Matt Delaney
Articles by Matt Delaney
Climate activists dump coal in Rome’s Trevi Fountain to protest fossil fuels
Climate activists waded into Rome's famous Trevi Fountain over the weekend and dumped coal in its water to protest the use of fossil fuels. Published May 22, 2023
Indiana man dead, two teens injured after old grenade explodes inside home
Police in Indiana said an old hand grenade detonated inside a home Saturday, killing a man and injuring his two children. Published May 22, 2023
Kurt Cobain’s damaged guitar sells for nearly $600,000 at auction
How much can an unusable guitar really be worth? If it was once played by Kurt Cobain, then the short answer is "a lot." Published May 22, 2023
NAACP puts Florida under ‘travel advisory’ due to DeSantis’ ‘all-out attack on Black Americans’
The NAACP issued a "travel advisory" for the state of Florida over the weekend, saying that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' policies constitute an "all-out attack on Black Americans" and other minorities. Published May 21, 2023
Two Hells Angels members convicted of planning a murder, racketeering
A federal jury has found two members of the Hells Angels biker gang guilty for crimes related to racketeering and a murder plot, prosecutors announced. Published May 21, 2023
Transgender graduate skips ceremony after judge upholds school’s rule over sex-based dress code
A transgender student in Mississippi skipped graduation Saturday after a judge backed the school system's sex-based dress code for the ceremony, according to the student's legal team. Published May 21, 2023
Toddler gets gun, shoots man wanted for murder: Police
A 3-year-old in Indiana grabbed a gun and shot a man who turned out to be wanted for murder in Illinois, authorities said. Published May 21, 2023
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser names Chief Ashan Benedict as city’s interim top cop
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has tapped Chief Ashan Benedict as the District's interim police leader as her nationwide search for a permanent replacement to Chief Robert Contee III continues. Published May 21, 2023
Nonbinary ex-Biden official arrested again; this time as ‘fugitive’ in Virginia luggage theft
Sam Brinton, the nonbinary U.S. energy official who was fired for stealing women's luggage at airports, was arrested in Maryland as a fugitive from justice in another case of luggage theft. Published May 18, 2023
Veteran D.C. radio reporter Neal Augenstein overcomes bout with lung cancer
A surprise, late-stage lung cancer diagnosis last fall threatened to take one of the District region's most recognizable voices off the air. But after successful robot-assisted surgery, WTOP News reporter Neal Augenstein says doctors tell him there's no longer any sign of the deadly disease in his lungs. Published May 18, 2023
Self-checkout machines begin requesting tips from customers
If you enjoyed your self-checkout experience, you might consider tipping the machine. Published May 18, 2023
Retail theft expected to rob Target of $500 million in profit this year, CEO says
Target executives forecast that retail theft will cause the company to lose out on $500 million in profit this year. Published May 18, 2023
D.C. teen shot, killed after school parking lot fight
A District of Columbia teenager was shot to death Wednesday following a fight in the parking lot of Theodore Roosevelt High School in Northwest, according to police. Published May 18, 2023
Machete-wielding man charged with rape for assault on Maryland park trail
Police in Montgomery County, Maryland, arrested a man Tuesday for sexually assaulting a woman at machete-point on a park trail in Silver Spring. Published May 17, 2023
Time to diet: Chocolate, strawberry milk could be cut from school menus
Federal regulators are considering taking chocolate milk off school lunch plans. Published May 17, 2023
Happiest Place on Earth? Hardly; fists fly between 2 families at Disney World
Disney might consider rebranding as the Scrappiest Place on Earth after two families came to blows Monday at its Florida theme park. Published May 17, 2023
Democrats push for D.C. statehood amid latest crime hearing on Capitol Hill
Democrat lawmakers pounded the table for District of Columbia statehood during Tuesday's oversight hearing about the city's crime wave. Published May 17, 2023
Lawmakers hammer D.C.’s lead prosecutor during District crime hearing on Capitol Hill
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the city's top law enforcement officials will testify before Congress on Tuesday about the surge in crime in the nation's capital. Published May 16, 2023
Illegal signs with ‘racist’ and ‘hateful’ language removed from Rhode Island park
Rhode Island officials removed illegal signs from one of the state's parks that authorities said had racist and hateful messages on them. Published May 15, 2023
Florida professor sets record for longest time living underwater
A Florida professor dubbed "Dr. Deep Sea" broke the world record on Sunday for the longest amount of time living underwater. Published May 15, 2023