Breakfast links: How interrupted mail service and absentee ballots led to a voting rights lawsuit
![](/images/made/images/posts/_resized/votig_sign_800_566_90.jpg)
A voting sign by hjl licensed under Creative Commons.
Absentee ballots spur a voting rights lawsuit
Two Ward 8 residents are suing the DC Board of Elections to allege that barriers to voting are disproportionately affecting the majority-Black communities in the Ward. Recent mail disruptions mean that many residents have not gotten absentee ballot requests or information about new voting locations. (Natalie Delgadillo / DCist)
Two new views of “Dave Thomas Circle”
Two new and more detailed renderings of potential park space at the notorious intersection of Florida Avenue, New York Avenue, and First Street NE were made public this week by the landscape architects working on the project. (Nena Perry-Brown / Urban Turf)
MoCo must fix budget math errors with more cuts
The county council cut $20 million from capital projects including rural road rehabilitation and roof and HVAC repairs for schools after county staff found a discrepancy in the previously approved budget that underestimated the money the county needed to spend on bonds. (Briana Adhikusuma / Bethesda Beat)
More walking space on 18th street
A group of Adams Morgan business and community leaders are calling for more space for bikes and pedestrians, as well as outdoor retail and dining opportunites, on 18th Street. (Anna Spiegel / Washingtonian)
So where does Metro’s relief money go?
Despite a tweet from the president seemingly saying DC will get $876 million for WMATA funding, the money from the federal CARES act will be split among local jurisdictions from DC, Maryland, and Virginia to cover the subsidies that each locality pays to the regional subway system. (Jonathan Capriel / Business Journal)
Fast tracking relaxed emissions standards was a bad idea
New documents found that EPA staff members questioned the wisdom of quickly relaxing federal vehicle emissions standards, noting the climate change and health costs as well as factual errors in the bill text, but political higher ups sped the changes along anyways. Now Congressional Democrats are calling for an investigation. (Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis / Post)
Alexandria wants to review teleworking for police
Four Alexandria City Councilmembers are asking the city to review the police department’s teleworking policy and determine whether having one third of patrol officers working from home in April was an effective public safety strategy. (James Cullum / ALX Now)
Arlingtonians are struggling to make rent
A survey of Arlington County nonprofits found that at least 3,500 residents were having issues paying their rent during the pandemic, and more were struggling with utility and other bills. The county wants to put $1 million in federal grant funds towards emergency rent assistance. (ARL Now)
Fairfax’s distance learning is being investigated
The Virginia Department of Education opened an investigation into the county after complaints by parents that students with learning disabilities were being failed by distance learning practices that don’t offer any of the specialized instruction they need. (Hannah Natanson / Post)
Most people are already wearing masks on transit
Masks are mandatory on Metro and on Maryland public transit like Ride On buses, and Montgomery County has given out 4,000 free masks to riders over the past 3 weeks, but most riders are already wearing their own face covering when they board the bus or train. (Jordan Pascale / WAMU)
Have a tip for the links? Submit it here.