The Israeli embassy at Van Ness Street and International Drive has been the site of frequent vigils and protests since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th, 2023.
On February 26th, the Associated Press reported that a 25-year-old active-duty Air Force airman set himself ablaze outside, while protesting U.S. support for Israel’s counteroffensive in Gaza. He died from his injuries that night. The act drew the attention of several news organizations, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian.
On Saturday, March 2nd, a large crowd of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered at the embassy, then walked north on Connecticut Avenue to Fessenden Street and the Israeli ambassador’s residence.
RIGHT NOW IN DC: Thousands prepare to march for Palestine pic.twitter.com/ucVZy0t5Q7
— ANSWER Coalition (@answercoalition) March 2, 2024
That protest got less media coverage.
More DCist farewells: We were one of many that covered the February 23rd WAMU layoffs and the (so far temporary) DCist.com shutdown. Station management at 4401 Connecticut Avenue gave the story to an Axios reporter before they informed WAMU/DCist staff of the cuts. Also covering were the Post, Washingtonian, and NBC 4. WAMU reporter Elliott C. Williams was the first to report, on February 28th, that WAMU is restoring public access the DCist archives for one year, and will hunt for a new home for thousands of articles.
More company for two gas giants: What do the people at Carnegie Earth and Planets Laboratory on Broad Branch Road do there? Discover new moons in our solar system, for one thing.
When your colleague comes to a meeting one day and nonchalantly says they discovered new moons…you might work at @CarnegiePlanets 😆 Scott amazes again! https://t.co/9JI12v3DDi
— Johanna (@johannateske) February 24, 2024
The “Scott” mentioned in the post above is Carnegie astronomer Scott S. Sheppard, who was the first to discover a new moon orbiting Uranus. Along with collaborators, Sheppard also spotted two additional moons circling Neptune. The Uranus discovery was the first in more than twenty years. CNN reported on the finds.
Why you need to clean up after your dog: It isn’t just that it’s disgusting to step on dog poop. The Washington Post notes that dog waste is full of potentially deadly parasites and viruses that can be transmitted to other dogs and to cats, to wildlife, and to humans. And while this isn’t specifically news coverage of our neighborhood, let’s just say we’ve been banging this drum for a while.