By Ron Thompson (Transportation Equity Organizer) • June 2, 2020
In a time when a simple activity for most people, like purchasing groceries, is made more complicated by the coronavirus pandemic, social distancing, and safety concerns, people participating in public food assistance programs, like SNAP, can’t even purchase hot meals. But why?
By David Alpert (Executive Director), Kate Jentoft-Herr (Program and Community Coordinator) • June 2, 2020
A core part of urbanism involves how to create and design public spaces for people. How people experience public space depends directly on the color of their skin and outside perceptions of their gender, and with the recent killing of George Floyd, Americans are again confronting this reality.
By Martin Csongradi (Correspondent) • June 2, 2020
In April, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rolled back requirements by companies to meet certain air and water pollution limits. The decision has caused concern as some critics believe it will allow companies to pollute without much correction by the EPA.
All over the United States, people have taken to the streets to protest police brutality against Black people after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis last week. Many of these demonstrations have taken place in center cities, including here in downtown DC. Yet suburban communities in Maryland and Virginia have stepped up as well.
Despite big pushes to vote by mail in both jurisdictions, voting lines in DC and Maryland were still long and slow. Some voters stated they never received the absentee ballots they applied for, meaning they had to vote in person. With fewer voting centers open because of the pandemic, hours-long lines built up over time. In DC, many voters didn’t cast their ballot until well after the District’s 7 pm curfew. (DCist, Bennett Leckrone / Maryland Matters)
Janeese Lewis George has a strong lead over incumbent Brandon Todd in Ward 4 in early returns, while Brooke Pinto narrowly leads Patrick Kennedy in Ward 2. Trayon White in Ward 8 and Vincent Gray in Ward 7 are out far ahead of all other challengers. Many absentee and provisional ballots remain to be counted. Jack Evans is currently in 7th place. (DCBOE)
Former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon has the lead so far for the mayor’s race; Lynne Harris and Sunil Dasgupta are ahead in Montgomery County’s closely-watched school board contest. (Baltimore Sun, Bethesda Beat)
A Georgetown report that was compiled before the coronavirus pandemic found that longstanding racial inequality leads to worse health outcomes and a shorter life expectancy in Black communities in DC (Justin Moyer / Post)
Governor Ralph Northam announced that most of the state will proceed to Phase Two of reopening, which means gyms and entertainment venues can also open with limited capacity, but Northern Virginia, where COVID-19 rates are highest, will stay in Phase One for now. (WAMU)
The Appomattox statue at Prince and Washington Street was taken down yesterday by the United Daughters of Confederacy, as protests in Virginia have begun targeting Confederate symbols. Virginia just passed a law permitting local jurisdictions to remove their Confederate monuments in April, but it does not go into effect until later this summer. (Vernon Miles / ALX Now)
Arlington County will begin regularly testing public safety workers like police, firefighters, emergency communications workers and some critical county employees for COVID-19 after buying a rapid testing machine. (ARL Now)
A Save the Children report put DC in the bottom 20% of US counties (or equivalents) when it came to overall child welfare and sucess metrics, citing the city’s low on-time graduation rates, and high food insecurity, the latter of which is compounded by the pandemic and DC’s high childcare costs for familes. (Rachel Cohen / City Paper)
