Congressional Quarterly, The Hill, Politico and Roll Call newspapers focus exclusively on issues related to Congress and the federal government. [66] The D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation maintains the city's 900 acres (3.6 km2) of athletic fields and playgrounds, 40 swimming pools, and 68 recreation centers. [227] The district is also home to 92 private schools, which enrolled approximately 18,000 students in 2008. The public also paid respect to Rosa Parks, an icon of the civil rights movement, at the Capitol in 2005. In 2004, the capitol was briefly evacuated after a plane carrying the then governor of Kentucky strayed into restricted airspace over the district. [58] The geographic center of Washington is near the intersection of 4th and L Streets NW. Looking to keep up on the latest Washington DC local news or capitol hill news? Congress typically provides additional grants for federal programs such as Medicaid and the operation of the local justice system; however, analysts claim that the payments do not fully resolve the imbalance.[208][209]. First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln, an 1864 painting by Francis Bicknell Carpenter, hangs over the west staircase in the Senate wing.[59]. [11] In addition to coming up with a city plan, L'Enfant had been tasked with designing the Capitol and President's House; however, he was dismissed in February 1792 over disagreements with President George Washington and the commissioners, and there were no plans at that point for the Capitol. By 1850, it became clear that the Capitol could not accommodate the growing number of legislators arriving from newly admitted states. This, in turn, has led to frequent misspellings of "capitol" and "capital". [161], The National Archives houses thousands of documents important to American history, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. However, at 34 years old, the district had the lowest median age compared to the 50 states. The frieze was started in 1878 and was not completed until 1953. [184], The district is an important center for indie culture and music in the United States. [101] The Ronald Reagan Building is the largest building in the district with a total area of approximately 3.1 million square feet (288,000 m2). [181] The GALA Hispanic Theatre, now housed in the historic Tivoli Theatre in Columbia Heights, was founded in 1976 and is a National Center for the Latino Performing Arts. [144] However, the ruling does not prohibit all forms of gun control; laws requiring firearm registration remain in place, as does the city's assault weapon ban. As part of the legislation, Philadelphia was chosen as a temporary capital for ten years (until December 1800), until the nation's capital in Washington, D.C., would be ready. In all of the District, 55% of the population is adherent to any particular religion. One female bystander was wounded by police but not seriously injured; a man pointing a gun was shot and arrested, in critical but stable condition. The U.S. Constitution provided for a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of U.S. Congress; the district is therefore not a part of any U.S. state. The district did not have an elected local government until the passage of the 1973 Home Rule Act. List of television shows set in Washington, D.C. The 100th, and last statue for the collection, that of Po'pay from the state of New Mexico, was added on September 22, 2005. [126][127] However, 19% of residents were below the poverty level in 2005, higher than any state except Mississippi. Congress and the Erosion of Local Governance in the District of Columbia, "City's 1st Mayoral Race, as Innocent as Young Love", "C&O Canal National Historic Park: History & Culture", "D.C.'s Puny Peak Enough to Pump Up 'Highpointers, "Science in Your State: District of Columbia", "Washington's Myths, Legends, and Tall Tales—Some of Which Are True", "Washington Built on a Swamp? Add A Cam New Webcams Top 10 Cams MyCam Pages World Map. [189][190], Other professional and semi-professional teams in Washington include: DC Defenders (XFL), Old Glory DC (Major League Rugby), the Washington Kastles (World TeamTennis); the Washington D.C. Slayers (USA Rugby League); the Baltimore Washington Eagles (U.S. Australian Football League); the D.C. Divas (Independent Women's Football League); and the Potomac Athletic Club RFC (Rugby Super League). Local Section of the Mall is often the location of political protests, concerts, festivals, and radiating... 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