District Links

On Friday afternoon, WaPo published a story that for a time seemed to throw into question the city’s vaccine rollout.

Council member Vincent Gray has proposed DC use eminent domain to turn a Ward 7 site into a park instead of the halfway house proposed there.

Education advocates are concerned about cuts to teachers and school employees in DC Public Schools next year.

The DC government gave a glimpse into which workers have received vaccinations when it last week briefly posted data showing the self-reported professions of people who had gotten a dose from the city.

A new bill seeks to require more nutritious meals be served at DC homeless shelters and repeals a sales tax on sugary drinks in favor of an excise tax that would be factored into the price of soda and juice as shown on the grocery shelf. …

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday DC does not qualify for a mass vaccination site because of its population size — smaller than all but two states.

Robert Contee promised a new vision of community policing at his confirmation hearing for DC police chief on Thursday.

DC officials on Wednesday dismissed the idea of seeking one of FEMA’s federally operated vaccination centers because the District’s main focus is acquiring more vaccine doses.

A review commissioned by the Office of the DC Auditor found “serious lapses” in how DC's police department investigated four deaths that involved its officers.

Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC leaders asked the U.S. House to pass statehood legislation for the second time in recent years on Monday, fielding criticism from Republicans that the District shouldn’t be a state because it would be…

The outer perimeter fence at the U.S. Capitol will come down this weekend, earlier than expected, as no credible security threats exist.

Joe Biden — aka DC's "biggest ice cream fan, most enthusiastic former Amtrak commuter, and President of the United States," per DCist — supports statehood.

DC is now encouraging all residents to pre-register for a vaccine appointment via vaccinate.dc.gov, after initially cautioning that only eligible residents should use the new portal in order to avoid overwhelming the website with traffic. …

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton heralded the scaling down of the U.S. Capitol fence on Tuesday. She said the Architect of the Capitol and Capitol Police will move fencing closer to the building to allow more pedestrian access.

DC opened vaccine eligibility this week to more essential employees who must report for duty in person despite the public health emergency, including those who work in food service or for local government agencies, public utilities, public…

The debate over the fencing surrounding the U.S. Capitol continues, with a cheery protest planned on Saturday and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton still voicing her displeasure.

DCist/WAMU has tracked the number of businesses that have permanently shuttered since the city reported its first coronavirus case last March: It's at least 235 brick-and-mortar stores so far.

Within five hours, over 50,000 people used the city's new vaccination portal on Wednesday to pre-register for an appointment.

Scores of parents, teachers and other public witnesses testified to the DC Council on Tuesday about funding for the public schools and retaining teachers after the pandemic.

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the city's vaccine pre-registration portal will launch on Wednesday. Residents will be able to sign up once and then wait for an alert that will offer them an appointment slot once they are selected.