Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 12h

Generally your personal insurance won’t cover incidents if you’re using your car for commercial purposes. Hence why D.C. requires the commercial coverage.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 12h

The difference is between personal car insurance, which a driver holds, and commercial insurance, which the company has to hold (or show the drivers have it). D.C. says Empower never got commercial coverage; the CEO also said as much in court.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 15h

Update: The push to hold a referendum on the changes the D.C. Council made to Initiative 82 this summer is official. A critical hearing before the D.C. Board of Elections is set for October 22; after that, proponents will have very little time to collect signatures from voters.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 15h

That was quick: Only a few days after the D.C. Council passed an emergency bill, @mayorbowser.dc.gov has issued a mayoral order allowing the city to issue marriage licenses while the federal government is shut down (which took with it Superior Court's Marriage Bureau).

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 15h

Interesting: Any driver convicted of aggravated reckless driving or going more than 20 mph over the speed limit in D.C. can now be required to install an Intelligent Speed Assistance Program – basically, a tool that prevents them from going more than 5 mph over the limit.

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Reposted by Martin Austermuhle

The 51st @51st.news · 16h

"Every day I wake up, I feel like I am in a mental obstacle course."

New data shows evictions in D.C. have surged past pre-pandemic levels, fueled by shrinking aid, high rents, and weakened tenant protections.

In partnership with @streetsensedc.bsky.social and the Investigative Reporting Workshop:

Evictions rising in DC as housing costs increase

New data shows evictions have surged past pre-pandemic levels, fueled by shrinking aid, high rents, and weakened tenant protections.

51st.news

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 22h

It's also notable that in the time since Larson was killed, Columbia Road NW was rebuilt with protected bike lanes and a dedicated bus lane on one portion. Some residents say the redesign is worse because... delivery trucks illegally park in the lanes of traffic.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 22h

I remember talking to a former law enforcement official who told me that judges and juries can be hesitant to impose charges that could send drivers to prison, largely because those judges and juries are drivers too and worry that an "accident" could lead to prison time.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 22h

Delays in investigating and prosecuting pedestrian deaths are sadly not uncommon in D.C. I reported a few years ago about how two similar deaths at the hand of a driver on Hains Point were marked by delays and frustration for the families of the victims: dcist.com/story/22/04/...

Two People Were Killed By A Driver. Their Families Want Answers.

Rhonda Whitaker and Waldon Adams were killed by a driver as they walked at Hains Point last year, but police have said little else to the families.

dcist.com

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 22h

Why did it take almost four years for the case against Maltas to come to a conclusion? The U.S. Attorney for D.C. initially investigated but ultimately decided against felony charges. That passed the case to @dcattorneygeneral.bsky.social, who charged Maltas with misdemeanors last year.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 22h

Virginia driver Sophia Maltas was found guilty by a D.C. judge of reckless driving and failing to yield to a pedestrian. A third charge of aggravated reckless driving was ultimately dismissed because it was outside of the statute of limitations. Maltas faces up to three months in jail.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 22h

It was almost four years ago that Nina Larson was killed by a driver as she crossed Columbia Road NW in Adams Morgan. (Story: dcist.com/story/21/11/...) It took until this week for the driver to be found guilty of two misdemeanor offenses.

24-Year-Old Aspiring Opera Singer, Restaurant Worker Killed By Driver In Adams Morgan

Nina Larson was an aspiring opera singer, American University graduate, and employee at Mintwood Place in Adams Morgan.

dcist.com

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 1d

The bill is here: lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/...

DC Legislation Information Management System

lims.dccouncil.gov

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 1d

Thing I learned today: Some of D.C.'s laws prohibiting child labor date back to 1928, and there's no specific city agency charged with enforcing the laws against child labor. A new bill from CM Anita Bonds and @cmfrumin.bsky.social would modernize D.C.'s child labor statutes and enforcement.

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Reposted by Martin Austermuhle

The 51st @51st.news · 1d

By the letter of the law, the D.C. Council shouldn't have been able to to discuss an issue behind closed doors that was on their public agenda that day.

But earlier this year, they created a loophole.

What happened this week, and why does it matter? @maustermuhle.bsky.social reports:

Wilson Building Bulletin: Curfews and closed doors

The D.C. Council rejected a bill extending the youth curfew. Until it didn't.

51st.news

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Reposted by Martin Austermuhle

The 51st @51st.news · 1d

The D.C. Council is considering a bottle-deposit bill, touting it as a boon for recycling and a solution for litter that pollutes the Anacostia River.

Local brewers say it could threaten the survival of businesses already operating on slim margins, @maustermuhle.bsky.social reports.

D.C. breweries worry about effects of a bottle-deposit bill

Lawmakers are considering the measure to help clean up the Anacostia River.

51st.news

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Reposted by Martin Austermuhle

The 51st @51st.news · 1d

Ride-hailing app Empower's long and meandering five-year fight with the D.C. government seemed to be finally approaching the end.

But then, this week, the company made a Hail Mary play, @maustermuhle.bsky.social reports. Will it make a difference?

Ride-hailing app Empower may finally shut down in D.C.

The company, which claims to provide a better service than Uber or Lyft, has been defying regulators for five years.

51st.news

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Reposted by Martin Austermuhle

The 51st @51st.news · 1d

📰 Extra, extra: Check your inbox for the latest newsletter from our team!

In today's issue: A ride-hailing service's long legal saga, explained. Also, a surprising opponent of the bottle bill, a locked door at the D.C. Council, and more.

Not on the list yet? Subscribe here: www.51st.news/signup

Is it finally the end for Empower?

The long legal saga, explained. Also, a surprising opponent of the bottle bill, a locked door at the D.C. Council, and more.

51st.news

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 1d

I reported on the overspending problem in D.C. a few weeks ago. While it's a problem on the mayor's side, D.C. Auditor Kathy Patterson told me the council is also out of practice with oversight and discipline since for years there was lots of revenue: 51st.news/wilson-build...

Wilson Building Bulletin: Over overspending

The end of D.C.’s growing budgets is ushering in new talks of fiscal discipline.

51st.news

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 1d

Mendelson has also scheduled three other oversight roundtables on D.C. agency overspending, which hit $325 million in FY2024. "This pattern of overspending makes oversight, accountability, and accurate
budgeting difficult," writes Mendelson's office.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 1d

👀 It looks like @chmnmendelson.bsky.social has scheduled a roundtable next week to dig into @mayorbowser.dc.gov's recent request to move $90 million around in the budget to cover overspending by a number of city agencies. Overspending has recently become a big concern for Mendelson.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 1d

It may be generic, but for legal purposes, the distinctions matter! For example, there are parts of D.C. law where a child development center is anything serving young kids, including for preschool purposes. But preschool isn't technically a CDF.

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 1d

If you've ever driven through the intersection at Georgia and Missouri Avenues NW, you've gone through Alan's Oasis, where a homeless man has been giving out free bottles of water for more than three years. This is a such a great profile of Alan: 51st.news/dc-alans-oas...

For 1,250 days, Alan has given out free water at a busy Brightwood intersection

He’s built a community that stood up for him when the threat of eviction loomed.

51st.news

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 1d

A new bill in the D.C. Council would bring a 10-cent refundable deposit for cans and bottles to the city. Proponents say it would be a boon for recycling and the Anacostia River. But local brewers say it would increase their costs – and possibly put them out of business. 51st.news/dc-breweries...

D.C. breweries worry about effects of a bottle-deposit bill

Lawmakers are considering the measure to help clean up the Anacostia River.

51st.news

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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 1d

"I would agree that the services provided at a facility like Petit Scholars and a 'child development facility' are substantially similar to that of a preschool," wrote @cmcharlesallen.bsky.social in an email to the community, adding that he is considering legislation to address the issue.

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