Washington, D.C
Sen. Cruz Sends Letter to Washington D.C. Officials to Preserve Evidence of Potentially Illegal Abortion Procedures for Future Congressional Oversight | U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Chief Medical Examiner Francisco J. Diaz, MD, and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith to provide notice of their obligations to preserve evidence for future Congressional oversight hearings regarding inquiries of preemie-sized fetal remains discovered outside an abortion clinic in March 2022.
In the letter, Sen. Cruz wrote, “As I previously explained to your offices, it is a grave injustice both that these children may very well have been aborted in violation of federal law, and that the D.C. government—that Congress oversees—remains unwilling to investigate the circumstances. Despite the grotesque evidence of potentially illegal abortion procedures, the District of Columbia and Department of Justice authorities have consistently stonewalled inquiries into the deaths of the five aborted babies, with the D.C. police claiming the case remains “open” and“under investigation” as recently as August 2023, despite no meaningful progress or updates in over sixteen months. … To be clear, the remains of these five children are critical evidence in the
Congressional oversight that the Subcommittee on the Constitution will conduct in the imminent
future. Should the D.C. Medical Examiner’s office decide not to conduct timely autopsies, or
preserve the bodies of these babies for outside examination, the Senate Judiciary Committee willhave no choice but to expand this issue into a full hearing featuring the Department of Justice and the Office of the D.C. Medical Examiner as witnesses before the American public.”
Read the full letter here or below:
Dear Mayor Bowser, Chief Examiner Diaz, and Chief Smith:
I write today in my capacity as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary for the second and final time to provide notice of your obligations to preserve evidence for future Congressional oversight hearings. As you are all aware, the United States Congress holds unique jurisdiction and constitutional authority to oversee the District of Columbia under Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 of the United States Constitution. This oversight role becomes especially important, however, when the executive leadership of Washington, D.C. demonstrates a candid willingness to obstruct justice by refusing to investigate, much less respond, to basic inquiries about the manners and means of fetal deaths, deaths that could very well have occurred through procedures conducted in violation of federal law.
Recent news indicates that the Department of Justice reportedly advised the D.C. Chief Medical Examiner to dispose of the remains of five aborted preemie-sized babies, as disclosed by attorney Martin Cannon, who is representing pro-life activists currently being prosecuted by the Department of Justice. As he explains, on a February 5, 2024: “[he] got a call from the medical examiner’s office indicating that the Department of Justice… advised [the medical examiner’s office] that there is no reason to keep those babies anymore.”[10] In reaction to this directive, Cannon reported that: “The medical examiner’s office… tells [him] that if [they] don’t have an order to the contrary, by the end of this week … [then] they will dispose of the babies.”[11] Cannon went on to express concern over the medical examiner’s decision to instantly heed the Department’s directive to dispose of the evidence, questioning why the examiner’s office would take “such stark marching orders from the DOJ.”[12]
This news comes almost two years after Lauren Handy and her colleague Terrisa Bukovinac made a chilling discovery outside a Foggy Bottom-based abortion facility known as Washington Surgi-Clinic, which is operated by Dr. Cesare Santangelo, an abortionist who is known for conducting late-term abortions. There, these two pro-life activists encountered the mutilated bodies of five preemie-sized aborted babies, babies that, given their size and maturity, might very well have been aborted in violation of federal law. Accordingly, this evidence warrants an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the unusually-mature fetal remains, particularly regarding whether ‘the Five’ were born alive and left to die, subjected to partial-birth abortion procedures, or were otherwise murdered following botched abortion attempts.
As I made your offices aware on April 8, 2022, under the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003,[13] a partial-birth abortion occurs when a physician partially delivers a living child for the purpose of performing an overt act that intentionally takes the life of the child.[14] The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the federal ban on partial-birth abortions in Gonzales v. Carhart.[15] Additionally, Congress passed the Born Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002 to provide equal protections for children who are born alive during an abortion.[16]
As I previously explained to your offices, it is a grave injustice both that these children may very well have been aborted in violation of federal law, and that the D.C. government—that Congress oversees—remains unwilling to investigate the circumstances. Despite the grotesque evidence of potentially illegal abortion procedures, the District of Columbia and Department of Justice authorities have consistently stonewalled inquiries into the deaths of the five aborted babies, with the D.C. police claiming the case remains “open” and “under investigation” as recently as August 2023, despite no meaningful progress or updates in over sixteen months.[17] The Mayor’s Office has similarly evaded questions about the matter, redirecting queries and refusing to comment, while the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not disclosed whether any autopsies have been conducted on the babies’ bodies.[18] Simultaneously, while efforts to seek justice for these innocent lives have been thwarted at almost every conceivable turn, Mayor Bowser has aggressively characterized the charges facing peaceful pro-life activists like Lauren Handy, accusing her of “tampering with fetal remains,” blocking the entrance to a D.C. abortion clinic in October 2020,” and committing “serious violations of federal law.”[19]
Even more disturbing, however, is the recent news that the Medical Examiner’s Office has expressed concrete plans to destroy all evidence before justice can be achieved. To do so, would deny these five innocent victims justice and assume the cause and nature of these children’s deaths without conducting any investigation, without performing any autopsies, and without even affording these children a proper, respectful burial.
In April 2022, I joined letters demanding that you, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) open investigations to determine whether these children were aborted in violation of federal law, specifically the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. The letter led by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) sent on April 8, 2022 to the Department of Justice and the FBI reiterated similar requests to ensure preservation of each of the five bodies as evidence for future investigations.
I write separately today to speak specifically to some of the oversight actions that justify this second and final preservation demand. Specifically, and while I understand that the DOJ is pressuring the D.C. Medical Examiner to dispose of the bodies, I am demanding in the strongest possible terms that you do not do so. Furthermore, I ask that Mayor Bowser and Police Chief Smith direct the Chief Medical Examiner Diaz to conduct an autopsy of each of these five children’s bodies.
It is highly likely that after the upcoming election in November 2024, control of the Senate will shift to the Republican Party. At that time, when I am Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, I will schedule hearings on likely violations, like those at issue with these five children, of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 and the Born Alive Infants Protection Act. These hearings will also no doubt scrutinize the behavior of those who obstructed Senate investigatory efforts by willfully destroying evidence despite not one, but two, demands to preserve evidence. To be clear, the remains of these five children are critical evidence in the Congressional oversight that the Subcommittee on the Constitution will conduct in the imminent future. Should the D.C. Medical Examiner’s office decide not to conduct timely autopsies, or preserve the bodies of these babies for outside examination, the Senate Judiciary Committee will have no choice but to expand this issue into a full hearing featuring the Department of Justice and the Office of the D.C. Medical Examiner as witnesses before the American public.[20]
Please confirm proof of your compliance with these evidence preservation demands no later than February 9, 2024.
Sincerely,
/x/
###
Washington, D.C
Supporters press for a DC memorial to Thomas Paine, whose writings helped fuel the Revolutionary War – WTOP News
NEW YORK (AP) — Some 250 years after “Common Sense” helped inspire the 13 colonies to declare independence, Thomas Paine…
NEW YORK (AP) — Some 250 years after “Common Sense” helped inspire the 13 colonies to declare independence, Thomas Paine might receive a long-anticipated tribute from his adopted country.
A Paine memorial in Washington, D.C., authorized by a 2022 law, awaits approval from the U.S. Department of Interior. It would be the first landmark in the nation’s capital to be dedicated to one of the American Revolution’s most stirring, popular and quotable advocates — who also was one of the most intensely debated men of his time.
“He was a critical and singular voice,” said U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a sponsor of the bill that backed the memorial. He said Paine has long been “underrecognized and overlooked.”
Saturday marks the 250th anniversary of the publication of Paine’s “Common Sense,” among the first major milestones of a yearlong commemoration of the country’s founding and the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Paine supporters have waited decades for a memorial in the District of Columbia, and success is still not ensured: Federal memorials are initiated by Congress but usually built through private donations. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush signed bipartisan legislation for such a memorial, but the project was delayed, failed to attract adequate funding and was essentially forgotten by the mid-2000s.
The fate of the current legislation depends not just on financial support, but on President Donald Trump’s interior secretary, Doug Burgum.
In September 2024, the memorial was recommended by the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission for placement on the National Mall. Burgum needs to endorse the plan, which would be sent back to Congress for final enactment. If approved, the memorial would have a 2030 deadline for completion.
A spokesperson for the department declined comment when asked about the timing for a decision.
“We are staying optimistic because we feel that Thomas Paine is such an important figure in the founding of the United States of America,” said Margaret Downey, president of the Thomas Paine Memorial Association, which has a mission to establish a memorial in Washington.
A contentious legacy
Scholars note that well into the 20th century, federal honors for Paine would have been nearly impossible. While Paine first made his name through “Common Sense,” the latter part of his life was defined by another pamphlet, “The Age of Reason.”
Published in installments starting in 1794, it was a fierce attack against organized religion. Paine believed in God and a divinely created universe but accepted no single faith. He scorned what he described as the Bible’s “paltry stories” and said Christianity was “too absurd for belief, too impossible to convince, and too inconsistent for practice.”
By the time of his death, in New York in 1809, he was estranged from friends and many of the surviving founders; only a handful of mourners attended his funeral. He has since been championed by everyone from labor leaders and communists to Thomas Edison, but presidents before Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s rarely quoted him. Theodore Roosevelt referred to him as a “filthy little atheist.”
There are Paine landmarks around the country, including a monument and museum in New Rochelle, New York, and statue in Morristown, New Jersey. But other communities have resisted. In 1955, Mayor Walter H. Reynolds of Providence, Rhode Island, rejected a proposed Paine statue, saying “he was and remains so controversial a character.”
Harvey J. Kaye, author of “Thomas Paine and the Promise of America,” cites the election of Ronald Reagan as president in 1980 as a surprising turning point. Reagan’s victory was widely seen as a triumph for the modern conservative movement, but Reagan alarmed some Republicans and pleased Paine admirers during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention when he quoted Paine’s famous call to action: “We have it in our power to begin the world over again.”
Reagan helped make Paine palatable to both parties, Kaye said. When Congress approved a memorial in 1992, supporters ranged from a liberal giant, Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, to a right-wing hero, Republican Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina.
“Reagan opened the door,” Kaye said.
An immigrant who stoked the fire of revolution
Paine’s story is very much American. He was a self-educated immigrant from Britain who departed for the colonies with little money but with hopes for a better life.
He was born Thomas Pain in Thetford in 1737, some 90 miles outside of London (he added the “e” to his last name after arriving in America). Paine was on the move for much of his early life. He spent just a few years in school before leaving at age 13 to work as an apprentice for his father, a corset maker. He would change jobs often, from teaching at a private academy to working as a government excise officer to running a tobacco shop.
By the time he sailed to the New World in 1774, he was struggling with debt, had been married twice and had failed or made himself unwelcome in virtually every profession he entered. But Paine also had absorbed enough of London’s intellectual life to form radical ideas about government and religion and to meet Benjamin Franklin, who provided him a letter of introduction that helped him find work in Philadelphia as a contributor to The Pennsylvania Magazine.
The Revolutionary War began in April 1775 and pamphlets helped frame the arguments, much as social media posts do today. The Philadelphia-based statesman and physician Benjamin Rush was impressed enough with Paine to suggest that he put forth his own thoughts. Paine had wanted to call his pamphlet “Plain Truth,” but agreed to Rush’s idea: “Common Sense.”
Paine’s brief tract was credited to “an Englishman” and released on Jan. 10, 1776. Later expanded to 47 pages, it was a popular sensation. Historians differ over how many copies were sold, but “Common Sense” was widely shared, talked about and read aloud.
Paine’s urgent, accessible prose was credited for helping to shift public opinion from simply opposing British aggression to calling for a full break. His vision was radical, even compared to some of his fellow revolutionaries. In taking on the British and King George III, he did not just attack the actions of an individual king, but the very idea of hereditary rule and monarchy. He denounced both as “evil” and “exceedingly ridiculous.”
“Of more worth is one honest man to society and in the sight of God, than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived,” he stated.
A message that continues to resonate
Historian Eric Foner would write that Paine’s appeal lasted through “his impatience with the past, his critical stance toward existing institutions, his belief that men can shape their own destiny.” But “Common Sense” was despised by British loyalists and challenged by some American leaders.
John Adams would refer to Paine as a “star of disaster,” while Franklin worried about his “rude way of writing.” Meanwhile, George Washington valued “Common Sense” for its “sound doctrine” and ”unanswerable reasoning,” and Thomas Jefferson, soon to be the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, befriended Paine and later invited him to the White House when he was president.
Paine’s message continues to be invoked by those on both sides of the political divide.
In his 2025 year-end report on the federal judiciary, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts began by citing the anniversary of “Common Sense” and praising Paine for “shunning legalese” as he articulated that “government’s purpose is to serve the people.” Last year, passages from “Common Sense” appeared often during the nationwide “No Kings” rallies against Trump’s policies.
One demonstrator’s sign in Boston said, “No King! No Tyranny! It’s Common Sense.”
Copyright
© 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
Washington, D.C
DC native killed in multivehicle crash remembered for his love of photography – WTOP News
Aaron Marckell Williams, 26, was killed after being struck in a multivehicle crash following a high-speed chase in Northwest D.C. on Wednesday afternoon. A 20-year-old man was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
While working Election Day in 2022, Sam Plo Kwia Collins Jr. drove alongside Aaron Marckell Williams to cover the evening results for the Washington Informer. As it became clear that Kenyan McDuffie would win his bid for an at-large seat on the D.C. Council, the duo rushed over to McDuffie’s victory party.
As soon as Collins Jr. parked his car, Williams “got to the front and took a very iconic photo” of McDuffie pointing at the crowd during his victory speech.
Over three years later, Collins Jr. saw the photo again on the Informer’s website and began thinking about his former colleague.
“Only to find out a couple of days later that he left us,” Collins Jr. told WTOP.
Williams, 26, was killed after being struck in a multivehicle crash following a high-speed chase in Northwest D.C. on Wednesday afternoon. A 20-year-old man was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
To those who know him, Williams, a D.C. native, was known for his chill personality and love of photography. His Instagram page is filled with event coverage featuring hip-hop artist Pharrell Williams and former President Barack Obama.
The pair met after Williams returned to the District after graduating from the University of Miami.
His love of photography shined as they covered news events.
During downtime, Williams was very personable, Collins said, and willing to share about his background growing up in D.C. and attending a boarding school before going to Miami. While his laid-back approach may have confused some, he was not lazy, Collins said, calling his photos “quality work.”
“He just made it look very effortless, and that just spoke to his personality,” Collins said.
Williams recently chose to take a break from the Informer to focus on freelance work.
Washington Informer Managing Editor Micha Green told NBC Washington he was traveling multiple countries, including Ghana, to continue working as an “amazing visual storyteller.”
“We are heartbroken over the loss of Marckell Williams — a talented photographer, storyteller, and beautiful soul who was once part of the Washington Informer family,” the outlet wrote in a statement posted on X. “His passion for capturing people, culture, and truth will never be forgotten.”
The last time Collins recalls seeing his former coworker, Williams was taking photos at a go-go event on Marion Barry Avenue. Even though he was focused on his craft, Williams stopped for a moment to talk with his former reporting partner. The love shown at that moment, Collins said, spoke about the person Williams was.
“Being laid back in a city like this, where it gets more expensive and there’s just so much going on, that’s a feat in itself,” Collins said. “He had that spirit. He was just too good for us.”
LANDOVER, Md. – Bruno Mars is bringing The Romantic Tour to the Washington, D.C. region this spring!
The Grammy-winning star will stop at Northwest Stadium on Saturday, May 2, 2026.
The stadium’s website lets fans sign up for presale access now. Tickets go on sale Thursday, January 15 at 12 p.m.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 02: Bruno Mars performs onstage during the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Bruno Mars – The Romantic Tour 2026 DatesApril – October 2026
Apr 10, 2026 – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Apr 14, 2026 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Apr 18, 2026 – Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
Apr 22, 2026 – NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Apr 25, 2026 – Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field, Atlanta, GA
Apr 29, 2026 – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
May 02, 2026 – Northwest Stadium, Landover, MD
May 06, 2026 – Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
May 09, 2026 – Ford Field, Detroit, MI
May 13, 2026 – U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
May 16, 2026 – Soldier Field Stadium, Chicago, IL
May 20, 2026 – Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
May 23, 2026 – Rogers Stadium, Toronto, ON
May 24, 2026 – Rogers Stadium, Toronto, ON
Jun 20, 2026 – Stade de France, Paris, FR
Jun 21, 2026 – Stade de France, Paris, FR
Jun 26, 2026 – Olympiastadion, Berlin, DE
Jul 04, 2026 – Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam, NL
Jul 05, 2026 – Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam, NL
Jul 10, 2026 – Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Madrid, ES
Jul 14, 2026 – Stadio San Siro, Milan, IT
Jul 18, 2026 – Wembley Stadium Connected by EE, London, UK
Jul 19, 2026 – Wembley Stadium Connected by EE, London, UK
Aug 21, 2026 – Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Aug 22, 2026 – Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Aug 29, 2026 – Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
Sep 01, 2026 – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Sep 05, 2026 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Sep 09, 2026 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Sep 12, 2026 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Sep 16, 2026 – Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Sep 19, 2026 – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, FL
Sep 23, 2026 – Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Sep 26, 2026 – Falcon Stadium, United States Air Force Academy, CO
Oct 02, 2026 – SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Oct 03, 2026 – SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Oct 10, 2026 – Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
Oct 14, 2026 – BC Place, Vancouver, BC
More information on the tour can be found online.
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