Video produced by Omama Altaleb

WASHINGTON — Ben’s Chili Bowl, which has anchored D.C.’s famed U Street for 60 years, has long been the city’s favorite spot to score some half-smokes after a night out on the town. But there’s a lot of history in those celebrity-photo-bedecked walls and unassuming Formica countertops.

The restaurant was the favored place to grab a quick bite to eat back when U Street was Black Broadway, drawing glittering entertainers to one of three major theaters in the area.

Later, in the 1960s, when major civil rights organizations set up their Washington offices a block away, Ben’s became an informal meeting place for leaders of the movement, including Stokely Carmichael, the brash — yet visionary — militant who led the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and coined the phrase “Black Power.”

During the riots, Carmichael helped secure special permission for Ben’s to stay open to feed activists and police alike. Ben’s would ultimately survive the post-riot decline and decay that plagued U Street in the 1970s and 1980s to become the D.C. landmark it is today.

More from the series, “DC Uprising: Voices from the 1968 Riots.”

• ‘Everything was on fire’ — remembering the DC riots 50 years later
• DC Uprising: An oral history of the 1968 riots
• Under fire: Retired police, firefighters remember 1968 flashpoints
• ‘The mayor saw it with his own eyes’ — a reporter chronicles 1968 chaos
• After the riots, an activist on trial
• How Ben’s Chili Bowl survived the 1968 riots to become a DC landmark (VIDEO)
• Shattered lives, unanswered questions 50 years after the riots
• Small DC church survived the riots. But then came the wrecking ball. Finally, a rebirth
• Then & Now: Powerful images show 1968 riot damage and rebuilt DC neighborhoods

Source

With morning lows in the single digits and teens, as well as frigid temperatures all day, the cold has caused a series of water main breaks throughout the D.C. area, resulting in lane closures and traffic delays.

The following routes are affected:

D.C.

• All lanes of Woodley Road Northwest are blocked between 32nd and 34th streets Northwest due to a break.

Virginia

• Old Town, Alexandria: Wolfe Street is closed between Royal and Pitt Streets.

Maryland:

• Only one lane gets by the repairs of the water main break at southbound MD-650/New Hampshire Avenue.

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission said crews have responded to more than 60 water main breaks since Friday.

“It seems that the cold is causing a lot of water main breaks, and of course that water is freezing solid over the roads, causing hazards,” �鶹����’s Matt Ritter said

Ritter said frostbite poses a danger for people with extended exposure to the cold air without proper protection from the cold. He recommends dressing in layers, wearing hats, gloves and a scarf to prevent frostbite.

Another possible outcome of this kind of weather may be shocking. Due to the dryness of the air, Ritter says today will be full of static electricity shocks.

“As this is Arctic air, it is also extremely dry outside, which makes the indoor relative humidities even lower once the air is heated. It will be another day of a lot of static electricity shocks,” Ritter said.

For the latest weather updates, check out �鶹����’s weather page. Here’s a look at the latest forecast:

Tuesday night: Mostly clear. Very cold.

Lows: upper single digits to low teens.

Wednesday: Sun with increasing clouds. Not as bitterly cold.

Highs: low to mid 30s.

The National �鶹���� Service of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. says there’s a chance of snow Wednesday to Thursday morning.

For the midweek system, its looking more likely we'll be on the western extent of the snow. Chances of measurable precipitation Wednesday night/Thursday AM currently range from less than 20% along the I-81 corridor to 30-50% along the I-95 corridor to around 70% in southeast MD.

— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash)

Source

The magazine-esque social network released its predictions for 2018’s top trends and there’s a lot to look forward to.

Click to view the full list.

AP Photo/Matthew Mead

Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP

Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images

Brandon Wade/AP Images for Dreft

AP Photo/Lee Reich

AP Photo/Giovanna Dell’Orto, File

Photo by Steve Cohn/Invision for Lionsgate Home Ent./AP Images

(1/7)

Share This Gallery:

• Share This:
• share on email
• print

Source

WASHINGTON — The first time Carolyn Johnson walked into a Rocket Fizz store was four years ago when she and her husband stumbled upon one while vacationing in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Her reaction, just like many others who walk into the retro candy and soda pop shop, was “Wow!”

“I felt like I was stepping back in time when I saw all the older candies and sodas that reminded me of my childhood,” she said.

A few years passed when Johnson had the idea to open up her own Rocket Fizz store in Leesburg, Virginia.

“I thought it would be a really cool thing to have in Loudoun County, so we decided to try it,” she said.

We had to try some of these flavors for ourselves — watch as �鶹����’s Jack Pointer, Reada Kessler, Kristi King, Jack Moore, Jason Fraley and Will Vitka conduct a taste test:

Out of 89 locations in the U.S., Johnson’s store is the closest one to D.C. The second closest is in Richmond, Virginia.

It’s been almost a year since the store opened and although most people are excited when they walk in, others get overwhelmed, Johnson said.

“There’s just a lot going on; it’s very stimulating,” she said. “Sometimes it takes two trips to see everything.”

The store offers more than 400 flavors of soda, from root beers and cream sodas to ginger ale and fruit sodas. They also sell a variety of salt water taffy, vintage candy, gag gifts and tin signs.

But what often catches the attention of people who walk into the store are the unique soda flavors they carry like Barf, Bloody Nose and Martian Poop.

“The ones that are a little weird — the Bacon, the Ranch Dressing, the Dirt, even the Buffalo Wing — the kids will come in on a dare and dare each other to try those. Like if they lose a bet, they have to go out and drink the whole bottle of bacon soda,” Johnson said.

“But what’s funny is that some of the ones that sound bad are really not that bad,” she said.

Birthday Cake is the most popular soda, according to Johnson.

“It tastes good and it’s not one of the weird ones like Bacon, Barf or Buffalo Wing. A lot of kids like it just because it’s sweet and it also makes a good birthday gift,” she said.

Some other sweet soda flavors include: Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter and Jelly, S’mores and Cotton Candy.

In addition to the weird and sweet flavors, there are also celebrity and politically inspired sodas, such as Kim Jung Un’s “Nuclear Orange Bomb” or Fidel Castro’s “Havana Banana.”

Rocket Fizz is located at 1604 Village Market Blvd. SE, Suite 122 in Leesburg.

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

(1/19)

Share This Gallery:

• Share This:
• share on email
• print

Source

Source

Category 5 Hurricane Irma is the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever recorded. There have been only three hurricanes with a Category 5 to hit the U.S. in history.

In 1935, the “Labor Day” Hurricane hit the Florida Keys with maximum winds of 185 mph. There was an estimated $6 million in damage, and 408 people died. The says those who died were primarily World War I veterans working in the area.

Hurricane Camille made landfall along the Mississippi coast in 1969, with maximum winds estimated at 200 mph. As the storm passed over Virginia and West Virginia, the National Hurricane Center says “it produced a burst of 12 to 20 inch rains with local totals of up to 31 inches. Most of this rain occurred in 3 to 5 hours and caused catastrophic flash flooding.” Damage in the U.S. was estimated at $1.4 billion, and 256 people were killed.

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew hit Dade County, Florida with maximum winds of 165 mph. In addition to a 17 foot storm surge in Florida, the National Hurricane Center says Andrew produced a deadly tornado in southeastern Louisiana. Sixty-five people died in the U.S., and there was an estimated $26.5 billion in damage.

AP Photo

AP Photo, File

AP Photo/Jack Thornell

AP Photo/Jack Thornell

AP Photo/Terry Renna, File

AP Photo, File

(1/6)

Share This Gallery:

• Share This:
• share on email
• print

Source

Staunton, Virginia, will flip its quaint, historic downtown to reflect Hogsmeade village for its annual from Sept. 22 to Sept. 24. Businesses will change their decor, soundtrack and merchandise to elicit a magical feel.

Courtesy Kate Simon Lifestyle Photography

Courtesy Kate Simon Lifestyle Photography

Courtesy Kate Simon Lifestyle Photography

Courtesy Kate Simon Lifestyle Photography

Courtesy Kate Simon Lifestyle Photography

Courtesy Kate Simon Lifestyle Photography

Courtesy Kate Simon Lifestyle Photography

(1/7)

Share This Gallery:

• Share This:
• share on email
• print

Festival organizer Sarah Lynch said participants will be able to experiment with potions, drink some butterbeer and go Horcrux hunting. There will also be plenty of photo and selfie opportunities with dragons, a large basilisk and a restored train.

While there is no entry fee, some activities and crafts will involve a fee.

Lynch said around 30 businesses were involved last year and around 5,000 people attended. This year, Lynch expects to have more than 80 businesses involved and 5,000 to 10,000 attendees.

“We aspire to have something for everyone for the entire weekend,” Lynch said.

Staunton, Virginia, is about three hours away from D.C.

Source

Campus police responded to a report of an assault with a knife on Regents Drive near Montgomery Hall at a bus stop around 3:05 a.m.

Officers found the victim — a male student from Bowie State University — on the sidewalk suffering from serious injuries, police said.

He had been stabbed in the chest.

He was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The suspect — a male University of Maryland student — was taken into custody where charges are pending, police said.

According to police, the victim and the assailant did not know each other and the attack was unprovoked.

Officials said the victim had been waiting at the bus stop with two other friends when he was stabbed.

“Words cannot express my deep anguish over this horrific tragedy,” University of Maryland President Wallace D. Loh . “My deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim, and to the entire Bowie State community. I ask that every member of our campus community join me in keeping the victim’s family in their thoughts and prayers.”

�鶹����’s Dick Uliano contributed to this report.

Source

The fight occurred Thursday after school hours near Cromwell Elementary School in Glen Burnie, Maryland. According to police, the two girls agreed to meet at that location to fight.

The fight was recorded and uploaded to social media. In the video, one of the girls’ mother is seen instigating the fight and kicking the other girl in the head.

The two girls were charged with second-degree assault, disorderly conduct and affray.

The mother, 43-year-old Delores Arlene Klemkowski, was charged with two counts of first-degree assault, one count of second-degree assault, disorderly conduct and affray.

Police said the fight was not affiliated with after school activities or any school-sanctioned event.

Source

The Brimans moved to Egypt, where Nader found work making wedding dresses at a bridal shop until he and his family received approval from the UN to come to the U.S. as refugees. They arrived the night before President Donald Trump’s inauguration at Reagan National Airport and were taken to their new home in Landover, Maryland.

Since their arrival, Briman has applied to several jobs, including Costco and Wegmans, but hasn’t found any luck. As a result, he is creating his own opportunities by applying his skills as a tailor from home. Nader is like many resettled Syrian refugees who are using their skills to try and make a living for themselves and their families.

According to the , 15,479 Syrian refugees arrived to the United States in 2016.

Currently, there are 185 Syrian refugee families resettled in Maryland and Virginia, according to Raghad Bushnaq, the executive manager and founder of Mozaic, a nonprofit that aims to help refugees and people in need in the D.C. area.

Some families are resettled in areas as far as Charlottesville, Virginia, and Dundalk, Maryland, Bushnaq said.

Bushnaq, who is also from Syria, started Mozaic last April when she noticed there was a high number of refugees resettling in the area. Part of the work she has done is furnish their homes before they arrive, provide them with English classes and help them find suitable jobs.

Syrian refugees arrive to the U.S. (2016)

Finding Work

Even though refugees are granted work authorization as soon as they arrive in the U.S., Bushnaq said it’s been difficult for many of them to find and keep jobs.

Some of the agencies that work with refugees locally, such as the International Rescue Committee in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the Ethiopian Community Development Council, offer jobs to refugees that are sometimes not feasible, Bushnaq said.

For example, some of the refugees work in refrigerators where they are expected to cut meat and unpack vegetables.

“The environment is very difficult, so only few survive in this job,” Bushnaq said. “Healthwise, they couldn’t stand it.”

Another issue, Bushnaq explained, is that most of the jobs are seasonal and only last up to a month or two.

While Bushnaq said that some of the refugees enjoyed working in bakeries, the early hours were problematic since they would have to wake up at 2 a.m. and ride the bus, which would sometimes take them two hours to get to their job.

Language also poses a barrier in the job search. Although Nader, along with other refugees, takes classes at Montgomery College three times a week to learn English, it’s still a challenge.

“I’m trying my best to perfect the language so I can enter the workforce here,” Nader said, in Arabic. “Once we learn the language, it will be much easier.”

Although Nader hasn’t found a job yet, he strives to be self-sufficient. He said he’s not waiting on organizations to provide financial help. He wants to stand on his own two feet.

“They are offering us help, but I want to work,” he said.

Story continues below gallery.

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

�鶹����/Omama Altaleb

(1/5)

Share This Gallery:

• Share This:
• share on email
• print

On Their Own

Source

The police said Kyle Pedigo, 30, from Norwich, Connecticut, was arrested Wednesday morning when he tried to break into a pool and spa company in Upper Marlboro.

The theft happened in the pre-dawn hours of March 2, at the military career center in the 5400 block of St. Barnabas Road. A government-owned car was stolen as well as a U.S. Army dress uniform and other uniform items.

The stolen car and uniform items were recovered, police said.

Pedigo was charged with burglary and felony theft in Prince George’s County. He is also facing charges in Connecticut, police said.

Source

Dressed in uniform, Green bounced a basketball around historic landmarks in D.C. while giving weather reports to share with family and friends.

She visited the Washington Monument, the Capitol, the Jefferson Memorial and the White House, and even joined in on a snowball fight in Farragut Square.

Green and the rest of the Globetrotters are in town preparing for games in D.C. and Fairfax, Virginia, this weekend.

Source

“It was a mixture of surprise, embarrassment, amusement and love and affection,” said Robert Kelly,  a professor and expert on East Asian affairs, in an interview with the Tuesday.

Kelly was in the middle of the Skype interview Friday night discussing the impeachment of South Korea’s president when his two children stole the show.

Kelly’s 4-year-old daughter, Marion, first entered the room, dancing. Her 8-month-old brother, James, followed behind in his baby walker. Soon after, Kelly’s wife, Kim Jung-A, stormed into the room, grabbed the children and shut the door.

Despite the comical interruption, Kelly was able to finish the interview.

The social media response has been overwhelming, Kelly said.  As of Tuesday, the video has been viewed more than 84 million times on the BBC Facebook page.

Kelly and his family plan to hold a press conference Wednesday at Pusan National University in South Korea, where Kelly teaches, to answer questions about the video.

Source

Dioceses and archdioceses in Baltimore, New York, Milwaukee, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Savannah and Jefferson City, Missouri, announced the one-day lifting on their websites.

Cardinal Wuerl also granted the exception allowing Catholics in the Archdiocese of Washington to eat meat on that Friday.

The Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, also granted the dispensation.

According to the Lenten rule, Catholics are to abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent as an act of penance. However, considering the St. Patrick’s Day tradition of eating corned beef and cabbage, some bishops are making an exception for Friday, March 17.

Despite the dispensation, bishops are advising Catholics over the age of 14 (who are required to abstain from meat) to participate in an act of charity or penance in exchange for eating meat, reports.

Source

The driver, 17-year-old Colin Bipat, and passenger Desmond Cook, also 17, were pronounced dead at

the scene. Another passenger, 18-year-old Caleb Marshall, was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

The victims were involved in career-oriented programs outside of school, said Westlake Principal Michael Meiser, which is why they weren’t on school property that time of day. The two killed were just months from graduation, he said.

“I left the school today with a real pit in my stomach,” he said. “This one really hurt.”

The crash occurred around 12:30 p.m. near the intersection of Smallwood Drive and St. Nicholas Drive. Their car was apparently speeding when it reached a congested area, said Maj. Chris Becker of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office .

To avoid the vehicles, Bipat swerved to the left and crashed into a utility pole. The force of the crash split the car in two and sent part of the car across the intersection.

To Westlake’s principal, this was an all-too-familiar tragedy: He lost a sister to a car accident when she, too, was a senior in high school, he said.

“We remember the good times that we had with the kids and people while they’re here, and we celebrate that,” Meiser said,

“We share our griefs together, and we move forward.”

Source