Breakfast links: Worried about shoddy construction, officials halt Silver Line track testing
Silver Line builders were ordered to stop testing
Officials at Metro ordered testing on train tracks on the Silver Line project to be halted over concerns about construction flaws. A Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) spokesperson said Metro officials want to conduct their own inspections before regular testing returns. (Lori Aratani / Post)
The Montgomery County Council introduces a racial equality bill
The Racial Equity and Social Justice Act, new legislation that would create racial equity and social justice programs, was introduced this week by Nancy Navarro, president of the Montgomery County Council. The bill would require the county and each executive department and office in the county to develop an equity action plan. (Kate Masters / Bethesda Beat)
The Washington Monument is back open
After a three-year shutdown over elevator problems, the Washington Monument reopens September 19. Visitors will undergo new security protocols with the addition of a security screening center. The Washington Monument closed previously in 2011 after an earthquake caused cracks in the top of the obelisk. (John Aaron / WTOP)
Some small DC businesses could soon get rental assistance
DC Councilmembers Kenyan McDuffie (Ward 5), and Charles Allen (Ward 6) both have bills in the works that will provide financial assistance for rent to small, local, and legacy businesses that are at risk of being displaced due to increasing rent. (Ally Schweitzer / WAMU)
Critics question DC’s Opportunity Zones
There are 25 Opportunity Zones designated in DC. While the Opportunity Zones, created by the 2017 Republican tax law, are meant to spark investment in underserved areas, critics say they provide tax incentives for projects already in the works, and this type of investment is a catalyst for gentrification. (Martin Austermuhle / WAMU)
How one family got off the grid
A DC woman shares how concern for the climate crisis and a high electricity bill motivated her and her husband to re-engineer their home to “get off the grid” and stop using electricity from Pepco. (Natalie Delgadillo / DCist)
Trump wants to limit California’s power to set emission standards
The Trump administration announced it will revoke California’s ability to set its CO2 emission standards which exceed the federal standard. This move by the current administration could end up as one of the biggest fights in environmental law. (Ben Geman / Axios)
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