articles

In August 2020, Alexei Navalny, a prominent Russian opposition leader, was nearly killed by an artificial neurotoxin in an apparent Kremlin assassination attempt. Navalny returned to Russia in January after recuperating in Germany and was sentenced to 32 months in a prison labor colony. Thousands of Russians have been arrested in protests following his imprisonment. In an interview with reporter Devan Tatlow, journalist, author, and dissident Masha Gessen discussed Navalny’s decision to return to Russia. ...

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted almost every part of life for DC Public Schools students. The challenges of distance learning have been all-consuming for DCPS, with nearly all classes being conducted virtually since last March. However, a small number of high schools in DC face an additional problem: how to admit their students. The eight selective public high schools in the District — including School Without Walls, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and Bard Early College High School — do not have residential boundaries in which students are guaranteed a spot, nor do they participate in the lottery system used by other schools to admit out-of-boundary students. ...

A month into what many had hoped would be a brighter year, 2020 is still casting a long shadow over us. The number of coronavirus cases and deaths have reached levels not seen even at the peak of the pandemic last summer. Every day brings the number of coronavirus cases and deaths to new heights. On February 4, 2021, more than 5,200 Americans died from COVID-19, a single-day high. Since the pandemic began, more than 450,000 American have been buried, the equivalent of losing two-thirds of the District of Columbia. ...

On Wednesday, January 6, less than a week into the New Year, the world watched in horror as hundreds of pro-Trump rioters swarmed downtown DC and, soon after, broke into one of the most storied buildings in the United States: the US Capitol. At that time, Congress was confirming the US electoral college vote that elected Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States. The rioters broke windows and fought with the few law enforcement officers guarding the building. ...

The Presidential Inauguration on Wednesday, January 20, marked a monumental change in leadership, with former-President Trump leaving and President Biden and Vice President Harris being sworn into their new positions. Standing in stark contrast to the insurrection at the Capitol just two weeks prior, the inauguration demonstrated the strength of US democracy. Despite widespread fears of a repetition of the January 6 insurrection, the ceremony was conducted smoothly, but under strict security measures and military supervision. ...

The Seattle Sounders and Columbus Crew will contest the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup Final at 8:30 PM ET tonight on FOX. Seattle seems to have all the momentum after a stunning comeback in the semifinals. With only 15 minutes left in the match, the Sounders trailed Minnesota United, 0–2. Three goals later, including an 89th-minute putback and an injury-time header, they had advanced to the Cup Final. Moreover, two of Columbus’ strongest midfielders have been declared “not medically cleared to play” after testing positive for Coronavirus. ...