Washington

Cherry tree caught on fire as blossoms near peak bloom

Published

2 years ago

March 15, 2024

Cherry tree caught on fire as blossoms near peak bloom

The day the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin reached the stage known as “puffy white,” one of the trees nearly went up in smoke.

D.C. firefighters at Engine Co. 23 in Foggy Bottom got the call for “tree on fire” at 12:16 p.m. Friday and raced to the east side of the Tidal Basin where the pedal boats are docked, skirting the Washington Monument.

By the time firefighters arrived minutes later, department spokesman Vito Maggiolo said someone had extinguished a small fire at the base of the cherry tree with a dry chemical, possibly a fire extinguisher.

Firefighters doused some smoldering embers and departed. The cause of the fire is undetermined.

“The tree is expected to survive,” said Mike Litterst, a spokesman for the National Park Service. On Friday, officials announced the buds had reached Stage 5 of 6, and that peak bloom is three to five days away.

D.C.’s cherry blossoms — first gifted by Japan in 1912 — are beloved by visitors and residents alike. The National Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 20 to April 14, and is expected to draw upward of 1.5 million people.

On Wednesday, the Park Service said it plans to remove 158 cherry trees around the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park during a three-year construction project to rebuild a sea wall. Litterst said the tree in question is on the opposite side of the Tidal Basin and is not among those targeted for removal.

The spokesman said an arborist inspected the tree, described as unusually tall for a cherry tree, and reported “there is no structural damage” and will remain in place.

Maggiolo said it appeared someone had stuffed trash or debris into part of the tree that had undergone decay. He said authorities do not know whether there is any connection to the small fire. Maggiolo said officials did not dispatch a fire investigator.

“There is no way to determine a cause,” the fire spokesman said.

Sgt. Thomas Twiname, a spokesman for the U.S. Park Police, said there is “no information that this was an intentional act.”

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Washington

Unemployment claims in Washington declined last week

Published

59 minutes ago

January 24, 2026

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Unemployment claims in Washington declined last week

Staff reports
| USA TODAY Network

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Washington dropped last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday, Jan. 22.

New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 5,890 in the week ending Jan. 17, down from 6,810 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims rose to 200,000 last week, up 1,000 claims from 199,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Virgin Islands saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 136.4%. Georgia, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 49.4%.

USA TODAY Co. is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly unemployment insurance claims report.

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Washington

Photos of the annual March for Life in Washington

Published

1 day ago

January 23, 2026

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Photos of the annual March for Life in Washington

WASHINGTON (AP) — The annual March for Life demonstration was held in Washington, where Vice President JD Vance touted the Trump administration’s record against abortion.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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Washington

Washington plays Charlotte on 5-game road skid

Published

2 days ago

January 23, 2026

Press Room

Washington plays Charlotte on 5-game road skid

Washington Wizards (10-33, 14th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Charlotte Hornets (17-28, 12th in the Eastern Conference)

Charlotte, North Carolina; Saturday, 6 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Washington travels to Charlotte looking to stop its five-game road losing streak.

The Hornets are 5-4 against Southeast Division teams. Charlotte averages 14.6 turnovers per game and is 6-8 when it wins the turnover battle.

The Wizards are 2-4 in division matchups. Washington ranks eighth in the Eastern Conference with 11.6 offensive rebounds per game led by Marvin Bagley III averaging 2.6.

The Hornets are shooting 46.0% from the field this season, 1.5 percentage points lower than the 47.5% the Wizards allow to opponents. The Wizards are shooting 45.9% from the field, 1.8% lower than the 47.7% the Hornets’ opponents have shot this season.

The teams play for the third time this season. The Hornets won the last meeting 126-109 on Dec. 24, with LaMelo Ball scoring 23 points in the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Kon Knueppel is shooting 48.2% and averaging 19.0 points for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 18.6 points over the last 10 games.

Alex Sarr is scoring 17.2 points per game and averaging 7.4 rebounds for the Wizards. Bub Carrington is averaging 2.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hornets: 5-5, averaging 116.3 points, 49.1 rebounds, 26.9 assists, 5.9 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 47.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.1 points per game.

Wizards: 1-9, averaging 108.3 points, 42.1 rebounds, 23.6 assists, 8.6 steals and 5.6 blocks per game while shooting 44.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.9 points.

INJURIES: Hornets: Mason Plumlee: out (groin), Tre Mann: out (illness), Grant Williams: out (knee), KJ Simpson: out (hip).

Wizards: Tristan Vukcevic: out (knee), Bilal Coulibaly: out (back), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Trae Young: out (quad), Marvin Bagley III: out (illness).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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