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D.C. Council

Metro's $178.5 million annual deal with D.C. runs out in 21 days. The Council comes back in 13.
D.C. Council

Metro's $178.5 million annual deal with D.C. runs out in 21 days. The Council comes back in 13.

The dedicated-funding grant agreement between the District and WMATA expires September 30. Lawmakers return September 22. That's eight days to act - and the Metro Board just added $300 million in new stadium-transit obligations to an already complicated picture.

Sep 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Juror questionnaires go out today in the Trayon White bribery case - and the pretrial chaos is far from over
D.C. Council

Juror questionnaires go out today in the Trayon White bribery case - and the pretrial chaos is far from over

Jury selection formally begins this week for the Ward 8 councilmember's federal bribery trial, even as prosecutors fight for a gag order and his own chief of staff already drew a judicial admonishment for contacting a prosecution witness.

Sep 7, 2026 · 6 min read
D.C.'s CFO says the council's budget is unbalanced. The council disagrees - and the money is already spent.
D.C. Council

D.C.'s CFO says the council's budget is unbalanced. The council disagrees - and the money is already spent.

The FY2027 budget is law, but CFO Glen Lee's public objection to a $150 million reserve draw has left the city's financial standing in genuine dispute heading into the new fiscal year.

Sep 7, 2026 · 7 min read
D.C.'s Metro funding deal expires in 24 days. The Council won't even be back at work for two of them.
D.C. Council

D.C.'s Metro funding deal expires in 24 days. The Council won't even be back at work for two of them.

The District's $178.5-million-a-year dedicated Metro funding agreement runs out September 30. The D.C. Council doesn't return until September 22. That leaves eight working days to get something done - or explain to riders why they didn't.

Sep 6, 2026 · 4 min read
The D.C. Council comes back to work on September 22 with a Metro funding deadline and a city in transition bearing down on it
D.C. Council

The D.C. Council comes back to work on September 22 with a Metro funding deadline and a city in transition bearing down on it

Lawmakers return from summer recess to face a regional transit-funding vote, a bribery trial next door, and the first real test of whether the city's political left can govern as well as it campaigns.

Sep 5, 2026 · 7 min read
The D.C. Council quietly rewrote the rules on who gets to watch
D.C. Council

The D.C. Council quietly rewrote the rules on who gets to watch

A new law lets councilmembers and the mayor huddle in private - no vote required, no public notice beforehand. Five open-government groups called it a gut punch to transparency. The mayor never vetoed it.

Sep 1, 2026 · 7 min read
D.C. passed its $21.2 billion FY2027 budget. For thousands of families, it comes down to a contingency list.
D.C. Council

D.C. passed its $21.2 billion FY2027 budget. For thousands of families, it comes down to a contingency list.

The Council voted unanimously to close the books on the District's most contested budget in years - restoring childcare and housing funds Mayor Bowser wanted to cut. But the safety net for renters on the edge still depends on whether tax revenue beats the forecast.

Aug 19, 2026 · 6 min read
D.C. Council rewrote the rules on public meetings - and transparency advocates say residents lost
D.C. Council

D.C. Council rewrote the rules on public meetings - and transparency advocates say residents lost

The permanent Open Meetings Clarification Amendment Act is now law. It lets the Council and mayor talk behind closed doors whenever no formal vote is scheduled. Civil liberties groups say that's most of where governing actually happens.

Aug 17, 2026 · 7 min read
The Justice Department called D.C. council members' National Guard pushback 'impotent theatrics.' Here's why it matters.
D.C. Council

The Justice Department called D.C. council members' National Guard pushback 'impotent theatrics.' Here's why it matters.

After the council wrote governors asking them to pull troops from D.C. streets, a top DOJ official fired back in writing - and the fight over who actually controls Washington just got more public.

Aug 13, 2026 · 7 min read
D.C. Council Passes $21.2 Billion FY2027 Budget — But a Constitutional Showdown With the City's CFO Could Hand Congress the Keys to D.C.'s Finances
D.C. Council

D.C. Council Passes $21.2 Billion FY2027 Budget — But a Constitutional Showdown With the City's CFO Could Hand Congress the Keys to D.C.'s Finances

The council restored deep cuts to childcare, housing vouchers, and paid leave — while unlocking the vote for 86,000 independent Washingtonians. The price: an explosive clash with the city's financial watchdog that could invite federal intervention.

Aug 12, 2026 · 7 min read
Congress Is Coming for D.C.'s Checkbook — and the Clock Is Ticking
D.C. Council

Congress Is Coming for D.C.'s Checkbook — and the Clock Is Ticking

A House committee has already passed a bill that would require Congress to pre-approve every D.C. tax hike. With the House back from recess in weeks, residents — and the city's next mayor — are bracing for a defining fight over home rule.

Aug 10, 2026 · 6 min read