District Links

Happy Monday. Computer problems have led to a late, somewhat abbreviated version of today's District Links newsletter.

TGIF and happy May Day. DC reported its highest daily increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with 335 positive test results. The daily rise in new cases has increased in each of the past five days.

Happy Thursday. The Bowser administration last night announced a deal to help build a new hospital for Howard University's medical school and said an agreement was finalized with George Washington University Hospital to replace United…

Happy Wednesday. The Bowser administration has found an extra $8.5 million or so for the DC Small Business Recovery Microgrant Program, enabling officials to provide at least some money to all of the eligible applicants.

Happy Tuesday. Grocery store workers in DC will now be able to obtain a COVID-19 test if they have had contact with someone who has tested positive. Their union praised the change as a step toward their goal of making free testing…

Happy Monday. Mayor Muriel Bowser has tapped two national figures — Susan Rice, former national security adviser, and Michael Chertoff, former secretary of homeland security — to lead the advisory group that will offer recommendations on…

TGIF. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC Council will need to cut $721.8M from the current budget with just five months left in the fiscal year to offset revenue losses from a partially shuttered economy, according to the District’s chief…

Happy Thursday. Mayor Muriel Bowser today outlined her administration’s approach to reopening the District once officials see a sustained reduction in the number of new COVID-19 infections and are certain hospitals can provide appropriate…

Happy Wednesday. Freelancers, gig workers, independent contractors and people who are self-employed in DC will soon get access to unemployment benefits via the DC Department of Employment Services.

Happy Tuesday. The DC Council tweaked its recent COVID-19 response bills in a quick session this morning, with changes that include a further extension for the mayor’s budget submission and the expansion of a rent-hike prohibition to cover…

Happy Monday. A day after a federal judge ordered the District to improve conditions within the DC Jail, the Bowser administration says various steps are underway.

TGIF! DC Public Schools students will finish up the spring semester learning at home rather than in classrooms — and they'll be ending the 2019-20 school year on May 29, about three weeks early.

Happy Emancipation Day. Elections can turn on how many voters actually cast ballots, and DC's pivot this year to encouraging residents to vote by mail rather than in person presents new challenges for candidates and election officials…

Good Wednesday afternoon. May 15 is the new April 24. Mayor Muriel Bowser today announced a three-week extension of the District's stay-at-home order and associated closings as coronavirus cases and deaths continue to rise.

Good Tuesday afternoon. President Donald Trump yesterday claimed Mayor Muriel Bowser was "very happy" with the federal government's coronavirus assistance for DC, despite that obviously not being the case. The city received $750 million…

Moments after Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the District's death toll from the coronavirus had climbed to 52 people, she had to report a 53rd fatality: a 51-year-old man in the custody of the DC Department of Corrections.

TGIF. On weekends, Beach Drive becomes a popular spot for people walking, running and biking through the heart of Rock Creek Park. A new request from Mayor Muriel Bowser asks the National Park Service to close the same stretch of roadway…

Good Thursday afternoon. Most supermarkets have been looking a lot different inside than they did a month or two ago, with some shelves completely bare, salad bars closed off and customers for the most part trying to keep their distance…

Good Wednesday afternoon. The number of new confirmed coronavirus cases this morning doubled from yesterday, as the city said 229 more people were sick and officials warned the District could became a new hotspot.

Happy Tuesday. A unanimous DC Council adopted a wide-ranging COVID-19 response bill today with praise for the consensus-driven process but expressions of disappointment that the legislation doesn't include help for undocumented workers who…