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THE NEWS:

Search “The Plan (Washington, D.C.)” on Wikipedia and you’ll learn of an old-time conspiracy theory that white people have had a plan since the 1973 Home Rule Act to take back the local government and, along with it, the black-majority city. 

Relative newcomers to D.C. may have not ever heard of this. Some might dismiss it altogether. But many black Washingtonians of a certain age tell Ruben Castaneda,author of S Street Rising, that the concept is not only familiar but credible. 

“We’re not talking about people who are poor or uneducated,” says longtime D.C. government official Linda Wharton Boyd, who believes there’s something to The Plan. “These are people who are educated and know this city, who live here, worship here, shop here. They have a sense of the history of this city, they can feel the sensibility of the city. This is what they believe, and their belief is based on what they’ve witnessed and experienced.” 

For this week’s City Paper cover story, Castaneda takes a step back to examine a plan he’s known about since moving to the city in 1989. 

“A whiter D.C. government: check. A whiter, wealthier population: check,” writes Castaneda. “The idea I shrugged off three decades ago has seemingly become real.” 

Read the rest online. —Amanda Michelle Gomez (tips? Email agomez@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

CITY DESK LINKS, by Amanda Michelle Gomez:

  • ICYMI: The District’s health care providers prepare for possible novel coronavirus outbreak, but concerns persist. “It’s misleading to say there is no community transmission because we have not been doing [enough] testing to know whether or not,” Dr. Sarah Henn, Whitman-Walker Health’s chief medical officer. “The case definition [for testing] is really limited.” [WCP]

  • What do bitcoin, DCRA, and Craigslist have in common? This rental scam. [WCP]

  • Safeway strike averted after union reaches tentative agreement with management. [Twitter]

  • Takoma Park could be one of the first cities nationwide to ban fossil fuels. [WAMU]

  • National group withdraws ballot measure to decriminalize sex work after receiving pushback from local decriminalization coalition. [Blade]

LOOSE LIPS LINKS, by Mitch Ryals (tips? mryals@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

  • All the Ward 2 primary candidates as Democratic presidential candidates. [WCP]

  • Jack Evans says he has enough signatures to appear on the June 2 primary ballot. How did the disgraced former councilmember do it? [WCP]

  • Some are willing to forgive Evans, but he’s lost longtime allies. [Post]

  • Evans will also be a superdelegate at this year’s Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee. [DCist]

  • Meet the three Latinx candidates running for a citywide Council seat. [DC Line]

  • Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks endorses Joe Biden. [Post]

YOUNG & HUNGRY LINKS, by Laura Hayes (tips? lhayes@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

  • Cherries are not cherry blossoms, so stop it with those specials! [Washingtonian]

  • Boston’s Tatte Bakery is bound for Bethesda. [WBJ]

  • Virginia might declare that “milk” can only come from animals. [WAMU]

  • The people who prepare your food in restaurants probably don’t have sick leave. [Post]

ARTS LINKS, by Kayla Randall (tips? krandall@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • How a local photographer with vision loss creates his distinct aesthetic. [WCP]

  • Liz At Large: “Overthinking” [WCP]

  • Here are the D.C. museums you can go to for free on Museum Day in April. [Washingtonian]

SPORTS LINKS, by Kelyn Soong (tips? ksoong@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Caps newcomer Brenden Dillon—a self-proclaimed “West Coast guy”—is starting to get used to life in D.C., even finally learning what “DMV” means. [WCP]  

  • A sports bettor is accused of sending violent and graphic messages to professional athletes, including Nationals players, according to the Department of Justice. [CBS Sports]

  • The Athletic reports that Steve Birnbaum has signed a contract extension with D.C. United, the only MLS club he’s played with in his career. [mlssoccer.com]

CITY LIGHTS, by Emma Sarappo (Love this section? Get the full To Do This Week newsletter here. Tips? esarappo@washingtoncitypaper.com)

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