DC Public Schools work on lowering on chronic absenteeism, ‘a national challenge’

WTOP News 8/24 12:13A Scott Gelman

Heading into the new school year, WTOP sent questionnaires to and requested interviews with school leaders across the D.C. region. Here s what D.C. Public Schools interim Chancellor Kim Jackson said about the priorities and challenges facing the...

2026 National Book Festival celebrates the enduring power of books

WTOP News 8/23 2:25A Terik King

Author Sunyi Dean signs her fantasy novel 'The Girl With A Thousand Faces' for a fan at the National Book Festival, July 22, 2026.(WTOP/Terik King) Author Sunyi Dean signs her fantasy novel 'The Girl...

Local kids learn basketball skills at a camp with DC police officers

WTOP News 8/21 10:21P Liz Anderson

This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker. In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker. Why DC kids are shooting hoops with police officers A local basketball camp is in the books as August wanes. It’s...

DC-based book festival to feature film entertainers as well authors

WTOP News 8/21 4:52A Steve Karesh

The National Book Festival is Saturday at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest D.C. It will, of course, feature dozens of authors discussing their work, as regular attendees have come to expect. But this year, there’s more than...

DC-area volunteers raising money for truck to support Ukraine war effort

WTOP News 8/20 11:05P Mike Murillo

Some D.C.-area residents are trying to raise enough money to send a specially equipped truck to Ukraine as part of a nationwide grassroots fundraising campaign. Bethesda, Maryland, resident Jeffrey Bloch is helping lead Maryland s effort through...

DC students made small gains on last year’s standardized tests, but still below prepandemic levels...

WTOP News 8/20 11:00A Scott Gelman

D.C. students made small gains in reading last year, but math results haven t yet reached prepandemic levels, according to new citywide standardized test data released Thursday. At a news briefing, District education officials shared results from...

12-year-old arrested, charged with fatally shooting 13-year-old in DC

WTOP News 8/20 10:19A Thomas Robertson

A 12-year-old was arrested Wednesday and charged in the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old that happened in July in D.C. s Kingman Park neighborhood. The 12-year-old boy was arrested by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and...

Metro and IndyCar team up for a busy weekend of Freedom 250 Grand Prix events

WTOP News 8/20 9:04A Alan Etter

This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker. In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker. Metro and IndyCar team up for a busy weekend of Grand Prix events No, you weren t hallucinating Thursday morning —...

The Weekend Scene: Famed DC music venue back for 3 nights, and more to do Aug. 20-23

NBC DC (Local) 8/20 8:49A Sophia Barnes and Tommy McFly

Subscribe to The Weekend Scene newsletter to get our picks delivered straight to your inbox — every Wednesday Rev your engines! Freedom 250 Grand Prix weekend is here, and soon cars will be zooming near the National Mall over 150 mph. Tommy caught...

An inside look at final preparations for Freedom 250 Grand Prix in DC

WTOP News 8/20 8:38A Luke Lukert

This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker. In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker. How DC is preparing for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix The Freedom 250 Grand Prix in D.C. is just days away. It is...

‘Worse than cherry blossoms’: Drivers react to Freedom 250 Grand Prix road closures

WTOP News 8/19 11:40P Jimmy Alexander

This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker. In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker. Commuters say Freedom 250 Grand Prix traffic is ‘worse than cherry blossoms’ IndyCar drivers will be going close to...

DC’s Carter Barron Amphitheater welcomes back crowds after decade-long closure

WTOP News 8/18 10:03P Mike Murillo

The amphitheater's last full season was in 2016 before structural problems forced it to close. This week marks the first time audiences will return for live performances in nearly a decade.(Courtesy...

African American history museum on National Mall marks a decade with anniversary events

WTOP News 8/18 12:22A Anna-Lysa Gayle

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary next month, marking a milestone for a museum whose first donor plans to be there for the occasion. Related stories Son of DC...

DC-area schools crack national top 10 in new US News rankings

WTOP News 8/17 10:58P Kyle Cooper

Two D.C. area high schools are among the 10 best schools in the nation, according to new U.S. News and World Report rankings. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County ranked sixth nationally, and the District s...

Preserving Shakespeare: How DC’s Folger Library keeps 400-year-old volumes pristine

WTOP News 8/17 10:53P Matt Kaufax

This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker. In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker. Inside the room where 400-year-old copies of Shakespeare are restored Follow WTOP’s Matt Kaufax as he explores...