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Appeals court OKs ban on handgun sales to minors

(USA TODAY) -- In an lawsuit pitting the National Rifle Association against the federal government, a federal appeals court has upheld a federal ban on federally licensed gun dealers selling handguns to anyone under 21, agreeing with Congress that the age group was more prone to violence than adults.

The ruling Monday by a three-member panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans does not affect the sale of long guns to the under-21 age group, nor private sales to minors by parents or guardians.

"Congress designed its scheme to solve a particular problem: violent crime associated with the trafficking of handguns from federal firearms licensees to young adults," U.S. Circuit Judge Edward C. Prado wrote on behalf of the panel.

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D.C. Flies Boston's Flag Over City Hall

WASHINGTON (AP) - The District of Columbia is adopting Boston's city flag this weekend as a symbol of solidarity.

Mayor Vincent Gray announced Friday that Boston's flag will be flying over the city's Wilson Building this weekend after the Boston Marathon bombings.

The district is hosting the Nike Women's half marathon Sunday. Also, the Washington Capitals play the Boston Bruins on Saturday at the Verizon Center.

Washington Rolls Out The Red Carpet To Hollywood

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- President Obama, Conan O'Brien, 'Gangnam Style' singer, Psy, and dozens of other celebrities will all be partying together this weekend for the White House Correspondents Dinner. 

The annual dinner is being held Saturday night at the Washington Hilton.  

Watch as Kristin Fisher breaks down all the celebrities in town and the controversy surrounding one of Washington's biggest nights.   

Boston Carjacking Victim Tells His Story

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- He is one of the last people to see Boston bombing suspect Tamarlan Tsarnaev alive, and he's now telling his story of how the two brothers carjacked him the night before younger brother Dzokhar was taken into custody. 

This 26-year-old Chinese entrepreneur told his story to Boston Globe reporter Eric Moskowitz, under the condition he is only referred to by his American nickname, Danny. 

The story starts off with Danny pulling over his Mercedes on a Boston street to answer a text. Moskowitz says, "They pull up immediately behind him, the older brother gets out, wraps on the window. Tamerlan sticks his hand in the window, opens it, and pulls a gun on him." 

What follows is a 90 minute wild carjacking ride. Tamarlan warns Danny, "Don't be stupid." He asks the Danny if he heard about the Boston Marathon bombings. When Danny says yes, Tamarlan confides, "I did that. And I just killed a policeman in Cambridge."

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Flying Tire Kills Atlanta-area Woman As She Drove Minivan

ATLANTA(USA TODAY) -- A pick-up truck tire that flew over a median wall on Interstate 85 north of Atlanta struck and killed a motorist traveling the opposite direction Friday morning.

Teachers Fear For Their Safety Inside A DC Public Middle School

WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- Only on 9, we have a follow-up to an alarming report we first brought you two weeks ago about a local mother who feared for her daughter's safety-inside her DC public middle school.

The school in question is Shaw at Garnet-Patterson in Northwest, one of the facilities slated to be closed for good this summer. After that story aired, several teachers came forward to say they feared for their safety too.

Current and former teachers independently provided WUSA9 with nearly identical accounts of what life is like inside Shaw Middle School. Some have moved on and are happily teaching in other area school systems. All said they were afraid of retaliation from DCPS and asked us to disguise their identities. We warn you, some of the language is graphic.

Subway Rats, Capitol Hill Mice, and Persian Violations

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- Live rats at a Subway restaurant, mice and roaches at a white tablecloth spot on Capitol Hill, and multiple violations at a Persian restaurant in Virginia - all violations cited by health inspectors - led to closures of restaurants in Virginia, Maryland, and the District.

Follow @RussPtacek on Twitter or join Russ Ptacek's Facebook fanpage to know first about closures prior to when we release inspections online or on air.

Inspectors suspended Aatish on the Hill on Pennsylvania Ave., Darya Kabob at Town Center Plaza in Sterling, Va., and Subway on Baltimore Ave. in College Park.

All the restaurants passed reinspections and have reopened.

In Silver Spring, inspectors reported rats and hundreds of rat droppings in the basement of Subway, 7411 Baltimore Ave.