Washington, D.C
DC traffic persists as cleanup begins after protests against Netanyahu’s DC visit – WTOP News
The cleanup from protests outside Union Station, connected to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before Congress, is underway Thursday morning as officials prepare for the prime minister’s visit to the White House.
(WTOP/Kyle Cooper)
WTOP/Kyle Cooper
(Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images
(Getty Images/Kent Nishimura)
Getty Images/Kent Nishimura
(Getty Images/Kent Nishimura)
Getty Images/Kent Nishimura
(WTOP/Kyle Cooper)
WTOP/Kyle Cooper
(WTOP/Kyle Cooper)
WTOP/Kyle Cooper
(WTOP/Kyle Cooper)
WTOP/Kyle Cooper
(WTOP/Kyle Cooper)
WTOP/Kyle Cooper
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Clean up begins outside Union Station after protests against Netanyahu’s DC visit
The cleanup from protests outside Union Station, connected to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before Congress, is underway Thursday morning as officials prepare for the prime minister’s visit to the White House.
Protestors used red, green and black spray paint — marking fountains, statues and walkways with symbols and words like “free Palestine” and “let Gaza live.”
The National Park Service has put up metal barriers around Columbus Circle, so it can pick up trash, and treat and clean the marble and stone fountain, statues and walkways, as well as the Freedom Bell, a replica of the Liberty Bell.
The park service says cleaning the marble and stone is delicate and difficult because paint seeps into it. They use a chemical actually called Elephant Snot to loosen the paint before it’s power washed. Several treatments, over the course of days, will be needed.
People passing by seem shocked by what they saw.
One man, Joe, told WTOP “it should have been prevented, I don’t know why they’re allowed to graffiti so much, spray paint so much.”
Another woman — who did not want to give her name — said she’d “never seen anything like this, it’s pretty bad.” Exiting Union Station into Columbus Circle, commuters stop, take pictures and some stand with their mouths open.
At least 15 people were arrested in the protests, police said, which shut down some streets in the area and forced Union Station to close some of its entrances. Some people missed trains, unable to get into the station on time because of the protests.
D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith said the department will continue to support peaceful protests, but must hold accountable those who commit criminal acts while in the city.
Shutdowns will continue on Thursday as Netanyahu visits the White House. Street closures are outlined below.
Posted closures during Netanyahu’s visit
The closures started on Sunday and are expected to last through Saturday, July 27.
The following streets are posted as Emergency No Parking through Saturday, July 27 at 3 p.m.:
- Virginia Avenue NW from Rock Creek Parkway to New Hampshire Avenue
- Jamal Khashoggi Way from Virginia Avenue to F Street NW
- F Street NW from Rock Creek Parkway to 25th Street
- 27th Street NW from Virginia Avenue to K Street
- 2600 block of I Street NW
The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic on Sunday, July 21 starting at 10 p.m. through Friday, July 26 at 6 a.m.:
- Rock Creek Parkway NW between Virginia Avenue and the Potomac River Freeway southbound
- Virginia Avenue NW from Rock Creek Parkway to New Hampshire Avenue (eastbound lanes)
- Jamal Khashoggi Way (southbound lanes) between Virginia Avenue and F Street NW
- F Street NW from Rock Creek Parkway to 25th Street
- 27th Street NW from Virginia Avenue to K Street
- 2600 block of I Street NW
- 27th Street ramp from northbound Potomac River Freeway
Traffic traveling south on Rock Creek Parkway will be diverted east on I Street from Virginia Avenue NW to Potomac River Freeway. Westbound traffic on Virginia Avenue NW will be able to turn north on Rock Creek Parkway.
All traffic from Ohio Drive SW will be diverted north on Potomac River Freeway.
Due to First Amendment activity, plan for intermittent street closures and traffic delays, D.C. police said. Police are advising drivers to consider alternative routes.
Motorists can access businesses and residences around the Watergate Hotel in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood through Jamal Khashoggi Way and 25th Street NW and 27th Street and Virginia Avenue NW.
Residents can access the Watergate Hotel on foot by 27th Street and Virginia Avenue NW, 25th Street and Jamal Khashoggi Way NW and 25th Street and F Street NW.
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WASHINGTON (7News) — An early Wednesday morning incident at D.C.’s Metro Center left multiple riders injured after a work vehicle made contact with a Silver Line train just before the end of service.
According to Metro officials, the train was holding at the station when the work vehicle struck the rear car shortly after midnight. Officials said there were 27 customers on board at the time.
Officials say 11 people reported non-life-threatening injuries and that Metro personnel were not seriously injured.
SEE ALSO | Metro’s board to vote on budget that calls for fully automated trains on the Red Line
Passengers who did not report injuries were transferred to another train and continued toward Downtown Largo.
The train involved was the final Silver Line run of the night.
Metro said the incident remains under investigation as crews work to determine the cause.
As of 3:30 a.m., it’s not clear what the potential impacts to the morning service may be.
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Here are a few ways to give you a better idea of how much it may cost you if you’re considering moving to a new city.
Problem Solved
Earning enough to be considered middle class has gotten more expensive, with rising housing and everyday costs pushing the income bar higher, according to a recent report from GOBankingRates.
The median range for middle-class income across the country is between $59,000 and $104,000 in 2026, depending on which state you live in. GOBanking Rates used Pew Research Center’s definition of middle class — income ranging from two-thirds to twice a state’s median household income — and added data from the U.S. Census Bureau to report lowest middle-income, highest middle-class income and median income for each state, including Maryland and Virginia, and Washington D.C.
The current national middle-class minimum of $59,000 would have declared you middle class a decade ago in the U.S. In 2016, earning $39,000 placed a household at the lower edge of the middle class — and in regions like DC, MD and VA, median incomes were already far higher than the national median, so the “middle-class floor” was much higher than $39,000 even then.
In the DC region, the income required to be considered middle class is significantly higher than nationally, with the threshold starting around $61,000 in Virginia and nearly $69,000 in Maryland — compared with about $47,000 nationwide, GOBankingRates data shows. To be considered middle class in Washington DC, you’d have to earn at least $70,200. GoBankingRates omitted DC from their report; however, using the same formula and same US Census data cited, USA TODAY Network was able to calculate the low, high and median middle class income ranges. Here’s what the report shows and what we found for middle-class consideration in 2026.
What is middle class in Washington DC?
The middle class is a socioeconomic group in the U.S. that falls between the working class and upper class, earning around the middle of the income distribution for where they live. Middle class households often are able to cover their bills, rely on loans to buy homes or cars, and occasionally eat out or vacation, but not without careful budgeting, according to Investopedia.
Washington DC’s middle-class income in 2024 (the most recent year available from Census data) was between $70,200 and $209,600. GoBankingRates omitted DC middle-class data; however, USA TODAY Network used the same calculation, using the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) and the Pew Research Center’s benchmark definition of middle class. Here is the breakdown for middle-class in Washington DC:
- Median household income: $104,800
- Lowest end of middle-class income: $70,200
- Highest end of middle-class income: $209,600
Due to the region’s high cost of living, Washington DC’s middle-class median income surpasses not only the U.S. median, but it’s neighbors in Delaware, Virginia and Maryland. It also slightly surpasses the median middle-class income of New Jersey.
What is middle class in Virginia?
In Virginia, the income needed to be considered middle class starts at about $61,400 and can range up to roughly $184,200, according to GOBankingRates. That is based on Pew Research Center’s definition — two-thirds to twice the median household income. Here’s the breakdown of Virginia’s middle-class income as reported in 2026 using the latest Census data available from 2024:
- Median household income: $92,090
- Lowest end of middle-class income: $61,393
- Highest end of middle-class income: $184,180
What is middle class in Maryland?
To be considered middle-class in Maryland, the income required starts at about $68,600 and can extend up to roughly $205,800, according to GOBankingRates, which used the latest 2024 U.S. Census Bureau data available in their 2026 report.
For many Maryland households, especially in the DC suburbs, earning what sounds like a solid income does not always translate into financial comfort once housing, childcare and community costs are factored in: Maryland housing costs (rent and home prices) are well above national averages, according to Zillow market trends, and commuting costs for DC-area workers are among the longest and costliest, Census data shows. Maryland also consistently ranks among the most expensive states for childcare, often surpassing $15,000 per year per child, according to a Care.com 2024 Cost of Care report.
Highest middle-class incomes in the US
- Massachusetts income range: $69,885 to $209,656
- Maryland income range: $68,603 to $205,810
- New Jersey income range: $69,529 to $208,588
- Hawaii income range: $67,163 to $201,490
- California income range: $66,766 to $200,298
- New Hampshire income range: $66,521 to $199,564
- Washington income range: $66,259 to $198,778
- Colorado income range: $64,742 to $194,226
- Connecticut income range: $64,033 to $192,098
- Virginia income range: $61,393 to $184,180
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based news reporter covering trending news with USA TODAY Network’s Mid-Atlantic Connect Team. She covers news in the Northeast, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Reach her at LComstock@usatodayco.com.
Washington, D.C
US industry leaders take sport fishing issues to Washington DC – Angling International
The impact of tariffs on the US fishing tackle industry and the need for sound fisheries management were among the topics discussed by attendees of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA)’s first ever Keep America Fishing in DC Fly-In.
It included industry leaders who last week joined together in Washington DC and all walked hundreds of miles across the US Capital Complex to advocate for the interests of the US trade and the entire recreational fishing community.
The group also enjoyed conversations with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Director, Dr Neil Jacobs, Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Brian Nesvik, Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Representative Blake Moore (R-UT).
ASA President and CEO, Glenn Hughes, said: “We look forward to continuing the conversation with legislators throughout the rest of this Congress and to an even bigger Keep America Fishing Fly-In in 2027.”
Above: From left: ASA President Glenn Hughes and Vice President of Government Affairs, Mike Leonard, with Senator Martin Heinrich (centre).
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