Diesel fuel the backbone of the trucking and freight rail industries remains elevated, averaging about $5.60 a gallon nationwide.

That matters because higher diesel costs drive up shipping rates. Transportation companies pass those costs along to retailers, and retailers, in turn, pass them on to consumers.

The result: Higher prices at the checkout line and for home deliveries.

Rising diesel prices are especially impacting perishable goods, including fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry and dairy. Recent Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index reports show inflation in those categories continuing to climb.

Even though the conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran began months ago, analysts say the effects are only now showing up in grocery prices.

鈥淲hen diesel prices spike as significantly as they have, it amplifies the impact on those types of items,鈥� said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. 鈥淚t may take weeks or even months to see those prices come down.鈥�

De Haan said there is often a lag between falling fuel costs and lower prices on store shelves.

鈥淕rocery store prices and shipping costs take time to filter through the system,鈥� he said.

Some regions are feeling the impact more than others.

In parts of California鈥檚 agricultural regions, diesel prices are approaching $8 a gallon. The state produces a significant share of the nation鈥檚 dairy, almonds, grapes, lettuce and other crops.

鈥淥nly a couple of areas are close to $8 a gallon, but the national average is within about 25 cents of a record,鈥� De Haan said.

Seasonal demand is also playing a role. Diesel use typically rises in the Midwest and South as farmers move from planting to maintaining crops like corn, soybeans and wheat.

Closer to home, diesel prices are running slightly above the national average 鈥� about $5.84 a gallon in D.C., $5.81 in Maryland and $5.71 in Virginia. That鈥檚 more than $2 higher than a year ago in all three areas.

Even if oil prices begin to fall, De Haan said consumers will need to be patient.

鈥淕ive it time to filter down,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ven when diesel prices decline, it takes a while for retailers to adjust and pass those savings.”

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Fairfax, a dentist and the wife of former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, died early Thursday after police say he shot her and then killed himself.

Longtime patients described her as kind, compassionate and deeply caring.

Dottie Shields was among several people who stopped by to leave flowers outside the closed office. Fighting back tears, she paused for a moment.

鈥淚鈥檝e been a patient of hers for about 13 years,鈥� Shields said. 鈥淪he sat and chatted with me at my last appointment just two weeks ago. We talked about the weather, how nice it was getting. She was just a good, kind person.鈥�

鈥淪he was the nicest person, so kind,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 brokenhearted for her children. I just wanted to leave flowers so she knows how much she was loved.鈥�

Next door, employees at a hair salon also remembered Fairfax as more than just a dentist.

鈥淟ovely, compassionate 鈥� a wonderful dentist and a wonderful person,鈥� said stylist Arlean Gabbert. 鈥淵ou get a friendship going. I loved her.鈥�

Gabbert said Fairfax often shared stories about her life outside the office.

鈥淪he loved chickens. She loved to farm. That was really cute,鈥� she said.

Both women said they occasionally saw Fairfax鈥檚 two children at the office, but never met her husband or discussed his political career.

According to her biography on the practice鈥檚 website, Fairfax earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree from Duke University in 1999 and her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Virginia Commonwealth University鈥檚 School of Dentistry in 2005, graduating magna cum laude.

She later completed a residency in advanced general dentistry at VCU and was recognized by the university鈥檚 alumni association as an Outstanding Graduate of the Last Decade. She was also a member of Omicron Kappa Upsilon 鈥� a national dental honor society.

According to her biography, outside the office, Fairfax enjoyed reading, running trails with her dogs, practicing yoga and traveling. She was also active in community outreach, volunteering and supporting local charities.

Her family released a statement Friday through Fairfax County police’s Victim Service Division.

“This is an unimaginably difficult moment for the family, and our attention is on supporting one another. We respectfully ask for privacy and space as we navigate the days ahead.”

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Before automobiles rolled off assembly lines by the thousands, they were rare, expensive machines built by hand and out of reach for most Americans.

That began to change in the early 20th century.

Oldsmobile introduced an early assembly-line process in 1901. But Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Co., transformed the concept into a system that would redefine manufacturing and reshape American life.

WWJ Detroit automotive reporter Jeff Gilbert has covered the auto industry for 45 years.

鈥淭he automobile was something really special. It was hand-built, and only wealthy people could own it,鈥� Gilbert said. 鈥淲hat Ford did was bring automobiles to the masses.鈥�

Ford did not invent the assembly line. He refined it.

鈥淗enry Ford looked at how watches were made and said, 鈥業 can translate that into automobiles,鈥欌�� Gilbert said. 鈥淚f you go back to the 1980s, people who wanted to spend a lot of money on a hobby had a computer. Now, if you include your phone and tablet, you might have four or five devices in your home. That鈥檚 what happened in the early 20th century with the automobile and with the companies that followed Ford鈥檚 lead.鈥�

Ford had been working in the auto industry since his 20s. In 1903, he founded Ford Motor Co.

A decade later came the breakthrough.

On Oct. 7, 1913, the first mass-produced Model T rolled off the assembly line at Ford鈥檚 Highland Park plant in Michigan.

Using continuously moving conveyor belts, Ford cut the time required to build a car to about 93 minutes, dividing production into 45 steps.

Cars could be built faster. Quality improved. Designs became standardized.

Ford summed up the efficiency of the process with a famous line: 鈥淎ny customer can have a car painted any color he wants, so long as it is black.鈥� Black paint dried faster, helping speed production.

By 1918, the Model T accounted for about half of all cars in the United States.

But the impact of the assembly line extended far beyond the factory floor.

Ford introduced higher wages, shorter workdays, bonus pay for overnight shifts and a five-day workweek 鈥� changes that helped workers become customers.

鈥淣ot only were vehicles less expensive, but workers earned enough to afford them 鈥� and it made Henry Ford very wealthy in the process,鈥� Gilbert said.

Before mass production, a new car in 1908 cost about $825. By 1925, the price of a Model T had dropped to $260.

Gilbert said the parallels to today鈥檚 tech industry are striking.

鈥淗enry Ford had his quirks,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd like a lot of people today in tech, you can be a genius in one area and think you鈥檙e a genius in another.鈥�

More than a century later, the assembly line continues to evolve.

鈥淔ord鈥檚 assembly line is still used today, but in the 1960s and 鈥�70s, Toyota studied it and improved it,鈥� Gilbert said. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 manufacturing combines Ford鈥檚 assembly line with Toyota鈥檚 just-in-time system. And with artificial intelligence and new technologies, you鈥檙e going to see even more improvements in the years ahead.鈥�

From factory floors in Detroit to high-tech production lines around the world, the system Ford refined more than a century ago remains the backbone of modern manufacturing a breakthrough that transformed not only how products are made, but who can afford them.

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The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial sits on the campus of the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland, a facility operated by the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency. Without the funding from the DHS, the center is closed and聽organizers are scrambling to find a workaround.

For 45 years, families and friends have gathered each May to honor fallen firefighters. The status of this year鈥檚

Victor Stagnaro, CEO of the , said the group is urging the White House, Congress and DHS to allow access to the site for the memorial.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e asking for is the opportunity to open the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial,鈥� Stagnaro said.

He said they hope to carve out a moment to honor the 204 fallen firefighters from 43 states.

Stagnaro said the ceremony is deeply meaningful for families, offering a place of remembrance despite their loss.

“We want to be able to tell them where their firefighter will be enshrined, where their name 鈥� will be on a bronze plaque, as long as there’s a memorial for them to be able to see it,” he said.

If the site remains closed, the foundation is working with nearby Mount St. Mary鈥檚 University to host an alternative ceremony on May 2 and 3.

鈥淚f we knew by April 20 that it is open and we’re ready to go, it would save us hundreds of thousands of dollars,鈥� Stagnaro said.

The foundation, created by an act of Congress in 1992, is committed to honoring fallen firefighters regardless of the shutdown.

鈥淲e will keep our promise, and honor those firefighters and support those families,鈥� Stagnaro said.

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Crews are scrubbing and pressure washing all of the city’s public swimming pools, as D.C. prepares for some fun in the sun this summer.

It’s a job that requires some good, old-fashioned elbow grease and a lot of soap.

“I just love swimming. I’ve been around swimming all my life,” said Howard Gasaway III, a former competitive swimmer and coach, now with the D.C. Department of General Services’ aquatics division.

He said D.C.’s harsh winter was tough on the outdoor pools, even though they’re covered with tarps and left half full of water to protect the concrete shell.

“The covers got taken off like a week ago, that’s the first phase,” he said. “Once I inspect the pool shell, my staff will start power washing, lightly acid and start cleaning the pool shell.”

At the Anacostia Recreation Center, a crew of six use squeegees and pressure washers to remove about three inches of deep green algae that collected at the bottom of the pool over the past five months.

“We prep all of our outdoor pools. Once the pool is drained, I inspect the pool, I walk the pool,” said Gasaway, who has been managing the pools for 14 years. “Anything unsafe, I try to identify as I inspect the pool shell.”

At 300,000 gallons, the Anacostia Recreation Center pool is one of the biggest in the city. It will take a full day to scrub.

Gasaway and his crews are responsible for 47 public pools and 33 spray parks, and opening day is coming up soon.

“Right now, I’ve got until Memorial Day,” he said with a laugh.

All outdoor pools are scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend and until around Labor Day.

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When it finally opened in 1914, it shaved weeks off global shipping routes and saved millions of dollars.

Before the canal, ships had to travel thousands of miles south to Cape Horn, at the tip of South America, where the two oceans meet.

Several nations tried 鈥� and failed 鈥� to build it.

France鈥檚 attempt in the late 1800s collapsed under the weight of mountainous terrain, rising costs and deadly disease.

鈥淭he French lost more than 20,000 laborers, engineers and nurses to yellow fever and malaria,鈥� said historian and Theodore Roosevelt interpreter Joe Wiegand.

By 1903, then-President Theodore Roosevelt wanted the canal 鈥� and a stronger U.S. presence on the global stage.

Two routes were under consideration: Nicaragua or Panama, then a restive region of Colombia.

Roosevelt backed Panama.

The U.S. Senate approved the plan, but Colombia rejected it.

Soon after, Panamanians revolted. With support from Washington 鈥� and U.S. warships nearby 鈥� Panama declared independence. Days later, the new government approved the canal deal that Colombia had turned down.

Critics called it 鈥済unboat diplomacy.鈥�

George Washington University professor Noel Maurer, author of 鈥淭he Big Ditch,鈥� said Roosevelt changed history.

鈥淭eddy Roosevelt intervened at a time when the canal looked like a disaster,鈥� Maurer said. 鈥淗e essentially created the nation of Panama. Without him, it likely would still be part of Colombia.鈥�

The project was not without controversy.

Some critics alleged corruption tied to contracts worth $40 million at the time 鈥� about $1.1 billion today.

But Wiegand said Roosevelt cemented his foreign policy legacy.

鈥淗e believed in speaking softly and carrying a big stick 鈥� and that approach carried the day,鈥� Wiegand said.

Construction took a decade.

This time, improved sanitation and engineering dramatically reduced deaths 鈥� to about 300 workers, far fewer than during the French effort.

The canal transformed global trade and military strategy.

鈥淭he Panama Canal cut the time needed to move naval assets between oceans by about two-thirds,鈥� Wiegand said.

After six decades of U.S. control, the canal鈥檚 future shifted.

During the Carter administration, the U.S. agreed to return it to Panama. The transfer was completed in 1999.

Maurer said its strategic value to the U.S. had faded by the 1970s 鈥� but has since rebounded.

鈥淚n this century, it鈥檚 become important again, especially for exports like coal and liquefied natural gas headed to Asia,鈥� he said.

The canal has since been expanded to handle larger, modern ships.

More than a century after opening, it remains a critical artery of global commerce.

鈥淚t accounts for roughly 2% of U.S. GDP,鈥� Maurer said. 鈥淭hat may not sound huge, but for a single infrastructure project, it鈥檚 enormously significant.鈥�

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The 10th annual spring cleanup is now underway.

On Wednesday, city leaders announced plans to resurface roads, repair sidewalks and expand rodent control efforts across the District during an event in Ward 7 along Pennsylvania Avenue SE, as crews repaved streets and cleaned nearby.

鈥淲e have the most beautiful city in the world 鈥� people tell me that every time they visit,鈥� Mayor Muriel Bowser said. 鈥淛ust like many people are doing around their own homes and yards, this is the time we clean up from a long winter.鈥�

City transportation officials say winter weather took a toll on roads and sidewalks.

鈥淲e鈥檒l resurface 81 miles of roadway and restore 40 miles of sidewalk,鈥� said D.C. Department of Transportation Director Sharon Kershbaum.

She said snow, ice and prolonged freezing temperatures contributed to widespread wear and tear.

Kershbaum added that, over the past seven years, DDOT has repaired more than 820 miles of streets and brought more than 80% of the city鈥檚 road network into a state of good repair.

While the city will lead much of the effort, Bowser is urging residents to take part 鈥� starting with a call or click.

鈥淲e want our neighbors, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions and block captains to think about ways they can do their own spring cleaning,鈥� she said.

Residents are encouraged to report issues such as illegal dumping, missed trash, potholes or rodent activity through the city鈥檚 311 system 鈥� either by calling 311 or submitting a request online. City officials say those reports help crews prioritize cleanup and repairs.

The city is also ramping up efforts to control rats using a three-part strategy.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to use a series of baiting, tracking powder and a fertility suppressant,鈥� said D.C. Health Director Dr. Ayanna Bennett. “We are doing absolutely everything to get the population down and then keep it down.”

Officials say the fertility control method is designed to reduce reproduction over time, complementing traditional pest control measures.

Rat abatement will take place , with crews applying treatments and monitoring rodent activity before adjusting their approach.

The city鈥檚 main cleanup event is scheduled for Saturday, April 25. Officials will also launch the Helping Hand program, which provides tools to residents organizing neighborhood cleanups.

Cleanup sites for the April 25 event include:

• Ward 1: Banneker Recreation Center, 2500 Georgia Ave. NW
• Ward 2: Garrison Elementary School, 1200 S St. NW
• Ward 3: Guy Mason Recreation Center, 3700 Calvert St. NW
• Ward 4: Emery Heights Recreation Center, 5701 Georgia Ave. NW
• Ward 5: Crummell School, 1900 Gallaudet St. NE
• Ward 6: Sherwood Recreation Center, 640 10th St. NE
• Ward 7: Washington Senior Wellness Center, 3001 Alabama Ave. SE
• Ward 8: Malcolm X Park, 500 Parkland Place SE

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The mayor told reporters at an unrelated event Wednesday that because of the council’s action to postpone the vote until April 21, there will be six days 鈥� April 15 through April 21 鈥� where there will be no targeted curfew on the books. That comes during spring break for students attending D.C. Public Schools, and as the weather warms up, when more young people are expected to spend time outside.

Bowser said the council鈥檚 move leaves her with limited options, but ones she said she’s ready to take, including declaring a public safety emergency so a curfew could remain in effect during spring break.

“I will put all options on the table,” Bowser said.

The mayor said when it comes to crime-related issues, there is a pattern among decisions made by the D.C. Council. Bowser said the council is slow to recognize the issue; it eventually reacts and passes legislation that works and the crime numbers come down, then it declares the problem solved and changes the laws back to the way they were before the crime problem started.

She said it’s happening again.

“I can’t be the only one speaking up for public safety in D.C.,” Bowser said.

Under the citywide curfew, kids under 18 can鈥檛 be out in public or at an establishment in D.C. from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.,聽.

The curfew extension that’s now on hold would have lasted until Sept. 25. Bowser said the council’s decision to postpone a vote for three weeks complicates things.

“Because it seems like the council is listening to a very narrow interest group and is very influenced by the election calendar, and not by what we need,” she said. “So the council will say they鈥檝e driven crime down, so ‘let’s start going back to soft-on-crime policies.'”

The emergency law also gives the chief of D.C. police the authority to designate certain areas as juvenile curfew zones. In those areas, people under 18 cannot gather in a group of nine or more. Those zones can prohibit minors from gathering after 8 p.m., ahead of the general citywide curfew.

The mayor said she is concerned because of a March 14 disturbance near the Navy Yard turned violent when an estimated 200 young people congregated and someone fired a gun; there were multiple robberies and two teens were arrested.

Council member Brooke Pinto, who chairs the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, has said she believes the council would support a permanent curfew.

Before the council postponed the vote, Pinto argued gaps in the curfew could create unsafe conditions in the District.

鈥淚t is unacceptable for our neighbors to face outbreaks of violence,鈥� Pinto said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unacceptable to put our young people in harm鈥檚 way, and we鈥檝e seen this in recent weeks in Navy Yard, Hill East and U Street, in particular.鈥�

There have been 19 youth curfew zones declared over the last eight months. Pinto argued the zones prevent a strain on resources for D.C. police.

On Tuesday afternoon, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson called to postpone the vote until the council鈥檚 next legislative meeting.

鈥淭he Chairman moved to postpone the vote because some members voiced concerns/questions about the legislation and he wanted to give them more time to speak with Councilmember Pinto and the Mayor about those concerns,鈥� Mendelson鈥檚 office wrote in an email聽to 小萝莉影视.

Some council members have opposed the curfews in the past, arguing they鈥檙e a temporary fix instead of investing in youth services.

Nine council members would need to approve the emergency legislation for it to pass and extend the curfew through the summer.

小萝莉影视’s Jessica Kronzer and Thomas Robertson contributed to this report.

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The 143-year-old bridge is 1,595 feet long and 127-feet-high, connecting Brooklyn to Manhattan across the East River. When it opened, it was the longest suspension in the world.

Building the bridge was difficult. It was constructed during a period of political corruption in New York 鈥� Tammany Hall controlled patronage jobs which caused numerous controversies, and the bridge鈥檚 unique design prolonged the construction.

DePaul University transportation professor Joe Schwieterman said nearly a century and half later, the Gothic Revival style bridge remains an icon of America鈥檚 determination to build big things.

鈥淛ust a magnificent architecture, and it showed just how you can build high-capacity bridges over really deep waterways using cable suspensions. Just the carrying capacity of the bridge with a long span without abutments is really striking for its time,鈥� he said.

The bridge was dangerous to build. At least 27 people, including the main architect John Roebling, died from injuries during the construction. His son, Washington Roebling, was also severely incapacitated by a case of decompression sickness.

Countless others were seriously injured, and construction was at a time when there was no Occupational Health and Safety Administration or disability insurance if you were hurt.

As a result of Washington Roebling鈥檚 injuries, his wife Emily Warren Roebling, herself also an engineer, took over as the lead architect and she consulted with him regularly as he recovered.

鈥淵ou look back at just the human toll of these bridges, it was partly due to just the lack of ability to have backup safety systems so your people standing on pillars, handling these heavy iron and steel, you know, cables and so forth, and a slight bit of wind or a slight mistake, and, you know, somebody’s tumbling into the deep sea,鈥� Schwieterman said. 鈥淵ou wouldn’t tolerate those things today, but at the time it got to these projects done, at a cost society could afford back then.鈥�

Due to gradual deterioration, Schwieterman said the bridge has been updated numerous times.

鈥淚t鈥檚 still around, functioning, still safe. 140 years later, that鈥檚 pretty remarkable,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he Interstate bridges are built to last about 50 years, before they need complete rebuilding. But the Brooklyn Bridge, that鈥檚 going to last for generations and there鈥檚 no sign there鈥檚 a risk to safety.鈥�

The bridge cost $15 million to build, far above the original budget. To construct it today, it would cost more than three billion dollars. But Schwieterman said that鈥檚 still a bargain.

鈥淣ew York City is just a jigsaw puzzle. You got this massive development. You’ve got (the) population making (it) one of the world’s largest cities. For a city like that to work, which is surrounded by waterways and islands and so forth, you had to build these facilities that were just meant to move millions, you know, every week,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he Brooklyn Bridge just opened up that commerce between Manhattan and Brooklyn, and it’s one of the country’s biggest transportation workhorses.鈥�

The bridge was designed to elongate and contract 14 to 16 inches because of weather and temperature changes.

In a 1909 article, Engineering Magazine said that at the center of the span, the height above the Mean High Water could fluctuate by more than 9 feet due to temperature and traffic loads, while more rigid spans had a lower maximum deflection.

Built from limestone, granite and Rosendale cement, the bridge鈥檚 two suspension towers are 278 feet high above the water line.

According to the New York Department of Transportation, in 2024, an average of 103,051 vehicles, 28,845 pedestrians, and 5,504 cyclists traveled over the Brooklyn Bridge each day.

Today, the Brooklyn Bridge is also a designated a National Historic Landmark, a New York City landmark and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

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The program offers a six-week structured, paid work experience designed to foster growth, responsibility and career exploration through placements across county agencies, community organizations and private-sector partners.

The deadline to apply is March 31, and more information is available at .

鈥淚t is critical that we provide structured, enriching opportunities for our youth during the summer months,鈥� Prince George鈥檚 County Executive Aisha Braveboy in a statement. 鈥淏y connecting our young residents with local businesses, community organizations, and County Government, we are exposing them to diverse careers, equipping them with valuable skills, and creating a strong foundation for future workforce success.鈥�

The county said the program runs from July 6 through Aug. 14.

Participants will be selected through a lottery system and will gain hands-on professional experience while getting paid. The program aligns with several of the Braveboy鈥檚 core priorities, including economic development, public engagement and education, according to the county.

While time is running out to apply, the county said in a statement, 鈥渇amilies are encouraged to begin preparing early by assisting youth with resume development, establishing professional communication tools, and identifying career interests.鈥�

The county has a dedicated email for questions: syep@co.pg.md.us.

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The Stafford County Planning Commission voted 4-3 to approve a conditional use permit on a plan to build a massive travel center along Interstate 95 near the Courthouse Road exit.

The proposal will now go before the Stafford County Board of Supervisors.

Plans call for more than 100 fuel pumps, hundreds of parking spaces for cars and trucks, and a large convenience store.

More than 50 people weighed in on the project Wednesday, and residents appeared divided.

The proposal has been delayed several times, as county officials have given the company and developers more time to refine their plans before the commission makes a recommendation.

Resident Sean Matthews said he鈥檚 concerned the company isn鈥檛 being fully transparent with nearby homeowners.

鈥淎 good neighbor respects the character of a community,” Matthews said.

“A good neighbor doesn鈥檛 flood an area with constant noise, excessive lighting and nonstop traffic. A good neighbor fits in 鈥� they don鈥檛 overwhelm.鈥�

Supporters, including longtime resident Judith May, urged the commission to approve the project, citing the company鈥檚 reputation and potential job opportunities.

“How many kids can that can’t go to college, can’t afford to go to college or people who don’t have high-end jobs that live in Stafford could benefit from starting wages of $18 to $20 an hour for cashier work and cleaning bathrooms?鈥� May said.

Another resident, Janice Wethroe, pointed to the project鈥檚 potential economic benefits.

鈥淭his is exactly the kind of economic development that helps fund schools, public safety and infrastructure without raising taxes,鈥� Wethroe said.

But Ignacio Stebelin, a retired federal law enforcement agent, said he worries the development could increase crime.

鈥淕as stations and convenience stores that are open late, 24/7 are subject to more violent crime than regular businesses,” Stebelin said.

“That鈥檚 what we鈥檙e going to get with Buc-ee鈥檚 鈥� We’re going to get more crime, more violence, more things we really don’t need in this community.”

If approved, it would be the second Buc-ee鈥檚 location in Virginia. The first is along Interstate 81 near James Madison University in Mount Crawford.

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Security lines at BWI Marshall Airport stretched out of the concourse and outside Thursday morning as thousands of travelers felt the effects of the partial government shutdown.

Transportation Security Administration agents have gone without pay for more than a month, and more are calling out, saying they cannot afford to work without a paycheck.

At one point, Security Checkpoint B was closed for several hours due to staffing shortages. It reopened around 7 a.m., but by then, a line longer than a football field had formed along the busy Southwest ticketing concourse.

Passengers who would normally use checkpoints B and C were funneled into a single location 鈥� Checkpoint C 鈥� creating significant backups.

Traveler Thomas Stewart arrived several hours ahead of his 6:55 a.m. flight. Just before 6 a.m., he was still in line, hoping to make it to his gate.

Stewart has both TSA PreCheck and Clear, but said neither service was operating for part of the morning due to staffing issues.

鈥淚t鈥檚 unfortunate, but it鈥檚 the reality of what we鈥檙e living in,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檒l probably miss my flight and have to find an alternative. Under normal circumstances, I can clear security in five to 10 minutes. Today, it looks like it鈥檚 going to be an hour and a half.鈥�

During the peak of the morning rush, Southwest Airlines employees brought carts of bottled water into the crowded concourse, handing them out to passengers waiting in line.

鈥淲ater here! Water here!鈥� one employee shouted while moving through the crowd.

Airport officials say three of the four security checkpoints 鈥� B, C and D/E 鈥� were open at times, while Checkpoint A remained closed intermittently.

鈥淎irport personnel and the airlines are assisting passengers,鈥� said BWI Marshall spokesman Jonathan Dean. 鈥淭he security issues are not affecting flight operations. This is a TSA matter.鈥�

Airport officials warned that wait times could fluctuate throughout the day, but advised travelers to arrive at least three hours before their flights.

Traveler Jerome Leblond said he arrived early and sympathizes with TSA workers.

鈥淭hese guys are not getting paid,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 here at least three hours early. It looks like everybody else is too. You can鈥檛 do much more than that 鈥� they鈥檝e closed the priority lanes, so you鈥檙e waiting like everyone else.鈥�

Earlier this week, reports indicated that roughly 28% of TSA officers at BWI did not report to work Tuesday.

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A key prosecution witness in the second-degree murder trial of Nakita Walker contradicted his earlier grand jury testimony in D.C. Superior Court on Wednesday.

On several occasions while being questioned by federal prosecutor Jamie Carter, Walker’s ex-boyfriend, Donnell Thomas, was directed to his previous grand jury answers by the prosecutor who said聽he contradicted those answers or told jurors he did not recall saying those words.

Carter read back Thomas’ answers concerning the night of the crash on March 15, 2023, and how Thomas indicated in his grand jury testimony that the defendant had been drinking before the deadly collision on Rock Creek Parkway that killed three people 鈥� a ride-share driver and his two passengers.

But in court, Thomas said Walker had not been drinking that evening when the pair went out to see a movie, and that Walker did not smoke marijuana after saying she did.

Thomas said since the crash, he has had memory issues.

Thomas has been granted immunity from prosecution on the federal marijuana charges he was facing. Those charges stemmed from an earlier traffic stop near the Kennedy Center by a U.S. Park Police officer just minutes before the crash; the officer confiscated a bag of marijuana from Thomas.

The officer testified he saw Walker鈥檚 car driving at a high rate of speed on Independence Avenue and 17th Street.

Moments later, police body camera video showed Walker, now 46, fleeing the scene and eluding the officer, heading up Rock Creek Parkway, where investigators say her black Lexus struck another vehicle. Lyft driver Mohammed Kamara, 42, and passengers Olvin Torres Velasquez, and Jonathan Cabrera Mendez, both 23, all died in the crash.

There was also conflicting evidence concerning whether Thomas had a gun in the car when the vehicle was stopped. Thomas at one point indicated he had a gun, then contradicted himself and later said that Walker fled the traffic stop 鈥渂ecause she was trying to protect me.”

Walker鈥檚 defense attorney, A.J. Amissah, questioned details about the crash. Thomas recounted how the vehicle was on Rock Creek Parkway, and said it was the Honda ride-share vehicle that struck Walker鈥檚 vehicle.

鈥淭he Honda hit her car,鈥� he said.

Thomas said he and Walker had argued moments before the collision and several times he said he should be driving, even though he admitted he had used alcohol and drugs.

In his opening statements, Amissah said the crash was an unfortunate accident but to be found guilty of second-degree murder, the prosecution must prove it was a malicious act.

In a procedural note, Judge Rainey Ransom Brandt, who is overseeing the case, on Wednesday dismissed a juror after it was noted that the juror appeared to be sleeping during the testimony of a prosecution witness.

The judge conferred with both the prosecution and defense lawyers and decided it was unfair to have that juror decide the case because she did not hear the evidence that was presented.

At the end of the court session Tuesday, the judge also gently reminded the jury they are not to look at their cellphones or text when they are in the jury box. The admonishment came after it appeared a juror was texting during the testimony.

Because of scheduling issues, the trial is in recess until Monday at 9:30 a.m.

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The photo is one of the most iconic in American history. It was taken May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah. Two locomotives, one pointing east and the other west, touch, and America is changed forever.

Two railroad workers stand in front of the locomotives, extending their hands. A golden spike is driven into the hard ground at what became known as the Golden Spike Ceremony. A nearby telegraph operator typed the word 鈥淒ONE鈥� to notify the world.

President Abraham Lincoln supported the railroad by signing the 1862 Pacific Railroad Act, which funded the project using state and U.S. government subsidy bonds, as well as company-issued mortgage bonds.

Just four years after the end of the Civil War, the reunited nation was now linked from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Engineer Theodore Dehone Judah surveyed the route and identified the Donner Pass route through the difficult Sierra Nevada mountains.

It鈥檚 estimated that 90% of the Central Pacific鈥檚 workforce was Chinese immigrants, while the Union Pacific relied heavily on Irish laborers and Civil War veterans.

The 1,911-mile rail line, built between 1863 and 1869, connected the existing eastern U.S. network, starting in Council Bluffs, Iowa, with rails that began in San Francisco. The Western Pacific Railroad Co. built 132 miles of track from the road鈥檚 western terminus at Alameda/Oakland to Sacramento, California. The Central Pacific Railroad Co. of California constructed 690 miles of track east from Sacramento to Promontory Summit, Utah Territory.

The Union Pacific Railroad built 1,085 miles of track from the road鈥檚 eastern terminus at the Missouri River settlements of Council Bluffs and Omaha, Nebraska, westward to Promontory Summit.

鈥淲e live in a country that was built on railroads,鈥� SUNY-University at Buffalo professor David Alff, a railroad historian, said. 鈥淧romontory Point lives large in the symbolism of American westward expansion.鈥�

Before the railroads expanded, moving goods was a slow process. The Panama Canal had not been built, which meant that, to ship goods west, companies had to sail around Cape Horn, at the southernmost point of South America, or move goods by slow wagon trail.

For the first time, the cross-country railroad system made it more economical to ship food, raw materials and manufactured goods across the continent. Commodities associated with the western states and territories, such as minerals, grain and timber, could be moved from coast to coast in just days.

The railroad made it possible to create industrial supply chains, not just passenger travel, and became the nation鈥檚 engine of commerce.

鈥淭oday, railroad exchanges with ports in Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland are some of the most important logistical nodes in the world,鈥� Alff said.

According to the Smithsonian Institution, by the late 1800s, rail freight volumes easily eclipsed anything wagons or canals could handle over long distances.

With the railroad鈥檚 completion, a trip across the nation that once took six dangerous months on horseback or wagon now took eight days from New York City to San Francisco.

The rail line was used extensively for passenger traffic until 1904, and freight continued until 1942.

The line was abandoned because of high operating costs and after new double-track lines were built.

The old steel rails that had brought the East and West together were recycled and used for the war effort in World War II.

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On the morning of March 15, 2023, Walker fled a traffic stop and hit her black Lexus SUV into a Honda Accord, killing its driver and two rideshare passengers.

鈥淪he was speeding and ran a red light on Independence Avenue,鈥� prosecutor Jamie Carter told the jury in her opening statement. 鈥淪he was speeding up the Rock Creek Parkway, after fleeing a Park Police officer.鈥�

Lyft driver Mohamed Kamara, 42, and passengers Olvin Torres Velasquez and Jonathan Cabrera Mendez, both 23, died in the head-on collision near the P Street NW exit on the Rock Creek Parkway.

But Walker鈥檚 defense attorney, A.J. Amissah, told jurors his client did not commit murder.

鈥淥ne of the keys in second-degree murder is that it is malicious. This was an accident,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he was trying to get home to her child.鈥�

A few minutes before the crash, Walker and her then-boyfriend Donnell Thomas were stopped by a U.S. Park Police officer who said he had seen the car speeding at 17th Street and Independence Avenue SW, and he followed it up near the Kennedy Center, where he stopped the vehicle.

Officer Andrew Mugavero鈥檚 body camera footage, which was shown to the jury, showed he pulled up to the vehicle and approached it on the passenger side. He spoke to Thomas, asking why Walker was driving so fast, and Thomas can be seen dumping liquid from a red cup out of the passenger side window. He told the police officer it was an alcoholic drink.

The officer also asked Thomas about what he suspected was marijuana in his coat. As Thomas and Mugavero were talking, Walker put the car into drive and accelerated at a high speed away from the officer.

A few minutes later, Walker crashed into the other vehicle and Mugavero pulled up on the scene.

He testified he told officers with the Metropolitan Police Department and first responders who were managing the crash, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the woman who just ran from me.”

Former boyfriend expected to testify

As body camera footage and still pictures of the crash scene were shown to the jury, several family members of the victims began sobbing loudly. Several left the courtroom when a first responder noted that all three of the victims in the Honda were unresponsive and not breathing.

Walker, who suffered a broken femur, sternum and wrist in the crash, had a blood alcohol content above the legal limit.

On Wednesday, Thomas is expected to take the stand and testify as a key prosecutor witness against his former girlfriend.

Prosecutors revealed that Thomas is being given immunity from prosecution because police said he had marijuana in his coat during the stop. While marijuana is legal in D.C., the Park Police noted that marijuana is illegal on federal property or a federal highway.

Amissah, Walker’s attorney, indicated in his opening statement he planned to go after Thomas when he conducts his cross-examination.

鈥淵ou will hear from Donnell Thomas and he is not credible,鈥� Amissah said.

Walker has a long list of traffic violations in D.C. Records show that in 2023, she had 44 unpaid speed camera tickets and 28 for speeding, totaling $14,300.

Jurors admonished

The first day of testimony didn’t pass without a couple of issues with the jurors. At the end of testimony Tuesday, Judge Rainey Ransom Brandt told the attorneys that one juror was seen texting during the trial.

Before she dismissed the jury, the judge gave specific instructions that jurors are not to use their phones during the trial. Brandt also pointed out that another juror was sleeping during the Park Police officer鈥檚 testimony.

鈥淭hat juror was out like a light during his testimony,鈥� Brandt said in an exasperated tone.

She instructed the attorneys to consider what the court should do about this issue and said she would address it Wednesday morning when testimony resumes.

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