Martin Austermuhle

@maustermuhle.bsky.social

D.C. reporter, @notus.com Former: @51st.news, WAMU, and DCist.

Interesting: Today on WAMU's The Politics House D.C. Police Union President Gregg Pemberton shed some light on his recent meeting with @janeese4dc.bsky.social, which I reported on. (Read: notus.org/metro/janees...) "I would say it was positive, I felt good coming out," he said.

Janeese Lewis George Has Been Meeting With Her Critics

In recent days, the Democratic nominee for D.C. mayor met with a business organization and the D.C. Police Union.

notus.org

D.C. has won a legal fight with the Trump administration over a full copy of the city's voter registration list. It's another loss for Trump in what's been a national fight to gain access to voter rolls; critics worry of federal intervention in elections: www.notus.org/metro/dc-vot...

D.C. Wins Fight Against Trump Administration Over Voter Rolls

A federal judge dismissed the DOJ lawsuit, marking another defeat in the administration’s attempts to scour state records.

notus.org

Does applying what works in Wisconsin and Montana to an all-urban place like D.C. make sense, or even need to be legislated by *Congress*? Also: Virginia requires helmets, and Maryland does too (with some exceptions). Does it make sense to have D.C. be the outlier? And why?

Zach Israel@zachisrael.bsky.social · 2d ago

A House Republican from Wisconsin and a Senate Republican from Montana yesterday introduced legislation “to prohibit the District of Columbia from requiring a person to wear a protective helmet to operate, or ride on, a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle.”

It’s now official: An initiative seeking to ban the sale and production of foie gras in D.C. will be on the November ballot. The elections board determined proponents of Initiative 86 collected enough signatures (from 5% of registered voters) to get on the ballot. 🦆

One part of Trump's $22 billion makeover of Dulles that's been missed is his big, beautiful, world-record 32,000-spot parking garage. That's *way* more parking than recent estimates show the airport needs, and it would tower over the historic terminal: www.notus.org/metro/dulles...

Let’s Talk About the Massive Parking Garage Trump Wants to Build at Dulles

The 32,000-spot deck would surpass both existing parking capacity and what airport officials have said is needed.

notus.org

A Maryland woman has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly hitting and killing 61-year-old D.C. resident Dawn Ciccone as she crossed the street in a marked crosswalk in Foggy Bottom on April 18: mpdc.dc.gov/release/mpd-...

MPD Arrests Driver in Foggy Bottom Fatal Crash

The Metropolitan Police Department's Major Crash Investigations Unit has arrested the driver involved in a fatal crash that occurred in Northwest.

mpdc.dc.gov

NEWS: Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Florida) has a new bill to require the U.S. flag be displayed in all D.C. school classrooms and mandate the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of the day, though students could opt out. "We should be teaching kids why America is worth loving," she says.

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D.C. is auctioning off a rare 1924 $20 gold coin; with less than a day to go, it's already at almost $3,000. The city often auctions off unclaimed property found in safe deposit boxes, after first trying to find the rightful owner. The auctioned items are often fascinating.

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Interesting: The organizers of the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler are warning runners that the traditional route could be impacted in 2027 and beyond by construction on Trump's new arch and around East Potomac Park. They say the latter stretch "could be eliminated forever."

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Metro has signed a pair of agreements with D.C. to start working on two Commanders stadium projects: the $300 million expansion of the Stadium-Armory station and initial planning for the Gold Line bus rapid transit line from Union Station to the stadium (along H and Benning).

It’s been quiet since @janeese4dc.bsky.social decisively won D.C.’s primary, but she’s been laying the groundwork for what will be a big shift in priorities and personnel if and when she becomes mayor. That includes meeting with business leaders and the police union: www.notus.org/metro/janees...

Janeese Lewis George Has Been Meeting With Her Critics

In recent days, the Democratic nominee for D.C. mayor met with a business organization and the D.C. Police Union.

notus.org

In a letter to the D.C. Council, Door Dash says its recent advocacy for a House GOP bill that restricts D.C.'s ability to determine taxes and fees reflected its opposition to a new 20-cent delivery tax in D.C., "not D.C.'s broader ability to... govern autonomously."

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Interesting: MPD is spending $378k to buy Skydio drones. It has been using drones for two years; the department says it limits them to monitoring big gatherings, searching for missing people, and barricade situations. mpdc.dc.gov/uas

Drones and Unmanned Aircraft Systems

The Metropolitan Police Department launched its Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program in June 2024 for situations where “eyes in the sky” will be critical to ensure a safe resolution for all.

mpdc.dc.gov

Hmm: "To accelerate the timeline, the General Services Administration, or GSA, and the District of Columbia National Guard used an acquisition plan in which vendors delivered oral presentations in lieu of lengthy written proposals."

Martin Austermuhle@maustermuhle.bsky.social · 2w ago

Wow: The National Guard has signed a $292 million contract to house thousands of troops deployed to D.C. in 2,000 apartments in the city, instead of in hotels or other places where they've been put up. www.notus.org/defense/nati...