Latest news with #Dulles
Travel Daily News
28-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Ben's Chili Bowl opens new restaurant at Dulles Airport
Ben's Chili Bowl opens at Dulles Airport, bringing iconic D.C. flavors, retro diner charm, live music, and its famous chili half-smoke to travelers. DULLES, VA – The legendary Ben's Chili Bowl celebrated its arrival at Dulles International Airport with a grand opening. This iconic family eatery from U Street has brought its world-famous chili, half-smokes, and '50s diner vibes to its new location in Concourse B. The three-hour celebration featured live go-go music blending R&B, hip-hop, and soul, delectable bites, a live mural painting by D.C. artist Aniekan Udofia, commemorative T-shirts and giveaways, and a glimpse into the restaurant's rich history. Virginia Ali, the founder, now 92, delighted guests and airport officials as a special guest at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Alyson Murphy, Vice President of Fraport Washington Partnership LLC, warmly welcomed Ben's Chili Bowl as a new addition to the concessions program at Dulles International. 'It is an honor to share the Ali family's remarkable story and bring their timeless dishes to a wider audience of international travelers,' she said. Ben's Chili Bowl is credited with creating D.C.'s signature dish, the chili half-smoke, which is a must-try for visitors. Now, thanks to their partnership with Tas Ahmed, there are two Ben's Chili Bowls at the airports, including a twin at Reagan National, which opened in 2014. Mr. Ahmed, principal of MSK and SAS mgmt, which operates the restaurants, expressed his gratitude for the long partnership. 'I feel fortunate to be associated with Ben's Chili Bowl and the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority. Both great institutions have always supported the community and small businesses.' Established in 1958, Ben's Chili Bowl has become a Washington landmark and a sought-after destination for locals, tourists, and celebrities. From jazz greats to world leaders, Ben's has captured the hearts of many. Its original chili half-smoke, crafted using a secret family recipe, has solidified its status as a culinary icon. 'We are thrilled to bring the iconic flavors of Ben's Chili Bowl to Dulles International,' said Virginia Ali. 'It has been a true pleasure working with the team at Fraport and the Airports Authority to make this vision a reality, and we're very excited to share a taste of D.C. history with travelers from around the world!' The spacious 2,444 square-foot restaurant pays homage to Ben's legacy by presenting menu classics with a twist. The nostalgic ambiance, enhanced by iconic signage, historic relics adorning the walls, countertops, bar stools, and red booths, transports diners back in time. This warm and inviting atmosphere makes guests feel like family. Jaimini M. Erskine, Vice President, Marketing & Concessions at Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, added: 'The Airports Authority welcomes Ben's Chili Bowl to Dulles International Airport. Domestic and international passengers can now experience an iconic Washington D.C. brand with its signature dishes of half-smokes and dogs, burgers, fries, vegetarian options and including a breakfast menu. Delivering more local options has been our vision for the concessions program, and we are excited to have Ben's Chili Bowl be a part of it.' Ben's new outpost near Gate B71 is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. They serve soulful dishes crafted from family recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a snack or special treat. This retro diner has seating for up to 65 guests and offers takeout and all-day breakfast options. The menu boasts popular dishes, including classic chili dogs, burgers, and fries. Gourmet onion rings, homemade potato salad, and Ben's award-winning homemade vegan chili are also must-tries. Ben's world-famous chili half-smoke is a grilled half pork, half beef sausage, served on a warmed steam bun with mustard, onions, and spicy homemade chili sauce. Ben's hand-spun milkshakes come in a rainbow of flavors, from classic favorites like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry to unique options like coffee, pina colada, maple, Oreo® cookie, banana, and pineapple. Topped with fluffy whipped cream and a cherry, these thick and creamy shakes are a delightful treat for any occasion.
Mail & Guardian
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
The legal position of the 49 Afrikaner ‘refugees': Sorts facts and misinformation
Afrikaner refugees from South Africa holding American flags arrive, Monday, May 12, 2025, at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) In recent months, the case of the 49 white South Africans, widely described as Afrikaner 'refugees', has ignited a global conversation. They were granted asylum in the United States after It is important that we clarify that these claims are not only false; they are dangerous. Let us be clear, there is no white genocide in South Africa. There is no legally valid refugee claim to be made by these individuals under either South African law or international conventions. And there is no monolithic, endangered 'Afrikaner' identity under siege. What we have here is a cynical distortion of fact, history and law. A distortion that threatens to undermine South Africa's social cohesion and the integrity of international refugee systems. South Africa's crime levels are high. But these numbers must be contextualised. The overwhelming majority of murder victims are black South Africans. Farm attacks, though often politicised, make up less than 0.3% of total murders annually. It is true that violent crime affects everyone in South Africa. But there is no statistical or credible factual basis for the claim that white South Africans face racial extermination. Quite to the contrary. Statistically a white South African is proportionally less likely to be murdered than a black South African is. This is not genocide. This is a national crime problem that affects all citizens, regardless of race. Regarding international law, the legal framework for determining refugee status is unambiguous. Article 1(A)(2) of the This definition excludes people fleeing general crime, economic hardship or declining social standing. For a refugee claim to be valid, there must be state persecution or a credible fear thereof based on protected grounds. In the case of the 49 who went to the US, no such evidence exists. Under the The Act explicitly excludes those fleeing general crime or economic insecurity, aligning with the There is no South African law, government policy or public practice that targets white South Africans. The South African government is meant to protect all citizens equally under the White people continue to occupy leading positions in business, law and agriculture. They remain represented economically and politically, and not oppressed. Even if generalised crime were a basis, which it is not, the state's ability to offer protection must be considered. The police services, albeit overstretched, do respond to and investigate crimes involving white victims, including farm attacks. No credible evidence suggests that white South Africans are refused police assistance because of their race. Finally, The US's decision to grant these 49 refugee status was not the product of legal merit. It was a political gesture. Respected analysts have pointed out the hypocrisy. Bill Frelick, of the Human Rights Watch, The 49 were flown out of a middle-income democracy in under three months. Compounding this failure is the international media's role in amplifying the false narrative. While some reputable outlets such as The New York Times and radio broadcaster NPR contextualised the situation, many others It is also important to note that the refugee narrative rests on a narrow, racially defined conception of the term 'Afrikaner' — a conception that does not pass historical or linguistic muster. People of mixed origin at the Cape referred to themselves as Afrikaners because they no longer could identify with the countries they originally came from. Afrikaans is a South African language with deep multicultural roots. It evolved not only from 17th-century Dutch, but also from Malay, Khoisan, Portuguese and African influences. The first written Afrikaans was an Arabic script, used by Muslim scholars at the Cape. To claim persecution of 'Afrikaners' as a racial group ignores the inclusive and evolving reality of Afrikaans identity. The language is one of South Africa's 12 official languages. It thrives in literature, music and education, and particularly in historically brown communities. The claim that 'Afrikaner culture' is being extinguished is not only false, it is dismissive of the millions of non-white South Africans who have built and sustained that culture. This case matters not just because of the lies being told, but because of the harm they cause. Every false claim of genocide trivialises the plight of genuine refugees around the world. Every false claim of racial persecution damages the credibility of international law and undermines the real transformation work still needed in South Africa. The FW de Klerk Foundation stands firmly against these distortions. We affirm that no South African citizen is being persecuted on the basis of race. We affirm the integrity of our Constitution, the legitimacy of our courts and the shared future of all South Africans, whether black, brown, Indian or white. As President FW de Klerk Let the world take note: South Africa is not perfect, but it is not a country of racial persecution. It is a country working — daily, deliberately and democratically — towards a future where truth matters more than fear and unity matters more than political spectacle. Ismail Joosub is a research intern at the FW de Klerk Foundation.
Mail & Guardian
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Afrikaner farmers feel ‘safe and happy' in US
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, left, greets Afrikaner refugees from South Africa, Monday, May 12, 2025, at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) The US embassy and state department are mum about how the claims of relocated Afrikaners were verified This content is restricted to subscribers only . Join the M&G Community Our commitment at the Mail & Guardian is to ensure every reader enjoys the finest experience. Join the M&G community and support us in delivering in-depth news to you consistently. Subscription enables: - M&G community membership - independent journalism - access to all premium articles & features - a digital version of the weekly newspaper - invites to subscriber-only events - the opportunity to test new online features first Already a subscriber?
Wall Street Journal
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Wall Street Journal
These Travelers Plot Their Airport Starbucks Run Down to the Minute
Hal Hershfelt's savvy moves on the soccer field earned her a coveted call up to the U.S. Women's soccer team. Her mad Starbucks skills earn raves at the airport. The 23-year-old Washington Spirit midfielder knows exactly when to hit 'order' on the coffee chain's mobile app so that her iced shaken espresso, and some teammates' drinks, are waiting at the outlet closest to their gate. At Washington Dulles International, the professional team's home airport, Hershfelt says the magic moment is on the walk to the tram after security.
Mail & Guardian
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Mail & Guardian
The 49 that left and the 64,749,951 who stay
Afrikaner refugees from South Africa holding American flags arrive, Monday, May 12, 2025, at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Recently, 49 South Africans quietly packed their bags, boarded a flight and were granted asylum in the United States. Not because they were stateless, undocumented or fleeing war but because they said they no longer felt safe here. The world noticed, social media stirred and, for a moment, the actions of a few seemed to drown out the quiet resolve of the many. Let's be honest: 'The 49' sounds less like a historical event and more like a failed sequel to District 9 . It's the kind of film that opens to empty cinemas and a few polite claps at a film festival in Iowa. And yet, somehow, it captured national headlines as if 49 people could declare the end of the South African dream. But here's the thing: South Africa didn't stop when they left. While we debated their reasons — fear, disillusionment, a longing for certainty — the streets were still swept, classrooms still opened, taxis still hooted and people, millions of them, still chose this place. They chose it not because it's easy, but because it's home. Yes, life in South Africa can be hard. Really hard. We carry the weight of history, the burden of inequality and the daily grind of 'making a plan' in the face of load-shedding, potholes, and policy limbo. But we also carry something else — something quietly extraordinary: a kind of stubborn hope; a belief, however battered, that things can be different; that they must be. And still, despite all of it, people stay. People have stayed. Let's not forget that when this country was at its worst, many were persecuted, imprisoned, tortured and killed not for what they feared might happen, but for what was happening. And yet they fought to make this place better, not for themselves alone but for generations they might never meet. Even today, millions live under conditions far worse than those cited by the 49: townships with no running water; the 'blokke' without real safety and security; households where hunger is a daily visitor. And yet, they stay. They build. They believe. Meanwhile, one can only wonder what happens when Donald Trump finally accepts the truth that not all migrants come bearing casseroles and Calvinist charm? What will you, the 49, do when the red caps stop smiling and start asking hard questions about Orania, Afrikaans, and affirmative action — American style? The first sign that not all Americans are buying the persecution story has already arrived. Even the Episcopal Church, hardly known for turning away the weary, declined to assist. Because heritage doesn't always come with a visa stamp. It lingers in your name, your accent, your Sunday habits. And it's hard to explain your love for braai or sishanyama when nobody around you knows how to pronounce it. I was reminded of this truth and beauty of our country in the back seat of an Uber, driven by a man from Rwanda who had every reason to run from his past. 'This is the land of opportunity,' he said with a quiet conviction, 'if you're willing to see it.' That stopped me in my tracks. Because opportunity, like beauty, often lies in the eye of the beholder, and sometimes the privilege of living here blinds us to the very promise it still holds. To those 49, I genuinely wish you well. Migration is as old as humanity and if your spirit truly finds peace on the other side of the world, I hope you thrive. But, let's not crown your exit as noble resistance. Let's not pretend that leaving is the same as leading. Leadership looks different here. It looks like a teacher who stays behind after school. A nurse who still shows up an hour before her shift. A small business owner who keeps paying wages even when the books don't balance. Leadership is the domestic worker who helps raise another family's children while sending her own to school. It is the everyday commitment to stay and build, again and again. What's easy to forget especially when we fixate on who left is what they've walked away from. Not just the difficulties, but the beauty; the complex, messy, breathtaking beauty of this country. They've left behind mountain and mielie field, heartbreak and healing, struggle and song. They've left behind the very identity that made their ancestors trek into unknown lands, not to escape, but to create. There's a quiet dignity in staying; in staying when it would be easier to go; in choosing to love a country that doesn't always love you back in the way you hoped. That's not resignation. That's courage. So, to the millions who remain — black and white alike — thank you. You are the real story. You are not trending, but you are transforming. You are not fleeing, you are forging. To the 49? No hard feelings. But just know: while you search for green pastures in someone else's backyard, the soil here, though stubborn, is still rich with possibility. You just have to be willing to dig. Dr Armand Bam is head of social impact at Stellenbosch Business School.
