Washington D.C.

Washington is a city of monuments, but it’s also a city of neighborhoods, each with its own distinctive style. Those of us who live and work in the D.C. area often take these emblems of our heritage for granted. We barely even see them as we go about our busy daily lives.

In June 1969, Dennis Joyner was a 20-year-old soldier on patrol in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta when he encountered a land mine that ripped off his legs and an arm. He had only been in the war-torn country 32 days.

The Medicare Trustees report today reminds us of the financial challenges facing Medicare, along with the overall high cost of health care. With 64 million Americans expected to be enrolled in Medicare by 2020, we must do more to reduce wasteful spending throughout our health care system.

Social Security remains strong as seen in today's long-term projected outlook by the Social Security Trustees. While today's report reminds us that we must eventually make modest changes to ensure current and future generations of Social Security beneficiaries receive what they've earned, it confirms that Social Security can continue to pay full benefits for nearly two decades.

When Louise Battle's husband died, their son was 7 and their daughter, 12. The grief was deep, but through her leadership and abiding faith, her family has not only maintained, but soared.