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The 51st

@51st.news

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Information with representation, by and for D.C. residents. Worker-led nonprofit newsroom, funded by readers like YOU. 🌐 https://51st.news

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The 51st @51st.news · 13h

Alan’s handmade signs speckle the sides of Missouri Avenue NW, announcing to drivers they have come across his oasis — where he's given out free water for years.

One recent morning, the main sign held a different message: “Eviction of Oasis TODAY. Stand with Alan.”

For 1,250 days, Alan has given out free water at a busy Brightwood intersection

He’s built a community that stood up for him when the threat of eviction loomed.

Reposted by The 51st

Councilmember Zachary Parker @cmzparker5.bsky.social · 5d

The C.A.R.E. for Youth Plan is one small step and a call to action.

👉🏾 Check out my op-ed in @51st.news

51st.news/dc-juvenile-...

Reposted by The 51st

Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 19h

NEWS: It looks like controversial ride-hailing service Empower lives to see another day. Today a D.C. judge was to consider whether to jail Empower's CEO over failure to comply with a court order that it register and comply with D.C. law on ride-hailing. But...

Reposted by The 51st

Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 5d

A new bill in the D.C. Council would bring a 10-cent refundable deposit for cans and bottles to the city. Proponents say it would be a boon for recycling and the Anacostia River. But local brewers say it would increase their costs – and possibly put them out of business. 51st.news/dc-breweries...

D.C. breweries worry about effects of a bottle-deposit bill

Lawmakers are considering the measure to help clean up the Anacostia River.

The 51st @51st.news · 16h

Last year, completed evictions rose to record levels in D.C. — the largest increase since the year before the pandemic.

See new data from the Office of the Tenant Advocate obtained and analyzed by our team with @streetsensedc.bsky.social and American University’s Investigative Reporting Workshop:

Evictions rising in DC as housing costs increase

New data shows evictions have surged past pre-pandemic levels, fueled by shrinking aid, high rents, and weakened tenant protections.

Reposted by The 51st

The 51st @51st.news · 1d

The "2025 Indigenous Peoples Day: Come to the Circle" happening this afternoon and included in our guide has been moved indoors due to weather.

A screenshot showing information about the event. "Malcolm X Park" has been crossed out and replaced by "All Souls Sanctuary 1500 Harvard Street NW." The time (2-5 pm) and cost (free) remain unchanged.

The 51st @51st.news · 1d

The "2025 Indigenous Peoples Day: Come to the Circle" happening this afternoon and included in our guide has been moved indoors due to weather.

A screenshot showing information about the event. "Malcolm X Park" has been crossed out and replaced by "All Souls Sanctuary 1500 Harvard Street NW." The time (2-5 pm) and cost (free) remain unchanged.

Reposted by The 51st

nonamesplease.bsky.social @nonamesplease.bsky.social · 3d

Please support!

The 51st @51st.news · 7d

Christina wrote more about why we're looking for 551 new members to join: 51st.news/why-real-d-c...

Why real D.C. news is so important right now

With powerful people spreading misinformation about our city, The 51st’s work is more vital than ever.

The 51st @51st.news · 2d

The D.C. Council rejected a bill extending the youth curfew. Until it didn't.

What happened behind closed doors last week that snatched a stalemate from the jaws of defeat remains a bit of a mystery, @maustermuhle.bsky.social writes.

Wilson Building Bulletin: Curfews and closed doors

The D.C. Council rejected a bill extending the youth curfew. Until it didn't.

The 51st @51st.news · 4d

Right Proper brewery co-founder Thor Cheston knows that advocating against D.C.'s proposed bottle bill might put him on the wrong side of environmentally conscious customers: "We have to take that risk to be judged in the court of public opinion because if we do not fight this, we do not exist.”

D.C. breweries worry about effects of a bottle-deposit bill

Lawmakers are considering the measure to help clean up the Anacostia River.

Reposted by The 51st

Steve Mullis @stevemullis.net · 6d

Please support independent and nonprofit media. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

The 51st @51st.news · 7d

When people in the highest levels of our government are leaning on narratives about D.C. that we know aren’t true — but could influence our political future, our independent journalism is even more vital. Will you support it?

51st.news/signup

Reposted by The 51st

Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 5d

New story in @51st.news: After a years-long battle with D.C. regulators and courts, this was supposed to be the last week that ride-hailing app Empower could operate in the city. But it's now digging in its heels again, and says it's not going anywhere. 51st.news/empower-dc-u...

Ride-hailing app Empower may finally shut down in D.C.

The company, which claims to provide a better service than Uber or Lyft, has been defying regulators for five years.

Reposted by The 51st

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 5d

"Something interesting happened in the D.C. Council on Tuesday. But there’s only so much I can tell you about it – because much of it happened behind closed doors...this year the council passed an emergency bill creating a significant loophole [for secret meetings]."

51st.news/wilson-build...

Wilson Building Bulletin: Curfews and closed doors

The D.C. Council rejected a bill extending the youth curfew. Until it didn't.

Reposted by The 51st

Abigail Higgins @abigailhiggins.bsky.social · 4d

Evictions in DC hit record levels last year, with 1,869 households removed from their homes. We don't have final numbers for this year yet but avg. monthly evictions are the highest they’ve been in six years. New investigation from @51st.news @streetsensedc.bsky.social 51st.news/record-evict...

Evictions rising in DC as housing costs increase

New data shows evictions have surged past pre-pandemic levels, fueled by shrinking aid, high rents, and weakened tenant protections.

The 51st @51st.news · 4d

This article is part of @streetsensedc.bsky.social's D.C. Homeless Crisis Reporting Project, in collaboration with other local newsrooms.

See more from the project here: bit.ly/DCHCRP

The 51st @51st.news · 4d

"Every day I wake up, I feel like I am in a mental obstacle course."

New data shows evictions in D.C. have surged past pre-pandemic levels, fueled by shrinking aid, high rents, and weakened tenant protections.

In partnership with @streetsensedc.bsky.social and the Investigative Reporting Workshop:

Evictions rising in DC as housing costs increase

New data shows evictions have surged past pre-pandemic levels, fueled by shrinking aid, high rents, and weakened tenant protections.

The 51st @51st.news · 4d

Appreciate the shoutout, Bill!

We've set a goal of reaching 551 new members this month to mark our first birthday: www.51st.news/signup

More on the importance of our work in this moment:

Why real D.C. news is so important right now

With powerful people spreading misinformation about our city, The 51st’s work is more vital than ever.

The 51st @51st.news · 4d

"Something interesting happened in the D.C. Council on Tuesday. But there’s only so much I can tell you about it — because much of it happened behind closed doors."

Don't miss @maustermuhle.bsky.social's Wilson Building Bulletin from this week:

Wilson Building Bulletin: Curfews and closed doors

The D.C. Council rejected a bill extending the youth curfew. Until it didn't.

Reposted by The 51st

Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 5d

If you've ever driven through the intersection at Georgia and Missouri Avenues NW, you've gone through Alan's Oasis, where a homeless man has been giving out free bottles of water for more than three years. This is a such a great profile of Alan: 51st.news/dc-alans-oas...

For 1,250 days, Alan has given out free water at a busy Brightwood intersection

He’s built a community that stood up for him when the threat of eviction loomed.

The 51st @51st.news · 5d

Feeling overwhelmed recently? Action is the best antidote.

How to get involved locally this week: Watch a film about gentrification in D.C., attend an open mic (but make it historic) at @dcpubliclibrary.bsky.social, and find lots of opportunities to organize with @freedcproject.bsky.social.

Your weekly roundup of ways to get involved in D.C.

Plus, another visit to Capitol Hill.

The 51st @51st.news · 5d

Looking for plans this weekend?

Our picks: Watch Palestinian films, pick from one of 800+ board games at @labyrinthdc.bsky.social, celebrate Spooky Season with a dog costume contest benefiting @cdckrescue.bsky.social, and more:

14 things to do around D.C. this weekend

The shutdown continues — but our local arts and culture scene is going strong.

The 51st @51st.news · 5d

This story was reported by Alaena Hunt for @streetsensedc.bsky.social.

We republished it as part of our 2025 contribution to the D.C. Homeless Crisis Reporting Project, in collaboration with other local newsrooms.

See more from the project here:

2025 Archives - Street Sense Media

streetsensemedia.org

The 51st @51st.news · 5d

For 1,250 days, Alan has given out free water at a busy Brightwood intersection.

He calls it Alan's Oasis — and his constant presence has built a community that stood up for him recently when he seemed to be facing eviction.

For 1,250 days, Alan has given out free water at a busy Brightwood intersection

He’s built a community that stood up for him when the threat of eviction loomed.

The 51st @51st.news · 5d

There's been a lot of talk about youth and crime in D.C. since President Trump retook office.

But Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker (@cmzparker5.bsky.social) says he has a new plan that is actually aimed at addressing the root causes of violence.

More here, in his opinion piece:

Opinion: Locking kids up isn't working. Here's what we should do instead.

Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker introduced a policy package this week that he says is aimed at addressing the root causes of violence.

The 51st @51st.news · 5d

By the letter of the law, the D.C. Council shouldn't have been able to to discuss an issue behind closed doors that was on their public agenda that day.

But earlier this year, they created a loophole.

What happened this week, and why does it matter? @maustermuhle.bsky.social reports:

Wilson Building Bulletin: Curfews and closed doors

The D.C. Council rejected a bill extending the youth curfew. Until it didn't.