Washington, D.C

D.C. trades politics for pageantry on July Fourth holiday

Published

11 months ago

July 4, 2023

D.C. trades politics for pageantry on July Fourth holiday

America turned 247 years old Tuesday and revelers marked the birthday across the Washington region with pomp, pageantry, parades and parties — and the promise of plenty of fireworks to come. The mood was celebratory and upbeat and mostly free of the rancor that has dominated so much of the conversation about America’s politics and prospects over the past few years. Many expressed hope that a more harmonious existence is in the country’s near future, but the optimism was cautious.

The rain that soaked the capital overnight abated by morning. Skies cleared. And the sun shone brightly at 9:30 as General George Washington inspected the troops at Mount Vernon, an unofficial start to the day’s festivities. Military music played through speakers and more than 30 soldiers carrying muskets and wearing tricorn hats and meticulously tailored Revolutionary War era uniforms stood at attention as Washington, portrayed by Dan Shippey, walked past them.

Everything to know about celebrating July Fourth on the National Mall

Among the hundred or so visitors watching the ceremony was Andrea Hoskin, 63, accompanied by her daughter, son-in-law, and four grandchildren. “I wanted to see the location that George Washington lived at and dreamt about our nation and fought for our nation,” she said. A retired history teacher who comes from a military family, Hoskin said she hoped her grandchildren would make the connection to the nation’s past.

“Military is in our blood. Fighting for our nation is in our blood and seeing our history is in our blood,” she said.

The event was a precursor for the swearing-in of new citizens at the home of the nation’s first president.

Rehema Milka Nyamuhindu, a 19-year-old from the Republic of Congo, moved to the United States at the age of five and now lives in northern Virginia. She was one of the 90 people from 53 countries at the ceremony to become new citizens of the United States.

Nyamuhindu said she knew the ceremony would take place on the holiday, but had no idea it would be treated with such pomp and circumstance.

“It’s great to be able to finally relax for a little bit because I have my citizenship,” she said. “I truly feel like I can do anything — well, not anything, but definitely have more freedom.”

The event featured live music and a special appearance by George Washington, who delivered a speech to the new citizens and guests. “Welcome home, my fellow Americans,” he said, as the crowd cheered and the new citizens waved mini American flags.

“It means a lot to me,” said Henry Paa Kwesi Williams, a 23-year-old from Ghana who joined the Army in 2022 and celebrated his official citizenship Tuesday. “Like they say, America is the land of the free and I’m going to take this opportunity to make a good life out of it. And I also believe America has a great future ahead because of [the] strong foundation it was built on.”

On Capitol Hill, Susan Fournier wore a Washington Nationals shirt, a white hat with a red, white and blue sash and earrings to match as she stood on the sidewalk of Eighth Street SE with hundreds of people and pets waiting for the Capitol Hill Community Fourth of July parade to pass by. Fournier, 71, has attended the neighborhood parade for decades, but this year’s installment was special. It was the first time her grandson would march in it as a member of the local Boy Scout troop. “We’re all just really excited,” she said.

Brooke Lawson, 19, has been coming to the Capitol Hill parade since she was an infant. As a youngster, she focused on grabbing the candy tossed to kids by people on floats. As she’s grown older, she said, the event has become a way for her family to bond. On Tuesday, Lawson was at the parade with her mother, Ingrid Bynum, an elementary school principal in Virginia.

Lawson and her mother found a shady spot on Eighth Street to watch as Eastern High School’s marching band, dancers and drum line powered up the street. A sea of Labradoodles, some wearing American flag bandannas, also passed by with their obedient owners in tow. Lawson said her favorite though, was Tinkus Bolivia USA, a group that performs traditional dances from Bolivia and has become a mainstay of the Capitol Hill parade.

Post Editorial Board: Beneath the July 4 fireworks, remember America’s light

The celebratory and inclusive morning vibe is something Lawson said she hoped can be replicated across the nation.

“Getting to see the community come together for an event like this is nice, so I wish that was something we could do as a country, politically,” Lawson said.

By early afternoon, temperatures had reached the high 80s and the traditional holiday was greeted with traditional Washington humidity as the National Independence Day Parade made its way down Constitution Avenue near the National Mall. The sound of drums and horns permeated the air in front of the National Museum of History, where a large crowd stood along both sides of the street. A float draped in red, white, and blue glided down Constitution as characters portraying Abraham Lincoln and Founding Fathers waved to the crowd.

Alana Prewitt, 27, wore a blue maxi dress as she held a blue umbrella to match, protecting her from the sun. Prewitt and her husband, David, brought their daughter Riley, who is a year old to experience the parade in her stroller, parked front and center. “I’m here to celebrate the 4th of July. My husband’s family is in town so we wanted to give them an experience of D.C., and just have a good time,” said Prewitt, a D.C. resident.

Where to celebrate July Fourth around D.C. without going downtown

While enjoying the festivities Prewitt, a Black woman, said her hope in America is tainted by the current climate and recent overturning of Affirmative Action. “I don’t have hope,” she said. “If the right people were to get in place I would, but right now, I don’t.”

In the future, Prewitt said she would like to see an America that exhibited togetherness, similar to the day’s crowd. “I’m a Christian. I just want to see unity and peace in our country. If we had unity and peace things would be so much better,” Prewitt said.

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Washington, D.C

Over 1,000 Attend Washington, D.C. Eucharistic Procession Despite Rain

Published

4 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Press Room

Over 1,000 Attend Washington, D.C. Eucharistic Procession Despite Rain

Throughout the procession, attendees said prayers, including the rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

A crowd of more than 1,000 Catholics processed with the Eucharist through the streets of downtown Washington, D.C. to celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph on Saturday morning in spite of scattered rainfall throughout the event.

The Catholic Information Center’s (CIC) second annual Eucharistic procession — which took place just blocks from the White House — drew participation from priests, nuns and lay people from the area. The May 18 procession was nearly twice the size of last year’s procession on May 20.

More than 1,000 Catholics attend Eucharistic Procession in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph. Tyler Arnold

“People have shown their love for the Eucharist [by] showing up in this rainy weather,” Father Charles Trullols, the director of CIC, told CNA after the procession.

Father Trullols said he “wasn’t certain” whether the weather would reduce attendance, but surpassing last year’s turnout was “even more incredible because of the rain.” He added that bystanders who saw the procession appeared “so impressed” with the “beauty of the procession” and “the reverence of everyone praying.”

“[This procession] impacted so many souls,” Father Trullols added.

The event began with Mass inside CIC’s chapel, although a large portion of attendees viewed the Mass on a video displayed on a truck outside of the building as the whole crowd was not able to fit inside.

Massgoers at the Eucharistic Procession in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, on May 18, 2024. Christina Herrera

This was followed by the exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament on K Street and a recitation of the Litany of St. Joseph before the procession began down the road.

The Blessed Sacrament is seen at the Eucharistic Procession in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph on May 18, 2024. Christina Herrera

At the lead of the procession were the cross bearer and candle bearers, followed by religious sisters. After the sisters were children who have recently received their First Communion, and then the Blessed Sacrament itself inside of a monstrance and under a processional canopy. Behind the Eucharist were the priests, the choir and the lay faithful.

Throughout the procession, attendees said prayers, including the rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. The faithful also sang various hymns and stopped at three stations to kneel in front of the Blessed Sacrament where Trullols would read from the Gospel.

One of the attendees — Joseph Duncan from McLean, Virginia — told CNA the procession was “amazing” and noted the importance of a procession near the White House during an election year: “[It can] bring a lot of grace to the country.”

The faithful kneel during the Eucharistic Procession in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph on May 18, 2024. Christina Herrera

Brittany Baldwin, from Houston, Texas, told CNA the procession was “incredibly moving” and that she “choked up” during the procession and “watching people’s reactions was equally moving.”

Baldwin, who said she also attended CIC’s procession last year, noted the growth in attendees and added: “I’m sure there would have been a lot more if it wasn’t for the rain.”

The CIC offers daily Mass on weekdays and regularly hosts informational events on Catholic theology and other Catholic issues. The organization also has a bookstore.

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Washington, D.C

Woke DC mayor takes her 14-strong entourage 2,500 miles on taxpayer-funded ‘mission’ to LAS VEGAS just weeks after blowing thousands of the public’s cash on lavish golf trip… so do YOU think these business trips are justified?

Published

12 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Press Room

Woke DC mayor takes her 14-strong entourage 2,500 miles on taxpayer-funded ‘mission’ to LAS VEGAS just weeks after blowing thousands of the public’s cash on lavish golf trip… so do YOU think these business trips are justified?

Washington DC’s woke Mayor Muriel Bowser will travel on a taxpayer-funded jaunt to Las Vegas with her team just hours from now.

It comes just weeks after the Democrat faced backlash for attending the lavish Masters golf tournament that cost $5,000 per person, Bowser personally revealed.

The mayor will travel with a team of 14 on an ‘economic mission’ to the International Council of Shopping Centers at the Wynn Las Vegas on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, according to her public calendar.

‘Mayor Bowser will attend the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) to attract retail to the District of Columbia,’ the description states.

‘This economic mission is coordinated by the Washington, DC Economic Partnership, which has organized the District’s presence at ICSC since 2001,’ her office added in the event’s explanation.

Mayor Muriel Bowser will travel on a taxpayer-funded jaunt to Las Vegas with her team next week

The Democrat will attend the trip to the Wynn Las Vegas with a team of fourteen

In a separate press release, the mayor’s office said ‘we know that Washingtonians in every part of DC want access to fantastic amenities.

‘From the Lidl in Ward 7 to the Wegmans in Ward 3, those are conversations that started at ICSC.

The mayor’s team added, ‘Through programs like the Food Access Fund and the Neighborhood Prosperity Fund, we have made good progress in filling amenity gaps, but there is still more to do to ensure greater accessibility and equity – and filling those gaps and supporting the continued transformation of Downtown will be a focus of this trip.’

The traveling delegation’s aims for the trip are ‘expanding the Washington, D.C. brand’, ‘generating business leads for major development projects’, ‘fostering business relationships’ and ‘engaging with new prospects including retailers and brokers.’

Mayor Bowser faced intense scrutiny for using taxpayer money to fund a trip to one of the most exclusive sports events in the world, the US Masters in Augusta, Georgia, last week.

The mayor’s official schedule said that on Saturday April 13, she would be traveling to the Peach state ‘as part of a sports and economic development visit.’

The communications director for Bowser’s office, Susan Castillo, told DC NewsNow this week that the mayor was invited by two people who are ‘spearheading’ a plan to rejuvenate two areas of the city.

Bowser was invited by the Task Force to Shape Future of Gallery Place/Chinatown Neighborhood chairs Jodie McLean and Deborah Ratner Salzberg, Castillo told the website.

Bowser (pictured center) recently attended a lavish $5000 per person golf tournament

Bowser was there to see Scottie Scheffler win the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club

Castillo went on to say that Bowser was willing to travel to any city or any country in the world in order to further her administration’s interests.

WUSA reports that along for the ride with Bowser was senior advisor Beverly Perry and two other aides.

The station reports that the purpose of the trip was also to capitalize on sports opportunities for the city that already plays host to five professional sports teams.

Earlier this month, Bowser was roundly criticized after boasting that crime is down in D.C., compared to last year even though a recent string of violence has sent residents fleeing for Virginia and Maryland suburbs.

Despite an overall 13 percent dip this year January 1 through April 2 compared to the same time period last year, the District of Columbia is still experiencing a rise in crime compared to the norm in years prior to 2023.

It comes after 2023 was recorded as the deadliest year in more than two decades. D.C. also had the largest spike in violent crime out of any other major U.S. city.

Mayor Muriel Bowser faced backlash earlier this month for praising a decrease in crime from the second quarter in 2023 to 2024, but residents claim they do feel any safer and many are fleeing to Virginia and Maryland suburbs to escape the violence and threats

Overall violent crime is down but the MPD notes that the statistics for 2024 are ‘preliminary’ and subject to change throughout the year as more information becomes available

While some stats are down from 2023, there is still a general upwards trend from years prior. One of the largest crime statistics in D.C. are a result of carjackings, which reached an all-time-high in 2023 but is down 31% so far this year

From January 1 through April 2 last year to this year there was a 13% decrease in overall crime – after a record-high crime year in 2023 in Washington, D.C.

Tiffany Henyard, 40, of Dolton, Illinois, has repeatedly been dubbed America’s Worst Mayor

While data does reveal a decrease between the specific time period last year to this year, residents are sharing an overall sentiment that crime is on the rise and they are feeling increasingly less safe in D.C. neighborhoods.

As evident, a person was robbed at gunpoint just blocks from the Hart Senate Office Building in April by two individuals, at least one of which was armed with a gun.

Whilst frustrations may run high with DC’s mayor, it is Dalton, Illinois who claim to have ‘America’s worst mayor.’

Mayor Tiffany Henyard is under federal investigation, and was recently served federal subpoenas seeking records about trips taken by city officials and potential financial mismanagement.

A trip to Las Vegas in 2023 was allegedly one of several taxpayer funded jaunts Henyard took that totaled over $102,000.

Since her election in 2021, Henyard has faced allegations of corruption, fraud and financial mismanagement, including a lawsuit filed a month ago claiming she worked to cover-up a sexual assault on the trip to Las Vegas.

The 40-year-old municipal leader has developed a reputation for her confrontational antics, failure to do her job, alleged corruption and apparent disdain for her constituents, whom she has berated publicly and once with the assistance of a DJ.

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Washington, D.C

DC police investigate Northwest shooting, suspects remains at large

Published

19 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Press Room

DC police investigate Northwest shooting, suspects remains at large

WASHINGTON – The Metropolitan Police Department is on the lookout for any suspects involved in a shooting in Northwest.

MPD are in the area of the intersection of Sherman Avenue and Harvard Street in Northwest following a shooting Saturday afternoon. Police are searching for a black sedan with heavy tints with damage in the front last seen fleeing southbound in the 2800 block of Sherman Avenue.

This comes less than an hour after a reported officer involved shooting in Northwest near George Washington University.

No word on any injuries.

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