Since D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced she wouldn’t seek re-election, congratulatory notes have poured in from numerous elected officials— including D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4), one of the Bowser administration’s most ardent critics as of late.
Lewis George, a Democratic Socialist and third-generation Washingtonian, has since launched her bid for the top spot in D.C. government. While she didn’t mention Bowser by name, Lewis George said she would take the District along an entirely different course if elected.
Tensions Heighten with National Guard
Shooting Near White House
Washingtonians Hold Trump
Accountable: ‘These Young People Should be at Home’
By Sam P.K. Collins, Jada Ingleton and Stacy M. Brown WI Staff Writer, WI Content Editor, and WI Senior Writer
In the days after an Afghan CIA operative allegedly shot two National Guardsmen— ultimately killing one– Jay Brown walked through Navy Yard with his daughter eager to, once again, speak with some of the men and women
NATIONAL GUARD Page 18
5 People are taking to Farragut West in Northwest, D.C. to remember National Guardsmen Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe, who were shot on Nov. 26. The following day, President Donald Trump confirmed Beckstrom died from her injuries. (Austin Cooper/The Washington Informer)
This edition of The Collins D.C. Council Report is dedicated (or as the RasTafari say, liv-icated) to the memory of my Informer colleague, James L. Wright, Jr., whose death I learned about on the morning of the D.C. Council’s Dec. 2 legislative meeting.
More than a decade ago, when I started out as a stringer at this beloved publication, Wright was one of the senior reporters on the staff, alongside my mentor-colleague Barrington Salmon, the late Dorothy Rowley and others. His political roundups, which appeared in each edition of the paper, succinctly informed readers about the goings on of
Rev. Graylan Scott Hagler: A Living Legend Receives His Flowers
By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
During what was one of the largest and most successful acts of nonviolent resistance in D.C. this Thanksgiving, Tamika Mallory and the Rev. Jamal Bryant chanted, sang, marched and waved signs alongside several dozen protesters standing outside of Target in Columbia Heights.
However, as organizer Dante O’Hara explained, the Nov. 29 protest inside and around the D.C. USA Shopping Center, where Target is located, represented the fulfillment of a vision articulated by the Rev. Graylan
GRAYLAN Page 14
5 As activations to boycott Target continue across the District, the Rev. Graylan Scott Hagler is being honored for his early advocacy against the corporation after the decision to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in alignment with President Donald Trump’s policies. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)
5 D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (right) speaks to Councilmembers Janeese Lewis George and Kenyan McDuffie in 2022. Lewis George announced she is running for mayor and McDuffie’s name continues to pop up as a possible contender in the 2026 D.C. mayoral election. (WI File Photo/Roy Lewis)
By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
Remembering James L. Wright , Jr Page 9
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published weekly on each Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. Announcements must be received two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2016 by The Washington Informer. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change of addresses to The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of photographs. Subscription rates are $96 per year, two years $168. Papers will be received not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to:
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PUBLISHER
Denise Rolark Barnes
STAFF
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STACY M. BROWN, WI SENIOR WRITER; RICHARD ELLIOTT, WI CONTRIBUTING WRITER; SKYLAR
‘Thriller’ at 43 And the Weekend the World Moved to the Same
Beat
Forty-three years after Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” hit the airwaves, the music phenomenon is still celebrated like a global holiday.
Released on November 30, 1982, Jackson’s sixth studio album not only topped the charts of the 1980s, but redefined generations of pop culture through classics like “Billie Jean,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “Human Nature,” and titletrack “Thriller,” all of which boosts streams annually around Halloween.
Now, as fans commemorated the 43-year
THRILLER Page 38
State Senator Attar Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Indictment
Maryland Sen. Dalya Attar (D-District 41), her brother Joseph “Yossi” Attar, and Baltimore Police officer Kalman Finklestein all pleaded not guilty on Nov. 24 to federal charges alleging a multi-year conspiracy to surveil, blackmail, and extort a consultant that worked for the politician’s campaign during the 2018 election cycle.
According to the indictment, the trio used tracking devices to illegally surveil the former campaign consultant and later used cameras disguised as smoke detectors to record an intimate encounter while threatening to release the video.
ATTAR Page 5
3 State Sen. Dalya Attar is refuting federal charges that she was involved in a multi-year conspiracy to surveil, blackmail and extort a consultant that worked for her campaign during the 2018 election cycle. (Courtesy Photo/ Maryland State Archives)
Commanders Fall Short 27-26 To Broncos In Week 13 Overtime Thriller
The Washington Commanders were back in action to host the Denver Broncos in a Sunday Night Football thriller in week 13 that turned into an overtime frenzy.
While the Broncos defeated the Commanders 2726, this was the most competitive game for Washington since week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers, signaling a clear sign of team growth.
Washington’s chance of a win was determined by a two-point conversion attempt, moments after Terry McLaurin hauled in the game-tying touchdown in overtime. It was an abrupt yet disappointing finish that sent shockwaves throughout Northwest Stadium, hinting at a true momentum-changing game.
“I thought leaving the field: ‘This was two teams going for it,’” said Commanders Head Coach Dan
Quinn. “I felt that way. It felt like a battle.”
After missing the past three games with a lingering right quad injury, McLaurin’s return provided a crucial boost to an offense that has been battered by injuries all season. The Commanders were also expected to regain additional reinforcements this week, though injuries continued to shape their matchup against Denver.
“That was great. You can see it out there. He’s a special player the more that we can get him to rock,” said quarterback Marcus Mariota. “He’s going to make plays for us, and he made some big third-down catches. He made an unbelievable catch to start the overtime to get us going. I mean, (he’s) an unbelievable player and we’re fortunate to
SPORTS Page 44
5 Forty-three years since its release, people are still celebrating Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” (Courtesy Photo/MichaelJackson.com, Screenshot)
AROUND THE REGION
In D.C. Child Care Drains Families Faster Than Rent
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
In the nation’s capital, where the price of nearly everything feels inflated, child care has emerged as one of the most punishing expenses for families.
New data from LendingTree shows that in the Washington metro area, full-time infant care averages $2,140 per month, almost
ATTAR from Page 4
Attar, a former prosecutor and the first Orthodox Jewish woman ever elected to the House of Delegates, refuted the charges in a since-deleted post to the Baltimore Scoop alleging that she was the victim of a six-year extortion and harassment “nightmare” and that both she and her family were threatened.
“The video in question was taken publicly, which is legal and cannot be the subject of an extortion charge. That’s it. Feeling desperate to protect my family, the message was conveyed to the woman that we had a legally obtained video and the six yearlong harassment campaign must stop,” read the social media statement posted on Oct. 31. “I met with this woman to plead with her to leave me and my family alone. Instead, the woman went to law enforcement and falsely accused me and my family of illegally recording them and attempting to extort them for money—all lies.”
Attar was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2018 and
equal to the region’s two-bedroom rent of $2,253. For households with two young children, the burden jumps even higher to $3,854 per month, seventy-one percent more than the region’s average rent.
The fallout from the federal shutdown is making the pressure even worse. As of Nov. 1, 140 Head Start programs nationwide serving 65,000 preschoolers have received no federal funding. Twen-
was appointed to the Maryland Senate following the resignation of Sen. Jill P. Carter (D) in January of this year.
Attar and Black nationalist activist Ayo Kimathi have both filed for the office, and Del. Malcolm Ruff (D- District 41) has announced his intent to run for the seat.
While Finkelstein has been suspended from active policing duties since 2022, Attar continues to serve in the state senate and thus far, legislative leaders are awaiting further information on the indictment.
“This is the first we have been made aware of state senator Dayla Attar’s arrest and we don’t have any additional information to provide at this time,” said Senate President Bill Ferguson (D- District 46) in a statement released shortly after the indictment was made public.
“The Senate of Maryland holds its members to the highest ethical standards as we serve our constituents, and we will continue to do so as we learn more about the alleged facts in the indictment.”
WI
ty programs have been forced to fully or partially close, affecting nearly 10,000 children.
Programs in the D.C. region warn that unless Congress releases funds, more families will be pushed into the already overburdened private child care market where prices outpace salaries for many workers.
Nationally, the LendingTree analysis found that the cost of infant care exceeds rent in 11 cities and that the price of caring for an infant and a 4-year-old is higher than rent in 85 cities. Washington ranks 14th on that list.
The average D.C. area family with two children is paying $1,601 more per month for child care than for housing.
Baltimore, also in the region, reports infant care costs of $2,084 compared with rent of $1,857, a twelve percent gap that adds to financial pressure across the wider metro corridor.
Matt Schulz of LendingTree said many families cannot escape the
mounting costs.
“Most families don’t have another choice,” he stated. “They can’t stay home. They don’t have family or friends they can rely on for child care.”
Washington’s struggle mirrors national trends. Between 2023 and 2024, the average price of child care nationwide jumped more than 13%.
Without the federal support
that sustains Head Start and Early Head Start operations in the region, families who already pay some of the highest child care prices in the country will face even fewer options.
Schulz warned that the situation demands urgent attention.
“It makes an already difficult financial situation that much more challenging,” he said.
WI
5Nursery school children at the St. Phillips Child Development Center in Anacostia on the playground under the supervision of instructors. (WI File Photo/Ja'Mon Jackson)
AROUND THE REGION
black facts
DEC. 4 - 10, 2025
SOURCE:
Dec 4
1906 – Alpha Phi Alpha, the first Black Greek Letter fraternity, is founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
1909 – The New York Amsterdam News, a weekly African American newspaper, is founded by James H. Anderson.
1969 – Black Panthers Fred Hampton and Mark Clark are killed by Chicago police.
Dec. 5
1784 – Phyllis Wheatley, the first published African American female poet, dies in Boston at 31.
1931 – Singer James Cleveland, "The King of Gospel Music," is born in Chicago.
1932 – Music icon Little Richard is born in Macon, Georgia.
1935 – Mary McLeod Bethune founds National Council of Negro Women in New York City.
1957 – New York became the first city to legislate against racial or religious discrimination in the housing market with adoption of Fair Housing Practices Law.
Dec. 6
1932 – Richard B. Spikes patents the automatic gearshift.
1936 – Richard Francis Jones becomes first African American certified in urology.
1949 – Blues legend Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter dies in New York City at 60.
1967 – Madame Lillian Evanti, famed African American opera singer, dies in Washington, D.C., at 77.
Dec. 7
1942 – Reginald Lewis, the first African American business owner to build a billion-dollar company, is born in Baltimore.
Dec. 8
1868 – Henry Hugh Proctor, a minister, author and lecturer who formed the basis for the Atlanta Music Festival, is born outside Fayetteville, Tenn.
1925 – Famed singer and entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. is born in New York City.
Dec. 9
1872 – Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchhack becomes the governor of Louisiana, the first African American to serve as governor of a U. S. state.
1922 – Comic legend Redd Foxx is born in St. Louis.
1972 – Ralph Bunche, the first African American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, dies in New York City at 68.
Dec. 10
1963 – The East African territory of Zanzibar gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
1964 – Civil rights icon the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. receives the Nobel Peace Prize.
1967 – Soul singer Otis Redding dies in a plane crash near Madison, Wisconsin, along with four members of the Bar-Kays. Redding was 26.
2005 – Seminal comedian Richard Pryor dies in Los Angeles at 65 after a longtime battle with multiple sclerosis. WI
Redd Foxx
Otis Redding (left) the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (center) Sammy Davis, Jr. (right)
P INT
BY KEITH GOLDEN JR.
What were you most thankful for this past Thanksgiving?
MICHEAL TILLMAN / SOUTHEAST, D.C.
“Just waking up. Health, family, and working [to] have an opportunity to help people [shape] a positive mindset. If you have a positive mindset, then positive things will happen to you.”
DEBRA IRVING NORTHWEST, D.C.
THOMAS MCNULTI / HOUSTON, TEXAS
“Spending time with the girlfriend's family, getting to know them a little bit better, [and vice versa]. We recently moved in together…so I'm just thankful for the chapter of life I’m in.”
“Just being alive– knowing that I woke up that morning, I don't want for [anything], I am in fairly good health and blessed to be alive. The way things are going now, being out here, life goes on. Keep going.”
ARTURO GONNINI WHITE / PANAMA CITY, PANAMA
“I’m thankful [for my former maid]. Her name is Sharkina Mac, I called her and [told] her that I [would] hire her back so she can bring me a plate. She knows how to cook [well].”
DEMETRIUS MAYO / SOUTHEAST, D.C.
“At the end of the day, I am thankful all year, not just Thanksgiving. I am thankful to see another year, I am thankful to have two jobs, thankful to have my own apartment.”
Our staff is made up of writers, just like you. We are dedicated to making publishing dreams come true. Trusted by authors for nearly 100 years, Dorrance has made countless authors’ dreams come true.
AROUND THE REGION
Trump’s Bill Cuts Off Educational Pathways for Black Nurses in the District
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
The District of Columbia, where Black residents make up 45% of the population, now faces a direct threat to its health care workforce after the Trump administration stripped nursing of its professional degree status.
The change hits hardest on the very people who keep the District’s health system functioning. Black women represent 86% of licensed practical nurses providing clinical care in D.C. Many depend on advanced degrees to move into higher paying, leadership, and primary care roles.
A senior D.C. nursing official described the danger clearly.
“You put patient care at risk when you take away the ability of nurses to pursue the education their work requires,” the official said.
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, nursing is no longer considered a professional degree. Students in graduate nursing programs can borrow only $20,500 per year with a total cap of $100,000. Students in protected fields can borrow up to $50,000 per year and $200,000 total. Tuition for advanced nursing programs in the District routinely exceeds those limits by tens of thousands of dollars.
According to the D.C. Board of Nursing, 966 licensed practical nurses provide clinical care in the
city. More than 60% are aged 50 or older. Nearly 30% are over 60. With many nearing retirement, the District depends heavily on new graduates to fill roles critical to the stability of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and community health centers. Those pathways narrow under the federal downgrade.
Research shows that Black nurses and Black nurse practitioners play a central role in improving care for underserved populations in D.C. Studies document how Black nurses navigate racism, inequity, and a lack of organizational support while providing culturally informed care in neighborhoods that have faced long standing health disparities.
Local schools warn that the federal change will reduce enrollment and push students out of nursing programs that the District desperately needs. Without sustained access to graduate education, the District risks losing the workforce responsible for much of its primary and community-based care.
Kim Brundidge, who continues to practice while pursuing her doctorate, described the consequences for Washington patients.
“If students are not able to afford these programs,” she said, “the quality and number of nurses entering the workforce will decline.”
Health leaders across the city describe one shared concern. Advanced practice nurses are essential to D.C.’s care system. Reducing their ability
“If students are not able to afford these programs the quality and number of nurses entering the workforce will decline.”
to train will deepen the city’s existing disparities and reduce access to care in communities already facing shortages.
“In many communities across the country, advanced practice registered nurses ensure access to essential and high-quality care that would otherwise be unavailable,” Jennifer Mensik Kennedy of the American Nurses Association said. “Limiting nurses’ access to graduate education threatens the very foundation of patient care.” WI
5 Students in the Howard University School of Nursing in February. With the Trump administration stripping nursing of its professional degree status, D.C. now faces a direct threat to its health care workforce. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)
Kim Brundidge
AROUND THE REGION
Remembering Washington Informer Writer James Wright
D.C. Area Mourns Loss of Veteran Journalist
By Micha Green and Hamil Harris
WI Managing Editor and WI
Contributing Writer
James L. Wright Jr., a beloved and longtime Washington Informer (WI) staff writer with more than three decades experience reporting across the D.C. area, nation and worldwide, has died.
Having worked with the publication for years in many capacities, Wright was a critical part of The Washington Informer family and his news comes as a major shock to the entire team.
“No words can express the sadness I feel over James Wright’s passing. He was a passionate journalist who loved history and enjoyed writing stories about the people who make the nation’s capital the great place he called home,” said WI Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes. “He will be sorely missed by the Informer staff, his colleagues and the community he served.”
The Washington Informer has spoken to authorities who confirmed he died of natural causes in his home in Seat Pleasant, Maryland.
As an Informer staff writer, Wright, 62, covered business and politics. He worked for AFRO-American Newspapers as a reporter, city editor and freelance writer and copy editor for The Washington Post.
Working as a journalist for more than three decades, Wright interviewed foreign leaders such as Libya’s Moammar Quadafi and South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki, and countless U.S. Black political leaders. His work took him throughout the United States, as well as Libya, Afghanistan, Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom and Italy.
“James L. Wright, Jr. was a kind and gentle person and a fantastic reporter. I knew him from my earliest days in government as a strong, fair, and honest writer who cared deeply about his city. Most of all, he loved Washingtonians and telling the stories of the least, the lost, and the left out,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. “His connection to his readers was unparalleled. My deepest condolences are with The Washington Inform-
er family and all who loved James. The District will miss his warmth, his voice, and all that he did to elevate our community.”
A Fearless Reporter and Community Leader
In addition to his fearless journalism, Wright was a proud Texas native and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Mu Lambda Chapter.
“Brother James Wright carried a pleasant spirit everywhere he went — whether I crossed paths with him covering the annual MLK Day Parade in Southeast, D.C., reporting from the halls of CBC, or standing proudly on the prow of multiple political meetings in the community where truth needed a voice. His dedication to his craft as a writer and reporter for The Washington Informer was matched only by his pride in becoming an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Mu Lambda Chapter this September,” said Mikael LaRoche, Mu Lambda president. “He pledged the fraternity in 1984, at the Eta Gamma Chapter seated in Prairie View University. His presence, his professionalism, and the warmth he brought to every encounter will be deeply missed. We honor his legacy and the impact he made on our Brotherhood and our city.”
The longtime journalist was also a member of the Seat Pleasant City Council from 2022-2024, where he also served as vice president.
“He faithfully attended the meeting to advocate for constituent concerns,” said mayor Eugene W. Grant, the former mayor of Seat Pleasant. “He walked all over the city that is .7 square miles because he cared. At a time when politicians run from residents, he would walk among them.”
In addition to his several responsibilities in journalism and reporting, Wright was also passionate about prioritizing his faith as a dedicated member of Asbury United Methodist Church in Northwest, D.C.
“James was literally the first person I met when I walked into Asbury,” said the Rev. Dr. Ronald Bell, pastor of Asbury United Methodist
Church. “We connected immediately, he was confident and a guide. He was a fraternity brother and a friend.”
Having worked with him at both The Washington Informer and AFRO-American Newspapers, Micha Green, WI managing editor, said she long watched and admired Wright’s fearless reporting and looked to him regularly for reliable news coverage.
“James Wright was more than just a staff writer, he was a valued member of The Washington Informer family and someone I could always rely on for a strong story about happenings across the District and region,” she said. “He was passionate about preserving history and uplifting Black businesses and people. I was really excited about some of the stories he had slated for this week, including highlighting Black entrepreneurs working as part of Small Business Saturday and to align with the new
Washington Commanders stadium. His kind and giving personality, fearless reporting and strong storytelling will be incredibly missed.”
Rolark Barnes emphasized the major magnitude of Wright’s loss not only for The Informer, but also for the publication’s avid readers and the residents who he worked to inspire and inform through his reporting.
ASALH
“James was the best,” she said, “and his byline leaves an empty space on the pages of The Washington Informer.” WI
THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE AND HISTORY ®
5 Longtime Washington Informer staff writer James L. Wright, Jr. moderates a forum hosted by the Ward 7 Democrats in March 2024. (WI File Photo)
5 Washington Informer staff writer James Wright catches up with Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy, who was then state’s attorney. (WI File Photo)
AROUND THE REGION
The owners of Raemea King D'Zions participate in the BZB Black Gift and Art Show at Shiloh Baptist Church on Small Business Saturday. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
José Alberto Uclés and Tom Noll catch up on news in The Washington Informer. (WI File Photo/Roy Lewis)
from Page 1
“You’ve got to be focused on being on the ground, talking to residents and then be focused on actually trying to solve problems,” Lewis George told The Informer. “It’s not the ribbon cuttings and the big major deals with billionaires. That's what people are tired of. People want leadership that actually is going to be on the ground, who is going to listen and who wants to solve problems.”
In a campaign video that circulated on social media on Monday, Lewis George is seen walking along her stomping grounds of Kennedy Street in Northwest as she cites housing insecurity, income inequity, and federal attacks on District Home Rule as issues of concern.
Within hours of her announcement, Lewis George qualified for public financing, with her 5-to-1 match anticipated to reach $750,000.
For Lewis George, the decision to run was more than a year in the making— in advance of her vote in opposition to the Fiscal Year 2026 budget that didn’t fully restore Medicaid and rental assistance, and well before her name, and that of D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (I-At large) popped up as possible contenders for the mayor’s office.
“We’ve got to have a government that works for all of us so that 250+ people aren't standing in the freezing cold for rental assistance,” Lewis George explained. “A 911 call center [where] people’s call gets answered. The basic things, when our seniors say they need support in our services and they get it. It’s really about me seeing that this government, on a basic level, isn't working for everyone, but also we're leaving so many people behind.”
Lewis George said the same observation applies when it comes to District leaders’ relationship with the White House.
As the Bowser administration continues its post-surge relationship with ICE and other federal law enforcement agencies, Lewis George said that the D.C. mayor, despite having limited home rule, has tools and resources that should be used to protect D.C. residents.
“We have a good attorney general,” said Lewis George, a former assistant attorney general under Karl Racine. “We have some of the best lawyers in this country in our attorney general's office, and we have legal levers that
Lassiter)
we utilize and should be utilizing… to fight against overreach, protect our residents and ensure that we are not exhausting our resources… and making our city a political tool and creating political theater.”
Lewis George also spoke about leveraging relationships with national partners.
“That's not being done, so I'm going to work hand in hand with our partners, governors and mayors across the city,” Lewis George said. “I'm going to work and build relationship[s] in the halls of Congress, and I'm going to make sure I stand up and use the attorney general and every lever we have legally and process-wise to defend D.C. and make sure we stand in this moment.”
Mayor Bowser— and Some Community Members— Look Back on the Last Decade
By the time that Bowser revealed that she wouldn’t run for re-election, she had the vocal support of the local business community— as seen in a campaign launched by Opportunity DC.
Other than that, opinions about the mayor and how she’s engaged the Trump administration have run the gamut, with a considerable number of D.C. residents and elected officials critical of the mayor's acquiescence to the president’s policies.
Last week, shortly after speaking to residents at Safeway’s 26th annual Feast of Sharing holiday celebration, Bowser told reporters that she would soon reveal details about how she plans to get the District to “ the finish line” during her last year in public office.
She went on to tell reporters that D.C. statehood is within the District’s reach, no more than ever, especially if Democrats take over both chambers of Congress.
“To get over 60 votes in the Senate is uphill, but… there could be a wave,” Bowser said.
In her third term, Bowser pointed out that, since Trump has reentered the Oval Office, people across the U.S. have gotten more of an intimate understanding of the District’s unique political position that primes it for attacks on the D.C. Home Rule Act of 1973.
“The nation now sees the problem,” Bowser said. “I think the nuanced difference that I have witnessed in my tenure is that we've always talked about statehood, about how it hurts us in D.C. We don't have representation. We don't have autonomy. What the nation sees is we don't have the two senators that would make our policy objectives nationally more palatable.”
In 2015, Bowser entered mayoral office after defeating a then-scandal-ridden D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray in the 2014 D.C. Mayoral Democratic primary, and later David Catania and Carol Schwartz during the general election.
Under her leadership, the District’s public and public charter schools experienced enrollment and graduation gains. Other feats include increased spending on certified business enterprises, the construction of the Frederick Douglass Bridge, the launch of a new hospital in Ward 8, and most recently, the Washington Commanders’ return to a newly constructed RFK Stadium. WI
Read more on washingtoninformer.com.
5 D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is not running for reelection. Her term ends January 2027. (WI File Photo/Shevry
BOWSER
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY
Maryland Secures $25 Million for Community Projects
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
Maryland will see more than $25 million in new federal investments after Maryland Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks secured funding for a wide range of community projects in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies appropria-
tions bill for fiscal year 2026.
The bill became law earlier this month and directs money toward first responders, mental health services, agricultural research, workforce development, and major infrastructure work across the state.
A central focus for Maryland is the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in Prince George’s County, which employs about 1,000 people and serves as the nation’s largest
USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) campus.
While the Beltsville facility has been targeted for closure under the Trump administration’s reorganization plan, the bill includes $6 million for upgrades to aging buildings. Of that amount, $3 million represents direct federal funding re-
quested by the two senators.
“We fought to secure direct federal investments in this legislation to advance local priorities,” Van Hollen said. “Within this bill, we also worked to ensure BARC can continue its vital efforts to bolster the success of America’s farmers, halting this administration’s misguided attempts to shutter this crown jewel of agricultural research.”
Alsobrooks, the first Black person to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate, said she was proud to work with Van Hollen to defend BARC and its Maryland workforce.
“BARC is a hub for agricultural research that supports 1,000 jobs in our state,” she said. “Protecting this center and securing resources for communities across Maryland will strengthen our state for years to come.”
Funding Supports Efforts to Strengthen Maryland Communities
Although the senators secured funding for these targeted Maryland priorities, both ultimately voted against the larger government funding package. They cited the bill’s failure to protect millions of Americans from steep increases in health care costs and the absence of guardrails to prevent further abuses of power by the Trump administration.
The funding bill directs support to communities across the state.
“As the appropriations process for next year moves forward, I will continue to do all I can to ensure our funding bills meet the needs of Maryland and our nation,” explained Van Hollen, a member of the Appropriations Committee.
Projects include upgrades to Berlin’s historic Flower Street School
site to create a multigenerational community center. Worcester County will receive $1.4 million for that work.
Carroll County will see $1 million for the expansion of the Youth Service Bureau building to broaden mental health and substance use programs. Cambridge will receive $715,000 to replace a fire and rescue truck that is more than a decade past its service life. Crisfield will receive more than $1.3 million to build a modern fire station and emergency shelter to replace a 65-year-old structure.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore will receive $1 million for equipment and supplies for its new Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, created to help ease the nation’s severe shortage of veterinarians in rural communities. McDaniel College will receive $830,000 to outfit a new facility for training nursing students, part of Maryland’s effort to address its workforce shortage in the field.
Garrett Regional Medical Center will receive $1 million to create a radiation department and on-site treatment options for cancer patients who currently must travel long distances for care.
Kent County will receive $45,000 for a backup generator to keep emergency medical services operating during power outages. The county will also receive $6.2 million to relocate and rebuild the Millington Wastewater Treatment Plant, which now sits in a floodplain.
PROJECTS Page 13
5Sen. Chris Van Hollen is celebrating after he and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks secured funding for a wide range of community projects throughout Maryland for fiscal year 2026. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)
PROJECTS from Page 12
Additional funding includes $675,000 to replace a 33-year-old fire engine in Allegany County. Mount St. Mary’s University will receive $1 million to build a water treatment plant for its campus, a local urgent care facility, and residents of Emmitsburg who face elevated PFAS levels.
San Mar Children’s Home will receive a little more than $1 million to renovate buildings and create supportive housing for young people at risk of homelessness.
The University of Maryland Shore Regional Health system will receive $2.5 million toward a new Regional Medical Center in Easton. Charles County Public Library will receive $67,000 for a STEM makerspace at the new La Plata branch.
The Foxie G Foundation will receive $428,000 for an equine-assisted therapy center supporting veterans, first responders, dementia patients, and at-risk youth.
Barclay will receive a little more than $1 million to construct a new community center and town hall. Eagle Harbor will receive $800,000 for community center renovations and outdoor amenities that support local economic growth. Carroll County will also receive $1 million to create a Veterans Freedom Center for employment assistance, education support, and community programs.
Beyond local projects, the bill includes major national and statewide priorities.
Conservation Operations will receive $850 million to provide oneon-one technical assistance for farmers and protect waterways across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Historically Black 1890 Land-
Grant institutions will also receive more support, including $89 million for research, $72 million for extension services, $30 million for education grants, $21.5 million for facility improvements, $10 million for scholarships, and $10 million for Centers of Excellence.
Maryland’s agricultural and nutrition programs also receive substantial support. The bill includes $2 million for invasive wild-caught catfish processing and $1 million for inspection capacity.
WIC will receive $8.2 billion, an increase of $603 million, to ensure eligible families continue to receive essential nutrition assistance. The Commodity Supplemental Food Program will receive $460 million to serve more than 700,000 low-income seniors.
SNAP, School Lunch, School Breakfast, and Summer EBT will remain fully funded.
Nationwide, the ARS will receive $1.79 billion and the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program will receive $48 million. The National Organic Program will receive $22.8 million. The Rural Water Circuit Rider Program will receive $23.9 million.
Alsobrooks said she was grateful for the collaboration that helped deliver these investments.
“I am proud we were able to secure funding for mental health and substance use services, STEM-related equipment for our public libraries, support for our fire departments, additional funding to address Maryland’s nurses shortage, and a radiation department and on-site radiation treatment services for cancer patients in Garrett County,” she said. WI
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
Festival of Lights
November 28 – January 1
Watkins Regional Park
Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County. We’ve got free and low-cost concerts, Santa appearances, and events perfect for family outings.
Experience dazzling holiday scenes from the comfort of your car.
Holiday Concerts
5 In her first year in the U.S. Senate, Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks is celebrating after she and Sen. Chris Van Hollen secured funding for various community projects across the state for fiscal year 2026. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)
BUSINESS
Business Brief
Cocktail Week Uncorks a Week of Flavor and Craft Across the District
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
This week’s Business Brief is written in honor of the late James L. Wright, Jr., a longtime Washington Informer who ordinarily wrote this column and covered business and politics throughout the region for decades.
DC Cocktail Week returned on Dec. 1, transforming the District into a spirited trail of discovery through Dec. 7.
The annual celebration, sponsored by Events DC with presenting sponsors Johnnie Walker and Responsibility.org, brings more than one hundred restaurants and bars into a shared showcase of cocktails and bite pairings for one price. It is the kind of week where every corner of the region offers something bright, bold or quietly sur-
GRAYLAN from Page 1
Scott Hagler earlier this year at the start of the District-based boycott.
“Rev. Hagler… always said that having a consistent presence in front of the store and talking to people directly was going to have the most impact,” said O’Hara, a member of the Claudia Jones School for Political Education.
In April, even as his health worsened and his signature voice became weaker, Hagler supported O’Hara and a handful of others who stood outside of DC USA to kick off the D.C.-based Target boycott on the anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. They urged shoppers against patronizing Target, one of several corporations that have rolled back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, in
prising.
The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) produces the event, and the organization views the week as a toast to the District’s bar and restaurant community.
“This is another way for us to amplify and highlight our amazing restaurant and bar community,” said Shawn Townsend, president and CEO of RAMW. He added that the District’s bar scene is world class and a powerful place for friendships to grow.
Organizers boast that walking into a DC Cocktail Week venue feels much like entering a tasting room where the stories are told through the glass.
Jane Jane on 14th Street NW, the 2025 RAMMYS Cocktail Program of the Year winner, offers its signature balance of precision and charm.
Tune Inn on Capitol Hill, the 2025 RAMMYS Best Bar of the
the wake of President Donald J. Trump’s 2025 return to the White House and anti-DEI policies.
Until he was no longer able to, Hagler showed up every weekend along that stretch of 14th Street. In his absence, the D.C.-based Target boycott group has expanded Hagler’s work, with organizers conducting a similar act of resistance in the city where former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd in 2020.
“The whole idea is to raise the political consciousness of the community that they have the option and ability to spend their money elsewhere,” O’Hara told The Informer.
For O’Hara, Hagler’s power as a master organizer lies in his ability to tie Target’s cooperation with Trump to the atrocities committed against marginalized people in the
Year, promises to add a mix of history and personality.
Baan Mae, created by Restaurateur of the Year Seng Luangrath, presents a pairing built on the vivid complexity of Lao flavors.
Tapori, shaped by rising culinary star Suresh Sundas, offers a modern Indian approach that unfolds with every sip and bite.
Michelin starred and Bib Gourmand restaurants will contribute to the excitement. Bresca pairs imaginative dishes with cocktails that unfold like a tasting journey. Amparo Fondita, Laos in Town, Oyamel, Resident’s Café and Bar and Sababa all bring their own beverage interpretations— each one proof that the region’s culinary imagination still has new directions to explore.
U.S. and abroad.
“The action on the 29th was a culmination of those decades of struggle and experience of bringing people together to fight on bread and butter issues while connecting them to broader struggles like Palestine and otherwise,” O’Hara said. “He is a true revolutionary and visionary whose presence has been felt throughout this entire process.”
Celebrations and Accolades for a Living Legend
Over the last few weeks, tributes have been pouring in for the man that D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4), in a D.C. Council resolution, called a living example to be mirrored by all.
This year includes a nod to the repeal of Prohibition.
On Dec. 3, Matt and Tony’s in Alexandria, Virginia hosts “The History of the Cocktail, a Spirited Progression,” a tasting dinner that moves through four eras of cocktail making.
“This is our little way of celebrating the repeal,” said Townsend, celebrating December 5, 1933, a moment that reshaped American drinking culture and remains a touchstone for bartenders today.
Daily events add warmth to colder evenings.
Jula’s on the Potomac hosts a holiday themed social hour on its heated terrace each afternoon. Little Blackbird offers a one night only happy hour with $10 wine selections.
Classes and tastings give guests a
Well before she and her council colleagues approved that resolution on Dec. 2, Lewis George, a self-described Democratic Socialist and advocate for working-class Washingtonians, spoke highly about the man who she said has never faltered in his criticism of those who prioritized monied interest over the people.
“You won't find someone as consistent as Rev. Hagler has been about being unafraid and unapologetic to fight for those who don't have the voices to fight for themselves to make sure people have living wages,” Lewis George told The Informer. “He’s unafraid to call out any leader. He’s okay with the consequences because his ultimate goal has always been protecting and fighting for our most vulnera-
GRAYLAN Page 52
chance to sharpen their palate.
At SOST, a DC Cocktail Week cocktail class guides attendees through shaking, stirring and building drinks with confidence. Other events spotlights regional distillers, with tastings that introduce guests to local spirits and the people who craft them.
Pisco y Nazca offers a Peruvian pairing of its Pisco Sour and Traditional Ceviche for $18, and the restaurant has added the Holiday Coquito for the month, a winter drink shaken with rum, house made coquito mix and garnished with cinnamon.
Throughout the week, Responsibility.org encourages guests to make safe and informed choices, and Townsend encourages guests to pace themselves, enjoy the food that accompanies cocktails and know their limits.
“We of course want everyone to drink responsibly,” said Townsend.
Attendees are also reminded to hydrate, eat before going out and arrange safe transportation home. The Virtual Bar app, promoted through Responsibility.org, helps guests estimate their blood alcohol concentration based on what they consume during the evening.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser emphasized the week as a time to support local businesses.
“Be on the lookout for great deals across the city for your next happy hour, date night, or family dinner at one of D.C.'s world-class restaurants and bars,” she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Dec. 1. “Let's come together and support the Real D.C. businesses that keep our city moving.”
A full list of participating restaurants, pairings and events is available at dccocktailweek.com. WI
5 D.C. Cocktail Week is back, transforming the District into a spirited trail of discovery through Dec. 7. (WI File Photo/Anthony Tilghman)
Proposed Libertyliner 250 Plan Sets Stage for Major Northeast
Corridor Overhaul
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
AmeriStarRail has unveiled a sweeping service proposal it says would reshape high-speed rail along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.
In a detailed service plan delivered to Amtrak President Roger Harris, the company outlined a partnership it believes could usher in the largest upgrade to the busy Boston to Washington route in more than half a century.
The Dec. 2 proposal centers on rebranding and operating the NextGen Acela fleet as the Libertyliner 250.
AmeriStarRail says the shift would modernize the system years ahead of schedule by replacing all Amfleet cars by May 2026, creating what the company describes as a standardized high-speed fleet offering Coach, Business and First-Class seating on every train. The plan calls for a 35.1% increase in service and a
21.3% rise in overall seating capacity.
AmeriStarRail argues that greater affordability and more frequency are essential for the Northeast Corridor, which saw a record 15.2 million passengers this year but still holds only a small share of total travel along the I-95 region. The company pointed to federal data showing that nearly 90 percent of trips between cities in the corridor are taken by car or bus. Only a fraction of rail riders used Amtrak’s premium Acela service.
The proposal stresses that the Libertyliner 250 would increase access to high-speed rail for students, senior citizens, people with disabilities, families and lower-income passengers by offering coach seating on all premium-speed trains for the first time. The trains would run hourly from early morning to late evening, with nonstop New York to Washington service completing the trip in 1 hour and 59 minutes.
The plan would also double service frequency for major stations including New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, and Washington. A new Northeast Corridor station is expected to be announced under the proposal.
Travel times outlined in the plan show Boston to Washington express service in 6 hours and 30 minutes, New York to Washington limited service in 2 hours and 45 minutes and a New York to Washington nonstop option in under two hours. Every Libertyliner 250 set would carry 386 passengers with a breakdown of 255 in Coach, 88 in Business and 43 in First Class plus a cafe car.
AmeriStarRail says a fully standardized fleet would streamline training and maintenance, remove the need to keep multiple train models operating on the same corridor and allow Amtrak to reassign newly ordered Airo trains to national routes that cannot currently support high-speed service.
The company’s letter to Amtrak argues that replacing half-century-old Amfleet cars is not only overdue but also a matter of safety given their age and speed. The letter states that the Libertyliner 250 would allow Am-
trak to present modern equipment for the millions of international visitors expected for the America 250 celebrations and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The plan also includes a marketing initiative set to be announced on December 4 in New Orleans during the Amtrak Board meeting. That campaign will be targeted at travelers attending America 250 and the World Cup.
The company’s chief operating officer summarized AmeriStarRail’s pitch in the letter.
“Instead of the oldest trains, Amtrak Libertyliners will showcase America’s best for the millions of visitors for the America 250 and the FIFA World Cup 2026 events,” said AmeriStarRail Chief Operating Officer Scott R Spencer. WI
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5 AmeriStarRail is unveiling a sweeping service proposal it says would reshape high-speed rail along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. (WI File Photo/Anthony Tilghman)
NATIONAL
Rep. James Clyburn Honors the Black Men Who Guided His Path to Congress
in ‘The First Eight’
By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer
Sharing the untold history of eight Black men from South Carolina who served in the U.S. House of Representatives in the aftermath of the Civil War has been a long-desired passion for Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC). Now, Clyburn is sharing their stories in “The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation,” released on Nov. 11.
Before Clyburn, there was Rep. George Washington Murray, who represented South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District from June 4, 1896, to March 3, 1897. Nearly 100 years later, Clyburn came to the U.S. Congress in 1992, and is now in his 17th term representing South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District.
Throughout his decades of service, Clyburn has reflected on
those eight Black South Carolina legislators who paved the way for his service in Congress.
“What is it about those eight people in their service that could be a foundation for me? Well, a whole lot,” Clyburn told The Informer. “A long time before I sat down to write this book, I had been reading about these guys. I knew about them.”
Who Were ‘The First Eight?’
This book is not Clyburn’s autobiography. His memoir, "Blessed Experiences: Genuinely Southern, Proudly Black," was published in 2014.
“The First Eight” is Clyburn’s tribute to the men whose various terms from 1870-1897 forged a path for his congressional career: Republican Reps. Joseph Hayne Rainey, Robert Carlos De Large, Robert Brown Elliott, Richard
Harvey Cain, Alonzo Jacob Ransier, Robert Smalls, Thomas Ezekiel Miller, and Murray.
For years, Clyburn has worked to honor these barrier-breakers’ legacies.
“When I became the House majority whip in 2007, I requested their portraits be hung on my conference room wall,” said Clyburn, who is featured on the book cover as “the Ninth.”
In “The First Eight,” Clyburn meticulously profiles these legislators from South Carolina, includ-
ing content about each man's years of public service, racial makeup, marriages, business life, and what led each to Congress. Some came to South Carolina from northern states, some had served in the state legislature, some had been enslaved, while others were born of free parents.
Readers also learn about how these U.S. Representatives, during the aftermath of the Civil War, navigated through segregation, Ku Klux Klan threats, riots, and Jim Crow.
“His intent in writing a book about them had been initially to call attention to their struggles and determination in fighting to enshrine the rights of African Americans,” said Brad Graham, co-owner of Politics and Prose Books, introducing Clyburn in conversation with political scientist Norm Onstein on Nov. 18 at George Washington University.
“But as the book took shape, its purpose took on new significance as what the congressman calls a cautionary tale.”
History Repeats Itself: ‘Wait a Minute.
This is 2025’
During the Tuesday evening event, Clyburn and Ornstein engaged in a spirited conversation
where they shared their deep love of history before an attentive audience.
When discussing the South Carolina political environment during the service of each one of the eight, Clyburn considered the Hamburg Massacre on July 4, 1876, which he writes about in his book.
That centennial Independence Day, the Black militia in the African American conclave of Hamburg, South Carolina were threatened by two white farmers from another area of town. The farmers had no appreciation for the show of Black pride and demanded the militia break rank. Their commander refused.
The incident escalated over a period of time and militia members were killed. During this period in South Carolina history, as explained in the notes of Clayburn’s book, a policy of terrorizing Black people was in place. If African Americans made trouble, white people killing them was justifiable.
“It was well-planned. They were provoked,” Clyburn explained. “Hopefully, this book will get people to say ‘Wait a minute. This is 2025.’”
South Carolinian Michael Tongour, has been digging into the
5 South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn and Norm Ornstein, political scientist and an emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, discuss Clyburn’s book “The First Eight” during an event held at George Washington University on Nov. 18. (Brenda C. Siler/The Washington Informer)
4 The cover for “The First Eight,” a new book by Rep. James Clyburn, discussing the untold stories of the eight Black men from South Carolina who served in the U.S. House of Representatives after the Civil War.
(Courtesy Photo /Little, Brown)
Sharing the untold history of eight Black men from South Carolina who served in the U.S. House of Representatives in the aftermath of the Civil War has been a l ong-desired passion for Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC). Now, Clyburn is sharing their stories in “The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation.”
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NATIONAL
The president confirmed Beckstrom, 20, died on
Thursday, while Wolfe, 24, is still in critical condition after undergoing surgery.
both unlawful and dangerous.
Touting a similar notion, Alex Dodds, co-founder and campaign director of Free DC, called the deployment of National Guard troops “illegal and illogical.”
“More troops with more weapons will not change that fact, it will only further endanger D.C. residents and the Guard themselves,” Dodds said in a statement.
Dodds zeroed in on what she called the underlying issue.
“Guard members should be home with their families in time for the holidays,” she continued.
in uniform who’ve been deployed to the District, by orders of their Republican governor working in support of the Trump administration.
However, as Brown explained to The Informer, the uniformed personnel he encountered during the Thanksgiving holiday break no longer shared his enthusiasm for conversation.
“They're human, and they're entitled to those emotions,” Brown, a lifelong Ward 7 resident, said about his experience. “Do we want them to act on those emotions? If those emotions are there, then no, but we can do what we can to reach out and manage those relationships.”
During the latter part of the summer, President Donald J. Trump evoked Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act, which compels the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to work more closely with federal law enforcement agencies.
As part of that deal, Trump called for the deployment of National Guard troops from across the U.S. By the time that 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, during a pre-Thankgiving holiday ambush, allegedly shot West Virginia National Guardswoman Sarah Beckstrom and her comrade Andrew Wolfe, the federalization period had long expired, and MPD, by or-
ders of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, was working closely with their federal law enforcement counterparts.
There had also been more than 2,300 National Guard personnel patrolling major corridors, Metro stations, and public parks under federal control. While several residents, and activists for that matter, saw the troops as an occupying force, Brown said they were just human beings following orders.
“Regardless of what their orders were, their demeanor and their posturing was not oppressive, it was just existing,” Brown told The Informer. “When you're dealing with a city [that’s] fighting tooth and nail for home rule, there’s a lot of pushback that they were aware of. With their conversation and demeanor they were trying to let us know that [they’re] here to just be eyes and help keep us and our families safe, versus [being] here to occupy and oppress what you have going on.”
But now, with 500 more National Guardsmen deployed to the District, and MPD now commissioned to accompany troops on foot, Brown said he’s concerned about an already tense situation getting even more out of hand for all parties involved.
“We have to be honest…about what our current conditions are and how they evolve so frequently,” Brown said in his appeal to District
leadership. “We have to make adjustments for the best interests of all. We should have a common goal of being safe, just feeling safe. In fact, our goal is to manage relationships and…focus more on humanitarian perspectives to be a better city and country.”
A City under Siege Responds to a Worsening Situation
The Nov. 26 shooting, which struck a city already under the weight of a massive federal troop deployment ordered months ago by Trump, triggered an immediate lockdown of the West Wing as helicopters pounded overhead and police sealed off blocks of the capital.
The attack happened near the intersection of 17th and H Streets NW, only steps from the White House, in an area normally packed with commuters and federal workers. Law enforcement sources told CNN that Lakanwal, an Afghan veteran who worked with the CIA to target Taliban leaders in dangerous missions, approached Beckstrom and Wolfe, raised a firearm, and opened fire at close range before the troops returned fire and subdued him while wounded.
One Guardsman attempted to take cover behind a bus shelter before being struck, according to those same reports.
Beckstrom and Wolfe, deployed from West Virginia as part of Trump’s summer-long federalization of the National Guard, were rushed to separate hospitals in critical condition. The president confirmed Beckstrom, 20, died on Thanksgiving Day, while Wolfe, 24, is still in critical condition after undergoing surgery.
Lakanwal, who appeared in court remotely from a hospital, has been charged with murder. He pleaded not guilty.
Immediately following the shooting, Trump didn’t mince words about next steps.
“America will never bend and never yield in the face of terror,” the president said in a Nov. 26 video address, “and at the same time, we will not be deterred from the mission these servicemembers were so nobly fulfilling.”
The deployment of additional National Guard troops to the District comes despite a federal judge’s recent ruling that the administration’s initial deployment was illegal. That ruling has been paused pending appeal, but adding more troops stands in defiance of the court’s warning that the operation carries a substantial risk of deadly encounters.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb’s lawsuit calls the longterm military presence an illegal occupation that violates the Home Rule Act and the Posse Comitatus Act, arguing that Trump’s federalization of the city’s police and use of Guardsmen for street patrols is
“Trump has appealed a court decision that would have gotten the troops home by December 11. He is preventing the troops from getting back home to their families for Christmas–we say once again that it’s time for the Guard to go home NO
Bowser, fresh off a visit to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for Safeway’s 26th Annual Feast of Giving, weighed in on the Nov. 26 shooting, giving a take indicative of a local executive who’s tired of an occupying force.
“I want to be very clear,” Bowser said,” somebody drove across the country, came to Washington, D.C. to attack America and that person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. These young people should be at home in West Virginia with their families.”
Some people, like Jackson Shorter, have long held sentiments against the Trump administration’s insistence that D.C.’s in need of a heavy National Guard presence. For Shorter, addressing public safety in the District requires that the powers that be address the root causes of violence.
“A lot of these things you can't control. And I do think there is a lot of fear-mongering going on in the [Trump] administration, a lot of police presence that’s not very comforting,” Shorter told The Informer in October, following a weekend of reports of citywide gun-related violence. “I think it goes beyond actual gun violence… into actual release between people of color and people of color that are trying to advance in life. The greater talking point is: how can we build community amid a lot of chaos?”
WI
NATIONAL GUARD from Page 1
5 National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe is still in the hospital and another, Sarah Beckstrom has died, after being shot near the White House on Nov. 26. (WI File Photo)
DIRECTOR
CHARON P.W. HINES
Dear Seniors, Happy Holidays! As we welcome the month of December, I am reminded of how meaningful this season can be for so many families and District residents. The holidays often bring excitement, anticipation, and moments of joy with family, friends, and loved ones. However, we know this season can feel difficult for some, especially when colder weather makes it harder to stay connected. If you find yourself feeling lonely or overwhelmed, please remember that you are not alone. Our team at DACL is here for you.
Live Boldly –December 2025 Message from Department of Aging and Community Living
Our senior wellness centers and programs are warm and inviting places where community and companionship are always present, ensuring that you are living boldly at every stage in life.
This month, we are especially excited to celebrate one of our most cherished traditions, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s 27th Annual Senior Holiday Celebration! This joyful gathering brings seniors from across the District together for a day filled with festive cheer, entertainment, and community.
This year, we are thrilled to host the celebration at a new venue, the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, located at 701 Mississippi Avenue SE. The festivities begin at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, and we truly hope to see you there. To reserve your spot, please visit tinyurl.com/holidaycelebration27 to RSVP.
If you are looking for even more festive activities this season, I encourage you to visit the Downtown DC Holiday Market, a beloved annual tradition for residents across the city. With more than 100 local vendors, the market offers a wonderful place to shop, enjoy great food, pick up gifts, and fellowship with others. The Holiday Market is open November 21–December 23:
• Monday–Thursday from 12:00 PM–8:00 PM
• Friday–Saturday from 11:00 AM–9:00 PM
• Sunday from 11 AM–8 PM
The market is located on F
Street between 7th and 9th Streets NW, right next to the Gallery Place–Chinatown Metro. Best of all, admission is free.
As the temperatures continue to drop, I also want to remind everyone to stay safe and warm. Seniors can be more susceptible to cold-related illnesses like hypothermia. Dressing in layers, keeping your home warm, and limiting time outdoors on especially cold days can make a big difference. If you or someone near you shows signs of hypothermia, such as shivering, confusion, drowsiness, or slow or slurred speech, please call 911 immediately. For additional tips on preparing for winter weather, visit ready.dc.gov for helpful information and resources.
As we approach the end of 2025, I find myself reflecting
on the resilience, strength, and unity of our senior community. This year, we have grown together, supported one another, and continued building a city where older adults are valued and cared for. As we move into 2026, DACL remains committed to standing beside you, championing your needs, and creating opportunities
for connection, wellness, and joy in the year ahead. Wishing you a warm, bright, and joyful holiday season.
In Service, Charon P.W. Hines Director, DC Department of Aging and Community Living
INTERNATIONAL
Military Coup in Guinea-Bissau Interrupts Electoral Process
One of Many Power Seizures in the West African nation, Some Suspect it May Have Been Fabricated
By Mya Trujillo WI Contributing Writer
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Ballots in Guinea-Bissau had just been counted and voters of the Western African nation, alongside international community members, were awaiting the results of the country’s 2025 presidential and legislative elections on Nov. 26 – when military forces announced they were executing a coup d’etat.
The military forces, operating under the name High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order, declared General Horta Nta Na Man as its Head and the Transitional President of Guinea-Bissau on Nov. 27 – a response to the alleged discovery of a plan by foreign and domestic nationals to alter the election results in collaboration with a “well-known drug lord.”
Nta intends to oversee a oneyear transitional period.
“The High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order… [is] deeply committed to the values of national security, civil peace and the defense of the territorial integrity and independence of Guinea-Bissau,” said the military junta’s spokesperson, General Denis N’Canha, when the coup was announced.
Former President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and his main opposition Fernando Dias had both claimed victory before the votes were counted. However, a joint statement from African organizations revealed that once the ballots were counted, both candidates agreed to accept the results.
The statement, released by the Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS), the heads of the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) and the West African Elders Forum, condemned the coup and expressed their disappointment in the reaction, which
they consider an attempt to disrupt the democratic process after what they noted to be “an orderly and peaceful conclusion of the voting” in the general election.
ECOWAS members visited Guinea-Bissau on Monday, Dec. 1, to hold constructive conversations with the forces that seized power over the nation.
“On the part of ECOWAS, the chair of the Authority… calls for the immediate restoration of constitutional order, which includes allowing the electoral process to a logical conclusion,” said Sierra Leone Foreign Minister Timothy Kabba during the visit.
Accusations of a Fabricated Coup
Since gaining full independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced at least nine successful or attempted coups. Still, many African political figures are skeptical about the legitimacy of the current seizure of power, given its timing in relation to the revelation of the election results.
Embalo, elected in 2020, has claimed to have survived multiple coup attempts throughout his presidency, but has been previously accused of fabricating them, including the one that began on Nov. 27.
“There is no coup d’état,” said Dias in a video statement. “The president invented the coup because he knew he could not win the elections.”
In the video, Dias claimed to have won the first round of elections and expressed his immense disgust for the coup. He told viewers he was even open to running for a second election to honor the spirit of democracy in Guinea-Bissau.
Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonkio called the military takeover a “sham.”
Similarly, former Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Johnathan, who was temporarily stuck in Guinea-Bissau as part of the election’s observation team, referred to the coup as “ceremonial,” suspicious of the fact that
MILITARY Page 40
5 General Horta Nta Na Man is sworn in to serve as Guinea-Bissau’s transitional president, claiming to do so under the hope of restoring political stability within the country. (Courtesy Photo/African Report Files via Facebook)
Building Stability: Why Safe Housing Matters for Families
Submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia (DC)
A safe and stable place to live is about more than just a roof over your head. Housing shapes our health, education, and family stability. Without it, stress increases, health problems grow, and children struggle in school.1
Across the United States, millions of families face housing insecurity. Their homes may be unsafe or too expensive for them to afford, or they may be at risk of eviction and forced to move often. In Washington, DC, 12% of residents (more than 82,000 people) face this challenge.2
Families feel the biggest impact
Families with children often carry the heaviest burden. Parents struggling to maintain stable housing are more likely to fall behind on bills, delay medical care, or live in unsafe conditions. In 2022, 17.1% of children in the U.S. lived in homes experiencing unstable housing,3 such as late rent payments, frequent moves, or overcrowding.
The cost of unstable housing
When families can’t keep stable housing, the impact goes beyond having a place to stay. The effects can be seen in families’ daily lives, such as:
• Health problems. Poor housing conditions, such as mold or lead paint, can trigger asthma and other illnesses. Research also shows that adults facing housing insecurity are twice as likely to postpone medical care due to cost.4
• Greater stress. Living with the fear of eviction, unsafe conditions, or overcrowded housing means constant stress, which harms mental health.5
• Challenges for children. Kids who move often or live in unsafe homes are more likely to struggle in school and fall behind their peers.6
Solutions that work
If you or someone you know is experiencing housing insecurity, these solutions may provide important support:
• Check if you qualify for housing vouchers or rental assistance in your state or city.
• Look into home repair and safety programs that may cover upgrades like new smoke detectors, lead paint removal, or mold cleanup.
• Reach out to tenant advocacy or legal aid groups if your living conditions are unsafe or you are facing eviction.
• DC Housing Authority (DCHA) manages the city’s public housing and voucher programs, helping residents access safe and affordable homes.
• DC Department of Human Services Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) helps District residents facing eviction by providing funds for overdue rent, security deposits, and first month’s rent for new housing.
Every person has a right to live in a stable home environment. When families have secure homes, children thrive, parents stay healthier, and communities grow stronger.
Sources
1.“How Housing Instability Affects Children’s Health and Development,” Urban Institute,” https://housingmatters.urban.org/articles/how-housing-instability-affects-childrens-health-and-development
2. “Housing Insecurity in the District of Columbia,” Urban Institute, https://www.urban.org/research/publication/housing-insecurity-district-columbia
3. Lydie A. Lebrun-Harris et al., “Prevalence and Correlates of Unstable Housing Among US Children,” JAMA Pediatr, Vol. 178, No. 7, July 1, 2024, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38767882/
4. Aarti C. Bhat et al., “Housing insecurity pathways to physiological and epigenetic manifestations of health among aging adults: a conceptual model,” Front Public Health, Vol. 13, Article 1485371, January 23, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/ PMC11799248/
5. “Housing Instability,” Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/ social-determinants-health/literature-summaries/housing-instability
“The Harmful Impact of Housing Instability on Child Development,” Marguerite’s Place, https://margueritesplace.org/housing-instability-and-child-development/#:~:text=Children%20 experiencing%20homelessness%20are%20twice%20 as%20likely%20to%20repeat%20a,based%20community%20programming%2C%20is%20vital
All images are submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia and are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model
Keep Moving This Winter
Busy schedules and family life can make it hard to stay active, especially during the winter, but moving your body doesn’t always require hours at the gym. Small, simple activities can go a long way toward improving your health and energy. During the holidays, when it’s tempting to slow down, try adding movement into your life with simple tasks:
• Taking a walk outdoors. Bundle up and enjoy a stroll around your neighborhood or one of DC’s many walking trails.
• Walking while you shop. Turn holiday errands or Christmas shopping into a way to get your steps in.
• Moving at home. Follow fitness vid-
eos on YouTube or find active routines right from your phone on apps like Nike Training Club (NTC) or FitOn.
• Stretching throughout the day. Short breaks to stretch or do light exercises can boost your energy and reduce stress. If the cold weather isn’t for you, AmeriHealth Caritas DC enrollees can attend Total Body Fitness classes at Balance Gym. No matter how you choose to move, your body, and your health, will thank you.
To learn more, call the Community Outreach Solutions team at 202-216-2318 or view the class schedule at www.amerihealthcaritasdc.com.
HEALTH
Centering Black LGBTQ+ Communities on World
By Jennifer Porter Gore Word in Black
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention delivered news that rocked the Black gay community. It estimated that half of all Black gay men in the U.S. would contract HIV in their lifetimes — despite the availability of breakthrough drugs that all but block
transmission of the virus.
That grim prognosis, based in part on health care disparities and access to treatment, didn’t sit well with DaShawn Usher.
“At that particular time, I [had] done direct service]” providing social services to those in need, Usher says. “So, knowing there was a 50% chance, if nothing changes, for Black gay men and queer folks
to [be] exposed to HIV wasn’t necessarily an option when I knew that there were resources like PrEP [and other medications to manage HIV infection and control its spread].”
The missing link for Black gay men, he concluded, had to be lack of awareness.
“If we have all of this education and all of these tools, it was just that no one was aware [of current treatments],” Usher explains.
The year after the CDC’s 2016 announcement, Usher co-founded Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative, or MOBI, a grassroots LGBTQ collective focused on the health and well-being of the Black LGBTQ community.
On Wednesday, Dec. 3, MOBI is sponsoring an event in New York City to mark the 37th annual World AIDS Day, themed “Centering Black & Marginalized Voices Together.”
“We’re an organization that focuses on holistic wellness and care” based in New York City, says Usher. “So, we [serve] Black gay men and queer people of color to see their holistic self. We do this through our signature programming called MOBI Talks, which is a personal and professional development series that has been supported by ViiV Healthcare,” a pharmaceutical company that develops HIV medications exclusively.
The MOBI Talks series “teaches participants the importance of being tested and knowing their HIV sta-
tus, taking care of all aspects of their health, and maintaining community support systems,” Usher says.
The data is disturbing: roughly 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV, and Black Americans account for nearly 38% of new HIV diagnoses despite being only around 12% of the population. Globally, in 2024, approximately 630,000 people worldwide died due to AIDS-related illnesses.
Compared to the estimated 2.8 million AIDS-related deaths in 2005, the reduction is a great improvement. Still, millions of people continue to lose loved ones to the disease.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2025 World AIDS Day theme “Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response,” – with the official celebration on Dec. 1— bluntly sums up the current issues confronting AIDS patients and advocates alike.
“[WHO is] calling for sustained political leadership, international cooperation, and human-rights-centred approaches to end AIDS by 2030,” the organization reported.
“After decades of progress, the HIV response stands at a crossroads. Life-saving services are being disrupted, and many communities face heightened risks and vulnerabilities. Yet amid these challenges, hope endures in the determination, resilience, and innovation of communities who strive to end AIDS.”
Funding Cuts Threaten Global HIV Progress and Endanger Programs
When the Trump administration essentially dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development earlier this year, it ended the financial support that had funded a large part of the global HIV response. As a result, many HIV programs were interrupted and several have not recovered.
The new political realities underscore the importance of MOBI in filling those gaps, Usher says, pointing out it also helps participants find employment and mentor opportunities.
“The MOBI Talk series is important, because it is showing people that there are so many different careers that people have,” he says. “It may feel like it, but you are not the only one or the first one to do this.”
Partnering with ViiV has enabled MOBI to expand by offering programs in Los Angeles, Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta. Programming includes support for Black queer artists through its annual art show, concert, and wellness activations.
“We have a long history of supporting people in industries where we’re not always visible,” Usher says. “And so now it’s the time to just connect those dots so that people are better connected to care.” WI
5 Dr. Krista Hein arranges information brochures on Safeway’s AIDS programming and support on World AIDS Day in December 2020. (WI File Photo/Roy Lewis)
D.C. Region Faces ACA Shock as Subsidy Deadline Closes In
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
The looming expiration of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies threatens to send insurance premiums sharply higher for residents across the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The Washington region sits at the center of a national political fight, but the consequences for local families could be immediate if Congress does not act before the end of the month.
Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) data show that more than 682,000 people in the four jurisdictions bought coverage on the ACA exchange this year. The share receiving advanced premium tax credits includes 28 percent of enrollees in D.C., 78% in Maryland, 87% in Virginia, and 98% in West Virginia.
For older households in the region, the numbers are severe. A 60-year-old couple with an income of $85,000 would face an average monthly premium increase of $1,900 if subsidies disappear, according to KFF. In Virginia,
the same couple would see increases between about $1,200 and $1,400 per month. In Maryland, the jump would still be roughly $1,100 a month. District families who rely on marketplace coverage are in similar danger if Congress lets the credits lapse.
The Senate is expected to vote in early December, honoring a commitment from Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, who promised Democrats a floor vote to end the 43-day shutdown. That agreement gave the Democratic caucus the right to bring forward an ACA-related bill this month.
The House remains the major roadblock. Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has refused to guarantee a vote on any extension and has criticized the ACA tax credits.
Johnson referred to the subsidies as a “boondoggle,” during the recent funding fight.
9.875" x 5.5".pdf 16 11/24/25 13:54
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, is trying to force the issue. Jeffries filed a discharge petition to bring a three-
year extension bill to the floor and has warned colleagues that time is short.
“There are just 13 legislative days left before the Affordable Care Act tax credits expire,” wrote Jeffries in a letter to House members. “We only need a handful of Republicans to join us in order to save the healthcare of tens of millions of Americans.”
Some Republicans in swing districts have backed shorter extensions or bipartisan compromise bills with new eligibility limits. One of the key negotiators is Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Pennsylvania, who has been working with Democrats on a plan that mirrors elements of a leaked White House framework.
“The president has got to sign whatever we do otherwise it is a legislative exercise,” Fitzpatrick proclaimed.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, said Senate Democrats will not let the issue slide.
“That vote will happen. And whether it will pass is in the hands of Donald Trump and the Republicans,” Klobuchar said during a televised interview.
Republican President Donald Trump has also added uncertainty.
“Somebody said I want to extend it for two years. I do not want to extend
it for two years. I would rather not extend them at all,” Trump said recently while flying on Air Force One.
He also said that “some kind of an extension may be necessary to get something else done because the unaffordable care act has been a disaster. It is a disaster.”
Democrats warn that communities in and around the nation’s capital will feel the pain if the subsidies expire and premiums spike.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), said Republicans are allowing their hostility toward the law and its namesake to override political self-interest.
“The pollsters have obviously told them that they are going to get their clocks cleaned if they do not fix the health care mess they created,” Murphy declared. “They may hate the ACA and Barack Obama so much they are willing to lose an election.” WI
5 People protesting to save the Affordable Care Act in October. The looming expiration of ACA subsidies threatens to send insurance premiums sharply higher for residents across the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)
EARTH OUR
Another
Year Another
‘B’: The Struggle for a Swimmable, Fishable Potomac River
While the River’s Health has Improved Drastically over the Years, Progress Proves to be at a Standstill
By Mya Trujillo
WI Contributing Writer
Since 2007, the Potomac Conservancy has released annual “State of the Nation’s River” reports, in which the water’s quality is assessed based on a letter grading scale, threats to clean water are examined, and solutions are discussed. While quality has improved since the first assessment, this year’s review, released on Nov. 12, revealed a plateau in progress, as the river scored a “B” for the fifth consecutive report card.
Once a body of water frequented by a variety of aquatic life, or where Washingtonians could swim and fish on warm days, the Potomac River is a natural landmark integral to the region’s history and culture. Decades of water pollution deemed the river un-
swimmable and unfishable in 1923, which has motivated advocates and scientists to restore what was once a recreational hub for the community.
“It’s tough because success is not guaranteed, but we do see this as a decisive decade,” Hedrick Belin, executive director of the Potomac Conservancy, told The Informer, “these next 10-years, where [we’re] accelerating the prolonged efforts and continuing to build on the progress that’s already been made.”
While pollutants are decreasing, the river’s forests are becoming more protected and river recreation increases, the Potomac is still subject to large amounts of urban runoff, native fish populations are struggling, and some states in the basin aren’t reaching their streamside planting goals.
In nearly two decades of the conservancy’s report cards, the river’s water health has been able to improve from a “D” to a “B,” but now, as such quality recovery has stalled, various groups are urging collaboration between actors to transform the Potomac into the river the East Coast and the nation’s capital deserve.
“A swimmable, fishable river is the goal, but… we are not at the finish line yet,” said Dr. Moussa Wone, vice president of the D.C. Water Clean Rivers Project, when the report was released. “This work takes partnership from our local and federal partners, regional stakeholders and our communities to address other pollution sources such as urban and agricultural runoff.”
The Potomac Conservancy, DC Water and the Interstate Commis-
sion on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) are three entities actively leading research and initiatives centered around enhancing factors that will contribute to a healthier river.
“Rising threats to water quality remain real,” Wone continued. “That’s why water is not optional– it’s essential.”
Natural and Manmade Solutions Offer Hope for Cleaner Water
According to the report card, urban runoff is the greatest threat to a clean and healthy Potomac River. A mixture of street oil, fertilizers, sediment and trash flows from streets, lawns and parking lots into streams that lead to the river, and is exacerbated when the region experiences heavy rainfall or flash flooding events.
Preventing a large volume of runoff from entering the body of water is possible by restoring lost tree cover, as streamside forests act as a filter for
sediment and other pollutants that are suspended in the water flowing into the river. Manmade mitigation tactics are also effective, such as green infrastructure like rain gardens, floating trash traps and sewer tunnels.
Although these tactics exist, federal and local funding cuts to such environmental initiatives make the fight for a clean river even more difficult.
“[Urban runoff] is the only source of pollution going into the Potomac that’s increasing,... so that’s what’s really driving the challenge,” Belin told The Informer. “For the Potomac right now, federal leadership is lacking, and it’s a multi-state watershed, so without that federal leadership, it’s going to be tough.”
Another way that cleanliness in the basin is maintained is through the animals inhabiting its waters. Aquatic animals can purify a body of water, as many invertebrates that live at the bottom of rivers and streams
OUR EARTH Page 25
5Potomac Conservancy Executive Director Hedrick Belin presents the 2025 Potomac Report Card to media and community members on Nov. 12. He emphasized that the river is a work in progress that requires all hands on deck to achieve a swimmable, fishable river.
“ “A swimmable, fishable river is the goal, but… we are not at the finish line yet.This work takes partnership from our local and federal partners, regional stakeholders and our communities to address other pollution sources such as urban and agricultural runoff.”
Holidays at Hillwood
Dr. Moussa Wone VP of
the D.C. Water Clean Rivers
Project
OUR EARTH from Page 24
are capable of removing harmful debris and excess nutrients from the water.
ICPRB is committed to eliminating pollution in the watershed while securing Washington with a reliable drinking water supply. One of the ways the multi-state organization does this is by trying to increase and preserve the presence of aquatic life in the Potomac, particularly freshwater mussels, which are often considered the livers of rivers due to their natural ability to filter water.
“It’s difficult for them to get upstream because they’re in… dams four and five near Shepherdstown,” said ICPRB Executive Director Michael Nardolilli. “So, we’re building eel ladders to get the eels upstream… because they transport the baby mussels so they can get upstream, grow and actually help filter the water.”
Eels are the Potomac’s only catadromous species, meaning that while they spend most of their lives inhabiting the river, they travel out to sea to breed. They are constantly faced with the challenge of encountering impassable dams, which is why the ICPRB won a $419.3 thousand grant in September, meant to fund the eels’ passage throughout the North Branch Potomac via these ladders.
D.C. Water’s Clean Rivers Project shares the same goal as ICPRB to bring consistently clean drinking water to the nation’s capital. To reach this goal, the initiative relies on its most recent phase, the Potomac River Tunnel (PRT) project, to capture and reduce the amount of sewage flowing into the water.
Since 2005, the Clean Rivers Project has reduced the amount of stormwater runoff and sewage entering the river by 98%, or 19.5 billion gallons.
The 5.5-mile-long PRT, which is the District’s largest environmental infrastructure project, will hopefully reduce sewage overflows by 93% –the required percentage to meet the city’s water quality standard. With the project’s past, current and future initiatives, it is on track to reduce overflows of combined wastewater by 96% by 2030.
While such a longstanding plateau in cleaning the Potomac’s water may be discouraging, the sheer commitment to restoring its health is inspiring, but achieving such a feat and scoring an “A” requires collaboration and unwavering determination to the cause.
“We need to keep the momentum going,” Wone said. “And to make [the Potomac] truly swimmable, fishable and resilient, we must stay bold, stay united and stay committed.” WI
Photo: Erik Kvalsvik
EDUCATION
Education Department Unravels as Project 2025 Advances
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
The Trump administration has begun the formal dismantling of the United States Department of Education. The Supreme Court’s decision lifting an injunction on mass layoffs cleared the way for the administration to start breaking apart the agency and transferring its responsibilities to other federal departments.
“When the executive publicly announces its intent to break the law and then executes on that promise, it is the judiciary’s duty to check that lawlessness and not expedite it,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in her dissent this year.
The dismantling aligns with the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 plan which calls for eliminating the federal role in education and replacing it with state block grants without oversight.
The National Education Association (NEA) reported that the plan would abolish Title I fund-
ing and jeopardize the more than 2.8 million students who rely on it in the nation’s highest poverty schools. Their analysis shows that losing Title I could eliminate one hundred eighty thousand teaching positions.
“Taking a wrecking ball to public schools will inflict damage on millions of low-income students across the country,” said Becky Pringle, president of the NEA.
She also said that Americans did not support ending the federal government’s commitment to equal educational opportunity.
The dismantling is already underway. Education Secretary Linda McMahon wrote that the 43day government shutdown proved how little the department would be missed. Days later she posted a video of a ticking clock and the message that the department’s final phase had begun.
Education Week reported that as many as seven major offices are expected to be moved to other federal agencies. These in-
clude programs for students with disabilities, the Office for Civil Rights, postsecondary education, and divisions that oversee core K through 12 funding.
“If you take the major organs out of a human, do you still have a human or do you have a corpse,” a former department staffer told Education Week.
The movement of responsibilities threatens the protections and funding that schools depend on. IDEA funds support more than 7.5 million students with disabilities. Pell Grants help millions of low-income college students at-
“When the executive publicly announces its intent to break the law and then executes on that promise, it is the judiciary’s duty to check that lawlessness and not expedite it.”
Justice Sonia Sotomayor
tend school. Title I reduces class sizes and funds reading specialists and intervention programs. The NEA warns that dismantling the department will reduce special education services, increase class sizes, and leave millions of students without essential support.
In the District, where Black students make up the largest share of enrollment, advocates fear that federal oversight will disappear.
“If we no longer have a department we may not necessarily really have the research and support to really make sure that all students are achieving at high levels,” Patrick Rice of the Black Educational Advocacy Coalition noted.
He said the department has provided the accountability districts often lacked.
Civil rights organizations warn that Project 2025 rejects enforce-
ment of Title VI including the ability to challenge school policies that have discriminatory effects.
“Denying these truths does not make them disappear, it deepens the harm,” Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, said.
Educators nationwide say students and staff will feel the impact immediately.
“Students are not going to get the support they need,” Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota, stated in the NEA analysis. She said staff who provide vital services will lose their jobs.
Will Ragland of the Center for American Progress added that removing Title I funding “would be devastating to local schools students families and communities” and he said it would mean losing thousands of teachers.
WI
5 In alignment with Project 2025, the Trump administration is formally dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. (WI File Photo/Roy Lewis)
The Maya Angelou Public Charter School’s Hospitality and Tourism program went international from Nov. 9 – 19. Ten students from the Northeast, D.C. charter school took to St. Vincent and The Grenadines, where they shadowed resort staff and learned a great deal about hospitality operations, such as kitchen management and stock room set up. (Cleveland Nelson/ The Washington Informer)
EDUCATION
IMAGINE THE NBA
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Service, Sacrifice, and the Questions We Still
Need to Ask
Honoring Two Fallen Heroes While Facing Difficult Truths About Safety, Policy, and Fairness
For several months now, Washington, D.C. has faced the sobering sight of National Guard troops patrolling our streets— an image that inspires both gratitude and unease.
Gratitude, because among these young men and women are those who choose service over comfort; unease, because their presence now raises difficult questions about how we deploy volunteers to protect us.
That unease worsened tragically last week with the death of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old member of the West Virginia National Guard, who succumbed to her wounds after being shot while on duty near Farragut Square. Still a young adult, she stepped up to serve her country with a sense of duty and bravery that many twice her age rarely exhibit.
Specialist Andrew Wolfe, 24, who was wounded in the same attack, continues to fight for his life.
Their families deserve more than just our condolences and prayers. They deserve acknowledgment that these losses occurred not on a distant battlefield, but on the streets of our nation’s capital.
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser put it plainly.
“This was a senseless act of violence,” she said, “and we must honor those who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our residents while demanding accountability from every level of government.”
Her words convey both the grief and frustration felt by many, not only across the District but throughout the country.
As we mourn, we must also ask: Is this truly how we want to use the National Guard?
These young Americans train for emergencies, natural disasters, and national defense— not for extended street deployments that blur the line
between community safety and military presence.
Their service is sacred; their sacrifice should never be treated as routine.
Even amid this shared grief, political opportunism undermines true reflection.
Instead of addressing core issues, President Donald J. Trump now seeks to blame the entire Afghan refugee community for one person's actions—punishing thousands who fled violence, supported U.S. forces, and rebuilt their lives with dignity here in the United States.
Blaming others is not leadership; it’s scapegoating.
The National Guard – indeed, all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces - deserve respect. Our communities deserve thoughtful policies. And our grief deserves more than political theater.
WI
It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas for Some Washingtonians, While Others Struggle to Find Reasons
Thanksgiving has come and gone with most families tired of turkey and dressing, filled to the brim with macaroni and cheese, and resigned to the fact that they must either freeze or throw away any leftovers that may still linger in their refrigerators.
As in year’s past, dozens of nonprofit organizations, athletic teams including the Washington Commanders, and local celebrities like Kevin Durant, generously provided bags of groceries or meals already cooked and ready to be savored for thousands of those in need throughout the DMV.
So, with predictions of snow this week for parts of Maryland and even a few sprinkles expected in the District, one could say it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
But with the ongoing dilemma of food insecurity, increased shortages of affordable housing, rising costs for essential goods, and in the wake of unprecedented layoffs and firings, many individuals and families are more worried about making it day to day than what’s on the docket for Christmas Day.
Based on data from the Pew Research Center, approximately 141,000 people in Washington, D.C.
rely on food assistance through SNAP – nearly 21% of the city's population.
An additional 12,500 households receive benefits through the WIC program. And while these programs represent lifelines for thousands of people, what’s more troubling is the total number of children in D.C. who face life each day hungry— estimated at more than 18,000 youth.
Sure, a lot of children are dreaming about getting a bicycle, a computer, a cell phone or maybe new clothes for Christmas, while others are looking forward to family vacations with destinations that include either warmer climates or reunions at grandma’s house.
However, there are countless stories that may not make headline news, but which we should be aware of and willing to lend a hand to those who simply dream about having a warm, safe place to lay their head and the expectation that they will not go to bed hungry.
In Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” we are told about two spirits, personified as a little boy and girl, who we should fear the most and who are identified as products of society’s failures to care for all humanity: igno-
to Celebrate
rance and want.
If, as America’s leaders like to boast, we represent the richest and most powerful nation on the planet, why are so many of our neighbors hungry, homeless, and hopeless?
We can do better, we need to do better, and we must do better— now!
Based on data from the Pew Research Center, approximately 141,000 people in Washington, D.C. rely on food assistance through SNAP – nearly 21% of the city's population.
TO THE EDITOR
“I was so happy to read this article on Kevin Peterman and young Black ministers taking the helm to continue the work of the church ministry in civil rights. This just made my day. After reading it, I made a donation to The Informer because I believe in free press and that this paper has long been about reporting helpful, honest and reliable information. Thank you for carrying on the legacy of Calvin Rolark, a great man.”
-Wendelin W., in reference to the article: “New Generation of Black Church Leadership Rising to Continue Battle for Freedom.”
“Great article highlighting how hunger affects the working population. We need to step up as a community to make sure those who work in our city can feed their families!!”
- Hannah Hahn, in reference to the article: “From Crisis to Community: Inside D.C.’s Collective Stand Against Hunger.”
Readers’ Mailbox The Washington Informer welcomes letters to the editor about articles we publish or issues affecting the community. Write to news@ washingtoninformer.com. or send to: 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20032. Please note that we are unable to publish letters that do not include a full name, address and phone number. We look forward to hearing from you.
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS
Guest Columnist
This Giving Season, Give Black
It's the end of the year, which means you are being barraged by requests to give. Whether it is your alma mater, your church, a charity you gave to once upon a time, even a long, long time ago, you are getting repeated requests to give. Giving Tuesday, this year on Dec. 2, has come and gone, but the encouragement to give is not a bad thing.
The Giving Tuesday concept began in 2012, when the United Nations Foundation and New York's 92nd Street Y, a Jewish cultural and community center in New York, saw it as relief from the rampant consumerism that defines this so-called holy season.
The frenzy begins on or before Black Friday, where in the past fools lined up to score bargains on electronics, sometimes so frantically that they rushed into big box stores, stampeding guards and fellow consumers. It continues to Cyber Monday, where people are encouraged to buy on-
Guest Columnist
Julianne Malveaux
line. Giving Tuesday is an attempt to center on giving, not spending. It has even spun into a nonprofit organization that encourages giving.
Let's put this in context, though. Black people are givers. Proportionately we give more than most. We give because that's how we got over. From mutual aid societies during and after the enslavement period through the fried chickens and pound cakes that sustained our Historically Black Colleges and Universities "back in the day" (and even now), giving is a core value for African American people.
We don't necessarily need the nudge to give on Giving Tuesday. Black folks always give, even when we have less than the majority community does. Instead, this day serves as a reminder that most philanthropy reflects the structural inequity that defines our predatory capitalistic society. And the Giving Tuesday focus on collective philanthropy includes giving money, time, advocacy or support to those in need. Right now, with the global, national and local challenges we face, the spirit of Giving Tuesday is important now, more than ever.
Praying for Jesse Jackson — and Remembering His Lessons
across generations — perhaps because we have been cursed with a freedom struggle that never really ends.
News of the Rev. Jesse Jackson's health struggles has stirred many. It has me praying. And it has me remembering the hard lessons he taught, shaped in the trenches of our people's ongoing fight for freedom.
Look around the world, and it is easy to find charismatic voices rising amid liberation movements. Black America has been blessed with such figures
Through all that pain and hope, for nearly half a century, our most consequential and transformative leader has been the Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. Some dismiss his leadership as style over substance. "Keep Hope Alive!" they say. Sometimes with reverence. Sometimes half-mockingly. When I hear that latter tone, I'm reminded how privileged a life one must lead to think hope is just a slogan and not sacred labor.
Guest Columnist
Every elected official is required to take an oath of office. The sworn oath publicly binds them to the Constitution, laws, and to the people they were elected to represent. Taking an oath is an act of accountability and a moral commitment that is not optional. It is a statement that should always be a reminder to the official that their power in office is a privilege with limits and
moral boundaries. Therefore, disloyalty or any abuse of power is an unethical breach of their sworn obligation to the people.
Elected officials are servants of the people, rather than rulers above the law. It is safe to say there is not a day that goes by that the current "servant" in the White House does not compromise his sworn oath of office by surrendering morals and integrity in maintaining political power and personal loyalty. But the president is not alone. Every day, children and teens face compromising situations that
They don't understand the discipline it takes to help a people — or a nation — maintain hope in the face of adversity.
Last summer, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Rev. Jackson invited me to join him and his family in their box. I sat beside my old mentor and friend, holding his hand as Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the nomination for president.
The symbolism of the location for the night was unmistakable. We were in the city that sent Barack Obama to the White House. But we were also in
the city that, decades before that, empowered Jesse Jackson to show America the question was no longer whether it would elect a Black president — but when.
He demonstrated that truth not only through his presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988 — campaigns that broke ceilings and forged coalitions — but through the generations of leaders he encouraged and inspired.
The year after his last presidential run, Virginia elected its first Black governor, L. Douglas Wilder. New York elected its first Black mayor, David
Let's not overlook the inherent inequality in the philanthropic space. Charity can relieve symptoms, but it cannot repair structural inequality. The roots of the racial wealth gap — land theft, labor exploitation, exclusion from credit, and racially targeted policy — go far deeper than any one day of goodwill can touch.
Still, Giving Tuesday offers an important window. It calls us to remember that philanthropy is not the exclusive province of billionaires. Black
Page 53
Dinkins. Both publicly named Jackson as someone who helped make their possibilities real.
And just this past January, at Chicago's Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, his impact was visible from City Hall to the state Capitol — a reminder that his legacy is not nostalgia, but political infrastructure.
A decade earlier, I was one of the few Black partners at any Silicon Valley venture capital firm. I was told there had only been 36 Black men to hold such
tempt them to do what they know is wrong. By doing wrong, they can fit in and be accepted. Our lawmakers can be the same way. They are constantly faced with similar situations in which their personal desire to achieve and maintain political power overshadows character and moral standards.
The choice is clear; they can stay true to their sworn oath or compromise the oath to "fit in." Many lawmakers, like children and teens, choose the path of compromise to keep their political positions and stay in the good graces of President Donald Trump. Our Con-
stitution has a system of checks and balances that many lawmakers choose to compromise and ignore. Until recently, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was one of those compromised lawmakers.
It didn't take long for the feud between Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and President Trump to result in Greene's resignation from the House of Representatives. The relationship between the president and his longtime MAGA ally quickly fell apart after Greene's public criticism of Trump's policy positions, her advo-
cacy for Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse survivors, and finally her support for the discharge petition forcing a House vote on releasing the full Epstein files. Despite being one of Trump's most ardent supporters, Greene challenged the president when she uncharacteristically spoke out against Trump's global tariffs and sided with the Democrats on extending the expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits.
"Now that the [Affordable Care Act] tax credits are expiring, which
MARSHALL Page 53
David W. Marshall
Ben Jealous
MALVEAUX
Guest Columnist
The Fight for the Epstein Files is Finally Won
years old — at the hands of grown men and a woman.
A few days ago, I was on my way to Ghana to be an honoree at a celebration when I heard: UNANIMOUS CONSENT! I had found it difficult to pack while waiting on pins and needles to find out how the vote would come out to release the Epstein files. These files detail the abuse suffered by women who were young girls — some just 14
The woman has been convicted of her role in this tragedy. Jeffrey Epstein died by what we're told were his own hands — something many found hard to believe. Many I talk with don't find that explanation credible; however, that's what is on the record. Epstein's friend, Ghislaine Maxwell, is serving her time in a Texas prison where it's reported she's serving with special privileges.
Brave women, still suffering
Congress is actively working on groundbreaking legislation that would provide much-needed regulatory clarity. The Digital Assets Market Structure legislation being developed by the U.S. Senate Agriculture and Banking committees can be better positioned to foster economic growth, promote financial education, and support guard-
"Trump's reasons for boycotting the event are ridiculous, to be polite … The claim that white people are more affected by criminal acts in the country is not only a mistaken belief but also a manufactured lie designed to invoke the emotions of white racists across the globe. The argument that black economic empowerment, affirmative action and other trans-
from the impact of what happened to them, have had enough of the harm caused by Epstein, Maxwell and later by Trump and his allies, who delayed justice by refusing to release the files we know existed. Epstein's family was honorable enough to share what they had. From those files, we learned some important things.
While waiting for some manner of justice, these women kept up the fight; they earned a lot of support from Democrats immediately, but not Republicans, because
Guest Columnists
the president held them hostage and prevented them from supporting the resolution to have the complete files released. There was even talk of Trump planning to pardon and release Ghislaine Maxwell. Naturally, when asked about that rumor, Trump sat feigning innocence by saying he hadn't ruled it out.
Meanwhile, we went through a lot of drama where nearly all Republicans were waiting for their dear leader to give them instructions. With few exceptions,
Republicans were on hold, and the fact that the bill to force the Justice Department to release the files passed the House, and sooner than we had thought, it passed the Senate where it passed by unanimous consent after their dear leader released them to vote to pass it once he learned enough Republicans were already going to vote for the bill to pass anyway! That must have come as a shock to him. Nevertheless, the bill was immediately
Congress Shouldn't Leave Small Banks Out of the Digital Asset Future
rails for the early and vibrant segments of Americans who actively leverage digital assets.
In Washington, debates over crypto are too often conflated with tensions with Wall Street incumbents, entrenched regulatory turf wars, and the race for global competitiveness. As a result, a critical voice is often absent from deliberations: small financial institutions that have long been the backbone of underserved rural and urban neighborhoods. As Congress con-
siders legislation governing digital assets, it has an opportunity to take a simple, transformative, bipartisan step to ensure they are not once again left behind and left out. Lawmakers should include a federal study examining how Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) can safely and compliantly offer digital asset products. The time for this level of regulatory clarity is now!
Ensuring Access to
the Future of Digital Finance
This is not a niche concern. It is a matter of financial inclusion, U.S. competitiveness, and necessity for a market structure framework that fuels innovation across rural and mainstream America.
Whether policymakers embrace or resist them, digital assets — from tokenized deposits to stablecoins to blockchain-based payment rails — are increasingly shaping the financial landscape. Large in-
stitutions and fintechs are already experimenting with tokenization, on-chain identity solutions, and blockchain-enabled lending. As these technologies become part of mainstream financial transactions, millions of Americans could be locked out if their local community institutions are not part of policy considerations.
CDFIs and MDIs serve precisely the communities most vulnerable to being excluded from transfor-
HARRIS/ MESIDOR Page 54
formative laws are racist is simply an attempt to protect the privilege of white people."
— Sowetan editor Sibongakonke Shoba
Traditionally, each meeting of the Group of Twenty, more commonly known as the G-20, ends with the leader of the host country ceremonially handing the gavel to the leader of the next year's host country.
Not this year.
The United States' absence was
not just symbolic. In boycotting the summit, the Trump administration has chosen to relinquish our nation's leadership on global economic and social policy, preferring instead to promote discredited conspiracy theories rooted in racial prejudice.
The boycott is part of an ongoing diplomatic attack on South Africa dating back to Trump's first term, when he began disseminating baseless claims of widespread killing of white South African farmers and land seizures. The administration
has used these lies as a pretext to withdraw financial assistance to South Africa, to give white South Africans priority for refugee status in the U.S., and to boycott the G-20 summit that just concluded. Trump's confrontation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with misleading and mislabeled racist propaganda in the Oval Office in May was embarrassing. The consequences of the boycott will be far more damaging. As the United States surrenders its role in shaping the global economic fu-
ture, the vacuum will be filled by nations like China and Russia who are only too happy to see our status and influence diminished. Africa, home to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world, is increasingly central to global growth. Conversations about trade, technology, and climate change rely on these young, dynamic voices, and the United States has a responsibility and shared interest in being a part of
Page 54
Marc H. Morial
E. Faye Williams
Kevin Harris and Cleve Mesidor WILLIAMS
LIFESTYLE
Things To Do, DMV!
By Keith Golden Jr. WI Intern
With the first week of December comes a wide mix of community events in the District, ranging from holiday celebrations and parades to educational workshops, family programs, and food assistance opportunities.
To learn more about the fun events around town, and keep your social life lit, don’t forget to check out the Washington Informer Calendar.
This collaborative holiday networking event— hosted by Greater Washington DC Black Chamber of Commerce (GWBCC), Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GWHCC), and French-American Chamber of Commerce— unites professionals, entrepreneurs, and community business leaders from across the region for an evening of connection and celebration.
Guests are invited to enjoy a complimentary drink ticket and will have the opportunity to purchase food on-site. The event offers a relaxed, festive atmosphere ideal for building relationships, forging new partnerships, and reflecting on the year’s achievements.
Entrepreneurial Workshops with Naomi Brown from Her Corner 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. | Free
Driskell Recreation Building, 3911 Hamilton Street Hyattsville, MD 20781
Presented by Her Corner, in partnership with the youth-center program of the City of Hyattsville, this workshop will engage students in grades 6–12 in hands-on, interactive activities designed to introduce them to entrepreneurship.
From brainstorming business ideas, to learning marketing basics, time management, budgeting, networking, leadership, and teamwork, the immersive afternoon works in a mission to develop the next class of leaders spanning the DMV.
Naomi Brown, CEO of Her Corner, a company that provides training and support for women entrepreneurs, holds a bachelor’s degree from Spelman College and an MBA from the University of Phoenix, along with additional certifications in small business management and diversity coaching from institutions including Georgetown University and Howard University. Brown’s professional background includes work in sales, financial planning, internal consulting, and real estate investment. Through Her Corner, she leads programs that focus on operational planning, marketing fundamentals, and business growth strategies for early-stage and expanding business owners.
Friday, Dec. 5
2025 Father Daughter Dinner
Dance and Jazzy Sneaker Ball
7:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. | $97.88
Laurel-Beltsville Senior Activity Center, 7120 Contee Road Laurel, MD 20707
At the 15th annual Father-Daughter Dinner Dance and Jazzy Sneaker Ball, fathers, father figures, grandfathers, and male guardians can share a special evening with their daughters ages 3–16.
Organized in partnership with the Theta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Ivy Vine Charities hosts the program featuring dinner, music, and dancing, with a “sneaker ball” dress code that pairs formal or semi-formal attire with decorative or stylish sneakers.
Friday Food Distribution
4 p.m. - 6 p.m. | Free St. Camillus Food Pantry, 1500 Saint Camillus Drive Silver Spring, MD 20903
This weekly distribution event provides free food assistance to families, adults, and seniors. The Friday event offers pre-packaged food— such as nonperishables and pantry staples— for those in need.
Recipients should bring bags for the groceries. The distribution is first-come, first-served until supplies run out. Identification or proof of address may be required if picking up for more than one household.
Saturday, Dec. 6
54th Annual Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade
11 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Free Old Town Alexandria, 532 King Street Alexandria, VA 22314
The 54th Annual Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade celebrates Alexandria’s Scottish heritage dating back to its founding in 1749.
The parade features dozens of Scottish clans dressed in vibrant tartans, accompanied by pipe-anddrum bands, Scottish dancers, terriers and hounds, community groups, classic cars and more.
Spectators may view the parade from anywhere along the mile-long route. While there are no reserved seats, attendees may bring pop-up chairs.
The Holiday Boat Parade & Party at The Wharf
5 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Free
The Wharf, 760 Maine Avenue SW Washington, D.C., 20024
Looking to ‘tis the season in style? Tap into the Holiday Boat Parade and Party at The Wharf, featuring more than 60 festively decorated vessels cruising along the Washington Channel.
Among the variety of free, family-friendly activities includes: live
music, holiday karaoke, ornament decorating, visits with Santa, s’mores at a waterfront firepit, and more. Plus, seasonal drinks and food are available for purchase, as visitors bask in the holiday spirit and take photos with a 45-foot nautical Christmas tree and other festive displays along Wharf Street. This free and open event culminates with a 8 p.m. fireworks display over the Channel, with waterfront viewing available along The Wharf’s piers and public spaces.
Sunday, Dec. 7
Families Together: Meet Ups: Oceans
10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. | $35.00
Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center, 10th Street &, National Museum of Natural History, Constitution Avenue NW Washington, D.C., 20560
The “Oceans” Meet-Up is designed for families with children from infancy through early elementary age, bringing an opportunity to explore marine life with hands-on play stations and an educator-led museum tour, including exhibits at the museum’s Sant Ocean Hall.
Hosted by the Smithsonian Ear-
THINGS TO DO Page 33
5A lineup of brightly lit boats glides down the Washington Channel during a previous hosting of The Wharf’s annual Holiday Boat Parade. Returning to the nation’s capital Saturday, Dec. 6, visitors can look forward to an evening of festive displays, fireworks, and family-friendly activities along the waterfront in Southwest, D.C. (Courtesy Photo/The Wharf)
WASHINGTON INFORMER'S
Washington Informer Weekend Checklist
THINGS TO DO from Page 32
ly Enrichment Center, the session focuses on ocean animals and habitats, providing interactive learning experiences for children and their caregivers.
Registration is required, and one ticket covers the entire family. The program runs for approximately 90 minutes, beginning in the classroom before transitioning to exhibits in the museum.
The Howard Gospel Choir Holiday Show
6 p.m. | $19.59+
The Hamilton, 600 14th Street NW Washington, D.C., 20005
The Howard Gospel Choir, founded in 1968, honors decades of tradition, excellence and community-centered performance with a dynamic evening of gospel,
contemporary inspirational music, and seasonal favorites – delivered with the ensemble’s signature energy and artistry.
An annual seasonal treat, the Howard Gospel Choir Holiday Show presents a warm, celebratory atmosphere for families, alumni, and music lovers alike, while providing exposure to the Choir’s longstanding mission of sharing joy and inspiration through song, signature energy and artistry.
Founded in 1968, the Howard Gospel Choir honors decades of tradition, excellence and community-centered performance with a dynamic evening of gospel, contemporary inspirational music, and seasonal favorites – all within one of D.C.’s most intimate live music venues.
Don’t miss out on a prime opportunity to kick off the winter holidays! WI
5Members of the Howard Gospel Choir perform with signature energy and rich harmonies during the ensemble’s annual holiday concert. On Sunday, Dec. 7, Howard University’s longtime music group will fill The Hamilton in Northwest, D.C. with gospel, inspirational music, and seasonal favorites that celebrate community and tradition.
(Courtesy Photo/The Hamilton)
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 02-2026
PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING SERVICES
The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) Office of Capital Construction and Design/Development (CCD) operations requires licensed, qualified professionals to provide Professional Architectural and Engineering Services.
SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available Monday, December 1, 2025, full solicitation documents will be posted to our e-procurement system Housing Agency Marketplace at: https://ha.internationaleprocurement.com/requests.html?company_id=506
To access files respondents are required to Register on the Housing Agency Market Place platform. Respondents must log in to view this RFP for all related documents. It is the respondent’s responsibility to check the Housing Agency Market Place site regularly to stay current on all available documents as this is the primary communication site solicitation.
PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE
ON OR BEFORE Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at 12:00 p.m.
Email LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod, Contract Specialist (OAS) at LMMCLEOD@dchousing.org for additional information.
Tony Award-Winning Musical Comedy ‘Some Like It Hot’ Brings High-Stepping Fun to D.C.
Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer
A high-energy romp comes to Broadway at the National with the musical comedy “Some Like It Hot,” running until Dec. 7.
The national touring company for this Tony Award-winning production is one laugh after another for this comedy set during the Prohibition era.
Based on the 1959 film of the same title, “Some Like It Hot” follows musicians and friends Joe and Jerry, who witness a mob hit.
The guys are on the run, forced to disguise themselves as women and join an all-female band. The storyline becomes more complicated as unexpected relationships develop.
The lead singer in the band is Sugar, played by Leandra Ellis-Gaston, who said she knew about the decades-old original movie starring box-office stars of the day, Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon, having seen the film with her grandmother.
“It was super interesting when I first saw the movie,” said Ellis-Gaston. “Then, when approached about the production, I asked myself, ‘What is going on?’ I could not see a space for a Black woman in the production at all.”
The Story Unfolds
The character of Sugar captured Ellis-Gaston’s soul, a connection was made, and she was excited to tackle the role.
“I read the script of the musical and saw how it had been transformed to a more contemporary time. This is a story about a girl with a dream. Every woman, no matter your race, has a dream,” said Ellis-Gaston, a veteran of other Broadway musicals such as “Six,” “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” and “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.”
Now running at the historic National Theatre in Northwest, D.C., this version of “Some Like It Hot” is the first North American touring company since the Broadway musical won four Tony Awards in 2023, including Best Choreography. The
production, choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, is known for its big dance numbers, and the exciting moves will engage audiences the entire show.
“There's a lot of dancing from the moment the curtain goes up until it goes down,” said Ellis-Gaston. It is such an amazing experience to be in rehearsal with Casey and to get the dance movement in our bodies.”
Matt Loeher, who plays Joe— one of the actors in the musical who sees the mob hit— emphasized the impact of the rigorous choreography.
“I’ve got to get a massage. Got to go to physical therapy,” commented Loher about the dance sequences. “But the audience was electric. That’s what keeps us going.”
As the show hits cities nationwide, Matt Allen, who plays a detective in the cast, summed up the performance experience in the nation’s capital.
“This has been an awesome opening, said Allen. “First of all, this theater is so iconic. It's much more intimate than the spaces we’ve played. The audience is right there, and we can hear them. It makes for such a good musical comedy.”
For more information on “Some Like It Hot” at The National Theatre, visit broadwayatthenational.com. WI @bcscomm
“I’ve got to get a massage. Got to go to physical therapy,” commented Loher
about the dance sequences.
“But the audience was electric. That’s what keeps us going.”
Matt Loeher
5Leandra Ellis-Gaston portrays Sugar in the First National Touring Company of “Some Like It Hot” at the National Theatre from Nov. 25 to Dec. 7. (Photo credit: Matthew Murphy)
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apply. Food and OTC benefits have expiration timeframes. Call your plan or review your Evidence of Coverage (EOC) for more information. The healthy
Y0066_240722_091409
Paris Jackson’s $65 Million Tantrum: Family Power Struggles Explode in New Estate War
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
Paris Jackson’s new legal filing against the Michael Jackson Estate radiates anger, suspicion, and the weight of history. She claims the men who rebuilt her father’s empire have turned probate into a forever machine that feeds them riches while denying her and her brothers the transparency that she insists is owed to them.
But beneath that filing lies something older and more complicated. Long before the daughter entered a courtroom, a faction within the Jackson family rejected the executors, John Branca and John McClain, and never accepted that Michael gave them the authority to run everything. It is a faction that has included Ran-
dy Jackson, who once desired the executor’s role for himself, and his sister Janet Jackson, who has, at various points, stood in open opposition to the estate. Several insiders say that faction has found a new vessel in the late King of Pop’s daughter, and her filing reads like a continuation of their war, not the beginning of hers.
Her petition accuses the executors of dragging probate into a 16th year because they benefit from delay. She calls the estate a private kingdom that shelters itself in silence. She claims they sit on more than $460 million in cash that earned next to nothing in 2021, that they paid themselves $7,981,204 in fees that same year, and that Branca’s own law firm received $2,162,439 on top of that. She says more than $148 million
has already gone to the executors through 2021. Paris Jackson, the celebrated singer’s second child, argues that while they prosper, she and her brothers remain dependent on financial reports that arrive years too late.
But the rest of the story, the one inside the documents, is larger than the daughter’s filing allows. It is the story of how Branca and McClain inherited an estate that was more than $500 million in debt, riddled with nasty and unproven allegations, and raised it into a multi-billion-dollar force that now surpasses $3 billion in value. It is the story of projects that have sold more than $2 billion in tickets worldwide. It is the story of a lawyer who negotiated the ATV Beatles publishing deal, the catalog acquisition that changed the industry, and whose work for Michael spanned decades.
It is the story of: “This Is It,” the highest-grossing concert film in history; “MJ: The Musical,” which continues to play to sold-out houses and has been showered with
Tony Awards; Cirque du Soleil’s “The Immortal World Tour” and “Michael Jackson ONE;” and the $600 million Sony catalog deal that fortified the estate with unprecedented strength.
The documents note that Katherine Jackson has received more than $60 million in support since Michael’s death – a reaffirmation of the love the King of Pop always displayed toward his beloved mother. The late Tito and Jackie Jackson have been among the most steadfast supporters of the executors, calling this perhaps the greatest and most organized estate administration in modern entertainment history. One observer quoted in the record put it simply. The executors had taken such careful control of the singer’s legacy that his heirs, including his daughter, would be able to feed dozens of generations of Jacksons.
Even the Jackson daughter’s argument about the upcoming Antoine Fuqua biopic, “Michael,” JACKSON Page 37
5 In a new legal filing, Paris Jackson is claiming the men who rebuilt her father’s empire are denying her and her brothers the transparency she insists they are owed.
(Courtesy Photo)
JACKSON from Page 36
cracks under closer scrutiny. In the filing, she claims that the project lacks A-list performers except for Miles Teller, the actor portraying Branca.
However, the cast includes Nia Long as Katherine Jackson and Lorenz Tate as Berry Gordy, both acclaimed, award-winning performers with long and respected careers. Further, Colman Domingo, one of the most decorated actors of his generation, anchors one of the lead roles. He has earned Emmy wins, Academy Award nominations, Tony Award nominations, and in 2024 was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world.
The film stars Michael’s nephew Jaafar Jackson as the King of Pop, and Paris Jackson’s own brother Prince Jackson serves as an executive producer, a direct contradiction to her claim that the film is a playground for the executors.
“This is another misguided attempt by Paris Jackson’s attorneys to provide themselves cover. The fact is Paris Jackson’s lawyers lost their latest case against the estate and have been ordered to pay the estate’s attorneys’ expenses. All the beneficiaries are well taken care of by the estate. This is a weak attempt to change the narrative of their loss."
Anonymous
But the contradiction that towers above all others is the one in the daughter’s own life. Public records show she has received more than $65 million from the estate to date, according to insiders. Her
brothers— Prince and Bigi Jackson— have received far less, creating a disparity insiders say no one in the public ever seems to notice.
When Paris Jackson sues the estate, she is suing the very entity
that pays her. Any attorney fees the estate must now cover because of her lawsuit will be drawn from the pool that funds her own wealth.
As one family insider put it, “What person has a $65 million allowance. Well, that is Paris Jackson.”
Some whisper that the pain she has carried, the years of battling addiction, the struggle with mental health that has been openly acknowledged, and the volatility that has surrounded her adulthood, may be driving her toward those who want to aim her anger elsewhere.
Sources quoted earlier agreed that her latest actions are out of step with the triumph of the estate.
“Michael died more than five hundred million dollars in debt.
The estate not only cleared that, it built a fortune,” one source said.
“For her to turn on them now is shocking.”
Another source warned: “She’s stubborn and she’s getting disas-
trously bad advice.”
The executors and those aligned with them see the truth in quieter terms. They point to the will the late artist signed. They point to the courts that upheld their authority. They point to the billions generated, musicals, films, tours, Las Vegas residencies, catalog sales, and international productions that have reborn Michael Jackson’s legacy.
A source close to the estate had the last word.
“This is another misguided attempt by Paris Jackson’s attorneys to provide themselves cover. The fact is Paris Jackson’s lawyers lost their latest case against the estate and have been ordered to pay the estate’s attorneys’ expenses,” the source, who asked to remain anonymous, explained. “All the beneficiaries are well taken care of by the estate. This is a weak attempt to change the narrative of their loss.”
WI
LIFESTYLE
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
SOLICITATION NO.: 103-2025
On Demand Printing Services
The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA Office of Public Affairs and Communications (OPAC) requires licensed, qualified professionals to provide On Demand Printing Services.
SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available Monday, December 1, 2025, full solicitation documents will be posted to our e-procurement system Housing Agency Marketplace at: https://ha.internationaleprocurement.com/requests.html?company_id=506
To access files respondents are required to Register on the Housing Agency Market Place platform. Respondents must log in to view this RFP for all related documents. It is the respondent’s responsibility to check the Housing Agency Market Place site regularly to stay current on all available documents as this is the primary communication site solicitation.
PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Monday, December 29, 2025, at 12:00 p.m.
Email Ahmad Munir Totakhil, Procurement Specialist (OAS) at amtotakhil@dchousing.org for additional information.
THRILLER from Page 4
milestone over the weekend, the decades-long impact of the highest-grossing album of all time stretched from one continent to the next, nodding to a legacy that many consider integral to the modern music landscape.
“On this day in 1982, Michael Jackson released Thriller, the album that broke records, shattered racial barriers and forced MTV to open its doors to Black artists,” one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Nov. 30. “It remains the biggest-selling album ever and 43 years later, nothing has matched its influence.”
In London, a Brixton record stall blasted the bassline of “Billie Jean” as shoppers argued over vintage vinyl. In Paris, a street musician near Châtelet blended Jackson’s melodies into a Metro platform performance.
Meanwhile clusters of teens practiced the zombie routine in Yoyogi Park in Tokyo, while key cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., played singles on the street like it was 1983, reflective of the inevitable force that landed when the project first dropped four decades ago.
Produced by Quincy Jones, the project’s earliest success saw seven singles hit the Hot 100. “Beat It” and “Billie Jean” reached No. 1,
and more than 100 million albums sold across continents, according to the attached material.
This past fall, Forbes reported that “Billie Jean” reached a new global chart peak with the No. 40 spot on Billboard Global Excl. U.S. and No. 49 on the Billboard Global 200. The track has now lived more than one hundred weeks on those charts.
Additionally, NPR notes that the titletrack jumped from No. 32 to No. 10 in October, giving Jackson the historic distinction of scoring top 10 hits in six different decades— a feat no one else has accomplished.
“An absolutely one-of-a-kind album, for an absolutely one-ofa-kind artist,” Jones, who died in November 2024, wrote on X in 2022, in honor of the 40th anniversary. “I’ll forever cherish everyone involved in the making of this album & for all-a-y’awl for continuing to rock with the music we made 40 yrs later!”
While fans revisited “Thriller” this weekend, Jackson’s overall legacy continues to pay forward. In the upcoming biopic “Michael,” set to hit theaters next spring, the King of Pop’s nephew Jaafar Jackson plays the lead in a rare family-approved performance.
THRILLER Page 40
Certificate of Need
Connexus Health Network is applying for a Certificate of Need to establish an Imaging Center. A letter of intent will be filed with the District of Columbia State Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA). The facility will be located at 1101 Connecticut Ave NW in Ward 2. For additional information, please contact SHPDA at 202-442-5875.
5 Jaafar Jackson brings his uncle to life in the biopic “Michael,” set to release April 24. (Courtesy Photo)
LIFESTYLE
THRILLER from Page 38
The film features Colman Domingo, Lorenz Tate, and Nia Long, and is already generating global attention as the next chapter in the story that began with a groundbreaking album and an artist who refused to be predictable.
Quietly behind it all is the reminder that Jackson’s posthumous projects continue to reach audiences on nearly every continent. Across various ventures, the late icon has generated more than $2
billion in ticket sales, reflecting the scale of the global appetite for his work.
“I never got the chance to see Michael Jackson live, and I’m not letting this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away,” commented one YouTube user under the trailer for the “Michael” biopic. “Buying this ticket feels like finally reaching out to the King of Pop himself — something I’ve dreamed of for years.”
In the meantime, the continued success of his work speaks for
itself. From the opening crack of “Billie Jean,” to the guitar snarl in “Beat It” and the eerie Vincent Price laugh that still echoes each Halloween in “Thriller,” 43 years later and the world still moves to the same beat established in November 1982.
“What Michael Jackson brought with ‘Thriller’ revolutionized not only music,” social media user, librarian and artist Simon Barre Brisebois wrote on X, “but also the world of music videos and cinema.” WI
EVEN THOUGH WE’RE WORKING, TRYING TO MAKE ENDS MEET, IT JUST ISN’T ENOUGH.
– SHAUNA Washington,
MILITARY from Page 20
the military junta would allow Embalo to contact media outlets and tell them he’d been arrested.
“What happened in Guinea-Bissau is quite disturbing to me, who believes in democracy,” Jonathan said in a press conference. “It is totally unacceptable. The elections were done peacefully.”
Prime Minister in the face.
“And what is happening [now] is like we are going back to those dark days of Guinea-Bissau, where the military can do whatever they think they can do,” Jonathan said. “[ECOWAS and the AU] cannot force the military out, but…let the world know who won the election.”
Jonathan has been long dedicated to democracy, having extensive experience overseeing elections in countries such as Ghana, Liberia, Mozambique, Pakistan, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. He stated that he has been “quite particular” about Guinea-Bissau since he became involved in trying to help the nation gain political stability since its 2011 and 2012 coup attempts.
Between then and the 2014 elections, the West African nation experienced great political turmoil. Johnathan recalled once seeing a military official slap the
Dias has urged the entities that oversaw the election to take a clear position regarding the matter, adamant in his belief that the coup was staged by those who don’t want the public to know the election’s results.
The next steps regarding the nation’s future will be discussed during the Dec. 14 ECOWAS Conference of Heads of State and Government, set to take place in Abuja, Nigeria.
“The only solution is to allow the electoral results to be published,” Dias said in the video. “If we allow fabricated coups to decide elections, then democracy means nothing.”
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5 A Michael Jackson impersonator performs at the Gatsby Showcase Foundation Gala in December 2023. Withfour decades since the release of “Thriller” and more than a decade since his death, people still celebrate the King of Pop. (WI File Photo/ Robert R. Roberts)
SPRING 2026
Application & Open Enrollment Period
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• Successfully Completed: Intro to IT & CompTIA A+ courses. Passed both certification exams.
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See Healthcare pathway additional admission and application deadlines & enrollment requirements on website. Out-of-pocket fees may apply.
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review wi book
"Bottom of the Pyramid: A Memoir of Persevering, Dancing for Myself, and Starring in My Own Life" by Nia Sioux
c.2025, Harper Horizon
$29.99
256 pages
Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer
Every solid building has a strong foundation.
And when you're hired for a new job, that's where you start: at the bottom, in the back office, the least position, the lowest rung. You won't stay there long, if you can overcome the obstacles and seize all opportunities. It won't be easy but you can do it.
As in the new memoir, "Bottom of the Pyramid" by Nia Sioux, when you're in last place, there's nowhere to go but up.
Nia Sioux always loved the stage.
Born into an upper-middle-class family, Sioux remembers how much she wanted to take dance classes when she was a preschooler, and that her parents were happy to support her interests. Fortunately, there was a dance studio just down the road from their Pittsburgh home, and so Sioux started classes at Dance Masters of Pennsylvania, later renamed Abby Lee Dance Company (ALDC). There, she worked hard and gradually moved up in the team's lineup, garnering praise and solo dances.
Quickly, the solos, she says, made her mother very uncomfortable. There seemed to be racial undertones to the costumes Sioux was made to wear, and the music didn't seem appropriate for a little Black girl.
Mother and daughter discussed it, and Sioux's eagerness overcame any doubt.
Later, when Lifetime interviewed ALDC dancers for a TV show that was eventually called "Dance Moms," Sioux was overjoyed to be chosen as one of the show's performers. For awhile, she was the only Black dancer in the team — and that became a problem.
Infamously, the show introduced a "pyramid" in which Abby ranked the dancers, and Sioux was almost always at the bottom. Drama was encouraged, criticism was swift, and there seemed to be a lot of favoritism within the dancers' hierarchy. She endured the pain of it but ultimately, she seized other opportunities and decided to quit "Dance Moms."
"I'd gotten a glimpse of what my life could look like without the show," she says, "and it was beautiful."
No one who's ever watched a half-hour of reality TV should be surprised that author Nia Sioux has written this book, or that what she says happened, happened. The surprise is that "Bottom of the Pyramid" is so entertaining and so satisfying.
Going beyond the usual memoir and past the show's curtain, Sioux shares her life story and its ups and downs, professionally and otherwise. There's a lot of gratitude in that, plus strength and determination — but also some swiping, sniping and resentment, all of which are like catnip to reality fans. Still, Sioux reminds readers that there were actual humans, young women, behind the lines and second takes for the camera, and that the over-the-top theatrics could be negatively impactful on their tender lives.
For a reality TV watcher or a fan of the show, past or present, that's a good reminder to watch for authenticity inside the drama. If you never missed an episode of the show or you want to follow the stars, "Bottom of the Pyramid" is a good place to start.
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horoscopes
LIFESTYLE
DEC. 4 - 10, 2025
ARIES The universe hands you a microphone this week, so speak up. Whether it's a pitch meeting or finally telling your roommate their habits are unhinged, your words carry weight. Tuesday brings an unexpected text from someone you'd mentally filed under "probably dead." Financial wins arrive through unconventional channels. Weekend vibes favor bold fashion choices and bolder conversation. Take the compliment, then double down. Lucky Numbers: 8, 34, 71
TAURUS Your social battery recharges faster than usual. Friendships deepen when you let people see the messy parts — vulnerability is the vibe. A group project gains momentum midweek, though you'll need to resist micromanaging everyone. Someone's cooking impresses you Thursday. Weekend plans get weird in the best way possible. Say yes to the invitation that makes no sense. Lucky Numbers: 16, 42, 69
GEMINI Career moves demand attention as authority figures finally notice you've been carrying the team. Don't downplay contributions when recognition arrives. Wednesday's meeting could pivot your trajectory if you speak up about that idea you've been sitting on. The work-life balance tips toward work, but you're energized rather than drained. Lucky Numbers: 13, 29, 57
CANCER Adventure calls, whether booking a trip or just taking a different route home. Your curiosity peaks around subjects that once bored you. A teacher or random internet stranger drops wisdom that shifts your perspective Tuesday. Publishing or sharing work gets positive reception. Romance with someone from a different background sparks interesting tension. Lucky Numbers: 7, 38, 64
LEO Money talk dominates as you reconsider what "worth it" actually means. A joint financial decision requires more honesty than you're comfortable with, but discomfort leads somewhere good. Someone else's resources become available through partnership or investment. Midweek intensity makes you question a relationship's foundation, but Friday's conversation rebuilds trust. Lucky Numbers: 18, 45, 62
VIRGO Partnerships reveal their true colors. Someone either steps up significantly or shows you exactly why this dynamic won't work. Business collaborations click when you stop trying to control every detail. A contract needs careful review — your eye for fine print saves someone from a mess. Wednesday brings a conversation you've been avoiding; rip the band-aid off. Lucky Numbers: 5, 31, 58
LIBRA Your daily grind gets an upgrade as systems you've built finally run smoothly. Productivity peaks when you stop multitasking. Health routines stick better than usual; your body actually wants the vegetables this week. Coworkers prove surprisingly helpful. A service you provide gets recognized properly, which means compensation follows. Lucky Numbers: 22, 47, 65
SCORPIO Creative energy explodes in unexpected directions. That abandoned project suddenly makes sense again. Romantic prospects improve when you let someone past the seven layers of emotional security clearance you typically require. Children or younger people teach you something profound. Thursday's social invitation leads somewhere more interesting than advertised. Lucky Numbers: 11, 36, 72
SAGITTARIUS Home and family demand attention in ways that feel good rather than obligatory. A living space upgrade improves your mental state — maybe new furniture, maybe just finally hanging those pictures. Conversations with relatives get surprisingly real. Real estate decisions favor thorough research over impulse moves. Lucky Numbers: 14, 40, 66
CAPRICORN Communication game reaches new levels as words flow with unusual ease. Emails, presentations, pitches — everything lands exactly as intended. A sibling or neighbor becomes surprisingly relevant. Short trips yield unexpected discoveries. Learning something new scratches an intellectual itch you didn't know you had. Tuesday's conversation opens doors you weren't aware existed. Lucky Numbers: 9, 33, 60
AQUARIUS Financial clarity arrives as you understand where your money actually goes. A raise, side income, or unexpected payment improves your situation, but discipline around spending matters more than the amount. Your value becomes non-negotiable. Someone tries to lowball you Wednesday; your counteroffer surprises them. Lucky Numbers: 20, 44, 68
PISCES Main character energy radiates whether you want it or not. Personal reinvention begins with small changes — haircut, wardrobe update, or just carrying yourself differently. People respond to your presence with enthusiasm. A leadership opportunity arrives because you're finally visible in the right ways. Confidence builds when you stop apologizing for taking up space. Lucky Numbers: 12, 39, 70
SPORTS
SPORTS from Page 4
have him.”
Wide receiver Noah Brown and defensive end Drake Jackson were both ruled out. Brown remains “close” to returning, according to Quinn, while Jackson has been activated and could be available for game action.
Further, safety Will Harris was activated for Sunday Night Football, after he fractured his fibula in week 3.
Despite those returns, Washington again took the field without its starting quarterback. Jayden Daniels was ruled out for the second straight week as he recovers from a dislocated left elbow, giving Mariota his sixth start of the season.
One of the most game-defining moments came in the third quarter. Wide receiver Treylon Burks delivered what might have been the catch of the year, a one-handed Odell Beckham Jr. style touch-
down grab, just 20 days after undergoing finger surgery. The touchdown marked Burks’ premier receiving touchdown of the season and first receiving touchdown since week 13 of 2022.
“His hunger index is high. This is a guy that is wanting to prove it, and there’s always a space for that type of competitor here,” said Quinn. “Everybody’s got a journey and sometimes they start one way and [it] doesn’t have to stay that way. And coming here I felt nothing but intensity from him to go.”
While Broncos cornerback Riley Moss provided strong coverage over him, Burks reached up and pulled down the highlight reel grab. Even Beckham himself took notice, posting “13 13” and “Snag” on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The moment had not only executing an iconic play that happened 11 years ago in Beckham’s career with the New York Giants,
while wearing the same No. 13 jersey that Burks is wearing now in Washington.
The Commanders fall 4-9 on the season as the Denver Broncos have advanced to a thrilling 10-2.
Washington will hit the road to face NFC North opponent, the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Dec. 7 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
“We’re going in the right direction. It’s not exactly where we
want to be, but I think putting together a great week of practice, I think we just continue to stack these,” said Mariota. “Regardless of what it looks like for us, it’s all about the process and the journey. The more that we can find ways to improve week to week, I think that sets a solid foundation for what’s to come.” WI
While Broncos cornerback Riley Moss provided strong coverage over him, Burks reached up and pulled down the highlight reel grab. Even Beckham himself took notice, posting “13 13” and “Snag” on X, formerly known as Twitter.
3 Washington Commanders guard Chris Paul lifts running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. after scoring a touchdown in the 27-26 Sunday Night Football overtime thriller against the Denver Broncos on Nov. 30. (Marcus Relacion/The Washington Informer)
3 Washington wide receiver Treylon Burks celebrates with teammates after his thrilling one-handed touchdown grab in the Commanders’ 27-26 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos on Nov. 30. (Abdullah Konte/The Washington Informer)
CAPTURE the moment
Thousands of Washingtonians flocked to volunteer and participate in the annual Safeway Feast of Sharing, presented by Events DC, on Nov. 26 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
As part of their “Project Feed 5000,” Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church gave away free Thanksgiving Meal Boxes on Nov. 25. The event aligned with the church’s Greater Gives initiative, which promotes the importance of embracing community.
(Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)
Second Baptist Church Marks 177 Years as a Historic Pillar of Faith in D.C.
By D.R. Barnes WI Publisher
Nearly two centuries ago, before slavery in America ended, a faithful group of believers planted a spiritual seed that would grow into one of Washington, D.C.’s pillars of faith.
The journey has been rocky, but despite the challenges, the members of Second Baptist Church of Washington, D.C. marked its 177th anniversary last month, celebrating a journey defined by prayer, perseverance, and an unshakable commitment to serving God and community.
A gathering of friends, supporters and community leaders celebrated the theme “Lift Every Voice in Love,” with members, some who have worshipped at Second Baptist Church for 50 years or more. While the list was not long,
the commitment of those acknowledged and who spoke has been lasting.
“I am now going to read the names of the members who have been with us 50 years or more,” announced Trustee Vernelle Hamit, “but I will say this, I have been a member ever since my father came and joined Second Baptist Church in 1932. He brought six children with him, three of them already married. And so, I just want you to know I am the oldest active member of Second Baptist Church at this time.”
In addition to the sermon delivered by the Rev. Pamela Smith, chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, Claressa Campbell, one of the congregation’s oldest members, shared the history of the church now led by the Rev. Dr. James E. Terrell.
“Second Baptist Church was one
of the oldest African American Baptist churches in Washington,” noted Campbell, 96. “It was started 14 years before the slaves in the District of Columbia were freed. It was one of the few colored churches in Washington that had a colored minister prior to President Lincoln's inauguration in 1848.”
Campbell reflected on the minutes of a council of existing churches held on October 24, 1848, approving the establishment of Second Baptist, which held its first service on the evening of November 12, 1848.
“Licentiate Henry H. Butler was the acting pastor and brother Adam Sampson gave the right hand of fellowship to eight new members,” said Campbell as she read the church’s history. “Reverend Adam Clayton, of Baltimore, Maryland, preached from verses seven and eight of the Psalm 122.”
Fourteen pastors have presided over Second Baptist, which relocated to several places across the city before finding a permanent location in the 800 block of Third Street NW. Once a station on the Underground Railroad, the church has since been designated a historical site and added to the National Heritage Trail.
Despite its protection under the local and national registries, the historic Gothic and Romanesque-style building has been displaced over the past decade due to the rapid development in the area known as Mount Vernon.
Once visible from all sides, it is now dwarfed by high-rise apartments and condominiums.
It also stands near the new entrance to the Third Street Tunnel, where construction damaged the church's foundation, floor, and beams, making it unsafe to worship. Once again, the congregation was displaced, but returned in 2013 thanks to the generous support of friends and neighbors, including the neighborhood pizza parlor, who found parking, security service, and office space provided by nearby Mount Carmel Baptist Church.
“Second Baptist Church of Washington, D.C. is both a historically significant institution and community landmark for our community, as well as a strategic partner to our organization,” said Kenyatta A. Robinson, president and CEO of the Mount Vernon Triangle Community.
Local Leaders Celebrate Second Baptist Church
As part of the Nov. 16 celebration, Robinson read a letter of congratulations from the Mount Vernon Triangle Community board of directors, staff, clean team, and stakeholders, emphasizing the church’s contributions to the community overall.
“Our relationship with Second Baptist Church is one that we value greatly, and we personally appreciate it working with you, Dr. Terrell,” Robinson said. “We have every confidence that under your leadership of both the Second Baptist ministry and its community-facing mission, our partnership will only continue to strengthen
over time.”
Smith, an ordained Baptist minister, shared personal anecdotes and scriptures, encouraging the congregation to see trials as opportunities for blessings in disguise.
“Despite what you're going through, trust God,” she said. “Believe in God.”
“I wasn't always where I am today, but I had to trust God to get me to where I am right now,” Smith, a Pine Bluff, Arkansas native continued, “and despite what we go through, if you are obedient to Him, he will see you through.”
The police chief encouraged obedience to God and faithfulness, assuring the congregation that God will reward their faithfulness and provide deliverance.
Former D.C. Superior Court Associate Judge Mary Terrell looked on as her husband, thanked his family, members of the congregation and the community for their support, especially during his recent illness that has him confined to a wheelchair.
He said he was inspired and committed to continuing the legacy of Second Baptist Church, and serving the church and the community with diligence and love beyond tithes and offerings.
“We’ve got to make sure that we keep that prayer wheel turning. Keep on praying, keep on looking to God and he will make a way,” said Terrell. “And finally, I have to thank this church because really, you folks have been encouraging, you have blessed me in so many ways.”
WI
3 Dwarfed by nearby development, Second Baptist Church continues to stand tall as a place of faith and service in the District's Mount Vernon area in Northwest.
(D.R. Barnes/ The Washington Informer)
3 Ms. Claressa Campbell, 96, has been a member of Second Baptist Church of Washington, D.C. for more than 50 years.
(D.R. Barnes/The Washington Informer)
The Christmas holiday season is upon us! Once Turkey Day is over, it is all about the Christmas celebrations. Well, allow me to share two churches that have exciting events for you to attend. First, the community and church members are invited to experience "A Miracle on Ninth Street" this Christmas at Shiloh Baptist Church. Join the Shiloh Baptist Church Senior Choir for their annual Christmas outreach celebration, featuring inspiring music and community giving events throughout December.
Featured Event: Handel's 'Messiah' — For the 86th consecutive year, Shiloh presents George Frideric Handel's "Messiah," a cherished tradition showcasing outstanding Black musical talent. This performance is one of the few presentations of "Messiah" performed by a Black church in the Washington metropolitan area.
When: Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, at 3 p.m.
Featuring: Dr. Thomas Dixon Tyler (conductor), Ronald D. Johnson (assistant conductor), Evelyn Simpson-Curenton, M.M. (organist), and featured soloists Candace Williams (soprano), Imara A. Miles (mezzo-soprano), Mark E. Simons (tenor) and Andrew Smith (bass). The presentation also includes an orchestra ensemble, the Joyce K. Peterson Handbell Ringers, and American Sign Language interpretation.
Ways to Get Involved in the Miracle
The celebration is a key part of Shiloh's outreach ministry, bringing the church to the community through several initiatives:
WITH LYNDIA GRANT
It's Christmas Time in the City the religion corner
• Coat Drive & Basket Distribution: Donate new coats for children and youth, non-perishable food items, or monetary gifts to help fill Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets for those in need.
• The Shiloh Angel Tree: Visit the Shiloh Family Life Center to select the name of an elementary school student and provide a special gift from their wish list.
• Christmas Sweater Sunday: Wear your festive best on Sunday, Dec. 21, at the 10 a.m. service.
Shiloh Baptist Church was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1863 by 21 former slaves who traveled from Fredericksburg, Va., under Union Army protection during the Civil War.
Initially meeting in homes and a small L Street building, the church grew into a highly regarded religious institution known for its community outreach, focusing on education and social enrichment. Shiloh became a significant catalyst for racial equality and upward mobility, helping form national civil rights organizations like the NAACP and the Lott Carey Foreign Mission Board.
Early leaders addressed community needs: In 1907, Dr. J. Milton Waldron's efforts to improve unsanitary alley housing led to the creation of a federal housing authority, a precursor to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In 1982, the Rev. Henry C. Gregory established the Shiloh Family Life Center to address various aspects of family well-being, a model that has
since spread across the country.
We are pleased to present the inspiring message of Handel's "Messiah" at a time when many in our community are looking for a spiritual compass. Parking will be limited. Please consider taking a taxi or an Uber and leave the driving and parking to them!
The second exciting event coming up, on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, is hosted by The Church of the Epiphany (1317 G Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20005). They are celebrating the season with the Capital Wind Symphony! This event is in celebration of the 35th anniversary season of the Church of the Epiphany. The community is invited to share in the joy of the holidays with Holiday Fanfares & Flourishes—a festive concert filled with heartwarming music and magical moments!
You are all invited to enjoy timeless holiday favorites including "A Home Alone Christmas," "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire," Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" and, of course, "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson! We're also expecting a very jolly guest straight from the North Pole — so bring your cameras and holiday cheer for a fun surprise the whole family will enjoy!
Save the Date: Dec. 15, 2025, 7:30 p.m. (Tickets on sale now). The event will be held at Church of the Epiphany in Washington, D.C. Don't miss this joyful celebration as we ring in the season with music, magic and community. We can't wait to see you there! WI
RELIGION
Service and Times
Person Worship: Sunday @ 9:30 A.M.
Sunday @ 9:30 A.M. www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org
& Study: Wednesday @ 12 Noon and 7:00 P.M.
Mount Carmel Baptist
Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 Fax : 202-338-4958
Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org
All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.
Rev Kevin A. O'Bryant
401 Van Buren St., NW, Washington D.C. 20012 Office (202)-882-8331
Service and Times Sunday Worship 10:30 am Zoom: zoom.us/;/2028828331
Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00pm Communion Every First Sunday "Serve, teach and Live by precept and example the saving grace of Jesus Christ."
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Tanya C. Clark, whose address is 15402 Jennings Lane, Bowie MD 20721, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Willie E. Clark who died on May 15, 2025 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 5/20/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 5/20/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 11/20/2025
Tanya C. Clark Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2025 ADM 001165
Gregory Ross Decedent
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Yvette J. Ross, whose address is 1239 Shepherd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Gregory Ross who died on 3/17/2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 5/20/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 5/20/2026, or be forever barred.
Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 11/20/2025
Yvette J. Ross
Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Probate Division
Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2023 ADM 001303
Estate of James E. Proctor aka James Proctor
NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE
Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Lori M. Willingham for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representatives.
Unless a responsive pleading in the form of a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.
Admit to probate the will dated September 12, 2017 exhibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of the witnesses or otherwise
Date of first publication: December 4, 2025
Lori M. Willingham 757 Conisburgh Court Stone Mountain, GA 30087
Petitioner/Attorney:
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2025 ADM 001149
J’Kai Anthony Lewis Decedent
Suren G. Adams, Esq. Adams Law Offices, LLC 4201 Mitchellville Rd., Suite 500 Bowie MD 20715 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
LaKeysha Lewis, whose address is 5508 Central Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of J’Kai Anthony Lewis who died on 1/7/2005 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 6/4/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 6/4/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 12/4/2025
LaKeysha Lewis Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2025 ADM 001176
Earlene Evelyn Smith
Decedent
Janell F. Wheeler, Esquire
The Geller Law Group PLLC 4000 Legato Road, Suite 1100, PMB 6084 Fairfax, Virginia 22033
Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Donna E. Walker, whose address is 407 Falabella Way, Hogansville, GA 30230, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Earlene Evelyn Smith who died on January 21, 2025 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 5/20/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 5/20/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 11/20/2025
Donna E. Walker Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
PROBATE DIVISION
Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2025 FEP 000139
December 3, 2023
Date of Death
Patricia Geraldine Caldwell Name of Decedent
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Deborah Caldwell whose address is 3444 Flat River Drive, Durham, NC 27703 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Patricia Geraldine Caldwell, deceased, by the General Court for Durham County, State of North Carolina, on February 23, 2024.
Service of process may be made upon John Willie Caldwell, Jr. 3344 5th Street SE Washington, DC 20032 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.
The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 510 Trenton Street SE, Washington, DC 20032
Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.
Date of first publication: 12/4/2025
Deborah Caldwell Personal Representative
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2024 ADM 001436
Charles Leon Willie Decedent
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Cynthia Amanda Robertson, whose address is 820 Headrow Terrace, Hampton VA 23666, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Charles Leon Willie who died on May 11, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 5/20/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 5/20/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 11/20/2025
Cynthia Amanda Robertson Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2025 ADM 001202
Nana Traore Sidibe Decedent
Lynee C. Murchison, Esq. Adams Law Office, LLC 4201 Northview Drive, Suite 401 Bowie, MD 20716 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Djeneba Sidibe, whose address is 13124 Wornington Court, Houston, TX 77077, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Nana Traore Sidibe who died on 4/10/2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 6/4/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 6/4/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 12/4/2025
Djeneba Sidibe Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2025 ADM 548
Franklin Keys Decedent
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
J. Anthony Concino III, Esq., whose address is 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Franklin Keys who died on November 23, 2024 without a Will. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 6/4/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 6/4/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 12/4/2025
J. Anthony Concino III, Esq. Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2025 ADM 001227
Rena Jones Decedent
Lynee C. Murchison, Esq. Adams Law Office, LLC 4201 Mitchellville Road, Suite 500 Bowie, MD 20716 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Vannessa M. Corley, whose address is 308 F Street, NE, Washington DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Rena Jones who died on August 16, 2008 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 6/4/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 6/4/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 12/4/2025
Vannessa M. Corley
Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
LEGAL NOTICES
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
CIVIL DIVISION
Case Number: 2025-CAB-004547
Judge: Maribeth Raffinan
ESTATE OF THEODORE R. BROWN
v. LILLIAN MAE BROWN
ORDER
Before the Court is Plaintiffs’ Consent Motion to Authorize Service by Publication, filed on October 30, 2025. Upon consideration of the Motion and the entire record herein, it is this 24th day of November 2025, hereby: ORDERED that Plaintiffs’ Consent Motion to Authorize Service by Publication is GRANTED; and it is further,
ORDERED that the Plaintiffs are authorized to publish the following notice in the Daily Washington Law Reporter and the Washington Informer twice a month for three successive months, which notice shall include the caption of this case:
The object of this action is to establish title to 4854 Brooks St NE Washington DC 20019, known for assessment and taxation purposes as Square 5141, Lots 12 and 13, in the name of the Theodore R. Brown. The purpose of this publication is to ensure that there are no unknown heirs or devisees of Lillian Mae Brown, who is listed as a tenant by the entirety of this property. The complaint alleges that Lillian Mae Brown was born on or around 1910, and that she died on or around 1980; and it is further,
ORDERED that any person claiming an interest in this property or in this action must cause their appearance to be entered herein on or before the fortieth day, exclusive of Sundays and legal holidays, occurring after the day of the first publication of this Order; otherwise this cause will be proceeded with as in case of default. SO ORDERED. /s/ Judge Maribeth Raffinan, Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Pub Dates: Dec 4, 11, 2025; Jan 1,8; Feb 5, 12, 2026
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REPORT from Page 1
the John A. Wilson Building while solidifying his status as a juggernaut in the local reporting space.
Wright was an institution in himself and someone who laid the foundation for what would ultimately become The Collins D.C. Council Report. In some of our last interactions, he often encouraged me to take my investigative skills to the next level. I believe that, deep down, he knew about his transition and was preparing us to take on the reins.
I compile this report knowing that Wright gave his all to a cause very few are willing to take these days. May the words you’re about to read thoroughly inform you about the events of Dec. 2. We’re not done yet, and that is, in part, thanks to Mr. Wright and his fearless reporting.
Many thanks comrade for what you’ve done and will continue to do on the other side.
No Needs Assessment for Ranked Choice Voting— at Least for Now
In the days leading up to the council’s Dec. 2 legislative meeting, D.C. Councilmember Wendell Felder (D-Ward 7) expressed concerns about whether D.C. Board of Elections (DCBOE) is prepared for the rollout of rankedchoice voting (RCV) during the 2026 election season.
Such concerns inspired Felder’s introduction of emergency legislation that, if passed, would’ve compel DCBOE to conduct a needs assessment for ranked-choice voting. After much discussion, however, about whether Felder’s bill, titled the Board of Elections Ranked Choice Voting Needs Assessment Emergency Amendment Act of 2025, would incur costs, the Ward 7 council member withdrew the legislation altogether.
As Felder hinted in the council breakfast meeting preceding Tuesday’s legislative meeting, he doesn’t appear done with assessing DCBOE’s preparedness for an electrifying election season.
“I think there was a lot of questions that the Board of Elections couldn't answer to me,” Felder told D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson (I-At large) on Tuesday morning during an exchange where the former questioned if the ranked-choice voting would increase the number of independent council members on the council, perhaps in violation of the D.C. Home Rule Act.
As Felder had done in days past, he also touched on his exchange with
DCBOE personnel during a Nov. 24 roundtable hosted by the council’s Committee on Executive Labor and Administration, telling his colleagues that it didn’t inspire his confidence in the agency’s ability to facilitate a ranked-choice voting system before June 16, 2026 primary.
“One of the things that they highlight is partially funded, but they have to roll out full implementation,” Felder said on Tuesday morning. “They don't have the proper equipment. They also brought up concerns about things like staff overtime. All of those things are concerning to me.”
Last fall, nearly three of four District voters approved Initiative 83, a ballot measure centered on the implementation of a ranked-choice voting system and open primaries. During the last budget deliberation cycle, the council only funded the rankedchoice voting part of the measure.
Amid discussion about the voting system, some people, like D.C. Councilmember Anita Bonds (D-At large), questioned how voters living in marginalized communities would fare navigating a new voting system.
Though ranked-choice voting proponents question the elder council member voracity for change, Bonds has emphasized to constituents and colleagues alike that, regardless of how anyone feels, D.C. will have rankedchoice voting next summer.
“I've tried my very best to remain neutral in the hearings and the public presentations, but I can tell you, if I had to gamble on this, I wouldn't do it quite yet,” Bonds said on Tuesday. “They would need to do so much outreach, which hasn't even been planned. The federal law requires that the outreach take place with these vulnerable populations and that concerns, even with the blind.”
For now, ranked-choice voting will take place without a needs assessment. Such news has given at least one local elected official some joy.
GRAYLAN from Page 14
ble residents, whomever they may be.”
On the evening of Nov. 21, Lewis George counted among several people who honored Hagler during a celebration at Busboys and Poets on 14th Street and V Street in Northwest.
“The last-gasp effort to delay / stop RCV has failed,” U.S. Shadow Senator Ankit Jain (D-D.C.) wrote Tuesday afternoon on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It is now 100% official— RCV is coming to D.C. starting with the June primary! I'm so glad that D.C. voters get to move to an election system that gives us more voice and more choice.”
A Question of How to Supplement the Juvenile Curfew with Youth Programming
On its final reading, the D.C. Council approved the Juvenile Curfew Second Temporary Amendment Act with D.C. Council members Robert White (D-At large), Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4) and Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) voting in opposition after White asked D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson to bring the legislation back up for reconsideration.
Moments before the council approved the legislation, the legislative body approved an amendment that D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) introduced to limit the mayor’s authority to impose a juvenile curfew for no longer than 30 days.
The amendment also ensures that the temporary legislation expires on April 15, 2026, by which the council would’ve evaluated the mayor’s budgetary investments in youth programming.
“We have heard a lot of calls for the need to do more to support our young people in the city over the last several months and really over the last several years,” Pinto said during Tuesday’s legislative meeting. “And by April of next year, my hope is that we'll have a better picture of both what the mayor has proposed in her budget and also what the council has done to move forward in many of these investments.”
WI
Read more on washingtoninformer.com.
The three-hour event included remarks and selections from the Ward 4 council member, along with: Rev. Wanda Thompson; Rev. Patricia Fears; Bruce Marks of the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America; Busboys and Poets owner Andy Shallal; union organizer Jos Williams; Israeli-born activist Miko Peled; Ayanna Gregory; singer-activist Luci Murphy; Jacquie Luqman; fashion designer and Hagler’s cousin Januwa Moja; Ron Moten of Don’t Mute D.C.; and the Rev. Kenneth King.
Thompson, pastor of The Ambassador Baptist Church in Southeast and fellow Empower DC board member, told The Informer that Hagler represents the highest ideals of how a man of the cloth should act.
“He manifests what I think the attributes of Jesus are, which is to be a revolutionary in his own way,” Thompson said. “A person who stands up for the least, the last, and the lost, the oppressed. People recognize what he's done. He’s not one to self promote.”
Well before the Nov. 21 celebration, Thompson recounted to The Informer how she and Hagler first crossed paths as members of a local clergy group that met weekly. She said that Hagler told her and other colleagues about opportunities to engage marginalized populations in the District.
Those efforts, Thompson said, eventually turned international as she joined a delegation that Hagler organized to Palestine in 2016.
“As we went from place to place and met with Palestinians and got their perspective on what life was like for them, pretty much under Israeli occupation, it certainly gives you an appreciation for what's going on right now, particularly what's going on in Gaza right now,” Thompson, a co-covener of Ward 7 Clergy and Faith Leaders, told The Informer. “I really appreciated his thoughtfulness and support, just meeting with the officials that were there and seeing how he engaged and how active he was just really left an impression on me.”
King, a man who calls Hagler his mentor, also credited him with opening his eyes to the plight of the Palestinian people. He also said that Hagler never hesitated to challenge the theological perspective that solid-
ified the Black church’s relationship with Israel.
“The Black church really was going along with Israel [being] God's appointed people,” King told The Informer. “Graylan went up against many Black preachers to deconstruct their understanding and theology as it relates to the Biblical text, when it came to Jews and their belief that that land was given to them, thus being able to treat the Palestinian any kind of way.”
When King founded New Hope Baptist United Church of Christ in 2012, he consulted Hagler in the church’s creation and the facilitation of conferences and workshops centered on the conditions that Palestinians are facing.
“He was very much the forerunner of our church, getting that up and running and bringing in some impressive speakers,” King said about Hagler. “Because of his name, he could pack those conferences out.”
Throughout the years, King would continue to study under Hagler, who he said demonstrated a knack for actualizing the word of God in his organizing work. As King noted, well before he met Hagler, Hagler solidified his legendary status when he thwarted Exxon’s plans to create a super gas station across the street from Plymouth Congregational.
By the early 2000s, the site in question would become an affordable senior living community named after Plymouth Congregational.
“I got to experience him in a very real way as it relates to how he saw ministry in the community,” King said. “He really understood how to take care of the community in a way that is very beneficial.”
The magic of Hagler’s ministry, King said, centers in his ability to bring together various strains of the movement to achieve a common cause.
“Often what we experience in the church is that you have people in the academy, the theologians who are doing all of the research… but they stay stuck in the academy,” King told The Informer. “Then you have people in the community carrying out our faith and there was an isolation there. He really worked on that piece to try to lessen that chasm between the academy and the community, because when the academy and the community come together, we're much more thoughtful about how we address theology from a much more practical sense.” WI
Read more on washingtoninformer.com.
5 As 2025 comes to a close, the D.C. Council is still busy discussing and voting on legislation affecting Washington’s businesses and residents of all ages. (WI File Photo/Robert
MALVEAUX from Page 30
communities have always given out of necessity, solidarity, and survival. We gave when the Freedmen's Bureau failed us. We gave when federal farm policy dispossessed Black farmers. We gave through churches, benevolent societies, burial clubs, freedom schools, mutual aid, and community defense. Our giving was not episodic; it was infrastructural. It kept our communities alive when state violence sought to extinguish them.
Giving Tuesday becomes not just a day of donations but a chance to interrogate where our dollars go, why our communities still need so much, and how we can align generosity with justice. Instead of reacting only
JEALOUS from Page 30
positions in the history of the Valley.
Then Rev. Jackson showed up. He stood before the boards of some of the largest technology companies in the world and told them plainly they needed to open their doors — not because it was charity, but because it was smart business.
Firms that had never once hired African American investors began doing so soon after. I asked one top executive if Jackson's public and private confrontations of their leaders had influenced that shift. He didn't hesitate: "He's right. We need to change."
That's the core of Jackson's leader-
MARSHALL from Page 30
Democrats did put in place — and they set the expiration date for this year — I see a financial crisis for Americans," Greene told "CBS Mornings." "And so, on this issue, I don't see political party lines." While Greene's blind loyalty to Trump has run its course, Trump responded in typical fashion by calling her a "lightweight Congresswoman," a "traitor," and a "disgrace" to the Republican Party. Since her public feud with the president, Greene said the threats against her have increased. On Truth Social, the president wrote that he was "withdrawing" his "support and endorsement" of Greene, indicating that he might back an opponent of her effort to win an upcoming primary.
Overall, Greene was not a popular figure with many Democrats. Much of the toxic politics from the past can be easily traced back to her antics. Therefore, it remains a shock to see her, a powerful and influential MAGA official, speak up and join Democrats
to crises, we can think strategically — supporting organizations fighting voter suppression, advocating for reparations, training Black economists, building cooperative enterprises, and holding policymakers accountable for the inequities they continue to produce.
Charity alone cannot undo the legacy of lynching culture, economic envy, and policy violence — central forces in the theft of Black land and Black futures. But a day that encourages Americans to pause the spending frenzy and consider generosity is not without value. We can reclaim Giving Tuesday as not just an appeal from nonprofits but an invitation to reflect: How do we build the world we deserve? What
ship — not just breaking barriers himself, but inspiring others to do so. He helped ordinary people see themselves as leaders and compelled those with resources to recognize their responsibility.
In doing so, he became a beacon of hope and taught others to be beacons themselves.
He continues to model that courageous hope even now. His leadership lessons still empower others to help transform our world for the better.
In 2010, Rev. Jackson and I led a delegation of African American leaders to Senegal to mark the 50th anniversary of its independence. Nearly every head of state on the continent was present — including some notorious for human
when defending the ACA and seeking presidential transparency and accountability over the Epstein files. Trump, a onetime friend of Jeffrey Epstein, has gone as far as to call the controversy a "hoax." Greene was morally and politically correct as a member of the legislative branch to request full transparency from the executive branch.
Like former Vice President Mike Pence and former Rep. Liz Cheney before her, when Greene chose not to compromise, she automatically became the "enemy" to many throughout the MAGA base, leading to her resignation. I felt that Greene should have remained in office and run for reelection even if it meant facing a Trump-backed primary challenger. If Greene won the tough battle, it would have sent a powerful message to other GOP lawmakers who struggle to follow their convictions and their oath. Greene's resignation continues to embolden the president to punish those who challenge his authority.
Compromised Republicans who govern under the fear and intimida-
might generosity look like when it centers systemic repair, not performative benevolence?
Giving Tuesday began as a social media campaign. It has become, at its best, a moment of collective pause. Use it — whether by giving, advocating, or simply asking harder questions about how our nation allocates abundance. Generosity guided by justice is not just charity. It is strategy. So if you are African American and you participate in the giving season, Give Black. If you are an ally and concerned with social and economic justice, Give Black. If you care about historical inequities, Give Black. Really, you never need an excuse or a reason to Give Black.
rights abuses.
I froze, unsure how to engage them. Jackson did not. He walked forward, shaking their hands and hugging each with warmth.
Later I pulled him aside. "I don't see how I can do that," I told him.
He looked me in the eye. "Someday somebody's parent or wife will call me," he said. "A soldier. A missionary. A businessperson. And they will want help getting their loved one free. How will I be able to convince that president to free them if he doesn't know that I love and respect him as my brother?"
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Read more on washingtoninformer.com.
tion of the president are not true representatives of the people they were elected to serve. They are not the voice of the people when their fear keeps them silent. As a result, the nation as a whole suffers as they fail to uphold their constitutional responsibility of oversight and accountability. Liz Cheney did not give in to the fear and intimidation of Donald Trump.
She became a Trump critic and was removed from Republican leadership. She agitated Trump nonstop, and Wyoming voters chose a Trump-backed candidate to replace her. Although Cheney lost her seat, she did so by fighting to the end and standing up against a political bully. Where Cheney allowed Wyoming voters to decide her political fate, Greene chose not to. When it comes to the economic and health care issues Greene spoke about, the GOP voters of Georgia's 14th Congressional District have a clear choice. They can still vote for a candidate who will defend the ACA and affordability issues by voting Democratic in the general election. WI
AIRLINE CAREERS
WILLIAMS from Page 31
headed to Trump to sign. At the time of the overwhelming vote to pass the bill, and by unanimous consent in the Senate, Speaker Johnson appeared crushed and blamed our leader in the Senate — not the president!
For once I can say, thank you to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene who withstood Trump's accusations and calling her a traitor. She'd pivoted — too much — to truth-telling about health care and how much it would cost her family. I
HARRIS/MESIDOR from Page 31
mative financial shifts. If legislation ignores their needs and capacities, we risk repeating a familiar pattern: innovation benefiting the well-resourced first, leaving everyone else to catch up later — if at all.
Including a federal study is not a radical act. It does not endorse any particular digital asset product, mandate their adoption, or loosen regulatory standards. Instead, it offers something essential: clarity!
While banks are receiving regulatory guidance regarding decentralized finance, this clarity does not extend to this unique subset of the financial system.
Data show that CDFIs support more than 1,400 smaller lenders operating in rural and urban areas that aren't adequately served by larger banks. Of the roughly 5,900 headquarters and branches of these community lenders, 60% are in Republican congressional districts and 55% are in states with two Republican senators.
MORIAL from Page 31 these conversations.
The Trump administration has clung to the mantra of "America first." But boycotting the G-20 is "America sidelined." In presenting a false choice between domestic and global concerns, the administration betrays its failure to grasp how the two are intertwined. American jobs depend on trade deals that were negotiated without our input. Our public health depends on agreements forged in our absence.
America cannot lead if we don't show up. We cannot be a beacon of truth while spreading lies. We cannot promote American ideals if
wonder what Trump thinks about the overwhelming vote against his real wishes! We know his announcement of "releasing" them to vote came after learning how many were going to do it anyway! Are they all traitors?
We must be cautious about this seeming victory upon releasing the files. This still must go through Attorney General Pam Bondi. There's always the possibility that her behavior will be the same as when she was called before senators. She admitted the files were on her desk, then
A Federal Study of CDFIs and MDIs Whose Time Has Come
A well-designed federal study would explore important questions. This could include examining how digital asset services could responsibly expand financial access in underserved communities; the regulatory and technical barriers that prevent CDFIs and MDIs from piloting or adopting these tools; ways digital assets lower costs for remittances, small-dollar lending and community development financing. Additionally, federal research could offer insights into safeguards for market participants and new entrants that offer protections, while also enabling innovation. This is a smart approach as policymakers continue crafting balanced rules that reduce uncertainty for small institutions, and prevent a bifurcated financial system where only large players can innovate.
CDFIs and MDIs have been asking for guidance to better understand regulations, compliance and
we abdicate our leadership to nations that are hostile to our goals. Walking away from the G-20 was
claimed she was so busy with other matters that she allowed staff to handle the biggest case of her tenure!
I guess defending Trump was just far more important to her than doing her job for the people! She'll probably have a lot of time to look at the files now because I don't think she will enjoy being in Washington defending Trump after the way she handled these files and how she sassed the senators — something not in her job description!
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how to best protect their clients and institutions. Including this federal study in Senate digital assets market structure legislation will serve to ensure they won't be left navigating this new terrain alone or disadvantaged relative to larger, better-resourced competitors.
Economic Equity Cannot Wait Any Longer
This is a unique moment in policymaking and rulemaking. If we want a financial system that works for everyone, we must ensure that the institutions closest to underserved communities are prepared — not sidelined — as digital assets evolve.
Congress has an opportunity to take a bipartisan, low-cost step toward ensuring that the next generation of financial innovation is inclusive from the start. A study supporting CDFIs and MDIs in the digital asset space is not just good policy — it is smart policymaking. It acknowledges that responsible innovation and increasing access are not competing goals but mutually reinforcing ones. WI
an epic failure of leadership. Continuing down this path would be an even greater one. WI
America cannot lead if we don't show up. We cannot be a beacon of truth while spreading lies. We cannot promote American ideals if we abdicate our leadership to nations that are hostile to our goals. Walking away from the G-20 was an epic failure of leadership.
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