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You know what would really be the best? If you became a member of City Paper today.

City Paper’s Best of D.C. 2020 issue is finally here.

We asked readers to tell us the best spots for karaoke, doughnuts, and then some. And you delivered. Winners—people, places, businesses, drinks, and fish—are fixtures of their neighborhoods or welcomed additions. See who residents decided was the Best of D.C. online and in this week’s print issue.

It might feel uncomfortable celebrating. Just yesterday, this newsletter reported more bar and restaurant closures. Leaning on the words of City Paper interim editor Caroline Jones—who shepherded the issue in extraordinary circumstances—staff saw the “resilient people of D.C. begin to reinvent their work and their worlds in ways that made us feel hopeful or excited” as we report the news. And this is worthy of celebration, if even for a moment.

“So here’s to those making the best of a miserable year—the booksellers who do the browsing for us, the bagel makers who fill our bellies, the musicians who still play for us on social media, and so many other people who keep our city going,” writes Jones in the issue. “For now, we’ll celebrate you in print and online. When we can finally gather in person again, we’ll raise a glass in celebration with a simple toast: Thank you.”

—Amanda Michelle Gomez (tips? agomez@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

Landlords Don’t Want the D.C. Council to Extend Its Blanket Eviction Moratorium

D.C. has the strongest tenant protections related to evictions in the region, surpassing even the […]

  • As of Sept. 17, D.C. reported two additional deaths related to COVID-19 and 47 new positive cases, bringing the total number of people to 619 and 14,790, respectively. [EOM] 
  • A whistleblower says federal officials stockpiled ammunition and sought devices that could “emit deafening sounds” before clearing protesters at Lafayette Square for Trump’s photo op over the summer. [Post] 
  • Need a COVID-19 test? Get a test. But the Bowser administration says seek a test first through your primary care doctor due to public sites’ supply issues. [DCist]  
  • WAMU leadership tried to oust Martin Di Caro after multiple sexual harassment complaints, but American University, who holds the station’s license, stopped them. [DCist]

—Amanda Michelle Gomez (tips? agomez@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

DCHA Board Delays Budget, Redevelopment Votes, Thwarting Agency Director

Nearly three hours into the DC Housing Authority Board of Commissioners’ September meeting, Commissioner LeJuan […]

  • How DCHA will spend the $50 million it received from the D.C. government. [WBJ, Twitter]
  • D.C. workers call for major changes in the Department of Employment Services. [DCist]
  • The new sports betting program (obviously) fell way short of its projected revenue. [Post]

By Mitch Ryals (tips? mryals@washingtoncitypaper.com)

Pastry Chef Jonni Scott’s Resilience Helped Her Through Double Layoffs

If you look at pastry chef Jonni Scott’s Instagram page, you wouldn’t know she’s had […]

  • Swahili Village is struggling during the pandemic because of its downtown location and absence of outdoor seating. [Washingtonian]
  • The pop-ups that are helping D.C. restaurants stay afloat. [WBJ]

By Laura Hayes (tips? lhayes@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Local musicians reflect on the past six months of quarantine. [DCist]
  • The Kennedy Center is hosting its first live, in-person performance since lockdown, featuring “an invited audience of 40 people,” on Sept. 26. [Washingtonian]
  • IN Series is kicking off its digital opera season tonight with a concert. [DC Metro Theater Arts]

By Kayla Randall (tips? krandall@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • In what’s becoming a trend for Bradley Beal, his latest snub made history as he became the first player in NBA history to average more than 30 points and six assists per game to not be named to an All-NBA team. [NBC Sports Washington, ClutchPoints] 
  • The Big Ten “decided to sell its soul for a few football games,” writes USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan. [USA Today]
  • D.C. United will no longer charge a fee for its youth academy. It had been long criticized for doing so. [mlssoccer.com]

By Kelyn Soong (tips? ksoong@washingtoncitypaper.com)

City Lights: Embrace Embroidery or Sign Up for a Smithsonian Scavenger Hunt

If you’re fixing to learn a new quarantine craft, the only hoop you need to […]

By Emma Sarappo (tips? esarappo@washingtoncitypaper.com)