It's been almost three weeks since Trump declared a "crime emergency" and federalized local police. The days feel like years when you're living inside the president's personal dystopian fantasy, and it's hard to keep track of what's going on.
To that end, our main story explains what you need to know about the federal takeover this week, from Bowser's sudden appreciation for federal "assistance" to the National Guard's new garbage duties.
Reporter Martin Austermuhle also dove deep on all the different ways local residents are fighting ICE, including by recording arrests and sending tips to local hotlines. And we've got an op-ed about the need to replace the D.C. Jail with a more modern, humane facility.
We also asked D.C. teachers what they're most worried about during this particularly stressful (and scary) back to school season, and are republishing an important story from our colleagues at Street Sense Media, who spent the past two weeks documenting Trump’s crackdown on D.C.’s unhoused residents.
Finally, as a treat, you can have a non-takeover story about a local Pokémon master.
Keep scrolling for an illustration of all the words you (our readers) use to describe D.C.
Also: The National Guard goes on trash duty (while armed), Sandwich Guy gets a win, and Stephen Miller inexplicably declares that Trump's takeover has allowed residents to do things they've never done before, like wear a watch or go outside.
Dallas Cherry, a science teacher at Maya Angelou Public Charter School in Ward 7. (James Jarvis)
When we spoke to teachers earlier this summer, they pointed to testing, absenteeism, burnout, and limited resources as among the biggest challenges in their classrooms. Since then, the federal surge has added a new layer of unease, particularly among Black, immigrant, and Hispanic communities.
The need for a new, humane facility has been clear for at least 15 years, and it's only getting worse as federal arrests balloon the incarcerated population. And yet D.C. has no solid plans to replace the D.C. Jail, writes Shelley Broderick, Chair of the D.C. Task Force on Jails and Justice.
In the face of so much misinformed, malicious bloviating about the supposedly sorry state of our city, we asked our readers to send us some words that truly describe D.C. Here's what you came up with:
Georgetown Ministry's Outreach Coordinator Ben Zack helped the only resident present at 26 and L St. NW move his belongings as MPD arrived to the encampment. (Madi Koesler)
Data from the city suggests the number of people living in encampments did not meaningfully decrease over the last two weeks. But the people being forcibly removed from public spaces are feeling desperate.
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:
