The Washington Informer - November 13, 2025

Week 6 of Historic Federal Government Shutdown

Rise in Health Care Premium Prices Concerns Many District Residents, Leaders

By James Wright and Keith Golden WI Staff Writer and WI Intern

Despite a coalition of Republicans and moderate Democrats in the U.S. Senate joining forces to work to reopen the federal government after the longest shutdown in history, many Washingtonians are still uneasy about the upcoming cost of medical insurance and the gutting of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as Obamacare.

While senators voted 60-40 on a federal funding agreement, the political deal comes with concerns of rising health care premiums and the expectation that the Senate will review the ACA issue in December.

There are District residents such as Mary Blackwell who hope that Democratic senators consider people like her, who

MEDICARE Page 22

5 The first real steps toward reopening the federal government are in motion after eight Senate Democrats joined Republicans to advance a short-term spending measure. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

Eight Democrats Break Ranks as Senate Moves to End Nation’s Longest Shutdown

Progressive Democrats Push Back, Examining Next Steps

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

For more than 40 days, the United States government has remained partially shuttered. Yet late Sunday night, a faint light appeared in Washington’s long corridor of dysfunction, opening the door for the Republican-majority House to likely vote to reopen the federal government on Nov. 12.

Eight Senate Democrats joined Republicans

SHUTDOWN Page 18

5 A student participates in a reading of “Assata: An Autobiography” (2001) at Trinity Washington University. People around the District are remembering Assata Olugbala Shakur, a Black Liberation Army veteran, who stood as a symbol of victory against U.S. imperialism until her death on Sept. 25 in Havana at the age of 78. (Courtesy Photo/ Dr. Kimberly Monroe, Instagram)

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

Throughout most of his life, Jaylin Thompson has struggled to settle on a desired career path. However, it wasn’t until his late grandmother needed long-term care that he decided to pursue nursing and help those facing similar struggles. Earlier this year, Thompson told his story to State Superintendent Dr. Antoinette Mitchell during her visit to the District’s newest Advanced

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

During the latter half of the 20th century, as U.S. liberal democracy tightened its hold on global political consciousness, Black Liberation Army veteran Assata Olugbala Shakur lived in Cuba as a fugitive and strong critic of the empire that continues to commit atrocities at home and abroad. Shakur would continue to stand as a symbol of victory against U.S. imperialism until her death

5 Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia of Illinois speaks at a rally to save the Affordable Care Act on Oct. 29. Despite federal leaders inching closer to reopening the government, many Washingtonians are still uneasy about the cost of medical insurance and the gutting of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

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Lions Roar Past Commanders 44-22 in Week 10,

Wizards Lose to Mavericks and Pistons Preview, Spirit Victorious

Washington Commanders Fall to Detroit Lions

The Commanders endured yet another brutal loss at home, having lost five consecutive games, but this time in an NFC showdown to a team that Washington eliminated in the playoffs last year: the Detroit Lions.

Despite a frustrating time for the Commanders, with the 44-22 loss to the Lions and yet another week of injuries– including for star quarterback Jayden Daniels— the team is working to overcome challenges and build a deeper sense of brotherhood.

“[Linebacker] Bobby [Wagner] said something at halftime, and I really appreciate the fact that he led us, and said, ‘Hey, this is on us. We have to figure it out. It's not just offense, it's not just defense, it's not just special teams, it's on everybody,’” said quarterback Mar-

5 Jaafar Jackson stars as his uncle Michael Jackson in “Michael,” the sweeping biopic about the King of Pop, hitting theaters on April 24. (Courtesy Photo)

cus Mariota. “And at the end of the day, like I said, going into this game, I believe in the guys in this locker room, but we have to figure out what it is and what these details are if we're missing the lack of execution.”

With President Donald Trump in attendance causing major traffic on the I-95 beltway and rising tensions throughout the matchup, it was a tough game for the team and fans alike.

Washington dropped 3-7 on the 44-22 loss, as the team remained third in the NFC East, while Lions advanced to 6-3 tying for second in the NFC North.

For Washington, it was a loss that made unwanted history as this marked the team’s fourth consecutive loss by 21-plus points, which hasn’t happened since the 2002 Arizona Cardinals.

Lionsgate has finally lifted the curtain on one of Hollywood’s most anticipated films: “Michael,” the sweeping biopic about Michael Jackson that has been years in the making, will arrive in theaters on April 24.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film will star the singer’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, stepping into the spotlight to portray his legendary uncle.

The trailer wastes no time

rekindling the aura of Jackson’s genius. Opening with a studio scene between Jackson and his longtime producer Quincy Jones, played by Kendrick Sampson, the clip builds from a quiet, familiar rhythm to the electrifying pulse of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin.’”

The first lines of the trailer are Sampson as Jones saying “I know you’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

One person commented on the trailer posted to YouTube noting: “The irony. Lionsgate indeed knows HOW LONG we’re waiting for this to drop.”

History on Ice in D.C. as Alex Ovechkin Becomes First to Score 900 NHL Goals

Alex Ovechkin has done what no one else in the National Hockey League’s century-long history has ever done. On Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., the 40-year-old captain of the Capitals scored his 900th career goal, solidifying his place as the greatest pure goal scorer the sport has ever seen.

The milestone came early in the second period against the St. Louis Blues.

Ovechkin was parked at the bottom of the right circle when he swept in a rebound from Jakob Chychrun past goaltender Jordan Binnington. The crowd inside Capital One Arena erupted as his teammates cleared the bench to celebrate.

Binnington, realizing the puck’s significance, tried to hide it in his pants before eventually handing it over to ensure the Capitals could preserve it.

For Ovechkin, the moment was more than a record. It was the continuation of a story that began

when he arrived from Moscow as the top pick in the 2004 NHL Draft.

Over two decades, he became the face of the franchise and one of the most dominant forces in hockey. Known for his powerful slap shot and fearless drive to the net, Ovechkin has redefined what longevity and consistency look like in a sport that often punishes both.

The 900th goal came in his 1,504th career game. His journey to the mark has been one of precision and persistence. It took 167 games to reach 100 goals, 801 games to hit 500, and more than 1,300 to get to 800. Reaching 900 was the culmination of a lifetime of durability and unmatched scoring instinct.

T.J. Oshie, who shared countless seasons and celebrations with Ovechkin before retiring in June, spoke with admiration about his former captain.

JACKSON Page 36

National Guard’s Stay in D.C. Extended as More States Send Troops Under Trump’s Federal Control

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The Trump administration has extended its National Guard mission in the nation’s capital into 2026, keeping thousands of troops stationed across the city and prompting renewed outrage from District officials and civil rights leaders.

The move, announced just days after Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed she would deploy 100 additional Guardsmen from her state, further entrenches what many describe as a federal occupation of the predominantly Black city.

According to several reports, more than 2,300 National Guard members, nearly 1,000 from D.C. and the remainder from at least seven Republican-led states, will remain through February 2026 under orders signed by President Donald Trump.

The troops, operating under Title 32 authority, continue to patrol federal parks, Metro stations, and major streets despite growing calls for withdrawal. The deployment was originally scheduled to end in November.

The District government has condemned the ongoing presence as unlawful and dangerous. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a sweeping federal lawsuit accusing the administration of violating the Home Rule Act and the Posse Comitatus Act by militarizing D.C. without consent from Mayor Muriel Bowser.

The 52-page complaint argues

OVECHKIN from Page 4

“Anyone that says, ‘Can Ovi do this?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, probably,’” Oshie said. “He just finds a way to prove people wrong every time people think that he’s down and out.”

Ovechkin’s career includes three Hart Trophies as league MVP, nine Rocket Richard awards for most goals in a season, and a Stanley Cup championship in 2018. What makes this milestone remarkable is that it arrives in the twilight of a career defined by relentless competitiveness. He has rarely missed significant time because of

that Trump’s actions “threaten the core principle of local self-government” and amount to an “illegal federal occupation.”

Schwalb added that, “Deploying the National Guard to engage in law enforcement is not only unnecessary and unwanted, but dangerous and harmful to the District and its residents.”

Bowser, who earlier described the federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department as “unsettling and unprecedented,” has struggled to maintain any authority over local law enforcement. Trump’s August executive order placed the MPD under federal control and authorized Guardsmen to perform policing duties, including detentions and street patrols.

“This move strips away our city’s right to direct its own policing,” Bowser said in August.

The Arkansas deployment, part of what the Pentagon describes as a “rotational relief” for existing units, will include members of the 142nd Field Artillery Brigade. “Arkansas’ Guardsmen are there when we need them,” Sanders proclaimed. “To keep our nation’s capital safe. I am thankful to President Trump for cleaning up crime.”

The mission, expected to last several months, is federally funded and will assign soldiers to “security presence patrols” throughout Washington.

The NAACP Legal Defense Fund

injury and continues to produce goals while the game around him evolves.

The Capitals may not be Stanley Cup contenders this season, but Ovechkin’s pursuit of greatness continues to bring energy to Washington and reverence from across the hockey world. The crowd stood for minutes after his 900th goal, chanting his name as his family and teammates watched from the bench.

WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

AROUND THE REGION

has warned that the show of force “emboldens law enforcement officers to operate with unchecked violence,” while civil rights advocates stress that the District’s lack of statehood leaves it uniquely vulnerable to presidential overreach.

Legal observers have noted that a ruling on the District’s lawsuit is pending, but even if the court

orders a temporary suspension, the administration could reissue deployment orders under the guise of national security. Meanwhile, the Guard’s presence has already taken on a quasi-permanent character. A leaked memo confirmed plans to station “quick reaction forces” in all 50 states and to create a specialized military police battalion

UNPACK A NEW BEGINNING

inside Washington itself.

For many longtime Washingtonians, the sight of armed soldiers at Metro stops and neighborhood intersections evokes deep anger and fear.

“No American jurisdiction should be involuntarily subjected to military occupation,” the city’s lawsuit states.

WI

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3 The Trump administration has extended its National Guard mission in the nation’s capital into 2026. (WI File Photo/ Ja’Mon Jackson)

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NOV. 13 - 19, 2025

SOURCE:

Nov. 13

1894 – Inventor Albert C. Richardson patents the casket-lowering device.

1913 – Daniel Hale Williams becomes the first black to be made a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

1951 – Famed ballerina Janet Collins becomes the first black dancer to appear with the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York.

1985 – Major League Baseball pitcher Dwight "Doc" Gooden unanimously wins the Cy Young Award, becoming at 20 the youngest-ever winner of the award.

Nov. 14

1915 – Booker T. Washington, a former slave who became a celebrated educator, author, orator and civil rights leader, dies in Tuskegee, Alabama, of hypertension at 59.

Nov. 15

1881 – Inventor Payton Johnson patents swinging chair.

1898 – Hairdresser and inventor Lyda Newman patents an improved hairbrush, which was easier to clean.

1950 – Hockey player Arthur Dorrington becomes the first Black to sign an NHL contract, joining the New York Rangers organization.

Nov. 16

1873 – Composer and musician W.C. Handy, known as the "Father of the Blues," is born in Florence, Alabama.

1901 – Pioneering musician and songwriter Jesse Stone aka Charles Calhoun, who wrote the rock 'n' roll staple "Shake, Rattle and Roll," is born in Atchison, Kansas.

1930 – Famed novelist and professor Chinua Ache-

be, author of "Things Fall Apart," is born in Ogidi, Nigeria.

2004 – President Bush announces his nomination of Condoleezza Rice as secretary of state. She is the first Black woman to serve in the position.

Nov. 17

1911 – The Omega Psi Phi fraternity is founded on the campus of Howard University.

1972 – Several Blacks are elected to Congress, including Barbara Jordan, the first Black and first woman to be elected from Texas.

1989 – Author Gloria Naylor won the Lillian Smith Award on this date for her novel "Mama Day."

Nov. 18

1978 – The Jonestown Massacre occurs in Guyana. More than 900 followers of cult leader Jim Jones, most of them Black, commit suicide or are murdered.

1994 – Famed jazz singer and bandleader Cab Calloway dies in Hockessin, Delaware, at 86, months after a severe stroke.

Nov. 19

1973 – Tap dancer and actor Savion Glover is born in Newark, New Jersey.

Savion Glover (left)

Janet Collins (center) Dwight "Doc" Gooden (right)

AROUND THE REGION view

P INT

BY KEITH GOLDEN JR.

The government shutdown is now the longest in recorded history, as Democrats and Republicans continue to disagree over funding for health care and other key issues. What are your thoughts?

ALBERTA SMITH / ST. LOUIS, MO

Congress shouldn’t be paid. I bet if they freeze both parties’ pay, they’ll reach an agreement.

ANTONIO EVERETTE / DALLAS, TEXAS

Democrats are using whatever control they can to try to get something. Trump is willing to make people suffer to show he won’t give in. Two sides of grown folks willing to hurt the people they represent to get their way.

CAMILLE WALLACE

PINE BLUFF, ARK..

Democrats are holding off on passing a budget because millions of Americans will see a crazy spike in healthcare premiums. Not talking about chump change either, this is thousands of dollars in increases.

MARIA ROBLES / WASHINGTON, D.C.

Now that Trump has made history, he will open the government.

SHARRON BRODIE / WASHINGTON, D.C.

Democrats should not cave in to Republicans’ demands. They should continue to stand on business for our democracy.

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TD Charitable Foundation Opens $10 Million Grant Program to Support Affordable Housing and Eviction Prevention in D.C.

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

With housing costs continuing to outpace wages in the nation’s capital, the TD Charitable Foundation has launched its 20th annual Housing for Everyone grant program to help renters in Washington, D.C. and across the East Coast avoid eviction and maintain stable housing.

The Foundation, the giving arm of TD Bank, announced $10 million in available grants, each totaling $250,000, for nonprofit organizations focused on eviction prevention and early intervention strategies that support renters in low- to moderate-income communities. The initiative represents the largest single investment in the program’s history.

Paige Carlson-Heim, TD Bank’s head of social impact, said in a news release that housing insecurity remains one of the most pressing challenges for families across the region.

“Housing remains a critical issue across our footprint and beyond, and a key step to mitigating the issue is providing early intervention tools and education to those most vulnerable,” she said. “As we mark 20 years of the Housing for Everyone grant program, we recognize

that lasting change in housing stability requires an ongoing commitment.”

Officials said D.C. renters continue to face steep affordability hurdles. Nearly half of residents in the District are renters, and many spend more than 30% of their income on housing, according to city data.

Sudden income loss, missed recertifications, and limited legal protections have increased eviction risks, particularly in neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River.

Through the Housing for Everyone program, the TD Charitable Foundation plans to fund organizations that can intervene early to help tenants avoid eviction by offering legal support, mediation, financial counseling, and rental assistance before crises occur.

Applications for the 2026

Housing for Everyone grant competition are open now through 4 p.m. on Nov. 25 and grantees will be announced in April 2026.

Since the program’s inception in 2005, officials said TD has provided more than $63 million to over 630 affordable housing initiatives from Maine to Florida. Past recipients include D.C.-area nonprofits that provide critical housing services and community outreach for vulnerable residents.

“Challenges for community members facing housing instability have reached critical levels in recent years,” said Kamilah McAfee, president and CEO of Wesley Housing, a seven-time TD grantee based in Northern Virginia. “TD’s grant helped us to meet the moment, expanding our services so we could continue building up individuals’ and families’ lives.” WI

5 The TD Charitable Foundation is helping renters in D.C. and around the East Coast avoid eviction and maintain stable housing through the 20th annual Housing for Everyone grant program. (WI File Photo/Anthony Tilghman)

Virginia Pushes Forward on Food Aid as D.C., Nation Watch and Wait in Shutdown Fallout

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Virginia moved decisively this week to stabilize food access for hundreds of thousands of families caught in the middle of the longest federal government shutdown in history.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) announced late Sunday that the state would pause its Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance (VENA) program, following new guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The agency told states to begin issuing only partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments after the Trump administration demanded that they “undo” full benefits already distributed.

Youngkin said the Commonwealth “will ensure full compliance with federal requirements,” while making sure no Virginian goes without food.

Virginia distributed 65% of November’s SNAP benefits to more than 850,000 residents by Nov. 13, on top of the 25% already paid through VENA.

Janet V. Kelly, the state’s secretary of Health and Human Resources, called the state’s actions “swift and necessary to deliver meaningful help to the most vulnerable Virginians.”

The federal tug-of-war over food aid has upended lives in every state.

Late Sunday, the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused to block a lower court ruling that required the administration to release $4 billion in food assistance to 42 million Americans. But Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson temporarily froze that decision while the appeal continues, creating more confusion about whether and when families will get full benefits.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is holding firm on its demand that states reverse their earlier work. A memo from Agriculture Department official Patrick Penn told states they must “immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November

“President Trump should be focusing on reopening the government he controls.”

Gov. Maura Healey (D) Massachusetts

2025,” threatening penalties for those that do not comply.

The directive blindsided many state officials.

Some, like Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D), said they would not walk back benefits already sent.

“The president should not be directing states to take food out of the mouths of the hungry,” Mills said in a statement Monday, calling President Donald Trump’s order “callous and cruel.”

D.C., National Leaders Find Local Ways to Combat Hunger

In Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) earlier decision to use local funds to ensure November SNAP and WIC payments reached residents is being watched closely by other jurisdictions.

Bowser’s move, announced last week, ensured that approximately 141,000 D.C. residents—about 85,000 households—did not lose food assistance, at an estimated local cost of $29 million.

As federal reversals continue, Bowser’s administration has not yet said whether additional local funds will be needed.

While Virginia and D.C. look for ways to shield their residents, other states are looking at various avenues. For instance, Delaware is leaning on community action. The state partnered with r4 Tech-

AROUND THE REGION

nologies, the YMCA, and local lawmakers to distribute 10,000 pounds of food to residents who depend on SNAP benefits.

For millions across the country, food insecurity is deepening by the day. One in eight Americans relies on SNAP, and many have gone without aid since the shutdown began more than six weeks ago.

As the legal battles play out, the administration continues to blame Congress for failing to end the shutdown. But governors like Youngkin and Mills say the crisis was made worse by the administration’s shifting orders and threats to penalize states acting to feed their residents.

“President Trump should be focusing on reopening the government he controls,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) said, “instead of repeatedly fighting to take away food from American families.” WI

5 Leaders such as Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (pictured) are working to stabilize food access for those caught in the middle of the federal government shutdown. (WI File Photo)

AROUND THE REGION

Carl Winfrey from Riverdale Park, Maryland, reads The Washington Informer at The Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts at University of Maryland College Park. (Brenda C. Siler/The Washington Informer)

“There

Adrian Jordan, president and CEO of WellPoint DC (second left), receives the Vincent C. Gray Health Equity Award from the District of Columbia Hospital Association. Standing with Jordan are (L-R) Dr. Christopher King of Georgetown University; Jacqueline D. Bowens, president and CEO of District of Columbia Hospital Association; Dr. Gregory Argyros, president of MedStar Washington Hospital Center; and Wayne Turnage, deputy mayor for the District of Columbia Department of Health and Human Services. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

D.C. Air Travel Collapses Under Trump’s Shutdown

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The government shutdown, already forcing millions of Americans to go hungry without Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, sending health care costs soaring, and leaving thousands of federal workers without pay, has now reached the skies above Washington, D.C.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced plans to cut roughly 10% of flights at Reagan National, Dulles International, and Baltimore-Washington International airports because of severe staffing shortages caused by the shutdown.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the reductions were necessary to protect safety as unpaid air traffic controllers face fatigue and financial strain.

“Some of those who don’t show up continue to not show up, which means we have those who come to work, they’re working longer hours, they’re working more days, and that’s some of the pressure that we’re seeing on them,” Duffy stated. “We want to alleviate that pressure before it becomes an issue.”

The shutdown has left thousands of essential federal workers in the nation’s capital unpaid for more than a month. Many are air traffic controllers, TSA officers, and aviation support staff who keep D.C.’s major airports running.

Travelers in the region are being warned to expect major disruptions, including cancellations and extended delays. Crystal Nosal, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, said the timing could not be worse.

“Holiday travel does start before Thanksgiving,” she said. “From Veterans Day on, we look at increased airport travel. It’s the busiest time of the year through New Year’s.”

The crisis worsened earlier this week when a bomb threat at Reagan National temporarily stopped all flights. Federal agents evacuated passengers and searched the airport before declaring the threat unfounded. Audio from air traffic control captured the tense moments.

“We have an unconfirmed bomb

of

Inside Reagan National Airport, the shutdown’s effects are visible.

report for your flight. We have to get you away from the airport,” a controller told one pilot as flights were diverted and grounded.

The FBI later said a caller using a robotic voice had demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency. Although no explosives were found, the incident exposed how fragile airport operations have become during the shutdown. Workers already under financial and emotional strain are being forced to manage potential security emergencies without full support or pay.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the 10% reduction in air traffic was designed to prevent an aviation disaster, pointing to

fatigue and stress among controllers as a growing concern. United Airlines said it will give travelers several days’ notice before canceling flights but acknowledged that the cuts will heavily affect domestic routes serving D.C. and nearby cities.

Inside Reagan National Airport, the shutdown’s effects are visible. Security lines stretch for hours, stranded passengers fill concourses, and essential workers hand out flyers describing themselves as “unpaid air traffic controllers” still trying to keep the skies safe. Some local governments have stepped in to offer relief. Prince George’s County announced $1 million in emergency funds for furloughed workers struggling to pay rent and buy food.

As the shutdown enters its sixth week, it has tied for the longest in U.S. history. Across the Washington region, airports that once symbolized connection and progress have become reminders of dysfunction. The capital city, which depends heavily on federal operations, now faces economic paralysis on the ground and in the air.

One D.C. air traffic controller described the uncertainty facing his colleagues.

“I’m an unpaid air traffic controller trying to keep people safe in the skies while wondering how to afford groceries,” the individual stated.

WI

5 The Federal Aviation Administration has cut roughly 10% of flights at Reagan National, Dulles International, and Baltimore-Washington International airports because

severe staffing shortages caused by the shutdown. (WI File Photo/Ja’Mon Jackson)

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

Redistricting Fight Reaches Maryland as Moore Forms New Commission

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Gov. Wes Moore (D) has announced the formation of Maryland’s Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission, a bipartisan body tasked with reviewing and recommending updates to the state’s congressional boundaries.

The move comes as redistricting efforts intensify across the country, with new maps being drawn and contested in several states ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Moore said the new commission

will hold public hearings, seek community input, and provide recommendations to both his office and the Maryland General Assembly.

“My commitment has been clear from day one — we will explore every avenue possible to make sure Maryland has fair and representative maps,” Moore stated. “This commission will ensure the people are heard.”

The five-member commission will be chaired by Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and includes former Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh (D) and Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss, a nonpartisan role, along

with appointees from legislative leaders. The last time such a panel was convened in Maryland was in 2011 under then-Gov. Martin O’Malley (D).

Alsobrooks, who will lead the group, said the goal is to restore public confidence in a process that has often been viewed as politically motivated.

“We have a president that treats our democracy with utter contempt. We have a Republican Party that is trying to rig the rules in response to their terrible polling,” she said. “Let me be clear: Maryland deserves a fair map that represents the will of the people. That’s why I’m proud to chair this commission. Our democracy de-

pends on all of us standing up in this moment.”

Maryland Joins Nationwide Redistricting Efforts

Maryland’s announcement arrives at a crucial time for redistricting nationwide.

In North Carolina, courts are reviewing maps approved by the Republican-led legislature after claims that they dilute Black voting power.

In Wisconsin, the state Supreme Court recently struck down Republican-drawn maps, ordering new ones to be developed before the next elec-

3Gov. Wes Moore is joining nationwide redistricting efforts, having formed a bipartisan body tasked with reviewing and recommending updates to the state’s congressional boundaries. (WI File

tion. In Georgia, new boundaries were approved following a federal judge’s ruling that previous maps violated the Voting Rights Act.

Texas and Florida also face ongoing legal battles over their congressional lines, with courts examining whether political and racial gerrymandering unfairly impacts minority voters.

Experts note that redistricting fights have emerged in nearly every region of the country, often determining which party controls Congress. The Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling limiting the role of federal courts in policing partisan gerrymandering has left state courts and commissions like Maryland’s as critical arbiters of fair representation.

Moore said the commission’s work will prioritize transparency and inclusion.

“I thank those who have raised their hands to lead this process,” he said, “and I am confident in their ability to gather the views and perspectives of a broad range of voices throughout the state.” WI

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Prince George’s Political Updates

Sens. Van Hollen, Alsobrooks Vote Against Senate Funding Resolution as Government Inches Toward Reopening

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

After a historic 40-day shutdown, the federal government appears to be poised for reopening following a bipartisan Senate deal to fund the government until Jan. 30 of next year, which includes a December vote to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that are expected to rise sharply for millions of Americans.

However, Maryland senators are pushing back on parts of the Nov. 9 funding resolution, citing the impending spike in medical costs as a primary concern.

“I have voted seven times for a responsible funding agreement to end the shameful Republican shutdown, hold the president accountable to the law, and prevent health care costs from skyrocketing for tens of millions of Americans. I am prepared to work

toward a compromise, but this funding bill before us tonight does not come close to meeting those terms,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D) in a press statement on Nov. 9, hours before the Senate agreement was made. “Not only does it fail to address the impending explosion in working Americans’ health insurance costs, it also lacks the necessary guardrails to stop President [Donald] Trump (R) from ignoring the law and withholding funds for important priorities. That is why I am voting no.”

Having served in the Senate since 2017, Van Hollen was a sponsor of a 2018 bill alongside then-Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) to guarantee back pay for federal workers, a protection that Trump has repeatedly suggested is not guaranteed.

“Should this bill become law, the administration must follow the

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

A FEW EXAMPLES:

5 Maryland Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks are against a Senate funding resolution, citing medical costs. (WI File Photos/Robert R. Roberts)

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

UPDATE from Page 13

law that Sen. Cardin and I passed after the first Trump shutdown to ensure all federal employees receive the full backpay they are owed once the government reopens,” he continued.

“We must also continue working to pass my legislation guaranteeing back pay to federal contractors – from maintenance and custodial staff, to construction and security workers. Like federal civil servants, these workers had nothing to do with causing this Republican shutdown, and likewise do not deserve to bear the brunt of it.”

Van Hollen vowed to continue

working to support federal workers and “stand up to this administration’s attacks” on many American communities.

Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (DMd.) is also planning to vote against the funding resolution, as Senate Republicans have not affirmed their support for ACA subsidies.

“I have voted eight separate times to reopen the government. And each of those times, I voted for a continuing resolution that addresses the health care crisis Republicans have unleashed on working families across this country. After weeks of refusing to ne-

gotiate, Senate Republicans have finally put forth a new continuing resolution that reaffirms their indifference to the health care crisis and growing unaffordability of our country,” Alsobrooks said in a statement hours after the Senate deal was announced.

The first Black person to represent Maryland in the Senate, Alsobrooks called the Trump administration “a disaster,” citing rising energy and food prices and inconsistent tariff policies.

“As I look at this new continuing resolution, I am glad to see it includes language I fought for to reverse the draconian RIFs. But, I

have maintained from the beginning of this Republican shutdown that I could not vote for anything that does not address the rising health care costs,” she continued.

“Republicans have put forth a resolution today that does absolutely nothing to help struggling Marylanders afford health care. I made a promise to the people of Maryland that I would always vote in their best interests. That’s why I’m voting no.”

Federal workers, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), have called for an end to the shutdown since its earliest days, noting increased financial stress and the continued obligation to keep

working without pay.

“As president of the largest federal employee union, I cannot countenance the sight of workers I represent standing in food lines," wrote AFGE president Everett Kelley in a late October letter to the Senate. "It should trouble the conscience of every member of Congress and indeed every American. Whether they are declared excepted workers or are furloughed—a designation they do not choose—federal workers are for the most part not being paid. Yet their obligations remain to pay mortgages and monthly rents, credit card bills and childcare, and gasoline and automobile loans.” WI

Written by Samm-Art Williams

Directed by KenYatta Rogers

School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies Tickets

Advancing care in our communities.

Together, we are a force for good. That’s why we invest in partnerships that advance equity in local Black communities by improving access to educational opportunities, healthcare and mental health support.

BUSINESS

D.C. Chamber of Commerce

Honors ‘Spirit and Hustle’ at 2025 Awards Gala

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

Slightly more than 1,000 members of the DMV area’s political, business, and philanthropic communities congregated at the National Building Museum in Northwest on Nov. 6 to celebrate local entrepreneurship and free enterprise at the D.C. Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Awards and Gala.

With the District enduring: the federal government shutdown; a sluggish economy due to high consumer prices and slow economic growth nationally; and a downtown area struggling to retain businesses and public agencies in its office space, the chamber decided to offer hope at this year’s event, under the theme: “Amplify Our Views, Ignite Our Growth.”

“This is what resilience and unity looks like,” said Chinyere Hubbard, president and CEO of the chamber, looking at the large gathering of local business and political leaders.

In an event co-emceed by Michelle Miller with CBS News and Lorenzo Hall of WUSA 9, many elected officials came to the Thursday night event, including: D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, Councilmembers Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2), Wendell Felder (D-Ward 7), Kenyan McDuffie (IAt Large), chair of the Committee on Business and Economic Development, and Robert White (D-At Large) and Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy. Despite challenges, Hubbard, Bowser and other speakers high-

lighted local achievements, honored people working to uplift D.C.’s business community and economy, and looked toward the future, revealing major plans to support District businesses and residents overall.

“We at the chamber are working to streamline the licensing process and work on new pathways to start businesses,” Hubbard continued. “Developing a tech sector is at work and we played a role in the building of a new Washington Commanders stadium.”

Earl “Chico” Horton III, chairman of the chamber’s board, emphasized the organization’s overall growth, such as adding 155 new

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3 Chinyere Hubbard, president and CEO of the DC Chamber of Commerce, at the organization’s 2025 Chamber Choice Awards and Gala on Nov. 6 at the National Building Museum in Northwest, D.C. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

businesses can thrive and spoke about the Talent Capital, an initiative her administration launched to recognize the gifts and talents of Washingtonians for entrepreneurial and employment pursuits.

“We are a resume economy,” she said.

As District mayor, Bowser encouraged the crowd to continue to pour its resources into the city.

“Invest in D.C.,” she said, “D.C. is where you want to be. Thank you for choosing Washington.”

members “so far this year,” and plans for the future, such as implementing the future, including implementing the “Future Moguls Program” – a new initiative that trains young business leaders – in January.

“We are celebrating the spirit of Washington, D.C.,” Horton said. “It’s spirit and hustle. We have some of the most hustling opportunities around. It’s all about business. Get your hustle on.”

Chamber Celebrates Game Changers, Bowser and Other Leaders Offer Calls to Action

As part of their work to empower District businesses, the DC Chamber of Commerce is supporting Mayor Bowser’s growth agenda, such as the revitalization of the downtown sector.

“[Bowser] has been about business,” said Horton. “We have had the level of business activity in this city like we have now for quite some time.”

During the celebration, the mayor received the chamber’s Game Changer Award, given to people who make a difference in the District’s business landscape.

“It is wonderful to be here to represent the best city in the world,” said Bowser, who shared the honor with D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) and Josh Harris, managing partner of the Washington Commanders.

The mayor declared her commitment to cutting red tape so that

While Harris, a DMV native, didn’t attend the event, Mark Clouse, president of the Commanders, accepted the award on his behalf, emphasizing the team owner’s commitment to the District.

“We had a vision of bringing the Commanders back to their ancestral home in D.C.,” Clouse said. “This is a city where people set aside their differences and put on the burgundy and gold and cheer on their team.”

The Economic Impact Award went to JPMorganChase and Corenic Construction was a awarded Business of the Year.

Brian Kenner, global head of community engagement for Amazon, got the Business Leader of the Year Award, while Ward 8’s Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, GW Health, was tapped for the Community Impact of the Year citation.

CAVA, the national restaurant chain that first opened in the DMV area in 2006, received the Chairman Choice Award and The Calpro Group was the recipient of this year’s Chamber Choice Award.

Brett Schulam, co-founder of CAVA, said the support from the District has been key to its nationwide success.

“We started out small here in the city, just two guys and now we employ tens of thousands of people nationally,” Schulman said. “It is all because of the support that we got when we started out here in D.C. in the 2000s. It is because of you, we are who we are today.”

WI @JamesWrightJr10

Business Briefs

U.S. Black Chambers Inc. Acquires BET Campus

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

The District-based U.S. Black Chambers Inc., (USBC) announced Oct. 30 the historic acquisition of the former Black Entertainment Television (BET) campus, a 7.86-acre landmark once home to the media empire of Robert L. Johnson, named by Forbes as the first Black billionaire in the U.S. in 2001.

With an investment of more than $38 million, the organization is set to transform this site into what will be known as the USBC Innovation Center. The acquisition marks a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the future of Black enterprise.

The new campus will serve as a national engine for business growth, innovation, and community impact rooted in the District, extending its influence nationwide.

The USBC has been in operation for nearly two decades as an advocate for African American chambers of commerce. Ron Busby Sr., the president and CEO of the nonprofit, said the acquisition is an evolutionary step.

“When I reflect on the journey of the U.S. Black Chambers over

the past 16 years, I see a history of resilience, vision and progress,” said Busby. “This campus is the next chapter of that story–not just a building, but a living symbol of what happens when we claim our space, own our future and build institutions that outlast us.

The USBC Innovation Campus is about more than today’s entrepreneurs; it’s about ensuring that generations to come inherit a place where their ideas, voices and businesses can thrive.”

The acquisition was made from an affiliate of Douglas Development, a District-based real estate firm. In addition to the USBC headquarters, the facility will contain offices for various types of businesses.

Corey Arnez Griffin, chairman of the board of directors for the Greater Washington DC Black Chamber of Commerce, praised USBC’s move.

“This acquisition makes a powerful statement about the enduring legacy of one of the most successful Black-owned enterprises in our history,” he said. “It renews the promise and the possibility of Black entrepreneurship.and enterprise.”

WI @JamesWrightJr10

Building Legacy, Honoring Roots: A Season of Gratitude and Vision for Our Community

By Aimee D. Griffin, Esq.

November is the month I was born, and each year I take this time to pause — not just to celebrate another year of life, but to reflect on what that life means in service to my people, my purpose, and my legacy. Gratitude is my grounding. It reminds me that the story of my life is not written in isolation — it is part of the long, rich narrative of the Black community’s resilience, faith, and brilliance.

We come from a people who built this nation with their hands and sustained it with their hope. From generation to generation, we have carried the unspoken assignment of turning struggle into strength and limitation into legacy. We are the descendants of visionaries who dreamed of freedom, education, ownership, and self-determination — and it is now our turn to honor that legacy by expanding it.

That’s what legacy-building truly is — the intentional act of designing the future while honoring the past. It’s not only about transferring wealth, but about preserving our stories, our land, our values, and our vision. It is about creating structures that empower the next generation to thrive without having to start over every time.

As a Black woman, a lawyer, and a daughter of this community, I know how much we have achieved — and how much we stand to lose if we do not plan. Too often, our hard work ends with us. Businesses close when owners pass away. Homes are lost to probate. Land that should have been a family’s foundation becomes a burden or a battlefield. We can and must change that.

At Life & Legacy Counselors, our mission is to educate, collaborate, and strategically plan with individuals, families, and business owners so that wealth — both tangible and spiritual — is not just created, but secured and transferred. Estate planning, trusts, and succession strategies are not luxuries; they are the modern-day tools of liberation. They are how we move from survival to sustainability, from inheritance to empowerment.

This season of gratitude is the perfect time for each of us to ask:

• What am I building for my family and my community?

• How am I preparing those who will come after me to lead, own, and grow?

• Does my legacy reflect my values and my vision?

When we think generationally, we think like our ancestors did — with courage, foresight, and faith. Legacy is not about leaving something behind; it’s about building something that lasts.

As I celebrate my birthday this November, I celebrate the countless shoulders I stand on — the teachers, entrepreneurs, elders, and advocates who made a way for me. And I recommit myself to building structures that will hold space for generations yet unborn. Because gratitude without strategy is fleeting — but gratitude combined with purpose creates an enduring legacy.

So, as we enter this season of reflection and thanksgiving, I call on our community to build boldly, to plan intentionally, and to dream without limits. We are the legacy our ancestors prayed for — and the foundation upon which our descendants will stand.

www. washingtoninformer .com

Aimee D. Griffin, Esq.

Life and Legacy Counselors 1401 Mercantile Lane, Ste 271, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774

5335 Wisconsin Ave NW Ste 440 Washington, DC 20015 1100 N. Glebe Road, Ste 1010, Arlington, VA 22201 www.yourestateplanningattorney.com (855) 574-8481 connects all locations

5 Ron Busby Sr., president and CEO of U.S. Black Chambers Inc. (USBC), speaks at the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters conference, held at the former BET campus in October. USBC recently announced the acquisition of the campus, marking an opportunity to reimagine the future of Black enterprise. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

NATIONAL

from Page 1

to advance a short-term spending measure, setting in motion the first real steps toward reopening the federal government — and igniting an intraparty storm over the cost of compromise.

The procedural vote passed 60 to 40 on Nov. 9, breaking a deadlock that had frozen pay for hundreds of thousands of federal workers and left millions of Americans facing hunger and health care uncertainty. The rare Sunday session ended in applause on the Senate floor as weary lawmakers exhaled at the possibility of an end in sight.

Those who voted with Republicans — including Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine (Va.) and Dick Durbin (Ill.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), John Fetterman (Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Jacky Rosen (Nev.), and Independent Angus King (Maine)— argued that the monthlong shutdown had become untenable.

“This was the only deal on the ta-

ble,” Shaheen said. “A lot of people are being hurt.”

King called the compromise “a win for the American people,” while Kaine noted that the measure guaranteed a vote on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, even if not a guaranteed outcome.

But their decision drew fury from the party’s progressive wing.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer emerged from a tense evening caucus declaring, “I’m voting no.”

He called the measure’s failure to address the health care crisis “so severe, so urgent, so devastating for families back home” that he could not support it in good faith.

“America is in the midst of a Republican-made health care crisis worse than anything the American people have seen in decades,” he said on the Senate floor.

Outside the chamber, Senator Bernie Sanders was sharper still.

“It would be a horrific mistake to cave in to Trump right now,” he

INVITATION FOR BIDS

said before the vote. “The American people cannot afford a doubling of their health care premiums. They can’t afford to lose their Medicaid, which 15 million people would. If Democrats cave on this issue, what it will say to Donald Trump is that he has a green light to go forward toward authoritarianism.”

The spending agreement, a continuing resolution, would fund the government through January and reverse layoffs of federal employees. It would also guarantee back pay for those furloughed and ensure funding for programs like SNAP

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that had been suspended during the shutdown.

However, it leaves intact the expiration of health care tax credits at the end of the year, which analysts warn will sharply raise insurance premiums for millions of Americans.

House Democrats, led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have already signaled resistance.

“Donald Trump and the Republican Party own the toxic mess they have created in our country, and the American people know it,” Jeffries said in a statement. “We will not support spending legislation that fails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.”

Next Steps Post the Senate Deal

The deal’s path forward remains uncertain.

The House, which has not met since September, must still reconvene to approve the Senate’s version before it can reach President Donald Trump’s desk.

Even then, one senator could slow the process through procedural objections, a reality Schumer hinted at when he told reporters, “Ask Rand Paul,” a jab at the Kentucky Republican who was the lone member of his party to vote no.

As the standoff drags on, frustration deepens beyond Capitol Hill. Federal workers are still waiting for paychecks. Food banks from Maryland to Hawaii are overwhelmed by families once supported by federal assistance. Airport lines stretch as

unpaid TSA staff call out sick.

The government, for now, remains closed.

But Washington, bruised, divided, and weary, inches toward a fragile reopening, one vote at a time.

“There was zero chance of dealing with the Affordable Care Act issue as long as the shutdown continued,” King emphasized. “In the meantime, a lot of people are being hurt.”

Sen. Ankit Jain, one of the District’s shadow senators, explained next steps about the senate vote, after a concerned government worker wondered if she should report to work Monday morning post Sunday’s vote.

“They are voting to consider the House-passed bill, which they will then have to amend, then they will have to overcome a filibuster on the amended bill, then actually pass the bill; then the House will have to pass the amended bill,” Jain explained Sunday evening. “So it's going to take a few days.”

District’s Shadow Rep. Oye Owolewa, said that while he appreciates the work happening to reopen the government, he told The Informer he is “extremely concerned that there’s no guarantee on the extension of ACA subsidies,” before offering a chilling warning.

“Without [ACA subsidies],” Owolewa said, “Americans will see their health care costs soar, more people will lose their insurance and American lives will be unnecessarily lost.” WI

5 The federal government is inching toward a fragile reopening, one vote at a time. (WI File Photo/Roy Lewis)

SHUTDOWN

A True Blue Wave: Voters Deliver a Mandate Against Trump-Era Division

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

By 8:30 p.m. on election night, the story was clear: America had spoken loudly, decisively, and with a voice that refused to be ignored.

From Richmond to Atlanta, from Newark to New York City, the nation’s voters delivered clearly rebuked MAGA ideals and politics.

This was not a trickle of blue. It was a flood.

Democrats swept Virginia in a commanding victory that turned the state deep blue once more.

Former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger shattered a glass ceiling by becoming the first woman ever elected governor of Virginia.

Her running mate, State Senator Ghazala Hashmi, made history twice over by becoming the first Indian American and first Muslim to win statewide office in the state.

Together they claimed the governor and lieutenant governor posts, cementing full Democratic control of Virginia’s government.

“Tonight, you chose leadership that will always put you first — and tonight, we turned a page. I know that the list of challenges we are facing is long. But I also know that the only way we're going to solve these problems is by tackling them together,” said Spanberger.

“Democrats, Republicans, Independents — all of us — because that embodies the message we sent tonight, and that is Virginia. Let’s put Virginia on a path forward. Let's show the world what we're made of. Let's get to work.”

In Virginia’s attorney general’s race, Democrat Jay Jones defeated Republican incumbent Jason Miyares in one of the most closely watched contests in the country. Jones overcame a late campaign controversy over resurfaced vio-

lent text messages he sent in 2022 about then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert. His victory marks a historic milestone as the first Black attorney general in Virginia’s history.

It was not just a state turning the page. It was the country.

In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill captured the governor’s mansion, transforming what had once been a Republican-leaning swing state into a Democratic stronghold.

In Pennsylvania, voters chose to retain all three Democratic Supreme Court justices, preserving a 5–2 majority on the state’s highest court.

The result was a resounding rejection of the MAGA legal crusades that have sought to roll back reproductive rights, voting rights, and democratic norms.

Page 51

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5 Constituents are celebrating Democrat Abigail Spanberger’s victory in Virginia, becoming the first woman elected governor of the state. The Nov. 4 election night showcased a blue wave of voters around the nation rebuking MAGA politics.

(Courtesy Photo)

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SHAKUR from Page 1

on Sept. 25 in Havana at the age of 78. Weeks later, her words and works continue to inspire young people currently fighting for similar causes.

“What specifically stands out to students, especially college students, is the way that she came into social and political consciousness during her time in college in New York,” said Dr. Kimberly Monroe, an associate professor of Africana Studies and African-American History at Trinity Washington University in Northeast.

Three years ago, Monroe, a longtime scholar of “Assata: An Autobiography” (1988), submitted that book and “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” (1965) to Trinity’s list of transformational books. Days after learning about Shakur’s death from elder comrades, Monroe would join several students and faculty members in the public reading of excerpts from the book in Trinity’s Africana Studies Reading Room.

In between readings, Monroe played music, including Common’s “A Song for Assata” (2000). She also showed students Gloria Rolando’s 1997 documentary, “Eyes on the Rainbow,” that detailed Shakur’s life in Cuba.

Weeks later, while sitting before another group of students at Howard University’s (HU) Blackburn University Center, Monroe reflected on the vitriol she received from conservative media outlets for conducting the live reading.

She would later tell The Informer that the Oct. 7 event proved well worth it.

“That was really important to me to share with students,” Monroe told The Informer, “to say [that] while we put her on this major pedestal in terms of being a part of the Black Panther Party [and] Black Liberation Army, later escaping with the help of her comrades to Cuba, she’s also had a journey of growing in terms of knowledge and social and political consciousness through study and…practice.”

A Young Person Honors

Shakur with Action

Shakur, also a former member of the Black Panther Party, died in Havana on the afternoon Sept. 25

at the age of 78. She not only died a free woman, but a contemporary symbol of resistance against racism, capitalism, and imperialism.

Shakur later joined the Black Liberation Army, during which she became a U.S. fugitive. In 1973, while on the run, Shakur, along with Sundiata Acoli and Zayd Malik Shakur, got caught up in a shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike that ended in the latter’s death and that of a state trooper.

A jury would later convict Shakur of first-degree murder, despite her assertions that, due to the injuries she sustained in the shootout, she couldn’t have killed the state trooper.

In 1979, Shakur escaped prison. She went underground until 1984, when Cuba gave her political asylum.

For decades, U.S. authorities had gone to great lengths to secure Shakur’s extradition. In the 1990s, the New Jersey State Police appealed to Pope John Paul II for assistance. More recently, during the Obama administration, Shakur became the first woman to be added to the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists List.

As Howard student Delaney Leonard pointed out, Shakur overcame those hurdles to live life on her terms.

“To see someone struggle and be successful in sustaining her freedom serves as a big inspiration for all of us that it is possible to

escape from the clutches of the United States,” said Leonard, a member of HU’s Kwame Ture Society for Africana Studies (KTS). “The fact that Assata was almost in some ways able to have autonomy over her own death…means a lot to young folks like myself who are coming into adulthood in such a stratified time period.”

On the evening of Oct. 28, Leonard and two other HU students sat on a panel alongside: Monroe, journalist-playwright-organizer Obi Egbuna, Jr.; cultural educator James Early, and attorney-activist-author Nkechi Taifa.

The two-hour event at HU’s Blackburn University Center allowed for analysis of Shakur’s life and legacy, and how students can best advance the cause of African liberation.

During the panel discussion, Leonard, who uses they/them pronouns, cautioned their peers against immortalizing Shakur to the point where they felt it insurmountable to walk in her footsteps. Days later, while speaking to The Informer, Leonard reiterated those sentiments.

“We all can be global anti-imperialists in solidarity with African people around the globe and particularly being in solidarity with our political prisoners who have been exiled all over the world,” Leonard said. WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

5 Dr. Kimberly Monroe, associate professor of Africana Studies and African-American History at Trinity Washington University in Northeast, is a longtime scholar of Black Liberation Army veteran Assata Shakur, who died in Havana, Cuba on Sept. 25. (Courtesy Photo/Dr. Kimberly Monroe, Instagram)

Scammers Don’t Take Holidays: How To Help Protect Your Money This Season

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For informational/educational purposes only: Views and strategies described in this article or provided via links may not be appropriate for everyone and are not intended as specific advice/recommendation for any business. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates and/or subsidiaries do not warrant its completeness or accuracy. The material is not intended to provide legal, tax, or financial advice or to indicate the availability or suitability of any JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. product or service. You should carefully consider your needs and objectives before making any decisions and consult the appropriate professional(s). Outlooks and past performance are not guarantees of future results. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates are not responsible for, and do not provide or endorse third party products, services, or other content.

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5 RgStudio/E+ via Getty Images

HEALTH

MEDICARE from Page 1

are struggling to keep good health coverage on average budgets.

“The Obamacare will allow all Americans to have an affordable health care plan,” Blackwell, 68, told The Informer. “If Trump has his way, insurance will skyrocket, which will cause a vast majority of Americans being uninsured.”

Blackwell, who lives in Southeast, D.C., is not the only person concerned.

Open enrollment for health care plans started on Nov. 1, and finance experts say medical plan premiums will rise in price due to inflation and insurance industry pressures as a matter of course. However, if the U.S. Congress does not pass a bill extending the Obamacare tax credits that makes health care premiums cheaper to purchase, experts say millions of low-and-middle income Americans could lose their medical insurance by Jan. 1.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Congress passed and Trump signed a “Big Beautiful Bill” that took millions of dollars out of Medicaid, the national health care program that supports low-income and disabled adults, handled by state level jurisdictions such as the District.

People who are not eligible for Obamacare generally can enroll in Medicaid but the jurisdiction must have adequate funding for the increased enrollment in the program. To that point, Blackwell is apprehensive.

“If the federal government doesn't fund their part of Medicaid with state funds, poor families who depend on Medicaid will be left with no insurance,” she said.

“This will cause the poor not to be able to continue their health care, causing widespread illness and maybe death by being uninsured through Medicaid. With the government being shut down, how are the insurance premiums being paid when federal workers are not receiving a paycheck? This will make them have second thoughts about going to the doctor.”

If Obamacare is cut, those on ACA plans may now have to pay the full rate of insurance, meaning premiums could rise by 25%30%, according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

D.C. Shadow Rep. Oye Owolewa (D) spoke of the plans to reopen the government without addressing the potential exponential rise in health care costs.

“As an elected pharmacist, I’m

extremely concerned with the partisan gamemanship the Republican controlled federal government is playing with people’s health care,” Owolewa, a candidate for an at-large seat on the D.C. Council, told The Informer. “This government shutdown proves the need for a Medicare for all style universal health care system. It’s the only pathway forward for improved health care outcomes and decreased costs.”

a privilege.”

Blackwell’s Health Finance Dilemma

Like a number of District residents, Blackwell has to grapple with the ins and outs of balancing health, career, and financing basic needs such as health care, particularly because she is unemployed.

“It's not that I choose not to be working. It's just that when I had an injury to my back, it brought me out on an early retirement,” she said. “I was a kindergarten teacher for over 40-some years. But the government really doesn't take into consideration, I think, how they will meet their needs from day to day.”

While Blackwell told The Informer she makes things work from month-to-month, it’s been

At one time, she was able to utilize a major part of Medicare, the national health insurance program for Americans 65 and older.

But that appears to no longer be the case.

“They basically said I no longer was eligible for Part B of the Medicare program due to the fact my husband makes too much money,” she said. “So by them taking a lump sum between $185 to $200 from my monthly income, it has literally put me in a financial hole, struggling to meet my needs every month.”

D.C. Government Officials Speak About Premiums Increase

The D.C. Department of InMEDICARE Page 23

5 Retired teacher and District resident Mary Blackwell is concerned about the medical insurance rates and the potential gutting of the Affordable Care Act. While she was on Medicare Part B, she recently learned she’s no longer eligible because her husband makes too much money, causing her to worry about health care costs and other expenses. (Keith Golden/ The Washington Informer)

from Page 22

surance, Securities and Banking (DISB) announced that it approved the 2026 health insurance rates for individual and small business plans on Sept. 29. Essentially, the rates reveal an average increase of 8.7% for individual plans and 9.5% for small group plans–with the goal of delivering $1.2 million in savings to residents.

DISB Commissioner Karima Woods said the Bowser administration is committed to keeping health care plans at a reasonable cost.

“Thanks to Mayor Bowser’s leadership, DISB is laser-focused on protecting D.C. consumers from unfair pricing and discriminatory coverage,” said Woods. “We rigorously reviewed 188 health plans this year to ensure they meet the District’s high standards–because every resident deserves access to affordable, equitable and transparent health insurance.”

DISB evaluated rate filings from CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, Kaiser Permanente and UnitedHealthcare. The final approvals to be offered to District residents came after a Sept 11 public hearing where actuaries presented their findings and residents relayed personal stories and issues.

The agency’s final decision also received input from other stakeholders such as nonprofits, consumer advocates and the leadership of the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority, the District’s ACA arm.

Open enrollment for individuals and families through the DC Health Link runs until Jan. 31.

Purvee Kempf, deputy executive director of the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority, said many District residents who aren’t enrolled in Medicaid or Medicare and do not have health insurance by way of their employer will face challenges.

“This year will be harder than most,” she told The Informer. “A federal health insurance tax credit that lowers monthly premiums expires on [Dec. 31]. This impacts approximately 4,400 residents who buy their own coverage on DC Health Link. Their health insurance premiums will be much higher. Some will no longer qualify for lower premiums. Others will

be eligible for some relief but will have to pay a lot more in 2026.”

Kempf said seven out of 10 people with lower premiums in the District are sole proprietors and small business owners who buy their own insurance. For example, she said a couple– ages 55 and 56 years old who own a small business in the city with an annual income of $88,000— will see their monthly premium increase from $328 a month to $2,295 monthly.

Kempf recommends residents to shop around and look at other plans for better savings.

“Shop for a plan that fits your budget, consider not only premiums, but deductibles, and cost sharing if you use health care services,” she said.

She said planning ahead as far as what health care plan to purchase should be done “sooner than later.”

As far as Blackwell’s Medicaid concerns, Kempf’s agency launched the Healthy DC Plan on Nov. 6, designed to address concerns about those who are set to be dropped off of the Medicaid program. The plan offers health care coverage at no cost to eligible residents and has no monthly

premiums, out-of-pocket-costs like deductibles or copayments for covered services.

Services covered include: doctor visits, hospital stays, prescription medications, emergency care, preventive care, laboratory services, and mental health care.

“Healthy DC Plan is a great new coverage option for DC residents,” said Mila Kofman, executive director of DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority. “I want to thank our sister agencies—especially the Department of Health

Care Finance, the Department of Insurance, Securities, & Banking, and DC Health—for working hand-in-hand to quickly stand up this program. Thanks also to the three health carriers that agreed to participate and to the diverse members from our community who provided important input throughout plan development.”

Kempf encourages District residents to contact her agency if they need assistance with selecting a health plan or for general information. If there are any changes made

by Congress, she said her agency will keep the public informed. Meanwhile, Blackwell said she will cope with the system the way it is because she wants to live as healthy a lifestyle as possible.

“That’s just the way it is right now,” she said. “I know I shouldn’t decide which medication I should take because all of my medication is probably 100% needed for me to have a comfortable life. But I choose to do that because I want to maintain good health.” WI @JamesWrightJr10

NOTICE OF COMMENT PERIOD FOR MODIFICATION OF DCHA’S ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN

The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) is providing notice of Public Hearing and Comment Period to solicit comments on its proposed Administrative Plan (Admin Plan).

To download a copy of the proposed Admin Plan, please visit the DCHA website at https://www.dchousing.org/plansand-reports. To request a copy of the proposed Admin Plan, send an email to PublicationComments@dchousing.org or call 771-240-4377.

The virtual Public Hearing will take place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 18.

To speak during the Virtual Public Hearing, register online at https://bit.ly/RegisterAdminPlanPublicHearing

To join the live event, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 18, please visit https://bit.ly/AdminPlanPublicHearing. This event will also be live streamed on the DCHA Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/dchousing/.

Comments

Written comments regarding the proposed Admin Plan will be accepted by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, December 16.  Email your comments to PublicationComments@dchousing.org

Alternatively, you can mail comments to:

District of Columbia Housing Authority   Office of the General Counsel   Attn: General Counsel   300 7th Street, SW    10th Floor   Washington, DC 20024

Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation

DCHA strives to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. It is the policy of DCHA that all agency-sponsored public meetings and events are accessible to people with disabilities. DCHA is committed to providing equal access to events for all participants & residents with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, or assistance in participating in a meeting or event due to a disability as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact our ADA/504 Program Office at 202-535-1000 or at ADA504@ dchousing.org with your complete request. Every reasonable effort will be made to meet your request.

If you need a sign language interpreter or foreign language interpretation or translation, please contact our Office of Customer Engagement at 202-535-1000 or go to www.dchousing.org/language. Please allow at least 3 business days to make the necessary arrangements.

5 Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking Commissioner Karima Woods says the Bowser administration is committed to keeping health care plans at a reasonable cost. (Courtesy Photo)

MRDICARE

EARTH OUR

Teens Turn Climate Concern Into Children’s Book

'Let’s Clear the Air' Combines Science and Magic to Teach Young Children About Renewable Energy

By Mya Trujillo WI Contributing Writer

Krish Kabduwal and Mackenzie Okabe never imagined they could write “published author” and “published illustrator” on their resumes before graduating high school. Still, the duo from Hayfield Secondary School recently gained those titles in October with the publishing of their children’s book “Let’s Clear the Air.”

The 32-page book features a whimsical art style and a mystical plot to introduce young children to three types of renewable energy:

solar, hydro and wind.

The work is a testament to the two 17-year-olds’ passion for and commitment to educating the public, especially younger generations, about the severity of climate change and ways to mitigate its impact during a time when climate progress is at risk due to federal cuts.

“Soon enough, the younger generation will be our new CEOs, government officials, and researchers, so it’s important to teach them while they’re young on the topic of climate change,”

Mackenzie told The Informer. “Even though the Earth may seem okay now,

in the future, if we don’t make continuous efforts to ensure our ecosystems are healthy, the damage may be irreversible.”

“Let’s Clear the Air” follows the main protagonist, Dr. Leo, as he tries to help a mother doe rescue her fawn from the main antagonist Grubble, who represents nonrenewable energy and practices that are harmful to the environment. Dr. Leo travels the world and learns from other animals about renewable energy, then uses that information to help transform Grubble’s factories into sustainable energy sources and save the trapped fawn.

Krish regularly tutors and teaches science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) classes to children. After teaching the kids about air pollution and lung health, he realized they knew little about non-renewable and renewable energy. When he saw that his local library didn’t carry any children’s books about the topic, Krish decided to change that.

“We need to make people more aware,” he told The Informer. “We’re not bringing enough attention to climate change, so I feel like… we need to be educated and we need to be more aware and conscious about that so we can start voting for politicians who care and make that a part of their campaign.”

Combating Climate Change, One Lesson at a Time

The education of children worldwide is at risk, as extreme weather events intensify due to climate change. According to an analysis by the

3 “Let’s Clear the Air” follows Dr. Leo, a character based on author Krish Kabduwal’s dog, on a journey to help a friend in need by learning about the positive impact solar, hydro and wind power have on the environment. (Courtesy Photo)

tures have risen throughout his adolescence– experiences that have fueled his commitment to environmental consciousness and his desire for people to start taking action before it’s too late.

“We need to be thinking about our future in the next 50 to 60 years, but we also need to start thinking about our children’s futures and their children’s futures, and what the world’s gonna look like,” Krish said. “The [older] people, they’re not gonna be alive to see what happens, but we will be.”

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), at least 242 million children around the world experienced disruptions to their education due to climate-related events in 2024.

As the planet’s health deteriorates due to increasing temperatures and fossil fuel emissions, and funds continue to be withheld for both environmental initiatives and public education in the U.S., climate education is more crucial than ever. This prompted members of the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies (EiE Hub) to write a joint letter to world leaders and stakeholders, urging them to center their conversations around children’s education during the 2025 COP30 climate summit.

“Education is a powerful tool to tackle the climate crisis,” wrote EiE Hub members. “Making education systems more climate-responsive will help create safe and effective learning environments and ensure learning continuity, while equipping students with the skills, knowledge and mindsets to promote climate-resilient families and communities.”

While Mackenzie and Krish aren’t world leaders, they’re children who have grown up on a warming planet and have witnessed firsthand the effects of climate change and who want the masses to take preventative measures and safeguard the environment. Despite their young age, they’re making strides toward shaping the future they want for themselves and generations to come.

Krish recalls seeing less snow in Virginia over the last decade. He also acknowledges that global tempera-

Mackenzie was drawn to being an environmental steward and joining Krish in creating “Let’s Clear the Air” after taking the Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Studies course during her junior year. She was pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoyed the course and the value of the material learned.

“Learning about our planet and the societal impacts of nature really inspired me and Krish to create this book,” she told The Informer.

The duo’s creation of the children’s book is clear proof that environmental education leads to the climate resilience necessary to reverse its impacts and create a sustainable Earth. Now that they’re well-educated on climate change and its impacts, the two high school seniors are well-equipped to educate younger children, continuing a healthy cycle of learning, teaching and, in turn, sparking advocacy.

By creating a book about topics as complex as climate change and renewable energy, and making it tangible enough for children to understand, Krish and Mackenzie have played a part in supplying future generations with the building blocks necessary to acknowledge and combat practices harmful to the planet.

Through literature and art, the duo is advocating for a greener future.

“Art is political and I will die on that hill,” Mackenzie told The Informer. “Visual art is reciprocated by any person regardless of language, culture or age, and so using it as a platform to promote important topics such as climate change is so powerful to making these issues accessible to a wide range of people.”

WI

By Willy Blackmore Word in Black

This article was originally published online with Word In Black, a collaboration of the nation's leading Black news publishers (of which The Informer is a member) and has been edited for Washington Informer style and clarity.

Among the many cuts and changes made by the Trump administration since taking office earlier this year has been a significant overhaul of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Broadly speaking, rather than having FEMA run disaster response, the Trump administration wants states to handle things themselves when there’s a crisis.

Disaster declarations, which trigger federal support, are taking longer or aren’t coming at all, and programs like FEMA’s door-todoor canvassing, which helps get resources to the most vulnerable in the wake of a disaster, including Black and brown people, are getting cut entirely.

And the administration is now aiming to slash FEMA’s budget for disaster relief, too.

MacKenzie Scott’s $60 Million Intervention

Amid this gradual undoing of the agency, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott is putting some of her extensive fortune into funding an alternative.

Scott donated $60 million from the fortune she won in her divorce from Jeff Bezos to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit devoted to funding equitable

OUR EARTH

Who Helps When FEMA Doesn’t? MacKenzie Scott

recovery efforts in the wake of disasters.

As a national organization, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s major means of helping communities grappling with flooding, hurricanes, or other extreme weather events is through giving cash directly to local organizations that, through their regional know-how and networks, are so often in the best position to help and help effectively.

In addition to making grants to such organizations in the wake of disasters, the center also consults with other philanthropic groups about their own giving efforts.

“We are deeply honored and grateful to MacKenzie Scott and Yield Giving for this transformative investment in CDP’s mission to mobilize philanthropy to strengthen the ability of communities to withstand and equitably recover from disasters,” said Patricia McIlreavy, president and CEO of CDP.

No One Left Behind

“We believe in equitable recovery, and that means leaving no one behind,” Patricia McIlreavy, who runs the Center, told the New York Times. “That could be a white farmer in Iowa who has lost a tractor in a derecho storm, or it could be a Black homeowner in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, whose house was knocked out by a tornado.”

Achieving equity, however, is more of a challenge in some communities than in others.

Not only are Black communities often located in areas that have a greater risk of flooding during a hurricane or major storm, but FEMA also has a long-standing

And the administration is now aiming to slash FEMA’s budget for disaster relief, too.

Amid gradual undoing of the

equitable recovery efforts in the wake of disasters. (Courtesy

track record of getting less support to such communities than it does to areas with predominantly white populations.

When Recovery Deepens Inequality

While relief is most necessary in the immediate wake of a disaster, the effects of inequitable relief can be seen in worsening income inequality, according to a 2022 report from the Center for American Progress.

“In counties struck by large disasters,” the report reveals, “Black survivors see their wealth decrease by $27,000 on average while white survivors see their wealth increase by $126,000 on average.”

That report came out during the Biden administration, when there was a focus on increasing equity across the federal government.

Now, under the Trump administration, not only are certain FEMA programs, such as door-todoor canvassing, being cut, but the agency’s overall budget for disaster relief may also be slashed. President Trump has requested just $26.5 billion from Congress for FEMA aid, which is far less than the $50 billion that the agency spends annually on average responding to disasters.

A Drop in the Bucket — But Still a Start

The $60 million that Scott is giving to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy is only a drop compared to the drastically reduced FEMA budget. But it’s still significantly more money that will be dedicated to equitable disaster relief than there was before.

“Every community deserves the chance to thrive, even amid crises,” said CDP’s McIlreavy. “This gift will help us further catalyze philanthropy toward long-term recovery that is led by and responsive to local communities.” WI

5

Federal Emergency Management Agency, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott is putting some of her extensive fortune into supporting the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit devoted to funding

Photos/U.S. Department of Homeland Security and X)

EDUCATION

GROWTH from Page 1

Technical Center (ATC) in Congress Heights. That’s where, throughout much of the week, Jaylin is taking coursework to obtain college credit and certification as a clinical medical assistant.

“I just wanted to be a nurse to help people. My grandmother didn't get the same respect [when] she was in the nursing home,” Jaylin told Mitchell on the afternoon of Oct. 22 at the Congress Heights ATC, currently located on St. Elizabeths East Campus at the Whitman-Walker-Max Robinson Center. “I want to be there to assure people that their loved one is being taken care of— and not in a different way [where] they think or see nurses sometimes.”

Jaylin counts among nearly 60 students from 14 District public and public charter schools who are taking college-level classes at the Congress Heights ATC. While their 366 counterparts in the Ward 5 ATC pursue general nursing and cybersecurity, Jaylin and his peers at the Congress Heights ATC have chosen to take either the clinical medical assistant pathway or the pathway for emergency medical technicians.

That means, over the next two years, they will learn: psychology; medical terminology; pre-anatomy and physiology, among other relevant coursework. The student said that, with the support of teachers and peers, he’s already risen to the occasion.

“My goal… is thriving in places I don't think I would, and basically [coming] up out of my comfort zone,” Jaylin, a 10th grader at Friendship Collegiate Academy Public Charter School (PCS) in Northeast, said. “I'm not really social…but being at ATC has made me thrive. I study now and take notes. I haven't usually done that. I really want to be here.”

District Officials Herald the Further Expansion of a Career-and-Technical Education Infrastructure

The ATC in Congress Heights officially opened in August.

Mitchell joined D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, D.C. Councilmember Trayon White (D-Ward 8), Ward 8 ATC Administrator Maisha Wise, and representatives of Whitman-Walker Health and Bloomberg Philan-

thropies on the morning of Oct. 2 to celebrate the center’s launch.

A $9.5 million contribution from Bloomberg Philanthropies supports activities at the Ward 8 ATC, as well as DC Health care and Apprenticeship Link (DC HEAL), an apprenticeship program that provides direct-to-work opportunities for the District’s career and technical education (CTE) program graduates.

For Mitchell, the launch of the District’s newest ATC serves a response to an ever-evolving job market.

“We identified high-demand, high-skilled careers in terms of the openings that will be here in the city,” Mitchell told The Informer. “We wanted to make sure that there were jobs waiting for the kids when they finished the programs of study. We did extensive community outreach and looked at the Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify those fields that will…have openings for kids when they finish.”

The Ward 8 ATC’s launch follows the 2022 launch of the Ward 5 ATC, currently located at the

Lemuel Penn Center in Northeast. Students at both locations leave their school in the middle of each school day and take college-level courses with instructors from the University of the District of Columbia and Trinity Washington University.

They have the chance to earn up to 26 college credits and industry credentials, and partake in summer internships starting at $17 per hour.

The Office of the State Super-

CAREER GROWTH Page 39

“My

goal… is thriving in places I don't think I would, and basically [coming] up out of my comfort zone. I'm not really social…but being at ATC has made me thrive. I study now and take notes. I haven't usually done that. I really want to be here.”

CAREER

5 Superintendent of Education Dr. Antoinette S. Mitchell speaks with students Jaylin Washington and Elija Crews about their experience in the Career and Technical Education Programs at the Advanced Technical Center in Congress Heights. (Ja'Mon Jackson/ The Washington Informer)

Jaylin

Friendship Collegiate Academy Public Charter School (PCS) 10th grade

The William O. Lockridge Community Foundation presented Dancing with the Scholars XV: District of Champions at the Town Hall Education Recreation Campus (THEARC) in Southeast, D.C. on Nov. 9. The annual fundraiser included live performances, the dance competition and scholarship presentations, while also highlighting the foundation’s work to provide scholarships, emergency financial assistance, and international travel opportunities to high school students in Wards 7 and 8. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer) Laying the groundwork for a

The Future Depends on Us

DC PLUG is a multi-year project that is designed to protect the District’s most vulnerable power lines by placing them underground and improving grid resiliency where you work, live and play.

SHOP

Lawrence Di Rita President, Bank of America Greater Washington D.C.

Women Win in Virginia

and New Jersey, It’s Time for Woman as Commander in Chief

No Female President in 249 Years, Why Can’t America Trust a Black Woman?

Last week revealed both progress and paradox in American politics.

In Virginia and New Jersey, women made history— both Democrats, Abigail Spanberger became the Commonwealth’s first female governor, and Mikie Sherrill broke barriers in the Garden State. Yet, as these victories were celebrated, Nancy Pelosi—arguably the most powerful woman in American political history—announced she would not seek re-election in 2026.

The contrast couldn't be more apparent: while new glass ceilings are being shattered, the nation’s most lasting one— its refusal to elect a Black woman president— remains firmly in place.

Black women have served as the moral backbone of American democracy for generations, from Fannie Lou Hamer’s fearless organizing to Shirley Chisholm’s historic 1968 run for Congress and her 1972 presidential bid. Chisholm once said, “I’ve always met more discrimination being a woman than being Black. When I ran for Congress, when I ran for president, I met more discrimination as a woman.”

More than 50 years later, former Vice President Kamala Harris would confront the same harsh crossroads— judged not by her record, but through the skewed lens of race and gender. Despite her experience as a prosecutor, senator, and vice president, Harris’s 2024 loss in the presidential election high -

lighted what Chisholm pointed out decades ago: that America still judges women—especially Black women—by standards it refuses to use for men.

Meanwhile, countries across Africa have demonstrated what gender equality in leadership looks like. Liberia elected Ellen Johnson Sirleaf nearly 20 years ago. Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan and Namibia’s Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah now lead with vision and stability.

If the world’s oldest democracy still cannot trust a Black woman with its highest office, what does that say about us? The wins in Virginia and New Jersey matter. However, until America elects a Black woman president, its promise of equality remains unfinished business. WI

Passing the Congressional Torch to the Next Generation of Leadership

To prepare for the future, more leaders must be committed to passing the torch.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi recently announced that she will not seek reelection to Congress, eliciting a variety of responses from colleagues – some celebrating her years of service and others less than affirming.

At the same time, another member of the House with decades of service under her belt, District Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), has yet to announce if she will seek reelection in the next election.

Both women have distinguished records and have become fixtures on the Hill. Both women are also in their 80s.

In addition, the political leaders have each paved the way and opened doors for other women to follow. However, it remains to be seen if they have mentored younger members of Congress, either women or men, to continue their legacies and pick up the baton.

If experience matters, and certainly it does, prospective candidates would benefit from having leaders like Pelosi and Norton share the strategies they have employed in their years of service –

the successful outcomes as well as those that they later regretted.

Clearly, those who are elected to Congress and remain in office for many years find themselves in an enviable position with lives punctuated by prestige, power and financial security

But there comes a time when their constituents may be more effectively represented by someone

younger, armed with a new set of skills and a vision that speaks more directly to the challenges we face today.

Tomorrow’s leaders do not have to repeat failed initiatives from the past. Nor do they need to enter office as fledglings. They just need an experienced teacher to show them the ropes.

WI

If experience matters, and certainly it does, prospective candidates would benefit from having leaders like Pelosi and Norton share the strategies they have employed in their years of service – the successful outcomes as well as those that they later regretted.

TO THE EDITOR

“Outstanding reporting, thank you very much. I will continue to read The Informer.”

- Louis Shockley

“This report sheds light on an important aspect of America's demographics and culture. It's fascinating to see how these cities not only reflect the rich history of the Black community but also highlight the diverse contributions they make to our society. I'm curious to see how these communities continue to evolve in the coming years!”

- In reference to the article “America’s 10 Blackest Cities Revealed in New Report”

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

Charlene Crowell

New Rule Puts Politics in Education's Public Service Loan Forgiveness

A new Department of Education rule redefines eligibility for the popular Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Instead of focusing on borrower eligibility or payments, the new rule zeroes in on nonprofit employers previously approved for participation.

Only employers that reflect stated White House policies and executive

orders will remain in the program. Further, the secretary of education is authorized to decide which previously eligible employers can continue in the program, and others who will be dropped.

Caught in the middle of this change are an estimated 9 million borrowers who must wait until July of next year to learn whether their loan payments will lead to forgiveness for the debts incurred while seeking a college education.

Under President Joe Biden, over a million borrowers enrolled in

PSLF received forgiveness.

Established by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 to take effect on Oct. 1 of that year, PSLF forgives remaining loan balances once employees have made 120 monthly payments during full-time employment at any level of government, or tax-exempt, nonprofit organizations identified by the Internal Revenue Code as a Section 501(c)(3). Both community-based services and public interest organizations are among qualified employers.

But on Oct. 31 the new rule was published in the Federal Register, noting that its origin is an earlier executive order with the misleading title of Restoring Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

The March 7 order states in part, "[T]he PSLF Program has misdirected tax dollars into activist organizations that not only fail to serve the public interest, but actually harm our national security and American values, sometimes through criminal means."

It adds, "Accordingly, it is the pol-

The Bottle Bill Sounds Good, But It Hurts the People Who Can Least Afford It

As a faith leader in our city, I am deeply committed to the well-being of both my congregation at Holy Trinity United Baptist Church and the wider community. Every day, I hear from my congregants who are struggling under the weight of rising costs, and who are worried about the future of their city. From grocery

prices to housing, the steep cost of living and economic uncertainty for the future of the District is making residents worried about how they're going to afford their daily expenses and put food on the table.

That is why I am concerned about the proposed D.C. Bottle Bill, which would add yet another cost to the daily lives of our residents and is the last thing we should be focusing on right now.

This policy, while well-intentioned, would increase the price of

almost all everyday beverages at a time when families simply cannot afford higher prices, especially at the grocery store.

This proposal also comes with logistical challenges that disproportionately impact low-income families and seniors. To recover the deposit, these folks would need to return their bottles and cans to designated sites. That's a burden for those who may not have access to reliable transportation. For our seniors, many of whom live on fixed incomes and face mobility

challenges, this system could mean losing money on every purchase.

The bill would also create significant financial burdens for small businesses that provide reliable jobs and meaningful connections for so many. These businesses are already struggling, from decreased patronage, difficulty retaining workers, to the lasting impacts of inflation, the pandemic and shifting customer habits in recent years, all on top of thin operating margins. They now face the prospect of new costs and administra-

Good News in Gary and Pittsburgh — But Still America Declines

manufacturing is losing ground. Gary and Pittsburgh are exceptions, not the rule.

Thirty miles south of Chicago, the Gary Works steel mill is getting a $14 billion modernization, protecting tens of thousands of jobs. Similar investments are underway in Pittsburgh. On the surface, these are the headlines American manufacturing needs. But the bigger story is far darker: across the country, American

The pace of manufacturing growth between 2022 and 2024 meant that this year we were supposed to create as many as 200,000 new manufacturing jobs and position America to seize the future of the global automobile industry.

Instead, we are on track to lose nearly 80,000. Policy shifts in big, new labor-intensive industries like electric vehicles, battery

assembly, and clean energy manufacturing threaten to cancel or delay projects that could have reshaped the landscape of American industry and delivered tens of thousands of good-paying jobs. At this rate, American automobile manufacturing risks becoming a gas-powered nostalgia act. Most Americans now live at the same address: we live where there used to be a factory. And when that factory shut down, what shot up was joblessness, hopelessness, opioid and meth addiction. Sui-

cide, homicide, violence, and multigenerational crushing poverty followed.

We know this not as abstraction but as lived reality: communities hollowed out, families broken, hope evaporated.

The consequences are more than economic. MIT research shows that communities exposed to trade shocks and manufacturing decline became more politically radicalized. Workers didn't just lose jobs — they became more susceptible to extremes

icy of my administration that individuals employed by organizations whose activities have a substantial illegal purpose shall not be eligible for public service loan forgiveness."

A recently released Department of Education fact sheet underscores its compliance with that order: "This final rule does not provide an avenue for borrowers to appeal an employer's qualifying employer status. On or after July 1, 2026, no payment made by a borrower will be

CROWELL Page 53

tive hurdles associated with this recycling program. This is really too much to ask. This bill would force them to make room for returned bottles and cans, devote staff resources to handle these new tasks and potentially increase prices on their customers.

As people of faith, we are called to care about our environment and be good stewards of our natural resources to make sure that our parks, rivers and public spaces can

across the political spectrum. The collapse of industry didn't just shrink wallets; it poisoned our politics.

I turned 21 the year NAFTA passed. Since then, because of NAFTA, China's permanent normal trade relations, automation, and foreign competition, 65,000 American factories have closed. Entire towns vanished from economic maps, and the social and political cost has been im-

JEALOUS Page 51

Ben Jealous

GILBERT

Rev. George Gilbert

Guest Columnist

Guest Columnist

Guest Columnist

Government Shutdowns

Prove We Need Skilled Trades

of crucial economic data, the underlying physical infrastructure and essential services of our nation march on.

Aging U.S. infrastructure, increasingly frequent natural disasters and booming data centers don't care about government shutdowns. Real work still needs to get done.

While political gridlock blocks funding for federal agencies, furloughs thousands of workers, and delays the collection and analysis

We might not be able to open the government back up ourselves, but we aren't powerless, either. Giving workers future-proof credentials isn't just a way to guard against political whims that ignore the real challenges we face — it's a way to maintain stability in the communities that need it most.

For our skilled trades, this is the moment.

Guest Columnist

Government shutdowns, while disruptive, don't stop water mains from bursting, electricity grids from needing repair, data centers from running, or construction projects — especially those not reliant on immediate federal funding — from moving forward.

Even during shutdowns, essential functions like air traffic control, border security, and certain health care services continue, often with "essential" personnel working without pay, adding immense strain to these systems.

When federal funding for infrastructure projects is delayed, it creates a backlog, which will require a massive, immediate surge of labor when normal operations resume.

In this environment of instability, the demand for tradespeople — electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, welders, heavy equipment operators and more — becomes even more pronounced. These professions are the bedrock of the physical economy, operating independent of the fickle winds of Washington.

One Year Later, Crash Victims Still Wait for Common-Sense Reform

Nearly a year ago, my predecessor Traci Buschner wrote in these pages urging the D.C. Council to raise the District's outdated auto insurance minimums. Since then, the case for reform has grown stronger, but the council has failed to deliver.

For years, Washington, D.C., has struggled to make its streets

safer. Under "Vision Zero," Mayor Muriel Bowser pledged to eliminate traffic deaths entirely. Yet year after year, fatalities rose — peaking last year with 52 lives lost, the highest number in decades. This year has looked different. So far in 2025, 18 people have been killed in crashes — a pace far lower than last year's staggering toll. That progress deserves recognition. But there is another, less visible story unfolding on our streets: according to the D.C. Department of Transportation, seri-

This week, our leaders imposed yet another curfew targeting our youth, following a chaotic Halloween night in the Navy Yard neighborhood. Video and eyewitness accounts show National Guard members, alongside police, advancing on a crowd of teenagers in scenes that have since gone viral. Ten teenagers were arrested,

and hundreds more were chased out of public parks in a city where more police, fences and military uniforms seem to materialize every week.

Let's be clear: the National Guard presence in our neighborhoods invokes painful memories. There have been too many moments where state force has been overused on our Black and brown youth. Our fears about the domestic military deployment are entirely justified. D.C. has a trag-

ous injuries involving pedestrians are up compared to last year. Behind those statistics are neighbors who may never fully recover. Crash victims are living with broken bones, spinal injuries, brain trauma. They're losing months of work, struggling to care for families, and facing long, uncertain roads of rehabilitation. And too often, when they turn to insurance to help cover medical bills, they discover the minimum required coverage in D.C. hasn't been updated since 1986.

That's nearly 40 years ago. Back then, a Metro fare was 80 cents, the average car cost $8,000, and you could buy a home for $90,000. The $25,000 in required coverage seemed adequate then. Today, it's woefully out of date. Adjusted for inflation, $25,000 in 1986 equals about $75,000 now. But when it comes to health care, costs have ballooned much faster. At an average growth of 4.6% a year, that same $25,000 in medical care in the late '80s would now cost nearly $200,000. And yet, D.C.'s insur-

We see this at the state and local level too. Take Pennsylvania, where the national nonprofit OIC of America — the organization where I serve as president and CEO — is based. The state's budget is currently four months late and counting, and like at the federal level, essential services are starting to see their resources dry up.

But the demand for infrastructure projects continues — and

ance minimums haven't budged in nearly four decades. The consequences are devastating. What begins as a traumatic crash often becomes financial ruin, as victims find themselves saddled with tens of thousands in uncovered costs. The annual economic cost of crashes in D.C. exceeds $830 million, yet insurance companies pay only about half of that total. Families, taxpayers, and local hospitals shoulder the rest.

ic legacy of over-policing, especially as federal workforce layoffs gut crucial jobs, the majority of which are held by Black women in our city. Since January 2025, the District has lost nearly 3.2% of its federal jobs, thousands of livelihoods stripped from the heart of our communities. Unemployment in D.C. has crept up to 5.8%, just in time for the holidays. Why not start here?

Instead of investing in and protecting our youth, our leadership has doubled down on enforcement

and criminalization. The curfew and deployment of military force may be sold as public safety but it's nothing less than a betrayal.

Mayor Muriel Bowser has once again rolled out the red carpet for Trump's authoritarian playbook, given his concerns fertile ground, and has denied our children their right to exist safely and joyfully in public.

We know what works, and it isn't troops and curfews. In Baltimore, a comprehensive public health and violence prevention

strategy led to a staggering 23% decrease in homicides in 2024 alone, with even sharper drops in prior years. Investments in after-school programs, rec centers, youth employment, affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization pay off. It doesn't pay because it's the right thing to do, but because these methods are cheaper and proven to work much more effectively than flooding our neighborhoods with enforcement.

Rep. Oye Owolewa and Leah Bogan

Louis J. King II

Joe Musso

LIFESTYLE

Things To Do, DMV!

By Keith Golden Jr. WI Intern

From family farm tours to hip hop conferences, below are events to check out in the nation’s capital this weekend.

Further, to learn about more fun happenings around town, don’t forget to check out the Washington Informer Calendar.

Thursday, Nov. 13

Colin Woodard - Nations Apart: How Clashing Regional Cultures Shattered America

7 p.m. | Free Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20008

Presented by Politics and Prose Bookstore, this event is a conversation through the book “Nations Apart” by Colin Woodard, a historian, author, and journalist.

The book delves into how centuries-old settlement patterns and cultural geography that was created have shaped today's policy debates.

Drawing quantitative research conducted through Woodard's

4

university-based think tank project, “Nations Apart” offers the historian’s perspective on guns, health, immigration, abortion and more.

Breakfast Connection with the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce

8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. | $35 Crystal City Sports Pub, 529 23rd Street S Arlington, VA 22202

The Arlington Chamber of Commerce is a business organization that represents and supports companies operating in Arlington, Virginia.

The organization provides networking opportunities, advocacy on local policy issues, and resources to help businesses grow, and works with community partners to promote economic development in the region.

This breakfast connection event focuses on roundtable power networking that provides attendees the chance to exchange business cards, develop new prospects and share a 60 second business pitch with each table.

Friday, Nov. 14

DC VS EVERYBODY

OFFICIAL SILENT PARTY

10 p.m. - 2 a.m. | $5

Epic Lounge and Restaurant, 4809 Georgia Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20011

Carter Productions is presenting a silent party—also known as a silent disco— where people listen to music through wireless headphones instead of loudspeakers.

During silent parties, each headset typically has multiple channels, allowing attendees to switch between DJs or genres and creating an atmosphere where people may be dancing to completely different music at the same time. Silent parties first emerged in the early 2000s, gaining attention at music festivals and environmental events as a way to reduce noise pollution, and they have since grown into a popular nightlife trend around the world.

When attendees arrive at Epic Lounge and Restaurant, they will receive a pair of wireless headphones, then can adjust the volume and choose between up to three DJ’s with a flip of a switch. Each headset has a blue, red or green LED that shows what channel a person is listening to, so that guests have the option to dance along with those listening to the same DJ.

Family Farm Tours

11 a.m. - Noon | $4

Old Maryland Farm, 351 Watkins Park Drive Kettering, MD 20774

The Old Maryland Farm serves as a hands-on living farm where visitors can engage with livestock,

display gardens, and equipment to gain insight into real farm operations.

Through its educational programs—such as school field trips and farm tours—the site promotes the integral role that agriculture plays in local communities and the environment.

At the family farm tour, attendees can learn about the animals at the farm, the day-to-day operations, and visit behind-the-scenes areas.

On this day, get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of Old Maryland Farm, and learn more about the site and how animals are used in agriculture, while getting some hands-on experiences with their resident livestock.

Saturday, Nov. 15

3rd Annual Hip Hop Studies Conference: Hip-Hop & Technology

8 a.m. - 5 p.m.| $50 Howard University, 2400 6th Street NW Washington, D.C. 20059

The Howard University HipHop Studies Program proudly presents the 3rd Annual Hip-Hop Studies Conference, a gathering of scholars, artists, students, technologists, and community leaders exploring the intersections of hiphop and technology.

This year’s theme—Respect the Technique: Hip-Hop and Technology—examines how digital tools, innovation, and creative media are reshaping Hip-Hop culture, expression, and scholarship.

The conference will feature panels, workshops, film screenings, and performances, along with an opening reception at Eaton DC.

3 Attendees of the DC VS. Everybody Official Silent Party can switch channels, dance, or remove their headphones to talk normally, creating a mix of communal and individual experiences in the same space.

Trinity Chamber Orchestra Concert

3 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. | $25

Silver Spring United Methodist Church, 8900 Georgia Avenue Silver Spring, MD 20910

The Trinity Chamber Orchestra, one of Washington, D.C.’s leading chamber orchestras, is continuing its commitment to performing a wide range of repertoire— from Baroque to contemporary works in Saturday’s performance at Silver Spring United Methodist Church.

Since 1999, the orchestra presents chamber orchestra performances under the leadership of Music Director Richard Fazio.

Over the years, the orchestra has carved out an identity in the city by performing both standard and lesser-known works, striving to create a welcoming and intellectually stimulating musical experience for its audience.

Sunday, Nov. 16

Leon Thomas - Mutts Don't Heel Tour

8 p.m. | $172+

The Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road Silver Spring, MD 20910

The Leon Thomas ‘Mutts Don’t Heel Tour’ accompanies the release of his project ‘MUTT Deluxe: HEEL,’ the expanded edition of Thomas’ 2024 album, which includes collaborations with artists such as Kehlani and Big Sean.

The tour’s title underscores themes of artistic independence and personal growth reflected throughout the associated album. This is a standing room only event with reserved seating in the balcony. Doors open at 7 p.m. WI

(Courtesy Photo/The Fillmore Silver Spring)

INFORMER'S

Informer Weekend Checklist

Before focusing on his solo work, Leon Thomas, performing at the Fillmore in Silver Spring on Nov. 16, co-wrote and co-produced for major artists including SZA, Drake, and Ariana Grande among others. (Courtesy Photo/The Fillmore Silver Spring)

HBCU Film Festival Celebrates Generations of Black Storytellers Kickoff Salute THEM Awards Honors Household Names, Reflects the Future of Black Creativity

By Jada Ingleton WI Content Editor

In a nod to generational Black storytelling, dozens of creatives, students, alumni and supporters of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) gathered at The Howard Theatre on Thursday, Nov. 6 for Café Mocha Radio’s 15th annual Salute THEM Awards, a momentous kickoff to the HBCU First Look Film Festival (HFLFF) hosted in Northwest, D.C., Nov. 7-8.

The highly-attended event, which also recognized 15 years of the women-led radio show, brought Hollywood’s A-listers and Washington’s activists to the stomping grounds of creativity and community, all driven in a mission to preserve African American stories in media.

“A film festival where filmmakers are being amplified by students [is] so important because there's so much activism in storytelling,” said actress, Howard University alumna, and Salute THEM Award recipient Lynn Whitfield on Nov. 6. “It is an amazing place to be a warrior, it's an amazing place to be a philosopher, an entertainer, a comedian, all of those things. But through all of it, we have a possibility to serve humanity through

storytelling – and maybe make a lot of money from it.”

With guests donning glitz and glamour, Nov. 6 set the tone for a weekend rooted in Black excellence.

Of the eight honorees awarded on Thursday included: award-winning actresses Marsai Martin and Whitfield; Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Kenny Lattimore; Edna Kane Williams, executive vice president and chief diversity officer at AARP; Ben’s Chilli Bowl co-founder Virginia Ali; D.C. “Spice Girl” and entrepreneur Angel Gregorio; and award-winning writer, producer and director Ryan Coogler, who took home the I Aspire Global Impact Award.

Additional influencers touted in the film festival lineup included actors Lauren E. Banks, Keith D. Robinson, and Morehouse College alumni Dasan Frazier, all of whom celebrated the value of Black spaces and the ancestral prowess of resistance in storytelling.

“In a very specific time in this country where Black stories are being oppressed, suppressed and ignored, I think it's really important that we invest in ourselves, and HBCU First Look is doing that,” Banks, a 2013

THEM Page 34

Resources for Buying a Home in D.C.

5 Howard University alumna and celebrated actress Lynn Whitfield with Sheila Eldridge, president and CEO of Miles Ahead Entertainment and Broadcasting and rapper Yolanda “Yo-Yo” Whitaker. Whitfield accepted the Legend Award at the 15th annual Café Mocha Salute THEM Awards on Nov. 6, kicking off this year’s HBCU First Look Film Festival. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

LIFESTYLE

THEM from Page 33

graduate of Howard University, told The Informer. “I'm very much looking forward to seeing what the undergrad filmmakers are up to… what those stories are that come from the imaginations of those who are not so jaded by society.”

For Martin, who served as creative ambassador of the HFLFF, the celebratory weekend was about more than a moment of honor, but a movement towards a better future with the guide on how to achieve it.

“We rise higher when we rise together. Using your connections, your voice, your gifts to help each other, that is the real work,” Martin told the room during her acceptance speech.

“To everyone dreaming, creating, hustling and trying to find their place in all of this: Build your community, lean on your people...don't be afraid to walk the path God is laying out for you…and I'm so excited for every path we're about to create together.”

Actors, Honorees Talk Reinvesting in Black Creatives

Notable activities part of the two-day event included a Banks-led acting masterclass, career and craft conversations, film screenings and fireside chats, and the HBCU Joy Awards, hosted by Café Mocha’s own Loni Love, to name a few.

Beyond interactive and educational sessions, many of the celebrities donning the streets of Northwest were armed with words of encouragement and tools of the trade, much of which starts directly in Black communities, said Banks.

“The preservation is in our commitment and recommitment every year to our community,” the “Law-

men: Bass Reeves” actor explained. “It's important as an alum to come back to be here with us…with anybody that's in D.C.”

A third-generation Howard graduate, Whitfield echoed her fellow Bison as she lauded the formerly known “Chocolate City” as a pivotal platform to forge Black leadership and changemaking.

“We are right here, where…you just see the majesty and complexity of Black people, where we have established ourselves as a place of education and a place of excellence,” Whitfield said during Thursday’s red carpet. You just feel an energy of innovation and a hope for the future–the future that we will come out of.”

According to Frazier and BET producer Chris Bivins, paving that future means Black creatives taking responsibility to drive the community forward.

“It's not about the glitz and the glam— it's really about just [being] here and [being] a resource,” Bivins told The Informer. “We're seeing so many young filmmakers, from Howard, from Morehouse, from all the HBCUs. It's all about collaboration… and if you're not collaborating, you're missing out.”

Meanwhile, in the closing remarks of her acceptance speech, “Spice Girl” Gregorio offered a motivational tip to all youth looking to make their mark in the world.

“There are other young people in the space who feel like you're working really, really hard and it doesn't seem like it's going to pay off,” said Gregorio, a Howard University alumna. “I promise you that there is an opportunity for something beautiful on the other side of that.”

WI

5 Award-winning writer, producer, and director Ryan Coogler on the red carpet of the 15th annual Café Mocha Salute THEM Awards at The Howard Theatre on Nov. 6, where he later received the I Aspire Global Impact Award. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

Ryan P.

Retail Banking Team Manager 11 years with BofA

Bank of America didn’t just recognize my potential. It actively nurtured it. Here I’ve had the chance to take ownership of my career and shape my trajectory thanks to the resources, training and mentorship that are available to me.

LIFESTYLE

from Page 4

Viewers catch glimpses of the singer’s childhood, flashes of “Thriller,” and the silhouette that redefined pop culture. Each frame reminds fans of why Jackson remains unmatched in artistry and influence.

The cast surrounding the late pop king’s nephew reads like a who’s who of Black entertainment and music history. Colman Domingo plays Joe Jackson, Nia Long portrays Katherine Jackson, and Larenz Tate takes on the role of Motown founder Berry Gordy. Laura Harrier portrays music executive Suzanne de Passe, while Kat Graham embodies Diana Ross. Miles Teller plays attorney John Branca, a towering entertainment lawyer and longtime Jackson confidant who later became co-executor of his estate.

The film’s journey to release has been as complicated as the icon it portrays. Production wrapped in 2024, but legal hurdles over depictions of past controversies forced extensive reshoots and editing delays. Even so, Fuqua’s film now appears ready to reclaim the narrative, focusing on Jackson’s creative ambition and humanity beyond tabloid noise.

“Michael” promises more than a chronological retelling. It aims to explore how a child star from Gary, Indiana, became the world’s most influential entertainer.

The script, written by Oscar-nominated John Logan, traces Jackson’s early years with the Jackson 5 through the triumphs and isolation of global superstardom.

With Fuqua’s cinematic eye and producer Graham King—who brought “Bohemian Rhapsody” to life—joining forces with estate executors Branca and John McClain, the film is positioned as both a tribute and a restoration of Jackson’s cultural truth.

Branca’s work behind the scenes has long shaped Jackson’s posthumous success. After the singer’s death in 2009, Branca and McClain took control of an estate burdened by debt and turned it into a global powerhouse worth billions. Under their stewardship, Jackson’s projects have generated more than $3 billion in worldwide ticket sales and landmark deals, including a $600 million joint venture with Sony earlier this year.

WI

IndieWire reported that the film had faced “a massive legal snafu” over a disputed storyline but was retooled to center the music and legacy that defined generations.

Read more on washingtoninformer.com

JACKSON

5 Jaafar Jackson brings his uncle to life in the biopic “Michael,” set to release April 24. (Courtesy Photo)

Veterans Impacted by PTSD Find Solace Through Service Dogs

‘By My Side’ Focuses on Benefits

Provided by Man’s Best Friend

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Contributing Writer

As Americans pay tribute to veterans on Tuesday, Nov. 11, one of the prevailing challenges affecting those who served in the Armed Forces is finding solutions for ongoing and unresolved mental and emotional trauma.

Veterans suffer various forms of trauma— either due to war and combat, violence and abuse, or disaster events— collectively referred to as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), impacting about 12 million people in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA).

And while mental health professionals routinely employ specific short-term psychotherapies, most notably Cognitive Behavior Therapy— deemed to be the most effective treatment for PTSD— they agree that what works for one person may not work for another. One alternative source of treatment, well documented in studies but still lacking the full endorsement of the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), remains the use of service dogs.

However, “man’s best friend” may provide a solution to years of mental anguish, as explored in the recent screening of a documentary, “By My Side” (2023), showcased during the GI Film Festival in the District on Nov. 5.

“For those with PTSD who have had dogs in the past and are familiar and comfortable with them, canine assisted trauma therapy can provide a tremendous means of emotional and psychological support,” said Meg Olmert.

A pioneering authority on the evolution of the human-animal bond, Olmert is author of the ground-breaking book “Made for Each Other: The Biology of the Human Animal Bond” (2010), and an advisor on “By My Side,” directed by Vicki Topaz.

“Whether the trauma is combat related or sexually related, victims have undergone experiences during which someone attempted or succeeded in hurting them,” she said. “The creation of strong social

bonds is what sets humans apart and above other mammals and we seek to develop a sense of trust with others. It’s the key to our survival.”

Olmert noted that PTSD, which is a severe case of prolonged trauma, leads to multiple psychological impacts, including the inability to trust others or oneself, isolation, lack of patience, and issues with anger.

In “By My Side,” three veterans suffering from PTSD share their pain, fear, and the difficult realization that they’ve lost time and love. All three find hope where no one had looked – in the heart of a faithful service dog.

The service animal expert posits that because dogs have social brain networks and genetics most like people – even more than chimpanzees – they are physically and neurologically wired to be humans’ “best friends.”

“Dogs can listen like no human and provide a very special kind of support that humans have destroyed,” Olmert said. “They help us open up again and keep our hearts open until we are able to begin to trust humans again. They allow us to practice social skills. In the process of training or work-

ing and connecting with service dogs, people regain the ability to be patient and display empathy, as well as other vital social skills that have been destroyed because of trauma.”

Pushing for Service Dog Benefits

An August 2022 “Psychology Today” report reveals service dogs can be invaluable in helping people with PTSD.

“PTSD affects an estimated one in seven adults at some time in their lives and it affects a large proportion of military members and veterans,” the report noted. “Previous research has found benefits of the PTSD service dogs such as reduced severity of symptoms, improved mental health, and improved social interactions. As with people and their companion dogs, the researchers note, each veteran-service dog partnership is unique and multi-dimensional.”

Olmert said while there’s growing acceptance of the benefits of service dogs, insurance companies still refuse to pay for the treatment.

“We’ve gone to VA officials

with studies, which validate how service dogs improves psycho-social skills, increases brain chemistry, and lowers stress,” Olmert said. “But you cannot monetize dogs, so there’s no money in it and therefore no incentive to pursue the treatment.

She explained that getting a service dog is not “like selling a medical device, which can be a profitable venture for service providers,” citing previous experiences in the field.

“I was once part of a program at Walter Reed,” she continued, “which was helping veterans with PTSD who had not found the desired results from other forms of treatment. But the officials chose not to support the program which resulted in veterans’ insurance companies denying payment.”

Because the VA won’t pay for service dogs, Olmert said veterans often have to seek other resources to acquire furry friends’ help.

“For now, the tragedy some veterans face, which is their inability to pay for a desired, alternative form of treatment, is the fact that the service dog industry almost exclusively relies on nonprofits for financial support,” Olmert continued, “mostly mom and pop businesses.”

Further, the author emphasized service dogs are not only beneficial for veterans experiencing PTSD, but their whole families, before offering a call to action.

“We need to break down the barriers that now exist. We need better funding for the creation of qualified service dogs. We need to support those who are doing the work,” she explained. “Finally, we need to make sure that if a service member and their mental health provider agree, then the VA will provide and pay for a service dog. Some vets need a power wheelchair to get around. Others need a service dog.” WI

5 Victor, a Purple Heart veteran of the U.S. Army who suffers from PTSD, finds solace and emotional support because of his service dog Violet. (Courtesy Photo/ Canine Companions)

5 Monique Reyes, “By My Side” director Vicki Topaz and dog scientist Meg Olmert with the Reyes family’s service dog Huey at the opening night of the GI Film Festival on Nov. 4 in Washington, D.C. On Nov. 5, the audience viewed a screening of the documentary, “By My Side,” which illustrates the benefits that service dogs provide for those who have been impacted by PTSD. (D. Kevin McNeir/The Washington Informer)

LIFESTYLE Keep the Beat Week Aims to Highlight Go-Go In the District

By Demarco Rush WI Contributing Writer

The D.C. Public Library (DCPL) is honoring the District’s signature sound with Keep the Beat Week, also known as Go-Go Preservation Week, Nov. 10-15.

The celebration opened with Keep the Beat Week at District E, a free, live performance at 701 7th Street NW, featuring celebrated bands like Junkyard Band and Black Alley from 7-11 p.m. As part of the event, attendees are encouraged to bring go-go related photos and other memorabilia to be scanned and added to DCPL’s official Go-Go Archive.

Founded in 2012 in memory of Chuck Brown, the archive documents the evolution of the go-go through recordings, posters, video footage and more.

Eight years after the archive was founded, D.C.’s Mayor Muriel Bowser enshrined the genre as the

official music genre of D.C.

“Go-Go music is a creative force that has inspired generations of Washingtonians socially, culturally, and artistically, and this legislation will empower us to preserve and celebrate our native sound,” said Bowser after signing the bill in 2020.

Throughout the week, the DCPL will host exhibits showcasing historical materials, books and rare recordings that trace back to Go-Go’s roots to the present day. The celebration will conclude with 40 years of Universal Madness, an interactive event full of storytelling, fashion and performances to celebrate the evolution of go-go, at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15.

“D.C. is go-go, it’s the heartbeat of this city [and] the sound that brings us all together,” DCPL said in a video highlighting the archive and celebrating Keep the Beat Week. WI

Tyson’s Foods presented DC Central Kitchen’s Capital Food Fight at The Anthem on Thursday, Nov.

6. The annual fundraiser for DC Central Kitchen includes a thrilling stage show featuring D.C.’s rising culinary stars, tastes from dozens of top restaurants from across the region, and appearances from some of the biggest names in food. (Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

5 Junkyard Band performs at the Mayor’s Arts Awards in 2021. D.C. Public Library is honoring go-go, the District’s official sound, with Keep the Beat Week Nov. 10-15. (WI File Photo)

intendent of Education (OSSE) oversees the program, which Mitchell calls the “cherry on top” for a jurisdiction hosting CTE programs in 30 public and public charter high schools.

“It is a center where kids from all the high schools can come and interact with this really expensive and great equipment and learn the pathways that are here,” Mitchell told The Informer. “But we don't want to lose sight of the fact that we've got almost 8,000 kids taking CTE courses in their high schools. We want to take the learnings from this ATC and make sure that we are pushing the learnings down to our high schools.”

During a recent trip to D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services (DC FEMS) headquarters, Ward 8 ATC students worked with cadaver models. That trip built upon work students completed at Ward 8 ATC with an Anatomage Table, which showcases 3-D models of bodies that have been donated to science. That’s how students examine the different parts of the body and learn to recognize signs of disease.

Ward 8 ATC Administrator Wise hinted at students’ future introduction to virtual reality technology through which they can deeply examine the brain, heart and other bodily organs. She said that the technology accentuates a well-rounded curriculum that allows students enough flexibility to pursue a variety of career fields.

“We don't offer general nurs-

ing here at Ward 8, but all of the health care pathways that we offer can lead them into nursing if that's what they so choose,” Wise told The Informer. “If they want to be doctors, if they want to be physical therapy assistants, that role of health care is open to them. This is just the entryway that they're starting with.”

A Student Inches Closer to Fulfilling a Vision

Friendship Collegiate Acade-

my PCS student Elija Crews said she’s missed pep rallies and other school activities while at the Ward 8 ATC. She calls it one of the best parts of her week.

On Oct. 22, Elija sat alongside Jaylin as they both spoke to State Superintendent Mitchell. During their conversation, Elija recounted lessons she learned in her ATC psychology course about the three components of the human psyche, as identified by Sigmund Freud: id, ego and superego.

“Psychology really made me want to do this more because I'm

really interested in criminal justice,” Elija, a 10th grader, told Mitchell. “It really opened my eyes and made me want to… learn about the human brain and different theories.”

With the newly opened Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health a stone’s throw away from the Ward 8 ATC, Elija continued to reflect on what attracted her to nursing. The sophomore told Mitchell that, by navigating the ATC’s clinical medical assistant pathway, she’s fulfilling a long-held vision.

“I always wanted to be a nurse,” Elija said. “I just like everything about nursing and being able to help people. I'm able to help the world because it’s a really dangerous place. For me to be able to make an impact in the world, that's what I want to do.” WI

“Psychology really made me want to do this more because I'm really interested in criminal justice.It really opened my eyes and made me want to… learn about the human brain and different theories.”

ElijaFriendship Collegiate Academy Public Charter School (PCS) 10th grade

5 District of Columbia Public Schools students participating in Career and Technical Education Programs at the The Advanced Technical Center. (Ja’Mon Jackson/ The Washington Informer)

Get moving. MEDICARE OPEN ENROLLMENT ENDS DECEMBER 7.

“I

compared my options and found a plan that saves me money.”

Compare your options now at Medicare.gov, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY: 1-877-486-2048)

Open Enrollment is your time to review and compare all your health and prescription drug plan options. You may find a better plan, save money, or both.

Visit Medicare.gov to easily compare coverage, costs, and quality ratings side by side. Get the right plan for your health needs and budget.

The Commanders’ defensive woe persisted and sank to an unbelievable level in their loss to the Detroit Lions. Although Coach Dan Quinn vowed to make changes heading into Week 10, the only noticeable adjustment was bringing defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. down to the field to call plays. Unfortunately for Washington, the results looked no different.

Washington’s defense gave up three touchdowns on the first three drives of the game and players started to show forms of frustration for the lack of execution.

After the Lions powered in their third touchdown, increasing the score 22-3 in the first half, one of the Commanders’ high performing defensive tackles, Daron Payne, was ejected for punching Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in the face when he walked past him.

Payne’s punch wasn’t the only signal of frustration in Sunday’s matchup, as defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw was flagged for pushing an official after the next play, and safety Quan Martin received a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct a couple of drives later.

“I get the frustration, but we've got to find a way to channel our frustration better or different than that,” said Quinn. “That part [I] obviously addressed it hard at halftime about our poise and what it's got to look like and where it goes.”

Any glimpse of a playoff appearance has been slowly fading for Washington. And the Commanders must make some serious changes to the defensive unit if they want to have success heading into next season.

The Washington Commanders are set for a trip this week to Madrid, Spain to face AFC Opponent, the Miami Dolphins at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium before their Week 12 bye week.

Kickoff will be at 9:30 a.m. EST on NFL Network.

“We're way off and that's up to us to fix that and [I] also told the team, it's for us to go away [to Madrid next week], get it together… not the worst thing for us,” said Quinn. “We’ve got to find solutions, where we're at and doing that together, that's the right space to go do it. So, we'll take it on the road tomorrow night and we’ve got a lot of things to fix.”

Wizards Bring Fiery Physicality, Turnovers Cost Them a Win Over Mavericks, Pistons Preview

Despite losing to the Dallas Mavericks 111-105, the Washington Wizards have been showing off a fiery new wave of basketball.

“I’m really pleased with the guys tonight, the competitive response that we were looking for. These are the games that we wanna be in,” said Head Coach Brian Keefe. “Close games, tight games, a lot to learn from that. I made a little miscue there myself, so we can all grow [in] these situations. But the best part was… our effort, our physicality, our defensive edge was there, and our competitiveness. We got a little stagnant there in the fourth quarter, which can happen, those are learning and growing moments.”

Washington took a thrilling leap early on in the game with a 16-9 lead before Dallas responded with a 19-0 run.

The Mavericks managed to build a 14-point lead, but the Wizards clawed back taking an eight point lead in the fourth quarter. Then, that’s when Washington’s offense struggled, and the defense faltered, opening the door for Dallas to make a comeback, winning the game by six.

“We gave a lot of second-chance points and we should have been

SPORTS Page 44

3 Washington Commanders’ cornerback

Johnathon Jones punching the ball out of Lions’ hands in 44-22 loss on Sunday, Nov. 9 at Northwest Stadium. (Abdullah Konte/The Washington Informer)

review wi book

"Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore"

By Char Adams

c.2025, Tiny Rep Books

$32

291 pages

WI Contributing Writer

You're not planning on being selfish.

But seriously, you've been waiting months for the release of your favorite author's newest book and it's in stores NOW. You have your copy, you'll be the first one to open it, your easy chair is ready, no bookmarks needed. As in the new book "Black-Owned" by Char Adams, you knew just where to find it.

For many people, it's a dream: owning a bookstore, talking about books all day, putting good reads into people's hands. These are the kinds of stories Char Adams says she likes telling, and she was surprised when she started researching for this book. The tales of Black bookstore owners is one that's rarely told.

David Ruggles, for instance, was a Black abolitionist in New York, and he had quite a reputation for his ability to "inspire almost any crowd to action." In 1834, he opened what would be America's first Black bookstore, using it "as a home for both anti-slavery literature and his activism."

A century later, Harlem's Lewis Michaux became the first person to make a career with a brick-and-mortar bookstore when he opened National Memorial African Book Store in 1933. He was a man of determination, having gotten his start "selling periodicals … with a bullhorn outside his shop" every day.

During the civil rights movement, Black-owned bookstores such as the Drum and Spear in Washington D.C. Vaughn's Bookstore in Detroit, and Liberation Bookstore in Harlem hand-picked their stock to reflect the battle for Black rights — and sometimes, that meant violence visited their stores. Hue-Man Experience in L.A. became a home for Black authors to launch new books and nurture careers; in the 1970s through the 1990s, Black publishers began to partner with America's Black bookstores to further those careers and mainstream publishers eventually followed suit.

Today, Black-owned bookstores likely have a digital footprint to reach readers. Digital, however, "will not be the end of Black-owned bookstores …" says Adams.

"As long as the fight for Black liberation exists, so will these shops."

Before you start reading "Black-Owned," be sure you have a pen and notebook close. You'll need them to write down all the bookstores you'll want to visit, places you'll regret missing and places you'll learn about inside this fascinating volume.

But that's just a part of what you'll find here. Author Char Adams also tells the long story of Black authors and publishers, and the struggles both had — and sometimes still have — to get their books into readers' hands. It's a surprising journey that seems intuitive now, but it wasn't so in the not-sodistant past. Bookstores and authors had to learn, by necessity, how to work together, which was an offshoot of the activism found in 1960s-era bookstores and which still continues today. It's a nice, round circle of time that readers will appreciate.

Absolutely, this is a book meant for anyone who has a sky-high TBR pile and who's heading to the bookstore this week. Find "Black-Owned." It's just what you want when you have a need for read. WI

horoscopes

LIFESTYLE

NOV. 13 - 19, 2025

ARIES Creative ventures command attention as Mars ignites your expression sector, bringing recognition through bold initiatives showcasing distinctive vision that resonates with audiences while establishing competitive differentiation. Romantic possibilities emerge when confident authenticity attracts connections appreciating genuine personality. Lucky Numbers: 9, 41, 57

TAURUS Foundation strengthening brings lasting security as Venus stabilizes your domestic sector, bringing peace through home improvements creating environments nurturing well-being while supporting productivity. Family relationships deepen when empathetic listening addresses underlying concerns fostering mutual understanding. Lucky Numbers: 15, 32, 54

GEMINI Communication excellence expands professional reach as Mercury activates your networking sector, bringing opportunities through persuasive messaging demonstrating analytical depth that influences decision-makers while establishing thought leadership credibility. Learning initiatives accelerate when specialized training develops competitive capabilities meeting industry demands. Lucky Numbers: 4, 26, 48

CANCER Financial momentum builds sustainable wealth as lunar energy illuminates your resource sector, bringing prosperity through strategic investment decisions identifying undervalued assets positioned for appreciation while maintaining prudent risk management. Income negotiations succeed when performance documentation justifies compensation increases reflecting exceptional contributions. Lucky Numbers: 13, 37, 61

LEO Personal transformation commands powerful presence as solar energy radiates through your identity sector, bringing influence through authentic self-expression projecting refined confidence that attracts significant opportunities while inspiring stakeholder trust. Leadership visibility expands when strategic initiatives demonstrate comprehensive capabilities exceeding organizational expectations establishing premium reputation. Lucky Numbers: 8, 35, 52

VIRGO Spiritual insight reveals transformative clarity as earth energy activates your reflection sector, bringing wisdom through contemplative exploration uncovering innovative solutions to persistent challenges while releasing limiting beliefs constraining potential. Intuitive guidance deepens when meditative practices enhance decision-making accuracy supporting strategic priorities. Lucky Numbers: 19, 43, 58

LIBRA Community influence expands social capital as Venus illuminates your alliance sector, bringing advancement through collaborative initiatives leveraging collective expertise toward shared objectives while respecting diverse contribution styles. Lucky Numbers: 3, 30, 46

SCORPIO Career recognition reaches breakthrough momentum as Pluto propels your achievement sector, bringing advancement through exceptional performance transforming complex assignments into strategic victories while securing executive confidence. Professional authority materializes when demonstrated expertise qualifies for elevated responsibility overseeing critical operations. Lucky Numbers: 21, 39, 63

SAGITTARIUS Philosophical exploration broadens perspective as Jupiter activates your expansion sector, bringing insight through cultural experiences revealing fundamental values guiding purposeful direction while maintaining practical application. International opportunities materialize when cross-cultural competency facilitates partnerships generating diversified income streams. Lucky Numbers: 17, 28, 50

CAPRICORN Transformative partnerships deepen connection as Saturn energizes your regeneration sector, bringing renewal through vulnerable intimacy fostering authentic bonds transcending superficial interaction while establishing profound trust. Financial collaboration succeeds when transparent negotiation creates equitable agreements protecting shared interests. Lucky Numbers: 6, 34, 55

AQUARIUS Relationship harmony cultivates meaningful alliance as Uranus illuminates your partnership sector, bringing opportunity through collaborative ventures combining complementary strengths generating mutual prosperity while maintaining balanced reciprocity. Lucky Numbers: 12, 40, 59

PISCES Productivity excellence enhances professional reputation as Neptune activates your efficiency sector, bringing recognition through systematic achievement demonstrating refined capabilities establishing premium service standards while exceeding client expectations. Health optimization succeeds when disciplined wellness routines support sustained energy meeting intensive demands. Lucky Numbers: 10, 24, 47

Terri Schlichenmeyer

SPORTS

SPORTS from Page 41 boxing out, and crashing all five guys to the basket a little bit more, but I felt like down the stretch it was really second-chance points that kinda hurts us,” said forward Cam Whitmore.

The Wizards’ perimeter defense showed just how vulnerable they could be as Dallas’ forward Naji Marshall torched them with 30 points on just 14 shots, adding eight rebounds, two assists, and three steals in a breakout performance.

Although the Wizards started the season surprisingly strong as a defensive rebounding team, Washington seems to be going back to last year’s struggles on the glass. Dallas managed only six of 24 three-pointers but compensated with 16 offensive boards, and won the battle of turnovers 13-18.

Next up, the Wizards will take on

the Detroit Pistons, after meeting up in the preseason. The Pistons are coming off of a 111-108 win over the Philadelphia Eagles improving 8-2, while Washington will be coming in sitting at 1-9 tied with the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers.

Washington are without a doubt underdogs against Detroit as their opponent is coming off of a second night of back-to-back matchups, but it will be up to Washington to fight to get themselves back into the win column.

“It’s important, we were really close so it’s a lot of stuff that we can learn from tonight, go back, and watch on the film on stuff we can do differently in crunch time,” said forward Alex Sarr. “But you know it’s all a learning experience and it’s gonna make us better at the end of the day.”

“Keep building on that [physicality against Mavericks], keep this the consistent thing to how we play,” said Keefe. “Keep making this something that we can do for longer and for better. That’s the goal for us,

those are the important things. That was a good step tonight.”

Spirit Survive Louisville in Penalty Shootout to Reach Semifinals

In a quarterfinal National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) game deemed to be a potential upset, the No. 2 seeded Washington Spirit flipped the script, advancing to the semifinals after a tense penalty 3-1 winning shootout at Audi Field.

“We knew that wouldn’t be easy. There’s no easy games right now and anything can happen, any opponent right now can beat you and it’s gonna be hard, like this,” said Head Coach Adrian Gonzalez. “I think we need to be proud of, especially the first half we’ve been very dominant, creating a lot of chances, executing the game plan perfectly.”

Backed by a thrilling home crowd in Washington, D.C., the Spirit

took control of the game early, dictating the tempo for most of the game.

From the outset, Racing Louisville struggled to cope with Washington’s crisp ball movement and suffocating counter-press. Louisville spent most of the first half pinned deep in their own half, falling behind the Spirit, who appeared to score on a clever set-piece, only for the goal to be ruled offside.

The early injury substitution of Spirit defender Gabby Carle slowed down Washington’s rhythm, but it wasn’t enough to change the flow of the match.

By halftime, the Spirit’s dominance was set on the stat sheet: 73% possession to Louisville’s 27%, nearly triple the passes (302–109), and double the total touches (405–202).

With this in mind, both sides still struggled to generate quality chances. It wasn’t until the second half when a breakthrough arose out of the shadows.

Spirit forward Gift Monday rose above the defense to head home the opener, finally rewarding Washington’s pressure.

It looked like it was going to be enough, as the Spirit managed their narrow lead deep into stoppage time. But it was Louisville’s substitute Kayla Fischer who shocked the home crowd with a late equalizer for Louisville.

Extra time brought more adversity for Washington. Defender and U.S. national team standout Tara McKeown was forced off after a

potentially game-saving tackle on Racing striker Emma Sears, further depleting an already thin squad.

Then, fatigue began to set in, sending the game to penalties.

“I thought the first half was beautiful, didn’t have much to do. I was just enjoying everything in front of me. Great movement, great decision-making, and I think we just kinda got a little tired in the second half,” said Kingbury. "We didn’t have the correct movement and spacing off the ball so kinda just bad decisions, gave it away a little too much, maybe went a little bit too direct which played into Louisville hands.”

But the Spirit’s Kingsbury stole the show. The veteran goalkeeper stopped three consecutive Louisville attempts in the shootout, lifting Washington into the semifinals and igniting celebrations at Audi Field.

It was a familiar formula for the Spirit, a team who last year survived a fiery No. 7 seed in Bay Football Club (FC) before riding that momentum all the way to the finale.

Next up, Washington will host the winner of Portland Thorns FC at Audi Field on Saturday, Nov. 15 at noon for the NWSL Semifinal.

“The mentality is always similar. We like taking the games one day at a time…today was about today,” said Gonzalez. “And now it’s time to celebrate it, time to rest, try to recover, and then next week we will prepare the next as we always do. The mentality is always similar.” WI

3 Washington Wizards’ forward Alex Sarr looks to make a play in a 148- 115 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, Nov. 7 at Capital One Arena in Northwest, D.C. (Marcus Relacion/ The Washington Informer)

A Spirit defender gets the crowd hype during a 3-1 game against the Racing Louisville on Nov. 8. (Marcus Relacion/ The Washington Informer)

CAPTURE the moment

Veterans organizations, floats, specialty vehicles and marching bands marched up Constitution Avenue NW, from the National Archives to the White House, on Nov. 9 as part of the National Veterans Parade. The inaugural event was hosted by the National Veterans Parade Foundation, under the permitting assistance of the Mayor’s Special Events Task Group, and celebrated the nation’s veterans for their service to defend and protect the United States. (Robert R. Roberts/ The Washington Informer)

RELIGION

The Black Catholic Messenger Turns 5 Amid Black Catholic History

Month Nate Tinner-Williams Talks Messenger’s Journey

By Rev. Dorothy Boulware Word in Black

This article was originally published online with Word In Black, a collaboration of the nation's leading Black news publishers (of which The Informer is a member).

November is Black Catholic History Month, set aside to acknowledge and celebrate the sacrifices, contribu-

tions, and achievements of the three million African American Catholics in the United States.

An instrument of that history-keeping task, the Black Catholic Messenger, is marking its fifth year of gathering and distributing news of and to the ever-growing body of faith and its supporters.

While Nate Tinner-Williams, cofounder and editor, is not the sole visionary behind the Messenger, he

is definitely the engine that solicited writers and supporters to bring it to fruition.

From Rome to the Roots of Black Catholicism

“As we’ve become more of a traditional news operation, the team of writers has grown exponentially and the coverage area has expanded from just being national to also international,” he says. “We’ve covered stories in Rome. We’ve covered the deaths of two popes. We’ve grown quite a bit in the last five years, and we’re so excited about what’s coming in the future.”

Tinner-Williams says he never imagined writing a story about an American pope.

“In 2018, I couldn’t even imagine I would be a Catholic, so to imagine I’d be writing about an American pope who’s sort of Black in 2025, is unbelievable, truly. But you know, that’s how God works.”

As for the special month being set aside, this month marks 35 years of National Black Catholic History Month.

“It was founded in 1990 by the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus, which, during the time of the Black Catholic Movement, promoted the visibility of Black Catholics throughout history. So they decided to institute this month,” Tinner-Williams explains. “They had months commemorating different things in the Catholic Church.”

The Messenger website lists national and state-by-state events throughout the nation.

”It’s incredible to see all that goes on and the bishops that participate,

the different organizations that put together events online and in person. And it just so happens that there are other official commemorations in the Catholic Church that happen in November, like the feast of Saint Martin de Porres and the founding of the Knights of Peter Claver.”

Documenting the Path to Sainthood

And the Messenger continues to cover the process of sainthood for the prospective African American Catholics.

“There’s never been an African-American to reach either of the consecutive stages, which is when you can start naming churches after someone, build official shrines, and all that. So we’re still waiting for the first African-American to be beatified or canonized,” Tinner Williams says.

The editor of The Black Messenger says he can list all the names.

“You have Servant of God Thea Bowman,” he continued, “Servant of God Julia Greeley, Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Venerable Augustus Tolton, Venerable Henriette DeLille, Venerable Mary Lang, and the latest is Servant of God, Martin Maria de Porres Ward, who was the first African American member of the conventional Franciscans.”

Tinner-Williams says he likes “to celebrate an eighth as well because there’s a Black Puerto Rican who’s on the path to sainthood as well, Venerable Rafael Cordero.”

As Tinner-Williams easily rattled off the names with precision, he made the distinction between the differing titles.

“The ones who I mentioned as servants of God, that’s the first stage;

3 Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger, which is celebrating five years. November marks the 35th anniversary of Black Catholic History Month. (Courtesy Photo/ LinkedIn)

second stage is venerable. Mary Lang from Baltimore actually just advanced to the second stage recently, within the last year or two, I think. And so getting people from one stage to the next can often take a while,” he says. “But yeah, there has been movement recently on those causes. Servant of God Thea Bowman’s cause was just opened in 2019. And the guy who worked in Brazil, who was from Massachusetts and D.C., his cause was opened the year after in 2020.”

He says some of these causes are actually quite new, even though the person may have died several decades ago, or, in the case of some of the older causes, more than 100 years ago.

A Generation Focused on Social Justice

As for the younger Catholics, the Messenger appeals to them through its podcast, which covers social justice.

“I know the younger people listen to a lot of podcasts. It’s also in a video format. But I think young people who are still involved in the Catholic Church, especially young Black Catholics, are very much interested in the social justice focus of the church — Catholic social teaching. Some of those principles often get de-emphasized among the laity and sometimes even among our bishops,” he says.

However, Tinner-Williams offers a solution.

“If they’re not going to get it from the leaders, they can find it in certain segments of Catholic media,” he emphasizes. “We hope Black Catholic Messenger is a place where they can find it.” WI

Know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own — 1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV

Type 2 diabetes, while manageable, can lead to severe health complications if not properly controlled. High blood sugar levels over time can damage blood vessels and nerves throughout the body, increasing the risk of serious issues such as heart attacks, strokes, nerve damage (neuropathy) that can lead to foot and leg amputations, kidney failure requiring dialysis, and blindness.

The good news is that these disastrous outcomes can often be prevented or even reversed through proactive lifestyle modifications. A key strategy involves avoiding temporary "diets" in favor of sustainable, long-term changes to eating and exercise habits.

Key Actionable Steps:

Monitor Your Health: Work with your health care provider to regularly check your blood sugar levels and monitor your A1C (a blood test that measures your average blood sugar over the past two to three months).

Improve Your Diet: Focus on eating fewer carbohydrates and sweets, and incorporate more nonstarchy, green leafy vegetables into

WITH LYNDIA GRANT

Oprah Beat Diabetes — Here's How the religion corner

your meals. The NIDDK website offers resources like the Plate Method to help manage portion sizes and food choices.

Exercise Daily: Regular physical activity helps manage blood sugar levels and makes your body more responsive to insulin. The CDC provides tips on how to integrate at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity (like brisk walking) per week into your routine, starting with small, manageable steps.

Stay Informed: According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), millions of Americans have diabetes, and many don't know it. Understanding the risks and management strategies is crucial.

Making these changes can be challenging, but starting with small, consistent steps and seeking support from family, friends, or your health care team can make a significant difference in managing Type 2 diabetes and living a healthy life.

A few years ago, Oprah Winfrey learned she was prediabetic, and later was actually diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic. This time, she did exactly what was required. Notice how she changed to a healthy, diabetic-friendly diet by eliminating high-carbohydrate foods, curtailed sweets, continued to exercise, and lost 42 pounds — you saw her on TV with Weight Watchers. She has

been successful, and is no longer prediabetic, plus her blood pressure is back under control too. Oprah has lost weight many times over the years, always gaining it back. This time though, things were different — it was for her health.

As an avid reader, Oprah began to read up on this disease. Plus, because her mother died from Type 2 diabetes complications too, Oprah understood the connection.

My story: My dear, sweet mother died 25 years ago from complications of Type 2 diabetes. Neither my mother, nor any of her family members knew what was required to turn this diagnosis around. Therefore, she only lived 12 years after her diagnosis, with some devastating side effects. Mother lost both her legs to amputations, required kidney dialysis, had seven strokes, and was only 61 years old when her first major stroke got to her. Paralysis set in, not like today with new cures. The cause: improper diet and lack of exercise.

Just over 150 years ago, Black people in America were slaves, eating poorly and working from sunup to sundown. They burned off the devastating effects of soul foods with strenuous daily exercise. No matter what they ate, soul food included, they stayed healthy. It was cyclical. They ate, then worked it off, day after day.

WI

RELIGION

Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org

Mount Carmel

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."

Website: Theplbc.org Email: churchclerk@theplbc.org

Purpose

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rehoboth Baptist Church

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Promised

Baptist Church

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 001170

Estate of Regina C. Newman aka Regina Cometa Newman

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE

Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by John D. Newman 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.

In the absence of a will or proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution, enter an order determining that the decedent died intestate appoint an unsupervised personal representative

Date of first publication: October 30, 2025

Cheng Yun Law

6088 Franconia Road Suite D Alexandria, VA 22310

Petitioner/Attorney:

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 001082

Wendy Huntington Rueda Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Guillermo Rueda, whose address is 2912 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Wendy Huntington Rueda who died on July 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 4/30/2026. 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 4/30/2026, 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: 10/30/2025

Guillermo Rueda Personal Representative

of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 FEP 000128

1/2/2025

Date of Death

Loumis Taylor aka Loumis Sandifer Taylor Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Anthony L. Taylor whose address is 10 Light Street #1821, Baltimore, MD 21022 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Loumis Taylor aka Loumis Sandifer Taylor, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on October 14, 2025. Service of process may be made upon Julius P. Terrell, 1455 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 400, Washington DC 20004 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.

4645 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave., NE, Washington DC 20019. 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: 10/30/2025

Anthony L. Taylor Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2025 ADM 001134

Lois Banson Decedent

Timothy J. Sessing, Esq. 12850 Middlebrook Rd., Ste. 308 Germantown, MD 20874 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Patricia Banson, whose address is 202 34th Street SE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lois Banson who died on 1/21/2025 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 5/6/2026. 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 5/6/2026, 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: 11/6/2025

Patricia Banson 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 000533

Alberta Lawson Ferguson Decedent

Julius P. Terrell, Esq. 1455 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20004

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Julius P. Terrell, whose address is 1455 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20004, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Alberta Lawson Ferguson who died on 7/17/1988 without a Will and will serve with 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 4/30/2026. 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 4/30/2026, 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: 10/13/2025

Julius P. Terrell 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 001110

Emma L. Ruffin

Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Beverly Ruffin Burrowes, whose address is 1441 Bangor Street, SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Emma L Ruffin who died on 2/10/2025 with 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 5/6/2026. 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 5/6/2026, 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: 11/6/2025

Beverly Ruffin Burrowes 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 001090

Jesse Monwell Newby Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Debra Newby, whose address is 9119 Manchester Road, Apt. 305, Silver Spring, MD 20901, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Jesse Monwell Newby who died on August 21, 2023 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 4/30/2026. 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 4/30/2026, 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: 10/30/2025

Debra Newby

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 001108

Catherine N. P. Holmes aka Catherine Novella Pruitt Holmes Decedent

Lynee C. Murchison, Esq. Adams Law Office, LLC 4201 Mitchellville Rd, Suite 500 Bowie, MD 20716 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Audrey Patricia Rice, whose address is 3527 Alameda Circle, Baltimore, MD 21218, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Catherine N. P. Holmes aka Catherine Novella Pruitt Holmes who died on 12/9/2024 with 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 5/6/2026. 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 5/6/2026, 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: 11/6/2025

Audrey Patricia Rice 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 001049

Joanne T. Spriggs Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Kim M. Smith, whose address is 7420 Serenade Cir., Clinton MD 20735, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Joanne T. Spriggs who died on November 25, 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 4/30/2026. 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 4/30/2026, 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: 10/30/2025

Kim M. Smith 7420 Serenade Cir. Clinton MD 20735

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 000131

March 11, 2023

Date of Death

Michael Anthony Jackson Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Ronda B. Jackson whose address is 12605 Scarborough Oak Court, Brandywine, MD 20613 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Michael Anthony Jackson, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on 10/8/2024. Service of process may be made upon Jafi O. Barnes – 315 H Street, NE, Apt 417 Washington DC 20002 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.

1235 Irving Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017. 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: 11/6/2025

Ronda B. Jackson Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 001136

Eddie Prue Clarke Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Lisa Clarke-Bell, whose address is 7413 12th Street NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Eddie Prue Clarke who died on 6/6/2024 with 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 5/13/2026. 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 5/13/2026, 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: 11/13/2025

Lisa Clarke-Bell Personal Representative

TRUE

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2025 ADM 001167

Odell Odom Franklin Decedent

E. Regine Francois Williams 9701 Apollo Drive, Suite 301 Largo, MD 20774 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Elaine P. Crump, whose address is 3903 Briscoe Court, Mitchellville MD 20721, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Odell Odom Franklin who died on 3/4/2018 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 5/13/2026. 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 5/13/2026, 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: 11/13/2025

Elaine P. Crump 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 001145

Edward Tyrone Green, Sr. Decedent

Iris McCollum Green, Esq. Pro Se 1714 15th Street, NW, Suite B Washington DC 20009 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Iris McCollum Green, whose address is 1714 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Edward Tyrone Green, Sr. who died on July 5, 2006 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 5/13/2026. 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 5/13/2026, 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: 11/13/2025

Iris McCollum Green 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 001191

Suzanne Cleland Decedent

Anupa Mukhopadhyay, Esq. 10665 Stanhaven Place, Suites 300A White Plains, MD 20695 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Robin Cleland Allaway, whose address is 104 Fairley Road, Pittsburgh PA 15237, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Suzanne Cleland who died on March 3, 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 5/13/2026. 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 5/13/2026, 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: 11/13/2025

Suzanne Cleland 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 001192

Mary Margaret Mayes Decedent

Jeffrey K. Gordon, Esq. 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW #400 Washington, DC 20015

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

David Ulysses Mayes, whose address is 620 Madison Street, NW, Washington DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Mary Margaret Mayes who died on January 1, 2021 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 5/13/2026. 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 5/13/2026, 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: 11/13/2025

David Ulysses Mayes 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 001159

Yvonne Pruitt Porter Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Dwight O. Porter, whose address is 9828 Royal Commerce Place, Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20774, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Yvonne Pruitt Porter who died on April 27, 2023 with 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 5/13/2026. 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 5/13/2026, 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: 11/13/2025

Dwight O. Porter Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

mense.

JEALOUS from Page 30 mains unchanged. Even if we modernize steel, the United States risks becoming a supplier nation: producing raw materials while China and other countries dominate the high-value, finished products of the 21st-century economy.

Yet from 2022 to 2024, momentum toward rebuilding American manufacturing emerged. Clean energy manufacturing created 330,000 jobs. Companies announced $265 billion in investments, with three out of four dollars flowing to counties hardest hit by factory closures. Battery plants in Arizona and Michigan. Solar manufacturing in Ohio and Texas. Wind turbine assembly in small towns. These were labor-intensive jobs — the kind that restore communities, not just output.

And yet, that momentum is slipping away. Policy shifts in big, new labor-intensive industries like electric vehicles, battery assembly, and clean energy manufacturing threaten to cancel or delay projects that could have reshaped the landscape of American industry and delivered tens of thousands of good-paying jobs. Gary and Pittsburgh are bright spots, but they cannot carry the country. Without broader investment, the address most Americans live at — where a factory used to be — re-

MANDATE from Page 19

Even in the Deep South, the political map shifted dramatically.

Democrats flipped two Public Service Commission seats in Georgia, their first such victories in 25 years. Atlanta’s Democratic Mayor Andre Dickens easily secured re-election. In Miami, the mayoral race is heading to a runoff with a Democrat favored to win, an unexpected development in a city long viewed as a Republican bastion.

In New York City, Democrat Zohran Mamdani won the mayor’s race with historic voter turnout. More than two million New Yorkers cast ballots, the highest participation in a mayoral contest since 1969.

In Detroit, City Council President Mary Sheffield was elected as the city’s first woman mayor. Across the nation, women and people of color did not simply participate in American democracy; they led it.

The results carried national significance. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the night’s returns “a repudiation of the Trump agenda.”

China already controls 65% of the global EV market, 18% of Europe, and over 80% of Latin America. By 2030, four of every 10 cars worldwide will be built there. If we abandon EV and battery production, the steel we produce will feed foreign factories, not American workers. Without investment in EVs, batteries, and advanced auto manufacturing, American automobile production risks becoming a gas-powered nostalgia act — while China drives the future of cars, both electric and globally competitive. Meanwhile, Washington is paralyzed. The federal government has shut down because parties cannot agree on the basics. This dysfunction mirrors our failure in industrial policy: if the country cannot unite to produce, it cannot protect the communities left

JEALOUS Page 53

He said that “the cruelty, chaos, and greed that define MAGA radicalism were firmly rejected by the American people.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined national coverage to praise the results and described them as a mandate for a more compassionate, forward-looking government.

The message came at a moment of deep national strain. The ongoing longest federal government shutdown, driven by Trumpaligned Republicans, has shuttered Head Start centers, left millions of children without preschool care, and forced families to go without food assistance and infant formula. Against that backdrop, the election became more than a contest of candidates; it became a referendum on what kind of country Americans want to build.

By night’s end, the verdict was unmistakable. JD Vance’s half-brother lost in Cincinnati. The last Republican council member in Orlando was defeated. The Democratic map was not just expanding; it was hardening.

“Tonight,” Schumer said, “America chose to move forward.” WI

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CROWELL from Page 30

credited as a qualifying PSLF payment for any month that their employer was found to have engaged in illegal activity that rose to the level of substantial illegal purpose."

The fact sheet states that illegal activities considered by the secretary include terrorism, trafficking, aiding and abetting illegal discrimination, and certain violations of state law.

Reactions opposing the new rule were as swift as they were emphatic.

Rep. Bobby Scott, Virginia Democrat and ranking member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, told Inside Higher Ed that the rule "opens the door for all kinds of mischief."

He explained, "If you're on the Trump side of the partisan political agenda on an issue, you get loan forgiveness. If you're on the other side of the controversy, you don't. A group promoting civil rights may be in jeopardy."

Jaylon Herbin, director of federal policy at the Center for Responsible Lending, termed the rule as "the latest in a long list of cruel tricks imposed on workers and groups who hold views or serve people this administration doesn't like."

Herbin added, "The administration's attempt to target disfavored viewpoints based on unsupported assertions of groups engaging in illegal activities violates constitutional

GILBERT from Page 30

be enjoyed by future generations. We are also called to stand up for the city and families who we love. There must be a path forward of balance and fairness that does not

JEALOUS from Page 51

behind by decades of decline.

It doesn't have to be this way. Bipartisan industrial policy could rebuild manufacturing and revive communities. Workers, whether in Republican or Democratic districts, want the same thing: stable, middle-class jobs in the places where factories used to stand.

The research is clear: rebuilding industry reduces the political toxicity that has been rising for decades. This is not partisan theory — it is practical necessity.

One president walks the walk, investing in manufacturing even if he speaks less about it. Another president talks the talk, borrowing

principles, ignores the will of Congress and unnecessarily politicizes efforts to meet the needs of local communities."

Earlier this year in a Sept. 17 comment letter to the Department of Education, CRL warned of the ill-advised proposal's harm.

The letter stated, "[T]hese risks are not evenly distributed. Communities already burdened by student debt — including Black and brown borrowers, women, and first-generation college graduates — stand to be most affected. Ambiguous eligibility rules may discourage nonprofit and government service, reduce access to critical public services, and undermine the civic participation PSLF was designed to encourage."

Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, said the Department of Education's final rule "unlawfully undermines and politicizes a successful, bipartisan program with a proven track record of helping local nonprofits recruit and retain the workforce they need to provide essential services to the American people."

She added, "Ultimately, the rule will harm the millions of people who rely on their local nonprofits to fill gaps in their communities and help their neighbors."

Noting how the new rule "would allow the secretary of education to disqualify government and nonprofit employers that disagree with the

make it harder for families and residents in the District who are struggling — and the city as a whole.

The D.C. Council has an obligation to hear these voices and reconsider this costly and bur-

rhetoric from both progressive and right-wing populist playbooks.

But the American people care less about who the president is. We all care more about whether factory jobs come back. We all liked our old address — in a nation that was a manufacturing powerhouse — better than this new one, where we consume far more than we produce. We remember the embarrassment of COVID, when our once-great manufacturing nation couldn't keep up with demand for toilet paper, let alone masks and ventilators.

The choice is ours. We can invest in the industries of the future here, in places hollowed out by past trade shocks, or surrender

administration's right-wing agenda from participating in the PSLF program," the Student Borrower Protection Center and Democracy Forward issued a joint statement on what the future may hold.

The statement read, "This new rule is a craven attempt to usurp the legislature's authority in an unconstitutional power grab aimed at punishing people with political views different than the administration's. In our democracy, the president does not have the authority to overrule Congress. That's why we will soon see the Trump-Vance administration in court."

On Nov. 3, staunch opposition to the rule led to two separate lawsuits — both challenging the move as illegal.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell was joined by 21 state attorneys general in the District of Columbia and 20 other states in a lawsuit seeking the rule to be unlawful, vacate it, and bar the Department of Education from enforcing or implementing it.

The same day, a broad coalition of over a dozen cities, labor unions, and nonprofit organizations represented by Democracy Forward and Protect Borrowers filed a lawsuit charging the new eligibility requirements to be unlawful, exceeding the education secretary's authority under the Higher Education Act.

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densome proposal. We can come together to work toward a better solution — one that protects the environment and the well-being of the people and businesses in our community — but now is simply not the time. WI

them and cement a cycle of despair. The Gary and Pittsburgh investments show what is possible — but they cannot carry the nation alone. Only a full-scale, bipartisan effort can shift the address most Americans live at — from where factories used to be to where they exist again.

We've seen what fills the void when we abandon communities: addiction, violence, hopelessness, despair, and division. We've seen what happens when we invest: jobs, stability, opportunity, and even the possibility of greater comity and unity. America's future — and the health of our politics — depends on which path we choose. WI

KING from Page 31

the supply of workers looking for another source of income, besides one reliant on the government, increases. We need more workers in the skilled trades — both now and in the future.

The U.S. economy has been grappling with a chronic skilled trades labor shortage for years. This persistent gap is driven by de-

MUSSO from Page 31

The council knows this. Last December, Council member Kenyan McDuffie held a hearing on the Motor Vehicle Insurance Modernization Act (B26-0057). Even industry voices admitted the ob-

Traffic fatalities may be down this year. But rising injuries are still devastating families. The D.C. Council has studied the problem, held a hearing, and heard from victims, experts, and even insurers. Now, it must act.

OWOLEWA/BOGAN from Page 31

Want youth to behave? Make sure their families have jobs, food and housing. Open new spaces for them to gather after school without a price tag. Create job security for families and pathways to the future promised. Instead, D.C. has become a testing ground for every failed, heavy-handed measure in the book.

Make no mistake, the increased military and police presence is not temporary. Although it has only been extended to February 2026, this will change again. It is a calculated effort to normalize authoritarian control, paving the way for

mographics — an aging workforce retiring in droves — and a societal bias toward four-year degrees that has de-emphasized vocational training. When businesses don't have the workers to meet demand, all communities suffer.

That's why government dysfunction is such a powerful case study in where economic value and job stability lie. At a time when the White House is advocating

vious: our insurance laws are outdated. "Things need to change," acknowledged Tom Glassic of the D.C. Insurance Federation. "I remember 1986 pretty well too. So it's been a while."

He's right. And the council must finish the job.

Other jurisdictions are already ahead of us. Virginia, which only began requiring drivers to carry insurance in 2024, raised its minimums to $50,000 per person starting this year. D.C. should not lag behind when it comes to protecting victims.

Some worry about costs. But analysis of industry data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners shows raising minimums does not automatically increase premiums. In fact, states that modernized their laws saw slower growth in premiums than the national average. Updating our law will not make insurance unaffordable — but it will make coverage meaningful.

What makes the industry's scare tactics even more frustrating is that premiums have risen sharply and regularly since 1986 (up 35% from January 2022 to the end of 2024 alone) while the coverage required by law has

even more illegal and dangerous actions by this administration. Crime was already at historic lows before the National Guard was sent in, D.C. wasn't even among the nation's 10 most dangerous cities, it's just the most melanated. Don't let them rewrite the narrative and claim victory when winter weather brings the usual drop in crime.

D.C.'s youth, and D.C. workers, deserve far better. We can no longer play along with this charade. Let's fight for real safety, the kind you build with opportunity, justice and care — not curfews, checkpoints and fear.

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for apprenticeship programs, Fortune 500 companies are sounding the alarm about the skilled trades gap, and communities around the country have a deep desire to work and to contribute meaningfully to the economy, we finally have the opportunity to give skilled trades their due.

It's up to all of us to talk about this need. Let's amplify the alarm.

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stayed frozen in time. With each hike, insurers pocket more while delivering less value. The truth is, raising minimums wouldn't create a new burden for consumers, it would finally ensure families are getting something meaningful in return for the premiums they already pay.

And let's be clear: This is an equity issue. Serious crashes disproportionately harm residents of Wards 7 and 8 — communities that are majority-Black and lower-income. Leaving insurance coverage stuck at 1986 levels is yet another way we fail to protect those most at risk.

Traffic fatalities may be down this year. But rising injuries are still devastating families. The D.C. Council has studied the problem, held a hearing, and heard from victims, experts, and even insurers. Now, it must act.

It has been nearly a year since The Informer first published our call to modernize auto insurance minimums. The need has only grown clearer since then. It's time for the council to pass B26-0057 and ensure that when tragedy strikes, crash victims are not left to suffer alone.

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Make no mistake, the increased military and police presence is not temporary. Although it has only been extended to February 2026, this will change again.