News
Tribes hope Farm Bill can feed more people and preserve Indigenous culture
1+ hour, 14+ min ago (816+ words) WEATHER ALERT: Extreme heat continues to grip DC area. Will weekend storms disrupt holiday plans? July 3, 2026, 9: 02 AM They would like to expand their farm's reach beyond their farm stand, but it's challenging. Like many small food producers, the Spears have…...
Australian officials ask fans to respect the privacy of Neil, a 1-ton seal who respects nothing
9+ hour, 26+ min ago (820+ words) LOCAL ALERT: WSSC Water has announced a boil water advisory for customers in areas of southern Prince George's County. July 3, 2026, 12: 53 AM In June, the bellowing and blubbery 5-year-old mammal hauled himself onto land for his twice-yearly tour of beachside towns…...
Sightings of humpback whales surge in Rio de Janeiro, fueling demand for whale-watching trips
1+ day, 15+ hour ago (399+ words) July 1, 2026, 7: 00 PM The species" population has jumped from around 2, 000 to around 35, 000 in approximately 40 years, close to their population before whaling, said Enrico Marcovaldi, co-founder of the Humpback Whale Project. That means they are increasingly being spotted in Rio"s postcard…...
A marine heat wave caused seabird deaths off California. El Nino could worsen the die-off
2+ day, 1+ hour ago (872+ words) ENTERTAINMENT ALERT: Victor Willis, lead singer of disco group Village People, dead at 74 July 1, 2026, 9: 07 AM Some were mixed in with washed up kelp. Others were under rocks. Each month, scientists and volunteers conduct surveys of dead seabirds and find what…...
An American love story: Meet National Zoo goose George and his turkey wife Felicity
3+ day, 3+ hour ago (312+ words) June 30, 2026, 6: 56 AM Follow WTOP's Matt Kaufax as he explores hidden gems, local landmarks and unique stories across the D. C. area every week. New episodes of WTOP's'Matt About Town'segment are released each Tuesday and Thursday. It's a story of love, American icons…...
8 crested ibises released in Japan decades after extinction
1+ mon, 2+ day ago (264+ words) June 1, 2026, 1: 51 AM Eight of the endangered birds took off from each of their wooden cages at a ceremony Sunday in Hakui city in the Noto region, where they were last seen in the wild. The white birds, called Toki in…...
Venice's growing flamingo population finds refuge in recovering wetlands
1+ mon, 3+ day ago (815+ words) SPORTS ALERT: Wembanyama, Spurs win the West, topple Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 to head to NBA Finals May 31, 2026, 1: 10 AM But the pale pink birds " called "fenicotteri" in Italian " are now flocking to Venice in record numbers, as ecological efforts to restore…...
Pigeons may be navigating with their liver, study suggests
1+ mon, 5+ day ago (450+ words) DMV FOODIE GUIDE: WTOP's new monthly feature brings you the latest and greatest in dining around the DC area. LOCAL ALERT: President Trump says National Guard will remain in D. C. , ordering more troops for the city ahead of country's 250th birthday. May…...
The National Zoo welcomes a prickly porcupette
1+ mon, 6+ day ago (318+ words) May 27, 2026, 6: 08 PM A baby porcupine born last week at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in D. C. is already receiving visitors, the zoo said Wednesday. Keepers at the park's small mammal enclosure found its latest addition clinging to a tree on May 20, the…...
Two chicks from species classified as extinct in the wild born at Smithsonian zoo's conservation campus
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (197+ words) May 25, 2026, 4: 23 PM Two chicks hatched at the Smithsonian National Zoo's campus in Front Royal, Virginia, have given hope to a species classified as extinct in the wild. The two sihek chicks, a male and a female, were born in mid-April…...