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Tag: diane morris

  • J. Edgar Hoover Building to close for good as FBI relocates its HQ, Patel says – WTOP News

    The FBI had announced in July that it would abandon the Hoover Building and move to the Ronald Reagan Building, just a few blocks down Pennsylvania Avenue.

    After 50 years as the FBI’s main headquarters, the J. Edgar Hoover Building in D.C. is closing permanently, Director Kash Patel announced Friday.

    “We finalized a plan to permanently close the FBI’s Hoover headquarters and move the workforce into a safe, modern facility,” Patel said in a post on X.

    He didn’t state the exact date the building will close and when FBI employees will move into its new offices.

    The agency had announced in July that it would abandon the Hoover building and move to the Ronald Reagan Building, just a few blocks away at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue.

    Patel noted in his post that when President Donald Trump’s administration came into office in January, “taxpayers were about to be on the hook for nearly $5 billion for a new headquarters that wouldn’t open until 2035. We scrapped that plan. Instead, we selected the already-existing Reagan Building, saving billions and allowing the transition to begin immediately with required safety and infrastructure upgrades already underway.”

    His said that most of the FBI headquarters’ employees will be in the Reagan Building and “the rest are continuing in our ongoing push to put more manpower in the field, where they will remain.”

    In November, Maryland leaders sued the Trump administration after it scrapped plans to move the bureau’s headquarters to Greenbelt and opted instead to keep it in Downtown D.C.

    Maryland leaders criticized White House officials for ignoring the site selection process of Congress and the General Services Administration when it chose to remain in D.C. The lawsuit also pointed out that Congress had already appropriated funds for the Greenbelt relocation.

    When the move to the Reagan Building was announced over the summer, critics maintained that it would not meet the security demands needed for the FBI. Patel said the agency is working on the building to ensure it has the required safety and infrastructure upgrades.

    The Reagan Building is connected to the International Trade Center, and already houses some federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as well as several non-government businesses.

    The J. Edgar Hoover Building was designed in the brutalist style popular in the 1960s when it was conceived and constructed. It was criticized for not conforming to the style of other federal buildings, and Hoover himself called it “the greatest monstrosity ever constructed in the history of Washington.” It was completed in 1975, and President Richard Nixon named it after the longtime FBI director after Hoover’s death in 1972.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Diane Morris

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  • Gov. Moore launches free vaccine program for uninsured adults in Maryland – WTOP News

    With health care premiums expected to skyrocket next year, Maryland is launching a first-of-its-kind effort to ensure adults can access lifesaving vaccines — regardless of their ability to pay.

    With health care premiums expected to skyrocket next year, Maryland is launching a first-of-its-kind effort to make sure adults can access lifesaving vaccines regardless of their ability to pay.

    Gov. Wes Moore on Thursday unveiled a new statewide adult vaccine program that will offer free immunizations to uninsured and underinsured Marylanders ages 19 and older.

    The program, administered by the Maryland Department of Health, will operate through local health departments and aims to reduce preventable illnesses and hospitalizations across the state, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

    “Nobody should be denied basic health care because of an inability to pay,” Moore said in the release. “At a time when the federal government is undermining public health and creating unnecessary confusion around vaccine policy, Maryland is investing, leading with science, and stepping up to make sure our people are protected.”

    Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has sought to enforce policies that challenge U.S. vaccine recommendations. In addition, many Americans who rely on Affordable Care Act subsidies will see an increase in their health care premiums in 2026 when those subsidies expire.

    Maryland officials said the overall goal of the new program is to keep the state’s vaccine coverage high and keep more Marylanders healthy.

    Moore’s initiative is funded through a $2.8 million outlay made available through a partnership with the Maryland General Assembly. It will cover vaccines for illnesses including COVID-19, the flu, measles, pneumonia, shingles and RSV.

    Officials said the expanded supply of vaccines will also help health workers respond faster to local outbreaks.

    Meena Seshamani, secretary of the Maryland Department of Health, said the program builds on Maryland’s national reputation for vaccine access.

    “Providing access to vaccines for those without health care coverage will strengthen our collective efforts to address ongoing disparities in access to critical public health services,” Seshamani said in a news release.

    Last season, respiratory illnesses sent thousands of Marylanders to the hospital: nearly 5,000 for COVID-19, more than 8,000 for the flu and 2,600 for RSV, according to Moore’s office. Other vaccine-preventable illnesses — such as pertussis and pneumococcal pneumonia — continue to contribute to health complications in the state.

    “Vaccines continue to be one of the most powerful and effective tools to protect against severe illness and keep communities healthy,” Meg Sullivan, deputy secretary for Maryland’s Public Health Services, said in the release. “The Maryland Vaccine Program is an important initiative that will directly contribute to healthier, safer communities in Maryland.”

    The new Maryland Combined Respiratory Illness Dashboard shows overall respiratory activity remains low, giving residents time to get vaccinated before the flu season peaks, health officials said.

    Vaccines are now available through local health departments in Baltimore, Garrett, Montgomery and Somerset counties, with more locations expected to open in the coming weeks. Eligible residents can contact their local health department or visit health.maryland.gov for more information.

    The state already offers free vaccines for children through its Vaccines for Children Program and has issued updated clinical guidance and public FAQs for the 2025-26 respiratory season.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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  • Hyattsville police officer charged with rape, sexual abuse of child – WTOP News

    Cpl. Jonathan Monge was named in the criminal indictment, according to a press release from the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson’s office.

    A Hyattsville Police Department corporal was arrested and charged Thursday after a Maryland grand jury indictment accused him of raping and sexually abusing a child.

    Cpl. Jonathan Monge has been charged with sexual abuse against a minor, second-degree rape and sex offense in the third and fourth degree, according to a news release from Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson’s office.

    Because of the age of the person who Monge is accused of abusing, and the sensitive nature of the allegations, Jackson’s office said no further information would be made immediately available.

    According to a news release from the City of Hyattsville Police Department, Monge was indicted on Tuesday.

    “The Department takes these charges extremely seriously and is fully cooperating with the Office of the State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County,” a statement from the police department reads.  “The Hyattsville Police Department is also conducting a separate internal administrative investigation.”

    Monge has been a member of the Hyattsville Police Department for five years and has been placed on administrative leave without pay, police officials said.

    The police department said the investigation is active and ongoing.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Diane Morris

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  • With the federal shutdown over, here’s when Smithsonian museums will open – WTOP News

    The National Museum of American History, the National Air and Space Museum and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center will officially reopen tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 14.

    Now that President Donald Trump signed the funding bill passed by Congress into law Wednesday night to end the government shutdown, D.C.’s Smithsonian museums will open their doors once again.

    The National Museum of American History, the National Air and Space Museum and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center will officially reopen Friday, according to a statement from the Smithsonian’s Office of Public Affairs.

    All the other museums, National Zoo and research centers will reopen on a “rolling basis” by Monday, the statement said.

    If you’re planning a visit to a Smithsonian museum and want to stay updated on openings, visit the Smithsonian’s website.

    The Smithsonian shuttered its museums and the National Zoo on Oct. 12, after using last year’s funds to stay open during the first 11 days of the shutdown.

    As a result, the National Zoo’s annual Halloween event, Boo at the Zoo, was canceled and visitors were unable to visit Smithsonian museums for over a month.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Diane Morris

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  • Langley Park, Md.’s immigrant spirit endures despite ICE raids and Purple Line turmoil – WTOP News

    Langley Park, Maryland’s mostly Latino community is proud of its 100-year history as a lively neighborhood of immigrants despite facing ICE raids and housing issues.

    Yolanda Brewster at her Guatemalan Xelaju kiosk in La Union mall in Langley Park, Maryland.
    (WTOP/Diane Morris)

    WTOP/Diane Morris

    Deni Taveras
    Maryland state Del. Deni Taveras enjoys a meal at San Alejo Restaurant in Langley Park.
    (WTOP/Diane Morris)

    WTOP/Diane Morris

    Baleadas Express, a Honduran restaurant, located in Langley Park.
    (WTOP/Diane Morris)

    WTOP/Diane Morris

    A painted utility box posted outside the Langley Park Garden Apartments features Spanish-language writing.
    (WTOP/Diane Morris)

    WTOP/Diane Morris

    La Union Mall sits elevated on top of a small hill in Langley Park.
    (WTOP/Diane Morris)

    WTOP/Diane Morris

    The headquarters of the Latino advocacy organization CASA is in Langley Park. The mansion was formerly owned by a British mine owner who established the community in the early 1920s.
    (WTOP/Diane Morris)

    WTOP/Diane Morris

    WTOP celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month this Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, with stories spotlighting the contributions, culture and accomplishments of Hispanic communities across the D.C. region.

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    In Langley Park, Md.’s immigrant spirit endures despite ICE raids, Purple Line turmoil

    Sit down in the San Alejo Salvadoran restaurant, near the corner of New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard in suburban Maryland, and you have entered the heart of Langley Park — like a mini Central America.

    Situated on the border where Montgomery County ends and Prince George’s County begins, Langley Park’s mostly Latino community is proud of its 100-year history as a lively neighborhood of immigrants, filled with Hispanic markets, restaurants and small businesses that line its busy streets.

    But challenges from landlord neglect and the impacts of the Maryland Transit Administration’s new Purple Line are making life more difficult for the residents who call Langley Park home. And more recently, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids have put the community on edge.

    National politics hit home

    As she sat eating tamales at San Alejo, Maryland State Del. Deni Taveras talked about how the ICE raids in the neighborhood have also reopened old wounds.

    “A lot of people here lived through wars in their countries. To have masked men with machine guns breaking down doors at 6 a.m., that brings trauma,” she said, referring to how ICE officers have been entering homes in Langley Park. “People are afraid to go to work. They’re afraid to make a living,” she said.

    Lindolfo Carballo, senior director of community economic development of the Latino advocacy organization CASA, which is located in the center of Langley Park, agreed with Taveras. “What this administration is doing has horrified our community,” he said and added that he’s seen ICE officers pull people right off the street and social media posts have tracked the abuse in the neighborhood.

    Carballo said ICE officers broke the window of a Langley Park woman’s car with her teenage daughter inside. “Her daughter saw the whole thing. And that’s not only illegal but it’s inhumane,” he said.

    The reason for the targeting? About 85% of the neighborhood’s 22,000 residents are from Central America, and some are undocumented, Carballo said. The majority are from El Salvador and Guatemala, along with immigrants from Nicaragua, Honduras and other countries.

    Thousands of Latino immigrants moved to Langley Park during the 1970s and 1980s, a time when civil wars were tearing through El Salvador and Guatemala, Carballo said. Now, the community has one of the highest populations of Salvadorans in the U.S.

    Carballo himself is an immigrant who escaped El Salvador in the early 1980s after he was arrested for participating in anti-government activities during the nation’s civil war. Fearing persecution under a military government, he was able to get asylum in D.C. before coming to the Langley Park area. He is concerned that Central American immigrants now are being denied the opportunities he received.

    Even before he came to work in Langley Park, the area was always a neighborhood of immigrants, Carballo said, stretching back to the 1920s when a British immigrant, Frederick McCormick-Goodhart bought the land where Langley Park now sits.

    The mining magnate built a 30,000-square-foot mansion, where CASA is now headquartered. Developers built low-cost garden apartments surrounding the mansion, which attracted large groups of immigrants over the past 90 years, from Eastern European Jews to Africans to an influx of Central Americans starting in the 1970s.

    Housing, economic strains and fentanyl

    While ICE raids are the latest concern for Langley Park residents, the neighborhood has had some longstanding problems that leaders are still addressing.

    Carballo said while immigrants were able to find cheaper housing in Langley Park, its housing stock has long suffered neglect. For years, landlords often deferred maintenance and faced few consequences because non-English speaking tenants didn’t have the tools to legally challenge them — leaving some occupants living in deteriorating buildings.

    “Drive around here and you can see windows made of cardboard,” Carballo said. “And in the wintertime, that is cruel.”

    About 20 years ago, with the help of CASA, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary next month, some tenants organized and fought to improve living conditions, which brought about upgrades in some buildings.

    “This is a hardworking area of individuals that want to make their American dreams come true,” Taveras said. But now people are paying $1,700 a month for rent, which is very high for someone making just $15-$20 an hour, she said.

    To make ends meet, many people rent out rooms or families double up so they can make rent, causing overcrowding in some buildings.

    Taveras has represented different parts of Prince George’s County on the council for 12 years, and now represents Langley Park while living on the edge of the neighborhood. She came to the D.C. area from New York in the early 2000s.

    Of Dominican heritage, she says she’s proud to fight for the neighborhood, a community grappling with the same housing and economic struggles she knew growing up as an orphan in one of New York’s Hispanic neighborhoods.

    Adding to the economic strains, fentanyl is also eating away at the neighborhood, especially among young people, Taveras said. “It was an onslaught, especially at Northwestern and High Point high schools” where many Langley Park teens attend.

    Over the past 10 years, however, “we’ve been able to address the addiction through Narcan,” she said. Legislation and distributing fentanyl detection strips have also helped “because a lot of people didn’t know that what they were taking was laced with fentanyl.”

    The Purple Line — hopes and hazards

    The Purple Line, MTA’s long-awaited 16-mile light rail stretching from Bethesda to New Carrollton, cuts directly through Langley Park. A 2017 report said few deny that the Purple Line will bring new amenities and services to what researchers referred to as a “long-neglected portion of the county.”

    While many in Langley Park welcome better transit access, they also worry it will accelerate gentrification, Carballo said.

    Construction of the line over the past seven years has cut into profits for businesses along the rail’s path, according to Yolanda Brewster, a Guatemalan immigrant who runs the Xelaju kiosk, which sells Guatemalan food, clothes and souvenirs in La Union Mall on University Boulevard.

    “First we had the pandemic, which wiped us out,” she said. “Then we had Purple Line construction, which took away business when it became too difficult to travel here. Now it’s like a cemetery — no one comes here anymore.”

    Culture helps build community

    Despite these challenges, Langley Park endures as a place where families build futures. Carballo of CASA said that, to him, the neighborhood represents “everything positive.”

    “It’s a very young neighborhood, right? There are so many kids here, so many people, and that is the future of the United States.”

    Del. Taveras agrees on how deeply that spirit runs. “We have children here that are on their way to Dartmouth. We have families starting their businesses, that are extremely entrepreneurial.”

    “We have a sense of resilience here, a sense of community here, a sense of culture that is extremely rich and very endearing,” Taveras said.

    She said this is especially important to point out during Hispanic Heritage Month, when the U.S. celebrates all things Latino. She remembered celebrations past at Langley Park’s MegaMart Hispanic grocery store, which had a party for Guatemalian Independence Day on Oct. 15 last year that was “so big, it lasted until the next day.

    “As somebody who could have lived anywhere, I chose to be here,” Taveras said, “and I’m so proud of where I live.”

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Diane Morris

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  • Maryland Renaissance Festival organizers turn on the heat against illegal ticket sales – WTOP News

    Organizers of the Maryland Renaissance Festival are cracking down on ticket scalpers.

    Organizers of the Maryland Renaissance Festival are cracking down on ticket scalpers, as the event continues on Oct. 11-12 and Oct. 18-19.

    Organizers said they are beginning legal action against those buying and reselling tickets, saying scalpers are harming its reputation and overcharging loyal attendees.

    In a Facebook post, organizers said Thursday they need more information. If you bought a ticket above face value through a third-party website, they ask you to send them a copy of the ticket and your receipt to their email address.

    “As of today, less than half of one percent of all 2025 season tickets have been scalped on these sites,” the Facebook post stated. “MDRF is the sole seller of its event tickets, and we do not permit any other companies or individuals to sell our tickets. All our tickets are marked Not For Resale.”

    Organizers also said the third-party websites won’t help them to stop scalping.

    They asked for ticket holders to not call their office and to communicate through email instead.

    “MDRF is committed to combating scalpers who defame the Festival’s reputation and egregiously overcharge our beloved customers,” the post said.

    Hundreds of Facebook users complained on the platform about the issues surrounding ticket sales, suggesting they should be sold at the gate each day of the festival, instead of through third-party ticket sellers.

    Back in August when tickets became available, some who tried to get tickets complained they were locked out of getting tickets because of long online wait times, according to WJZ.

    According to Jules Smith, the President of the MDRF, there was a peak in interest this year, challenging organizers with bots and scalpers, WJZ reported.

    In 2024, Maryland passed a comprehensive anti-scalping law to address deceptive and predatory ticket practices. But scalpers — who are difficult to track down and often work in foreign countries — are still operating.

    The Maryland Renaissance Festival, now in its 49th year, takes place in Crownsville, Maryland, 30 miles from D.C. and is considered one of the most popular Renaissance festivals in the U.S. This year it started on Saturday, Aug. 23 and runs through Oct. 19, according to the festival website

    The fair brings its almost 300,000 attendees back to a 16th-century British kingdom circa Henry VIII times with shops, entertainment and eateries. The entertainment features jousting knights, sword fighting and other Renaissance-era games and activities with actors dressed in costumes to match.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Diane Morris

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  • DC Council’s Brooke Pinto running for Del. Norton’s congressional seat – WTOP News

    D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto told WTOP Monday she has entered the race to become the city’s next congressional representative.

    Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto tells WTOP she’s challenging Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton for the District’s congressional seat.

    D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto told WTOP Monday she has entered the race to become the city’s next congressional representative, after releasing a video online earlier in the morning.

    Pinto joins Robert C. White Jr., her council colleague, in the campaign for Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton’s seat, which Norton has held for over 30 years.

    The seat representing D.C. in Congress is a nonvoting position.

    In a news release, the Ward 2 council member and chair of the D.C. Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety pledged to “fight for DC’s autonomy” and the city’s safety.

    She also touted her years of service on the Council and the bills she has shepherded into law, including the public safety package Secure D.C.

    Regarding Del. Norton, Pinto said: “What she has done for the District has been so important. … And that’s what I want to build on.”

    Listen to the entire interview at the top of this post.

     

     

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Diane Morris

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  • 13 people displaced after vehicle crashes into Silver Spring home – WTOP News

    10 adults and three children from Silver Spring, Maryland, are displaced after a two-vehicle collision resulted in an SUV crashing into their home Saturday morning.

    10 adults and three children from Silver Spring, Maryland, are displaced after a two-vehicle collision resulted in an SUV crashing into their home Saturday morning.

    The crash happened in the 200 block of University Blvd East Near East Indian Spring Drive, just inside the Beltway. Montgomery County Fire and EMS personnel are on the scene.

    Officials said there are no serious injuries. But the home suffered structural damage.

    This is a developing story, stay with WTOP as we continue to gather more details.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Diane Morris

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  • ‘It’s Zeke. I’ve been shot’: DC firefighter recounts harrowing struggle with armed robber – WTOP News

    An off-duty D.C. firefighter, who was shot and seriously wounded Saturday night during an armed robbery on Capitol Hill, tells WTOP that his instinct was to “fight back.”

    DC firefighter Gary ‘Zeek’ Dziekan spoke to WTOP’s Nick Iannelli about his experience of being shot in an attempted robbery.

    The exterior of D.C.’s Engine 18 located on Capitol Hill.(DC Fire and EMS Department)

    An off-duty D.C. firefighter, who was shot and seriously wounded Saturday night during an armed robbery on Capitol Hill, tells WTOP that his instinct was to “fight back.”

    Gary “Zeek” Dziekan was walking home from a party at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday near the 200 block of 8th Street in Northeast, when a teen wearing a surgical mask approached him with a gun.

    “I kind of got that sixth sense that something bad was about to happen,” Dziekan said in an interview with WTOP anchor Nick Iannelli. The teen demanded Dziekan’s cellphone and told the firefighter to give him a password to an app.

    When Dziekan said he didn’t know the password, the teen put the gun to Dziekan’s chest, and, in a split-second decision, the firefighter fought back. He grabbed “the barrel of the gun” and swung the teen away, who pulled the trigger.

    A bullet landed in Dziekan’s shoulder after striking the teen’s fingers and the teen dropped everything, including the gun, and ran.

    “I noticed how much I was bleeding,” the blood was pouring out “pretty good,” Dziekan said. He managed to call 911, but couldn’t get through to an operator for three minutes.

    At that point, the robber ran back to the scene and Dziekan thought, “He’s coming back to finish me off and kill me.”

    While lying on the ground, Dziekan grabbed the gun and fired off shots in the teen’s direction, scaring him off, not knowing if he hit him or not.

    “It’s either fight or get shot, and I chose to fight,” he said. “I still got shot, but it wasn’t a fatal shot in the chest, for sure.”

    Dziekan said during the struggle, he had forced the teen to shoot away from his heart.

    Then, “my medical training kicks in,” and Dziekan took off his shirt and used it to put pressure on the wound.

    A neighbor came over and offered help and Dziekan had him call his firehouse. “It’s Zeek. I’ve been shot. I need help,” he told his fellow firefighters.

    “I kind of was in a shock at that point,” he said.

    His colleagues from Engine 18, just a few blocks away, rushed to him and saved his life.

    Meanwhile, D.C. police arrested the 17-year-old suspected shooter nearby and charged him with assault with intent to rob. The teen also was injured, police said.

    U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announced upgraded charges against Marcellus Dyson Jr., 17, of Suitland, Maryland, on Monday.

    Dyson is facing charges of armed robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and aggravated assault while armed. He’s being charged as an adult under Title 16.

    Dziekan, a father of two, credits his clear-headed thinking to his training as a firefighter, “because we have to think on the fly in high-pressure situations regularly.”

    Even though experts say if someone approaches with a gun, a potential victim should give them whatever they want, Dziekan said, “the best decision I made in that whole thing was to grab the gun. Because if not, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Nick Iannelli

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  • Road closures set for DC Half Marathon on Sunday – WTOP News

    The annual DC Half Marathon will bring thousands of runners to D.C. streets Sunday and with the race comes a series of road closures stretching from Maine Ave. to Rock Creek Parkway.

    The annual DC Half Marathon will bring thousands of runners to D.C. streets Sunday and with the race comes a series of road closures stretching from Maine Ave. to Rock Creek Parkway.

    Metro police have sent out an advisory to let people know that the following streets will be closed from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Sunday:

    • 1200 block of Maine Avenue, SW
    • Maine Avenue from I-395 Westbound to Independence Avenue SW
    • Southbound Potomac River Freeway Split to Route 66, NW
    • Theodore Roosevelt Bridge Ramp to Ohio Drive, NW
    • Westbound E Street Expressway ramp to Southbound Potomac River Freeway, NW
    • 9th Street Tunnel ramp to Maine Ave, SW

    U.S. Park Police are also closing the following streets from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Sunday:

    • Ohio Drive from 23rd Street to East Basin Drive, SW
    • Independence Avenue from 14th Street to 23rd Street, SW
    • Rock Creek Parkway from Ohio Drive, NW to Shoreham Hill
    • East and West Potomac Parks
    • East Basin Drive, SW
    • Raoul Wallenberg Place from 15th Street to Maine Avenue, SW
    • Ramp from Memorial Circle to Ohio Drive SW
    • Homefront Drive, SW
    • Daniel Chester French Drive from Independence Avenue to Lincoln Memorial Circle, SW
    • Maine Avenue at ramp from East Basin Drive to Independence Avenue SW
    • 17th Street from Constitution Avenue, NW to Independence Avenue SW
    • Parkway Drive, NW from Lincoln Memorial Circle to Rock Creek Parkway
    • 15th Street from Constitution Avenue, NW to Independence Avenue SW
    • Madison Drive from 14th Street to 15th Street NW
    • Jefferson Drive from 14th Street to 15th Street, SW

    Organizers want the public to know that the Metro will not be opening early for this race. The start point is on Independence Ave. and runners need to meet at 7 a.m. The start line will close at 7:15 a.m.

    Organizers suggest runners be dropped off at either 15th Street NW in front of the Washington Monument or on Constitution Ave NW & 23rd St NW near the Lincoln Memorial.

     

     

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Diane Morris

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  • Montgomery Co. seeks public input on its ‘Parker’ garage security robot – WTOP News

    The new parking security robot for a Montgomery County, Maryland, parking garage is raising eyebrows over privacy concerns, and the county wants to hear the public’s concerns.

    He uses cameras for eyes, but the new security robot for a Montgomery County, Maryland, parking garage is raising eyebrows over privacy concerns, and the county wants to hear the public’s concerns.

    The Montgomery County Department of Transportation’s “Parker,” a Star Wars-like robot equipped with 360-degree cameras and special sensors, is operating in a one-year pilot program to test the security cyborg at the Town Square Parking Garage in downtown Silver Spring.

    Public feedback will play a big role in deciding Parker’s future. MCDOT is hosting outreach events — including appearances at the Ethiopian Day Festival (Aug. 31) and Silver Spring’s End of Summer Festival (Sept. 7) — where residents can ask questions, see a life-size cutout of the robot and fill out surveys, according to an MCDOT news release.

    “We will present the feedback we receive to the County Council after completing public outreach this fall, and what we hear from the community will guide the future of the pilot,” MCDOT Director Chris Conklin said in the release.

    The pilot program began in June at the garage at 801 Ellsworth Drive. As previously reported in Bethesda Today magazine, in a July 29 County Council meeting, representatives expressed concerns over Parker’s surveillance actions,

    Council member Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6) said she had interacted with Parker in the Silver Spring garage before she knew about the program. She said she was “unsettled by the robot’s presence and felt like she was being watched,” according to Bethesda Today. She also said she was uncomfortable because the robot did not display information on who owned or deployed the machine.

    Other councilmembers shared Fani-González’s concerns.

    “At this time in our country … we are, as a body, very concerned about making sure that everyone in our community feels safe, and that means feeling safe from having pictures taken or video taken,” Council President Kate Stewart said. “We have some families who don’t go out anymore because they’re concerned about immigration enforcement and other things.”

    The seven-level garage at Ellsworth Drive sees more than 9,000 customers monthly, and county officials hope Parker’s presence will help deter vandalism and crime. The robot can detect people, read license plates, and activate lights and sirens during emergencies. But MCDOT says Parker won’t use facial recognition or record audio.

    MCDOT’s outreach events, which will include interpreters in Amharic and Spanish, will be held on the following dates in Silver Spring:

    • Sunday, Aug. 31, noon–5 p.m. Ethiopian Day Festival, Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza, 1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring.
    • Sunday, Sept. 7, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Silver Spring End of Summer Festival, Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza, 1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring.

    County officials expect to present community feedback to the Council later this fall.

    WTOP’s Matt Small contributed to this report.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Diane Morris

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  • Arlington man charged with murdering mother, police say – WTOP News

    An Arlington County man has been charged with first-degree murder after he allegedly shot and killed his mother inside an apartment in Virginia Square.

    An Arlington County man has been charged with first-degree murder after he allegedly shot and killed his mother inside an apartment in Virginia Square.

    Logan Chrisinger, 27, is being held at the Arlington County jail on murder and two other charges, according to an Arlington County Police Department news release.

    Police were called to the Virginia Square Towers building on Fairfax Drive around 8:30 a.m. Sunday after a 911 caller said his mother shot herself in a bedroom in his apartment.

    Officers found the woman with a gunshot wound to the head but still breathing. Chrisinger remained on the scene when police arrived.

    The woman — 57-year-old Travis Renee Baldwin of Winchester — was pronounced dead at the hospital.

    Below is a map of where the shooting took place:

    A map of where police said the shooting happened (Courtesy Google Maps)

    Police are asking anyone with information in this case to contact Arlington County Police’s Tip Line at 703-228-4180 or ACPDTipline@arlingtonva.us.

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    Diane Morris

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