By Wyatt Gordon (Virginia Correspondent) • April 29, 2020
Public transportation in Virginia’s fifth largest city faces a broad set of challenges — many representative of the region as a whole but some unique to the northernmost of the “Seven Cities.”
Princeton University’s Eviction Lab has created a scorecard that measures renter protections by state. Generally, renter protections are weaker in the rural areas of the South, Northern Plains, and the Mountain States. (Post)
Virginia ranks nearly at the end of the list for states and US territories in the number of coronavirus tests given per capita. After criticism regarding the lack of testing, Virginia’s governor has appointed a task force to expand the state’s testing, especially targeting low-income areas. (Post)
The Government Accountability Office, an independent agency that works for Congress, is pushing for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require auto manufacturers to start testing how likely drivers in vehicles are to kill a pedestrian in a crash. Right now, US automakers only have to meet crash safety standards for the people inside cars. (Kea Wilson / Streetsblog)
In an effort to addresses the health disparities and inequity in the District, DC has reached an agreement with George Washington University Hospital to open a medical facility on the St. Elizabeths East campus in Southeast DC and entered into an MOU with Howard University. (Sara Gilgore / Washington Business Journal)
Another one of DC’s iconic restaurant is fighting to stay open as a result of restrictions put in place due to COVID-19. The historic Old Ebbitt Grill is hoping that it will recover after the coronavirus pandemic. With limited to to-go orders, the restaurant’s revenue has declined by 95%, and 90% of the staff is out of work. (Eliza Berkon / WMAU)
A group of activists painted a mural outside of Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos DC mansion that says “Protect Amazon Workers” to protest the work conditions of Amazon employees. The activists said that they followed all social distancing guidelines in light of COVID-19. (Jenny Gathright / DCist)
The second to last homeless shelter, built to replace DC General opened on Tuesday. The Brooks, a smaller 50-unit building, designed for families, opened in Ward 3 but not without overcoming a lawsuit by Ward 3 residents. (Martin Austermuhle / WAMU)
