Breakfast links: Residents call for major changes during the DC Council’s police budget hearing
MPD by Alex Guerrero licensed under Creative Commons.
Over 15,000 submit comments on DC’s police budget
In addition to the 15,000 people who submitted statements about the MPD budget to the DC Council by phone, email, and video, 500 people signed up to comment in person at Monday’s police budget hearing with 90 residents able to testify during the six-hour meeting. Last year, only 22 people signed up to testify at the police budget hearing. The majority of those who testified sought some sort of police reform. (Peter Hermann / Post)
Some landlords are bullying tenants despite an eviction ban
In spite of local bans protecting tenants from eviction during the health crisis and economic downturn, some Washington region landlords have adopted an array of misleading rent-collection tactics to publically shame or harass tenants to pressure them to pay, including suggesting they face eviction. (Ally Schweitzer / WAMU)
Arlington group forms to advocate for police reform
In an open letter to the Arlington County Board, Arlington for Justice, a recently formed group whose steering committee members include Arlington’s top public defender and a prominent local Black Lives Matter organizer, calls for a number of reforms including reallocating at least 10% of the police budget, improving social services, and increasing police transparency and accountability. (ARLnow)
Prince George’s and Montgomery counties inch open as COVID-19 numbers fall
On Monday, DC, Maryland, and Virginia reported their lowest number of deaths due to COVID-19 since early April, and DC reported no new deaths for only the second time since the start of the pandemic. Prince George’s and Montgomery counties planned to move into their next stages of reopening. (Emily Davies, Dana Hedgpeth, and Julie Zauzmer / Post)
Arlington releases preliminary design of Pentagon City park
Arlington County is seeking public feedback on the redesigned Metropolitan Park near Amazon’s future Pentagon City offices. The proposed design is by the same firm responsible for New York City’s High Line and was funded by Amazon. (ARLnow)
The region experienced record home prices in May
The region is seeing record home prices driven by high buyer demand nearing pre-pandemic levels and a 33% drop in new listings compared to May 2019. Last month, the median home price for the region was the second-highest level on record at $500,000, and in DC the median home price was the highest on record at $660,000. (UrbanTurf)
Four more senators cosponsor a DC statehood bill
Senate legislation to make DC a state gained four Democratic cosponsors following the aggressive federal crackdown in the district of Black Lives Matter protestors. Sens. Jackie Rosen (D-Nev.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Gary Peters (D. Mich.), and Jon Tester (D. Mon.) are now among the 40 senators and 224 House members cosponsoring the legislation. (Paul Blumenthal / HuffPost)
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