MLK and Inauguration Day shutdown
Martin Luther King Jr. Day won't be the same next week, neither will Inauguration Day two days later on Jan. 20.
Deborah Simmons was a senior correspondent who reported on City Hall and wrote about education, culture, sports and family-related topics.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day won't be the same next week, neither will Inauguration Day two days later on Jan. 20.
SharesHaving been duly sworn in on Jan. 2, the new D.C. Council should be preparing to wrestle with the No. 1 and No. 2 issues facing the nation's capital: spending and the pandemic.
SharesIt's time to refocus on what really and truly matters -- unity -- especially as we turn the bend to 2021.
SharesThere's something not quite right with the Dwayne Haskins Jr. backstory. The bio for the former "starting" quarterback for the Washington Football Team never seemed, well, to square with his pre-2019 NFL draft story.
SharesIf you or someone you care about lives in or around Baltimore, beware. Some COVID-19 test sites are rip-offs.
SharesYou know what no tickets will be allocated for Inauguration Day means for the D.C. region in general and its Metro system in particular: A day off is likely, and losses in revenue are certain. So now the burning question: Does the buck stop at Joe Biden's desk, with Congress or the ambitious Pete Buttigieg, the boy wonder slated to hold the reins of the Department of Transportation?
SharesMass transit systems from coast to coast are drumming the same tune: They need a congressional bailout and they need it now.
SharesIt's not easy being the mayor of the nation's capital.
SharesSome kids are so fearful they're even writing letters to you about the germ and how they want the germ to go away.
SharesWell, Peter Newsham is on his way out the door as chief of the D.C. police. He plans to leave after Inauguration Day events. His departure is not the end of the world, but it does beg a pertinent question: What, precisely, is the role of a police chief?
SharesFaith, family, village, food and football -- all stirred with loving and giving hands -- and never, ever argue when preparing and cooking food. In other words, ignore the acid and criticism on reality TV and social media, temptations that can lead to "acidic" food, which, in turn, can bring on acute indigestion. Stick to the basics.
SharesD.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has been juggling budgets since the pandemic hit. However, what he has yet to do is hold a press conference to announce how much money the city has spent so far battling COVID-19.
SharesAs the husband of an educator who stayed home with their children when they were young, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden likely appreciates the similarities of teaching and learning.
SharesThe complete list of winners and losers from the Nov. 3 elections is lengthy. The District of Columbia, though, is a unique fishbowl. Not only because it is the nation's capital, but because its hybrid status allows RINOs, DINOs, Libbies, Greenies and Shadows to game the democratic system. Women candidates latched on and, if Tuesday's elections results run the current course, will control the political, cultural and socio-economic strings.
SharesTuesday's the day. Election Day. And the day after, if you live in the nation's capital or around the Beltway, all eyes and ears will be focused on election results after what happened on Election Day 2016, when The Donald beat Hillary.
SharesAs the COVID-19 pandemic continues, so too does the battle for reopening public schools.
SharesLet's move onto another platform, a fun-for-the-sake-of-fun platform, like where celebrities stand on Biden-Harris versus Trump-Biden. It's a worthy distraction if you didn't watch the final debate.
SharesNational Harbor, a U.S. Census-designated site, is being overtaken by youths and nefarious ne'er-do-wells, including partygoers, restaurant-goers who skip out on their bills and -- get this -- parents and other adults who rent hotel rooms for the careless young people.
SharesThere has been no rabid public outcry among Prince Georgians concerning the potential to raise taxes and fees and/or create new taxes. But there is measurable agreement about the need to begin erasing the county's $8.5 billion backlog in modernizing schoolhouses, most of which are 45 to 55 years old. Well, the Prince George's County Council disagrees, and somebody, ahem, should set them straight.
SharesTwo of the most consequential actions voters appreciate on Election Day, after casting ballots, are the election machine verifying it has received their ballots and a precinct volunteer handing them a red-white-and-blue sticker inscribed with "I Voted."
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