In the week that followed, Jacqueline Kennedy invited journalist Theodore White to Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, for a “Life” magazine interview that helped define her husband’s legacy.

The PBS American Experience documentary “JFK,” , pulls back the curtain on the man behind that image, exploring how pain, resilience and ambition shaped the nation’s 35th president.

Originally released in 2013, the four-hour, two-part film traces Kennedy’s life from childhood through his rise in politics, examining the illnesses that threatened his future and the campaign that made him the youngest elected president in American history. It also explores his relationships with Jackie Kennedy, his brother Robert and his father, along with the strengths and weaknesses that defined his presidency.

Producer and director Susan Bellows said newly released health records helped provide a fresh perspective.

“His health records had suddenly become public,” Bellows said. “I think that was one of the breakthrough things that really began to change our understanding of him.”

Kennedy battled serious health problems throughout his life, beginning with colitis-related stomach issues at Choate, a Connecticut boarding school. Later, chronic back pain became so severe that he underwent surgery and received last rites during a medical crisis, according to the documentary.

The film also details how Kennedy, unable to pass a military physical, entered the Navy during World War II with the help of altered medical records and his father’s influence. He was later wounded during the war, adding to the physical challenges he carried for the rest of his life.

Bellows said those struggles helped shape Kennedy’s resilience, determination and awareness of his own mortality, creating what she called “a kind of urgency to speed.”

“I think it gave him a certain determination and strength,” Bellows said. “He was in pain, but he never showed it, and he didn’t let it slow him down.”

When asked about the Emmy she won for the series, Bellows laughed, saying her son kept the award in his room for a long time.

She said the most rewarding part of making films like “JFK” is showing how people evolve and how challenges shape who they become.

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The observance, organized by Indivisible Route 1 Corridor, brought together immigrant rights groups, faith leaders and residents calling for accountability and support for affected families.

“We get a lot of public support when we do an event like this,” said Laura Usher, co-leader of Indivisible Route 1 Corridor.

“We’re really grateful to have the support of the faith community in speaking out against the reprehensible treatment of immigrants.”

One of the signs held along the sidewalk read, “ICE agents repent, love, and save your souls.” Its owner, 20-year-old Jenifer Pineda, said fear has shaped her life and the lives of other children of immigrants.

“Before, it was, we couldn’t go outside because of COVID, and I was like, we can’t go outside because of the fear of our parents being taken away,” she said.

Pineda, president of the youth group at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, said her uncle was detained last August on his way to work, forcing her aunt and young cousin to leave the country.

Karen Murphy, who began protesting with her parents during the Vietnam War era, was joined Saturday by her son and daughter.

“I need to see more people at events like this,” she said. “Put down your phones and join these events.” She added,

“This isn’t right. This isn’t America. We stand up for human rights. This is a country of immigrants.”

Maryland Rep. Glenn Ivey told ������Ƶapp that ICE agents are being asked to do work they are not trained for.

“These ICE agents aren’t trained to be doing the work that the administration has them doing,” he said.

“They really should be using these agents to focus on finding the worst of the worst instead of these roving patrols and racial profiling stops.”

The vigil included prayers, songs led by the Rapid Response Choir, and a reading of the names of people killed in ICE encounters. Organizers also collected food for Route 1 Mutual Aid, which supports families affected by ICE detentions.

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Now, another water feature on the National Mall is being repaired after it was damaged.

A contractor’s vehicle drove over the center of a fountain feature at the German-American Friendship Garden after bike rack barriers meant to protect the area were moved, cracking the fountain and prompting repairs, according to the National Park Service.

You may be thinking to yourself that you’ve never heard of this place. Chances are you’ve walked through it without realizing it.

Located between the White House and the Washington Monument, the garden welcomes an estimated seven million visitors each year.

Unlike traditional fountains with basins, the features use ground-level water jets built directly into the pavement, offering visitors a place to cool off during Washington D.C.’s hot summer months.

The damage comes only a few years after the German-American Friendship Garden underwent a major restoration project.

Dedicated in 1988, the garden commemorates 300 years of German immigration to America.

The National Park Service said they are working on repairing the fountain.

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The church and the town are now in a federal lawsuit over an overnight shelter operating inside the parish hall across from City Hall. The church filed a lawsuit against Ocean City, arguing the town’s actions against the shelter violate the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.

Ocean City responded with a counterclaim seeking an injunction to close the shelter, arguing the operation does not comply with local zoning requirements.

Town officials say the dispute is not about providing services to people experiencing homelessness, but about how the shelter is operating. The church said it is carrying out its religious mission to help people in need.

During a tour of the church’s outreach center, the Rev. Jill Williams told ������Ƶapp the church serves about 120 lunches each day during the summer season and averages “between 30 and 35 people in the evening as guests for the shelter.”

Williams said the shelter began operating after the town told the church to remove tents used by unhoused people from its property and move people indoors.

“They told us from the beginning that this place needs to look like Disneyland. That’s a quote. They would like all the homeless people off the island. That is the goal of the mayor and city council,” Williams said.

In a phone interview, Ocean City Town Manager Terry McGean told ������Ƶapp that Williams’ characterization of that conversation was not accurate.

“What I said was that some people thought Ocean City was Disneyland, but I knew that was not the case. That we were a city with all the intended issues and responsibilities, and that we were not some amusement park,” he said.

“I guess the way she puts it is a better sound bite, but it certainly takes what I said well out of context,” he said.

Williams also said McGean told her to rely on wealthy parishioners to influence city leaders.

“He instructed me to figure out who my wealthy parishioners were, who were the wealthy business owners in Ocean City, and have them call the mayor and city council if I wanted anything done, because that’s how things are done here in Ocean City. That was a direct quote,” she said.

McGean disputes that account, saying he never mentioned wealthy parishioners or suggested that was how approvals are obtained.

“I said it’s always good to have any member of her congregation, if they knew council members, to educate them on what the church wants to do,” McGean said, adding that he would give the same advice to any nonprofit seeking town funding.

Williams said the church has also faced difficulties installing a washer and dryer, saying plumbers have repeatedly withdrawn after beginning the permit process. She said the machines are needed for altar cloths, kitchen towels and cleaning supplies.

McGean said the electrical permit was approved, but the plumbing permit application did not meet code because the proposed drain line was too small. He said the town would approve a code-compliant application if one is submitted.

McGean said Ocean City supports homeless services through Diakonia in West Ocean City and the Worcester County Homeless Outreach Team.

“We are simply enforcing the law that we have had on the books for many, many, many years, and we enforce it equally,” he said.

When asked what she would tell the mayor and council, Williams said she wants them to understand the people who sleep in her parish hall and hear their stories, including “some who work for the town of Ocean City.”

“Understand the miracles that are happening here,” Williams said. “This is the mission of the followers of Jesus Christ for all time and that we’re not going to stop.”

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Soccer camps may be packed this summer thanks to the FIFA World Cup, but there is another camp taking place at Oak Hill Elementary School in Herndon, Virginia, that could pay off for Fairfax County students.

Money Camp gives students a hands-on lesson in personal finance through a classroom town called Cent City. Over the five days, students take on jobs, manage bank accounts and even start their own businesses before selling their products at the end of the week.

Jeanette O’Malley, who co-founded Money Camp about 15 years ago and teaches sixth grade at Oak Hill Elementary School, said: “The kids get a chance to see what we do with money as grown-ups.”

“Kids’ experience with money is to go to the store and buy whatever trinket or candy they want,” O’Malley said. “They don’t realize that there’s a whole economy out there with money circulating and serving different purposes.”

Students begin the week by applying for jobs and deciding what products they want to sell. They then create prototypes and conduct market research to determine pricing and production before selling their goods at a Friday marketplace.

Of all the lessons on adulting, the one that surprised every single camper was the only thing other than death that Benjamin Franklin said was certain.

“How much taxes take out of your pay,” 10-year-old Surya Kosaraju said.

Kosaraju did not seem pleased when he found out that it may get worse when he gets older.

“Shoot, I’m cooked,” Kosaraju said.

Cathy Lahr, a Money Camp teacher at Oak Hill Elementary School, said students learn another lesson about navigating the real world.

“The kids have the option of buying insurance every day,” Lahr said. “They never know when an accident is going to happen and when they need to show proof of insurance or they owe a lot of money.”

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More than two centuries later, leaders of the law firm’s D.C. office said a people-first culture continues to drive employee retention and growth.

������Ƶapp spoke with Matt Kirtland and Marissa Alcala, copartners in charge of the firm’s D.C. office, about what they believe keeps employees at the firm for decades.

The law firm’s history began in London as Norton Rose. It has since expanded to more than 50 cities across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. Its presence in the nation’s capital dates to the 1920s, when the Fulbright partners established a D.C. office focused on federal regulatory matters.

Rising through the ranks

Both Kirtland and Alcala understand what it’s like to start at the bottom and work their way up the corporate ladder.

“It’s the only law firm that I’ve worked for,” Kirtland said. “I started as a summer associate, which is like an intern in the summer after my second year of law school, and then I came back as a full-time associate after that.”

That was in 1996, and three years later, Alcala also started as a summer associate.

“I’ve passed my quarter-century mark with the firm,” Alcala said. “We have colleagues who have been here for 30 and 40 years in all job categories.”

Asked why he has spent his entire professional career at Norton Rose Fulbright, Kirtland had a simple answer: “For me, it has been the colleagues and the clients. Simple as that.”

“We do pride ourselves on being a very sort of fun, challenging place to work,” Kirtland said. “Not all law firms can say that, and that reflects in the longevity of people staying, myself and Marissa included.”

‘We’re not an office; we’re a community’

Alcala said the firm’s people-focused culture is a major reason employees remain for decades.

“We’re not an office; we’re a community,” she said. “The importance of every colleague who works in and contributes to this office, how important each of those individuals is to the success of our business and to the opportunities we have for our community here to thrive.”

Both Alcala and Kirtland said that philosophy has long been part of the firm’s culture. Kirtland said he first heard it from the managing partner during orientation on his first day.

“The most important thing at our law firm is our people,” Kirtland said, recalling the managing partner’s remarks. “We have always put our people first, both our lawyers, our nonlawyers, our vendors. We are a very people-forward, people-friendly, people-centric law firm.”

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The latest dangerous heat wave is pushing temperatures to record levels across the D.C. area, which is a fitting backdrop for “Measurement Day.”

In Northern Virginia, the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions and George Mason University’s Virginia Climate Center sent out more than 30 teams of citizen scientists for the Urban Heat Island Mapping Project on Thursday.

Data of extreme heat gathered will be analyzed and used for maps and visualizations designed to help with urban planning decisions, support public health interventions and advance environmental equity.

������Ƶapp joined Meredith and John Haines, who are both oceanographers from Vienna, on one of their routes around Herndon.

An EZ Pass-sized sensor with magnets was on the roof of their EV SUV. Meredith said it turns the vehicle into a mobile weather station.

“It’s drawing air in through that vent on the front continuously,” Meredith said.

Thursday afternoon was the second of three times the pair drove the same route through Herndon.

The first drive was at 6 a.m., the second was at 2 p.m., and the third happened later in the evening. Their route took them by single-family homes, apartment complexes, cul-de-sacs and downtown Herndon.

At the end of one mapping session, Meredith recorded a high of 36 degrees Celsius, which she graciously explained was 96.8 degrees Fahrenheit.

All of the data is sent back to George Mason through an app and Meredith said they expect to have a report in October.

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On Wednesday, with D.C.-area temperatures in the triple digits and a heat index between 103 and 105 degrees, ������Ƶapp headed to Banneker Pool in Northwest D.C.

A lot of people had the same idea.

The 50‑meter outdoor aquatic center across Georgia Avenue NW from Howard University was packed with residents of all ages who didn’t mind sharing how, other than taking a dip, they stay cool in such brutal weather.

Someone who looked properly prepared was Lexx Hollywood, who had a small portable fan plugged into her iPhone. At home, she said she keeps her thermostat “down to 60” and has large fans all around the house.

Eating ice is Brittani Mason’s hot-weather hack. She said her home would be much cooler if it wasn’t for her three sons.

“In and out, changing clothes like fashion models,” Mason said. “In and out, just to get the air.”

Shena Boyd, who was at the pool with her children, said she now “knows why her grandmother used to say to close them blinds.”

And Kaite Lower’s hot‑weather must‑haves: “A Diet Coke and a lot of water, maybe even an electrolyte.”

But the Florida native said this weather made her feel like she was “at home.”

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The documentary now part of WETA’s District Docs collection and streaming on WETA+, looks back at a time when the D.C. area’s music culture was shaped by a small free-form station in Bethesda, Maryland.

In an era when music radio playlists are corporate-controlled and tightly formatted, the film returns viewers to a very different moment in time, when DJs could build sets around whatever moved them, whether it was the news of the day or 10 songs about cheese.

Director Jay Schlossberg said WHFS reached listeners in ways that were not obvious at the time.

“We were getting our messages about what was happening culturally, socially, and politically through the music,” he told ������Ƶapp. “It was the musicians of the day giving us these messages.”

Where many radio programmers go by the motto, “We do not break hits, we play them,” HFS lived by a different rule. Long before Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, the Police, U2 and Jimmy Buffett were filling stadiums, their music was introduced to D.C.-area audiences on HFS.

The documentary traces how WHFS grew from a struggling radio station into a progressive force.

One turning point came in 1969, when three young WHFS DJs — Josh Brooks, Mark Gorbulew and Sara Vass — returned from a show in upstate New York.

“Three weeks after they went on the air, this little concert happened,” Schlossberg said. “It was called Woodstock.”

The DJs brought a tape deck, interviewed artists including Jerry Garcia and Neil Young backstage, and aired those tapes on WHFS.

“Boom. Everybody was hearing about it,” Schlossberg said.

That access boosted HFS’ audience from 800 to 30,000, attracting a surge of advertising dollars that put the station in the black for the first time.

“Ironically, it was the hippies that caused the station to make money,” Schlossberg said. “As a hippie, you weren’t interested in making money.”

The film also highlights the personalities who defined the station. Tom Grooms, Weasel and Cerphe became familiar voices across the region. The station’s famous “high atop Triangle Towers” IDs became part of local culture, just as ������Ƶapp’s “Glass-Enclosed Nerve Center” did decades later.

Schlossberg’s connection to WHFS goes back more than 50 years, “probably ’70 or ’71,” he said, when he first started listening.

By the summer of 1972, between his junior and senior years of high school, he was inside the building.

“I got a job at HFS,” Schlossberg said. “Yes, I was the janitor. I am so proud.”

He ran errands, picked things up and spent a few weeks working behind the scenes. It was his first look at the station that would later become the subject of his film.

In 1983, WHFS moved from 102.3 to the stronger 99.1 FM signal. In 2005, the station signed off for good.

Schlossberg decided to make the documentary in 2013 after seeing a photo of former WHFS DJs at an event.

“Oh my God, they are all not dead yet. Somebody needs to tell this story,” he said.

That moment led to interviews, archival digging and a project that eventually won a regional Emmy.

“Shocked me, really,” Schlossberg said. “It’s just been the most amazing thing I have ever done in my life.”

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Editor’s note: ������Ƶapp teamed up with  on the 2026 Top Workplaces awards. The Top Workplaces designation is based entirely on employee feedback collected through a confidential survey. Energage evaluates responses to 26 questions covering leadership, direction, compensation, benefits, workplace culture and purpose, allowing employees to share honest assessments anonymously.

Noblis, a science, technology and engineering company that works exclusively with the federal government, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The Reston, Virginia‑based nonprofit is also marking 13 straight years as a Top Workplace.

The milestone suggests that if there is a secret sauce to workplace happiness, Noblis has found the recipe.

Noblis President and CEO Mile Corrigan said the 13‑year streak reflects a culture the company has built “collectively and intentionally.”

Employees thrive because Noblis gives them the environment, tools and freedom to take on complex federal science and technology challenges, Corrigan said in a news release, calling that shared purpose the core of the company’s culture.

“People come to Noblis because they want to make an impact,” Deb Drake, the company’s senior vice president and chief people officer, told ������Ƶapp. “They want to work on things that matter to the country.”

Noblis teams support missions in defense, homeland security, intelligence, law enforcement and federal civilian agencies.

Drake said the nonprofit structure helps employees feel supported.

“We reinvest our profits back into our people,” Drake said. “That means training, development and innovation programs that help employees grow.”

Jennie Doran, who joined Noblis 15 years ago as a graphic designer and now works in marketing operations, said she felt that support on her first day.

“Everyone here, from the leadership down, are very supportive when you join as a new hire,” Doran said.

Noblis also received a special award at the Top Workplace Awards event for work‑life balance.

Doran said flexibility is a major part of that recognition, with many employees working remotely or on hybrid schedules depending on their role.

“Being able to occasionally craft your week by working from home a few days and being in the office is really valuable,” Doran said, “a very big benefit that our leadership has allowed.”

She said that flexibility has a meaningful effect on employees’ lives.

“Makes you a little bit more energized in a way when you are working to do the best that you can, because you feel like you’re trusted,” Doran said.

Both women pointed to three key ingredients behind Noblis’ workplace culture.

Mission

Drake said the mission is a major part of why people stay.

“Doing work that they feel is really making an impact and making a difference is something that I hear a lot of our employees talk about,” Doran said.

Pitching ideas

Drake said innovation is built into the culture: “We reward people for contributing to the customer experience and the colleague experience.”

Noblis’ internal research program gives employees a chance to shape new projects by sharing ideas and voting on concepts.

“Anyone in the company can put forth ideas for research,” Doran said. “Getting that opportunity to bring up something that they think would be really effective is a big part of what people love.”

Hearing from leadership

“We get a lot of great communication from the top down,” Drake said. “Ethics is No. 1. We are a highly ethical company.”

Doran said employees feel that consistency, which she believes is one reason people remain with the company for years.

“You have lots of avenues and channels to make your voice heard, to get support, to get professional development,” she said.

Check out all the ������Ƶapp Top Workplaces coverage���ԴǷ�!

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The anonymous protest art collective The Secret Handshake mocked President Donald Trump with their latest installation in D.C. — a 10‑foot statue labeled an “Iran War Participation Trophy.”

Visitors at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial could see the trophy next to the gift shop on West Basin Drive SW.

The location was close to the group’s May installation at the District of Columbia War Memorial, also mocking Trump’s handling of the war with Iran.

The trophy lampoons his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize. It also references the peace prize Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado presented to Trump in January, along with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize awarded by its president, Gianni Infantino.

“We hereby award President Donald J. Trump this participation trophy for his enthusiastic involvement in the Iran war,” a plaque on the statue read. “As the recipient of this prestigious award, President Trump joins the ranks of children everywhere who receive recognition for simply showing up.”

Tourists and locals stopped to take pictures of the giant trophy Monday afternoon.

Ian Zucker took a break from a run and pointed out the exhibit was interactive.

“People are invited to leave their own trophies,” Zucker said after reading a nearby plaque.

Several people sat at the base of the trophy, with additional trophies lying around it, including two for golf and two for reading. There was also a WWE championship belt — a symbol recognizing the only president inducted into the professional wrestling organization’s Hall of Fame.

Howard Major, who was visiting from Rome, Georgia, ran to get a closer look at the trophy before his Uber ride arrived.

“He has the trophy. No. 1. He’s the best at everything,” Major said jokingly.

“He ended more wars in a two-month period of time than any other president in world history,” Major said. “What? We’ve had 56 ceasefires since the war began.”

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The gardens trace their roots to the early 1900s, when Walter Shaw planted the lotus flowers that continue to draw visitors more than a century later. The National Park Service acquired the site along the Anacostia River in 1938, preserving the ponds and wetlands that now serve as a rare natural oasis in the nation’s capital.

Among the visitors was George Shaw, of Rockville, Maryland, who told ������Ƶapp it was his first trip to the gardens. “It’s pretty spectacular,” Shaw said. “You wouldn’t really think this was technically in D.C. It’s fabulous.”

Many visitors strolling the grounds, snapping photos and admiring the scenery shared similar reactions.

“It’s a completely different kind of environmental zone than what most of us are used to in the Washington area,” Barby Halstead-Worrell said. “This is such a magnificent place. It’s magical.”

Halstead-Worrell, who has lived in D.C. her entire adult life, pointed to an eaglet perched close to a nearby pond and told ������Ƶapp she visits the gardens often.

“It stretches on as far as the eye can see,’ Halstead-Worrel said. “The birds are singing, dragonflies are out. It’s wonderful.”

Despite being surrounded by the city, the gardens felt far removed from urban life. The only frequent reminder of nearby development was the sound of airplanes passing overhead.

Couples walked hand in hand along the paths, friends stopped to chat on the boardwalk that crosses one of the ponds and groups gathered to special occasions. One visitor wore a birthday sash and crown, while another group near the parking lot held a gender reveal celebration.

Also on the boardwalk was Lauren Wustenberg, wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat and carrying binoculars. A D.C. resident for the past four and a half years, she said the nearby trail network makes visiting the gardens easy, adding that her favorite part of living in D.C. is the Anacostia River Bike Trail and the Anacostia River Trail.

“It’s an easy six-mile bike ride to come out here to Kenilworth, and it’s something I do a couple times a week,” Wustenberg said. “There are different types of lotuses that they grow and so they are blooming at different parts throughout the summer.”

The gardens were also a popular destination for families.

Zadie Harris, 10, said her favorite part of the visit was seeing the different varieties of lotus flowers. “It was really pretty,” Zadie said. “Like they were pink or white and the inside was yellow.”

Zadie was joined by her sibling and parents, including her father, Anthony Harris. “It was a great opportunity to see things that you don’t think you’d see in the middle of a city,” Harris said. “A great way to spend the day with your wife and your kids.”

The is scheduled for Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. This year’s event features an America 250th theme, with art, wellness, music and cultural programs throughout the weekend.

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Friends, family and supporters of Mattie, a poet, peace advocate and New York Times bestselling author continue to celebrate his birthday at an annual in Rockville, Maryland, every year.

Saturday’s event will happen rain or shine, his mother Jeni said, in keeping with Mattie’s philosophy: “Remember to play after every storm.”

“What if it rains? Are we still, having it? Yes, we will, and we will play after every storm,” Jeni said.

Stepanek wrote several books, including one he co-wrote with former President Jimmy Carter. His work lives on through the Mattie Stepanek Peace Foundation in Rockville.

The “party with a purpose” takes place Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. outside World of Beer in downtown Rockville, not far from the 26-acre park that was named for Mattie in 2008.

Both World of Beer and nearby Ben and Jerry’s are donating a percentage of their sales during the event to Mattie’s foundation.

“So, eat and drink generously, please,” Jeni said with a laugh.

There will be also live music, arts, crafts and a cornhole tournament. But there is also a deeper meaning.

“It’s not just fun activities,” Jeni said. “It’s everything with a purpose that helps people remember these little nuggets of peace.”

While many know her as Mama Peace, Mattie’s mom has carried her son’s legacy to children around the world. The former schoolteacher and Prince George’s County native also works with local adults with developmental disabilities, sharing messages of peace, purpose and play.

“Many of them from Mattie and many of them from me, as they realize just how much they matter in this world,” Jeni said.

The Peace Day celebration has been a Rockville tradition for more than two decades, dating back to 2004 after Mattie’s passing.

The author and Mattie were buddies and believes he would be thrilled to know the town and state he loved continue to join his mom each year to celebrate peace, his birthday and his legacy.

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The two and a half mile distance between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial is normally the biggest challenge for visitors to the National Mall.

But over the past few weeks, several new obstacles have been erected in their path.

Detours are everywhere. The National Park Service has closed streets and fenced off areas around the Lincoln Memorial, the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument grounds, in some cases to support events such as the FIFA Fan Zone, the Great American State Fair and the July Fourth fireworks.

In some cases, the fences don’t just block the way — they block the view.

On Friday, crews began draining the Reflecting Pool once again for President Donald Trump’s latest round of repairs. Crews also started covering the chain link fencing around the pool with black material to block views while the work continues.

This new addition disappointed some visitors.

“It’s not very welcoming,” Liz, a tourist from Iowa, told ������Ƶapp. “It makes me feel like we are in a construction zone, or somebody’s done something very bad.”

“You know, this is such a beautiful place and such a wonderful thing, and have to wall it off because of some bad element. It’s just sad,” Ed Cook, who was visiting from Nevada, said.

Donna Gottschall thought the fence surrounding the Reflecting Pool was sad for a different reason.

The Mississippi resident said of the Reflecting Pool saga, “I mean, the whole story of what’s going on with it, I think, is disappointing, and it’s quite frankly a waste of money.”

By the Lincoln Memorial, getting their last views through the chain link fence before crews put up the black fabric, were Joe and John, who said their trip has been challenging because of the detours on and off the Mall.

John said getting around by car has also been a mess because rideshare and taxi drivers don’t know which roads are closed, so they keep getting stuck in traffic. One taxi they hailed ran into a blockade, causing a major delay that ruined their plans.

While many tourists seemed disappointed by the detours, Cook and his wife Charo were all smiles. When the two arrived a couple of days ago, they didn’t try to work themselves around the maze that is currently the National Mall. Instead, they toured the Nation’s Capital in style.

“We took the Big Bus, so we got the lay of the land first,” Cook said. “Yesterday, we knew it was raining, so we went to Dulles and went out to the incredible Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum.”

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The ABC reality TV show has ambitious entrepreneurs pitch their businesses to a panel of wealthy investors in hopes of securing funding and a strategic partner.

During a recent appearance on ������Ƶapp’s podcast , Justin Baer, the founder and CEO of , shared how his pathway from creating polo shirts with dress shirt collars that look good with blazers and sweaters to his appearance on Shark Tank started thanks to someone near and dear to his heart.

“My 7-year-old daughter said, ‘Dad, you gotta do a TikTok video,’” Baer said “So I’m like, ‘Well, I’m not doing a dance.’”

Instead, Baer made a pitch using his phone, showing the shirts in his closet. It worked. Later on, while he was watching Netflix, he heard a very happy sound.

“Shopify, when you get a sale, it goes ka ching,” Baer explained. “We were just sitting there, and it went ka ching, and I was like ‘someone bought this.’”

In the first month, Baer says they sold $40,000 worth of white polo shirts, and a year later he was on Shark Tank.

“I was in there for about an hour and 15 minutes, and they cut it down to eight minutes,” Baer said. “You’re a character on their show, right? You’re in the cast and it’s about making good television.”

According to Baer, the director did give him advice on creating drama for the show, by telling him, “when the Sharks offer you $100,000 for 10% you don’t just say yes.”

Baer did secure a major investment deal with Mark Cuban and Peter Jones, and he says they’re great, they stay off his back, and when he has questions, he reaches right out to Cuban.

“When I text him or email him, it could be, it could be at 11:30 at night. The guy will write back at 11:35 p.m.,” Baer said. “It’s sick. I mean, he’s on his phone all the time.”

The investment is paying off for all involved, Baer said they are looking to make $100 million this year.

During Baer’s appearance on Founding DC, he laughed and pointed out: “You gotta listen to your kids sometimes.”

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