Washington, D.C
‘Magnificent’: Japan gifts more cherry trees to Washington as token of enduring friendship
Japan sent the 250 new trees to the United States as the National Park Service rehabs the Tidal Basin. The trees also are arriving in time for the United States’ 250th birthday.
Japan plans to help adorn Washington, D.C., with even more of the capital’s famed cherry blossoms, a gift the Asian nation said will continue to serve as a token of an enduring friendship.
President Joe Biden confirmed news of the 250 new trees on Wednesday after welcoming Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife Yuko Kishida back to the White House.
“Like our friendship … these trees are timeless, inspiring and thriving,” Biden said at the ceremony. The gesture is meant to commemorate the United States’ 250th birthday in July 2026.
Prime Minister Kishida is in town for a visit and state dinner, and to “celebrate the deep and historic ties” between the two countries.
Here’s what we know.
Bond will continue to grow, just like cherry blossoms
Prime Minister Kishida said he decided to send over the trees as soon as he heard that some of the existing trees at the Tidal Basin would be replaced as a result of a multi-year rehab project by the National Park Service.
The trees also were sent to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, he said.
“It is said that the cherry trees planted in this area have a lifespan of about 60 years … (yet) the trees have shown their strong vitality, blooming beautifully for more than a 100 years without wane,” Kishida said.
It’s a sentiment he is confident can be applied to the Japan-U.S. alliance, saying that it will continue to “grow and bloom around the world, thriving on friendship, respect and trust of the people of both countries.”
Cherry blossoms connect both countries, first gifted over a century ago
The White House says they welcome the gesture, one that is set to support the rehab project for Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park.
“It’s spring in Washington. The sun is shining. And every spring, cherry blossoms bloom across this city thanks to a gift from Japan of 3,000 cherry trees from over a century ago,” Biden said. “People travel all over our country and the world to see these magnificent blossoms.”
The cherry trees, Biden says, were first gifted by Japan in 1912, are “an enduring reminder of the close bonds of friendship between Americans and Japanese,” according to The White House. It’s estimated that the trees draw about 1.5 million visitors to the D.C. area every year.
Biden said that he and First Lady Jill Biden and the Kishidas “took a stroll down the driveway, across the lawn here at The White House to visit three cherry blossom trees.
“One that Jill and Mrs. Kishida planted together a year ago and the other two are part of the 250 new trees that Japan is giving to the United States,” he said.
The new trees are set to be planted at the Tidal Basin not far from the Martin Luther King memorial, Biden said.
“May God bless the Japanese and American people,” he said.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — A Texas man accused of shooting at a United States Secret Service agent near the Washington Monument earlier this month has been indicted on federal charges, the Justice Department announced Friday.
A federal grand jury indicted 45-year-old Michael Marx with “assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon” and “using, carrying, possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence,” in connection with the May 4 incident, in which a stray bullet struck a teenage bystander.
“Today’s indictment reflects the gravity of the defendant’s actions on one of the most heavily visited public spaces in the nation,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Friday, in part. “The evidence shows Marx not only carried an illegal firearm into DC, but he fired it at uniformed officers, wounding an innocent teenage bystander who was simply visiting the National Mall with his family on a spring afternoon.”
Authorities previously charged Marx with assaulting federal officers with a dangerous weapon, using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, an undercover Secret Service agent initially noticed Marx trying to conceal a gun on the right side of his body near 15th Street and Madison Drive NW shortly after 3:30 p.m. on the afternoon of the shooting.
At the same time, the motorcade for Vice President J.D. Vance was leaving the White House, passing through the area just up the street.
Uniformed Secret Service officers arrived to provide backup, finding Marx along the path of Vance’s motorcade. The attorney’s office said officers began to give the Texas man verbal commands, but he started running through a crosswalk and eventually fired at one of the agents as he reached the sidewalk.
The bullet struck the teenage bystander, who was walking behind the agent, in the leg, according to the DOJ.
Agents quickly returned fire, striking Marx in the hand, left arm, and upper body, according to court documents.
Court documents state that agents used Marx’s Texas driver’s license, which he was carrying, to identify him as the gunman. Investigators also identified various aliases Marx allegedly went by, including Patrick Michael and Michael Zavici.
While in the hospital, he allegedly made statements to officers, including ”F— the White House,” and “kill me, kill me, kill me,” the DOJ noted in a release.
Police found a Sig Sauer P365 handgun loaded with 9mm ammunition from the street where Marx fell.
4 things to know about the weather:
- Abundant sunshine
- Temps slightly cooler than average
- No rain in sight — again
- Mid-week warmup
May is drawing to a dry, comfortable close, in stunning contrast to the very soggy Memorial Day weather we saw last weekend.
That 10-day stretch of rain put a definite dent in our drought, according to the weekly national drought monitor, but it seems that was the end of the improvement for a while: There’s almost no clouds in sight for the DMV for several days.
Enjoy the many hours of sunshine on Saturday. The high pressure coming in from the Hudson Bay brings a stiff north wind, but the day will also be sunny and comfortable, with highs in the mid 70s.
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
The wind will die down after dark, and Sunday morning will be bordering on chilly. Expect widespread mid/upper 40s in most of the D.C. area, with urban centers and bayside communities staying just above 50°. Sunday afternoon will be just a bit warmer, in the mid 70s, but with far less of a breeze.
Highs will be back around 80° for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with overnight lows in the comfy 50s. It’ll be a perfect start to meteorological summer (June/July/August).
QuickCast
TODAY:
Sunshine Abounds, Breezy
Wind: North 10-15mph, Gust to 25 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 70° to 75°
TONIGHT:
Clear Skies
Winds Diminish
Wind: Northwest 10-15 mph
Chance Of Rain: 0%
LOWS: 46° to 54°
SUNDAY:
Mostly Sunny Skies
Pleasant Conditions
Light Breeze
Wind: NW 5 – 10 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 70° to 76°
MONDAY:
Partly Cloudy
Seasonable
Light Breeze
Wind: West/Northwest 10 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 76° to 82°
Sunrise: 5:45 Sunset: 8:26
Average High: 80° Average Low: 63°
Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
WASHINGTON – A man is in critical condition after falling into the Anacostia River in Southwestern Washington, D.C., Friday night.
What we know:
D.C. Fire and EMS reported the rescue effort shortly after 10 p.m. at James Creek Marina in Buzzard Point.
Crews believe a man fell from the dock into the water.
By 10:30 p.m., crews were able to pull the man out of the water.
Paramedics took him to the hospital in critical condition.
What we don’t know:
Officials did not identify the man who was rescued. No other information was immediately available.
The Source: Information in this story is from the D.C. Fire and EMS Department.
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