Washington, D.C

Netanyahu visits Washington DC – The Iola Register

Published

1 year ago

July 23, 2024

Netanyahu visits Washington DC – The Iola Register

WASHINGTON (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington this week is looming as a fraught one between the two allies, coming at a moment of extreme political flux in the United States and wariness among American leaders about Netanyahu’s history of interjecting himself into U.S. domestic politics.

The main purpose of Netanyahu’s visit is a speech to a joint meeting of Congress. But at stake, in meetings with administration officials, are hopes for progress in U.S.-led efforts to mediate an end to the nine-month Israel-Hamas war. The visit comes as the toll of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza nears 40,000. It’s also in a week when new deaths were reported among the surviving hostages — who include Israelis, Americans and other nationalities — held by Hamas and other militants since the first hours of the war.

Netanyahu planned his trip weeks before the ground abruptly started heaving under U.S. politics this summer. That includes a July 13 assassination attempt against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and President Joe Biden’s decision Sunday to give up his faltering reelection campaign and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency instead.

Protests are planned for Netanyahu’s planned speech to both houses of Congress on Wednesday.

A look at the visit:

Why Netanyahu is coming

The political aspect for Netanyahu is that his popularity has plummeted at home, and the visit — at least originally — was seen as giving him a chance to show himself as a global statesman, welcomed by the lawmakers and leaders of Israel’s closest ally and the world’s only superpower.

House Speaker Mike Johnson helped bring about Netanyahu’s address to lawmakers, highlighting firm Republican support for the Israeli leader. Netanyahu has had tense relations with Biden despite the administration’s military and diplomatic support for Israel’s war.

Biden and Netanyahu are expected to meet Thursday, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the White House announcement. Harris will also meet with Netanyahu separately that day. It was still uncertain Tuesday if he would meet with Trump.

Speaking for the White House side of things, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said at a security conference in Colorado last week that Biden planned to focus on working out what it will take for the United States, Israel and others to get a hostage-release and cease-fire deal done in the coming weeks.

Biden called in to a meeting of campaign staffers Monday, telling them, “I think we’re on the verge” of ending the war.

For his part, Netanyahu pointed to longer-term issues before flying out of Israel Monday. He said he wanted to talk to Biden about continuing the war against Hamas, and confronting other Iran-backed armed groups in the region, as well as freeing hostages.

Why Netanyahu’s visit is controversial

Israel’s war has been intensely divisive in the United States, spurring protests and resulting in arrests on college campuses, alienating some voters on both sides of the issue, and frustrating months of effort by Biden to bring the fighting to a close.

The trip is the first time Netanyahu has traveled abroad since the war broke out Oct. 7. It’s also his first since the International Criminal Court said it was seeking his arrest in what it said were possible war crimes in Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Israel denies wrongdoing, and the U.S. does not recognize the ICC.

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Washington, D.C

Flu cases surging around DMV region

Published

8 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Flu cases surging around DMV region

Flu cases are climbing sharply across the D.C. region, with new CDC data showing at least 11 million cases nationwide so far. Health officials say a new variant now accounts for roughly 90% of recent infections.

WASHINGTON – Flu cases are climbing sharply across the D.C. region, with new CDC data showing at least 11 million cases nationwide so far. Health officials say a new variant now accounts for roughly 90% of recent infections.

FOX 5’s Stephanie Ramirez says local health departments are urging residents not to wait if they start feeling sick.

READ MORE: Maryland health officials warn of flu surge as hospitalizations rise statewide

The dominant strain this season is H3N2 subclade K, which has been circulating since September. So far, the flu season has led to an estimated 120,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths, with older adults hit especially hard.

Maryland is currently reporting high flu activity, according to state health department data.

READ MORE: Flu cases surging in northern Virginia, health officials say

In Arlington, emergency department–diagnosed flu visits jumped from 19 on Dec. 6 to 120 on Dec. 27 — an over five times increase, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

Fairfax County, a much larger jurisdiction, saw flu-related ER visits rise from 121 on Dec. 6 to 788 by Dec. 27, an over six-and-a-half-time increase.

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Washington, D.C

Traffic changes in DC Monday evening for ‘Freedom 250′ fireworks show

Published

20 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Traffic changes in DC Monday evening for ‘Freedom 250′ fireworks show

Numerous roads in D.C. will be closed to traffic Monday evening for a fireworks show celebrating America’s 25th birthday.

Projectors have lit up all four sides of the Washington Monument nightly since 7 p.m. Wednesday for the “Illumination of America: Washington Monument Lighting.” The fireworks that lit up the National Mall on New Year’s Eve are making a return Monday night, which is the last night of the display.

The grand finale of the display comes with some parking restrictions and street closures.

Street and parking restrictions for Freedom 250 fireworks

D.C. police said Constitution Avenue from 14th Street to 17th Street NW will be an Emergency No Parking zone from roughly 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The following streets will be closed to traffic from approximately 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.:

Westbound 395 – no traffic toward Maine Avenue/Independence Avenue, SW
Independence Avenue from 15th Street to 23rd Street, SW
Constitution Avenue from 7th Street to 12th Street, NW (westbound traffic will be restricted)
Constitution Avenue from 12th Street to 23rd Street, NW
Virginia Avenue from 20th Street to 18th Street, NW
19th Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
17th Street from Independence Avenue, SW to New York Avenue, NW
15th Street from Independence Avenue, SW to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
14th Street from Independence Avenue, SW to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Madison Drive from 7th Street to 14th Street, NW

Police said all street closures and listed times are subject to change.

“Freedom 250 is lighting up the Washington Monument as the world’s tallest birthday candle to kick off the nation’s 250th birthday year,” Keith Krach, CEO of Freedom 250, said ahead of the New Year’s Eve event.

Freedom 250 is the presidentially appointed committee planning the year-long celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday. It was created by the second Trump administration as part of the Department of the Interior, and is a separate organization from America250, which was created by Congress.

The event will “be looking at America’s past, present and what’s to come over the next 250 years,” Krach said.

“Primarily it will focus on the four pillars of Freedom 250, which is innovation; it’s also community and faith; it’s also on the beauty of our country as well,” Krach said. “And, you know, the other thing that’s great about that is that it’ll be something that will kind of be an animation and I think everybody’s going to enjoy it. So from adults to kids and everything.”

The event is free to the public, can be viewed from anywhere on the National Mall, and does not require tickets.

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Washington, D.C

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

Published

2 days ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

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

WASHINGTON (7News) — 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.

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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