Washington Monument Able To Reopen Americas bestknown obelisk
Washington Monument Able To Reopen
America's best-known obelisk reopens to the public on Thursday because more than three years of construction on a new security facility and renovations to its elevator system is now complete. Built to honor George Washington, the United States' first president, the 555 -foot marble obelisk towers over Washington, D. C. It is both the world's tallest predominantly stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk. The Washington Monument closed in 2016, in part so the National Park Service could build an enhanced security screening facility. And an important reason how the monument is able to reopen is due to the $3 million gift from billionaire David Rubenstein. He has donated to the funding of a great deal of what he refers to as “patriotic philanthropy. ” He has helped fix and maintain the Smithsonian castle, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the National Gallery of Art's East Building, the National Archives, the Library of Congress, the Iwo Jima memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Kennedy Center, the National Zoo's panda program — the list goes on and on. "I get a lot of pleasure out of doing these things, " he said. "And if I didn't do them and I died with more money, would I be a happier person? I don't think so. "
In Other News n n n Soon after school let out on Monday, a deadly fight broke out at a strip mall near Oceanside High School in Nassau County, New York. A group of teenagers looked on as Khaseen Morris, a 16 -year-old student, was assaulted and stabbed in the chest. Some took out their phones and documented the fight on social media, but no one stepped in to help him. Morris died from his wounds after being taken to the hospital. Two Amish men drinking alcoholic beverages while operating a horse and buggy in Ohio were stopped and questioned, they leaped out of the buggy and disappeared into the woods by the side of the road. The two men could be charged with failure to comply with the deputy's commands. Drinking and driving laws still apply to a horse and buggy. Iran's foreign minister has raised the specter of "all-out war" in the event of US or Saudi military strikes and that Saudi Arabia would have to fight “to the last American soldier. ” Javad Zarif said that Iran hoped to avoid conflict, adding that the country was willing to talk to its regional rivals Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. But the possibility of a return to negotiations with the US, however, would not happen unless Washington provided full sanctions relief. County officials publicly said they, “plead with residents -- not just our young people: If you see someone in serious danger, please use your phone to get help -- not likes and shares. "
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