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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 2h

A D.C. official who worked with formerly incarcerated residents to reintegrate them back into normal life was killed in a scooter crash on Capitol Hill on Friday: www.washingtonsun.com/metro/dc-off...

washingtonsun.com

D.C. Official Who Worked With Formerly Incarcerated Residents Dies in Scooter Crash

Talib Shakir, who once served time in prison, worked with the D.C. government to help those like him.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 11h

All hail the D.C.-area residents who go *all in* on Halloween, easily the greatest season of the year. (And these are just two houses I stumbled on this morning; I could probably find dozens more without much difficulty!)

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

I just got a response from the National Guard, which says troops “are directed not to monitor or secure polling locations” and is “addressing this specific instance.”

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

I just got a response from the National Guard, which says troops “are directed not to monitor or secure polling locations” and is “addressing this specific instance.”

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

It could well be a coincidence that troops were standing near the Foggy Bottom ballot drop box, since it’s right by the Metro exit. But that people are concerned and the elections board is reacting reflects broader discomfort with the National Guard’s presence in D.C.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

The D.C. Board of Elections says it’s asking the National Guard to avoid standing near D.C.’s ballot drop boxes, which opened today, in the wake of video footage showing them near a box in Foggy Bottom this week: www.washingtonsun.com/metro/nation...

washingtonsun.com

D.C. Elections Board Asks National Guard to Stay Away From Ballot Drop Boxes

Guard members were seen standing next to a drop box in Foggy Bottom this week.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Might I be able to use this, with credit to you?

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

The DCPS deputy general counsel told the D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability that they made up the hours of teaching by working extra hours at DCPS.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Interesting: DCPS's deputy general counsel has to pay a $20,000 fine (which they are doing by drawing from unused leave they accrued) over allegations that they taught courses at Montgomery College during what should have been normal DCPS work hours.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Interesting: @chenderson.bsky.social has a new bill that would restrict the use of AI-altered or generated images in real estate listings in D.C. If those images were used, they'd have to be disclosed, and unedited versions would have to be made available.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

D.C. VOTERS: Ballot drop boxes open today at 11 a.m.! So if you've filled out your mail ballot and want to do your civic duty really early, go ahead and drop it off starting today. Here are the locations: dcboe.org/voters/find-...

dcboe.org

2026 General Election Mail Ballot Drop Box Locations | District of Columbia Board of Elections

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

"We should think about what managed choice looks like instead of the free for all. We can’t afford the free for all anymore," she said. That's a reference to the current school choice system, where any kid can go pretty much anywhere.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

One of the fascinating parts of reporting this was hearing from Kaya Henderson again. She was DCPS chancellor from 2010-2016, and oversaw the closure of 13 schools. She said this week that D.C. needs to right-size its overall school system.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Here's some of the data that's cited in the story. 1) Enrollment projections: It looks like we're entering a period of decline. Whether it will remain steady is the question. 2) Birth numbers and overall rate are down from a 2016 peak, and even more from 1990 highs.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Getting data out of D.C. can often be a struggle. But for this story I found *great* numbers and analysis from the office of the Deputy Mayor for Education. Birth data: edscape.dc.gov/page/pop-and... Enrollment data: edscape.dc.gov/page/pop-and... The trends: dme.dc.gov/page/inside-...

edscape.dc.gov

Number of Births and Birth Rates | edscape

The number of births decreased during the 1990s, plateaued during the early 2000s, and then steadily increased between 2006 and 2016. The number of births has decreased every year since, dipping below...

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

With declining birth rates and fewer people moving in, D.C. officials have something new to be wary of: fewer kids enrolling in schools. It's not yet a crisis, but it could prompt difficult decisions – including whether to close under-enrolled schools. www.washingtonsun.com/metro/dc-sch...

washingtonsun.com

D.C. Schools May Soon Have a Big Problem: Fewer Kids

Birth rates are down and enrollment is flat, meaning tough questions could lie ahead.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Happy second birthday to @51st.news! Great people doing really great local journalism, and an amazing print edition modeled on the late Express. To many more years!

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

The D.C. mayor should have the legal ability to declare impromptu days off for everyone when it's as perfect out as it is today. Follow me for more brilliant and totally workable policy ideas.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

At-Large D.C. Council. Robert White's seat.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Correction above: If the Initiative 88 proponents restart their ballot initiative process in January 2028, it would be to get the measure on the November ballot that year, not for the June primary. Apologies!

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Now, traditionally there wouldn't be any initiatives on the ballot in an off-cycle year, since you don't often have elections then. But it's almost certain D.C. will have a citywide special election next year, and that means initiatives could be on that ballot.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

But there may be a housing-related initiative on the ballot at some point in 2027. The board signed off on a separate ballot initiative that would mandate that D.C. build housing on public land and offer it to renters/buyers for no more than $700 a month.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

The D.C. Board of Elections was ready to issue petitions for Initiative 88 yesterday, but an attorney for the @dcaffordability.bsky.social campaign asked it to hold the process until January 2028. Restarting then could mean it gets on the June 2028 primary ballot.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

A tidbit: Proponents of a ballot initiative that would freeze rents in D.C. for two years have decided they’ll hold off until 2028 before trying to get the measure on the ballot. They say they want to avoid a ballot initiative during a lower-turnout special election in 2027.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

NEWS: @mayorbowser.dc.gov pitched bringing a 500,000-square-foot spa complex to the banks of the Anacostia River in Ward 8, offering Therme a 15-acre plot of land for $1 a year in rent. But the plan may be dead, now that @janeese4dc.bsky.social is opposed. www.washingtonsun.com/metro/dc-spa...

washingtonsun.com

Bowser’s Plan for a Massive Spa Along the Anacostia River May Be Dead

Janeese Lewis George, her likely successor, is against the proposed deal for Poplar Point.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

"You have no evidence to show there was impropriety," said board chairman Greg McCarthy to OCF officials. OCF attorney William SanFord almost conceded that point. "We don’t have a smoking gun or someone on camera whispering to someone to break the law."

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

While Lewis George's campaign did "lease" staff from local unions that supported her campaign, the elections board disagreed today with OCF that there was any formal coordination between the two.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

The OCF investigation and fines landed only days before the June 16 Democratic primary, roiling what seemed at the time to be a competitive race between Lewis George and Kenyan McDuffie. Her team questioned the content and timing of the investigation.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

NEWS: The D.C. Board of Elections just tossed out a $16,000 fine levied by the Office of Campaign Finance in June against @janeese4dc.bsky.social over allegations that her mayoral campaign impermissibly coordinated with unions. The board said there was no evidence of coordination.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

White's defense team is also throwing out another more ambitious argument for dismissing the charges he faces: Trying him again would violate his constitutional protection against double jeopardy. (Generally a mistrial doesn't preclude a second trial.)

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Interesting: Ward 8 Trayon White's defense team has filed a formal motion to a federal judge to dismiss the bribery charges he faces, following the recent mistrial. As argued at trial, White's defense says while he took money, he didn't do anything official in exchange.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

“Excuse me sir, are you a teen?” said the nicest D.C. librarian ever, gently reminding me I was sitting in the wrong area of the library while making me feel way younger at the same time.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

More broadly, D.C. Appleseed says the council "should tread slowly and with great care when diminishing DC citizens’ access to this form of direct democracy."

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Ahead of a final vote in the D.C. Council on a bill that would impose new restrictions and timelines on ballot initiatives, D.C. Appleseed says the provision limiting initiatives to a single subject could violate the Home Rule Charter. They say a legal analysis is needed.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Earlier this year @cmzparker5.bsky.social introduced a similar bill to give residential building The Gale in Eckington a tax break to help the owners pay for what tenants say are needed fixes: www.washingtonsun.com/metro/dc-hou...

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The Park 7 building, which was constructed by the late Chris Donatelli with a subsidy from D.C., has had its share of issues over the years, including complaints from tenants about conditions there.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Interesting: Ward 7 CM Wendell Felder has a bill to give a $1.6 million property tax break to the Park 7 building on Minnesota Avenue NE, in exchange for an equivalent amount of renovations and assurances that the building's units will remain affordable. lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/...

lims.dccouncil.gov

DC Legislation Information Management System

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Interesting: @mayorbowser.dc.gov has introduced a bill to let D.C. issue roughly $400 million in bonds to pay for the modernization of Nationals Park. The plan has been discussed for a while, and would be paid for business taxes, sales taxes in the stadium, etc. lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/...

lims.dccouncil.gov

DC Legislation Information Management System

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The terms of the deal would give Therme a 60-year ground lease for $1 rent paid annually for the first 20 years. After that, the land will be appraised and the rent adjusted (upwards, obviously). The spa would be built within six years of the land being handed over.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

That huge spa that @mayorbowser.dc.gov first floated in 2023 for a portion of Poplar Point? It may actually happen. She's introduced a bill that would give spa operator Therme a 15-acre plot at Poplar Point to build a 400,000-600,000 square foot "health and wellness facility."

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

DoorDash walked into a buzzsaw of criticism and boycotts in D.C. this summer when it backed a Republican bill that would restrict when city lawmakers can impose new taxes and fees. The delivery company is now walking back that bill: www.washingtonsun.com/metro/doorda...

washingtonsun.com

DoorDash Apologizes for Siding With GOP Bill Targeting D.C.

The company still wants the D.C. Council to make changes to a new delivery fee taking effect Thursday.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

And the reporter in question here is Paul Wagner from @nbcwashington.com, who asked the exact right question but was told it was not on topic. Which isn't true. It's exactly the point. Props to him.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Just imagine if no one could ask questions of elected officials who accepted thousands of dollars of gifts from people seeking business with D.C. Whether it's bribery is a separate legal issue; but ethically this is pretty clear, and has been for a long while!

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

So yes, the public and press absolutely have a right to ask what came of that $35,000. So do ethics officials: in fact, they've been looking into White since late 2024, but their investigation was suspended pending an outcome in the trial.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Elected officials are limited in what gifts they can accept, what the value of those gifts can be, and when they have to disclose those gifts. But it's pretty clear cut they can't take gifts from "prohibited sources," someone with businesses or seeking business with the city.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Somewhat interesting claim from a supporter of Ward 8 Council member Trayon White that the $35,000 he accepted was merely a gift and that people don't have the right to ask about it. D.C. ethics law is pretty clear on gifts, especially from people who have city contracts.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

In a statement, @mayorbowser.dc.gov says the new revenue estimate is proof that D.C. needs to “act urgently to create jobs and diversify our economy.” She cites hospitality, sports, and tourism.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Now, that $205 million in additional revenue sounds great for programs the D.C. Council wanted to fund but couldn't, right? Well, not so much. The council took $150 million from reserves for the FY27 budget, and that has to be repaid first.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

As has been the case over the last few years, D.C.'s revenue growth is being driven by income tax collections, largely from capital gains and also federal workers who received one-time severance payments. Other more stable sources of revenue (like property taxes) are wobbly.

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