Colleen here! Long time, no talk. I've taken some time away from the weekly newsletter to focus on grad school, but I'm happy to be guest-curating this week.
Coming back to The 51st crew after only a few months away sort of feels like running into a toddler you haven't seen in a while — you know, the whole "you grew that much?" surprise. We've started a new Health Equity beat, worked with talented new freelancers, built out our Community Connector program, and brought neighbors together for more IRL events. All in just a few months. This is largely thanks to you, our readers and supporters. I'm excited to see where we can collectively take this thing in 2026, as we face whatever lies ahead.
And I have to say ... what a treat to return to newslettering the week Martin pens a classically Martin curiosity, unpacking the complicated — and costly — consequences of the e-book boom on our local library system. Did you know your Libby rental costs the library $59.99 a pop?
We've also got some insight into this week's major McDuffie news. The candidate announced his mayoral bid, making official the campaign many suspected was coming after he stepped down from his D.C. Council seat in December. Martin's got everything you need to know about what this means for the state of the race, and what McDuffie is promising.
Meanwhile, in the Wilson Building, Metropolitan Police Department officials and Mayor Muriel Bowser are refusing to answer questions from lawmakers regarding local police's cooperation with ICE — infuriating community members who say our leaders are denying what many of us have seen with our own eyes.
Keep scrolling for a love letter to Ward 8 from our D.C. Native Community Connector Dwayne Lawson-Brown, ways to spend your MLK Day weekend building community in D.C., and a quick survey that will help us deliver the election coverage our readers want.
Are you currently 480th in line for a digital copy of "Flesh" by David Szalay, and wondering why — if it's an e-book — the D.C. Public Library doesn't just ... buy more copies? The short answer: e-books are incredibly expensive. But D.C. lawmakers have a plan to curb the excessive pricing from publishers.
The 13-year D.C. councilmember and close ally of Mayor Muriel Bowser now joins the race alongside Ward 4 Councilmember and democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George and developer Gary Woodweather.
In response to a letter from D.C. councilmembers regarding MPD's work with federal agents, officials refused to answer detailed questions about joint patrols and arrests. Mayor Bowser, for her part, called the council's inquiries "ridiculous."
The 51st's Community Connector Dwayne Lawson-Brown shares five things people should know about his home ward – from its transformations, to its persistent challenges, to its hidden gems.
We've got a competitive primary coming up on June 16 and a general election on November 3. As we plan our reporting, we want to know: What do you want from local election coverage? Let us know by completing a quick form.
Casa Ruby founder Ruby Corado was sentenced to 33 months in prison on fraud charges – and may face deportation. [Post]
The most borrowed books from the D.C. Public Library in 2025. [Washingtonian]
78 people died without a home in D.C. last year. The vast majority had been matched to a housing resource, but were stuck in the city's voucher bureaucracy. [Street Sense Media]
Initial renderings of the new Commanders stadium dropped this morning. [Post]
What to make of Bowser's recent community walk around Ward 8 — likely one of the last such engagements of her tenure. [Washington Informer]
"They take him away, and your life’s put on pause. And I need somebody to come back and press play." [NBC 4]
Rest in peace Aaron Marckell Williams, a Washington Informer photographer who was killed by a driver on his way to church earlier this month. [Washington Informer]
Bummer of a link dump. Hopefully, you find some meaningful ways to connect with your neighbors this weekend.
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