May Day or International Workers’ Day has become a day of protest for many in the world demanding better working conditions, higher wages, and social equality. It began as a commemoration of the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago, a peaceful protest for the right to an 8-hour workday that became a deadly clash with police. Today it is celebrated in more than 80 countries.
One World Trade officially surpassed the height of the Empire State Building today to become New York City’s tallest building. With the addition of a steel column, the unfinished frame of the building stands at more than 1,250 feet high. When completed it is expected to be declared the tallest building in the United States and the third-tallest in the world.
This week, Los Angeles and the rest of the nation reflects on the 1992 L.A. riots. Twenty years ago, Los Angeles erupted after a jury acquitted four police officers in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King. City-wide riots lasted for six days as Los Angeles exploded with racially charged violence, looting, and fire. Sixty-three deaths were linked to the riots, according to the Los Angeles Times, while some 2,000 were said to have been injured. Here’s a look at the city of Los Angeles, then and now.
Once a year, Washington transforms into Hollywood. Last night’s White House Correspondents Association dinner was a star-studded event with celebrities like George Clooney, Paul Rudd, Reese Witherspoon, Lindsay Lohan, and Uggie the dog. The 98th annual dinner, which raises money for WHCA scholarships and recognizes excellence in the profession, was hosted by late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.
More →
Don’t sound the alarm buttons just yet over the shake up at the Pentagon. This week, a senior defense official said that a reorganization was coming to the Defense Intelligence Agency with the creation of the Defense Clandestine Service. The new service will expand the agency’s espionage operation beyond war zones and step up its engagement in human intelligence — an arena dominated for years by the Central Intelligence Agency.
Matthew Hay Brown, The Baltimore Sun’s military affairs reporter, writes “that the officers — some military, some civilian — will work alongside CIA counterparts in places such as Africa, where al-Qaida has grown more active, and Asia, where Chinese military expansion and North Korean and Iranian weapons ambitions are drawing increasing U.S. concern.”
Here’s a look at some hotspots that the Pentagon’s new spy agency will likely keep an eye on. We’ll continue to look at intelligence and military trends in upcoming posts on The Darkroom.
More →
Last year, the month of April had a record-breaking 600 tornadoes nationwide. With this past weekend’s wave of deadly storms, this April may not break that record but it’s still in the position to beat the past decade’s average of 160. The following collection of photos illustrates both the allure and grave danger severe weather brings this time of year.
Thousands of colored kites painted the sky over the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, March 31, 2012 at the annual Blossom Kite Festival.
Baltimore neighborhoods
Baltimore street photographers
Year in review
Freddie Gray: protests, aftermath
24 hours with...
A. Aubrey Bodine
Viewing Baltimore from above