Jackie Bensen

Tristan Johnson, 17, was a young man with plans — and the energy and determination to make them come true — says his godfather, Davian Morgan. “When I’d talk to him about future plans, he’d be like, ‘Well, you know, starting a vending machine business or like owning my own trucking company,’” said Davian Morgan, Tristan’s godfather. Pictures from Tristan’s…

Anyone who has looked for an apartment in the D.C. area recently knows the shock of how much it costs compared to other places in the country. For people with disabilities, that gap is even wider. A proposal to create a mixed-use building that combines residences and ground floor space to provide job training for people with disabilities is in…

A group of fired and furloughed workers – some from the USDA – gathered on the National Mall outside USDA headquarters on Thursday to help collect canned goods and other perishables for local families in need.  As the government shutdown stretches on, the USDA, which manages the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), announced on Sunday that no benefits will be…

Advocates, educators and parents of students with disabilities say they’re concerned about the Trump administration’s reported plans move a program that supports millions of students who get special education services to another federal agency. The Trump administration is looking to move special education to another federal agency, The Washington Post reported Tuesday. That move would include the Individuals with Disabilities…

A federal judge in California granted a temporary restraining order requested by unions representing 4,000 federal workers fired during the government shutdown. The order blocks the Trump administration from issuing reduction-in-force notices for two weeks, according to a lawyer from one of the unions. In the transcript of proceedings from the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California,…

Members of the Fairfax County Special Education PTA gathered to address cuts that could affect not only children with disabilities, but all children. Parents of children with disabilities expressed alarm at the U.S. Department of Education cuts that happened over the weekend. Most of the staff that oversees special education programs was laid off. “We’re on the front lines right…

During a government shutdown, federal contractors face a unique situation. They have the difficult job of trying to fulfill obligations to their employees, even though the work and funding for federal contracts ceased. Melwood, a Maryland-based nonprofit that employs approximately 1,000 individuals with disabilities, told News4 about how they are handling the uncertainty. “We have a group of employees who…

Editor’s note (Oct. 10, 2025, 4:25 p.m.): Go here for updates. A little girl died in a collision with a school bus carrying children in Rockville, Maryland, Thursday afternoon, Montgomery County police said. The 11-year-old girl was riding or walking a bicycle about 3:15 p.m. just off Bauer Drive in Rock Creek Manor, a residential neighborhood. It’s unclear how the…

Aiyanah Kilah Brown was crossing the 4300 block of South Capitol Street early Saturday morning — just steps from her front door — when the driver of an SUV struck and killed her. The driver kept going, then abandoned the vehicle, a 2009 Nissan Rogue. The SUV was found abandoned nearby. “Imagine that was your daughter, your sister, if that…

Eleven families received news last month that someone was under arrest for the death of a loved one, and the head of the Metropolitan Police Department Criminal Investigations Division (CID) says the Trump administration’s federal takeover of D.C. police helped close some of those cases. In September, the families of Dream Johnson, 28, and Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, received news from…

The federal government shutdown began on the first day of Domestic Violence Awareness month, and experts say it’s a good time to discuss how financial stress and job uncertainty can factor into domestic and family violence. The 12th Annual Purple Light Nights held by the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office brought together law enforcement, domestic violence survivors and advocates. The…

It’s nerve-wracking to watch people crossing busy Veirs Mill Road just south of University Boulevard in Wheaton, Maryland. The long stretch between two traffic lights means people risk their safety crossing in places where there are no crosswalks. It’s where a 52-year-old woman was struck and killed by the driver of what police believe was a silver Audi Tuesday evening….

A Montgomery County family is grieving the sudden, shocking loss of a 16-year-old who was hit and killed as he tried to cross busy University Boulevard in Kensington just after 9 p.m. Sunday. The victim was James Evert Anderson, police said in an update. He lived in Kensington. Anderson was crossing the westbound lanes of University Boulevard when he was…

President Donald Trump is reportedly having his administration review photography related to slavery in national parks in the United States. The Washington Post reports it’s being done with an eye toward removal, starting with a searing and famous photo taken in 1863 that shows the scarred back of an escaped enslaved man. “I’m in a county that 100 or some…

A bookstore in the Petworth neighborhood reports sales are down a whopping 60% since the federal surge in D.C. began. The small but beautifully arranged Loyalty Bookstore on busy Upshur Street near Georgia Avenue in D.C. feels calm, welcoming and safe. “Our neighborhood in Petworth can sustain a small business that focuses on unique and diverse voices,” co-owner Hannah Oliver…

DC restaurateur tells why she would welcome Trump after he said he may dine out

As D.C. officials blast the Trump administration’s federal surge in the nation’s capital, many are questioning how much longer National Guard troops and federal agents will patrol the streets. The public safety emergency that President Donald Trump declared for D.C. last month is due to expire on Sept. 10. There are a lot of questions about what happens next, but…

A 94-year-old Navy veteran with Alzheimer’s living on his military pension and social security has allegedly been defrauded of a substantial portion of his life savings. The person charged with the alleged crime is his own granddaughter, according to Montgomery County police. Erica Hopper, 45, is accused of embezzlement, theft and fraud. When her grandfather went to an assisted living…

‘Pop-up brothel' discovered in Old Town after man is found dead

A man died in the custody of police while they waited to get him into a Northern Virginia jail two weeks ago. Alexandria police said they responded to multiple 911 calls after 5 p.m. Aug. 15. Callers said a man was banging hard on doors of a residential building on North Beauregard Street. Police body camera video shows officers’ encounter…