Washington D.C. BubbleLife

DC-based book festival to feature film entertainers as well authors

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 04:52:57 Z

(WTOP News) The National Book Festival is Saturday at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest D.C. It will, of course, feature dozens of authors discussing their work, as regular attendees have come to expect. But this year, there’s more than...

DC-area volunteers raising money for truck to support Ukraine war effort

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 23:05:15 Z

(WTOP News) Some D.C.-area residents are trying to raise enough money to send a specially equipped truck to Ukraine as part of a nationwide grassroots fundraising campaign. Bethesda, Maryland, resident Jeffrey Bloch is helping lead Maryland s effort through the...

DC students made small gains on last year’s standardized tests, but still below prepandemic levels in math, data shows

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:00:26 Z

(WTOP News) D.C. students made small gains in reading last year, but math results haven t yet reached prepandemic levels, according to new citywide standardized test data released Thursday. At a news briefing, District education officials shared results from the...

12-year-old arrested, charged with fatally shooting 13-year-old in DC

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:19:51 Z

(WTOP News) A 12-year-old was arrested Wednesday and charged in the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old that happened in July in D.C. s Kingman Park neighborhood. The 12-year-old boy was arrested by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and...

Metro and IndyCar team up for a busy weekend of Freedom 250 Grand Prix events

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:04:15 Z

(WTOP News) This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker. In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker. Metro and IndyCar team up for a busy weekend of Grand Prix events No, you weren t hallucinating Thursday morning — that...

Freedom 250 Grand Prix: Road closures and what to do if you have to go downtown

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:55:30 Z

(NBC DC (Local)) What to Know The Freedom 250 Grand Prix is happening on Saturday, Aug. 22 and Sunday, Aug. 23 on a 1.7-mile course in front of the U.S. Capitol and along the National Mall. Many roads are closed or blocked off to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians as...

The Weekend Scene: Famed DC music venue back for 3 nights, and more to do Aug. 20-23

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:49:02 Z

(NBC DC (Local)) Subscribe to The Weekend Scene newsletter to get our picks delivered straight to your inbox — every Wednesday Rev your engines! Freedom 250 Grand Prix weekend is here, and soon cars will be zooming near the National Mall over 150 mph. Tommy caught up...

An inside look at final preparations for Freedom 250 Grand Prix in DC

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:38:10 Z

(WTOP News) This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker. In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker. How DC is preparing for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix The Freedom 250 Grand Prix in D.C. is just days away. It is causing...

Trump to wave green flag at DC Grand Prix, take ‘lap of honor' in The Beast

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:13:03 Z

(NBC DC (Local)) President Donald Trump will wave the green flag to send racecars screaming through D.C. streets for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix this weekend – and he’ll take a “lap of honor” in The Beast. Trump and Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy both will wave flags,...

‘Worse than cherry blossoms’: Drivers react to Freedom 250 Grand Prix road closures

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 23:40:36 Z

(WTOP News) This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker. In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker. Commuters say Freedom 250 Grand Prix traffic is ‘worse than cherry blossoms’ IndyCar drivers will be going close to 200...

DC’s Carter Barron Amphitheater welcomes back crowds after decade-long closure

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 22:03:43 Z

(WTOP News) The amphitheater's last full season was in 2016 before structural problems forced it to close. This week marks the first time audiences will return for live performances in nearly a decade.(Courtesy Rock Creek Conservancy) The amphitheater's last...

Top 7 Wineries to Visit in Carmel Valley Village

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 07:37:51 Z

(Alicia Tenise) Don t get me wrong: I love Napa and Sonoma . However, California is home to hundreds of wineries across the state and many other wine regions you can explore. In fact, I prefer going to the smaller wine regions because you can most often get away...

African American history museum on National Mall marks a decade with anniversary events

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:22:01 Z

(WTOP News) The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary next month, marking a milestone for a museum whose first donor plans to be there for the occasion. Related stories Son of DC civil...

DC-area schools crack national top 10 in new US News rankings

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 22:58:57 Z

(WTOP News) Two D.C. area high schools are among the 10 best schools in the nation, according to new U.S. News and World Report rankings. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County ranked sixth nationally, and the District s School...

Preserving Shakespeare: How DC’s Folger Library keeps 400-year-old volumes pristine

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 22:53:57 Z

(WTOP News) This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker. In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker. Inside the room where 400-year-old copies of Shakespeare are restored Follow WTOP’s Matt Kaufax as he explores hidden...

Trump blames vandals for damaged grass in the same spot where he held his big July 4 celebration

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 23:26:45 Z

(WTOP News) FILE - Workers dismantle structures from Salute to America, an Independence Day event honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, as seen from the Washington Monument, on July 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE - Workers...

Freedom 250 Grand Prix crowds are coming and Metro has advice

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 04:47:39 Z

(NBC DC (Local)) The Freedom 250 Grand Prix is almost here, and the buildout is already changing the way people get around the National Mall. With road restrictions increasing, Metro is giving racegoers a roadmap for getting to the track. If you ve been downtown, you...

From taekwondo champion to AIDS activist: DC’s Bishop Rainey Cheeks dies at 74

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 01:58:31 Z

(WTOP News) D.C. native Bishop Kwabena Albert “Rainey” Cheeks, a taekwondo champion, minister and longtime HIV/AIDS activist, died Aug. 11. He was 74. Related stories The AIDS Memorial Quilt made a fearful epidemic powerfully human US actions harm global efforts...

DC man gets 17 years in prison for string of mail carrier armed robberies

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 03:58:40 Z

(WTOP News) A man was sentenced to 17 years in prison for his role in the armed robbery of seven mail carriers in the D.C. region in 2022, prosecutors announced this week. Related stories Gaithersburg man sentenced to 25 years in pipe-bombing case 17-year-old...

Kentucky woman charged in connection to DC’s World War II Memorial vandalism

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:08:57 Z

(WTOP News) This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker. In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker. Investigation underway after vandalism, bubbles found at DC’s World War II Memorial A woman from Kentucky is in custody...

Woman arrested in World War II Memorial vandalism

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:15:37 Z

(NBC DC (Local)) A woman accused of vandalizing the World War II Memorial on the National Mall has been arrested, U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said. The memorial was found spray painted Thursday, and bubbles overflowed from a fountain . In a brief statement...

Starting Friday night, expect closures, delays near Suitland Parkway Interchange project

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 03:51:47 Z

(WTOP News) A new traffic pattern will be in effect Monday morning in connection with the large Maryland Route 4 and Suitland Parkway Interchange project. But drivers should avoid the area beginning Friday evening and through the weekend, according to the State...

The Weekend Scene: A 360-degree view of DC and more things to do through Aug. 16

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 08:27:26 Z

(NBC DC (Local)) Subscribe to The Weekend Scene newsletter to get our picks delivered straight to your inbox — every Wednesday Maybe you’ve spent the week muting friends’ glamorous beach vacation posts while reading this newsletter on the Metro, in business casual,...

Kennedy Center board moves forward with a two-year closure to allow for renovations, AP sources say

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 07:47:59 Z

(WTOP News) The exterior of the Kennedy Center is seen, Friday, July 31, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) The exterior of the Kennedy Center is seen, Friday, July 31, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) WASHINGTON (AP) — The...

Storm Team4 Forecast: Warm, dry Thursday before shower and storm chances return

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 07:23:22 Z

(NBC DC (Local)) 4 things to know about the weather: Warm and summer-like Thursday Limited storm risk through Friday Slight cooldown Friday Pleasant start to the weekend Expect sun to mix with some clouds across D.C. and the surrounding Maryland and Northern Virginia...

Reflecting Pool’s botched repairs threaten to tarnish the National Park Service’s reputation

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 06:39:53 Z

(WTOP News) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump s botched repairs at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool have landed the National Park Service in a political predicament. The beloved federal agency, its iconic park rangers and other employees have been...

Step into a vault of rare texts from Shakespeare and beyond at DC’s Folger Library

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:08:50 Z

(WTOP News) This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker. In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker. Step into a vault of centuries-old books at this DC library Follow WTOP’s Matt Kaufax as he explores hidden gems, local...

Things to do in the DC area: African Diaspora Film Festival, Tomato Party … and more!

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:01:02 Z

(WTOP News) From March 28, 1968 in Memphis, Tenn., a photo of a press conference with Rev. James M. Lawson Jr. (left) and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (right).(Memphis Press-Scimitar-USA TODAY NETWORK/Jack E. Cantrell) From March 28, 1968 in Memphis, Tenn., a...

‘We pack a lot into a little’: Mott’s Market grand reopening warms up Capitol Hill

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 06:36:46 Z

(WTOP News) This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker. In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker. Mott's Market reopens on Capitol Hill after 4 years In 1916, Woodrow Wilson was president and the United States had 48...

DC ANC files lawsuit alleging lack of transparency in police rewards that lead to convictions

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 05:11:20 Z

(WTOP News) A neighborhood advisory commissioner is accusing D.C. police of not following through with crime solver rewards that were promised for evidence that helped put two men in prison Fairlawn neighborhood Commissioner Tom Donohue filed a lawsuit Tuesday,...

DC police lieutenant pleads guilty in child sex abuse sting

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 03:48:32 Z

(WTOP News) A D.C. police lieutenant has pleaded guilty after being caught in a child sex abuse sting operation in Harford County, Maryland. Court records show Matthew Mahl, a 23-year veteran with the D.C. police department, was arrested in April after...

Landman Season 3: DMV’s Pause for Discovery

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 02:39:24 Z

(DC Life Magazine) `html Washington, DC, has a way of moving forward with distinct purpose; however, sometimes, even the most anticipated moments require a strategic pause. This city knows the rhythm of careful planning, whether for a new public art installation or the...

Oregon Sparkling Wine: What to Know + My Visit to Method Oregon in the Willamette Valley

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 01:00:00 Z

(Alicia Tenise) Oregon is known for its Pinot Noir, but did you know that there s some pretty incredible sparkling wine coming out of the state as well? A couple of weeks ago, I tasted my way through Oregon sparkling wine at the second annual Method Oregon event,...

Why is enrollment across DC-area school districts falling?

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 22:34:50 Z

(WTOP News) This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker. In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker. Why school enrollment is falling across the DC area This story is part of WTOP’s 2026 Back to School coverage . Prince...

Protests near White House on 1 year anniversary of National Guard deployment

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 09:00:52 Z

(WTOP News) This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker. In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker. Protesters call to ‘Free DC’ 1 year after Trump deployed National Guard Multiple protests were held to mark one year...

A DC trial was wrapping up when jurors made a discovery that shocked the courtroom

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:42:19 Z

(WTOP News) The E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse, for the US District Court and US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, is seen in Washington, DC, November 3, 2025. The E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse, for the US...

Take a look at the newest renderings of the Capital One Arena renovations

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 07:56:32 Z

(WTOP News) New bars, social spaces and a dramatically reimagined exterior with updated entrances are part of the design in the newest renderings of the Capital One Arena renovations. Also announced is the 20-year extension of Capital One s naming partnership,...

Your next DC food delivery could arrive via a WALL-E like robot

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 06:48:43 Z

(WTOP News) This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker. In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker. Your next DC food delivery could arrive via a robot You may start to notice new workers roving around the sidewalks of...

Hawksbill Summit Hike: Virginia Trail Guide & Map | DC Life

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 02:00:00 Z

(DC Life Magazine) Welcome to the ultimate guide to the Hawksbill Summit hike in Virginia ! If you re looking for one of the best ridge hikes near DC with views , this moderate 2.9-mile trail delivers spectacular panoramic vistas of the Virginia mountains. Trail Quick...

DC Decodes Cooper-Whatley Poll’s Voter Dynamics

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:57:54 Z

(DC Life Magazine) `html Washington, D.C., thrives on informed perspective, making Washington D.C. Political Insights a cornerstone of civic life. Every conversation, from a morning coffee in Georgetown to an evening gathering on Capitol Hill, often includes a nuanced...