Category: Washington D.C. News

Many of the District of Columbia’s neediest residents are missing out on a program that allows thousands of workers in the area ride the Metro nearly free of charge as they commute to and from their jobs. The SmartBenefits program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation and provides subsidies for commuters through […]

The president of the Washington Teachers Union and the City Council have joined forces calling on Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee to rehire the 266 teachers she abruptly fired last fall after claiming there was a deficit in her 2009 budget. The chancellor, who claims to have discovered otherwise in February, actually had a $34 million […]

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s plan to reform the public school system in America is coming under fire from community groups. With many inner city school systems floundering, “Race to the Top” is being crucified as an unfair indictment of schools. “There’s a tremendous problem with Race to the Top and it’s fundamental,” said Nathan […]

WASHINGTON — Residents, who live near and around the Walter E. Washington Convention Center where President Obama’s two-day Nuclear Security Summit was held April 12-13 are accusing local and federal agencies of poor planning. For two days, changes to public transportation routes, pedestrian walkways and school schedules transformed a bustling stretch of life into chaos. […]

The dark cloud that hovered over D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray for four months lifted on April 7 after officials cleared him of two alleged ethics violations. The D.C. Office of Campaign Finance ruled that Gray did not receive special favors for work done on his house last year, nor did he violate campaign laws […]

The gunfire that ripped through Washington, D.C., last week, killing four, has set off a renewed effort in the region to combat gang violence. “We really have to be careful that we don’t let gangs get a foothold and they’re attempting to,” said Del. Gerron Levi (D-Dist. 23A).  “I think the recent events make it […]

America’s first family celebrated Easter Sunday at the Allen Chapel AME Church in Southeast D.C., ABC News reported.  Church leaders were elated to see the Obamas in the congregation, which is still coping from a drive-by shooting that occurred last week, leaving four teens dead.   “His coming shows that he cares about people. He cares […]

According to Washington, D.C. police, four people have died after a mass shooting in Southeast, Washington, D.C. A total of 9 people were shot during a drive-by rampage, and six others remain hospitalized. Fire Department spokesman Pete Piringer told WJLA that all of the victims are in their 20s and 30s, except for one person […]

A federal judge has upheld limitations on gun ownership in the District that were green-lighted following a 2008 Supreme Court decision overturning the city’s 32-year ban on handguns. Last week’s ruling came on the heels of a landmark case in which District resident Anthony Heller challenged the new regulations. In doing so, Heller claimed that […]

City Council Chairman Vincent Gray, citing the need for additional leadership in the District, has formally tossed his hat in the 2010 mayoral race. While it had been rumored since early last year that Gray would be the chief contestant against incumbent Mayor Adrian Fenty, the former had kept a relatively low profile about his […]

In a contentious, sometimes, emotional hearing on March 23, Maryland’s state senators wrangled over the state’s budget, trying to strike the delicate balance between funding programs and cutting the state’s deficit. However, for Prince George’s County, the hearing proved to be beneficial. Contention over the formula the state uses in calculating net-taxable income for the […]

One in five residents in the District of Columbia lives in poverty and many earn less than $11 an hour on their jobs. As a result of the recession, the gap between the haves and the have-nots has widened, which has only led to increased instances of abject poverty among the city’s 600,000 residents. Those […]