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City Cast DC

Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

Most of Malcolm X Park is closing until early summer for repairs. But it might have been closed for a whole lot longer if it hadn’t been for a last-minute community rally. Here is everything we know so you can plan your picnic in peace.

Wait, Malcolm X Park Is Closing? For How Long?

 it would be closing the upper-level lawn from Mar. 23 to Sept. 4 — aka the whole summer — in order to restore the park’s turf, prune trees, and repair signage and other features. But, as of my Tuesday afternoon walk, the upper part of the park remained open.

Due to significant public outcry, the original timeline of the closure has been shortened. Now, the National Park Service tells us they expect the upper level lawn to be closed until early summer. 

 previously reported that the walkways could reopen after only 2 - 3 weeks, but we were unable to confirm this with NPS.

The lower level of the park has been closed since January for a 

 to the fountain a la the Trump administration's handyman spree ahead of America’s 250 anniversary, per WaPo. NPS did not confirm with us when this section might reopen.

Many community members felt that the closure came as a surprise and were less than thrilled about one of D.C.’s most iconic outdoor spaces being out of commission in the height of summer.

“When we found out that NPS, through Trump's “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Initiative,” was going to close the park for six months until September without any public notice … My community members and I were pretty devastated and quickly came together,” 

 that quickly racked up more than 3,000 signatures asking NPS to consider a phased approach that would maintain some public access during the repair process. The weekend before it closed they hosted a “

Several community events on the lawn have already been put on pause, including 

Walking through the park, there is no denying it’s not looking its best. A long winter of snow and slush followed by flurries of dogs and picnic goers have obliterated the lawn’s grassy allure. (It resembles a dirt patch more than anything else.) Many residents are itching to see it restored.

“I'm fine with it being closed for a summer if it means it won’t turn into a muddy mess of dog sh*t and dirt. The park needs love, and I’m glad it is getting it,” 

“I'm with NPS here. That 'lawn' is in horrible shape and needs to be rehabilitated,” 

Hopefully, if NPS sticks to a shortened timeline, we can get the best of both worlds and can be enjoying picnics in the lush green grass by summer.

The Keep Malcolm X Open Coalition considers the shortened timeline a partial win but are 

still fighting for an exact timeline and greater transparency

 around the project, including opportunities for public input.

“We just want them to commit in the future to try to involve the community more in decisions like this,” said Schrohe.

More Details On the Park Shutdown

Most of Malcolm X Park is closing until early summer for repairs. Here is everything we know so you can plan your picnic in peace.

Malcolm X Park Closure Sparks Community Outcry

What's being decided in DC City Hall and why it matters. We monitor local elections, political news, and DC City Council.

DC Election and City Hall News

Local Civics

The FBI just announced that it's sending its upcoming agent class from Quantico to do a 60-day foot patrol rotation in D.C. alongside local law enforcement and the National Guard. The unprecedented move 

 among new recruits and ex-agents alike, saying it is politically motivated and not in line with the FBI’s investigative mission.

With all the agencies roaming D.C. streets these days, an extra 100 agents on foot patrol might not seem like a big deal. But, for the FBI, it marks the latest in a series of unconventional changes to align the agency to President Trump’s effort to “beautify” and crack down on crime in D.C.

Typically, new agents would be sent to a small to mid-size office or spend a few months working with counterterrorism squads before going to their first office assignments. Instead, they will spend it doing beat cop work, stretching the personnel at nearby FBI offices thin. Each new agent will be paired with an experienced senior on the agency's “Beautiful and Safe” task force.

Many new agents have been frustrated, saying it’s not what they signed up for, The Sun New York reporter 

. The FBI is trained and known for pursuing investigations and establishing linkages, not police work. “For some of them, it did catch them off guard, and not for the better,” said Rosen.

, saying it doesn’t align with the agency's investigative mission. They also suspect the new street patrols are more for optics and political signaling than implementing the FBI’s core mission. It’s “a questionable use of highly trained personnel,” one ex-agent 

This move is the latest disconnect between what the FBI was and what FBI Director Kash Patel wants them to become — a national force for fighting domestic crime. The Bureau is using more agents from the Washington office on patrols, lowering testing requirements for entry, and streamlining previously stringent barriers to entry.

D.C. will see at least two graduating classes from Quantico take part in these local foot patrols. But it is unclear if this part of Patel’s vision is the new norm and what blowback it might have.

In Controversial Move, FBI Sends New Grads to Patrol DC

For more than a decade, the question of whether the city would redevelop the McMillan Sand Filtration site was one of D.C.’s ugliest political battles. Now, the redevelopment is here and the first residents have moved in. But 

will it live up to everything that it promised

The historic site — which lies between Bloomingdale and the Washington Hospital Center — sat unused for more than 36 years while red tape, local squabbles, and multiple lawsuits held up development. There were protests and appeals, there were protests about the appeals. There were people 

. Neighbors were adamant about their individual visions for the space.

Some opposed giving one of D.C.’s few open spaces away to developers, saying it was too tall, too dense, doesn’t have transportation infrastructure and would cause a traffic nightmare. However, the proponents who said it would provide more housing, boost economic development, and foster walkability 

The development — now branded as the Reservoir District — has 146 town homes, which range from 

. However, 22 were also set aside for affordable housing. A new rec center (with an indoor pool that looks into the historic catacombs) and park also opened there in 2024.

But the work is far from complete. Eventually, the development will include nearly 500 apartments as well as retail, a grocery store and office space.

Yes, and no. While the development plans pulled through on providing more housing for the city and retaining green space, the amount of retail was significantly scaled down. Specifically, they have had trouble securing a large grocer as originally planned. Two grocery stores pulled out of the project and developers were forced to downscale to a small 

 with lack of affordable housing, few transportation options, and general disconnectedness from the surrounding neighborhoods. Much of this is expected (think about when The Wharf first developed), but the real test — whether it can grow into an intentional community space — is yet to come. 

What’s Next For the McMillan Site? 

For more than a decade the McMillan filtration site was one of D.C.’s ugliest political battles. Now, the redevelopment is here, but will it live up to everything that it promised?

The McMillan Development Is Finally Here — Will It Live Up To the Hype? 

Last week, British coffee chain Caffè Nero bought Compass Coffee at auction after it went bankrupt. It was an ignominious end for what was once one of the DMV’s hospitality high-flyers, a company founded by a pair of local guys. So, 

Compass Coffee was started by two D.C. natives — Michael Haft and Harrison Suarez — who met while at school in St. Louis. They later served as commanders in the Marines together in the same area in Afghanistan, often meeting up to debrief over coffee.

Upon returning they decided to start a coffee company, with a significant amount of funds coming from Robert Haft, Michael's father, part of a legendary business family in D.C. They launched their first store in 2014.

Compass took off when they opened their first downtown location, relying on the steady influx of downtown office workers. They positioned themselves as a sweet spot between big chains like Starbucks and independent coffee shops, prioritizing drip coffee blends marketed towards people on-the-go. This worked exceedingly well, and eventually, Compass opened six locations downtown which collectively brought in half a million dollars a month.

Like many businesses, Compass took a big hit during the pandemic when their main revenue stream — downtown office workers — skidded to a halt. It didn’t help that right before the pandemic they dumped millions into a huge roastery in Ivy City which never ended up being profitable.

$16 million in different Covid relief funds 

and a few smart business pivots (like manufacturing hand sanitizer). But in 2021 the relationship between the co-founders started to deteriorate. Haft wanted to dissolve their partnership and sell his shares.

This led to disagreements over the evaluation process and Suarez eventually filed a lawsuit claiming that Haft and his father conspired to hide how much ownership they had over Compass by using generic-sounding LLCs.

undergoing a considerable fight with its workers over union efforts at the time, leading to several public boycotts and a general downfall of its image among locals.

Finally, last month they officially filed for bankruptcy.

The final sale hearing for Compass Coffee is today, where the judge will most likely approve the sale to Caffè Nero for $4.76 million. However, Suarez 

 to the sale on Monday, saying it was rushed and inadequately marketed, which could slow things down.

As for the cafes themselves, Nero plans to continue operating Compass Coffee as Compass Coffee, but it’s unclear for how long.

🎧 Dig Deeper Into This Story 

The Downfall of DC's Compass Coffee

Yesterday was an incredibly grim day for the Washington Post — and for D.C. The Post, owned by Jeff Bezos, laid off up to a third of its staff. The sports section is being shuttered, the Metro section cut by three-quarters, and most of the critics who reviewed local culture sent packing.

, who has been covering the Post for 40 years to learn what this change means for all of us who call D.C. home.

The Post laid off more than 300 of the roughly 800 journalists in its newsroom, as well as a few business folks. They completely cut the sports and book sections and are shutting down their daily news podcast, “Post Reports.” The tech and international sections also took a big hit.

But some of the most severe cuts are on the Post’s Metro desk. According to 

, there will only be a dozen reporters left covering local, down from 40 (and down from 100 just a few years ago). Thankfully, the 

 managed to hang on, phew. Still, the Post has long been seen as a bedrock of local news in D.C. and these cuts will change the local news ecosystem significantly.

When he took over The Post, Bezos had a vision of profitability for the paper, which had been suffering from declining audiences and subscriptions for years. But a struggling news climate and a few ill-conceived moves — like killing the Kamala Harris endorsement and a few high-profile resignations — led to mass subscription cancellations that hurt the paper’s bottom line.

“I call them the vanity press moguls,” said Shafer, “We've seen this time and again. People with a lot of money are attracted to the glittery thing that a publication can be, and think, ‘I can do better than the last guy.’ And it takes them a couple years to figure out that the problems they thought were easily solved are much more thorny.”

Layoffs at the Post have been expected for weeks, ever since the paper announced it would not be sending any reporters to the Olympics. This prompted staff to 

 urging him not to shrink the newsroom. Nevertheless, all staffers were told to stay home on Wednesday, as the layoffs slowly became public throughout the day.

"These layoffs are not inevitable,” said 

. “A newsroom cannot be hollowed out without consequences of its credibility, its reach and its future.” Bezos has so far remained silent on the issue.

 Bezos spending $40M on Amazon's new “Melania” documentary, while simultaneously cutting 300 Post staff. Others say they are 

” by all the great journalists just laid off and that it's a 

Meanwhile, many — including The Post’s previous owner 

— have been reaching out to laid off employees to offer a reference, flag jobs, or offer freelance opportunities.

The Post Guild, which represents staffers, is 

 at 12 p.m. outside the paper's headquarters and has a 

Does the Washington Post Have a Future In DC?

Jeff Bezos Gutted the Washington Post. Now What?

D.C.’s Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton announced last week that she’s not going to run again. The announcement ended a horrible series of news cycles for Norton, who at 88 had become a much-diminished presence on behalf of D.C., and whose determination to stay in office enraged some locals.

, the delegate’s son, about what it's like to be a family member of a politician who stays too long — and why it was hard for her to retire.

Norton’s retirement puts a cap on over 35 years in public service fighting for D.C. statehood, earning her the persona of "Warrior on the Hill.” Despite being a non-voting delegate, Norton was a leading proponent of labor protections and played a key role in resolving the District’s financial crisis in the 1990s.

, “Working from sunup to sundown, get home at 9, 10 o'clock at night, work over the weekend. Delegate nothing. She wrote all her speeches. She wouldn't even let her staff drive her anywhere, because she thought it was a waste of her staff's time. She was just relentless.”

During her time in Congress, Norton also helped pass D.C. statehood legislation twice in the House, including one that would give D.C. a voting delegate. However, measures stalled in the Senate. “I’ve raised hell about the injustice of denying 700K taxpaying Americans in D.C. the same rights given to residents of the states for 35 years,” 

Norton faced growing calls to step aside over the last year as D.C. faced unprecedented challenges to Home Rule and its own governance from the Trump administration.. She was often absent or not vocal at important hearings, had trouble getting around, and was even unable to recognize people she worked closely with. Many 

Despite calls to retire, her campaign went back and forth for several months on whether to launch a 2026 campaign. Norton insisted she was going to run again. However, her campaign struggled to fundraise and several opponents, including At-Large Councilmember Robert White and Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto had already announced they would be running for her seat.

"You can't make the decision for them,” 

. “So, it's very frustrating from a family perspective, because trust me, everyone weighed in saying, 'Hey, I think we've run this race as long as we can. It's time for you to have a seat.' But it's hard to tell someone who is deeply passionate about something to stop."

 with the Federal Election Commission. However, Norton herself didn’t announce her retirement until over 48-hours later, 

 whether she had approved, or was even aware of the move.

Despite a rocky end to her legacy, Norton will always be known as an iconic and influential figure in D.C. politics as we continue the fight for full representation and self-governance.

Plus, Why Norton’s Son Wishes She Retired Earlier

Eleanor Holmes Norton’s Son Also Wanted Her to Retire

Natalia Aldana

The Kennedy Center keeps taking hits that have us — and much of D.C. — wondering about its long-term future. 

, a 2018 Kennedy Center honoree renowned for his pioneering contributions to modern music, announced he no longer wants his Symphony No. 15 to be performed at the center. Glass has expressed deep concern about the institution’s direction and leadership. And yesterday, Kevin Couch, 

, resigned, less than two weeks after his hire was announced.

But the recent departure of the Washington National Opera from its longtime home at the Kennedy Center felt different from all the others. We recently spoke to The Washington Post’s 

, longtime art critic, who helped explain the chaos and why the opera exit has 

signified a pivotal moment in the city’s cultural landscape

Following Trump’s takeover and rebranding as “The Trump Kennedy Center” late last year, the center has faced new demands for productions to be fully funded before the show, now having to function as a for-profit business model. Previously, funding for the center came from ticket sales and private funding. This decision, along with the political takeover and artist protests, has led to boycotts, plummeting ticket sales, and financial turmoil with donors withdrawing.

Kennicott says the changes to the center “made it toxic to a lot of the people who buy tickets and who donate to the center.” The fallout extends beyond the opera, with the National Symphony Orchestra now also facing existential threats due to declining attendance and donor withdrawals.

And Kennicott says the boycott has been effective. A recent investigation by The Post found that 

Kennedy Center ticket sales have plummeted

 since Trump’s takeover, with 43% of seats unsold on an average night — compared to around 90% of tickets sold in fall 2024.

The opera’s departure has created a “really, really powerful impact, unfortunately,” Kennicott says. Boycotts have snowballing effects, which come with social and peer pressure on other artists to consider following suit.

On the subject of the boycott and the Kenney Center’s future, Kennicott says there’s a distinction between the shows and the artists being brought in by the current leadership of the center and the organizations like the Symphony and the Opera. “[The Symphony and the Opera] didn't ask to be a part of this [...] Not buying a ticket to a show that's being presented by the Kennedy Center is sending a very clear message to the Kennedy Center leadership. Not buying a ticket to the National Symphony Orchestra is sending a much more complicated message, mainly to people who are not going to receive it, like the President.”

So are we at a moment of existential threat to the very existence of a cultural institution in Washington, D.C.? Listen to 

our latest episode to hear our conversation with Kennicott

🎧 Plus, how local artists are responding

Can the Kennedy Center Survive Trump? 

The Virginia General Assembly officially convened in Richmond on Jan. 14, marking the start of one of the most consequential and politically unusual legislative sessions in years. Between the state's new Democratic trifecta, fiscal uncertainty, and several new amendments, there’s a lot to keep track of.

 to explain the most important things to watch as the session continues. 

Affordability was an animating issue in the Virginia elections and is top of mind this session, and there are already a 

. Spanberger's transition team put out several proposals, including assistance for residents forced to drop Medicaid, a fund to create mixed-income housing, eviction prevention measures, and building more energy storage to reduce electric costs.

The General Assembly also recently approved a provision that makes minimum wage increase automatically based on the economy. On the campaign trail, Spanberger said she’d support raising the minimum wage to $15. “I think we could definitely see legislation signed by Gov. Spanberger to increase the minimum wage,” 

Northern Virginia is the data center capital of the world and the industry is only growing. Local lawmakers are considering ways to streamline regulations, balance environmental priorities, and address community concerns about the massive tech centers.

While they bring in a lot of revenue, even helping pay for local schools, roads, and public transportation, the centers have gotten increasing 

bill advancing through the General Assembly

 right now would restrict future data centers to industrially zoned areas

Virginia is one of the blue states that is now involved in a national redistricting fight. While Republican Glenn Youngkin was still governor, Democrats cranked out an amendment to set up redistricting, 

 by the General Assembly — before and after the 2025 elections.

, allowing them to decide whether lawmakers can do a mid-decade shuffle of their House map, redrawing congressional lines. If successful, the redistricting would hand Dems a few seats ahead of the November midterms.

How VA Political Battles Are Turning National Tides

3 Big Legislative Priorities To Watch in Virginia in 2026

Trump’s ongoing quest to leave his fingerprints all over D.C. has found another outlet: its public golf courses. While this might seem inconsequential in the context of bigger news, Trump's decision to 

seize control of D.C.’s three public golf courses

 could strip D.C. of long-term affordable community hubs and redesign them for the privileged few.

Yes, three! East Potomac, Rock Creek, and Langston, which are all located on National Park Service land. Historically, D.C.’s golf courses faced various states of disrepair. But in 2020, a nonprofit group called National Links Trust stepped in and signed an unprecedented 50 year lease. Their goal was to return the three courses to their former glory and create accessible, affordable golf in the District.

They still might not be world class golf courses, but they are designed so you can show up with a group of friends for a tee time and have a few drinks, all without breaking the bank.

Fast forward to Dec. 30, the Trump administration 

, clawing back control of the courses in the process. The administration claims that the time NLT spent meeting environmental regulations and waiting for the National Parks Service to approve certain tree removals showed they could not keep up with their restoration timeline.

 to help fend off a Trump’s takeover of D.C.’s public golf courses. "If we do them, we'll do it really beautifully," Trump 

, hinting that he wants to bring a pro-golf event, specifically the 2041 Ryder Cup, to D.C.

Residents fear that Trump’s golf course takeover could box them out of the courses entirely. The 

 at Trump’s public golf courses is $300, but the premium location of D.C.’s courses could raise that even higher, a far cry from East Potomac’s $42 tee time for 18 holes. Washingtonians are particularly worried about how this might affect Langston Golf Course in Northeast, a historic course for Black D.C. golfers.

In the short term, National Links Trust has agreed to stay in place so the courses can remain open. However, they have 

, including one at Rock Creek Park, which took years to get greenlit. It is possible the federal government will look for another operator to carry out their vision in the next few weeks, but until then, the courses remain in a state of limbo.

TLDR: Get out there and hit some balls for cheap while you still can!

What Can DC Do To Stop The Golf Course Takeover?

Trump's Latest DC Takeover Obsession: Golf Courses

How closely did you pay attention to local news this year? Take our end-of-year news quiz to find out! Oh, and no Googling!