Happy Wednesday! The Capitol fence, which was erected temporarily for the State of the Union Address last night, is still up but wide open. What else is lingering longer than you’d like in your neck of the woods?
Before we go to this week’s highlights, we are still processing the terrible incident at Potomac Avenue metro on February 1. Here is a piece from WaPo on Isaiah Trotman, the lone gunman who killed Metro worker Robert Cunningham, shot two others and caused a third to be injured. WUSA-9 brings the waterworks by telling us about the heroism of Shante Trumpet, a Maryland woman who disarmed Trotman while aboard a Metro train.
There was a siren driving many of you crazy early Monday morning. As it turns out, it was Engine 7 in Southwest DC that went off for two hours’ straight. Folks as far as RFK Stadium area heard it. Twitter
Urban Turf analyzed migration numbers into and out of the District in 2022 and found that, even though a large number of people have left DC ––largely just across the border to Maryland–– we gained around 3,000 people overall! That’s right: 3,000 more people who get taxed despite not getting full representation in Congress.
Mayor Bowser announced a bill to amend several aspects of the Revised Criminal Code (WaPo) that has caused so much back and forth and has made some Congressional Republicans want to make disapproval resolutions. Fear-mongering letters published in both the Washington Post and The Hill argue that the Revised Criminal Code makes DC less safe and are irresponsible
However, Ward 6 councilmember Charles Allen who, until last year was the head of the Judiciary and Public Safety committee and who has borne the brunt of many attacks regarding what critics perceive as a “soft on crime stance” recently released a statement on the Revised Criminal code. A stand-out quote:
“…the very process to overhaul the criminal code followed the Model Penal Code. That’s a model that has been used by 29 other states, including many of those represented by the same GOP members who are challenging the District’s law. It is a best practice for maintaining a functional criminal code. However, Congress never raised a concern with the fact that some of their GOP colleague’s home states have approved lighter criminal penalties than what the District enacted under the Revised Criminal Code.
Think-tanker Kevin Kosar walked through Union Station in the early evening of Sunday, February 5 and he did not have a good time. This tweet was immediately shared far and wide, picked up by conservative news outlets and retweeted. Some folks sided with Mr. Kosar, ascertaining that Union Station is a terrible place. However, getting asked for change is not an uncommon occurrence in DC. Neither is public urination: this is why we keep saying that we need more public bathrooms for all. So we shared Kevin’s tweet with a bit of snark:
The biggest takeaway for us was that there are some of you out there who don’t know what the word “gaslighting” really means. Incidentally, we followed this tweet up with a list of resources if you feel less like complaining and more like helping. That thread is here.
Has the time come for the Lincoln statue to bid adieu to its namesake park and go live in a museum? Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton thinks so. DC News Now
A personal note: When this issue was first raised, some of my friends and neighbors expressed strong emotions––from extreme love and appreciation for the statue, to utter disgust to the way the freed slave was kneeling at a very compromising angle. After reading much on the statue and how it was commissioned and paid by freed slaves, the part that moved me toward getting rid of it was this simple fact: While it is true that Black people paid for it, they had absolutely no say in which design was ultimately picked. That is, plainly stated, insulting. Read more here and here.
It’s a little disturbing to see large cracks appearing on such a new bridge, but the New Douglass pier arches are covered in them. DDOT says they are not structural and are apparently very common. However, they don’t go out of their way to say they are only cosmetic. Any engineers can chime in? NBC-Washington
But hey, look! Metro is adding trains during rush hour Tuesday-Thursday! That’s pretty special. NBC-Washington
One good thing to come out of the January 6 insurrectionists at the DC Jail? Prison food may be getting more edible. Hooray? DCist
Huzzah! Raising Cane is coming to Union Station and reader @MattClownlee on Twitter tagged us in his photo:
In news that surprise no one, H Street continues to have that long, straight street design that encourages cars going too fast and spinning out of control into parked cars. Sigh. PoPville
Are we excited about the raised bus platforms along Pennsylvania Avenue? OF COURSE!
We’ve been remiss in sharing this news, but Mark, one of the neighbors from the 600 block of A Street NE, also known as #Walk600AStNE, tells us that their beautiful light display was vandalized on Friday, January 13. Someone tore down the lights along the north side of the street and broke some of the strings as well. The neighbors have since replaced the bulbs but unfortunately, the security cameras didn’t catch anything of note. We hated hearing about this beautiful, friendly display being the victim of vandalism and are glad the neighbors have bounced back.
Finally, it was a real treat to watch the State of the Union while tweeting back and forth with readers. We shared some of our favorite replies, and leave you with a funny of our own. Enjoy!