Politics

D.C.’s top two leaders aren't seeing eye-to-eye about how to revive downtown, with Council chair Phil Mendelson opposing Mayor Muriel Bowser's proposals to raise building height limits and increase development.

Why it matters: The stark differences portend a stalemate between the mayor and the council over how to revitalize the District in the aftermath of the pandemic.

House Republicans are ushering in a new era of intervention in local D.C. affairs, and their first target is the city's handling of crime.

What I’m hearing: Wielding the authority that Congress has final say over the capital city, Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) is leading the charge with a bill that would block the D.C. Council’s attempts to lessen penalties for some violent crimes.

Conventional wisdom says that Washington is recession resilient thanks to Uncle Sam. Federal spending and jobs helped us stave off the worst during the Great Recession.

What I’m hearing: But relying on the federal government isn’t what it used to be, local economists who are concerned about a 2023 slowdown tell Axios.

The fallout from the Kevin McCarthy drama on the Hill could embolden conservatives who want to meddle in D.C. laws.

Why it matters: The District is beholden to the whims of Congress. One concession that McCarthy reportedly made to arch-conservatives in the GOP would make it easier for far-right lawmakers to slip anti-D.C. provisions into federal budgets.

Two years ago today, Washingtonians were glued to their televisions, watching a violent insurrection unfold at the U.S. Capitol. These days, on official tours of the building, the history of the riot is missing.

What’s happening: The newly renovated exhibition hall in the visitor’s center doesn’t address Jan. 6. A seven-minute film teeing up the tour is silent on the attack. And guides are told not to mention the insurrection unless asked, the Washington Post reports.

• “It is a policy that in many ways reflects a country at odds with itself,” the Post’s Joe Heim writes, “unable to agree on fact and truth and reluctant to engage on the history of a day that threatened democracy.”

Zoom out: Some 930 people have been arrested and 508 convicted in connection with Jan. 6, per the Post. Nearly 200 people have been sentenced to prison, per the AP.

It's Cuneyt, with my Town Talker column looking at what's coming up this year in local politics.

The plan to give D.C. residents $100 monthly SmarTrip stipends has taken a backseat to free Metrobus service across the city.

Why it matters: D.C. wants to make it easier and cheaper to get around our expensive city, especially since data shows 68% of bus riders have household incomes below $50,000.

The proposal to rename a Southeast D.C. thoroughfare after the late former mayor Marion Barry drew largely passionate support from dozens of people who packed a D.C. Council hearing Tuesday.

Why it matters: The idea would turn Good Hope Road into Marion Barry Avenue, in the heart of Barry’s constituency when he was mayor for four terms and when he was a Ward 8 council member.