District Links: Newly unveiled Downtown Action Plan eyes $400M in investments over 5 years; owner of…
A new action plan for downtown DC proposes just over $400 million of public investments over the next five years, with downtown business leaders saying that the spending would ultimately generate more than that in annual tax revenue.
District Links: WAMU shutters local website DCist, lays off 15 staffers; powerful Virginia state…
Six years after acquiring DCist in the wake of its abrupt closure by prior ownership, executives at public radio station WAMU today shut down the local news website and announced plans to lay off more than a dozen employees.
District Links: DC releases plan to cut solid waste 18% by 2040; DC agency paying participants in…
A newly released Bowser administration target for 2040 aims to reduce the citywide solid waste stream by 18% and achieve a waste diversion rate of 80% via a mix of reduction, reuse, recycling and composting initiatives over the next decade…
District Links: Second recall attempt over public safety targets Ward 1’s Brianne Nadeau;…
A second member of the DC Council — Ward 1's Brianne Nadeau — is facing a recall effort amid continuing concerns about crime and public safety.
District Links: Fatal shooting prompts $25M lawsuit; a deep dive into the divergent talks in DC,…
Amid continuing dissension within Virginia's state legislature over the proposed financing deal for an Alexandria arena to house the Washington Wizards and Capitals, new details are emerging about the many months of negotiations with DC…
jonetta rose barras: Money woes for DC’s public schools system
Mayor Muriel Bowser recently announced her intention to increase the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF) by 12.4% when she submits her Fiscal Year 2025 Budget and Financial Plan to the DC Council next month. The hike in the UPSFF,…
District Links: Planners eye more housing with release of Wisconsin Avenue framework; Starbucks…
The DC Office of Planning this morning released the finalized Wisconsin Avenue Development Framework, which lays out parameters for up to 9,500 new homes in Friendship Heights and Tenleytown.
District Links: IG report sought by Norton faults operational failures in federal prisons; Allen…
Mayor Muriel Bowser has announced plans to deploy the District Snow Team ahead of predicted snow starting Friday night.
District Links: Judges hear arguments about DC’s ban on large-capacity magazines; real estate…
Police Chief Pamela Smith provided updated figures on staffing levels for the Metropolitan Police Department at a performance oversight hearing yesterday, saying that the current 3,332 sworn members marks a decrease of 467 officers from…
District Links: Mayor outlines 12.4% boost to school funding formula amid end of federal pandemic…
Mayor Muriel Bowser today announced a planned 12.4% increase to the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula in fiscal year 2025, with the boost intended to help cover increased personnel and operational costs amid the end of federal pandemic…
District Links: DC opens first of three planned ‘Safe Commercial Corridor Hubs’; Bowser…
Mayor Muriel Bowser and other DC officials this morning opened a Safe Commercial Corridor Hub in the Chinatown neighborhood — the city's first such center, with two others expected to launch this spring along U Street NW and in historic…
District Links: Councilmembers renew complaints about 911 transparency; DC’s next Comp Plan…
The DC Council's annual performance oversight hearing for the Office of Unified Communications, which runs the District's 911 and 311 call center, brought renewed complaints yesterday about operational failures and inadequate transparency.…
jonetta rose barras: DC is near the cliff, so grab the reins
It’s all coming together, portending real trouble for DC — its government and, consequently, its residents — regardless of the positive spin elected officials may want to put on things, asserting that compared to other state and local…
District Links: Bowser signs mayor’s order to govern AI use by DC agencies; Ted Leonsis tells…
The DC government is exploring ways to harness artificial intelligence tools to improve government services, with Mayor Muriel Bowser this morning signing a mayor's order outlining benchmarks as well as core values such as transparency,…
District Links: Council gives initial OK to public safety bill after altering pretrial detention,…
The DC Council yesterday gave initial approval to sweeping Secure DC public safety legislation, but lawmakers first voted to modify a few aspects and signaled that further revisions will be under discussion ahead of the council's second…
Alice McNeill: It’s time for a fair ‘report card’ of our schools
What makes a school great? And how should we measure that?
Each public school in DC is profiled and measured with a report card. The DC School Report Card, according to education officials, is meant to give families a look at…
District Links: Council debates bill to assist restaurants; contentious Sentencing Commission…
The DC Council is moving forward with the appointment of a returning citizen who served 27 years in prison for murder to a DC commission that works to promote consistency in the sentences handed out by judges.
Ronald Hampton: Increasing incarceration is not a pathway to safety
DC residents deserve to be safe in their homes and neighborhoods, and they are understandably demanding city leaders address the recent rise in homicides and gun violence with actions that will ensure their communities are safe,…
District Links: Council to vote tomorrow on amended Secure DC bill; latest Metro plan eyes fare…
With the DC Council scheduled to take up the massive Secure DC package at Tuesday's legislative meeting, the bill's author has introduced an amended version aimed at addressing issues raised in recent weeks by colleagues.
District Links: DC officials warn of FY 2025 budget challenges amid flat revenues; District agrees…
Top DC officials pointed to challenging budget deliberations ahead as they released last year's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, which showed a surplus for fiscal year 2023 that wasn't sufficient to fully replenish two key reserve…