More than 70 people were displaced Tuesday in a huge apartment-house fire in Southeast Washington, the D.C. fire department said.
Washington, D.C
D.C. Spotlight: Mr. Smith Arrives in Washington
Claiborne “Clay” Smith, director of literary initiatives on the Library of Congress, arrived in Washington, D.C., final October, when he took over for longtime director Marie Arana, who left to jot down a e book. One of many director’s main obligations is to supervise the Nationwide Ebook Pageant, and Smith has loads of expertise in that space—his earlier job was director of the San Antonio Ebook Pageant. Initially from West Texas, he says he has skilled “just a little” tradition shock since arriving within the nation’s capital.
Smith has moved round earlier than, leaving Texas after incomes his classics diploma at UT Austin and turning into books editor for the Austin Chronicle within the Nineteen Nineties. Whereas working in Manhattan within the early 2000s, he received a name from the Texas Ebook Pageant asking if he was within the place of literary director. “I assumed that sounded fairly nice, as a result of I wasn’t loving residing in New York Metropolis as a lot as I used to be advised I used to be imagined to,” he remembers. Being again in his residence state was much less the draw than studying “the way to program outdoors of New York,” he says.
Smith returned to journalism in 2012 as editor-in-chief of Kirkus Opinions, however quickly heard from the San Antonio Ebook Pageant. “Their director had left, and so they had been in a decent spot,” he says. “So, for seven years, I had two jobs.” In the meantime, his husband started legislation faculty in San Antonio, so in 2019 Smith stop Kirkus and devoted himself to the competition.
“I by no means thought I’d find yourself in Washington with a federal authorities job,” Smith says. “One of many major causes I utilized was the Nationwide Ebook Pageant. I do really feel that it offers me the prospect to program for the nation at a second when it’s vital to consider the entire nation.”
This yr’s theme, actually, is “Books Deliver Us Collectively.” Smith notes that has a literal interpretation in 2022, because the NBF goes again to an in-person occasion. “Attendees will likely be along with different e book lovers.”
For the primary time, the Library of Congress will host a panel with the D.C. Public Libraries on the NBF, kicking off the DCPL’s annual DC Reads program. That’s simply a part of how Smith and his workforce plan to deliver new audiences into the long-running competition. “For us it’s not only a query of range but in addition of accessibility,” he says. “Each competition has to develop. So how do I wish to change this one, which is so properly established? I don’t wish to mess with the issues we do proper, however we do want range of subject material.”
One change that’s already in progress, Smith notes, is a “life-style stage,” for “perhaps the most important publishing class of all,” which incorporates self-help, service, and handbooks. “Any session attended will embrace particular workout routines or data,” he explains. “If an creator has written about mindfulness, we’d have her conduct a five-minute mindfulness session for the viewers.”
Smith has already realized that a part of working as a authorities worker means accepting that new issues take time. “It’s been an enormous studying curve for me,” he says, “however [librarian of Congress] Dr. Hayden has inspired me to play the lengthy sport.” Because the director of Literary Initiatives, Smith additionally oversees the nation’s literary ambassadorships, together with the poet laureate, the nationwide ambassador for younger folks’s literature, and the Library of Congress Prize for American Literatures, together with the Bollingen Prize in Poetry. And there are additionally a number of year-round D.C. occasions, together with three in fall 2022 for kids and Dwell on the Library, which contains a latest interview by Smith of novelist Pleasure Williams.
Dwell occasions within the district matter, however so does increasing the attain of “America’s Library”: “We’ve a willingness to step out of our personal large footprint and work with different library methods,” Smith says. “We additionally work with all the state facilities for the e book to create programming that displays and provides to the NBF lineups. The attain of the Library of Congress is one thing that issues to us fairly a bit.
Return to the principle characteristic.
A model of this text appeared within the 06/13/2022 difficulty of Publishers Weekly beneath the headline: Mr. Smith Arrives in Washington
Washington, D.C
Huge fire in Southeast displaces dozens, fire department says
The two-alarm blaze broke out in the 2600 block of Bowen Road SE and was extinguished by 4 p.m., according to the department.
At least one person was rescued by ladder, the department said. Two people, including a firefighter, were taken to hospitals. No serious injuries were reported.
The fire apparently broke out on the top floor and attic area of a four-story apartment house and spread to adjoining buildings.
The cause was not immediately known.
Washington, D.C
Washington DC expected to see record travel for Independence Day Weekend
WASHINGTON – More than 1.8 million Washington-metro area residents are projected to travel 50 miles or more over the Independence Day holiday weekend, according to AAA.
This marks a 6% increase compared to last year and over 5% more than in 2019.
“With school out across the country, summer vacations are in full swing, and the 4th of July holiday seems like the perfect time for a getaway,” said Ragina Cooper Ali, spokeswoman for AAA in Maryland and Washington, D.C.
FILE-Travelers search for their suitcases in a baggage holding area for Southwest Airlines at Denver International Airport on December 28, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
“We are seeing that a residual impact of COVID has been greater work flexibility, affording many the opportunity to work remotely and extend weekend and holiday trips,” Ali added.
AAA estimates that more than 1.6 million metro-area residents—nearly 90% of travelers—will drive during the holiday week. This is an increase of nearly 6% compared to both last year and 2019. “Nationally, gas prices are trending about 11 cents lower than last year. Here, in the D.C. metro area, Tuesday’s average of $3.49 is a penny less than a year ago,” noted Ali. She added that while pump prices are expected to remain stable until after Labor Day, the hurricane season could potentially impact Gulf Coast oil production and refining centers, leading to fluctuations.
Air travel is also anticipated to be strong, with AAA projecting more than 129,000 D.C. area travelers flying to their July 4th destinations. This is nearly 7% higher than last year and more than a 12% increase compared to 2019. AAA’s booking data shows domestic airfare is 2% cheaper this Independence Day week compared to last year, with the average price for a domestic round-trip ticket at $800. Ali recommends travelers arrive at airports two hours early, reserve parking in advance, and opt for carry-on luggage to save time and money.
The “other” travel category, which includes buses, trains, and cruises, is also seeing a rebound, with over 79,000 District travelers expected to take these modes of transportation. This represents an increase of nearly 12% compared to last year, although it is still down more than 8% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019. “Baltimore and other hometown ports remain popular and convenient for many in our region,” stated Ali. She also noted that cruise travelers can find deals this summer as new ships entering the market lead to targeted discounts on older inventory.
Nationally, a record 71 million people are predicted to travel for the holiday this year, with more than 60 million hitting the roads. Air travel is also expected to set a record with nearly six million travelers, reflecting a 7% increase from last year and more than a 12% rise compared to pre-pandemic days in 2019.
Washington, D.C
Hunter Biden suspended from practicing law in D.C. after gun conviction
Washington — The District of Columbia Court of Appeals has suspended Hunter Biden from practicing law in Washington, D.C., the court’s chief judge said in a filing Tuesday.
The “immediate” suspension, as Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby put it, follows Biden’s conviction on federal gun charges by a federal jury in Delaware. Federal law prohibits someone who improperly uses controlled substances from purchasing or possessing a firearm. The president’s son was found guilty of three felony counts related to his purchase of a gun in 2018 while he was addicted to crack cocaine.
The court said the “serious crimes” warranted the suspension of Biden’s ability to practice law in the district.
“[T]he respondent is suspended immediately from the practice of law in the District of Columbia pending resolution of this matter,” the order said, referring the matter to the D.C. Bar’s Board on Professional Responsibility for further investigation.
Biden is a Yale Law School graduate, although he hasn’t been a particularly active user of his law degree recently. He has been licensed to practice law in D.C. since 2007.
Scott MacFarlane contributed to this report.
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