Opinion

A significant part of the DC population may have hightailed it to the beach, but many local political candidates have resigned themselves to the summer heat as they work to score a place on the ballot for the November general election. At…

Another financial crisis is coming. At a recent public meeting put on by the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking — ostensibly “to educate District of Columbia residents, small business owners, and other stakeholders on the…

In these divisive times, is civil conversation between people on different sides of an issue possible? Can the arts bridge the cultural divide and help provide common ground? Reflecting on the inaugural By The People Festival held last…

In the flurry of its pre-summer recess activities, the DC Council passed the Traffic and Parking Ticket Penalty Amendment Act of 2018. A compilation of four different bills, the legislation, among other things, would extend the time for…

Fellow citizens of the nation's capital city, does Dec. 24, 1973, mean anything to you? It was on that day that Congress bestowed on us tax-paying DC residents what is euphemistically called “home rule.” An elected mayor and city council…

The budget just adopted by the DC Council chips away at the major problems our city faces, with some investments that the District leaders can proudly point to. Yet in too many ways it does not go far enough to really tackle the challenges…

“Despite all the good things and people in my life, I have been greatly affected by violence in my young years,” said Talayia Richardson, a student at DC Public Schools’ Wheatley Education Campus. “Growing up in Washington, DC, I have seen…

Politicians have an awful habit during election season of promising the stars, proffering to voters that they will cure every ill affecting every resident while staying within budget. After the dust has cleared, however, those stars are…

There’s a temptation to parse the search for the next chancellor of DC Public Schools, with some education advocates arguing that any individual selected must focus on improving the quality of teachers and principals, providing equity…

Last week I spoke to members of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations With the United States on behalf of the rights of some 700,000 people who are denied basic democracy — the residents of the District of Columbia. Here’s the…

Last week, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that she would be beginning the search for a new DC Public Schools chancellor. This moment presents us with the unique opportunity of an open and inclusive discussion on the direction of education in…

More than 3 million Americans — 1.1 percent of the U.S. population — have schizophrenia, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. But within the homeless population, between a fifth and a third are believed to suffer from…

District of Columbia residents whose work or leisure takes them downtown are familiar with the imposing red-brick facade of the Franklin School, a historic 1869 building that sits across Franklin Square. It was designed by Adolf Cluss, a…

Imagine if you or your children had to sleep on a bare floor because you lacked beds, or you always ate standing up because you had no table or chairs. It’s not so easy to work or study at night when you have to do everything in your lap.…