Washington
DC Central Kitchen to provide record 69,000 Thanksgiving meals
Thanksgiving is almost here and D.C. Central Kitchen is gearing up to serve more meals than ever.
Organizers say when it’s all said and done they will provide a record 69,000 meals Thursday, and volunteers have been hard at work all week to make that possible.
It’s giving season, and volunteer Maria Crupi says she knows firsthand the importance of giving back.
“My parents were immigrants,” she said. “They immigrated here, and we lived in Anacostia and lots of people helped them out because they didn’t speak English.”
That’s why she’s joining dozens of volunteers at D.C. Central Kitchen cutting, scooping and prepping thanksgiving meals ahead of turkey day.
“A community is supposed to help each other,” Crupi said.
And help is on the way.
This year, D.C. Central Kitchen is kicking it into overdrive. Through their work with 100 community partners like schools, shelters and grassroots organizations, they will provide 69,000 Thanksgiving meals Thursday. That’s double from last year and a big bump from the 16,000 meals on a normal day.
“Food insecurity in our city has increased this year to now 38% of D.C. residents are classified as food insecure,” said Mike Curtin Jr., the CEO of D.C. Central Kitchen. “So more than one in three of our neighbors might not know where their next meal is coming from.”
D.C. Central Kitchen can meet that demand thanks to a brand new state of the art space in Southwest D.C.
Organizers say volunteers make it all possible.
This week, hundreds are lending a hand over several shifts to make those Thanksgiving meals.
Crupi volunteers twice a month and says she’s thankful she can make a difference.
“Food is something that brings us all together and everybody should be allowed to have food,” Crupi said. “That should not be something that nobody has.”
D.C. Central Kitchen says they need volunteers all year long, not just during the holiday season. Anyone 12 and over can sign up.
Washington
Federal ‘summer surge’ to target youth crime in DC
Federal authorities are planning a “summer surge” aimed at reducing crimes committed by young people in D.C. sources tell News4.
U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro is expected to announce Friday that the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force will do additional enforcement and get more resources, law enforcement sources said.
The move comes about two weeks after the D.C. Council chose not to vote on extending Mayor Muriel Bowser’s emergency youth curfew zones over the summer.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order in March 2025 that established the task force. He declared a crime emergency and temporarily federalized the locally run Metropolitan Police Department in August 2025.
Trump threatened to seize control of MPD after teens attacked then-Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee Edward Coristine, who was known by the nickname Big Balls.
Pirro has repeatedly railed against youth who commit crimes and told News4 she would like to see children as young as 12 prosecuted as adults.
“The time for coddling young people – 14, 15, 16, 17 – is over. And it’s time that we lowered the age of criminal responsibility,” she said in August.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
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Washington
Houston pizza bar owner says he was arrested after dispute over health permit
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The owner of a popular Washington Avenue restaurant says he was arrested after a dispute with city health inspectors over whether his business had a valid permit to operate.
Surveillance video recorded May 6 inside Betelgeuse Betelgeuse shows owner Chris Cusack speaking with Houston Health Department officials before he was taken into custody.
“I was pretty dazed, and all I could do is comply until it all got figured out,” Cusack said.
Cusack was charged with failure to comply with local health and sanitary laws after authorities accused the restaurant of operating without a food dealer’s permit.
The Houston Health Department says food dealer permits are valid for one year and must be renewed annually.
Cusack disputes the allegation, saying he has paperwork he believes proves the business had renewed its permit in March.
“I pulled it off the wall and showed it to him,” Cusack said. “He said it wasn’t the right business. I said it has my business’ name and address on it.”
Cusack said inspectors questioned whether the permit was tied to the correct business identification number.
“(The inspector) saw the first ID and said, ‘Ah ha, that’s the one you’re working under, so therefore this isn’t valid,’” Cusack said.
ABC13 reached out to the Houston Health Department with questions about the arrest. The department referred questions to the Houston Police Department.
According to HPD, the health department ordered the business closed in October 2025 for operating without a permit, though officials did not specify which type of permit was involved.
Police said the business was instructed to remain closed until it complied with health regulations. On May 4, inspectors learned the restaurant was open, according to HPD. Inspectors returned two days later, when Cusack was arrested.
Cusack said he was never told to shut down the business and questioned why inspectors waited months before returning.
The restaurant, known for pizza and drinks, reopened following the arrest and was serving customers again on Wednesday.
Cusack also expressed concern about what he described as aggressive enforcement targeting Washington Avenue businesses.
The entertainment district has faced increased law enforcement scrutiny in recent years as city leaders attempted to curb reckless behavior and nightlife-related crime.
“Washington Avenue business owners are just being confused by these intense raids on businesses for what are typically really basic scenarios,” Cusack said.
Court records show Cusack is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday on the charge.
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Washington
Metro not planning RFK Stadium rail station, suggests ‘Gold Line’ buses instead
Metro is not recommending the construction of a new Metrorail station at the Commanders’ future home at the RFK Stadium site, documents released Tuesday reveal.
The transit agency instead recommended the creation of a rapid bus line called the Gold Line that would connect to Metrorail and buses at Union Station.
Metro also recommended major improvements to the Stadium-Armory Metro station. Without these measures, they warned it could take more than two hours to clear crowds after events at the stadium.
Metro said it projects that building a new rail station would cost about $1 billion and not be complete by the time the stadium is set to open in 2030.
More than half of people heading to events at the new stadium are expected to take public transportation.
Metro studied potential locations for a new Metro station, including Oklahoma Avenue and Benning Road NE.
Neighbors have repeatedly said they’re worried about traffic and parking.
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