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Washington, D.C
DC attorney general blasts NRA Foundation: “Unchecked piggy bank”
The National Rifle Association (NRA) has averted facing another civil trial after reaching a settlement with Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb, who criticized the group’s charitable branch as an “unchecked piggy bank.”
Schwalb’s office sued the NRA and its charity, the NRA Foundation, for allegedly misusing millions of tax-deductible donations to compensate for the organization’s waning funds. Trial for the suit was scheduled to begin on April 29, roughly two months after a New York jury found the NRA and its former CEO liable for financial misconduct in a separate civil case.
“Donors are entitled to know that their charitable contributions will be used in furtherance of a nonprofit organization’s stated charitable mission,” Schwalb, a Democrat, said in a statement following Wednesday’s settlement.
Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
“The NRA Foundation—the charitable arm of the NRA—violated this sacred public trust, allowing the NRA to use them as an unchecked piggy bank,” the attorney general continued. “Caving to pressure from the NRA, the Foundation diverted millions of dollars to the NRA in grants and risky loans that were repaid only after [the attorney general’s office] filed its lawsuit.”
Former NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre was found liable of misspending millions of the organization’s money in February after facing a lawsuit from New York Attorney General Letitia James. Prosecutors accused LaPierre of using the money for expensive vacations and lavish travel means.
The jury in the case also found that the NRA had failed to properly manage its assets and that it had misrepresented information in tax filings. The gun rights group was also found liable for violating whistleblower protections.
LaPierre was ordered to pay $5.4 million in damages in connection to the case. The NRA faces $4.4 million in penalties.
The settlement on Wednesday requires a thorough oversight of the NRA Foundation’s operations and extensive changes within the group to “ensure that the Foundation operates independently from the NRA and fully complies” with D.C. nonprofit laws, according to Schwalb’s office.
In a statement to the New York Times on Wednesday, the NRA characterized its settlement as a victory, claiming that it had proven that all of the funds taken from its foundation “were applied exclusively in furtherance of its charitable programs and that there was no misuse.”
NRA President Charles Cotton also called Schwalb’s lawsuit a “political attack.” Newsweek reached out viaemail to the organization’s press office for more information late Wednesday evening.
Conditions of the settlement require the NRA Foundation to conduct annual nonprofit compliance training and establish an audit committee “to ensure Foundation’s financial affairs are in order and work with an external auditor,” read Schwalb’s release. Under D.C. law, violations of the district’s nonprofit statute do not authorize the collection of penalties.
“Tax-exempt nonprofits are a form of public trust—abusing that trust as the NRA did violates both the public interest and District law,” the district attorney continued in his statement. “Today’s outcome builds on our longstanding commitment to safeguarding nonprofit donors’ money and ensuring that all nonprofits operating in the District of Columbia follow the law.”
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
WASHINGTON (7News) — An early Wednesday morning incident at D.C.’s Metro Center left multiple riders injured after a work vehicle made contact with a Silver Line train just before the end of service.
According to Metro officials, the train was holding at the station when the work vehicle struck the rear car shortly after midnight. Officials said there were 27 customers on board at the time.
Officials say 11 people reported non-life-threatening injuries and that Metro personnel were not seriously injured.
SEE ALSO | Metro’s board to vote on budget that calls for fully automated trains on the Red Line
Passengers who did not report injuries were transferred to another train and continued toward Downtown Largo.
The train involved was the final Silver Line run of the night.
Metro said the incident remains under investigation as crews work to determine the cause.
As of 3:30 a.m., it’s not clear what the potential impacts to the morning service may be.
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Problem Solved
Earning enough to be considered middle class has gotten more expensive, with rising housing and everyday costs pushing the income bar higher, according to a recent report from GOBankingRates.
The median range for middle-class income across the country is between $59,000 and $104,000 in 2026, depending on which state you live in. GOBanking Rates used Pew Research Center’s definition of middle class — income ranging from two-thirds to twice a state’s median household income — and added data from the U.S. Census Bureau to report lowest middle-income, highest middle-class income and median income for each state, including Maryland and Virginia, and Washington D.C.
The current national middle-class minimum of $59,000 would have declared you middle class a decade ago in the U.S. In 2016, earning $39,000 placed a household at the lower edge of the middle class — and in regions like DC, MD and VA, median incomes were already far higher than the national median, so the “middle-class floor” was much higher than $39,000 even then.
In the DC region, the income required to be considered middle class is significantly higher than nationally, with the threshold starting around $61,000 in Virginia and nearly $69,000 in Maryland — compared with about $47,000 nationwide, GOBankingRates data shows. To be considered middle class in Washington DC, you’d have to earn at least $70,200. GoBankingRates omitted DC from their report; however, using the same formula and same US Census data cited, USA TODAY Network was able to calculate the low, high and median middle class income ranges. Here’s what the report shows and what we found for middle-class consideration in 2026.
What is middle class in Washington DC?
The middle class is a socioeconomic group in the U.S. that falls between the working class and upper class, earning around the middle of the income distribution for where they live. Middle class households often are able to cover their bills, rely on loans to buy homes or cars, and occasionally eat out or vacation, but not without careful budgeting, according to Investopedia.
Washington DC’s middle-class income in 2024 (the most recent year available from Census data) was between $70,200 and $209,600. GoBankingRates omitted DC middle-class data; however, USA TODAY Network used the same calculation, using the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) and the Pew Research Center’s benchmark definition of middle class. Here is the breakdown for middle-class in Washington DC:
- Median household income: $104,800
- Lowest end of middle-class income: $70,200
- Highest end of middle-class income: $209,600
Due to the region’s high cost of living, Washington DC’s middle-class median income surpasses not only the U.S. median, but it’s neighbors in Delaware, Virginia and Maryland. It also slightly surpasses the median middle-class income of New Jersey.
What is middle class in Virginia?
In Virginia, the income needed to be considered middle class starts at about $61,400 and can range up to roughly $184,200, according to GOBankingRates. That is based on Pew Research Center’s definition — two-thirds to twice the median household income. Here’s the breakdown of Virginia’s middle-class income as reported in 2026 using the latest Census data available from 2024:
- Median household income: $92,090
- Lowest end of middle-class income: $61,393
- Highest end of middle-class income: $184,180
What is middle class in Maryland?
To be considered middle-class in Maryland, the income required starts at about $68,600 and can extend up to roughly $205,800, according to GOBankingRates, which used the latest 2024 U.S. Census Bureau data available in their 2026 report.
For many Maryland households, especially in the DC suburbs, earning what sounds like a solid income does not always translate into financial comfort once housing, childcare and community costs are factored in: Maryland housing costs (rent and home prices) are well above national averages, according to Zillow market trends, and commuting costs for DC-area workers are among the longest and costliest, Census data shows. Maryland also consistently ranks among the most expensive states for childcare, often surpassing $15,000 per year per child, according to a Care.com 2024 Cost of Care report.
Highest middle-class incomes in the US
- Massachusetts income range: $69,885 to $209,656
- Maryland income range: $68,603 to $205,810
- New Jersey income range: $69,529 to $208,588
- Hawaii income range: $67,163 to $201,490
- California income range: $66,766 to $200,298
- New Hampshire income range: $66,521 to $199,564
- Washington income range: $66,259 to $198,778
- Colorado income range: $64,742 to $194,226
- Connecticut income range: $64,033 to $192,098
- Virginia income range: $61,393 to $184,180
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based news reporter covering trending news with USA TODAY Network’s Mid-Atlantic Connect Team. She covers news in the Northeast, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Reach her at LComstock@usatodayco.com.
Washington, D.C
US industry leaders take sport fishing issues to Washington DC – Angling International
The impact of tariffs on the US fishing tackle industry and the need for sound fisheries management were among the topics discussed by attendees of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA)’s first ever Keep America Fishing in DC Fly-In.
It included industry leaders who last week joined together in Washington DC and all walked hundreds of miles across the US Capital Complex to advocate for the interests of the US trade and the entire recreational fishing community.
The group also enjoyed conversations with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Director, Dr Neil Jacobs, Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Brian Nesvik, Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Representative Blake Moore (R-UT).
ASA President and CEO, Glenn Hughes, said: “We look forward to continuing the conversation with legislators throughout the rest of this Congress and to an even bigger Keep America Fishing Fly-In in 2027.”
Above: From left: ASA President Glenn Hughes and Vice President of Government Affairs, Mike Leonard, with Senator Martin Heinrich (centre).
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