From DC's 'forgotten' river to the Seine, pollution cancels swim events

Once known for half-submerged tires, floating detritus and tumor-laden catfish, the Anacostia, sometimes called the US capital's "forgotten river," has undergone a drastic transformation in recent years. Remediation has been so profound that advocates organized what was to be the Anacostia's first legal swim in more than 50 years, after officials in 1971 banned entering due to water quality concerns. But two attempts at the event this summer, as well as two in 2023, were ultimately canceled --...