WTOP | Washington’s Top News | DC, MD & VA News, Traffic & Weather

The Robert C. Weaver Federal Building in Washington, DC

'It didn't have to be this way': Fired HUD probationary employees denied back pay

Airplanes-Diverted

Passenger flight and Air Force jet diverted from potential collision at DC airport

Trump Smithsonian

Critics see Trump attacks on the 'Black Smithsonian' as an effort to sanitize racism in US history

Immigration-Tufts Student Detained

Deportation halted for Tufts student whose visa Rubio says was revoked due to activism

Vaccine Chief Resigns

Top vaccine official resigns from FDA, criticizes RFK Jr. for promoting "misinformation and lies"

Cherry blossoms in bloom

Where to see the cherry blossoms — and how long they're here to stay

Weather
Saturday to mark the warmest day of the year as cherry blossoms take center stage

U.S. Institute of Peace staff receive termination notices, sources say

What Fairfax Co. police chief said about Youngkin’s immigration enforcement callout

'You're not sure what could be going on': Perimenopause gets more attention

Unions fight back against latest Trump executive order

Layoffs, possible shutdown put contractors in uneasy state

Cherry blossoms have officially hit their peak bloom

It's official! The cherry blossoms have reached their peak bloom

A stylized block “W” is surrounded by an outline of the Capitol Dome, flanked on either side by cherry blossoms.

Washington Nationals unveil uniforms featuring cherry blossoms

Woman performing in jazz nightclub

Things to do in the DC area: Jazz Festival, Cherry Blossom Sake Tasting … and more!

We leave you this first Sunday of spring in our nation's capital, where the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Videographer: Victor Ulloa.

See pictures of cherry blossom trees near peak bloom in DC

man teaching kids to make kites

An age-old Japanese tradition comes to DC schools in time for this weekend’s Cherry Blossom Kite Festival

National Park Service personnel trimming cherry trees at the Tidal Basin.

One final trim for DC's cherry blossom trees

Two women standing in a colorful room at ARTECHOUSE.

Where to celebrate cherry blossom season in the DC area

Cherry blossom decor in Ambar's Shaw location.

Cherry blossom-themed high tea, cocktails and other treats in the DC area

Cherry Blossoms Washington

Can you identify the first pair of cherry trees ever planted in DC?

Cherry blossoms in bloom with the Capitol in the background.

What to know about DC's cherry blossoms

00:12

Cherry blossom peak bloom is finally here in the DC area!

01:15

Here are the finalists for the Neal Augenstein Impression Challenge

00:47

Big changes ahead for the Chesapeake Baysox Stadium

00:45

How this Maryland college student turns rubber bands into batteries

Washington Nationals open 2025 season vs. Phillies

Driver remembers crossing Baltimore's Key Bridge right before it collapsed

00:55

A year later, Maryland leaders honor those killed by Key Bridge collapse

How life has changed in Baltimore Co. since the bridge collapse

01:21

A year after the Baltimore bridge collapse, a long road to recovery is ahead

00:54

Residents outraged over drug rehab facility near Montgomery County school

00:39

Defense Secretary denies claim that war plans were shared with journalist

Behind the scenes at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum's FossiLab

00:42

A Japanese tradition comes to DC schools in time for Cherry Blossom Kite Festival

00:35

Maryland basketball fans react to men’s team advancing to Sweet 16

00:47

A new downtown DC mural memorializes a school shooting victim

This photo provided by Target shows the Ultra Beauty inside Target department store in Edina, Minn., on Aug. 14, 2021.

A crime spree centered on beauty busted by Fairfax Co. police

md. governor stands behind podium with microphones

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says tax cuts give 'breathing room to middle class'

Amy K Bormet presents the Washington Women in Jazz Festival, Saturday March 29 & Sunday March 30 11AM-10PM

Want to catch some of the District's finest jazz musicians?

A "For Sale" sign out side a home.

DOGE drag on the DC housing market? 'It’s starting to look that way'

Trump CFPB

Federal judge blocks Trump from dismantling Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

President Donald Trump waves to the media

Trump calls for House to pass DC's $1B budget fix

Thyroid ablation at GW Hospital

Insight by George Washington University Hospital

Family eating a healthy vegetarian food

'Clean your plate' leads to problems; doctor offers ways to encourage healthy eating in kids

AI helping agencies become more proactive to stop improper payments

Insight by IBM

Amazon Fresh

Amazon Fresh opens new store in Silver Spring

Key Bridge Rebuild

What will the new Francis Scott Key Bridge look like?

'Untold Power' book cover

Biographer of former first lady Edith Wilson: 'We've had an acting woman president'

three women stand on a stage

'A Room in the Castle' is not your father’s 'Hamlet'

Capital One headquarters

DC area's best banks for customer satisfaction

Trump

Trump signs order to 'make the nation’s capital safe again'

Trump Smithsonian

What is the Smithsonian, and why is President Trump unhappy with it?

Education Student Loans

Law school applications soar nationwide, experts say there are 3 main reasons

Justice Department Gang Leader

Alleged leader of MS-13 street gang on the East Coast is arrested in Virginia

Wisconsin Supreme Court

Military veterans launch Democratic runs for Va. House in GOP strongholds

Participants march in the annual Capital Pride Parade in Washington, DC, on June 8, 2024.

Concern grows among local LGBTQ+ community as DC's World Pride clashes with federal policies

Defense War Plans Circulated

Judge orders government to preserve Signal messages about Houthi military strike

can of beer next to a glass

WTOP's Beer of the Week: Burnish Single Hop Series Strata IPA

The Manassas Campus of Northern Virginia Community College. (Courtesy Northern Virginia Community College)

Va. community colleges end diversity, equity and inclusion practices

County News

Saturday to mark the warmest day of the year as cherry blossoms take center stage

Critics see Trump attacks on the ‘Black Smithsonian’ as an effort to sanitize racism in US history

Passenger flight and Air Force jet diverted from potential collision at DC airport

U.S. Institute of Peace staff receive termination notices, sources say

What Fairfax Co. police chief said about Youngkin’s immigration enforcement callout

Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger.

In WTOP exclusive, candidates in Va. governor's race sound off on federal cuts

man works on a machine

How this Maryland college student turns rubber bands into batteries

Woman's hands shown playing Sudoku on a tablet computer

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VIDEOS

DC police boat

Good Samaritans reportedly pull driver who crashed into Potomac River to safety

SpaceX-Stuck Astronauts

NASA astronauts return to Earth after 9 months stuck in space

NCAA The Beloved Bracket Basketball

Who invented the March Madness bracket?

PHOTO GALLERIES

A stylized block “W” is surrounded by an outline of the Capitol Dome, flanked on either side by cherry blossoms.

Nationals unveil District Blueprint uniforms

2025 Pet of the Week

2025 local deaths of note

AROUND THE REGION

MD, VA and DC lawmakers introduce

Md. senator says sweeping HHS cuts will bring court fight

NATIONAL

Government Transparency Encrypted Apps

So, what's Signal? Tech expert on app Trump administration used to discuss attack plans

SPORTS

NCAA South Carolina Maryland Basketball

MiLaysia Fulwiley helps defending champion South Carolina outlast Maryland 71-67 in March Madness

Sponsored

Agencies need to operationalize data where it lives

Agencies need to operationalize data where it lives

Insight by Elastic

Beyond the Fame with Jason Fraley

Ami Canaan Mann

Episode 13 — Strength in Unity: One Woman's Mission to Empower MS Warriors

WTOP's DC Sports Huddle

How the Commanders 'win' NFL free agency

Colors: A Dialogue on Race in America

219 | The State of Race in America in 2025

473 | The White House "Signal" Problem

thERINpy with Erin Washington

Spiritual coach and consciousness mentor Phillip Andrew, aka the Abundance Alchemist

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