They also show up within an hour or two after another missile or drone attack.

Yuliya Stefanyuk, who oversees World Central Kitchen鈥檚 efforts in Ukraine, is in D.C. this weekend to share stories from the front lines of the war 鈥� and to serve up a taste of her homeland.

Stefanyuk is in town to take part in . The Ukrainian Embassy will open its doors Saturday, May 2, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. As part of the event, World Central Kitchen will showcase its work in Ukraine since the war began, serving traditional borscht, a soup native to Ukraine.

Stefanyuk ran a catering business in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, until the war started in 2022. The catering company became her gateway out of Ukraine to other European countries.

“Unfortunately, when the war started, everything stopped. And this is how I stepped to humanitarian work, and (I’ve still been here for years),” she said.

World Central Kitchen arrived to help the wave of refugees who also flooded in.

Since then, the organization has expanded its operations, setting up a few kilometers from the front lines throughout eastern Ukraine, and also responding to areas immediately following missile and drone strikes.

World Central Kitchen’s mission to aid Ukraine

Stefanyuk said WCK has provided about 300,000 meals a week to civilians and first responders in Ukraine 鈥� 297 million total since the war started. She said their goal is to deliver food within one or two hours after an attack, using a network of Ukrainian restaurant partners to quickly prepare and distribute meals.

鈥淲e started with hot meals at the beginning,鈥� Stefanyuk said.

They鈥檝e now expanded to food distribution and emergency provisions since then, and even provide seed and chickens to help people process their own food.

Another perk, she said, is that World Central Kitchen鈥檚 approach also keeps Ukrainian businesses running by sourcing ingredients from local farmers and working with restaurants across the country.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very important. Can you imagine the front-line regions struggling to survive? For businesses it鈥檚 really hard,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e give them chance to work and give other people normal salary and not leave this territory.鈥�

While World Central Kitchen鈥檚 focus is on civilians and first responders, not soldiers, its teams often operate within 20 kilometers of active battlefields, and sometimes rely on local volunteers to bring food even closer to those in need.

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing because, I believe, no other organization can do this so fast and so efficient,鈥� she said.

Stefanyuk was used to feeding a thousand people at a time. Now, that number has climbed exponentially higher. And she鈥檚 gone from catering celebrations to providing moments of cheer to the people she serves.

“We delivered, for example, fruits for front-line kids living there. Or for Christmas, we also had sweets as a gift for them. So we’re trying to add some pleasure moment. We just recently had Easter in Ukraine, and we distributed Easter cakes to give possibility for such people, because it’s really complicated to cook this cake,” she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a way to show that people are not alone, that they have hope, that we are close to them.鈥�

Stefanyuk also said that support from abroad has faded since the early days of the war, but said every contribution still makes a difference. The opening of the embassy serves to remind people of the struggle still happening there, and the need WCK is trying to meet.

鈥淲e really want to share that every dollar, like small donation, will have such a great impact, sharing with people who really need this help,鈥� Stefanyuk said.

Saturday鈥檚 event at the Ukrainian Embassy marks the first time it鈥檚 opened to public tours since the war began. Along with food, she and her team will be on hand to answer questions and share stories from Ukraine.

鈥淚’m really 鈥� from deep of my heart, thankful for any kind of support for my country,鈥� she said.

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Council Chair Krystal Oriadha signed off on six different bills focused on childcare Monday, writing her name in pen with one hand while her own son was held in her lap with the other.

Oriadha called the package a landmark moment for the county.

鈥淭here are so many families across the county that are struggling to find access to affordable childcare that need a little bit of help to afford it,鈥� Oriadha said.

The bills include the , the , the , the and the .

According to Oriadha, the package will create a new scholarship program for low-income parents, offer block grants to help small providers start up or expand, and set up a fund to help pay for the programs.

Brianna Meadows, a mother from Capitol Heights who is starting her own family childcare center, said the new scholarship program and grant opportunities could make a real difference for families and providers alike.

鈥淐hildcare is more than, or almost as much as, a mortgage,鈥� Meadows said. The scholarships, she added, 鈥渁re definitely going to benefit those parents who may be looking for quality childcare and just can’t afford it.鈥�

Jasmine Mumtaz, who owns Royal Kids Weekend Childcare in Temple Hills, said she is more confident about reopening her childcare business, which shut down during the pandemic.

鈥淪upporting this bill was important because not only do childcare providers face financial hardships, so do families,鈥� Mumtaz said. 鈥淭hese bills support not only starting, but sustaining childcare services. And not only that, we can add resources and things of that nature. And also get and keep families in our programs, because the scholarships will help them with any type of financial barriers.鈥�

But absent from the ceremony was County Executive Aisha Braveboy, whose signature is needed for the package of bills to become law. Oriadha said it was a scheduling issue.

One of the six bills continues to generate controversy. The legislation, facing an inevitable court challenge, charges only businesses like liquor stores, gun stores, tobacco stores and self-storage units a $5,000 annual fee 鈥� a fee that will go up every year 鈥� just to open the doors.

Not everyone in Largo is confident it will survive a court challenge. The money generated from the bill would help fund some of these programs. A spokesman for Braveboy wasn鈥檛 able to say how the county executive feels about the bill, nor could Oriadha.

鈥淚’m not worried about it,鈥� Oriadha said. 鈥淚 think obviously the industry is going to make it clear that they want to fight it, and I’ve made it clear that I’m going to fight for the residents of Prince George’s County.鈥�

Regardless of what happens next, Oriadha also said she was working to create a ballot measure that would go to referendum this November. It would essentially give the council more authority to charge such fees, and thus make it harder to overturn measures like the one the council just passed.

鈥淲e want to be open to business 鈥� for the right types of business,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I’m unapologetic about saying I don’t want to be open to business for 20 more 24-hour tobacco stores and more things that don’t benefit the residents of Prince George’s County.鈥�

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D.C. Shadow Rep. Oye Owolewa recently participated in discussions with political leaders from Puerto Rico, where statehood has also gained in popularity.

鈥淲hat we’ve seen in history is that there’s always been a two-state solution, for lack of a better term, in terms of inclusion into becoming a state in the United States,鈥� Owolewa said. “Having that balance of having another territory becoming a state may be a little bit more advantageous to getting the House and the Senate to ultimately support statehood.”

The last time that states joined the union was in 1959 with the additions of Alaska and Hawaii. Before that, it was New Mexico and Arizona in 1912.

鈥淲e have a common goal, which is to achieve equality. And the only way to achieve equality is by becoming a state of the United States,鈥� Charlie Rodriguez, former Senate president of Puerto Rico, said.

Since 2012, there have been four referendums showing support for statehood in Puerto Rico. The most recent one, in 2024, saw nearly 59% of residents there vote in favor of statehood.

鈥淚 believe that we have 鈥� a common goal and we should work together,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淎nd that’s part of the issue that brought me to meet with several D.C. leaders who are involved in the statehood movement in the District.鈥�

However, both admitted that achieving that shared goal will be difficult and is probably more difficult now than it used to be.

鈥淪ome years, it feels like we’re taking two steps forward. Some years, it feels like we’re taking five steps back,鈥� Owolewa said.

Right now, he said that the movement has taken five steps back, with Republicans in control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. Rodriguez said Puerto Rico has also lost ground in its quest.

鈥淯p till recently, the Republican Party endorsed statehood for Puerto Rico. But since Donald Trump, Republicans have rejected making Puerto Rico a state, because they say that if Puerto Rico is admitted as a state, it will be a Democratic state,鈥� Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez didn’t disagree with that assertion, adding that would mean two more Democratic senators and a handful of Democratic representatives, on top of the electoral leanings of D.C. residents. Politically, they admit it will be hard to get the necessary buy-in from congressional Republicans.

鈥淚t’s a fair and just thing to do 鈥� to grant people who are denied equal rights those rights as U.S. citizens should always have,鈥� Rodriguez said.

Both Rodriguez and Owolewa聽also pointed out that when Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the union, the thought was Alaska voters would align with Democrats and Hawaiian voters would align with Republicans. The opposite happened.

鈥淪o you never know (how) the people will be voting eventually when they become a state,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淏ut there’s no doubt that in the minds of many Republican leaders, the admission of Puerto Rico would be an admission of a state that could be voting Democratic.鈥�

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To help drive that number down even further, he launched the “Attendance Ambassador Program,” which plans to utilize other county social service agencies, nonprofits and even the private sector to help get kids and their families the services needed to keep them in the classroom regularly.

鈥淲hen you have a chronically absent kindergartner, it’s not the kid鈥檚 problem,鈥� Joseph said. 鈥淭here’s something happening more often than not with that family, and we should be curious to figure out what’s going on and how we can be supportive in connecting resources.鈥�

Joseph said that could mean working with the county鈥檚 housing department or other social services. The business community is also invited to help tackle the problem by getting involved and offering incentives.

A prime example of lessened chronic absenteeism is at Andrew Jackson Academy in District Heights.

Belinda Coleman of The Coleman Group Inc., an intelligence and data analytics group based in Greenbelt, Maryland, has been involved with helping students there for the past few years, beginning with backpack giveaways that eventually led to the creation of a drone program.

鈥淲e meet the students where they are,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e’re boosting attendance by making sure we partner with the school with other activities to create an interest for these young people.鈥�

When they鈥檙e interested, they make the extra effort to show up.

鈥淲e want them to really learn and be excited and just ignite that spark in their lives, so that they will have a lifelong career in science and technology,鈥� Coleman said. 鈥淚f they do their part, we’ll do our part.鈥�

Joseph said that can go a long way in a county that鈥檚 hamstrung by both limited resources and the failure to properly deploy what it does have.

“Prince George’s County does have limited resources, and we could do more,” he said. “Sometimes with the resources we have, there’s misalignment.”

鈥淚t sends the message: We care about you. We see you,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e understand that you might be having some challenges right now, and we won’t blame you for those challenges. We’ll help you get through those challenges.鈥�

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The internet has exploded with conspiracy theories following the shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday night in D.C., with some questioning whether the whole thing was staged. The suspected attacker himself had a social media feed that leaned into such theories following the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024.

Jen Golbeck, a professor at the University of Maryland鈥檚 College of Information Studies, says two big factors are fueling this phenomenon.

鈥淥ne is that people are having a hard time discerning truth from misinformation or just falsehoods. So there’s this inability to process information and discern truth,鈥� Golbeck told 海角社区app.

鈥淥n the other side is a lack of trust in institutions and experts 鈥� the kind of people that we would turn to normally to help us make those decisions.”

Golbeck said this environment has created a 鈥減erfect storm鈥� for conspiracy theories, especially in the wake of disruptive events like the COVID-19 pandemic.

鈥淲e’re in this really unique space in the U.S. right now where a lot of those official sources of information have been putting out bad information,鈥� she added.

She said that鈥檚 helped to erode trust on both sides of the political spectrum, making it easier for falsehoods to take hold. Golbeck said this is all a symptom of something bigger 鈥� a backslide in democratic values.

鈥淚 think it’s really important that we think about when someone’s trying to make us not trust an institution, are they doing that because the institution is honestly not trustworthy? That’s good to know,” she said.

“Or is it that it is trustworthy, and they’re trying to erode that trust for a different reason? There should be some level of suspicion when there are people trying to create the conditions where conspiracy theories arise, because often those are antithetical to what democracy needs.”

Golbeck said when that distrust happens, it’s often serving those in power: 鈥淏ecause if they can get us 鈥� not to necessarily believe the lies that they’re telling us, but to not believe in anything 鈥� to just see information and be like, 鈥業 don’t know what’s true or what isn’t true, I don’t believe anything anymore,鈥� what we see is the decline of democratic institutions.鈥�

Golbeck called it a dark time for those like her who study conspiracy theories but believes the way out of this cycle can start here in the D.C. region.

鈥淲e are a region of experts,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e can bring that to each other, and that’s also something that democracy is built on. As a people, we have the power within ourselves. I think we need to do the work to rebuild those institutions.”

She encouraged people to seek out trusted sources who base their information on facts, science or objective truth, not just opinion.

鈥淒emocracy requires people to understand and have access to the truth,鈥� she added.

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The Greenbelt Guardian Program, which launched April 24, lets families register a loved one with the police department, officer Kendall Graham said. The registration takes about two minutes and asks for basic information, a recent photo and two emergency contacts.

鈥淚t’s really for anyone who might be at risk 鈥� anyone who has trouble communicating with police officers,鈥� Graham said. 鈥淎utism or dementia or any type of medical conditions. But at the end of the day, it could just really help families as well as officers, just be better prepared.鈥�

If someone who is registered goes missing, police can use the information to identify them, contact their family and if needed, use communication techniques that work for people who officers know are nonverbal going into the search.

Graham said the idea came from seeing how often officers respond to calls about missing or found people who have trouble communicating.

In addition, Spring Hill Lake Elementary School in Greenbelt has a program that includes more than 100 autistic students in the county. She said teachers there reacted positively to the program.

鈥淚 was just trying to make some type of proactive approach for us as officers to get this information in real time and just have it for us available,鈥� Graham said.

The program is open to Greenbelt residents and anyone who might visit the area. Police have not had to use the program yet, but Graham said it could make a big difference for families and officers if someone does go missing.

鈥淲e hope we never have to use this registration or program at all. But if we need to, we鈥檒l be prepared for it,鈥� Graham said.

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If you鈥檝e stopped in to eat at either Daru or Tapori, which are two of H Street Northeast’s highly acclaimed restaurants, you probably wouldn鈥檛 be surprised to know that Chef Suresh Sundas was recently named a finalist for the James Beard Foundation鈥檚 best chef in the mid-Atlantic region.

But his path to culinary kudos is remarkably improbable, and in some ways, also historic.

Sundas is the first ever Nepalese chef to be named a finalist for a James Beard Award. He never attended culinary school, and everything he learned about cooking, he learned at his home in southeastern Nepal.

鈥淚 remember when I was 11 years old, and my mom used to go to work at that point,鈥� Sundas said. 鈥淎t that time, I am the one who cooks our family meal. And my mom taught me how to cook lentil rice, fried rice, even momo, which is Nepalese dumpling.鈥�

When he was 24, he moved to the U.S. and started working at a 7-Eleven in Northern Virginia. The night he made chicken curry for his roommates turned into a pivotal moment in his life.

鈥淥ne of my roommate guests had that curry, and she told me that, 鈥極K, this chicken curry is so good and you should work in the restaurant, not a 7-Eleven,鈥欌�� he said.

鈥淛ust because of my cooking. And as soon as I heard that 鈥� I find the nearest restaurant in Virginia,” he said. “And I got the job there.鈥�

He met his partners at Daru and Tapori while working at Rasika on D.C.鈥檚 West End, opening Daru first in 2021, followed by Tapori last year, and launching him into the stratosphere with some of DC.鈥檚 other top chefs. He said being the first Nepalese-born chef to become a finalist for a James Beard Award is not something he ever imagined. In fact, he had been in the United States for years before he had even heard of that award.

鈥淪o that is something which really means a lot to me. This is like out of expectation, to be honest,鈥� he said.

鈥淭hat is responsibility to the community, to the people or who made this industry what it is right now, and I think that is always the reflection of my team and my past work.鈥�

For those not familiar with Nepalese food, it鈥檚 not too different from Indian food, which makes sense since they share a border, though there are some subtle differences.

Common seasonings in the food include cumin, coriander, turmeric, fennel and bay leaves. The differences tend to be seen more in the cooking techniques and spice level.

鈥淭he Nepalese style of chicken curry is like, more like a watery basis of sauce. We don’t use very thick gravy, we call jhol, which is very watery sauce,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he same chicken curry, if we go in an Indian style is going to be very thick gravy, chicken gravy. So it’s a very simple 鈥� difference between the two dishes.鈥�

Between the recognition from the James Beard Society and Tapori鈥檚 placement on Eater National鈥檚 best new restaurant list, business has been good. Ahead of that night鈥檚 dinner rush, his team was jamming to dance music in the kitchen. It can be hard to thread the needle between serious work while keeping things loose and fun.

And while many chefs carry big personalities in and out of their kitchen, Sundas has a modest and humble take.

鈥淓veryday I’m cooking with honest and real experience,鈥� he said.

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The bill, sponsored by Del. Nick Allen of Baltimore County, would launch the Intelligent Speed Assistance System Pilot Program. It passed both chambers overwhelmingly, and if the governor signs the bill, it would become law Oct. 1.

Similar to how someone arrested for drunk driving has to get an ignition interlock device that checks for alcohol on their breath, this technology would go into the vehicles of drivers who have racked up so many points on their license that they were facing either suspension or revocation.

鈥淚t tracks where you are, and it’s able to know in real time what the speed limit is, wherever you are,鈥� Allen said.

The device can be adjusted to allow you a couple miles per hour over the limit, similar to how police might give you a couple miles per hour grace on the roads.

“For example, I was driving this car. I was driving it on a road, I think was the speed limit was 35 mph,鈥� Allen said. 鈥淓ven though I put the pedal all the way down to the floor, it would not go above 39 mph. It’s actually quite uncanny how good the technology works.鈥�

A couple safe driving advocates from Montgomery County, each of whom have lost loved ones in traffic crashes, helped push for the bill.

鈥淲e’ve all seen these people out on the highway,鈥� said Dan Langenkamp, a Bethesda man whose wife was struck and killed by a truck while she was biking in a bike lane on River Road. 鈥淭hese are drivers that are racing down the Beltway and scaring the bejesus out of everybody.鈥�

And Allen made clear, the technology is for those who do that on a regular basis, and keep getting caught.

鈥淚t’s people who have accrued enough points on their license, either through speeding violations, reckless driving violations, but typically speeding violations, that would otherwise either have their license suspended or completely revoked,鈥� Allen said.

He added that, more often than not, those violators keep driving anyway.

鈥淲e estimate about 75% of people who have their licenses revoked or suspended end up keep driving,鈥� said Allen, reciting numbers from Maryland鈥檚 Motor Vehicle Administration.

鈥淧eople need to get to work, they need to pay their bills, they need to take their kids to school, they need to go to doctor’s appointments. So this is a way we can ensure those people who might end up driving again on a suspended license can keep driving, but they’re doing it safely,鈥� he added. 鈥淎nd we’re making sure that these people who have a habitual tendency to speed and to drive in an unsafe way are going the speed limit.鈥�

Olney resident Mindy Badin advocated for the bill six years after her son Brett was struck and killed crossing Rockville Pike.

鈥淚t would mean fewer speed related crashes on our roads,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t would mean fewer people with serious injuries, fewer people dying and fewer families that have to go through the pain of losing a loved one.鈥�

Langenkamp also said it could prove even more effective than speed cameras at getting people to drive safer.

鈥淭he thing about cameras is that they force you to slow down when there’s a camera. But our mapping applications now show us where the cameras are, so those speeders would just speed up after they pass the camera,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his will take those people that are super, super lawless, and get them to calm down.鈥�

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Jacob Hernandez, 29, of Los Angeles; Khobe David, 24, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland; Dustin Wetzel, 23, of Woodbridge, Virginia; Chance Clark, 25, of Waldorf, Maryland; James Young, 23, of Hyattsville, Maryland; and a sixth person whose name is redacted in the filing were after a grand jury returned the 15-count indictment.

U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said it’s possible more than 100 cars were stolen from D.C. and more than 30 from Prince George鈥檚 County, Maryland. They would be taken to one of two garages 鈥� one located on 70 I St. SE in the Navy Yard and another at a Marriott Hotel in Maryland. There, the license plates would be switched out, the vehicle identification number was sometimes changed and GPS devices were reset.

鈥淔rom there, they are loaded onto shipping containers that are labeled ‘furniture’ as opposed to ‘cars,’ because there will not be as much scrutiny,鈥� Pirro said. 鈥淭hen, the shipping containers are sent across the ocean to Africa, where they get top dollar on the black market. This is a sophisticated ring turning everyday cars into international cargo.鈥�

Pirro said demand for the vehicles in Africa is 鈥渟ky high鈥� 鈥� with buyers paying more than the cars would be sold for in the U.S. because the vehicles are so difficult to obtain, thanks to high tariffs.

鈥淚n this indictment, we’ve identified over 20 cars with an estimated street value of just under $1 million,鈥� Pirro said. 鈥淏ut law enforcement is continuing to investigate the fact that this ring may be involved in the theft of more than 100 vehicles in D.C. and more than 30 more vehicles in Prince George’s County, Maryland 鈥� that is valued at up to $4 million.鈥�

Targeted vehicles included Corvettes, Camaros and several Hondas, including Civics, which Pirro said have additional value because their parts can be used with other vehicles. She said the thefts date back to at least February 2025, with the indictment saying late January of that year may have been when the first vehicle was stolen.

鈥淰ehicles were moved through at least three ports up and down the East Coast, including Savannah, Georgia, Baltimore, Maryland, and Newark, New Jersey,鈥� said Interim D.C. Police Chief Jeffery Carroll. 鈥淰ehicles that were stolen here in D.C. were located as far away as Western Africa.鈥�

How it happened

Pirro laid out the simplicity of the scheme when she opened her news conference Wednesday, calling it 鈥渢he new world of car theft.”

鈥淭hey don’t need keys and they don’t need hot wiring. No smashed windows, no drama 鈥� just a sleek electronic device called an Autel,鈥� Pirro said. 鈥淚n under a minute, the car’s brain is rewritten. The car is gone in 60 seconds.”

Those Autel devices can be bought online by anyone for just a few hundred dollars, something Pirro said needs to change.

鈥淚 don’t think there’s any question,鈥� she said when asked whether there should be more regulation surrounding ownership of the devices.

鈥淵ou shouldn’t have that, unless you have a legitimate reason. If you’re in the business of making sure of registering cars or licensing cars or repairing cars, that’s one thing. But to be able to buy this on your own, I think there definitely has to be some kind of legislation or registering,” she said.

Carroll offered some advice for vehicle owners to help keep their car from getting stolen.

鈥淔olks who have the key fobs, use a Faraday bag,鈥� Carroll said. 鈥淚t’s a bag that prevents the electronic from emanating from the key.鈥�

But even when key fobs were protected, thieves could also plug the Autel into a port in the vehicle and take it over that way, which is why he suggested using a device commonly known as 鈥渢he club鈥� on their steering wheels.

鈥淓ven if you have an Autel device, you won’t be able to drive that car,鈥� Carroll said. 鈥淚 know a lot of people think those things are outdated, but they’re not. They are good devices that prevent vehicles from still being driven.鈥�

He also suggested putting AirTags inside vehicles to help police track them down if they do get stolen, especially since the in-vehicle GPS systems are sometimes disabled by thieves.

Pirro said at least another 100 stolen vehicles could be connected to this conspiracy, adding she believes this will end up being a 鈥渕uch bigger case.鈥� The investigation will look at whether anyone involved in the shipping of vehicles knew that the containers marked as “furniture” weren鈥檛 actually furniture.

鈥淭he issue is whether or not these guys who were stealing the vehicles are the ones who are labeling the containers, and what role the people who are actually shipping the containers have in terms of the labeling,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot more peeling of the onion that we have to do, but if we think that they’re part of it, we’ll go after them as well. There’s no question.鈥�

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The final vote Tuesday was 8-5 in favor of the curfew, enough to pass a permanent curfew but short of the votes needed to extend the curfew on an emergency basis. That means the new curfew won鈥檛 take effect until the fall.

鈥淲e needed the council to act yesterday, they decided to punt on the legislation,鈥� Bowser said. 鈥淭here will be a gap between when my 15-day emergency runs out, and they can, they can act again. I think what we’re seeing is that there is not a debate over the merits. Now, it’s all political, and I think that people need to put their political ambitions to the side and do their job.鈥�

That was as fiery as the mayor got, but D.C.’s top prosecutor seemed more agitated.

鈥淭he police chief is doing everything that he can. The mayor is doing everything that she can. The D.C. Council doesn’t take this stuff seriously enough,” said Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for D.C.

鈥淯ntil the D.C. Council gets their act together 鈥� and the mayor was very kind, the way she put it, I’m not as kind as the mayor is 鈥� they’re not doing their job.”

Pirro also said the city should do more to hold parents accountable.

鈥淭here can be penalties against the parents who know about the kids’ involvement in these teen takeovers,鈥� Pirro said. 鈥淐ontributing to the delinquency of a minor is a statute that might be looked at involving the parents. We also have to leverage juvenile court authority over the parents. And until we do that, this is going to continue.鈥�

Interim D.C. Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll said that, in many cases, teens end up becoming crime victims when large gatherings get out of hand. He also said the teens are given ample warnings when they鈥檙e gathered into special curfew zones, with police preferring not to arrest anyone.

鈥淚t requires so many police resources that we’re drawing from other areas, and it puts the children in more conflict with the police,鈥� Bowser said.

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The legislation sponsored by Council Chair Krystal Oriadha imposes a new $5,000 use and occupancy permit on all county liquor, gun and tobacco stores, as well as self-storage facilities.

Row after row of the council chambers were filled with people, many of them of South Asian descent, who were there against the bill. They鈥檙e worried not just about the fee itself, but the fact that it also goes up on an annual basis.

鈥淚 am the son of two Indian immigrants who came here with nothing,鈥� said Aalekh Kaswala, of Bowie. 鈥淢y dad used to sell roses on the median. Then, he was a pizza delivery guy.鈥�

Eventually, Kaswala’s father bought a liquor store on Marlboro Pike, which is now owned by Kaswala鈥檚 sister, who lives in District Heights.

鈥淭his industry is almost entirely immigrant-owned and operated,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ach one of these licensees is a family, and the way I believe that we’re being spoken about, we’re being demonized.鈥�

Also in Largo to testify against the measure was Bruce Bereano, a lobbyist hired by the storage industry against the bill.

鈥淭his bill, on its face, is so blatantly unconstitutional and illegal by discriminatory classification of certain businesses,鈥� Bereano said.

鈥淭hese businesses are here legally and lawfully through the zoning power and authority of the county council and the county government.鈥�

He argued there was no truth to many of the 鈥渨hereas鈥� clauses in the arguments in the bill.

Bereano called it outrageous and slanderous during his public testimony.

“‘Whereas self-storage facilities, as known as consolidated storage facilities, pose several risks to the public health and safety, primarily stemming from their improper storage of hazardous materials, poor sanitation, potential illegal and unsafe and criminal activities,'” he said. 鈥淎ll of this is lies, these whereases are absolute lies and unsubstantiated facts.鈥�

Bereano also said it would prove again that the county is anti-business.

The long list of those who testified during the public hearing on the legislation also generally spoke out against the bill. However, Oriadha argued it鈥檚 more about choosing the right businesses.

鈥淲e deserve better. Our residents deserve better,鈥� she said during the hearing, after half a dozen business owners spoke out against the bill.

鈥淭here’s also a reality of the types of businesses we want to continue to attract and the ones we don’t,鈥� Oriadha added in an interview with 海角社区app.

鈥淎nd I think that’s wildly agreed to by every person actually lives in Prince George’s County.鈥�

She said it comes down to deciding what types of businesses the county wants to attract and which ones it wants to dissuade.

鈥淚f you say, 鈥楬ey, I want better,鈥� then you’re anti-business,鈥� Oriadha said.

鈥淎nd that’s the furthest thing from the truth. I have had so much pro-business, pro-Black and brown business set aside legislation. So I’ve been here for the last three years in a real thoughtful way. So it’s not anti-business, but is that what we deserve?鈥�

As the council hearing on the issue continued, most of the testimony came from liquor store owners 鈥� many of whom were of South Asian descent. Some connected their immigration stories with those serving on the council, though it didn鈥檛 go so well when they did that.

At times, the hearing was combative, with council members pressing store owners about where they live and how they contributed to the community, including by asking for the names of community leaders they work with.

In the end, the council voted to pass the bill 9-2, with Council members Jolene Ivey and Sydney Harrison voting against the bill over concerns about the legality of it. But the council鈥檚 office of law vouched for the legislation as being legally sound.

Bereano said that assertion would be tested in court.

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Charles Hart Middle School鈥檚 gym was filled with cheers, music and a whole lot of dancing as about 100 girls got a visit from the Washington Mystics, the Wizards鈥� dance team and Monumental Sports.

The vibe was so strong, the gym felt like a dance party and the theme of the afternoon was “girls who play become women who lead.”

The celebration centered on one key piece of equipment that organizers said many girls in sports are missing: sports bras that fit.

The sports bra giveaway from the Mystics and Monumental Sports, through a new nonprofit called , gave away three free sports bras to every girl at Hart Middle School. There was also assistance there to make sure each student could find the right fit 鈥� with help measuring and specific instructions on how the bras should fit.

鈥淓quipment is so essential to us performing well 鈥� and sports bras are no different than any other equipment that we need for our sports,鈥� said Alycen McCauley, chief business officer for the Mystics.

According to McAuley, only 52% of D.C. girls play sports, compared to about 72% of boys 鈥� the largest gender gap in youth sports participation in the country.

Organizers said they hope the new EquipHer program will help break down that barrier.

In total, Monumental Sports and the Mystics are giving away more than 13,000 sports bras to D.C. Public Schools students at 39 schools. Each girl on a sports team roster will receive three, along with extra inventory that will go to schools so athletic directors and physical education teachers have them on hand. Each kit also included a link to a video tutorial on finding the right fit.

鈥淲hen girls play, they become phenomenal leaders,鈥� McCauley said. 鈥淪ports is the unique classroom that teaches girls the opportunity to learn teamwork, resiliency, coming back from defeat, understanding how to excel in a team environment. 鈥� If we want a strong community in D.C., we need our girls to become those leaders of tomorrow.鈥�

Londyn Campfield, an eighth grade track athlete and Hart Middle student government member, said getting the right equipment matters.

鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have good equipment, then you鈥檙e not going to be able to do your best if you don鈥檛 have the right stuff for the sport,鈥� Campfield said.

Monumental Sports President of External Affairs Monica Dixon said this simple, and perhaps underrated step, has the potential to make a big impact on the girls later in life.

鈥淣inety-four percent of women in C-suites across business played sports growing up,鈥� Dixon said. 鈥淕etting girls out to be with each other, build relationships, learn how to collaborate, learn how to be there when a teammate is struggling, is key to work in an office and any business environment. You鈥檝e got to know how to work with people that you’re pulling for.鈥�

海角社区app/John Domen

海角社区app/John Domen

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are working on a new biodegradable plastic wrap designed to keep food fresh longer, and they鈥檙e using artificial intelligence to help perfect it.

The plastic cling wrap used to cover leftovers and place them into the fridge can help extend the life of food for a short time. But once it’s tossed, the plastic can linger in landfills for decades 鈥� or longer.

鈥淧lastics are made for a few minutes use,鈥� said Abhishek Sose, one of the researchers involved in this project. “They persist in the environment for like 500 to 600 years or so. But we want these plastics to go away as soon as we are done using them.”

Sose said those plastics aren鈥檛 going away anytime soon.

鈥淭hey are persistent,鈥� he added. 鈥淭hey have already entered our food chain 鈥� the water has been polluted, soil has been polluted through these plastics.鈥�

But Sose, along with his partners Tram Le and Peter Chung, is using all-natural materials to formulate a new type of cling wrap.

The main ingredients include cellulose, which comes from trees, plus gelatin and chitosan, which is usually sourced from crab and shrimp shells or mushrooms. Because they鈥檙e natural ingredients, Le decided to test how they behave once discarded.

“By three weeks, you can’t even find the sample anymore,鈥� she said.

The sample of cling wrap had decomposed, breaking down into the soil.

鈥淭his is made from nature, so it just comes back to nature. We don’t use any toxic chemicals in the process making our bioplastic,” she said. 鈥淪o if you throw it in your garden, totally fine.”

Of course, no one is going to buy it if it doesn鈥檛 work.

To test performance, the researchers compared their wrap with commercially available plastic using two cucumbers. After one week, the difference was clear.

鈥淭he veggies that were available in our wrapped plastic film was sustaining longer, in terms of shelf life in the refrigerator. Those that were in the cling wrap 鈥� in the commercially available wraps 鈥� those were more squishy and they had a fungus growing on them,鈥� Sose said.

鈥淭he material that we have developed has shown 鈥� the shelf life for these veggies are 1.5 to two times (longer),鈥� he added.

Before it can be widely used at home or by grocery stores, the material needs to better resist water and oil. Moisture from steam or condensation, for example, could weaken the wrap in its current form.

That鈥檚 where artificial intelligence comes in.

Think about when you bake a cake: All of the ingredients you combine together 鈥� the sugar, butter, eggs and flour 鈥� work together to create just the right taste and texture. Change them around a little bit, and the cake itself will be different.

The same holds true here. Le, Sose and Chung are using AI to help them better predict how those different changes in the formula will impact the wrap they鈥檙e making.

Solve the water and oil resistance problem, and then they鈥檒l focus on figuring out how to scale this product up for broader commercial use. The hope is that within the next couple of years those issues will be solved and it will be available for purchase at grocery stores.

In the long term, Sose said the process could help guide scientists replace other harmful chemicals used in everyday products.

鈥淚t’s just a proof of concept that we have shown for the bioplastics, but it could be transferable to other materials as well, which are impacting our health,鈥� he said.

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Drivers speeding down Fairfax County Parkway or making risky lane changes on Route 28 have a heightened risk of coming face-to-face with police this week.

Fairfax County police are rolling out extra patrols all across the county as part of the 2026 Road Shark campaign, officials said during a news conference Monday. Acting Assistant Chief Dalton Becker said drivers should expect to see more officers, flashing blue lights and traffic stops, especially in areas that see more crashes and deaths.

Some of the roads cited include a stretch of Fairfax County Parkway near Route 29 and Monument Drive, as well as stretches of Route 28, though enforcement won鈥檛 just be limited to those roads.

鈥淲e鈥檙e data driven, so we look at where the crashes occur, and then we try to put officers on those hot spots to hopefully prevent further crashes,鈥� Becker said.

The campaign, which launched in 1999, teams up Fairfax County police and Virginia State Police with the goals of cutting down crashes and saving lives. Becker said this week marks the first wave of four enforcement weeks on the schedule this year. Last year, this campaign led to police issuing about 50,000 citations or warnings 鈥� a big jump from 2024, when police handed out about 35,000.

Officers will be watching for violations that commonly contribute to crashes, such as speeding, distracted driving and driving under the influence.

鈥淲e see the same things you all see being on the roadways every day,鈥� Becker said. 鈥淲e can’t drive to the grocery store without seeing someone drive in a reckless manner 鈥� it seems like 鈥� in 2026.鈥�

Becker said enforcement ramps up in the spring because warmer weather means more people on the roads.

鈥淎ny time you have the higher heat, you know, folks are out, and for some reason want to press down on that accelerator a little bit harder, turn the music up,鈥� Becker said. 鈥淪o that’s definitely why we were strategic in doing it at this time of year.鈥�

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Police Chief George Nader told 海角社区app that it can take up to six months to hire an officer. By packing several tests and an interview into a one-day event, he’s hoping to make police department hiring a two- or three-month process.

Registration for this Saturday鈥檚 event is already full, but Nader said participants can still get a spot on the standby list.

He also said he doesn鈥檛 think everyone who registered will show up, and even if they do, he has a lot of openings to fill.

鈥淧eople that have preregistered, they’ll get here at 7 a.m.,鈥� Nader said. “We’re going to do multiple phases of the hiring process, which typically takes a month or so. We’re going to do it all in one day.鈥�

That includes the written and physical tests, plus the initial interview and prequestionnaire.

What happens if you pass all that?

鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to walk away with the conditional offer of employment, and we’re going to immediately start your background鈥� check, Nader said.

鈥淥ne of the main priorities we have here is to increase our hiring,鈥� he added. 鈥淚 want to hire 150 officers a year at a minimum. So part of that is to increase the process and make it a better experience.鈥�

Right now the department is averaging between seven and eight retirements a month. By having three academy classes with at least 50 officers in each, he said he thinks he can stay on top of those retirements, and also grow the size of the force again.

鈥淚f we keep this up, within three years, we’ll be at full staffing,鈥� Nader said.

Online registration, including the standby list, .

鈥淚f you show up at 7 o’clock, we’ll put you in a standby mode,鈥� Nader said. 鈥淚 don’t want to discourage people from coming out, because even if they come out, there’s still likelihood that they’ll be able to participate in the event, and at a bare minimum, they’ll be able to apply and start that process.鈥�

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