American Indian’s Native Art Market, but one stood out: . 

The family owned textile company traveled from Peru after receiving an invitation to participate in the market this past weekend where 30 Indigenous artists from across the Western Hemisphere featured their work at the Smithsonian’s. 

Whitesell, who’s been going to the museum since it opened in 2004, said she expected strong craftsmanship and storytelling from vendors and the event succeeded her expectations. 

“We should support this community and the artists who have traveled all this way,” Whitesell said. “The quality of work is truly fabulous.”

For Marilu Fernandez, general manager of Llapan Maki, receiving an invitation to the market marked a milestone. She said she grew up in Peru watching her father, Ciprian Herminio Fernandez Quispe, founder of Llapan Maki,  weave textiles rooted in Quechuan traditions using patterns holding cultural meaning. 

In 2020, Fernandez said her family decided to sell their products to “help our community in Peru.”  With that goal in mind, Fernandez applied to the Smithsonian market. Vendors must submit their portfolios to the museum prior to being considered for the market. Fernandez said the process was competitive and extensive, but said it was worth it.

For the family, Fernandez said, their first appearance in D.C. was not only about selling goods but about sharing their culture with people far from home.

“I will go back to Peru with more energy and inspiration,” Fernandez said. “It’s important that people appreciate our work.”

For vendors like , the market has become a tradition. 

Rafael, a jewelry designer and a Navajo from New Mexico, has displayed her work at the market since the event started in 2012. Rafael said she returns each year to reconnect with vendors, exchange techniques and meet visitors who often become repeat customers. 

This year wasn’t different. With 10 minutes left of the market to spare, Rafael worked on polishing some more jewelry as customers lingered with curiosity, asking for her contact and backstory on her work.

“Coming here is like seeing art shows everywhere,” Rafael said. “People come and take the time to talk to the artist, to get to know them. It’s about supporting local businesses and local artists.”

Rafael was raised in Gallup, New Mexico, by grandparents who were silversmiths and grew up around jewelry making. She said she began refining her own skills shortly after high school while working in a manufacturing shop. 

Since the early 2000s, Rafael said she has sold jewelry full time at art shows across the country. 

Although each place is “unique in its own way,”  Rafael said there is something different about doing it in D.C. 

“It’s like ‘Wow, you’re in the Smithsonian,’ and I’m honored to be here,” Rafael said. “All artists here are top well-known artists. D.C. is special, not like any other show.” 

One of those artists, beadworker Naomi Smith, sat in the booth next to Rafael’s

Although the two had crossed paths in previous years, Smith said sitting next to Rafael is an opportunity to learn from fellow artists. 

Smith, who is from the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation, has over 40 years of experience in her craft. Her work is a fusion between Woodland and Haudenosaunee beading techniques. She said she doesn’t apply to the market just because she wants to sell products.

“Beading for us is medicine, it’s healing, ” Smith said. “If it happens to find a home then that’s fine. But the have personal stories attached.” 

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Federal planners Thursday approved the , authorizing its placement on the . 

The monument is the product of two congressional acts — one by President Donald Trump in 2020 establishing the project and another by former President Joe Biden in January securing its home on federal land. 

The voted last Thursday to approved the placement of the memorial near the intersection of 19th Street and Constitution Avenue in , which is between the and . 

The commission four potential locations before giving its final approval for a site known as Constitution Gardens East.

“The location provides thematic connections to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence Memorial and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial and a visual connection to the Washington Monument. It would complement the National Mall Plan and the Trust for the National Mall’s vision for Constitution Gardens as a place of 24-hour activity throughout all seasons,” the commission said in a press release released following its approval.

Some visitors around the Mall were surprised this didn’t happen sooner. 

“I think it’s really good,” said Chloe De Wouters, a tourist from Switzerland. “There are so many monuments here, and none are about women.” 

The Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation is responsible for fundraising, design selection, and construction. The project will rely entirely on private donations and is estimated to cost around $100 million. 

A national design competition is set for 2026, a foundation spokesperson told 91����, and construction will begin once funding and design approval are secured. 

No major monument on the Mall is dedicated to women’s history, aside from the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, which honors the nurses who served during the war.

Some visitors said they hope the monument reflects a wide range of women who shaped the suffrage movement, not just the most famous figures.  

Glennis Warsaki of Virginia said the monument should include women whose work for equality extended beyond voting rights. 

“Evangeline Booth should be in it,” Warsaki said. “She started the work of the Salvation Army in the United States, and nobody ever mentions her.” 

The monument aims to tell a centuries-long story, from the to the who picketed the White House.  

For visitors like William Kelly, a Washington-area worker, placing the monument on the Mall is long overdue.  

“Women have been through a lot, and they deserve the recognition they get,” he said. “I’ll absolutely go see it.”

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During the ceremony, President Donald Trump acknowledged the shooting of the two guardsmen the day before Thanksgiving. “I want to pay my highest respects to those two great guardsmen, you know who I’m talking about,” Trump said.

“They paid, in one case, the ultimate, and the other, Andrew, is getting better. Sarah, unfortunately, is watching from a high, watching from heaven,” he said, referring to Andrew Wolfe and Sarah Beckstrom.

The National Guard continues to be in the District as the Trump administration continues to challenge orders for their removal in court.

Despite the news of the shooting, guests still attended from around the country.

“I think this part of D.C. especially, is pretty secure,” said Michael Armitage, a 911 director and former mayor of Charlotte, Michigan. “You know, just being kind of in the center of all the national monuments and buildings. I knew they’d have increased police presence.”

Armitage attended the ceremony with his wife, Colleen, and their two children. The two said the trip was worth the short planning window afforded by the ticket lottery. “You only get a few weeks to make your plans,” she said. 

Both said that they were not worried about safety during the visit as well. “We constantly see the police present, we feel secure and safe. We’ve always kind of felt that every time we come to D.C.,” Colleen Armitage said.

The event features a ticket lottery for a chance to attend the festivities, which this year included performances from the Beach Boys, Christian singer Matthew West, and country artists Gabby Barrett, Jon Pardi, and Alana Springsteen, among others. 

Annette Vasquez, a secretary from Artesia, New Mexico, also attended the ceremony with her daughter, Felicity, and staff from Central Elementary in Artesia. Felicity’s class was chosen to make ornaments for the New Mexico tree. 

“We made our way this way from New Mexico, to watch and see it. We’ll come tomorrow and see the trees,” Annette Vasquez said. She also said that safety was not an issue in the decision to attend. 

“That didn’t even cross my mind,”  she said. “We feel very safe. It was amazing. I would come back.”

The display features one national and 59 additional trees to represent each of the states and territories. First Lady Melania Trump, also in attendance, lit the tree at last night’s ceremony. 

The president took the opportunity to praise the peace deals he has helped broker this year and offered a rosy view of his accomplishments this year in office. 

“On this holiday season, our border is secure. Our spirit is restored,” he said. “Our economy is thriving. Inflation has stopped. Our nation is strong, and America is back, bigger and better, stronger, better than ever before.”

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The women said they have a reason for skipping the demonstrations against the administration: it’s time for others to step up.

During the 2024 presidential election, 92% of Black women voted for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. After her defeat, some chose to disengage from today’s demonstrations to prioritize their own well-being.

However, others said that while rest is important, citizens should not abandon participation in resistance movements.

At a time when Black women face further marginalization, some sat out a rally that had more than 7 million participants nationwide, but no clear action steps, some said.

“Black women are tired of empty performative action,” said Sherri Williams, associate professor in Race, Media and Communication at American University.

Williams explained that the issue is not about disengagement but about choosing when and how to engage. Black women chose to unshoulder political burdens and prioritize self.

“’Rest as protest’ means Black women are really thinking strategically about where they will invest their energy,” Williams said.

Exhausted, but ‘still showing up’

Still, the rally was compelling for some protesters.

Activist Imani Bashir spent the day under a tent helping people understand their power as jurors and taxpayers and sharing information about labor unions.

She described the rally as a “white liberal space,” a space with predominantly white attendees and no plan of action. She felt it lacked a sense of urgency, disruption, and clear demands, and felt more like a parade than a protest.

Bashir said she understood why others skipped the event. However, she said doing nothing is not enough.

“Some are throwing up their hands,” Bashir said. “But most of the Black femmes, trans folks, and gender-nonconforming people I know are exhausted — and still showing up.”

Opting out

Kia Braxton, an emergency management contractor who works on social justice issues, stayed home. She found little reason to express herself publicly again.

“My protest was back in November when I voted for the only competent, capable choice who was on the ballot who happened to be a Black woman,” Braxton said.

Braxton said protests should not be “comfortable pursuits.” She said the rally was more of a “social gathering.”

Braxton told 91���� that Black people are still resisting, even if they don’t appear in demonstrations. Black people, she said, historically have been working for everyone’s benefit.

“We’ve earned our rest,” Braxton said. “We are still doing the work, just not the way you expect.”

“The Rest Revolution”

Amanda Littlejohn, author of , recognizes how going back to the basics of rest and well-being is helping Black women deal with burnout from advocacy.

Littlejohn and others are turning inward to prioritize their physical and mental health above advocacy.

As her critics call rest a luxury, she pushes back.

“Rest is not a luxury or something that we have to earn,” Littlejohn said. “You can’t outwork racism; you can’t outwork sexism. Your excellence cannot fix systemic issues.”

Littlejohn criticizes the oft-repeated doctrine that Black women must be “twice as good” to succeed. She said it normalizes exhaustion to an unhealthy degree.

“Rest is being in community with people who are supportive to you,” Littlejohn said. “Rest is making room for joy and things that replenish, refuel, and energize you.”

Intergenerational burnout

Clinical psychologist and founder of Vivid Innovations Consulting Ashley Elliott, popularly known as Dr. Vivid, said that rest is a form of resistance.

Elliot said that resting allows others to step up and act. She added that since Black women have carried the load, others need to contribute.

“That resistance is a show of growth in our mindset,” Elliot said. “We understand we are doing more harm than good if we continue to show up on the battlefield for people who won’t show up for us unless we start the work.”

The Arlington-based psychologist told 91���� that Black women have taken on the role of keeping communities together, sometimes neglecting their own needs, resulting in generational cycles of burnout.

To break generational cycles of burnout, Elliot said Black women must remember they also deserve the love, rest, and safety they provide others.

Elliot said that Black women can often feel guilty for resting due to societal pressures. When this guilt rises, there is a way to counteract that – with evidence.

“What have you done for yourself, for your family, for your community that has proved fruitful, effective, positive, beneficial?” Elliot asks. “Acknowledging that that work, no work, no matter how long or short in the task or the project, is enough to justify rest.”

Not exactly “rest”

Anna Malaika Tubbs, sociologist and author of Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us, said that because Black women were pushed furthest from the original U.S. patriarchal structure, they had to imagine and fight for better conditions.

“The Founding Fathers … were building a republic of men, white men in particular, who they saw as elites,” Tubbs said. “They painted Black women as the complete opposite of American patriarchy and the benefits that are afforded to them.”

The sociologist said that when Black women do not always appear at rallies or events, it is not because they are necessarily resting in the traditional sense of the word.

“Our day-to-day life is resistance,” Tubbs said. “The way we parent our children to still live and love and thrive in a nation that often tries to attack them, is our resistance.”

Black women aren’t giving up, Tubbs said, it’s just time for others to “wake up.”

The post The complicated relationship of Black Women and the ‘No Kings’ movement first appeared on 91����.

The D.C. Rubell Museum is a Southwest institution that will welcome guests while Smithsonian museums and the National Gallery of Art remain closed as the third week of the shutdown starts.

The Rubell continues to operate blocks away from the National Mall because it is not federally funded, allowing residents and guests to view and learn new viewpoints on art, history and culture.

Smithsonian shutdown

The Smithsonian Institution released a statement two days after the government shutdown Oct. 1, informing guests that museums would use prior-year funds to remain open to the public for one week.

As the shutdown lingered, the Smithsonian closed the doors of all its museums Oct. 12.

The National Gallery of Art closed Oct. 4 due to the pause in federal funding.

This leaves D.C. tourists and residents without informative exhibits found at museums such as the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of American History.

School trips to the Smithsonian are starting to look different as students can’t access museums that provide valuable information about science, history, and art.

Tiffany Jones, a Virginia math teacher, said that her seventh grade students would not be visiting exhibits that would support their curriculum on the school’s annual field trip to the Smithsonian.

The Northern Virginia school instead planned an advisory day filled with scavenger hunts around the National Mall.

The field trip is the only opportunity in the academic year for the school to bring students to the Smithsonian.

Jones said that the Smithsonian’s closure has changed her students’ opportunity.

“So, their experience is not rich. It’s not as in-depth,” Jones said. “We don’t have a lot of discussions about the random things that you see.”

Jones told 91���� the Smithsonian’s closure limits the students and the experience the school wanted them to have.

Jones said also that the hardest thing outside of planning around the closure is finding accommodations for students, like restrooms and water fountains.

A day planned to expand on the students’ Civil Rights Movement unit by visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture has turned into one of Jones warning students not to feed pigeons.

The Smithsonian Institution’s closure could have an impact on the experience of tourists who scheduled visits to D.C. months in advance.

Alex Leveto and Jenna Christopher, Houston tourists, said that it “definitely sucks” the government shutdown is impacting the Smithsonian.

Christopher said she and Leveto are fans of science and were looking forward to visiting the National Air and Space Museum.

“Definitely wish we could have seen them,” Leveto said. “It’s been years since we’ve been here, so we’re still enjoying walking around in general.”

The pair said they had discussed leaving D.C. because of the shutdown, ultimately staying to avoid rescheduling another flight.

Rubell remains open

The Rubell Museum is a non-profit organization continuing to operate during the shutdown.

The museum sits at 65 I St SW, blocks away from the National Mall and the Waterfront Metro Station.

While free for D.C. residents, it charges $15 for admission and is closed Monday and Tuesday.

Read more about the museum’s admissions on its website,

This differs from the Smithsonian, which is free to everyone and usually is open every day except for Christmas.

The Rubell, which opened in 2022, currently is showcasing the Basil Kincaid: Spirit in the Gift and Material Witness exhibits, in addition to its regular collection.

The Rubell Museum could not comment on operations before deadline.

Sari Ylipulli, a Finnish tourist, was encouraged by a friend to visit the Rubell Museum for a day visit.

Ylipulli said that she originally planned to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture to expand her interest in the history of Black Americans.

“I was especially interested in the African American History Museum,” Ylipulli said. “So, very sad that it’s not open.”

Ylipulli said that, while she was in the museum, she was amazed at how beautiful and touching the artwork was.

Sculptures and wall pieces made of wood, pans, and steel line the walls of the Rubell Museum.

The Finnish tourist said that she was “exactly in the right place” in a room furnished with artwork by artists Josh Faught and Henry Taylor.

“It’s amazing, amazing what they can do,” Ylipulli said

The post This Southwest museum is not shutting down first appeared on 91����.

The March for Israel comes as the war between Israel and Hamas enters its sixth week. The National Park Service permits initially estimated 60,000 participants, but the turnout appeared significantly larger.

Noah Beckler, an attendee from Pennsylvania, expressed the emotional impact of being embraced by his community in large numbers.

“Being here surrounded by so many people of my community, it feels incredible,” Beckler said. “I’m glad to be here supporting my community. I have family in Israel who are mourning the horrific loss of their neighbors.”

Beckler was one of many who had traveled a long distance to come in solidarity with his community. Karen Thomashow, a rabbi from a synagogue located just outside of Boston, was also in attendance with her congregation.

“There is a sense of aloneness that’s maybe tempered when we all come together, which is why it’s so inspiring to be together,” Thomashow said. “I emotionally know it, but to physically feel it, it’s actually overwhelming.”

For Thomashow, she said there were three worthy causes for showing up to the nation’s capital on Tuesday with her fellow Jewish members: to stand with Israel, to stand against antisemitism, and to put pressure on the U.S. government to help bring back the hostages captured by Hamas during the October attacks.

“I think we as Jewish people feel that we don’t want to stand ideally by when the blood of our people has been spilled,” she said. “So we just want to speak out on the causes that mean something to us.”

The event, believed to be the largest pro-Israel gathering in the U.S. since the conflict began, contrasts with a recent Capitol gathering supporting Palestinian freedom, calling for an Israeli ceasefire and an end to U.S. aid to Israel.

At that time, Ron Halber, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, 91����ington Post he and his group discouraged counter-protesters from attending the event, urging them to “resist any urge to counter the event or engage with protesters.”

Some demonstrators came to the March for Israel from different parts of the country in response to the “Free Palestine” protest. College student Linda Abrams, who traveled with her friends from Buffalo, New York, was one of them.

“So many Palestinians came to show their support and stand their ground,” Abrams said. “It inspired me. I’m here to stand for my people.”

Beckler, who drove from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his family, said while he respects and supports the position of Pro-Palestinians, he felt the need to be present for his community amid the rise of antisemitic acts worldwide as the war rages on.

“They’ve made their voices heard when they were here to say “Free Palestine,” and I support that,” he said. “I just want to be here to say that I stand with Israel, with my people.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refuses to consider calls for a cease fire until the approximately 240 hostages captured by Hamas are safely returned home.

While the Biden administration has faced growing demands to pressure Israel into a ceasefire, the president has continued to defend Israel’s actions in the war. On Tuesday, more than of the Biden administration penned an open letter to the president calling on him to demand a ceasefire and secure the release of Israeli hostages and detained Palestinians.

In a rare show of bipartisan support, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer and Republican Congressman Ritchie Torres spoke to the massive gathering near the U.S. Capitol building.

Addressing the crowd, Torres said that the U.S.-Israel relationship is not just a Democratic or Republican value but rather an American value. He also rejected the ongoing ceasefire calls for Israel.

“I want to be crystal clear: a ceasefire with a terrorist organization is not a peace agreement. It’s a death sentence for Israelis,” Rep. Torres said. “Israel has a right to defend itself, and America has a duty to stand with Israel in her struggle for survival and self-defense.”

Some attendees resonated with the New York congressman’s sentiments.

“My position of ceasefire is that when the hostages come home, I would absolutely love that,” said a protestor from Boston, who requested to be identified as Stan, citing privacy and safety concerns.

“But if I’m living in Israel right now, I want to see the hostages come back before there’s any talks about the ceasefire,” he continued.

Stan said he flew from Boston just to be at the National Mall for a couple of hours because he wanted to stand in solidarity with his Jewish community.

It’s a big political divide right now, so I just wanted to turn up and show my support,” he said. “It was incredibly important for me to be here today.”

Keith Kaplan from Teaneck, New Jersey, said he came to the rally to show the world that the United States must unite behind the sole democracy in the Middle East.

“This country has always stood behind the philosophy that the multitude needs to be heard,” he said.

The post Jewish groups descend on Washington to support Israel first appeared on 91����.

Over 100 Patriot Front members descended the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the beat of a snare drum, bearing American Flags and shields. They wore uniform outfits of khaki pants, dark blue sweatshirts and sunglasses.

91���� arrived on the scene at 4:45 p.m. as plumes of red smoke the demonstrators had released enveloped the Washington National Monument on their way towards the Capitol.

Michael Litterst, spokesperson for the National Mall, said that no permit application was received for the demonstration.

Patriot Front’s presence initiated a swift response from law enforcement with bike patrol and police vehicles flanking the demonstrators from each side while officers in ballistic vests carrying rifles followed from behind.

One police officer told 91����, “I have no idea what this is about; we just got on our bikes and followed like we were told.”

Police also made quick work of sealing off entrances to the Mall.

The rally sparked both fear and curiosity from bystanders, some of whom began to trail the demonstrators beside the police.

Activist Luke Kuhn was at a Black Lives Matter protest when he got an emergency notification about the demonstration at the Capitol. He said he warned others to stay away but wanted to confront the group. “This is the first time Neo-Nazis in combat equipment have been to the Capitol since Jan. 6.”

“They brought shields. They mean violence,” he said.

When the demonstrators finally stopped in front of the Capitol reflecting pool, leader Thomas Rousseau began to speak, but spectators began chanting “shut the f***k up” to drown him out.

According to the, Patriot Front generated approximately 80% of racist, anti-semitic and other hateful messages tracked in 2020.

As spectators’ chanting intensified, demonstrators began beating snare drums to obscure their voices, and police formed a barrier between the two groups.

The demonstrators also released blue and red-colored smoke, and spectators covered their faces with masks or jackets to prevent inhaling it.

Barjhav Sivagaru, a D.C. resident, said he was sitting next to where the smoke was set off, but the wind blew it the other direction. As he walked on, he said he began encouraging others to wear masks.

Colored smoke engulfed the Mall from the Capitol to the Washington Monument by the time the demonstrators began their trek back to the Lincoln Memorial.

Bystander Laura Opsahlong said she and her friend were sitting on benches eating hotdogs when the demonstrators passed. “I was shocked by their presence right in front of me. It was scary how in sync they were – it seemed like a legit militia group.”

According to Rousseau said, “Our demonstrations are an exhibition of our unified capability to organize, to show our strength,” when asked about the reason for the demonstration.

Ironically, the coordinated effort ended with dozens of demonstrators stranded at the roundabout across Arlington Memorial Bridge, since the U-Haul rented for transport could not fit them all.

The U-Haul made multiple trips over the course of hours while demonstrators waited silently and shrouded in darkness with their shields up, surrounded by police monitoring the scene.

The botched exit caused significant traffic disruptions. A traffic officer said, “Basically you can’t go outbound across Memorial Bridge.”

Metropolitan police sent out a statement after the event concluded that stated in part, “The assembly took place without any incidents or arrests. MPD will continue to monitor and assess any activities and plan accordingly with our federal law enforcement partners.”

The post White supremacists stranded across Memorial Bridge, after unpermitted National Mall demonstration first appeared on 91����.

At first, they were captivated by the sunny November day, and majesty of the Jefferson Memorial, but when they looked closer, they said they saw muddy banks and flooded walkways all around.��

Teresa Durkin, the Executive Vice President at the, told 91����, the Basin is in trouble.��

“Despite its storied place in the national imagination, the Tidal Basin is very much at risk,” she said. “Land subsidence, daily flooding, dying cherry trees, and crumbling infrastructure threaten its future.”

Pearce and O’Connor are among millions of visitors that flock to D.C’s Tidal Basin each year. The Basin is home to some of the most iconic landmarks in Washington D.C., including the , the and The It’s also the site of the famous each year.��

The Tidal Basin, , is designed to flush sediment from the Washington Channel using the power of the tides.

To some extent, the Tidal Basin overflows every day. Seri Worden, the Senior Field Director at the , told 91����, climate change and rising sea levels have exacerbated the problem.

Worden said rising sea levels have also impacted the famous cherry trees around the Basin because the trees can’t absorb the overflow of saltwater. Visitors walking around the park also unknowingly squash the tree roots, which slowly kills them. She said the ground around the Basin is structurally unsound and unable to handle the large crowds of visitors each year.��

The Tidal Basin’s vulnerability was tossed back into the spotlight when major flooding hit the D.C area on October 29th, 2021. As a result of heavy rainfall, water overflowed into the Basin parking lot and shut down most of the walkways around the park.����

A few more photos from the flooding yesterday at the Tidal Basin.

— StephenVoss (@StephenVoss)

Worden told 91����, the flooding is only going to become worse and more frequent.��

“If we don’t do something comprehensive and long term, we could lose the very essence of the Tidal Basin within a couple decades,” she said.��

Anthony Natoli traveled from Florida to see the monuments, and was alarmed by the flooding he witnessed.��

“You can see where the water level has risen very high. There’s some areas that are almost impossible to navigate. It’s such a beautiful sight,” he said. “I think it would be a shame to not be able to continue to enjoy it.”

In 2019, the National Trust for . Out of that list, the campaign was born.��

Under the campaign, the National Trust for Historic Preservation teamed up with the Trust for the National Mall to help fund a three-year design project called the . The project brought together five prominent American landscape architecture firms, who collaborated to create a master design plan to address the Basin’s major problems.

Durkin said their work explored creative ways the landscape and systems could be reimagined.��

The designers worked to, “expand our collective understanding of how public landscapes can evolve and adapt,” she said.��

In October 2020, the Ideas Lab curated an to engage the public and collect feedback on design proposals for the Tidal Basin.

But since the online exhibition was launched, nothing concrete has changed.

Worden told 91����, the Ideas Lab was meant to come up with a master plan, one that could fix the Basin’s fundamental problems for future generations. Worden described the project as “ a bold, innovative, wild plan, totally unconstrained by formal processes.”

According to the , the master plan could include the addition of a bridge for visitors, creating new wetlands around the park, and even the construction of a natural protective levee along the Potomac.��

So, while the master design plan sits on the back-burner and continues to develop, Worden said the National Park Service is getting ready to start major emergency repairs of the Tidal Basin’s seawalls in 2022.��

Worden said just the seawall reconstruction budget is between $500-$600 million.��

“It’s kind of an emergency Band-Aid initiative,” she said.��

While seawall repairs will hopefully prevent short-term flooding, Worden said the Trust would continue to work with the National Park Service to “encourage adoption of major themes from the Ideas Lab, when the Park Service does their official master plan.”��

Worden also said the Trust would continue public awareness efforts to “encourage feedback and input for the Tidal Basin and on the realities of climate change.”

Visitors like Lotte Lipien said they hope this master plan will be realized sooner rather than later.

“It was difficult to navigate certain parts of the path. And, you know, the monuments are so beautiful… it would just be nice to have everything be accessible,” she said.

O’Connor told 91���� she hopes the master plan won’t overbuild the Tidal Basin and preserve the natural look of it.

D.C resident Megan Missner agreed.��

“Historically, these are beautiful places to come and learn, ” she said. “It’s such a natural part of the city to come and walk around and be at peace with. I think if you don’t have that as a part of the city, you lose some of the appeal.”

Worden said those concerns are exactly what the master plan is working to address.��

“There is a challenge in interpreting and thinking about what memorials are, or how they’re interpreted, and ensuring that all Americans see themselves in this place that is purportedly representative of “American ideals,” she said

Durkin said they would continue to work towards a long-term solution to preserve the Basin for generations to come.��

“C�󲹲Բ��� is inevitable and climate change is already here,” she said. “Resilience, adaptability, and evolution are the key principles to embrace at this time in history.”

The post ‘Emergency Band-Aid’ repairs to begin at Tidal Basin in 2022 first appeared on 91����.

Plans for this Women’s March were made public just hours after Justice Ginsberg’s death was announced on Sept. 18, as people across the United States and around the world mourned the loss of a progressive icon.����

Attendees joined up at Freedom Plaza, listened to a line-up of local activists and marched to the National Mall.������

Though the march was created by and for female-identifying individuals, not all attendees were such. One man named Alan, who declined to share his last name due to safety reasons, said he’s been coming to every Women’s March since its beginning in 2017.��

Alan held a sign that riffed on President Trump’s claim of being a “stable genius.”

“My sign is multi-leveled in meaning… it’s also a polite way of calling him a name,” Alan said. “It also makes reference to how he treats women.”��

He said he believes this March will send a strong message about what people want during this election season.��

“If you read these signs, they’re all statements based on what we want out of people. We need to turn this thing around and start working for the people, not just the 1%,” Alan said.��

Another family of protestors sat in the plaza with their dog in a pull wagon wearing a bandana which read “I Bite Racists.”��

One of the family members, a young adult named Jacob, who declined to share his last name due to security reasons, said he was attending the march to support women’s rights.��

“We’re focused on wanting to bring about change by speaking out, because that’s really the only way good things will happen — if people speak up about what they like and what they dislike,” he said.��

Some attendees came from out of town and out of state.��

Teri Rankin, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, attended the protest as a member of the Chattanooga Moms for Social Justice, a group of primarily middle class, white women who promote radical change.

Rankin said it was important, as a mother, to get to the march and show her daughter that all American people have power. “Power to the people. This is a country by the people for the people,” she said. “And we have to take it back.”

‘We decide our futures’��

After milling around the plaza, hoisting up protest signs and cheering each other on with chants of revolution, protestors then listened as various speakers took to the platform to rally march attendees.��

Hope Butler Khodaei, a woman of the Piscataway tribe, a Native American nation indigenous to the Potomac region, sang a welcome greeting and land acknowledgement to protestors.��

“Oh Great Eagle, King of the sky, lift our Spirit up and carry us high. Wings of strength that float along, take away the weak and make us strong. Make us strong. Strong. Make us strong,” she sang.��

D.C. local Nee Nee Taylor, one of the core organizers for the Black Lives Matter D.C. group, demanded public police reform and statehood for the District.��

“For those that don’t know, Washington, D.C. is not a state which means we lack the power to make basic decisions about our city or holding our representatives responsible,” Taylor said. “D.C.’s systematic disenfranchisement comes from a legacy of racism and bigotry.”

Jenny Lawson, a march organizer and executive director of Planned Parenthood, said she believed Americans could not afford four more years of a Trump administration.��

“We cannot afford four more years of this administration attacking our access to reproductive health and rights,” Lawson said. “Because in this election, we decide our futures.”

Since the Trump administration’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court as Justice Ginsberg’s replacement, women have begun voicing their fear of losing their rights to vital women’s healthcare needs should the high court overturn Roe V. Wade. The Senate will vote on Barrett’s nomination on Oct. 26, and just two weeks later, America will know who its next president will be.��

Jess Morales Rocketto, director of domestic worker’s protections group Care In Action, reminded those who are fearful of their rights as citizens.��

“Nobody should tell us what we should do with our bodies. We should already have a White House that actually cares about keeping us alive,” Rocketto said.

Marches across the East Coast

In addition to the D.C. rally, hundreds of women’s marches took place Saturday, all over the United States.

Athena Scalise Waitt was one of the coordinators for the Herndon, Virginia, Women’s March, RISE UP on the Herndon Town Green, along with Brenna Danatzko and Coco Buck.��

Their event featured speakers as well such as Virginia state Senator Jennifer Boysko (D-V), Sean Perryman of the Fairfax County NAACP and others.����

“I find it imperative that all daughters, regardless of their parents’ political leanings, should have a right to a more equal future,” Scalise Waitt said. “I think pandemic or no pandemic, our country is going in the wrong direction.”

Sterling, Virginia, Women’s March coordinator Dona Dickinson said she believes it’s important for individuals to use their voices in public to raise awareness about social justice moving in the wrong direction.����

“I think even if we can’t all be downtown, that all over the place wherever we can be, we need to stand up and stand in public and say this is wrong and we disagree with it,” Dickinson said. “We cannot stand down. We cannot cede our ground.”

Dickinson also said she’s been visiting President Trump’s golf course over the past few months during the pandemic, holding up a sign with the ever-climbing death toll numbers. She said she hopes President Trump sees it as he drives to the course because she believes he should have managed the pandemic better.��

A.J. Sanchez joined the Women’s March in Philadelphia. He said he felt more than obligated to participate. Sanchez also said if Trump wins this upcoming election, he expects the majority will riot against another four years.��

“As we the people, we are fed up. We are tired of the hate that the President has been spewing,” Sanchez said.��

Organizers of the Women’s March are planning another D.C. rally in the early spring months of 2021.��

The post Thousands of women march to protest Trump administration first appeared on 91����.

Now, as the pandemic appears to be slowing in certain parts of the country and multiple pharmaceutical companies are developing vaccines, museums are starting to reopen using new systems and approaches to keep visitors safe.

The was one of the first museums to reopen after the initial closure of all museums in the D.C. area.��

Aliza Bran, media relations manager at the museum, said the museum quickly switched over to offering individuals digital programming after the initial closure, focusing on monthly spy chats offered online and trivia challenges once or twice a month.��

“It’s a lot of fun, and we have new material based on whatever theme that’s chosen,” Bran said.

Bran said the museum is currently offering a family program for 8-13 year olds called “Spies in Disguise: Halloween Edition.” The program is a webinar where families can meet former CIA Chief of Disguise Jonna Mendez and professional makeup artist Roger Riggle and learn the art of spy disguises.

“We’re trying to make it fun and keep it fun,” Bran said.

Smithsonian Institution museums are utilizing free-timed entry passes where visitors can register for a time slot, plan to arrive at the time in a waiting line socially distanced apart from others, then be scanned in by Smithsonian personnel. Others utilize a similar system where visitors can purchase tickets online.

Some visitors are less enthusiastic about the reopening process, as they are still concerned about being infected.��

“For me, no, I have not visited any museums,” said Cara Todd, a resident and graduate student in the District. She said she’s both busy with schoolwork on the weekend and “low-key paranoid” about COVID-19.��

Although the declined to comment for this story, they did point to the protocols in place, all of which are detailed on the museum’s website in order to keep visitors safe.

Other open Smithsonian facility changes include closures of various exhibits that involve more hands-on approaches, children’s play areas, retail shops and cafes within the museums and museum hour alterations.

The , while welcoming visitors, has opted to close some of its more heavily-trafficked locations in the park such as its visitors center, certain pathways, panda exhibit and Asia trail, and a few others.��

In addition, there are ample cleaning, distancing and monitorization processes that ensure that any and all visitors will be safe and protected from the virus while visiting the establishments of their choice.

Father of two and area local Matt Smith said he feels completely comfortable taking his children to the zoo even with the pandemic going on.

“It’s been a solid experience. A few of the exhibits are unfortunately closed, but other than that, it’s been perfect weather so we’ve enjoyed being outside,” he said.

Some museums like the have taken to advising visitors to follow protocols in a tongue-in-cheek way, calling them “The COVID Commandments” listed both inside the museum and on the website with instructions like “Thou shalt follow directions provided by Museum of the Bible staff,” and “Thou shalt follow the recommended flow path.”��

According to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s , the District is currently in Phase 2 of the reopening process. The city has already met a few criteria for the process of entering Phase 3, with a current positivity rate of less than 3% and sufficient healthcare capacity has been maintained in District hospitals without a surge. Still, Bowser has extended the city’s emergency order on Monday, effective through Dec. 31.��

Many area museums still remain closed, including the Library of Congress, the National Geographic Museum, the Washington National Cathedral, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Lincoln Theatre, Ford’s Theatre and the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.

The post Amid pandemic, museums slowly reopen in DC first appeared on 91����.