| It didn't take long for Jabin Botsford to get sucked in by the mystery he was covering. Earlier this week, the staff photographer arrived in Lonaconing, Md., a tiny town that's been rocked by a fantastic and very real whodunnit: A winning Powerball ticket worth $731 million was purchased from a nearby market. And because the jackpot winner decided to claim the prize anonymously, residents have been left wondering — and whispering — about the very real possibility that one of their neighbors is the recipient of a life-changing sum. Before Botsford arrived in Lonaconing, he searched for pictures online, "to see what was out there" and came up with a "shot list" of locations and scenes he wanted to photograph. He exchanged notes with the reporter on the story, Marc Fisher, and read a draft. The photographer laughed at Fisher's observation that everybody's looking at one another's driveways, trying to figure out who has a nice car or who's spending money. Then Botsford decided to do just that — he hopped in a car and started paying attention to the vehicles parked in front of homes. That's when he noticed a Corvette and dove into the guessing game himself. Was its owner the lucky winner?  The Corvette that made Botsford wonder, in a driveway in Lonaconing, Md. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) | Before he was scanning neighborhoods for shiny hints of wealth, Botsford was training his lens on former president Donald Trump and his aides as one of The Post's primary White House photographers. And his attention to detail paid off. In addition to winning multiple photography awards, Botsford used his access to make news. Whenever Trump or his folder-averse aides would carry their notes into public settings, Botsford would zoom in on the documents and see what he could read — often with stunning results. "I quickly realized that … the handwritten notes of our officials and leaders are such an honest and unique view into what they are actually thinking," Botsford said, and photographing pictures of public officials' notes (in public) became a sort of mission for him: "I just had to keep looking for it." Dip into the mystery surrounding a small town's lucky lottery winner to see the photographs and details that stood out to Botsford, then explore some of his work photographing Trump's White House. (And if lottery lore is your thing, you can't lose with this story from our archives about a man whose life was ruined after he won a $314 million jackpot.) In Western Maryland, the identity of the Powerball jackpot winner remains unknown, but that hasn't stopped gold diggers from descending on Lonaconing. By Marc Fisher ● Read more » | | |  (Illustration by Temi Coker) As Black Texans moved across the country, they brought their day of jubilation with them. Learn more about the country's newest national holiday. By Gillian Brockell, Kate Rabinowitz and Frank Hulley-Jones ● Read more » |    | | | | Brain surgery for substance use disorder will never be common. But for those who face imminent death, Gerod Buckhalter's success — he has been sober for more than 600 days — points to what may be possible someday. By Lenny Bernstein ● Read more » | | | | | As homelessness continues to rise, an overwhelmed city issues an ultimatum: 48 hours to clear camp. By Eli Saslow ● Read more » | | | | New documents and emails reveal how far the president and his supporters were willing to go to try to keep Donald Trump in office in a frenzied three-week stretch that tested Justice Department leaders. By Matt Zapotosky, Rosalind S. Helderman, Amy Gardner and Karoun Demirjian ● Read more » | | | | | | Although Biden has vowed not to hire his own family, some ethics experts are disappointed that he hasn't done more to shift away from the nepotism and cronyism practiced under Trump. By Sean Sullivan and Michael Scherer ● Read more » | | | | | | Experts say the "perfect storm" of the coronavirus pandemic, increased inequality and protests against police brutality is to blame for the surge in shootings. They're bracing for an even deadlier summer. By Reis Thebault, Joe Fox and Andrew Ba Tran ● Read more » | | | | | The mice are invading homes. They're destroying crops. They're chewing through appliances, sofas, cars — and livelihoods. By Rachel Pannett ● Read more » | | | | The heat dome, linked to the onslaught of record temperatures, is striking for its incredible strength, geographic scope and persistence. By Jason Samenow, Dylan Moriarty, Laris Karklis, Diana Leonard and Artur Galocha ● Read more » | | | | |  (Photos by Rey Lopez for The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post) The District's sandwich scene is stuffed with delicious options. By Tim Carman ● Read more » | | | | | |
Photo of the week  (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) | From left, Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) celebrate the signing of the Juneteenth bill on Thursday. The legislation, championed by the Congressional Black Caucus, was passed in an unexpected bipartisan agreement and is the first to create a new national holiday since 1983, when Congress passed legislation to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday.
Read more about the bill that President Biden signed into law and see more of the week's best photos. |
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