By D. Kevin McNeirSpecial to the AFROkmcneir@afro.com Several hundred residents, business owners, and city officials participated in a public scoping meeting for the redevelopment of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at St. Coletta of Greater Washington in Southeast D.C. It served as the first public meeting since the project […]
Category: POLITICS
Posted inBaltimore Government
Mayor Bradon M. Scott signs $4.6B FY26 Baltimore City budget
Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D) signed a $4.6 billion fiscal year 2026 budget that closes an $85 million gap without layoffs or broad tax increases. The plan increases funding for youth programs, public safety and immigrant communities, and takes effect July 1.
Posted inNational News
Two West Virginia National Guard members were shot in DC, the state’s governor says
Two West Virginia National Guard members shot near the White House on Nov. 26 have died, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said, as federal and local authorities continue to investigate the incident. A suspect in custody was also shot and injured, while the killings intensified scrutiny of the 47th president’s controversial deployment of National Guard troops in Washington.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
DC Mayor Bowser announces she won’t seek fourth term, as federal intervention continues
Mayor Muriel Bowser announced she will not seek a fourth term as D.C. mayor after a turbulent year marked by federal intervention ordered by the White House. Her departure comes amid legal battles over the National Guard deployment, political criticism of her response to federal actions, and continued concerns about the District’s limited home rule.
Posted inBaltimore News
Mayor Brandon Scott named to Ebony Power 100 and Time 100, credits Baltimore for the honor
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott has been named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2025, joining a legacy of Baltimore visionaries such as Ta-Nehisi Coates and Freeman Hrabowski III, and Ebony’s Power 100. Scott calls the honor “a humbling experience,” crediting his city for its growing global influence and its role in reshaping national perceptions of Baltimore.
Posted inNational News
Judge dismisses Comey, James indictments after finding that prosecutor was illegally appointed
A federal judge dismissed the criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James after ruling that the prosecutor who brought the charges was illegally appointed by the 47th president’s administration. The decision halts the high-profile prosecutions for now and delivers a major rebuke to the administration’s attempt to use an unlawfully selected interim U.S. attorney to pursue the cases.
Posted inNational News
Big changes to the agency charged with securing elections lead to midterm worries
Election officials across multiple states say the federal cybersecurity agency CISA has sharply reduced its election-security support due to the current administration’s budget cuts, staffing losses and shifting priorities, leaving them worried about vulnerabilities heading into the 2026 midterms. Many states are now scrambling to fill gaps once covered by CISA—such as threat monitoring, coordination, and preparedness exercises—because they no longer know whether the agency will provide the services they relied on in past election cycles.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. boosts support for vulnerable families through new TANF law
A new law raised the monthly child support pass-through for vulnerable Washington, D.C., families on TANF from $150 to $200. Advocates call this an important step toward ending the impact of the city’s cost recovery system.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Norton calls for end to ‘disingenuous partisanship’ after House passes two anti-D.C. Home Rule bills
By D. Kevin McNeirSpecial to the AFROkmcneir@afro.com Washington, D.C., officials are decrying federal legislation that, they say, pose as threats to Home Rule – the law which has allowed the District to self-govern since 1975. On Nov. 17, the House Rules Committee considered 13 D.C.-related bills. Ahead of the vote, the District’s delegate to Congress, […]
Posted inCongressional Black Caucus (CBC)
CBC member Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick indicted on charges of stealing $5M in disaster funds
U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida has been indicted on charges that she stole $5 million in federal disaster funds through her family’s health care company. Prosecutors allege she funneled part of the money into her 2021 congressional campaign, accusations she has not publicly responded to.
Posted inNational News
House votes overwhelmingly to pass bill to force release of Epstein files
By Curtis Yee, Michael Warren, Carley Petesch and Bridget Brown The House voted overwhelmingly to pass a bill Nov. 18 to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a remarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from President […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Early educator pay fund faces cuts amid D.C. budget shortfall
Childcare advocates are warning that D.C.’s early learning system could face a major setback after the D.C. Council voted to reduce salary minimums for educators supported by the city’s Pay Equity Fund. Lawmakers said the change was necessary to sustain the program after Mayor Muriel Bowser declined to provide additional funding amid ongoing budget challenges
