Washington, D.C
End of Federal Remote Work Welcomed by Virginia and D.C. Leaders
Commuter traffic is about to see an uptick in the Washington, D.C. metro area as President Donald Trump issued an executive order ending remote work for federal employees.
Within hours of being sworn in as the 47th president, Trump issued a short but blunt order directing federal workers to return to the office.
“Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided that the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary,” according to the executive action.
Ending remote work for the federal workforce will be welcomed by Virginia and district leadership on both sides of the political aisle, which has urged a return to in-person work.
In December 2023, Gov. Glenn Youngkin wrote to the Biden administration to asking to end remote work to boost public transit ridership, which has taken a major hit since the pandemic.
As previously reported by The Center Square, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has been bogged with a $750 million budget shortfall.
“Prior to the pandemic, federal workers contributed over $100 million in annual fare revenue and 40 percent of the ridership to WMATA,” Youngkin wrote in a letter to Kiran Ahuja, director of the Office of Personnel Management.
“We need to get people back in offices, especially the federal government,” Youngkin wrote in a social media post.
Democratic D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also appealed to President Joe Biden to end remote work.
“We need decisive action by the White House to get most federal workers back to the office,” Bowser said during her 2023 inaugural address.
Bowser met with Trump in late December to discuss issues such as ending remote work and what to do with “underutilized federal buildings.”
Earlier this month, the mayor issued an order for district employees to cut back on remote work.
According to the Partnership for Public Service, 20 percent of the federal workforce lives within the D.C. metro area. The district is home to 146,808 federal employees. Virginia has 133,182 and Maryland with 128,223.
This story was first published in The Center Square. Read the original here.
Washington, D.C
DC leaders considering transit options for new RFK Stadium
The Commanders are set to build a new stadium in D.C., and the debate over how fans will get to and from games is happening right now. On Wednesday, city leaders will join Metro and the Washington Commanders to talk stadium transit.
Washington, D.C
D.C. Police Chief manipulated crime data; new House Oversight report
TNND — A new report from the House Oversight Committee alleges former D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith pressured officers to manipulate crime data. The committee released the report on Sunday, less than a week after Smith announced she was stepping down.
You’re lulling people into this false sense of security. They might go places they wouldn’t ordinarily go. They might do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do,” said Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association.
Included in the report were transcribed interviews with the commanders of all seven D.C. patrol districts and the former commander currently on suspended leave. One was asked, “Over the last few years, has there been any internal pressure to simply bring down crime statistics?” Their response, “Yes, I mean extremethere’s always been pressure to keep crime down, but the focus on statistics… has come in with this current administration.”
Every single person who lives, works, or visits the District of Columbia deserves a safe city, yet it’s now clear the American people were deliberately kept in the dark about the true crime rates in our nation’s capital,” House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) said in a statement.
“They are going to have to regain the public trust. Again, this is a huge integrity issue,” Brantner Smith said.
Among the reports findings, Smith’s alleged pressured campaign against staff led to inaccurate crime data. Smith punished or removed officers for reporting accurate crime numbers. Smith fostered a toxic culture and President Trump’s federal law enforcement surge in D.C. is working.
While Smith has not yet publicly responded to the report, she’s previously denied allegations of manipulating crime data, saying the investigation did not play a factor into her decision to step down at the end of the year.
My decision was not factored into anything with respect to, other than the fact that it’s time. I’ve had 28 years in law enforcement. I’ve had some time to think with my family,” Smith said earlier this month.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also released a statement Monday, writing in part that “the interim report betrays its bias from the outset, admitting that it was rushed to release.”
According to crime stats from the Metropolitan Police Department, since the federal law enforcement surge started in August, total violent crime is down 26%. Homicides are down 12% and carjackings 37%.
Washington, D.C
National Menorah Lighting in DC dedicated to Bondi Beach victims
The first candle lit on the National Menorah near the White House in Washington, D.C., marked the first night of Hanukkah — and solemnly honored victims of the Bondi Beach shooting.
The National Menorah Lighting was held Sunday night, hours after gunmen opened fire on a crowd celebrating the beginning of Hanukkah at Australia’s iconic Bondi Beach. Fifteen people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor, and over three dozen others were being treated at hospitals.
Authorities in Australia said it was a terrorist attack targeting Jewish people.
Organizers behind the National Menorah Lighting said the news from Australia, along with the bitter cold, forced them to consider whether or not to hold the annual event.
After consulting with local law enforcement, National Menorah Lighting organizers decided to hold the event and honor the victims.
Several D.C.-area police departments issued statements confirming there are no known threats to local communities, but are monitoring just in case.
Montgomery County Executive Mark Elrich condemned the attack and said community safety is a priority.
“Acts of antisemitism, especially those meant to intimidate families and communities during moments of gathering and celebration, must be called out clearly and condemned without hesitation,” Elrich said. “I have heard directly from members of Montgomery County’s Jewish community who are shaken and concerned, and I want them to know that their safety is a priority.”
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