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Japan donates 250 cherry trees, fireworks for Trump’s DC refresh after PM watches World Series with prez

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Japan donates 250 cherry trees, fireworks for Trump’s DC refresh after PM watches World Series with prez


TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will donate 250 flowering cherry trees and July 4th fireworks to Washington, DC, after she and President Trump tuned into the World Series game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Takaichi, who became Japan’s first female prime minister seven days ago, emphasized the nations’ common love of baseball and her country’s historic gift of cherry trees to DC as the leaders began their official dialogue Tuesday, which is expected to focus behind closed doors on military and trade policies.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is gifting cherry trees and July 4th fireworks to DC. AFP via Getty Images

“To the press corps, I’m very sorry that we kept you waiting. As a matter of fact, Mr. President and I just enjoyed watching the Major League Baseball match,” Takaichi opened her official greeting.

“Actually, Dodgers versus Blue Jays, and the Dodgers are now having a one-point lead, and we really enjoyed the match.”

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Takaichi, a conservative protégé of assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said that the cherry trees would be gifted in recognition of the United States’ 250th anniversary next year and would bolster a new “golden age” of US-Japan relations.

“To have a magnificent celebration, we will extend a gift of 250 cherry trees to Washington, DC. In addition, I understand that fireworks from Japan, from Akita Prefecture, will be shown in Washington, DC, on July 4 next year,” she said.

Japan first gave cherry trees to Washington in 1912. AFP/Getty Images
Takaichi said that Japanese fireworks will be used for Independence Day next year — America’s semiquincentennial. Polaris

Japan in 1912 gifted over 3,000 cherry trees during President Howard Taft’s tenure — a fact celebrated every spring at Washington’s heavily attended Cherry Blossom Festival.

Trump is in the midst of a dramatic refresh of the capital city, including the addition of a massive White House ballroom and the planning of a possible 250th anniversary triumphal arch across from the Lincoln Memorial.

Trump and Takaichi watched a World Series match on TV before addressing the press. AFP via Getty Images
Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister last week. AFP via Getty Images

“We’ve received your orders for a very large amount of new military equipment. And you know that we make the best military equipment in the world,” said Trump, who will deliver a speech later in the day aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier near the mouth of Tokyo Bay.

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“We appreciate that order, and we very much appreciate the trade. We’re going to do tremendous trade together, I think, more than ever before. We’re just signing a new deal, and it’s a very fair deal.”

Trump in July reached a new trade pact with Japan, lowering his threatened 25% “reciprocal” tariff to 15% in exchange for pledges of $550 billion in Japanese investments in the US, in addition to Tokyo reducing barriers to imports of US vehicles and agricultural products.

Japanese cars also face a 15% tariff under that deal, lower than the 25% rate Trump applied to most other countries.

Trump vowed to deepen trade and military ties with Tokyo. Getty Images
Trump will conclude his three-nation tour with a trip to South Korea. AFP via Getty Images

The White House has not teased any looming reforms to the Japan trade deal this week — and the two leaders signed a brief document reaffirming the “GREAT DEAL” reached in July.

Takaichi and Trump also signed a document pledging to cooperate to boost investments and develop policies to secure rare-earth and critical minerals against “non-market policies and unfair trade practices” from China — after Trump recently signed similar documents with Australia, Malaysia and Thailand.

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Trump’s three-nation tour of the region is focused heavily on making economic deals.

During his first stop in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, he signed agreements to lower tariffs on certain goods from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam in exchange for pledges of billions of dollars in purchases of US airplanes, natural gas and agricultural goods such as soybeans and corn.

Trump will return to the US after visiting South Korea on Wednesday and Thursday, where he hopes to announce a trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping that will address Beijing’s new export restrictions on products made with rare-earth and critical minerals, as well as Chinese fentanyl smuggling and steps to revive soybean purchases.



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Washington, D.C

Washington DC Pedestrian killed struck crash collision I-295 DC-295

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Washington DC Pedestrian killed struck crash collision I-295 DC-295


On Saturday evening, Metropolitan Police Department’s Seventh District officers responded to a fatal crash on I-295 northbound near Exit 1 for Laboratory Road, Southwest.

The incident occurred around 7:50 p.m. when a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle, police said.

READ MORE | Notorious 295 speed camera rakes in $26M, while DC residents question its legitimacy

Prince George’s County police officers were already on the scene when the MPD officers arrived.

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The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities have not yet released the victim’s age or gender.

ALSO SEE | Woman killed after pedestrian-vehicle crash in Fairfax County

The driver of the vehicle involved in the collision remained at the scene.

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Police urge anyone with information about the incident to call 202-727-9099 or text 50411.



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Washington, D.C

New bus service to begin soon between Hampton Roads and Washington, D.C.

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New bus service to begin soon between Hampton Roads and Washington, D.C.


The United States military carried out a “large scale” strike inside the nation of Venezuela early Saturday morning, in addition to capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, who were flown out of the country.
https://www.wavy.com/news/national/virginia-leaders-speak-out-after-u-s-military-strike-on-venezuela/



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No one hurt in Northwest DC row house fire

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No one hurt in Northwest DC row house fire


WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Smoke was seen billowing in a Northwest D.C. neighborhood Sunday afternoon after a row house caught fire, prompting a large presence of first responders.

In a post on the X platform just after 12:40 p.m., the DC Fire and EMS Department said crews were responding to a box alarm at a row house in the 2100 block of 13th Street NW. There, firefighters found smoke coming from the top of three attached row houses.

Firefighters responded to a fire at a row house in the 2100 block of 13th Street NW. (Courtesy: DC Fire and EMS Department)

Crews determined that the flames were coming from the attic of one of the three-story row homes, but that it was at risk of spreading to both adjacent homes. As a result, firefighters upgraded the response to a two-alarm fire, aggressively attacking the flames from the inside.

Officials noted that firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze, which involved the entire attic, and that it only spread to one of the attached row houses.

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No injuries were reported; however, officials were working to learn how many people would be displaced.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.



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