The US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, has revealed that he went swimming with his children in a Washington DC creek that authorities have said is toxic due to contamination by an upstream, ageing sewer system.

The “Make America healthy again” crusader attracted attention for the Mother’s Day dip in Dumbarton Oaks Park with his grandchildren Bobcat and Cassius, which he posted about on X. He was also accompanied by relatives Amaryllis, Bobby, Kick and Jackson.

Rock Creek, which runs through the federal park, is described as unsafe for swimming or wading because it acts as a runoff for excess sewage and storm water during rain storms.

Studies of streams in the nation’s capital have revealed “chronic elevated levels of Escherichia coli (E coli) contamination that exceeded DC’s surface water quality standards”, according to one published in 2021.

The District of Columbia banned swimming in all waterways in 1971, citing “extraordinarily high levels of pollutants from human and animal waste containing bacteria such as salmonella and hepatitis, and viruses”.

Separately, the National Park Service has said: “Rock Creek has high levels of bacteria and other infectious pathogens that make swimming, wading, and other contact with the water a hazard to human (and pet) health. All District waterways are subject to a swim ban – this means wading, too!”

Part of the issue is that the District’s combined sewer system was developed before 1900, and – like New York City sewage and rain systems – is designed to combine to ease runoff, bypassing water treatment plants.

In Washington, according to Open Data DC: “Release of this excess flow is necessary to prevent flooding in homes, basements, businesses, and streets. [Combined sewer overflows] are discharged to the Anacostia River, Rock Creek, Potomac River or tributary waters at CSO outfalls during most moderate rain events.”

Kennedy, an avid outdoorsman, had not responded to a request for comment as of publication time, and has not posted on social media about it.

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Kennedy described himself as a “renegade”. Joined by other appointees to the federal health agency – including the TV doctor Mehmet Oz, Marty Makary and Jay Bhattacharya – he said: “The entire leadership of this agency are renegades who are, you know, who are juggernauts against convention and who are trying to look for truth, no matter what the cost.”

On Sunday, Kennedy joined Donald Trump to unveil a new administration plan to lower high US prescription drug prices. He thanked the US president for standing “up to the oligarchs” and took aim at Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, who has made drug pricing a signature issue of his political platform.

“It’s one of these promises that politicians make to their constituents knowing that they’ll never have to do it,” the former 2024 Democratic turned independent presidential candidate said.

Sanders later scoffed at the administration’s plan, saying it “will be thrown out by the courts”.

Kennedy is known for taking risks of a biological kind. He admitted to transporting a roadkill bear cub to New York’s Central Park, and his daughter Kick described a childhood adventure when her father transported a rotting whale head on top of their car from Nantucket to their Westchester home.

Had Kennedy’s foray into the polluted creek produced ill effects, the probable treatment for E coli poisoning would not necessarily have benefited much from the administration’s drug cost reduction plan. Common antibiotics used to treat E coli infections are typically priced $10 to $30 for a course of treatment.

WASHINGTON – Construction on the Roosevelt Bridge in D.C. began Monday.

The project is expected to last three years and transportation leaders in the District and the Commonwealth are urging commuters to leave early and expect more time for commutes.

What we know:

The price tag for the massive facelift is $130 million — 90 percent of that is reportedly federal funding. The remaining 10 percent will come from D.C. taxpayers.

The three-year Roosevelt Bridge project will include a deck overlay, deck replacement and wider sidewalks.

Right now, those familiar with the project say they’re four and a half feet. They’ll increase that to ten feet.

The goal is to make the Roosevelt Bridge more pedestrian-friendly, while upgrading the esthetics of the bridge to include a new paint job. Newer and better is the goal.

What they’re saying:

“I think that’s lovely. I think getting people out and about, walking around is just great and allowing more room for pedestrians walking around is great. The Roosevelt Bridge could use a facelift. I think it’s great,” Arlington resident Seeley Lutz said.

“I remember riding on it when I was a kid. I’m glad they’re improving the bridges in the area,” another Arlington resident, Jeramiah, told FOX 5. “You don’t want a repeat of what happened in Baltimore.” 

Alex Liggitt, Communications Manager for the Virginia Department of Transportation, says upgrades will include traffic barriers, new pedestrian railing and updating all signage.

“As we go forward in time here, continuing to make sure we’re talking to one another, communicating about road closures, getting the word out, letting people know if there is an alternate route or give extra time to their morning commute,” Liggitt said.

Big picture view:

The project includes structural repairs and a massive paint job over all the steel. Rusted parts will be removed and replaced with a new paint job.

Transportation leaders say the bridge has been in service for more than six decades and more than 95,000 vehicles travel on it daily. Even so, this is its first upgrade since opening.

A mother’s love has no limit — and neither does her grief.

“Grieving don’t have a limit, and we would never be okay,” said Crystal McNeal. “Like my baby was only 11 years old, and I miss him everyday.”

Her son, Davon, was shot to death on the Fourth of July in 2020 after attending an anti-violence cookout.

In the years since his death, McNeal has been working to prevent other families from going through the same tragedy.

“And I turned my pain into a purpose,” she said. “So I love giving back to moms going through what I’m going through.”

A van decked out with photos of Davon helps her help her community. It was gifted to her by professional football player and DMV native Anthony McFarland. She uses it to pick up kids in her neighborhood and bring them to school and other activities. She’s become a second mother to many of them.

“I’m always going through, but I know these children, they look for me to come and pick them up in the morning,” McNeal said.

Her passion to help the youth has touched others around her. fFor Mother’s Day, one of Davon’s former coaches stopped by to wash her van.

“A tough day for all of us that love Davon, so they started giving back a little bit, you know, for a special moment like this,” said Charles Whitley, Davon’s former coach.

“It means a lot to me,” McNeal said. “Like it keeps me motivated, keeps me pushing. I just love what I do.”