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Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with Maryland to its north and east. It was named after George Washington, the first president of the United States. The district is named for Columbia, the female personification of the nation.

The U.S. Constitution in 1789 called for the creation of a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress. As such, Washington, D.C., is not part of any state, and is not one itself. The Residence Act, adopted on July 16, 1790, approved the creation of the capital district along the Potomac River. The city was founded in 1791, and the 6th Congress held the first session in the unfinished Capitol Building in 1800 after the capital moved from Philadelphia. In 1801, the District of Columbia, formerly part of Maryland and Virginia and including the existing settlements of Georgetown and Alexandria, was officially recognized as the federal district; initially, the city was a separate settlement within the larger district. In 1846, Congress reduced the size of the district when it returned the land originally ceded by Virginia, including the city of Alexandria. In 1871, it created a single municipality for the district. There have been several unsuccessful efforts to make the district into a state since the 1880s; a statehood bill passed the House of Representatives in 2021 but was not adopted by the U.S. Senate. To become law it would have to be passed by the Senate and signed by president; it would have renamed the city Washington, Douglass Commonwealth and shrunk the Federal District to about the size of the National Mall.

Washington, D.C. anchors the southern end of the Northeast megalopolis. As the seat of the U.S. federal government, the city is an important world political capital. The city hosts the buildings that house federal government headquarters, including the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court Building, and multiple federal departments and agencies. The city is home to many national monuments and museums, located most prominently on or around the National Mall, including the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument. It hosts 177 foreign embassies and the global headquarters of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization of American States, and other international organizations. Home to many of the nation's largest industry associations, non-profit organizations, and think tanks, the city is known as a lobbying hub, which is centered on and around K Street. It is also among the country's top tourist destinations; in 2022, it drew an estimated 20.7 million domestic and 1.2 million international visitors, seventh-most among U.S. cities. (Full article...)

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In the news

17 February 2025 – Protests against Donald Trump
Demonstrations take place at state capitols around the United States, including at Union Square in Washington, D.C., as part of the 50501 movement to protest against the second administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, and Project 2025. (NPR) (USA Today)
11 February 2025 – Kivu conflict
Rwandan-backed M23 rebel forces initiate advances towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), following a two-day unilateral ceasefire. (Al Jazeera)
CODECO insurgents kill at least 52 people and injure eight others in attacks across Ituri Province, DRC. At least 30 civilian homes were burned down during the attacks, according to Radio Okapi. (Anadolu Ajansi)
11 February 2025 – Jordan–United States relations
King Abdullah II of Jordan meets U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington D.C. for talks focusing on the president's proposal for the removal of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and a subsequent United States takeover of the region, with President Trump threatening to withhold aid from Jordan and Egypt if they do not agree to the proposal. (ABC News)
7 February 2025 – Second presidency of Donald Trump
United States federal judge of the D.C. District Court Carl J. Nichols temporarily blocks President Donald Trump's executive order to place over 2,200 USAID employees on paid leave. (AP)
4 February 2025 – 2025 Potomac River mid-air collision
The remains of all 67 people who were killed in a collision between a PSA Airlines CRJ700 and a United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk are recovered from the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., United States. (AP)

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