Inside the ranked-choice voting rollout 🗳️

Hey readers,

Snow following an 85 degree day? March is really … building my resilience.

At least we’ve got fun news to share: Our first collaboration with Bolts Magazine, a nonprofit newsroom that covers voting rights and criminal justice, is a story from Martin and Bolts’ Alex Burness on D.C.’s rollout of ranked-choice voting. Martin, who can’t help but stay busy, also has a Wilson Building Bulletin, as well as a story on how the Trump administration is trying to overhaul the design of a D.C. public school. (A surprise to me!)

We also have an op-ed about Pepco’s high rates and I wrote about what we learned from 150 readers about their struggles affording life in D.C. And, as always, we have our roundups of what to do this weekend, and how to get involved across the city. 

That’s a lot, right? Imagine what we could do with triple the reporting capacity. If you want to help us make that happen, we’re less than $25,000 from our goal with two days to go — both one-time donations and new memberships count towards the total. 

Just happy to be here,

Gracie

P.S. If you missed our last members-only merch order, I have good news for you…

With seminars and sample ballots, D.C. is teaching residents about ranked-choice voting

Election officials and community groups are targeting older and low-propensity voters with an education blitz on the new way D.C. will vote this year.

Wilson Building Bulletin: The politics of congestion

And the D.C. Council sues Bowser over budget documents she won’t share.

Classical education: The feds are getting more involved in how D.C.’s public schools look

President Trump’s vision for what Washington should look like extends well beyond the federal core.

Opinion: D.C.’s lax utility oversight is costing customers

The Public Service Commission needs stronger supervision from the D.C. Council.

Where is your money going? We asked dozens of D.C. residents.

Locals are worried about the cost of housing, healthcare, childcare, and debt.

18 things to do around D.C. this weekend

From soccer to skipping small talk, or Persian New Year to Pi Day, there’s something for everybody on the calendar.

Spring into action: Your weekly Civics Roundup

Plus, recess at the Capitol, a community clean-up, and more ways to get involved in D.C.

Here are some stories you may have missed this week:

• The Metropolitan Police Department has frequently overspent its budget in recent years. One contributor? Officer overtime. You’ll never guess how the department is responding to short-staffing as officers leave for jobs with federal agencies, including ICE. [The 51st, The Post]
• Also, don’t miss the MPD bodycam footage from last year’s raid on the U.S. Institute of Peace — released after independent journalist Marisa Kabas filed a FOIA lawsuit. [The Handbasket] 
• The last thing Loudon County wanted was another data center. How can officials fight back against Amazon? [The Post]
• Did you catch the parking garage bicycle race in our recent weekend events guide? Go inside with photographer Tyrone Turner. [The 51st, WAMU]
• D.C. eliminated cash bail in the 1990s. Republicans in Congress want to bring it back. Here’s what that could mean. [Informer]
• Super PACs are bringing dark money to our mayoral race. [Axios]
• What does it mean to lose D.C.’s last full-time theatre critic? [American Theatre]
• D.C.’s Rapid Rehousing Subsidy pays for rent for a year while program participants improve their life circumstances. Street Sense followed two recipients to learn: What happens when the subsidy runs out? [Street Sense]
• The Society of Professional Journalists is embarking on an update of its 100-year-old Code of Ethics. You can be part of the process through their survey for non-journalists (or for journalists, if that’s you!). [SPJ]

One last time: Will you help us reach our fundraising goal?

Gracie