Paying for Metro will soon be easier and faster with just a tap of your credit card

WTOP News 5/16 10:59P Jimmy Alexander

How many times have you been standing in front of the SmarTrip card machine and someone new to the D.C. area — or a tourist — looks at you pleading for help? More Metro stories Clearing up the confusion around Metro s Better Bus systemwide...

‘You’re not alone’: Mental health advocates in DC spotlight Mental Health Awareness Month

WTOP News 5/16 10:42P Kate Ryan

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but D.C. Director of the Department of Behavioral Health Barbara Bazron is emphasizing that addressing mental well-being should be an everyday practice. Bazron said that since the pandemic, the public does...

Kennedy Center employees make an effort to unionize in response to Trump takeover

WTOP News 5/16 8:46A Ana Golden

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts employees announced Thursday their plan to unionize. The union will be called the “Kennedy Center United Arts Workers,” or the KCUAW, and will be in partnership with The International Union, United...

FBI Director Kash Patel says the agency is leaving its DC HQ

WTOP News 5/16 5:31A Grace Newton

The FBI Headquarters is leaving the J. Edgar Hoover Building on Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C., according to the bureau s director, Kash Patel. Patel, who made the announcement in a short clip Friday on Fox s Mornings with Maria, called the building...

President Trump’s military parade could cost up to $45 million, Army spokesperson says

WTOP News 5/16 4:06A Linh Bui

The massive military parade being held on President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday in D.C. is part of the celebrations for the Army’s 250th anniversary. Related stories Military parade to celebrate the Army s 250th anniversary will be held on Trump...

A Non-Speaking Autistic Artist’s Paintings Are Getting a DC Gallery Show

Washingtonian Things To Do 5/16 3:18A Lydia Wei

Charles Lenny Lunn is a non-speaking autistic artist from Bethesda. His artwork is being exhibited at Lost Origins Gallery. Photograph by Lydia Wei. The first work visitors will see as they walk up...

‘When he’s painting, he’s free’: How a Bethesda man who can’t speak communicates through art

WTOP News 5/15 9:56P John Domen

For his entire life, Charles Lunn from Bethesda, Maryland, hasn’t been able to speak. He’s autistic and nonverbal. The most noise he ever makes is when he claps — sometimes it’ll be a single clap when...

The FBI is disbanding one of its Washington-based public corruption squads, AP sources say

WTOP News 5/15 11:34A WTOP Staff

FBI Director Kash Patel testifies before a Senate Committee on Appropriations and Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for...

FAA meeting with Pentagon officials as agency considers new restrictions on military helicopter...

WTOP News 5/15 6:57A WTOP Staff

FAA Deputy Chief Operating Officer Franklin McIntosh speaks during a Senate Transportation Committee hearing to examine Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization and aviation safety on May 14 in...

7 Major Music Festivals Coming to the DC Area This Summer

Washingtonian Things To Do 5/15 6:19A Briana Thomas

Project Glow Festival. Photograph by Ivan Meneses/Insomniac Events. Superstar artists and major DJs such as Jennifer Lopez, Tiësto, and Summer Walker perform at some of the area s biggest music...

What new data tells us about homelessness in the DC region

WTOP News 5/14 10:15P Mike Murillo

The D.C. region, as a whole, saw homelessness decrease slightly this year over 2024, according to the annual point-in-time survey done by area jurisdictions. The count, done by volunteers and others on two nights, found 9,659 people experiencing...

Kayaking, water polo and ballet could fill your kids’ summer in DC

WTOP News 5/14 5:41A Luke Lukert

Looking for the kids to go on some adventures this summer or learn a new skill like swimming or cooking? Registration for D.C. summer programs opens Wednesday. Related stories Several Maryland parks will require reservations starting this summer It...

Five New Galleries Are Opening at DC’s National Air and Space Museum in July

Washingtonian Things To Do 5/14 4:00A Molly Parks

This rendering shows what the "World War I: The Birth of Aviation" gallery will look like when it opens to the public on July 28. Image courtesy of Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. On...

Trump budget cuts could push DC area into a recession, George Mason professor says

WTOP News 5/14 3:50A Dan Ronan

Proposed deep budget cuts from the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress could push the D.C. area into a recession, especially if those reductions are enacted. Terry Clower, director of George Mason University s Center for Regional...

DC Ward 7 residents discuss proposed new Commanders stadium at RFK site

WTOP News 5/13 11:40P Dan Ronan

The D.C. Council will ultimately decide the fate of a proposed new stadium at the RFK site for the Washington Commanders. Now, residents are getting a chance to review the plan and tell council members how they feel. More than 300 people attended...