Renters at Faria Management properties say they're battling mold, rats, sewage leaks, and intimidation. They believe a reckoning for unaccountable landlords is finally here.
The recent spate of 80-degree-days not withstanding, fall is in full swing here in D.C. It may be a bit odd to attend this weekend’s fall markets and Halloween festivities while still wearing shorts, but that’s the very normal world we live in these days.
Speaking of, climate change has been on the minds of D.C. lawmakers these last few weeks as they evaluate the biggest project in the city: the Washington Commanders’ new stadium at the RFK campus. The team and the city have outlined ambitious plans to ensure the $3.7 billion project is energy efficient: but recent revelations that the designs could include a new natural gas-burning power plant (in violation of D.C. law) have raised some hackles. My story this week dives into the developing energy plans over at RFK and what might come next for the stadium.
E-scooters have also been in the news this week, for particularly grim reasons, and we have a look at what experts have to say about how (un)safe they are for D.C. riders. We worked with a group of high school students on this article, and they have a particular interest in the subject: kids under 18 account for nearly half of all e-scooter injuries, according to a recent study.
This week also marks the conclusion of the annual Homeless Crisis Reporting Project, where outlets around the D.C. region team up to report on issues around housing and homelessness that too often go uncovered. For our contribution, 51st co-founder Eric Falquero spoke with five people around the city about their experiences living without a home and how they relate to D.C. as a result.
And as if all that wasn't enough, we've been busy getting our first-ever print edition out into the world! Vendors spent the morning handing out copies at Metro stations in all eight wards and the demand was overwhelming. Most of the papers got snapped up within the first hour they were out there, but fret not if you didn't get one: Your next chance will be at our forthcoming edition of Ask A D.C. Native, Live! at metrobar next Thursday.
Add in our weekly roundups of local events and ways to get involved, and I’d say it’s been a pretty packed few days here at The 51st.
The team plans to ask for an exemption to the city's climate law that would allow it to add a natural gas-burning plant, which is worrying environmentalists and lawmakers.
The recent death of a city official in a scooter collision, alongside riders landing in the ER “every week” has trauma experts questioning whether rental e-scooters should be allowed.
We're back on Thursday, October 22 with another edition of Ask A D.C. Native, Live! This is another chance for you to pick up a copy of our new print edition, plus you can shop from some of our favorite local vendors, including The Pack World.
Here are some stories you may have missed this week:
House Republicans are using what could be some of their final few months in power investigating a pair of prominent local activist groups, Free DC and Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, for allegedly encouraging jury nullification. [The Post, Washington Sun]
The D.C. Council will hold a highly anticipated hearing Friday on several new strategies to raise revenue: including tax hikes on the rich and on second homes. [City Cast]
D.C.’s supply of housing vouchers is getting replenished as the new fiscal year arrives, but the funds still aren’t sufficient to get everyone waiting for assistance in a new home. [City Paper]
D.C. passed a landmark law several years ago aiming to make it easier to figure out who, exactly, owns your apartment building. But there are still big gaps in the law that make it difficult to track down a name amid a maze of corporate filings. [Washington Sun]
Mayor Muriel Bowser is pitching legislation aimed at speeding up evictions as landlords continue to complain they can’t boot renters who aren’t paying. But it would come with major consequences for the courts and low-income tenants alike. [Street Sense]
Unusually high October temperatures are straining the region’s electric grid. It’s taken intervention from federal regulators to help grid operators manage. [Informer]
Georgetown University has a new president for the first time in more than two decades. Eduardo Peñalver is grappling with everything from AI’s influence on higher education to the school’s challenging finances. [The Post]
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Sam Delgado
