WASHINGTON, D.C. — The District of Columbia’s long-awaited enactment of a medical marijuana law has paved the way for people who need the drug most to possess it without fear of being arrested. The City Council’s unanimous vote on Tuesday approved amendments to the law first passed in 1998, when 69 percent of city voters […]
Category: Washington D.C. News
New Program Helps Residents Obtain Bank Accounts
For many low-income District of Columbia residents, check cashing and other money order vendors are the only forms of “banking” they know. But a new program recently announced by Mayor Adrian Fenty is poised to help some 10,000 of those residents get on a more solid financial footing by helping them sign up for a […]
New Database Closes Gap in Health Disparities
The National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing health disparities in the country, unveiled the new National Clinical Trials Atlas recently. The atlas will further assist the NMQF in improving physician and patient diversity. The CT Atlas is the nation’s first database that maps health statistics and clinical trial sites down […]
Former City Contracts Administrator Sues City
The District of Columbia and its Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi have been named the primary defendants in a multi-million dollar lawsuit filed by a former District government administrator, who claims to have been wrongfully terminated for failing to cancel a contract awarded to a firm co-owned by a friend of Mayor Adrian Fenty. The […]
Oxon Hill Middle School Security Non-Existent
OXON HILL, Md. — Oxon Hill Middle School sits in the middle of a quiet, middle-class neighborhood in southern Prince George’s County. But its tranquil exterior belies chaos within its walls, parents claim. On April 22, concerned parents gathered in the school’s auditorium and expressed their frustrations over deteriorating safety in the school, saying their […]
Ousted UMCP Associate Provost Considering Virginia Move
COLLEGE PARK – A popular diversity officer at the University of Maryland is considering the presidency at a historically Black college in Virginia, nearly six months after the announcement that his position would be terminated amid budget cuts. The university publicized plans last November to replace associate provost for equity and diversity Cordell Black with […]
UDC ‘White-washed’ Ad Raises Ire
When Allen Sessoms, president of the University of the District of Columbia, began implementing his vision last year for a new and improved institution of higher learning, that also apparently meant presenting an updated pictorial of the historically Black campus. Since then, full-page advertisements detailing Sessoms’ vision have been published in major newspapers including the […]
Council Set for Final Vote on Medical Marijuana Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. — With the time drawing for the District Columbia City Council’s final vote on a medical marijuana bill, At-large Councilman David Catania, head the committee overseeing the issue, is confident that it will pass. The Council has already taken two votes on “Initiative 59,” which has received overwhelming support of District residents. And, […]
Friendship Charter on Course to Eliminate Minority Health Disparities
WASHINGTON — Students at Friendship Collegiate Academy Public Charter School in Northeast Washington, who plan to pursue medical professions, got a chance earlier this month to explore their career dreams with assistance from people already working in the field. But more importantly, they realized that by remaining in school, they stood at the forefront of […]
Prince George’s Executive Believes He’s Left His Mark
As Jack Johnson prepares to leave office as Prince George‘s county executive, many are looking back at his administration to see the legacy he leaves behind. When Johnson gave his last State of the Economy address for Prince George’s County April 22, he seemed very retrospective about his tenure as county executive. “Before I moved […]
Jobs Bill Offers Tax Incentive to Businesses
The City Council just passed a bill it believes to be a catalyst for creating more jobs in the District where the jobless rate exceeds 10 percent. But according to its author, At-large Councilman Kwame Brown, the bill, “District Job Growth Incentive Act,” models a component of President Barack Obama’s stimulus package by providing franchise […]
Prince George’s Center bringing Technology to the Masses
For 12 years, the Patriots Technology Center in Seat Pleasant, Md., has hosted an annual youth technology summit. On April 24, the center will hold its 13th edition of an event planners say has grown by leaps and bounds. “It certainly was more of a community focused group 13 years ago in the Seat Pleasant […]

