Good morning, D.C. Our city is officially home to some of the nation’s ugliest buildings—congratulations to the J. Edgar Hoover Building, which topped the list, and the Watergate, which came in fourth. 

This weekend featured more than aesthetic news. Here’s what you may have missed in the past few days.

Commissioners Consider Crime

Advisory neighborhood commissioners gathered at the Deanwood Recreation Center in Northeast for two hours on Saturday to discuss the increase in crimes, particularly those involving young people, with Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee. The ANCs, D.C.’s most local elected officials, reported feeling concerned and fearful about increased gun violence and called for expanding support services for youth. In an informal poll conducted at the gathering, roughly one-third of the ANCs reported knowing a victim of a violent crime.

Bowser described Washingtonians “hearing gunshots more and more and more,” while Contee said the sound of gunfire is changing. Short pops indicating the firing of single rounds have been replaced with the repeated “brrrrrrr” of multiple rounds being fired. Bowser admitted that her anxiety is up as well, recalling the level of anxiety during the crack cocaine crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s, even though homicides are at roughly half the number they reached back then. Some commissioners told City Paper contributor Tom Sherwood, who attended the meeting, that they’re ready to move past anxiety and focus on solutions.

Rallying for Roe

Protestors gathered on Freedom Plaza yesterday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that, until this summer, gave individuals the legal right to an abortion. This gathering coincided with marches at state capitols around the nation, where participants waved signs and called for state-level reforms that will ensure people once again have the right to terminate a pregnancy. 

Statehood in the Senate

Delaware Sen. Tom Carper will introduce legislation that would make D.C. a state this week. He and D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton will discuss the legislation at a press conference tomorrow morning. To make sure you’re caught up on all things statehood, consider signing up for our 51st State newsletter course, packed with plenty of information about bringing an end to taxation without representation. 

—Caroline Jones (tips? cjones@washingtoncitypaper.com)

Discarded Housing Authority Commissioners Are Cynical About the Future of the Agency

Those who have watched enough D.C. Housing Authority board of commissioners meetings over the past […]

• To see today’s COVID-19 data, visit our coronavirus tracker.
• The claims from pundits and some elected officials about the unanimously approved revisions to D.C.’s criminal code are wrong. “The notion that the [Revised Criminal Code Act] ‘softens’ penalties for violent crime—especially carjacking and gun offenses—is false in every way that matters,” writes Mark Joseph Stern. [Slate]
• The George Washington University will soon have a contraceptive pill vending machine in the University Student Center. Students will be able to buy tampons, Plan B, and other medications such as Tylenol and Advil. Student Association leaders got the idea for the contraceptive machine from Northeastern University. Boston University also has a similar machine. [GW Hatchet]
• In 2022, D.C. led the nation in green building certifications by square footage per capita. The District’s 115 green building certifications last year amount to 46.06 square feet per capita. Maryland and Virginia also made the top 10 list with 2.39 and 1.89 square feet per capita respectively. [DCist]
• A 28-year-old woman stabbed a D.C. police officer in the face as officers tried to arrest her on a warrant in her home on Mount Olive Road NE. Tanesha Davis was “swiftly apprehended” after the alleged stabbing. The officer was treated on the scene for minor injuries. [WUSA9]

By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)