The rock icon and the E Street Band announced Tuesday the launch of their ā€œLand of Hope and Dreamsā€ American tour starting March 31 in Minneapolis, kicking off a 20-date run that blends arena rock with a message centered on democracy, freedom and what Springsteen calls the defense of the American ideal. The tour concludes May 27 with an at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

ā€œWe are living through dark, disturbing and dangerous times, but do not despair ā€” the cavalry is coming!ā€ Springsteen said in a statement. ā€œWe will be rocking your town in celebration and in defense of America ā€” American democracy, American freedom, our American Constitution and our sacred American dream.ā€

Last month, Springsteen to the people of Minneapolis, criticizing President Donald Trump’s ongoing immigration enforcement operations in the city.

ā€œIt’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of and ,ā€ he wrote, naming the two people who were fatally shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.

The upcoming shows mark Springsteen and the E Street Bandā€™s first performances in North America since 2024. In 2025, they played to more than 700,000 fans across Europe on the initial leg of the ā€œLand of Hope and Dreamsā€ tour and released a live EP recorded on opening night in Manchester, England.

Springsteen has increasingly leaned into political themes during recent performances. On last yearā€™s European tour, he told audiences that the band was calling upon ā€œthe righteous power of art, of music, of rock ā€™nā€™ roll, in dangerous times.ā€

The E Street Band lineup includes Roy Bittan, Nils Lofgren, Patti Scialfa, Garry Tallent, Stevie Van Zandt and Max Weinberg, along with Soozie Tyrell, Jake Clemons and Charlie Giordano. They will be joined by the E Street Horns, the E Street Choir and percussionist Anthony Almonte.

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The Virginia-based blood bank is hosting two blood drives: The first is from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 24, at the Washington Nationals Conference Room. The second is from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 21, at the same location.

A photo ID is required to donate. Those donating are asked to come an hour early for their appointment. Wearing a mask is required. Those who arrive without a mask will be provided one.

All blood donors will receive a Washington Nationals/Inova Blood Donor Services T-shirt and a ticket to an upcoming Nationals game while supplies last.

Since 2010, Inova Blood Donor Services and the Washington Nationals have partnered together for blood drives. In that time, more than 11,000 Nationals blood donors have helped more than 33,000 patients in the community, according to Inova.

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Down in Southeast D.C. across from the ballpark, Paul Holder, partner and owner of The Salt Line was preparing for the crowd of spectators Wednesday afternoon. “It’s been a pretty magical, special ride and we’re just happy to be a small part of it,” he said.

The New England-inspired seafood restaurant and bar is favorite watering hole of the Nats crowd ā€” even popular with some players.

“We are very conveniently located right across the street from the stadium … And then certainly throughout the season we’ve sort of been an unofficial home base for lots of folks associated with the team,” he said.

Next door at the Dacha beer garden, Dmitri Chekaldin said the venue’s huge space helped it accommodate the large crowds for the home games this past weekend. The beer garden has a capacity of 700 people.

“And we have enough bathrooms for all of us,” he said. “This circle of life ā€” what comes in must come out.”

Your World Series rituals

For Nats fan, the World Series is less about logistics than about superstitions. We asked for your rituals, superstitions and good luck charms and you delivered. Here’s what you think will get the Nats through Game 7 with another curly W in the books.

Cherie: “My husband and I are really superstitious about this last game. Every win, we’ve gone to Walters for a beer right across from the stadium. You can bet your booty we’ll be there tonight.”

Lorraine from Olney, Maryland: “This takes a lot of courage to do this. But I’m wearing my red bra everyday and rinsing it out every night. So it’s hard to do this ā€” put it out there ā€” so I hope you hope put it on the radio. (Editor’s note: We did, Lorraine. We did.)

Jerry, from Louisville, Kentucky, who said he’s been a Nats fan “ever since they started,” says: My ritual is to take my old Nats cap, put it on my side cabinet and it’s been there ever since they got into the playoffs and, Go Nats.”

Margaret from Reston, Virginia: “My thing is, I can’t watch any of the game. If I watch any of the games, they might lose. But if I don’t want any of the games, they’ll win and I can listen to all the information after the game is over.”

Stacy, from McLean, Virginia: “What do I do to support my ritual as far as the Nationals are concerned? I always wear my Nationals jersey whenever they play. I don’t care where I’m at or where I’m going. If I’m at work, I’m wearing the jersey over my work clothes ā€” I don’t care. I don’t know if it works, but I feel better when I do that. I don’t know. It’s crazy but I gotta do it, because we need this one. We need this World Series here in Washington. So whatever it takes, I’m gonna do it. So I’m wearing my jersey today. And I’ve got my fingers crossed.

Leigh: “My superstition: I watch bits and pieces of the game, volume muted, then i eventually fall asleep before the game is over. We lost the three games that i ignored my routine.”

A caller, who didn’t provide his name: “I started watching the World Series with a group of friends, who have a complicated series of pushups or running laps around the house for bases earned or strikeouts. And since we’ve been watching the rest of the game separately, we each have to do the rituals in our own separate houses. Also, I have towels on my legs for some strange reason.”

Jim from Bethesda, Maryland: My superstition … is not to watch or listen to any of the games until I wake up in the morning and watch the news on Channel 4.

Daniel, whose last name we are withholding, sent us a picture of Nationals-themed argyle socks that he says he hasn’t washed during the entire series.

Daniel’s lucky socks.Ā鶹¹ŁĶų’s Kristi King contributed to this report.

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The four Metro stations staying open late are located near Nats Park and other major watch parties in D.C. Metro said the stations will stay open for one additional hour after the end of the final game, and trains will continue running until all riders have been accommodated.

The stations are:

• Navy Yard-Ballpark (both entrances open)
• Waterfront
• Lā€™Enfant Plaza (enter at Seventh and D streets SW or Seventh and Maryland Ave SW only)
• Gallery Placeā€“Chinatown (enter at Seventh and F streets NW or Seventh and H streets NW only)

All other stations will be exit-only after 11:30 p.m., which is Metro’s regular closing time.

The extra hours are sponsored by Pepco, Metro said. In addition, Metro said it has cleared all track work Wednesday night “to provide the best service possible.”

The Game 7 watch party at Nats park is sold out, according to the team. Since being made available Monday, all 36,000 free tickets for the watch party have been claimed.

There is also a watch party at The Wharf in Southwest D.C., and the Wizards will broadcast the end of the game on the scoreboard at Capital One Arena following the end of their home-opener Wednesday night, the team announced.

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For starters, is offering a special raspberry and white chocolate vanilla doughnut topped with a baby shark. Fans can pre-order these timely treats at the G Street shop on game days. Limited quantities are reserved for walk-in customers.

Weā€™re going to the World Series doo doo doo doo doo doo Our special raspberry & white chocolate will be available for pre-order (with 24 hours notice) at our G Street shop on game days Order for your watch parties via our website by Jennifer Chase

ā€” astro doughnuts (@AstroDoughnuts)

has a special deal for those who show their Nats pride: Anyone wearing Nationals gear on World Series game days will get a free coffee with any purchase.

The doughnut joint is also featuring a special doughnut during the series called the “DoughNat,” with caramel glaze and dark chocolate caramel-drizzled popcorn.

LET’S GO NATS!

Wear your gear on game days and receive a free coffee with any purchase.

Try our ballpark-inspired DoughNAT, with caramel glaze and dark chocolate caramel drizzled popcorn!

See you in the World Series!

ā€” District Doughnut (@DCDoughnut)

Ice Cream Jubilee on Water Street SE is celebrating with its Nats Red Velvet Cake flavor. Enjoy a scoop as you walk to the stadium for a game or a watch party. And to take the chill off the crisp autumn days, the store is also offering 15% off hot chocolate for customers wearing Nats gear. “We want to keep everyone warm,” Ice Cream Jubilee owner Victoria Lai said.

LETS GO NATS!! Weā€™re celebrating the NLDS coming to park with our special flavor, Nats Red Velvet! A half-and-half swirl of red velvet cake ice cream with creamy cheesecake ice cream, this flavor will help you gear up for more wins thā€¦

ā€” IceCreamJubilee (@icecreamjubilee)

Navy Yard-based brewery has a special brew called 86 Years, named for the time since a major league team from D.C. last went to the World Series.

86 > 34. Coming soon: draft 10/22 + cans 10/25.

ā€” Bluejacket (@BluejacketDC)

Ā is getting into the spirit with three specialty cocktails that will go on sale starting this Tuesday, and will be available as long as the Nationals stay in the World Series.

The first is called “Curly W” and has a red shiraz wine base with bourbon, amaretto and cranberry juice to provide the red color. It goes for $14.

The second is the “Finish the Fight” cocktail that is a dark rum-based drink with simple syrup, and passion fruit liquor. “Because obviously, we’re passionate about the Nats finishing this fight,” said Laura Habberstad, of Dacha. That cocktail is also $14.

The third is a little “punny.” It’s called “Daddy Shark” and is a twist on a gin martini with an Italian gin that has been distilled with tomatoes. “There will be a ‘shark garnish’ that will be on the martini, and obviously it’s an homage to the unofficial anthem for the World Series, which is Baby Shark,” Habberstad said.

The shark-themed cocktail costs $20, with $1 of each sale going to the Washington Nationals’ Dream Foundation.

“If you can’t afford those $1,000 tickets, we have a spot for you here so you can be a part of the action,” Habberstad said.

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Z-Burger’s Tenleytown location will give Nationals fans a free red bun burger from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The only way to get the burger is to use the secret password, “Z-Nats.”

Because the won tonight get any single lucky Red Bun Burger today, Wed, Oct 16 at the Tenley from 11am-2pm & 5pm-7pm with secret password “Z-Nats” 4321 Wisconsin Av, DC, 1 per person

ā€” zburger (@zburger)

People can get one single burger ā€” regular, cheese, turkey or veggie.

Z-Burger is located at 4321 Wisconsin Ave., NW.

Ā鶹¹ŁĶų will update this article as it hears about additional freebies.

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General Manager Paul Wiedefeld and Metro Board Chairman Paul Smedberg made the decision this month to keep trains running on Metroā€™s own dime for Nationals and Mystics playoff games, and the Metro Board is scheduled to approve the change permanently at a special meeting Thursday morning.

Initially, the board will put $1 million toward running either a greater number of trains or later service during ā€œmajor events of regional significanceā€ in the current budget year.

The governments of D.C., Maryland and local governments in Northern Virginia will be responsible for the additional costs, unless Metro finishes the budget year on June 30, 2020 under its planned operating budget.

Wiedefeld plans to include $3 million to $5 million in the budget proposal he will present to the Metro Board next month. The proposal is also expected to include significant changes to bus service, potential improvements in rail service, additional marketing and a continued push of unlimited ride passes.

Playoff service details

Under the resolution to be approved Thursday, it would be up to Wiedefeld to decide which events qualify for the free additional service and which events, if any, would have to pay for extra service hours.

The documents supporting the resolution specifically (and solely) cite professional sports playoff games as the types of events for which Metro would cover extended service.

The plan would continue rail service from the station closest to the stadium or arena until 20 minutes after a postseason game, with the proviso that there could be a ā€œcut off timeā€ set for baseball games that could see extra innings stretch on for hours.

Under current policy, Metro charges a $100,000 per hour deposit for additional service, with events like marathons getting reimbursed for the fares paid during any additional service hours.

The rules have led to standoffs and scrambles to find sponsors to cover the deposit when teams or organizations declined to pay, including during the Washington Capitals run to a Stanley Cup title. Uber and the government of Qatar were among those footing the bill then, and the Capitalsā€™ parent organization traded Metro the use of Capital One Arena for additional service.

In addition to cost concerns, Metro has cited maintenance schedules as another reason to limit additional rail service.

The changes would only focus on specific events and the several thousand people who would use the system for the events. This proposal does not address the 2017 hours cuts that affect all stations across the system.

Other actions Thursday

The Metro Board is set to approve additional legal fees Thursday for current Board Chairman Paul Smedberg due to his role in the investigations into former Board Chairman Jack Evans.

Smedberg is due to be interviewed by Metroā€™s Office of Inspector General as part of a new review of the ethics probe of Evans, that eventually led to Evans resigning from the board in June. Evans remains under federal investigation, and the D.C. Council is expected Tuesday to advance its
probe.

Smedberg is also scheduled to testify at an Oct. 22 House oversight Subcommittee of Government Operations hearing on Capitol Hill about Metro issues and the Evans probe.

According to a draft resolution, the Metro Board plans to pay “reasonable attorneyā€™s fees and expenses in connection with the Congressional-directed investigation by the WMATA Inspector General of the WMATA Board Ethics Committeeā€™s investigation of Mr. Jack Evans and in connection with Mr. Smedbergā€™s testimony before the House Subcommittee on Government
°æ±č±š°ł²¹³Ł¾±“Ē²Ō²õ.ā€

The board has already approved similar legal fees for former Ethics Committee Chair Clarence Crawford and a third member of the committee, David Horner, after they were subpoenaed by a grand jury.

Technically, the action is referred to as indemnification.

The Metro Board indemnified the state of Maryland last month as part of a deal to release more than $40 million in dedicated funding from the state, and plans to approve a similar indemnification for the District on Thursday.

The board also is scheduled to be briefed Thursday at a special Safety and Operations Committee meeting about Mondayā€™s train crash between Foggy Bottom and Farragut West.

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WASHINGTON ā€” Not many people can carry off a bright red suit ā€” the Romantics could, for their first album ā€” but Ā鶹¹ŁĶų sports reporter and anchor Dave Preston has no fashion fears.

And, he’s a man of his word.

On April 12, during the 6:45 p.m. sportscast, Preston vowed he would wear his red suit on air, if the Capitals won the Stanley Cup.

They did, and he did.

Preston was willing to share with me ā€” exclusively ā€” 10 never-before-revealed facts about his red suit.

1. Preston borrowed the suit from a friend in 2011, and wore it to a Christmas bar crawl.
2. The friend Preston borrowed the suit from avoided his call, and refuses to take the suit back.
3. The suit is a 44 Long, with a red-on-red pinstripe. Preston wears a 40, so he wears it like David Byrne of Talking Heads wore a suit in the “Stop Making Sense” concert.
4. The pants are cuffed, and Preston wears them with a belt.
5. The Caps’ Stanley Cup victory is the first time PrestonĀ ever wore the suit in the Glass Enclosed Nerve Center. He promised to wear it if the Nats won the World Series. We know how that’s turned out so far.
6. The red suit has only been worn four times. In its Christmas bar crawl debut at Clyde’s of Tysons, a guy said, “Hey, clown, let me buy you a drink.” Preston refused the offer.
7. The suit is stored in a corner of Preston’s closet, not in a garment bag.
8. Moths are unlikely to care about Preston’s red suit because it’s 95 percent polyester and 5 percent rayon.
9. Preston’s mother cringes whenever he talks about the suit, or considers wearing it.
10. The red suit is available for rental for special occasions.

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Lewis, a civil rights icon who’s represented Georgia’s 5th Congressional District since 1987, is among those participating in the pregame ceremony honoring African-Americans’Ā contributions to the game of baseball and the community. The Nationals will alsoĀ air videos during the game highlighting African-American baseball greats.

This year, Black Heritage Day falls on the 71st anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s Major League Baseball debut. Every year since 2009, MLB has commemorated the milestone by having players and on-field personnel across the league wear Robinson’s No. 42 jersey.

Members from the Mamie Johnson Little League, Jackie Robinson Foundation and Howard University will also participate in the pregame ceremony.Ā Lt. Gen. Leslie Smith, the Army’s inspector general, will perform the game ball delivery.

D.C. sports fan favorite D.C. Washington will sing the national anthem and “God Bless America.”

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