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Reposted by Zach Israel

Alex Koma @alexkoma.bsky.social · 16h

Here's the results: It was conducted by a coalition of labor unions, many of which supported Bowser in '22, and they found very worrying numbers for her.

53% say she's not doing a good job as mayor and she loses 59-40 (!) against a generic challenger.
www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

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Zach Israel @zachisrael.bsky.social · 2d

“The reprogramming request does not adequately explain why certain agencies or programs incurred ‘higher than anticipated costs.’ In addition, this reprogramming does not adequately explain why Repayment of Loans and Interest (debt service) has an available balance of at least $84.4 million.”

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Zach Israel @zachisrael.bsky.social · 2d

Looks like Mendo has introduced a rare reprogramming request disapproval resolution! The COW’s public roundtable on his “No. 26-0070 Reprogramming Request Disapproval Resolution of 2025” (PR26-342) will take place on Oct. 16: lims.dccouncil.gov/Hearings/hea...

lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/...

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Reposted by Zach Israel

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 2d

vought's view is that the president is an elected dictator and lo and behold he is seizing outright the power of the purse

Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 2d

Unconstitutionally taking money that the law says must be spent on one purpose & using it for something else—when it's to establish personalist control over the FUCKING MILITARY—is about as dangerous a constitutional crisis/failure as you can imagine

Via: www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...

The Office of Management and Budget sent a notification to Congress about their intent to use research and development funds to pay members of the military, two sources with direct knowledge tell NBC News.

A spokesperson for the OMB confirmed to NBC News that it plans to use the research and development funds and that there are two years' worth of funds available within the Department of Defense.

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Zach Israel @zachisrael.bsky.social · 2d

NEWS: Mayor Bowser signed the “Robert F. Kennedy Campus Redevelopment Act of 2025” on October 3! It should become law effective December 3, 2025, following the 30-day congressional review period:

Reposted by Zach Israel

Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 3d

Update: The push to hold a referendum on the changes the D.C. Council made to Initiative 82 this summer is official. A critical hearing before the D.C. Board of Elections is set for October 22; after that, proponents will have very little time to collect signatures from voters.

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Reposted by Zach Israel

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 3d

Three key points:
1) The admin has been planning mass firings to begin in October since February
2) The work necessary to carry out mass firings is illegal during a shutdown, violating the Antideficiency Act, which carries a criminal penalty
3) This harms America, ridding us of talent and expertise

Russ Vought v @russvought
The RIFs have begun.
12:27 PM • 10/10/25 • 15K Views

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Reposted by Zach Israel

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 5d

news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/g...

Grand Jury Declines to Indict Two Chicago-Area ICE Protesters (1)

A federal grand jury declined to indict two people charged with assaulting law enforcement agents outside a suburban Chicago ICE facility, an attorney for one of the defendants said.

news.bloomberglaw.com

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Zach Israel @zachisrael.bsky.social · 5d

Thrilled to see the "Porchfest Permitting Amendment Act of 2025" (B26-424) introduced yesterday by @janeese4dc.bsky.social! @cmcharlesallen.bsky.social please schedule a T&E Committee hearing on this bill in the near future so we can get it passed and enacted ahead of the 2026 Petworth Porchfest!

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Reposted by Zach Israel

Alex Koma @alexkoma.bsky.social · 6d

🤔🤔🤔

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Zach Israel @zachisrael.bsky.social · 6d

👀

Neil Flanagan 🧱🗃️ @jgbollard.bsky.social · 6d

No other options offered. Hmm.

Poll:

* Now, if the June 2026 Democratic Primary election for Mayor of D.C. were today, who would you vote for if the candidates
were:
•
Janeese Lewis George
Muriel Bowser

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Zach Israel @zachisrael.bsky.social · 6d

Ah just $85,000 in public funds a week before she publicly announced her Delegate run! A total coincidence!

It would be interesting to know who she targeted these mailers to outside of Ward 2, among the 97,750 recipients…

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Reposted by Zach Israel

Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 6d

So almost the entire D.C. Council is now meeting being closed doors to negotiate how to proceed on the expanded youth curfew emergency bill. It seems pretty clear they are negotiating legislation behind closed doors, in violation of the spirit of the city’s Open Meetings Act.

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Reposted by Zach Israel

Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 6d

All of this, of course, is around what's a pretty big change to TOPA, and one that wasn't fully debated at all before it was dropped into the RENTAL Act at the last minute. So lawmakers are proposing more last-minute fixes to a last-minute problem of their own creation.

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Zach Israel @zachisrael.bsky.social · 6d

In the two instances in which Jack Evans ran for office Districtwide, he received a total of 10% of the vote (8,621 votes) in the September 15, 1998 Democratic mayoral primary election and 5% of the vote (4,877 votes) in the April 1, 2014 Democratic mayoral primary election:

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Reposted by Zach Israel

Alex Dodds @alexdodds.bsky.social · 7d

well this is how I found out JACK EVANS is thinking about running for Council Chair 🫠 #SackJack #SackJack2

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Reposted by Zach Israel

Alex Koma @alexkoma.bsky.social · 7d

Probably no coincidence that Janeese Lewis George chose this morning to forcefully endorse Robert White for the delegate seat.

Also notable that Pinto is listing an endorsement from former Ward 3 CM Mary Cheh on her website. This race is gonna be spicy…

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Zach Israel @zachisrael.bsky.social · 7d

Friendly reminder that DC Democratic voters will be able to rank *up to 5 candidates* running in the June 16, 2026 Democratic primary for Delegate to the House, per the enacted & funded “Ranked Choice Voting and Open the Primary Elections to Independent Voters Act of 2024” (I-83)

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Zach Israel @zachisrael.bsky.social · 9d

Looks like the National Gallery of Art is closed beginning Sunday, October 5 (until whenever the government shutdown ends)…

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Reposted by Zach Israel

Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 9d

NEW: Reuters took a closer look at violent crime in D.C. after President Trump began a show of force here. Despite the big investment of federal resources, it's really hard at this point to see any dramatic changes.

www.reuters.com/world/us/did...

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Zach Israel @zachisrael.bsky.social · 9d

There would then be a special At-Large CM election in May/June 2027 - the incumbent At-Large CM would likely run in this election, giving that individual an advantage. Anita Bonds and R. White first got onto the Council via the DCDSC vote, in Dec. 2012 & Sept. 2016, respectively.

Zach Israel @zachisrael.bsky.social · 9d

If R. White wins the June 16 Dem primary for Delegate, followed by a win in the Nov. 3, 2026 general, he’d need to resign from the DC Council by Jan. 3, 2027, triggering the process whereby the several dozen members of the @dcdemocrats.bsky.social get to vote for an interim At-Large CM…

Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 9d

Anyhow, next year’s elections in D.C. will be like no others in recent memory. Possibly multiple councilmembers running for delegate, possible open council seats based on the outcome of the delegate race, a mayoral race that could either be wide open or just a formality, RCV…

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Reposted by Zach Israel

Washingtonian @washingtonian.com · 10d

A 24-hour encampment organized by a coalition of anti-Trump protesters, which has been operating outside of Union Station for months, was dismantled by the United States Park Police early Friday morning.

Anti-Trump Encampment at Union Station Dismantled by US Park Police - Washingtonian

A 24-hour encampment organized by a coalition of anti-Trump protesters, which has been operating outside of Union Station for months, was dismantled by the United States Park Police early Friday…

www.washingtonian.com

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Reposted by Zach Israel

Tucker Jones @tuckerjones.bsky.social · 11d

Mayor Bowser and President Trump agree: when a legislature says "You must spend this money in this way," the executive can simply disregard the legislature.

DC under Bowser-Trump rule does not want our children to learn.

The 51st @51st.news · 11d

DCPS reneged on its promise to help hundreds of international teachers secure a green card. Many may now be forced to leave the country. Read the full story from @maustermuhle.bsky.social 51st.news/dc-green-car...

DCPS promised them green cards. Now, these international teachers have nowhere to turn

More than 200 teachers may soon have to leave the country because of what they say are broken promises from the city's school system.

51st.news

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Zach Israel @zachisrael.bsky.social · 10d

Kevin McCarthy was ousted as Speaker of the House by a vote of 216-210 exactly two years ago, through a motion to vacate filed by then-Rep. Matt Gaetz. 4 of the 8 yes votes from the GOP are still in the House: Andy Biggs, Tim Burchett, Eli Crane, and Nancy Mace:

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