WASHINGTON – Washington, D.C. is the eighth-best place in the country to celebrate the Fourth of July, according to a new study by WalletHub.

The personal finance company compared the 100 largest U.S. cities based on how much holiday fun you can have on a budget.

The study was based on 18 key metrics, including average beer and wine prices, to the duration of fireworks shows. The study also looked at the Fourth of July weather forecast.

The study also took safety into account, looking at crime rates, DUI-related fatalities, and deadly pedestrian crashes. 

Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, San Francisco, and San Diego came in ahead of the nation’s capital. St. Paul and St. Louis rounded out the top 10.

In Virginia, Virginia Beach ranked 35, Norfolk ranked 51, and Chesapeake ranked 59. In Maryland, Baltimore ranked 41.

WASHINGTON – Families who lived in one D.C. apartment building are devastated after officials say illegal fireworks are what sparked the two-alarm blaze that left them without a place to call home.

The fire broke out around 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Oxford Manor Apartments on Bowen Road in Southeast D.C. 

FEMS says two kids playing with Roman candles are what caused this devastating fire that left 30 apartments destroyed and more than 75 people displaced.

Investigators say the firework landed on a second-floor balcony. Flames quickly shot out, spreading up into the attic and onto the roof, then to nearby apartments. The fire has been ruled accidental. 

Two people went to the hospital with minor injuries but some of the residents FOX 5 spoke with say they are incredibly grateful it wasn’t worse.

Residents were going in and out of the burned building all day long, putting whatever they could salvage into black trash bags. 

Fireworks accidentally ignite massive DC apartment fire that displaced 76 residents

Duane Campbell, who has lived in the apartments for 17 years, says he’s trying to stay hopeful amid the devastation. 

“Words can’t really explain. You don’t wake up and this is something you can plan for. There’s no way. I’m still wrapping my mind around all of it but the only thing I can say is, every day might get easier,” Campbell said. “Today is just the beginning  – the end of this, but everything has a silver lining.”

D.C. Fire is holding a news conference Thursday morning to detail which fireworks are allowed and which are not in the District, ahead of the July 4th holiday.

“This was home,” Campbell said. “I raised three kids here and it’s so unfortunate. So many things…memories that are never going to be replaced. But you put one foot in front of the other. You keep going. That’s life. It throws you curveballs you take a hit and keep going.” 

Meanwhile, Minkoff Restoration shoring up the damaged apartments and guiding residents in safely to recover what they can.

“We’ve been working hard to get the building safe so we can do that. Wrapping the building with a security fence, boarding the windows, locking everything so nobody can get into each other’s apartments,” Guy Tull with Minkoff Restoration said. 

Tull also wants to remind people how crucial renter’s insurance is – a lot of these folks didn’t have it and are at a loss for what to do next.

The Red Cross is working to help those impacted.

Posted on: June 26, 2024, 03:27h. 

Last updated on: June 26, 2024, 03:27h.

Washington, DC could soon allow multiple operators to conduct mobile sports wagering in the District after City Council member Kenyan McDuffie’s (I-At Large) amendment to broaden the market was included in the council’s proposed budget for fiscal 2025, which was passed Tuesday.

McDuffie introduced the Sports Wagering Amendment Act of 2024 in March. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) still has to approve the budget, but if she does, that could open the door to the city having more than one mobile sports betting option. Currently, FanDuel has a monopoly on mobile betting in the US capitol city.

Last month, representatives from BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming testified before the Washington, DC City Council’s Committee Business and Economic Development Committee to advocate for a more competitive mobile sports betting landscape in the city.

Usual Suspects Likely to Eye DC Sports Betting Entry

Should Washington, DC’s sports wagering market be liberalized, forcing FanDuel to shed its brief monopoly, the typical names in the industry would likely seek entry.

A decision on making the District’s sports betting market could boil down to simple economics. FanDuel paid a $5 million conversion fee to the Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) to take over the Intralot deal and is promising $2 million to $4 million in annual operating payments to the city. If several other gaming companies made similar financial commitments, mobile betting expansion could be a significant moneymaker for the city.

However, there are market share considerations for operators. While Washington, DC is an enticing market for sportsbook firms, there are no guarantees adequate threats to FanDuel will be mounted. In the first quarter in neighboring Virginia, FanDuell commanded market share of 40.14%, or more than DraftKings and BetMGM combined.

Resistance to Open DC Sports Betting Market

Obviously, FanDuel wouldn’t be thrilled about the idea of shedding its monopoly in DC, but there’s likely to be resistance to an open market from other corners — namely small businesses that have sports wagering kiosks.

Those FanDuel-operated machines are found in 63 locations across the city, including bars and lottery retailers, and have become important revenue streams for those establishments.

Retailers that have those kiosks fear that if more mobile wagering options are permitted in the District, bettors will be less inclined to use the kiosks. McDuffie believes that other gaming companies could provide comparable devices to businesses should the Washington market be liberalized.