A note from Martin
The 51st's first full-time reporter reflects on what it means to be a D.C. news outlet in 2025.
Wilson Building Bulletin: The aftermath of McDuffie’s resignation
Also: a push to delay ranked choice voting fails and a lawmaker looks to restrict MPD cooperation with ICE.
There’s been a surge in citizen-led initiatives on D.C.’s ballots. Are they going too far?
For some it’s people-powered democracy. For others, it’s just too much.
Is D.C. ready for ranked-choice voting?
Educating voters will be a big task ahead of the 2026 local elections.
Wilson Building Bulletin: The Chuck Brown post office is no-go
Also: D.C. gets no deference from Congress, and there won't be a referendum on the tipped wage (though the fight isn't over)
Federal judge limits warrantless immigration arrests in D.C.
Lawyers say federal agents unlawfully operated under an ‘arrest first, ask questions later’ policy.
Janeese Lewis George launches bid for D.C. mayor
The progressive lawmaker has big plans, but faces political and practical obstacles.
D.C. police got me buzzed to help stop drunk drivers
A dispatch from MPD’s wet lab, where police train to spot impaired motorists.
Bowser bows out, saying she won’t run for a fourth term as mayor
Her decision creates a huge opening for the mayoral contest in 2026.
Federal judge rules Trump’s deployment of National Guard in D.C. is ‘unlawful’
The 2,300 Guardsmen aren’t headed home just yet, though.
When federal agents shoot people in D.C., there are few details — and little accountability
D.C. police officers are held to one standard, federal agents another.
The state of the 2026 D.C. races (so far)
The mayoral contest is weirdly quiet, but a D.C. Council race in Ward 1 is not.