By Chianti MarksAFRO Interns D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser recently announced Christopher Albert as the District’s 2026 Teacher of the Year. Bowser called it one of her favorite annual celebrations. “It is an incredible experience to hear an auditorium of students erupt in cheers when their teacher is announced and to see the other educators just […]
Category: District of Columbia Government
Washington DC — The Nation’s Capital
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Ward 8 Advanced Technical Center opens, giving students new career and college opportunities
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) recognized the launch of the Ward 8 Advanced Technical Center and D.C. HEAL program, providing students apprenticeships and skills that can strengthen the local workforce and future opportunities.
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Fast Beauty Initiative aims to boost D.C.’s beauty industry
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has launched the District’s new Fast Beauty Initiative at Yeleen Beauty Makerspace, which aims to ease licensing requirements and help local entrepreneurs grow in the $60 billion beauty industry.
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White House intervention in D.C. prompts calls for its 18-term House delegate to step down
Calls are growing for 88-year-old Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton to retire as D.C.’s nonvoting House delegate amid criticism of her muted response to federal intervention in the city under the 47th president’s administration. Supporters praise her decades of service, while challengers like D.C. Council members Robert White Jr. and Brooke Pinto say it’s time for new leadership.
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Attorney General Schwalb sues to end illegal National Guard deployment in D.C.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb has filed a lawsuit challenging the President’s deployment of nearly 2,300 National Guard troops to the District, arguing the move violates federal law and undermines local self-governance. The suit contends that deputizing out-of-state troops for policing duties endangers residents, erodes public trust, and exceeds presidential authority.
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Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rep. Don Beyer to reintroduce bill requiring body cameras for federal police
Del. Norton Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-At-Large) and U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.-08) will soon reintroduce legislation requiring all federal police to use body and dash cameras, citing urgent needs for transparency and accountability after recent abuses of power in Washington, D.C.
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Community split as D.C. residents debate federal takeover, with opposition outweighing support
Since the president took control of D.C.’s police force and deployed nearly 2,000 armed National Guard troops on Aug. 11, residents remain deeply divided. A Washington Post/George Mason poll shows nearly 80 percent oppose the move, with many calling it government overreach and questioning the justification given falling crime rates. Others, however, support the action, citing concerns about youth violence and safety on city streets and public transit.
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D.C. Council advances Commanders’ stadium deal in first vote
The D.C. Council voted 9-3 to approve the Washington Commanders stadium deal, which is expected to create 2,000 permanent jobs, 14,000 construction positions, and generate $26.6 billion in redevelopment tax revenue, with a second and final vote expected on September 17.
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Local officials respond to 47th president’s federal takeover of D.C. police department
The 47th president has declared a national crime emergency in Washington, D.C., placing the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under federal control amid concerns over rising violent crime. However, local leaders, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, argue that crime is actually declining and criticize the move as an unprecedented overreach of federal authority.
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Supporting D.C. youth after incarceration: A second chance at success
By DaQuan LawrenceAFRO International WriterDLawrence@afro.com Although there was a 75 percent decline in national youth incarceration between 2000-2022, at the end of 2022 there were approximately 27,587 youth offenders held at 1,277 juvenile facilities across the United States, including detention centers, residential treatment centers, group homes and youth prisons, according to the Office of Juvenile […]
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D.C. wants to stop kids from gathering at night
By Martin Austermuhle, The 51st At some point before this weekend, large yellow signs are likely to pop up in a “hot spot” D.C. neighborhood warning kids to, well, stay away – at least after 8 p.m. The extended curfew is part of a new policy pushed by Mayor Muriel Bowser and adopted by the […]
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D.C. Council adopts ranked choice voting, affirming November ballots
The D.C. Council voted 8-4 to approve funding for ranked choice voting as part of its budget process, advancing Initiative 83, which was supported by over 70 percent of voters in the November election. The measure would allow open primaries and enable voters to rank candidates, with an instant runoff process determining a majority winner if no candidate surpasses 50 percent of first-choice votes.