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Harriette Cole: I didn’t mean to get the Airbnb host banned

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:30:37 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently paid for an Airbnb rental for four days. The host was extremely attentive and accommodating leading up to my check-in date.When I arrived, the place was not what I was expecting at all. It looked nothing like the pictures. I immediately contacted the host and requested a refund, then canceled my reservation through the app.The host apologized profusely and was very kind. He said it was a big misunderstanding, and I believe him. A few days later, I received my money back from Airbnb directly, not the host.The host wrote me an email explaining that he is now banned from hosting because I took my complaint to the company and didn’t allow him to handle it himself. I feel guilty. Was I wrong?— MisunderstandingDEAR MISUNDERSTANDING: You were not wrong. The host is not your friend, even though he was kind. He is the one who used the app. That’s how you connected with him.The host knows that the space you got is different from the one he advertis...

Inside Biden’s Secret Arms Deal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:30:37 GMT

The U.S. orchestrated a secret arms deal to send weapons to Ukraine, helping Pakistan reach the threshold needed for an International Monetary Fund loan to save the country’s economy, according to two sources with knowledge of the arrangement and documents leaked to The Intercept. This week on a special Deconstructed and Intercepted crossover episode, Ryan Grim and Murtaza Hussain discuss their reporting on the behind-the-scenes maneuvering of Pakistani arms sales to the U.S. for the purpose of supplying the Ukrainian military. Grim and Hussain are joined by Arif Rafiq, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute and political risk analyst who focuses on Pakistan and the region. They break down the U.S.’s pressure to oust former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the IMF’s role in the country, and Pakistan’s political economy.Transcript coming soon. The post Inside Biden’s Secret Arms Deal appeared first on The Intercept.

DC salon owner says post-COVID landscape is ‘a really big relief’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:30:37 GMT

WTOP is proud to spotlight the many small businesses that make up the D.C. region as part of our Small Business September coverage. The Small Business September series is brought to you by EagleBank.Running a local salon in the post-pandemic landscape can be described as a blend of relief, adaptation and renewed creativity.With the COVID-19 pandemic far less severe than it was a couple of years ago, the salon industry is recovering as clients return with an appreciation for self-care and personal grooming.“It’s a really big relief,” said Subairi, who owns a salon called By Subairi on 14th Street in Northwest D.C.Services at the business include specialized color, catered cuts, tailored styling, texturizing, straightening and perms.The return of regular foot traffic and appointment schedules has brought a sense of stability there.After going through the challenges of temporary closures, social distancing measures and capacity restrictions, salon owners and staff are...

March on Washington Film Festival tells ‘untold’ stories of Civil Rights Movement

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:30:37 GMT

toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley previews the March on Washington Film Festival (Part 1) $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); Next week, the March on Washington Film Festival is marking 60 years since the historic D.C. march where Martin Luther King famously delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech.The festival returns to the District on Sunday, Sept. 24 to Oct. 1.It all started around a decade ago in a church acr...

Washingtonians sign up to take the plunge in the Anacostia River Splash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:30:37 GMT

It’s been a dream decades in the making — a permitted public swim scheduled for the Anacostia River.In 1971, swimming or wading in the Anacostia River was banned due to concerns about water quality.On Saturday, weather permitting, roughly 180 people will hike along a trail to Kingman Island near the river and take part in the Anacostia River Splash event. Visitors to the Anacostia River Splash will walk along a trail to Kingman Island and they’ll take the plunge from the dock outfitted with ladders, which will make getting in and out of the river easy. (WTOP/Kate Ryan) WTOP/Kate Ryan ...

Player of the Week: Chantilly’s Avery Chow

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:30:37 GMT

Running back Avery Chow takes a handoff for Chantilly High School. Chow has started his senior season for the Chargers by eclipsing the 100-yard mark in each of his first four games. (Courtesy Stephen Chow) Running back Avery Chow takes a handoff for Chantilly High School. Chow has started his senior season for the Chargers by eclipsing the 100-yard mark in each of his first four games. (Courtesy Stephen Chow) Each week, WTOP is picking one student athlete to be featured on air and online as our Player of the Week. This week’s WTOP Player of the Week is Avery Chow of Chantilly High School in Chantilly, Virginia.Chow is a senior at Chantilly and has played football for the school since his freshman year, lining up ...

RYDER CUP ’23: Hole by hole look at Marco Simone

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:30:37 GMT

GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy (AP) — A hole-by-hole look at Marco Simone, site of the 45th Ryder Cup matches that start Sept. 29:NO. 1, 445 YARDS, PAR 4: The bold play is to challenge the left bunker on the slight dogleg left and keep short of two bunkers on the right. That will leave a short iron to the green. To play it safer will leave a mid-iron to a green protected by a steep ridge in front of a large bunker to the left.NO. 2, 476 YARDS, PAR 4: A 275-yard shot should cover a bunker, with two more bunkers beyond it. The safe shot is a shorter club to the right. There’s a bunker about 45 yards short of the green, and a severe slope beyond and left of the green.NO. 3, 453 YARDS, PAR 4: The deep native grass offers two options. A safe, straight shot leaves a mid-iron to a slightly elevated green. Big hitters can try to cut the right corner of the dogleg, but the fairway is framed by the deep stuff.NO. 4, 185 YARDS, PAR 3: The hole plays slightly downhill and should be little more than...

France confirms facial fracture for star Dupont at Rugby World Cup, yet to know how long he’s out

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:30:37 GMT

PARIS (AP) — France is seeking a specialist opinion on a facial fracture suffered by captain and star player Antoine Dupont at the Rugby World Cup before knowing how long he will be sidelined, the French Rugby Federation said on Friday.The host nation was holding its breath over the fate of Dupont after he sustained the serious-looking injury in a 96-0 blowout victory over Namibia on Thursday night. The federation confirmed it was a facial fracture and needed a “a specialist surgical opinion” to know how long it will be without its best player and the man regarded as the best in the world.Scrumhalf Dupont would remain with the squad, the federation added.Dupont’s injury came in an illegal high tackle by Namibia’s Johan Deysel, who was red-carded for the hit.Dupont, the world player of the year in 2021, will likely not be so badly missed for France’s last Pool A game against Italy in two weeks, but his absence for the quarterfinals might be critical, with France on ...

15-year-old in critical condition after shooting in SW Miami-Dade housing development, police say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:30:37 GMT

An incident unfolded in a Southwest Miami-Dade housing development Thursday night, leaving a 15-year-old in serious condition after being shot while sitting in an SUV. Miami-Dade Police and Fire Rescue units rushed to the scene along the 28000 block of Southwest 126th Court just before 9:45 p.m., responding to a ShotSpotter alert. Paramedics airlifted the young victim to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, where the teenager is currently undergoing surgery and listed in critical condition. At the scene, 7News cameras captured a significant police presence and a maroon Honda SUV with a shattered driver’s side window. Miami-Dade Police Department Detective Alvaro Zabaleta provided preliminary information, revealing an adult male, identified as a family friend, was also present in the vehicle but escaped unharmed. Detective Zabaleta added that the motive for the shooting remains unclear. Authorities are investigating whether the 15-year-old was the intended target, if the 21-year-old i...

An asteroid sample is about to land on Earth. Here’s what to expect

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:30:37 GMT

(CNN) — When the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft swings by Earth on Sunday, it is expected to deliver a rare cosmic gift: a pristine sample collected from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu.If all goes according to plan, the spacecraft will release a capsule containing an estimated 8.8 ounces of asteroid rocks and soil from space toward a landing zone in the Utah desert.NASA will provide a live stream of the sample delivery beginning at 10 a.m. ET Sunday. The capsule is expected to enter Earth’s atmosphere at 10:42 a.m. ET, traveling about 27,650 miles per hour (44,498 kilometers per hour). It will land in Utah about 13 minutes later.After releasing the capsule, OSIRIS-REx will continue on its tour of the solar system to capture a detailed look at a different asteroid named Apophis.Studying the sample can help scientists understand key details about the origins of our solar system because asteroids are the “leftovers” from those early days 4.5 billion years ago. But the sample can a...