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Staying put this spring break? Check out some day trip ideas for the DC area

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:16 GMT

Deciding to save a little dough by not spending big on a spring break trip this year? There are plenty of fun-packed day trips for you and the kids near the D.C. region.“We have access to Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, and with that comes so many different opportunities,” Daniella Byck, lifestyle editor with Washingtonian magazine, told WTOP.More Local NewsMore DC NewsTo make the most out of the trip with the kids, try to find a destination that can combine activities with other elements like outdoor access or historical significance.Byck said a top destination that should be on your radar is Front Royal, Virginia, and its access to Shenandoah Valley.“You can tour the Skyline Caverns. You can rent kayaks, even at this time of year, and paddle down the Shenandoah River,” said Byck about Front Royal, located around an hour-and-a-half drive from the District.Visitors to Front Royal also have access to plenty of Shendoah National Forest trails, such as the Fox Hollo...

Gardening help in the palm of your hand: 5 apps, phone tips

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:16 GMT

You’re in your garden and notice a beautiful, new-to-you flower that has popped up somewhere unexpected — pull it or leave it?Or perhaps an unfamiliar garden pest has ravaged your tomato plants. Or you experienced the deflating discovery of a gray-white crust on the soil in your seed-starting tray. Where do you turn for help when you’re on the go? Technology, of course. The latest crop of gardening apps and cellphone features may surprise you with their expert garden-planning and planting advice, pest and disease troubleshooting, instant plant and insect identification, and even integrated artificial intelligence and augmented reality.Free, reliable apps like the ones below will place an abundant harvest of valuable information at your (green) fingertips.— Seek by iNaturalist Created by a joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society, this crowd-sourced, image-recognition app is as straightforward a...

Finland joins NATO alliance, dealing major blow to Russia with historic realignment triggered by Ukraine war

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:16 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Finland joins NATO alliance, dealing major blow to Russia with historic realignment triggered by Ukraine war.Source

Ex-Kosovo president tells international judges he’s innocent

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:16 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci on Tuesday insisted he is an innocent man as he addressed a panel of international judges hearing his trial on 10 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.At the end of his lawyers’ opening statement to the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, Thaci stood up, buttoned up his gray pinstripe suit jacket and told black-robed judges that he expects evidence to lead to his acquittal saying that “victims do not obtain justice when the innocent are pursued.”Thaci was a student who came out of what he described as political exile in Switzerland to join Kosovo’s struggle for independence from Serbia. He was embraced by Western leaders who invited him to 1999 peace talks in France in his role as political director of the Kosovo Liberation Army and was seen as a leader who could guide the country toward independence.Thaci said he regretted that late U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and other international d...

NHL’s Pride nights collide with LGBTQ+ political climate

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:16 GMT

Sports leagues and teams often use Pride nights to raise the visibility and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people — as well as sell them tickets — and the NHL has been a leader. They can include special jerseys designed by LGBTQ+ artists, performances, information tables, even drag performances. And they’re largely a hit.But six NHL players recently opted out of wearing rainbow-colored jerseys on their teams’ Pride nights for the first time, leading the league’s commissioner to say it is weighing the future of the events. That worries some fans and LGBTQ+ supporters, who say it’s a sign that a political climate that has led to restrictions on expression, health care and transgender sports participation both in the U.S. and internationally is now threatening events that are meant to be fun and affirming.“It’s definitely fair to say that this political landscape is helping to sort of normalize people for opting out of the optional ways that they have been asked to show s...

Another Northern Virginia delegate retires, clearing way for Marcus Simon in 13th

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:16 GMT

This article was written by WTOP’s news partner, InsideNoVa.com, and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today. Del. Kaye Kory, D-Fairfax, announced her retirement Monday from the Virginia House of Delegates.Del. Kaye Kory, D-Fairfax, speaks on the floor of the Virginia House of Delegates at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., Monday, Feb. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)Kory’s decision clears the way for fellow Democrat Marcus Simon to run for the 13th District seat this fall. The 2021 redistricting placed both Kory and Simon in the Falls Church-based district, and they would have had to run in a June primary for the Democratic nomination. Kory had represented the 38th District since first being elected in 2009.“Serving the people of Fairfax County, first on the School Board and then in the House of Delegates, has been the honor of my life,” she said in a statement. “My first priority was always to take incredible care of m...

New images from inside Fukushima reactor spark safety worry

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:16 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Images captured by a robotic probe inside one of the three melted reactors at the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant showed exposed steel bars in the main supporting structure and parts of its thick external concrete wall missing, triggering concerns about its earthquake resistance in case of another major disaster.The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, has been sending robotic probes inside the Unit 1 primary containment chamber since last year. The new findings released Tuesday were from the latest probe conducted at the end of March. An underwater remotely operated vehicle ROV-A2 was sent inside the Unit 1 pedestal, a supporting structure right underneath the core. It came back with images seen for the first time since an earthquake and tsunami crippled the plant 12 years ago. The area inside of the pedestal is where traces of the melted fuel could most likely be found.An approximately five-minute video — part of 39-hour-long im...

Donald Trump ante la corte en Nueva York, en vivo: noticias, última hora y reacciones

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:16 GMT

Haz clic aquí para ver las actualizaciones más recientesThe-CNN-Wire™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.Source

'Meth contaminated' condo in Denver could be yours for $252,000

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:16 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A condominium recently listed on Zillow in Capitol Hill is turning some heads for its property overview.The condo is located at 985 N. Corona Street in Denver for $252,000. It has one bedroom and one bathroom with 567 square feet.Problems with the condoAccording to the listing, the condo has potential, as well as some issues."Due to methamphetamine contamination, it has been tagged by the City & County of Denver. There is an ORDER TO VACATE/ACCESS RESTRICTED/NO TRESSPASSING NOTICE placed on the front door by Denver Public Health & Environment," the listing said. Denver-area homes still selling faster than nearly any other US metro area What will need to be fixed before you can live in this condo? The listing said a licensed and certified industrial hygienist verified by the DDPHE will have to bring the property into compliance. The property will also need the following, according to the listing:The kitchen will need to be gutted and the appliances will nee...

Colorado has gained back all restaurant workers it lost during COVID

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:16 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado has finally recovered from one of the most spotlighted issues it faced in the roughly two-year stretch of COVID pandemic problems - its food service workforce. When COVID restrictions were first put in place in the spring and summer of 2020, restaurants that were unable to seat customers lost employees by the millions nationwide. As the country lifted restrictions, restaurants and bars were faced with the lingering side effect of inflation. Does Colorado have more natural disasters than other states? Former workers refused to come back without wage increases to balance the rising cost of living. This partially contributed to food inflation as both restaurants and grocery stores passed increased wage costs onto customers. It's taken close to three years, but Colorado now has as many food and accommodations workers employed as it had the month before the pandemic broke.There were 289,200 food and accommodations workers in Colorado in February 2020. In April...