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, […]
Category: Washington D.C. News
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 […]
District Voting Rights Bill Stymied–Again
After years of raised expectations and crushed hopes, just about every District resident thought 2010 would be the year that the city’s voting rights bill would finally meet congressional approval. Such was not the case this week, however, after the controversial legislation –which was poised to give the District a voice on Capitol Hill and […]
Teachers Union Halts New Contract, Files New Court Action
Whether a $34 million surplus exists in District of Columbia Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s 2009 budget remains to be seen. But amid the “yes-we-have-the-money-no-we don’t” exchanges that have been taking place between Rhee and the city’s chief financial officer, Natwar Gandhi, irate officials at the Washington Teachers Union said during a press conference late […]
Study: Arrest Race Gap Widens in District
A new study reveals that while the race gap in the commission of violent crime has significantly narrowed in certain parts of the country, murder arrest rates for African Americans has been out-distancing those for Whites, particularly in large urban areas like the District of Columbia and Atlanta, where the rates have grown significantly over […]
Rosecroft Card Gambling Rejected
The saga over whether card gambling would be allowed in Prince George’s County came to an abrupt end on the last night of Maryland’s General Assembly session as the House voted down Senate Bill 1035. The bill, which was sponsored by Prince George’s County Sens. C. Anthony Muse (D-Dist 26), in whose district Rosecroft is […]
Bowie State University Enjoys the Present, Savors the Future
As Bowie State celebrates its 145th anniversary as Maryland’s oldest historically Black college or university, the school is touting many new achievements as it moves forward in the 21st century. At the top of that list is the school’s brand new bioinformatics program, which is being touted as a four-year multi-disciplinary program for honors students. […]
Transit Subsidy Program Excludes the Needy
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 […]
Surplus Contradicts Deficit in Rhee Budget
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 […]

