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Washington University & Duke Each Given $50 Million For Medical Initiatives

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Washington University & Duke Each Given  Million For Medical Initiatives


Duke University and Washington University in St. Louis have each reported receiving $50 million gifts this week in support of advanced medical care. Here’s a summary of the two gifts.

Duke University

On December 11, Duke University announced that it had received the largest private gift in the history of the Duke University Health System — a $50 million anonymous donation for the development of a proton beam therapy center.

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“This is a historic gift, both for Duke and for the state of North Carolina,” said Vincent E. Price, president of Duke University, in the university’s press announcement. “The Duke Proton Center will have a profound impact on cancer care in our region, and we are very grateful for the generous donor support that is making these advances possible.”

Expected to open by 2029, Duke’s proton beam therapy facility will offer proton therapy to approximately 800 patients each year.

Proton therapy is a more precise type of radiation with fewer side effects than conventional radiation therapy. That precision enables it to be directed largely at tumors themselves, rather than surrounding healthy tissue, thereby reducing harm for patients with various forms of cancer, particularly those with neck tumors, breast cancer, gliomas and meningiomas, and prostate cancers.

Proton therapy is increasingly becoming the treatment of choice for a variety of different cancers,” said Michael Kastan, executive director of Duke Cancer Institute. “Having proton therapy at Duke will enable us to push those boundaries even further, improving current applications and developing new ones through innovative clinical trials.”

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Washington University

Washington University announced on December 12 that Andrew Taylor and his wife, Barbara, had made a $50 million gift to the university’s neurosurgery department. In recognition of the gift, the department has been renamed the Taylor Family Department of Neurosurgery.

The gift was made out of gratitude for the medical care Andrew Taylor recently received from neurosurgeons at Washington University. Mr. Taylor is the executive chairman of Enterprise Mobility, the global car rental and transportation company based in St.Louis.

“This gift marks a new era in the history of innovative science and compassionate healing at WashU Medicine,” said Chancellor Andrew D. Martin, in a press release. “Andrew and Barbara’s generosity is further strengthening the department’s research infrastructure and helping WashU Medicine deliver world-class, life-changing care right here in St. Louis, while also providing life-saving innovations to the world. Their investment in new discoveries and treatments will give many more families reasons to feel grateful for decades to come.”

The Taylors’ gift will be used in several ways on behalf of the department, which is ranked fifth nationally for research funding from the National Institutes of Health.

It will support the recruitment of neurosurgeons and neurosurgery researchers, enhance neurosurgery residencies and fellowship training and strengthen the department’s current expertise in area such as neurotechnology, brain tumor treatment and spinal surgery. The gift will also support high-risk, high-reward projects in emerging or rapidly evolving neurosurgery research fields.

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The American story projected on the Washington Monument came from North Texas

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The American story projected on the Washington Monument came from North Texas


Steve Deitz walks with the energy of a coach; however, he does not hide that he and his team are digital nerds and storytellers who specialize in large-scale visual content and software development. More specifically, the 48-year-old makes a living creating the wow factor at his agency, “900lbs.”

“We started the company working for the Dallas Mavericks, telling large-scale visual content on the Jumbotron, and next thing you know, Activision, Blizzard calls,” he said. “We get to work in the Perot Museum on the biggest  exhibit in the museum, and then fast-forward another 12 years, and here we are now.”

His current project is wrapping up in the nation’s capital — sorta. Since Dec.31, projections of America’s story have been given to his agency.

“We’re telling the story of the 250-year birthday of America in the biggest way possible on the facade of the Washington Monument on all four sides,” Deitz said.

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He said they started testing out the results a couple of nights before New Year’s Eve. Scenes from Thomas Edison’s light bulb, the Empire State Building, the Model T Ford, and the Industrial Revolution, to name a few, are projected onto the Washington Monument.

Deitz gives his team a ton of credit from the moment he received the call about the project. He also thinks back to the times when he was an athlete who loved to draw in Merkel, Texas. The kid who dared to dream beyond the city limits and outside of the box. The CEO is giving advice to that child who may need a little inspiration.

“Hard work, perseverance, dedication, surround yourself with a team of brilliant people that are way smarter than you, and do the best you possibly can,” he said.

Deitz said there is a likelihood his team’s creations will return to the nation’s capital this year.

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Tracking crime in the DMV: Some areas see drop in violent crime, homicide

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Tracking crime in the DMV: Some areas see drop in violent crime, homicide


It is not the way any homicide squad wants to start an already busy new year.

Prince George’s County police Sunday were trying to figure out who was found dead in a car behind a strip center overnight and why. Police, who responded after a call about gun shots, told News4 they’re still searching for the most basic details.

It comes just a day after three people were shot and killed at a Temple Hills banquet hall early Saturday morning. Police told News4 that investigation is active and showing signs of promise.

But the busy start somewhat hides the bigger picture about crime in the area.

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Despite the tough start to 2026, homicide in Prince George’s County was down 40% in 2025 percent compared to 2024, and violent crime on a whole was down 19%, both through mid-December according to Prince George’s County police.

In D.C. is a similar story.

“Now we have no crime in Washington, DC. We have no killing,” said President Donald Trump Saturday during a news conference about action in Venezuela.

While the crime rate is not nearly as good as Trump has repeatedly said, the District recorded five homicides in December and 126 in all of 2025. That’s down 32% over 2024. Violent crime is down 29%, according to D.C .police crime statistics.

In Fairfax, homicide is down 14% — but the county only had 12 total — and violent crime dropped 4%, according to the county’s online reporting.

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Commanders vs. Eagles | How to watch, listen and live stream

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Commanders vs. Eagles | How to watch, listen and live stream


Mariota, who is dealing with a cut on his throwing hand and a quad injury, was considered doubtful to play in Week 18, Quinn said earlier in the week, and has not practiced since sustaining his injuries. Josh Johnson is set to make his second start to close out the Commanders’ season.



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