had a sign like the Golden Arches, it would read 鈥�246 billion lunches served.鈥�

The president who was famous for walks on the beach with his wife Pat while styling in a suit with dress shoes planted a green policy flag by creating the Environmental Protection Agency.

The first President born west of the Rocky Mountains, described his goals to a joint session of Congress during his .

鈥淐lean air, clear water, open spaces, these should once again be the birthright of every American,鈥� Nixon said.

Among the things we have the EPA to thank for the standards that were set for air and water qualities, along with efforts to reduce smog.

totally changed the federal government鈥檚 role in comparing air pollution.

鈥淭he automobile is our worst polluter of air,鈥� Nixon said at the 1970 State of the Union.

The Clean Air Act of 1970 regulated vehicle emissions, which drove lead out of gasoline, and the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act of 1971 banned it from our homes.

1970 was a big year for changes when it comes to the quality of the average American’s life.

Workplace safety was an issue President Lyndon Johnson was unable to tackle during his just over five years in the White House.

Union leaders, labor activists were pleading for the government to play a bigger role in nationwide safety standards.

Business leaders along with conservative members on both sides of the aisle .

The problems didn鈥檛 get better and by the time December of 1970 rolled around, the American people were ready for something to be done.

鈥淭welve thousand five hundred people lost their lives in accidents in America’s factories and in other places of business, and over 2 million people were injured,鈥� Nixon said at the signing of the Williams-Steiger .

Since that day, there has been a 64% drop in workplace fatalities and injuries .

In 2024, 5,070 people died on the job compared to roughly 14,000 in 1970. Injuries in the same time period have plummeted 79% from 10.9 per 100 to 2.3 per 100.

Look at it this way, in 1970, roughly 38 people didn鈥檛 come home from work every single day. today thanks to OSHA, it鈥檚 14.

The incredible drops happened as the American workforce doubled in size.

So, yes, Tricky Dick will be remembered for Watergate and being the first president of the United States to resign from office.

But, as Nixon often told the country, 鈥淢y fellow Americans, let me make this personally clear.鈥�

From the air we breathe, food we eat, water we drink, and the safety of our workplace, the legacy of Richard Nixon remains closer to home than many would think.

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Maybe even Sophia Petrillo would have given up Miami for the nation鈥檚 capital, as the D.C. region scored well in.

The fifth edition of the report surveyed more than half a million residents and their families 鈥� its largest sample ever 鈥� and analyzed more than 3,000 senior living communities nationwide.

鈥淲e evaluate assisted living, independent living and memory care,鈥� said Liz Pearce, product director for senior living at U.S. 太子探花 & World Report. 鈥淲e also look at communities called CCRCs, or continuing care retirement communities.鈥�

CCRCs offer multiple levels of care 鈥� including skilled nursing 鈥� allowing residents to remain in the same community as their health care needs evolve.

鈥淭hose communities that were recognized in the D.C. metro area really stand out because they excel at providing both high-quality care and high-quality lifestyle services,鈥� Pearce said.

The ratings gauge how residents feel about their experiences, including interactions with management, food and dining, amenities, and activities.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really about satisfaction 鈥� whether the community provides an environment that feels like home,鈥� Pearce said.

The report shows that, out of the 292 senior living communities in the District, 50 of them earned a 鈥淏est鈥� ranking, trailing only New York which had 65, Chicago with 61, and Boston with 57.

鈥淭hese are big decisions, and they鈥檙e hard decisions for a lot of families,鈥� Pearce added. 鈥淏eing able to bring that many perspectives to the table helps families identify communities that might be a good fit. That鈥檚 something we鈥檝e been really proud of this year.鈥�

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