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We've been publishing for over a year now, and so many D.C. residents have informed our reporting.
Plus, Trayon White’s last stand, Black History Month events, and more
Hi everyone,
Today, we have a packed newsletter for you:
– Abigail Higgins
We all woke to gruesome news this morning. An American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River last night. The passenger jet, traveling from Kansas, was set to land at DCA.
This morning, D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly said search-and-rescue teams have pivoted to recovery operations; it is believed there are no survivors. If true, this would mark the deadliest U.S. plane crash in 24 years. As of publication, teams have recovered 27 bodies from the plane and one body from the helicopter, which was on a training flight with three service members on board.
More on the situation:
For more updates throughout the day, the Washington Post and Axios DC are running live blogs.
– Colleen Grablick
In April 2023, the D.C. Council passed a law meant to overhaul how the city regulates street vending. The legislation was supposed to be the solution to a long-standing problem in Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant: dozens of street vendors – most of them monolingual Spanish-speakers – sell goods without a license, leading to frequent run-ins with local police.
But in the roughly 16 months since it officially took effect in Oct. 2023, only three vendors have gotten licensed under the new law.
He came wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the message “The FBI Killed Fred Hampton.” A truck featuring his image and the words “FBI Set Me Up” stood just outside the Wilson Building. But when he faced his colleagues on Tuesday afternoon, embattled Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White didn’t say anything at all.
Last week, Vince Micone stepped aside from his 15-year stint as a board member of Capital Pride after being appointed by Trump as Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor.
Less than a week into his new, temporary role, Micone issued a directive halting all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs within the department, claiming they “divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination.”
While these moves may seem counter to Micone’s own identity and much of his professional background, in some ways we should have seen it coming from a mile away.
Black History Month is right around the corner. And in D.C. there is never a shortage of ways to celebrate Black culture, creativity, and community. Bring the kids to celebrate Frederick Douglass's birthday with a puppet show, go on walking tours through D.C.'s historic neighborhoods, attend a step show at Howard, and order flowers from what may be the oldest Black-owned flower shop in the U.S.
In the aftermath of the election, many of you asked where you could channel your anxiety, time, and resources to protect D.C. and the people who call it home. In response, we published a list of organizations and movements. A week and a half into this administration, many of you are still asking, so we updated and organized this list. We hope it connects you with what you need, whether you're looking to receive help or to give it.
We made it! January is nearly over, and it looks like it’ll be warm enough to leave the house without gloves. Learn how to make your own Pad Thai, cure your writer's block, and celebrate Lunar New Year.
We recently launched our Community Connector program to build stronger relationships with D.C. residents. Our first connector is George Kevin Jordan, a Hillcrest resident who says: "I love my neighbors, my community, and the entire ward. It has a legacy of greatness, endless potential, and lots of growing pains in between."
He's popping up at events next month, conducting 1-1 conversations, and collecting responses to this survey.
Please respond if you live in a Ward 7 neighborhood, or share with friends or family who do!
Here's some news you may have missed this week:
You’ll find this handy guide to public meetings at the bottom of every edition of The 51st. We’ll refine and improve along the way, so if you think we’re missing resources, please let us know!
It’s performance oversight season at the Wilson Building! This is the time of year — pre-budget season — when government agencies are called to testify before the D.C. Council’s various committees. This may seem like the typical humdrum operations of government bureaucracy, but performance oversight is one of the council’s most important responsibilities; these hearings can shape what agencies get (or don’t get) money and how they spend it. You can tune into any of these on the council’s website, and you can also usually find the uploaded written testimony of the agencies that are called to testify.
Council of the District of Columbia |
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📅 All DC Council Meetings 🛠️ Sign up to testify |
Advisory Neighborhood Commissions |
📅 All ANC Events 🛠️ Look up your ANC |
DC State Board of Education |
📅 All DCBOE Events 🛠️ Sign up to testify |
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |
📅 All WMATA Board Meetings 🛠️ Public Comment Procedures |
Metropolitan Police Department Authority |
📅 Discussions by district 🛠️ Look up your police service area |
DC Interagency Council on Homelessness Authority |
📅 All ICH Meetings 🛠️ Working groups: email ich.dmhhs@dc.gov |
DC Housing Authority |
📅 2024 DCHA Board Meetings 🛠️ Sign up to speak + 🛠️Watch |
All of the mayor’s Open Meetings |
📅 Commissions and boards and committees, oh my! |
City Service Hotlines |
Police, Fire, EMS: 911 Non-Emergency: 311 Mental Health: 888-793-4357 Shelter Access: 202-399-7093 |
That's all for this week, everyone. Talk soon.
– Abigail Higgins
With your help, we pursue stories that hold leaders to account, demystify opaque city and civic processes, and celebrate the idiosyncrasies that make us proud to call D.C. home. Put simply, our mission is to make it easier — and more fun — to live in the District. Our members help keep local news free and independent for all: