California Democrat Judy Chu became the first Chinese-American woman elected to the U.S. Congress, winning a largely Hispanic district with 61 percent of the vote in a special election to replace Hilda Solis who was appointed as Labor Secretary.
US Marine Matthew Rodgers just wanted to surprise his parents by coming home a little early for Thanksgiving. But a bigger surprise awaited him: His sister threw him a parade. For municipalities, such events can take months to plan. It took the Gaithersburg, MD teenager and her friend fewer than 10 days.
Bleary-eyed drivers entering Washington, DC on Monday mornings, are jolted into happiness by people waving with signs with optimistic slogans from the side of the road. Held by 29-year-old Massoud Adibpour and 4 other volunteers, the signs were scrawled with uplifting messages: "Honk if you love someone!"; "Be happy"; "Don't be so hard on yourself"; and, "Smile!"
Those who make sport out of denigrating the federal workforce should meet the winners of this year's Samuel Heyman 'Service to America Medals'. For the 10th year, public servants were honored at a black-tie gala, presented by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service.
A school's "mileage club" started in the fall 2009 with the idea of handing out charms as an incentive for kids to run during recess has surprised everyone. Fitness scores have rocketed and disciplinary problems dwindled.
For many couples, Valentine's Day will be spent exchanging chocolates and going out to expensive, candlelit dinners. But the romantic holiday holds little appeal to George and Catherine Guiles, who have been married for 73 years. They have learned to see every day together as special.
He set out on his own in 2009 when he took the 8,000-mile flight from Kenya to Maryland as a foreign exchange student. He had no running experience before coming to the US, but now owns the fastest 1,600 time in the state and has secured a college scholarship. But his long goal is to return to his village that has no electricity or running water and teach them to read.
While some of his peers have shunned Wall Street as the land of the morally bankrupt, Jason Trigg's moral code steered him there. He is after money — as much as he can earn, so he can give half of it away.
In a remote corner of Ethiopia, a single dilapidated bridge had been critical to the lives of hundreds of thousands of Amhara highlanders who live without running water or electricity and depend on footpaths for their commerce and well-being. "If this bridge is broken, their lives are broken…" Ken Frantz, a former builder from Virginia, […]
To cure the blind. It sounds impossible. Biblical even. And that's exactly why Geoff Tabin—adventure climber, medical pioneer, human dynamo—is just the guy to do it. Geoff Tabin leads a medical team organized by his Himalayan Cataract Project with the goal of conducting the largest eye surgery camp in Africa's history, restoring sight to as many as 800 people.
When two teammates on the Washington Spirit women's pro soccer team, learned where they would live this summer, they thought someone was playing a prank. The one-time Olympic medalists were placed in a retirement community. But it grew on them quickly and surpassed their expectations.
Late last year, after eight months of service halfway around the world, I decided to take stock of myself. By a conventional definition of being connected to the modern world, informed and up-to-date, I was woefully ignorant. I was deployed in Afghanistan, and that combat sabbatical taught a completely different regimen of vital knowledge. This […]