The Capital Set
American public life — appointments, state occasions, and Washington society.
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Washington
A Late Bloom in the Heavens: Astronomers Find a World Born from a Star's Final Chapter
Astronomers have found a planet that formed late in a star's life, as the star was nearing its end. Nearly every planet catalogued so far began alongs…
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Washington
Katie Zacharia Readies Her Debut Before the White House Press Corps
Katie Zacharia, the newly named press secretary at the White House, will take questions from reporters for the first time in the week ahead. President…
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Washington
A Place on the Mall for the Rosies
One of the women known as the Rosies has made the case, in a piece for The Hill, that their generation's work deserves a permanent place of honor on t…
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Washington
The Briefing Room Podium May Soon Have a New Occupant
Katie Zacharia has been asked by President Trump to serve as the next White House press secretary. She is a commentator and currently advises the pres…
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Washington
A Medal of Freedom for the Mound: Roger Clemens Joins the Honors List
President Trump has announced that Roger Clemens, who pitched in the major leagues for more than two decades, will be presented with the Presidential …
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Washington
A Thursday Honor: Elon Musk Among the Technology Leaders to Receive the National Medal of Science
On Thursday, Elon Musk will receive the National Medal of Science from President Trump. He will be honored alongside several other well-known leaders …
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Washington
A Cabinet Welcome on the San Diego Waterfront for the Crew of the Lincoln
The USS Abraham Lincoln came home to San Diego on Wednesday afternoon, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was there to meet it. He addressed the crew …
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Washington
The Emmys Find a New Home on Prime Video
The Emmy Awards will be shown on Amazon Prime Video under a six-year agreement between the streamer and the Television Academy, which presents the hon…
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Washington
The Capital's Calendar Gains an Engagement: FBI Director Kash Patel to Marry Alexis Wilkins
Kash Patel, who serves as Director of the FBI, and Alexis Wilkins are to be married. The pair shared their news on Sunday. Wilkins announced it on X w…
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Washington
The Few, Found: Marine Corps Recruiters Finish 2026 Past Their Mark
The United States Marine Corps says it has brought in more new recruits in 2026 than it set out to. In a capital that measures a good year in announce…
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Washington
The President's Calendar Turns to Tuscaloosa for Georgia at Alabama
The President will be in the stands in Tuscaloosa next week when the University of Alabama hosts the University of Georgia, the White House calendar's…
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Washington
Calder's "Mountains and Clouds" Gets Its Mobile Restored at the Hart Senate Office Building
Some of Washington's most interesting art doesn't hang in a museum. It sits inside an office building on Capitol Hill. Alexander Calder's "Mountains a…
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Washington
A $150 Billion Vote of Confidence, and a Record to Go With It
Nvidia said Monday that it will add $150 billion to the money it has set aside to buy back its own shares. No company has ever authorized a larger rep…
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Washington
Before the Season Is Set, a First Look at the Winter Ahead
The long-range seasonal forecasts are out, and they give an early answer to what everyone planning the coming months wants to know: what kind of winte…
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Washington
Baseball Under Open Sky: A National Park Ballgame Is Under Discussion
Major League Baseball and the federal government are talking about staging a game inside one of the country's national parks. The Washington Post brou…
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Washington
If You're Turning 50 This Year, the Odds Say You're Sharing More Than the Birthday
A trio of names dominated birth certificates across the country throughout the 1970s, and anyone marking a 50th birthday this season has a real chance…
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Washington
The Numbers Are Finally Moving in the Right Direction for America's Readers
A new study finds student reading scores climbing across grade levels, the first broad uptick after years of standing still in the wake of the pandemi…
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Washington
The Terminal Verdict: A New Read on America's Airports
A new study released Wednesday asked American travelers to weigh in on which airports make the journey easiest, a question familiar to anyone whose se…
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Washington
The Dictionary Finally Learns to Talk Like Everyone Else
Merriam-Webster has added 1,400 new entries to its online dictionary, and a handful of them will sound familiar to anyone who has sat through a dinner…
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Washington
Aspen's Evening Light Begins Its Autumn Retreat
Sunset now arrives before 7 p.m. across much of the country this week, a seasonal marker as familiar to the social calendar as to the clock itself. In…
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Washington
North Korea launches missiles toward the sea after allied drills conclude
North Korea fired ballistic missiles toward the sea on Saturday, a day after the United States, South Korea and Japan wrapped up a joint military exer…
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Washington
Apple's First Fold Takes Its Bow
Apple introduced its next generation of iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch on Wednesday, with the company's first-ever foldable smartphone as the aftern…
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Washington
NASA Asks America to Point Its Phones Skyward
NASA is inviting Americans to step outside, phone in hand, and photograph the clouds above them — including the clear, high-altitude skies that draw s…
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Washington
Pappas and Sununu Set for New Hampshire Senate Contest
The Granite State's marquee statewide race now has its two names set, with Rep. Chris Pappas and former Sen. John E. Sununu positioned to compete for …
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Washington
A Refurbished Landing Pad Rejoins the White House's Ceremonial Grounds
President Trump said Sunday that the helipad on the White House grounds, rebuilt at his direction, is now finished, closing out a project that resumed…
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Washington
Russian Envoy Talks Draw Positive Notice as Washington Presses Ahead on Peace Effort
American envoys' recent conversations with Russian counterparts have been described from Moscow's side as "highly useful," a Russian aide said, as the…
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Washington
Former Stars and Stripes Publisher Signals a Fight Far From Over
Max Lederer, who spent years at the helm of Stars and Stripes as its publisher, said Saturday that he and two other former staffers will keep pursuing…
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Washington
New Federal Forecast Points to a Decade of Growing Opportunity for American Workers
New projections drawn from federal labor data point to a U.S. economy that keeps expanding over the next ten years, with millions of new jobs expected…
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Washington
Best public university rankings for 2027 name Florida and Colorado schools among the country's top picks
A new ranking released Tuesday singles out the nation's leading public universities for 2027, with Florida's and Colorado's flagship campuses counted …
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Washington
Trump Signs Bill Averting Government Shutdown Through December
President Trump put his signature on a short-term government funding measure Wednesday, keeping federal operations running through at least Dec. 11. T…
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Washington
Vance to Return to the Podium Thursday After a Six-Week Recess
The White House Press Office has announced that Vice President Vance will hold a press briefing on Thursday, marking the administration's first such s…
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Washington
Former President to Mark 9/11's Silver Anniversary at Ground Zero
Former President Joe Biden will travel to Lower Manhattan this September for the ceremony observing twenty-five years since the September 11, 2001 att…
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Washington
For Labor Day Travelers, a Reminder Worth Renewing
As the long weekend sends much of the capital's social calendar toward the shore, the mountains, or wherever late summer calls, a more practical piece…
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Washington
House Judiciary Set to Weigh Sanctuary Cities and Public Safety Tuesday
Lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee will convene Tuesday morning for a hearing devoted to sanctuary city policy and its bearing on community sa…
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Washington
Dolly Parton, Nashville's Enduring Institution
Nashville has always claimed Dolly Parton as its own, and the city takes quiet pride in a neighbor who has spent decades quietly getting things done. …
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Washington
Palm Beach Wellness Circles Take Note of a New Chapter in Appetite Science
Researchers have identified a set of brain cells that may explain how popular weight-loss medications curb the urge to eat, a discovery already genera…
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Washington
Nashville's Advanced Practice Clinicians Are Having a Moment
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are stepping into some of the country's most sought-after six-figure careers, a shift that resonates deep…
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Washington
Caine Assures Slotkin: Election Day Belongs to the Ballot Box, Not the Barracks
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine put Senator Elissa Slotkin's inquiry to rest in writing, confirming the armed forces have no role planne…
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Washington
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to Step Down from Pentagon Post
Dan Driscoll will conclude his tenure as Secretary of the Army in the coming days, closing out a chapter of service at the Pentagon. His successor has…
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Washington
Trump Sees No Rush on 2028 Talk Involving His Defense Secretary
Asked in the Oval Office about speculation surrounding a future run by Pete Hegseth, the president kept his focus on the present, noting only that suc…
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Washington
Trump Administration to Detail New Steps on Health Coverage Costs
The White House is set to outline new measures this week aimed at easing the cost of health coverage for American families. Officials say the effort c…
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Washington
Iran Strikes Draw Washington's Attention Home as Lawmakers Return to Business
The nation's capital resumes its full schedule this week as House members reconvene to take up pending legislative work following the weekend's overse…
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Washington
Communities Along the Data-Center Corridor Bet Big on Growth
From the Carolinas to the Southwest, towns weighing new data center proposals are increasingly betting that the investment brings lasting economic div…
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Washington
GOP's Post-Trump Planning Draws Notice in Washington
Political circles in the capital are quietly weighing what comes next as the party looks toward the years beyond 2029. It is the kind of long-range pl…
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Washington
NASA's New Telescope Takes Flight, and Washington Applauds
NASA has successfully launched its newest observatory, built to probe some of the universe's most elusive mysteries, in a milestone celebrated across …
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Washington
Markey Holds Commanding Lead as Massachusetts Senate Contest Takes Shape
Beacon Hill's senior statesman continues to draw strong support ahead of next year's primary, with recent survey numbers underscoring his enduring sta…
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Washington
US forces conduct measured response over Middle East, first since late July
American service members carried out a targeted strike on two Iranian rocket launchers Sunday, the first such action in the region in over a month. De…
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Washington
DHS Pushes Back on Detention Report
The Department of Homeland Security this weekend rejected claims made in a New York Times account of conditions at immigration holding facilities, cal…
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Washington
Trump Signals Reserve Restock as Part of Venezuela Energy Accord
President Trump said the federal government will replenish the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve, citing progress from a newly reached energy agree…
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Washington
The Season's Smallest Members Are Fluent in Something Their Elders Aren't
Across Hamptons porches and Palm Beach terraces this season, it is often the youngest at the table setting the pace of conversation. Grandparents and …
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