Today, starting at 10 a.m., the House of Representatives will be hearing from six witnesses on whether the District should become the 51st state. Guests include Mayor Muriel Bowser and Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, who support statehood, and the Cato Institute’s Roger Pilon, who called it a “Fool’s Errand.”

I’ll be tweeting about the historic hearing and everything statehood, so follow along on Twitter @amanduhgomez.

EVENT:Please join us on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at Black Cat for a panel discussion on School Transparency in D.C. Your local lawmakers are considering multiple pieces of legislation that would increase public access to information about D.C.’s public schools. This debate includes questions like: Who should have access to data about the schools? Should parents be able to access sexual misconduct complaints? Details here. RSVP here.

THE NEWS: 

The District’s seen 124 homicides so far this year, surpassing the count at this time last year.

Beverly Price, a native Washingtonian film photographer and teacher, reminds us that behind every number is a person, with family and friends who are devastated when a life is taken too soon but nevertheless persevere. 

For Thursday’s cover story, Price spent two weeks listening to and photographing the brother and friends of Karon Brown, who was fatally shot at 11 years old in late July. 

“I was impressed with how smart and strong they are. They congregate to listen to music and watch music videos, finding time to play and laugh in a world that violently took their brother and friend from them,” Price writes of them. 

Price documents D.C. from the perspective of a black Washingtonian. View her photos of the kids who keep Brown’s memory alive, online or in print. —Amanda Michelle Gomez (tips? agomez@washingtoncitypaper.com)

MORE NEWS YOU CAN USE:

  • A forward-thinking leader in climate change? This water treatment plant. [WCP]

  • D.C. statehood, explained. [Dcist]

  • Legislation to extend rent control through 2030 [Curbed]

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

  • How is Jack Evans allowed to vote on legislation involving the investigation into his unethical and potentially illegal behavior? [Post]

  • Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White asked for residents’ IDs when they voiced opposition to the Reunion Square project. [WCP]

  • Medical marijuana to become available to students in schools. [WAMU]

  • An alternative statehood proposal. [DCist]

  • Markus Batchelor to run for At-Large Councilmember David Grosso’s seat. [Twitter]

  • Department of Corrections: Actually, White’s Vegas trip wasn’t the most expensive. LL regrets the error. [WCP]

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

  • Restaurant workers facing medical crises or staring down walloping hospital bills fight a system stacked against them. [WCP]

  • These ice cream flavors were inspired by pregnancy cravings. [Washingtonian]

  • New Georgetown steakhouse CUT gets 2.5 stars from critic Tom Sietsema. [Post]

  • Nationals Park is putting its food waste to good use. [WBJ]

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

  • Pop-Up Magazine producer Marin Cogan talks life in D.C.[WCP]

  • Hey, remember that time the Washington Monument was attacked? [Post]

  • Plant local and welcome the bees and flora. [DCist]

  • The Wiener 500, a massive dachshund race, is coming. [Washingtonian] 

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

  • No surprise here: Elena Delle Donne is this year’s WNBA MVP—the first player to be honored with two different teams. (She was also MVP in 2015 with the Chicago Sky.) Delle Donne recently became the first WNBA player to join the 50-40-90 club. [Post] 

  • Local first-time boxers will fight at the Anthem tonight to raise money for cancer charities. City Paper contributor Harry Zahn spoke with Annie Dragolich, a cancer survivor who will be boxing, about how she got involved. [WCP]

  • The Mystics need Emma Meesseman to play aggressively. She did on Tuesday during the team’s Game 1 win over the Aces and will need to again tonight for Game 2. [WCP]

  • Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas is expected to miss six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery on his left thumb. [NBA.com]

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

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