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As government shutdown looms, small business owners in DC brace for impact

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As government shutdown looms, small business owners in DC brace for impact



A government shutdown won’t just affect federal workers who won’t get paid. Businesses that rely on those employees being at work in D.C., Maryland and Virginia are bracing for an economic hit.

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Some of these businesses have been in the position before. The most recent government shutdown happened five years ago in 2018. On Pennsylvania Avenue, just blocks from the Capitol, there’s real concern over what this could do to small businesses.

Long-established Capitol Hill businesses like the Hunan Dynasty Chinese restaurant — a popular spot with top members of Congress, and the Hawk & Dove Restaurant, have taken a hit from government shutdowns before. They serve Hill staffers, lobbyists, and tourists who might wind up staying home if the federal government closes.

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“The shutdown …  The last one was what, a couple of weeks? Usually, people come at the beginning of it, but if it lasts a long time then people will get nervous and that’ll start hurting business,” said Tom Johnson, one of Hawk & Dove Restaurant’s managing partners.

“We lost business and the tourists, and the tourists traveling! Yeah, and there’s just not so many people,” said Tim Qi with Hunan Dynasty Restaurant. 

It’s no secret many small businesses and restaurants in the DMV did not survive the pandemic.  

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With our area home to more than 160,000 federal workers – members of Congress from Maryland and Virginia told FOX 5 that the loss of those workers and their spending dollars will likely hurt not only restaurants but the entire fall tourism industry. 

“A lot of them, of course, are still struggling to recover from where they were based on the COVID-19 disruption, so this could be a seriously lethal blow,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland).

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“If you’re in the tourism business, a hotel, restaurant maybe an outdoor store, this time in the fall is probably one of your two business seasons of the year, and we saw what happened when there was a shutdown in October 2016,” added Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia).

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The D.C. Chief Financial Officer reported the 2018 government shutdown, which lasted 35 days, cost D.C. $47.4 million worth of lost revenue. And the uncertainty among small business owners is real because there’s no telling how long, or how short another government shutdown could last.



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Washington, D.C

Starting XI: How the Orlando Pride will line up ahead of the NWSL Championship match against the Washington Spirit | Orlando Pride

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Starting XI: How the Orlando Pride will line up ahead of the NWSL Championship match against the Washington Spirit | Orlando Pride


Orlando Pride lineup: Anna Moorhouse, Cori Dyke, Emily Sams, Kylie Strom, Kerry Abello, Angelina, Haley McCutcheon, Adriana, Marta (C), Ally Watt, Barbra Banda

Substitutions: McKinley Crone, Celia, Summer Yates, Carrie Lawrence, Morgan Gautrat, Ally Lemos, Viviana Villacorta, Julie Doyle, Carson Pickett

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Marta’s Orlando Pride defeat Washington Spirit for their first NWSL title

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Marta’s Orlando Pride defeat Washington Spirit for their first NWSL title


What to know about the NWSL finals

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What to know about the NWSL finals

05:49

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Barbra Banda scored in the 37th minute to give the Orlando Pride their first National Women’s Soccer League championship with a 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit on Saturday night.

Banda dribbled into the right side of the box and made a move past a defender before kicking the ball on the ground with her left foot and past the goalkeeper. She became the first player in the NWSL to score in each round of the playoffs.

The Pride’s Angelina was nearly called for a push before passing it to Banda, but the VAR determined that the play was fair.

Orlando Pride v Washington Spirit - NWSL 2024 Championship Game
Marta #10 (right) of the Orlando Pride celebrates with teammates after defeating the Washington Spirit 1-0 in the NWSL Championship game at CPKC Stadium on Nov. 23, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Kyle Rivas / Getty Images

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The Spirit (20-7-2) controlled the game and outshot the Pride 25-9, had two more shots on goal and held onto possession 58% of the time. Rosemonde Kouassi had Washington’s best chance in the 47 minute when she headed a ball from about 10 yards away.

Orlando’s win gave Brazilian star Marta her first NWSL title. The 38-year-old Marta, considered arguably the greatest female soccer player of all time, joined the Orlando Pride in 2017 but had never reached an NWSL championship game until this year.

“(It’s a) magic moment for me because I’ve been in this club for so long and (to) wait for this moment, you know, so it’s… I’m just enjoy every single moment,” she told CBS News Friday ahead of the game. “…This year become like the best year in my club life.”

Top-seed Orlando (21-6-2) went unbeaten in its first 23 matches, a league record. They beat the Kansas City Current in the semifinals before hoisting the trophy at CPKC Stadium, their home field.

Orlando is the first team since 2019 to win the Shield and the title in the same year.

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Washington had won its last five playoff games when trailing at the half, but that streak was broken with this loss.



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New mural dedicated to DC’s ‘Mayor for Life’ honors career, contributions of Marion Barry – WTOP News

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New mural dedicated to DC’s ‘Mayor for Life’ honors career, contributions of Marion Barry – WTOP News


Ten years to the day after his death, D.C. leaders honored the life of the late Mayor Marion Barry with a new mural hanging in his namesake building.

The first panel of a new mural dedicated to Marion Barry, titled “Big Vision,” focuses on the late DC mayor’s early career as a civil rights activist.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)

WTOP/Luke Lukert

The mural’s second panel, “Big Impact,” highlights Barry’s time as a DC Councilmember and his early days as mayor.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)

WTOP/Luke Lukert

The third panel, “Big Legacy,” tells the story of Barry’s political comeback and ongoing impact.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)

WTOP/Luke Lukert

Community members gathered Saturday to watch Mayor Muriel Bowser and Barry’s widow, Cora Masters Barry, unveil the new mural.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)

WTOP/Luke Lukert

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Ten years to the day after his death, D.C. leaders honored the life of the late Mayor Marion Barry with a new mural hanging in his namesake building.

Mayor Muriel Bowser joined the former D.C. First Lady at the Marion S. Barry, Jr. Building in Judiciary Square on Saturday to pull the curtain down, revealing the new mural dedicated to the “Mayor for Life.”

“My husband really loved Washington, DC and its residents. The mural captures some of the major contributions he made to the City, and some of the people who worked with him to help build the City and empower its residents,” said Cora Masters Barry, Barry’s widow, in a statement.

“I was thrilled that so many residents and visitors were able to join us on this inspirational, entertaining, educational, and historical day, as we honored a man, Marion Barry Jr., whose legacy and love of this city was so deep and strong.”

The mural is broken into three parts, each with a different title and focusing on a different aspect of Barry’s life.

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The first panel, titled “Big Vision,” displays Barry’s early years as a civil rights activist and his transition into politics.

The center panel, “Big Impact,” then focuses on his time in office as a Councilmember and four term mayor.

These sections emphasize Barry’s support for Black-owned businesses, summer jobs for youth, programs for seniors and leadership opportunities for women.

The last section of the mural is titled ”Big Legacy.” It highlights the influence Barry still has on the city — showcasing advocacy against apartheid, support for the Million Man March, contributions to the development of the MCI Center, and his work with the DC Control Board.

The many pictures show Barry beside the likes of President Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr.

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Another focus of this panel is Barry’s political comeback after a high-profile arrest and conviction on crack cocaine possession charges in 1990. Four years later, he returned to the Mayor’s office after a commanding primary run.

“He told me a lot of things, and he taught us a lot of things, but one of the biggest ones was if you get knocked down, you get back up,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser at the unveiling.

Nabeeh Bilal, an artist based in Ward 8, created the mural.

“You’ll notice that there is not a single solo image of Marion Barry, and that’s because, with his accomplishments and achievements, it was always about others,” Bilal said.

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