RFK Stadium deal rushes toward the end zone
Plus, the latest congressional interference in D.C. affairs, and more news.
Hi everyone,
Our newsletter was a bit delayed today on account of ... well, the news!
Earlier this morning, wheelin' and dealin' Council Chairman Phil Mendelson announced that after negotiations with the Commanders, he's worked out an updated deal for RFK Stadium. This amended deal will now receive a first vote by the full council on Aug. 1 – nearly a month ahead of schedule. Luckily for us, Martin Austermuhle has been following this story inside and out, and he has everything you need to know about the changes unveiled today.
Also in our newsletter:
- Updates from Capitol Hill, where congressional riders could prevent D.C. from suing oil companies over climate change (among several other limitations)
- A quick check-in on the Wilson Building's non-RFK business, including a centuries-old law's potential interference with local gambling
- An opinion piece from Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, who lays out how he'd like to see the RFK deal changed even further
- A local parent's perspective on keeping D.C.'s kids safe at school amid threats of ICE crackdowns
- A chance for you to weigh in: Has Better Bus actually made the buses ... better?
And as always, keep scrolling for your weekend events and ways to get involved in your community.
Read on,
Colleen
D.C. Council rushes toward early first vote on Commanders stadium deal
The vote will be on an amended deal. The changes – largely to tax revenues that will go to the city, and a new $50 million Community Benefits Agreement – would net D.C. an additional $779 million over 30 years.
D.C. sued four oil companies. Now Republicans are trying to undermine the lawsuit
It’s a mere six lines of text quietly dropped into a 204-page congressional spending bill, but that could be enough to upend a five-year-old legal battle between D.C. and four of the world’s biggest oil companies.
Wilson Building Bulletin: The fight over a British monarch’s gambling law continues
Plus, the council's push to end Daylight Saving Time could be more costly than expected.
Opinion: Here's how to improve the RFK deal
Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen argues that today's deal is better than previous iterations, but that a final version should include larger investments in Metro, housing, and sustainability.
Opinion: ICE enforcement terrorizes school communities
Parent and community advocate Sarah Walker McRae writes that school district action plans should include protective measures for students, and schools must train all staff on these measures.
ICYMI:
George Kevin Jordan
Better Bus? We'll see about that...
It's been nearly a month since WMATA rolled out its Better Bus plan, overhauling the city's bus network. We want to know: What has your experience been with the new bus lines, stops, and schedules so far? Let us know here, and we may reach out to you for a story.
12 things to do around D.C. this weekend
Free fishing, silent reading for grownups, and a comedy show performed by ... journalists? (Don't worry, not us.)
Community clean-up: Your weekly civics roundup
Get your hands dirty by volunteering at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and Buzzard Point Park. Or, knock doors for lowered utility bills.
Here's more news you may have missed this week:
- Children's National Hospital will no longer provide gender-transition care, citing "legal and regulatory risks." [Post]
- Meet the local Palestinian-American father-daughter duo teaching Arabic music across D.C. (and the world!) [WCP]
- At Barry Farm, summer will always be for Goodman League basketball. (BTW, did you know Kevin Durant played there?) [AP]
- After getting sued by the D.C. attorney general, two D.C. cleaning companies owe a pretty penny for denying hotel workers their overtime pay. [Informer]
- Now that Trayon White has regained his Ward 8 seat, you might be wondering: Can't the council just expel him again? [WAMU]
- Important news from our Maryland neighbors: Montgomery County passed a "missing middle" housing plan – paving the way for more multi-unit building construction. [Post]
- The D.C. Auditor released a scathing indictment of the D.C. police department's "grossly inadequate" disciplinary actions against the officers in the Karon Hylton-Brown case. (One officer was convicted of murder and obstruction of justice, and another of obstruction of justice. Trump pardoned both officers earlier this year.) [D.C. Auditor]
That's all we wrote. Talk to you next week.
Colleen
