Washington, D.C
Advocates urge DC Council to invest in anti-poverty programs
WASHINGTON (7News) — Nearly 30,000 D.C. households are struggling with food insecurity, according to data from an annual U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report.
The USDA’s Household Food Security report states that 8.8% of D.C. households are food insecure, compared to 13.5% of U.S. households.
“Food is a basic human right,” said LaMonika Jones, the director of nonprofit D.C. Hunger Solutions.“As long as we still have a mouth that is experiencing hunger or a household that needs to be fed, we still have an issue here in the District.”
Jones is urging the D.C. Council to fund a Universal School Meals program, providing free breakfast, lunch and after-school snacks to all students in the District. She’s also calling for an expanded Child Tax Credit to help support families and for permanent added SNAP benefits.
The D.C. Council’s Give SNAP a Raise legislation provides temporary added benefits, which ended in September.
“If we take away that 10% allotment through Give SNAP a Raise, now we’re pushing people further back into poverty and into hunger, and what we will see shortly is we will see an increase of food insecurity,” Jones explained. “So those numbers will again go back up to where they were during the pandemic and then even pre-pandemic.”
ALSO READ | 2023 Capital Area Food Bank ‘Hunger Report’ shows little change in food insecurity from 2022, CEO says
Jones said investing more in these anti-poverty programs can help combat hunger.
“D.C. continues to be a leader in addressing these issues, but there’s still more that can be done,” she said. “There’s still intentional efforts that can be done to address what hunger and poverty looks like, what grocery store access looks like, especially in our most vulnerable communities.”
7News reached out to several council members whose committees touch on these issues.
“Food security has been and remains a top priority for my work, especially as chair of the Committee on Health,” Councilmember Christina Henderson said in an emailed statement to 7News. “I’m glad to see that two of the top solutions recommended by D.C. Hunger Solutions were things I’ve already introduced and championed at the Council – universal school meals and permanent funding for Give SNAP a Raise. The Committee on Health has also been working on other food access programs as well, including a new grocery access pilot program which will enable some residents to be able to have their groceries delivered without fees. As always, I will keep fighting for these programs and others.”
READ | DC nonprofit tackles hunger by rescuing, delivering fresh food before it’s thrown away
“I appreciate the work that went into this study,” Councilmember Robert White said in an emailed statement to 7News. “I hear from families facing food insecurity all too often. As a result, I have long advocated for increased food assistance for our families both through the pandemic and over the summer months. When the Mayor sends down her next budget, I look forward to considering the DC Hunger Solutions proposals and will continue to be focused on shoring up our core safety net programs. No one in our city should go hungry because they don’t have enough money for food.”
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — A Texas man accused of shooting at a United States Secret Service agent near the Washington Monument earlier this month has been indicted on federal charges, the Justice Department announced Friday.
A federal grand jury indicted 45-year-old Michael Marx with “assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon” and “using, carrying, possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence,” in connection with the May 4 incident, in which a stray bullet struck a teenage bystander.
“Today’s indictment reflects the gravity of the defendant’s actions on one of the most heavily visited public spaces in the nation,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Friday, in part. “The evidence shows Marx not only carried an illegal firearm into DC, but he fired it at uniformed officers, wounding an innocent teenage bystander who was simply visiting the National Mall with his family on a spring afternoon.”
Authorities previously charged Marx with assaulting federal officers with a dangerous weapon, using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, an undercover Secret Service agent initially noticed Marx trying to conceal a gun on the right side of his body near 15th Street and Madison Drive NW shortly after 3:30 p.m. on the afternoon of the shooting.
At the same time, the motorcade for Vice President J.D. Vance was leaving the White House, passing through the area just up the street.
Uniformed Secret Service officers arrived to provide backup, finding Marx along the path of Vance’s motorcade. The attorney’s office said officers began to give the Texas man verbal commands, but he started running through a crosswalk and eventually fired at one of the agents as he reached the sidewalk.
The bullet struck the teenage bystander, who was walking behind the agent, in the leg, according to the DOJ.
Agents quickly returned fire, striking Marx in the hand, left arm, and upper body, according to court documents.
Court documents state that agents used Marx’s Texas driver’s license, which he was carrying, to identify him as the gunman. Investigators also identified various aliases Marx allegedly went by, including Patrick Michael and Michael Zavici.
While in the hospital, he allegedly made statements to officers, including ”F— the White House,” and “kill me, kill me, kill me,” the DOJ noted in a release.
Police found a Sig Sauer P365 handgun loaded with 9mm ammunition from the street where Marx fell.
4 things to know about the weather:
- Abundant sunshine
- Temps slightly cooler than average
- No rain in sight — again
- Mid-week warmup
May is drawing to a dry, comfortable close, in stunning contrast to the very soggy Memorial Day weather we saw last weekend.
That 10-day stretch of rain put a definite dent in our drought, according to the weekly national drought monitor, but it seems that was the end of the improvement for a while: There’s almost no clouds in sight for the DMV for several days.
Enjoy the many hours of sunshine on Saturday. The high pressure coming in from the Hudson Bay brings a stiff north wind, but the day will also be sunny and comfortable, with highs in the mid 70s.
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
The wind will die down after dark, and Sunday morning will be bordering on chilly. Expect widespread mid/upper 40s in most of the D.C. area, with urban centers and bayside communities staying just above 50°. Sunday afternoon will be just a bit warmer, in the mid 70s, but with far less of a breeze.
Highs will be back around 80° for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with overnight lows in the comfy 50s. It’ll be a perfect start to meteorological summer (June/July/August).
QuickCast
TODAY:
Sunshine Abounds, Breezy
Wind: North 10-15mph, Gust to 25 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 70° to 75°
TONIGHT:
Clear Skies
Winds Diminish
Wind: Northwest 10-15 mph
Chance Of Rain: 0%
LOWS: 46° to 54°
SUNDAY:
Mostly Sunny Skies
Pleasant Conditions
Light Breeze
Wind: NW 5 – 10 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 70° to 76°
MONDAY:
Partly Cloudy
Seasonable
Light Breeze
Wind: West/Northwest 10 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 76° to 82°
Sunrise: 5:45 Sunset: 8:26
Average High: 80° Average Low: 63°
Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
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