Washington, D.C

Cops in nation’s capital draw ire, support for staying away from campus protest

Published

2 years ago

May 2, 2024

Cops in nation’s capital draw ire, support for staying away from campus protest

As police swarmed pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses across the country this week, officers in the nation’s capital refused to get involved, igniting ire from Republican Congressmembers and raising thorny ethics questions about bringing outside cops to university property.

Fueling part of the controversy are reports that Metropolitan Police supposedly turned down pleas from university administrators to get involved amid escalating protests against the war in Gaza on George Washington University’s Washington, D.C., campus late last week. The move deviated from decisions by other police departments to march on college campuses, disband student demonstrations, and arrest hundreds this week.

The tent encampment covering University Yard, a square area in the center of the George Washington University campus, entered its eighth day on Thursday. Hours after around 20 tents went up in the early morning hours of April 25, the university demanded that protesters disperse and dismantle them.

When the demonstrators refused to leave, the university reached out to metro police to break up the encampment, with President Ellen Granberg and Provost Christopher Bracey calling it an “unauthorized use of university space.”

But metro police refused to send their officers into the campus, fearing the optics of a police crackdown on students less than a mile from the White House, according to the Washington Post.

Police wrote in an email to USA TODAY that the department “stood in support” of the response of campus police, who take “the lead in the response to first amendment demonstrations occurring on GWU grounds.” The department declined to comment on “operational tactics or procedures.”

George Washington officials did not provide additional comment in response to USA TODAY’s request.

Listen: Police order dispersal of gathering at UCLA as protests continue nationwide | The Excerpt

GOP congressmembers make trip to GWU

The metro police decision not to get involved presented an opportunity for a political jab from some Republican members of the House Oversight Committee, who visited the encampment on Wednesday to condemn the police department’s refusal to act.

“We expect these encampments to be cleared out,” Committee Chair James Comer said, after walking through a crowd of protesters booing and heckling. In a letter to Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, he and Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx also slammed metro police for refusing to get involved “over fears of public criticism.”

But experts cautioned university administrators to think carefully before involving police in campus protests. Before calling in law enforcement, university administrations should have a crystal clear picture of what’s going on, said Christy Lopez, a professor at Georgetown Law. That level of certainty could be missing from the decisions of some administrations.

“Sometimes it’s just really fuzzy and things are moving quickly, and you need to make sure that you understand what’s going on,” she said. “Sometimes, it can be sort of reckless to the point of almost deliberate” to call in police without the full facts established, she added.

Lopez commended police in the nation’s capital for not getting involved in the protest at George Washington. “We should not have to rely on police departments restraining themselves,” she said. “But as that instance shows, sometimes you have to rely on the police department to show the level of judgment that campus officials may not be showing.”

Almost every recent instance she had seen of police response to student protests could present grounds for a critical incident review of officers’ actions, she said. “I think that every single crackdown that I’ve seen warrants that level of scrutiny,” she added.

Protesters Face Charges: Campus protests across the US result in arrests by the hundreds. But will the charges stick?

Hundreds arrested at campus protests

The decision made metro police an outlier among other city police departments that sent officers into the chaotic center of campus demonstrations.

The NYPD made its first wave of around 100 arrests on Columbia University’s Manhattan campus in mid-April after it entered campus upon request from university President Minouche Shafik to dismantle a tent encampment. The situation has only escalated since then – on Tuesday night, NYPD officers arrested nearly 300 people at demonstrations at Columbia and the City College of New York.

At a news conference on Wednesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said NYPD carried out the operation at the university’s request. “The request we received in writing could not have been clearer,” he said.

In Austin, police in riot gear, riding horses, and wielding batons and pepper spray descended on protests at the University of Texas campus last week upon the university’s request. Although charges against the 57 people arrested were dropped, officers returned on Monday to arrest nearly 80 more.

In an email to USA TODAY, Austin police said the level of assistance that its officers provided to campus police changed with the dynamics of the situation. At first, officers helped to transport those arrested to jail. More recently, campus police asked Austin officers to assist them in making arrests. After campus police and Texas Department of Public Safety officers decided to disband the protest, “it became apparent that additional resources were needed for officer safety and the safety of those taking part in the demonstration.”

“Moving forward as the demonstrations continue, APD will remain ready to provide assistance to [campus police] if requested,” Austin police said in the email.

Experts say police should build trust with protesters

Lopez said building up a level of trust with protesters by acting with restraint can help law enforcement work effectively in the midst of a protest. “Is there an alternative to just going in and tearing apart an encampment or shutting down a protest? Or can you be more directed and actually figure out who’s causing the problems?” she said.

Either way, law enforcement’s response to the protests could leave a lasting mark on how young people view the ethics of policing, Lopez said. “How the police respond here is going to be as indelibly marked on the political consciousness of youth today, as the police response during the Vietnam War protest was on youth of that era,” she said.

“This is going to define how they think about not just police, but government, about the legitimacy of authority,” she added. “That’s really, really an important thing for police and leaders to be thinking about, is that they’re forging that reality and those perceptions right now.”

Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Reach her on email at cmayesosterman@usatoday.com. Follow her on X @CybeleMO.

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Washington, D.C

Washington Monument gives new look of the White House East Wing construction

Published

1 day ago

November 17, 2025

Press Room

Washington Monument gives new look of the White House East Wing construction

The newly reopened Washington Monument, which typically offers sprawling views of Washington, DC from 555 feet high, now provides a peek at the White House’s East Wing renovations.

Andrew Leyden, a freelance photographer in Washington, D.C., posted photos of the scene from the top of the obelisk on X last week.

The photos show construction crews, cranes and a gaping construction site where the East Wing recently stood. President Donald Trump had the East Wing demolished last month after initially insisting construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom wouldn’t involve the structure’s demolition.

Photos of a bulldozer tearing through the wing’s facade went viral on social media.

The White House is now undergoing renovations to transform the site, which traditionally served as the first lady’s offices.

The modern version of the East Wing was added to the White House in 1942.

Critics were outraged at the demolition because it was done without public input. In an open letter on Oct. 21, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit, said it was “deeply concerned” about the project and urged the National Park Service to pause demolition until the proposed plans could go through public review.

Why was the demolition done?

In a July news release, the White House said the construction would occur to create a space for large-scale events.

“The White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders and other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building entrance,” the news release stated.

The ballroom is expected to be an “ornately designed and carefully crafted space” with a 650-person seating capacity, higher than the previous 200-person seating capacity in the East Room of the White House.

Its construction is estimated to cost $300 million, but Trump has said it will be funded by him and other donors. Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Apple are among a list of donors the White House said is paying for the addition.

What has the White House said about the criticism?

In response to the criticism, the White House said in a news release on Oct. 21 that “In the latest instance of manufactured outrage, unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies are clutching their pearls over President Donald J. Trump’s visionary addition of a grand, privately funded ballroom to the White House — a bold, necessary addition that echoes the storied history of improvements and additions from commanders-in-chief to keep the executive residence as a beacon of American excellence.”

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com

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Washington, D.C

Dick Cheney’s funeral is set to take place this week. What to know about date, time

Published

2 days ago

November 16, 2025

Press Room

Dick Cheney’s funeral is set to take place this week. What to know about date, time

The funeral for former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney is set to take place this week in Washington, DC.

Cheney died of complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease at the age of 84 on Nov. 3, his relatives said.

The longtime force in Republican politics served under former President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009 and was considered one of the most powerful and controversial men to hold the vice president role, in large part because of his role in leading the push to invade Iraq in 2003.

He became a critic of President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection, saying he voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, USA TODAY previously reported.

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1941, the former VP grew up in Wyoming, where he served as a congressman and later retired. He is survived by his wife, Lynne, and two daughters, Mary and Liz. Liz Cheney is a former GOP lawmaker.

Here’s what to know about the funeral of Dick Cheney.

When is Dick Cheney’s funeral?

Cheney’s funeral will be held at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 20.

Where is Dick Cheney’s funeral?

Cheney’s funeral will take place at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC.

It will be by invitation, and only those with invitations issued in advance of the service will be admitted to the Cathedral with security measures in place for staff and guests.

The public is invited to watch the service online.

Who is speaking at Dick Cheney’s funeral?

The following people are among nearly a dozen individuals set to speak at Cheney’s memorial service:

The Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of Washington National Cathedral
George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, Professor of Medicine and Surgery, George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences
Cheney’s daughter, Liz Cheney
Cheney’s grandchildren
Pete Williams, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and former NBC News Justice Correspondent

Where will Dick Cheney be buried?

As of Sunday, Nov. 16, information about a potential burial of Cheney had not been released.

USA TODAY has reached out to a Cheney family spokesperson for comment.

Contributing: Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY

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Washington, D.C

Nemec Scores Shootout Winning Goal in Washington | GAME STORY | New Jersey Devils

Published

3 days ago

November 16, 2025

Press Room

Nemec Scores Shootout Winning Goal in Washington | GAME STORY | New Jersey Devils

Here are some observations from the game:

• Simon Nemec has been on a remarkable run. In the past three games he’s scored five goals – the shootout winner included, although those don’t show up on the official stats list. Nemec scored the game-tying goal against the Islanders and a hat trick in Chicago, before adding his shootout winner tonight.

“When Sheldon said I’m up (in the shootout), in my head I’m like, I’ve just got one move, so just go and try it and it worked,” Nemec said. “I’m happy for that.”

“He’s feeling it,” Keefe said of his decision to give Nemec the opportunity in the shootout, “But I also felt we needed a right handed shot to give the goaltender a different look. That was it. And you’re looking at righties, and we don’t have a ton of options there, and Nemo is feeling it, so why not?”

• Without Hughes, the Devils had revamped power play units:

PP1: Nemec, Hischier, Bratt, Meier and Mercer
PP2: Luke Hughes, Gritsyuk, Palat, Cotter and Noesen

Gritsyuk scored the opening goal of the game on the power play, which went 1-for-3 against the Caps, all three Washington penalties coming in the opening 7 minutes of the game.

• Prior to the game, head coach Sheldon Keefe gave some injury updates, with Zack MacEwen and Cody Glass both having traveled back to New Jersey for further evaluation on their injuries sustained in Chicago. Keefe mentioned that MacEwen will be out for “an extended period of time” while Cody Glass is out week-to-week. With both theirs and Hughes’s absence, three lineup spots opened.

The Devils had made two callups prior to the game, Shane Lachance and Nathan Légaré, who both played their first games of the season. For Lachance, it was his NHL debut.

Légaré finished the night with 9:26 of ice time and was bumped up to the third line to play with Ondrej Palat and Juho Lammikko for parts of the game, while Lachance played seven minutes in his debut.

“Guys like Légaré and Lachance coming in today, we need minutes from these guys,” Keefe said. “This game we played tonight is two steps faster than the game we played in Chicago. It was a different league out there today. You can’t get by if you’re not using six defensemen and four lines. We need minutes from those guys and everybody contributed in their own way and that’s what you need. That’s a team win. Full marks for our guys.”

Juho Lammikko re-entered the Devils’ lineup, playing the third-line center role.

• The Devils played their first game this season without forward Jack Hughes. He is expected to miss two months of action after undergoing surgery on his finger. In Hughes’s absence, Jesper Bratt was wearing the ‘A’ on his jersey as an alternate captain alongside Ondrej Palat. Bratt also wore the A in Hughes’s absence last season.

• In a scary incident, Alex Ovechkin threw Jesper Bratt into the boards in the far corner of the Capitals’ net at the tail end of the first period. Bratt lay on the ice while the play continued momentarily. It was one of the more bizarre moments as the Devils capped off the play seconds after Bratt fell to the ice with a goal by Luke Hughes. Instead of celebrating, Hughes went right from the follow-through of his snapshot to Bratt’s aid, putting his hand up to call for team trainers. Bratt was attended to on the ice, eventually making his way to the bench on his own accord. There was no celebration when Luke Hughes scored the Devils’ second goal, assisted by Bratt and Brenden Dillon, with Bratt still lying on the ice.

Bratt’s teammates immediately called for the athletic trainer, who came to his aid. Bratt was able to skate off on his own and remained on the Devils bench.

• The Devils played in their fifth straight overtime. Only two other times in franchise history has the team played five straight overtime games. Both previous times came during the 1995-96 season.

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