Washington, D.C

Alaska National Guard says planned deployment to Washington DC pushed to May

Published

3 weeks ago

March 12, 2026

Alaska National Guard says planned deployment to Washington DC pushed to May

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Officials with the Alaska National Guard said plans to deploy a trained rapid response force this month to support federal authorities in Washington D.C. has been pushed back to May, according to Corinne Smith with the Alaska Beacon.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy in November approved the U.S. Secretary of the Army’s request for 100 service members to deploy to the nation’s capital as part of a joint federal task force this month. The effort is part of a national directive by the Pentagon to all 50 states to prepare National Guard service members to train for “civil disturbance operations.”

By email on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Alaska National Guard said the timeline has been extended.

“The Alaska National Guard remains in contact with the Pentagon, through the National Guard Bureau, and continues to move through the established processes to support Joint Task Force-District of Columbia,” said Dana Rosso, a public affairs officer with the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, which houses the Army and Air National Guard divisions.

“The current activation timeline has been refined to May 2026,” he wrote.

As of January, there were roughly 2,700 National Guard members stationed in Washington D.C., which the Trump administration has said is to help drive down crime. Service members are expected to be stationed there through the end of the year. On Tuesday, an additional District of Columbia Army National Guard brigade was activated “to coordinate military support to civil authorities and protect critical infrastructure in the nation’s capital.”

A spokesperson for Dunleavy’s office declined to comment on the extended timeline on Wednesday.

At the time the request was announced, Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe, Adjutant General of the Alaska National Guard and Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said in a letter to lawmakers that 100 service members were in training for the mission to be “aligned with nation-level requirements.”

“The team will consist of Alaska Army and Air National Guard personnel trained in mission sets that may include site security, roadblocks and checkpoints, civil disturbance control, critical infrastructure protection, and personnel security,” Saxe wrote.

But the process for how the deployment was formally requested and approved has raised questions from lawmakers.

Rosso said by email Thursday the request was made by phone call.

“The request for activation of the Alaska National Guard to support Joint Task Force – DC came via phone call to Governor Mike Dunleavy from the Secretary of the Army following the President’s Executive Orders from August 2025,” he wrote.

Dunleavy’s office could not find a written copy of the U.S. Secretary of Defense that requested the deployment, a spokesperson for the governor’s office said Wednesday.

Rep. Andrew Gray, D-Anchorage and co-chair of the Joint Armed Services Committee, is a veteran of the Alaska National Guard and was among lawmakers that raised concerns in November when the announcement was made. He questioned the legality of the directive in an interview on Wednesday.

“Until they get something in writing, then there’s no actual deployment to prepare for,” Gray said.

“I think it’s a big misuse of the American taxpayer dollar to fly any soldiers from Alaska to D.C. for what we know is a trash pickup mission in many ways, and it’s a waste,” he added. “It’s just a waste of taxpayer dollars. So I hope that it continues to get pushed off indefinitely and that it never happens.”

Editor’s note: This story was republished with permission from the Alaska Beacon.

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Washington, D.C

Secret Service investigating overnight gunfire near White House

Published

10 hours ago

April 5, 2026

Press Room

Secret Service investigating overnight gunfire near White House

Washington — The Secret Service said it is investigating overnight gunfire near the White House on Sunday.

Officers responded shortly after midnight on Sunday to reports of gunfire in the vicinity of Lafayette Park, the Secret Service said in a statement. No injuries were reported, according to the statement, and a search of the park and surrounding area was conducted. A suspect was not located.

Lafayette Park is located directly north of the White House.

President Trump is in Washington and is hosting a family Easter dinner at the White House on Sunday. White House operations remain normal, though a heightened security posture is in place, the Secret Service said.

Road closures were initially in effect adjacent to the park. Chief of Communications for the Secret Service Anthony Guglielmi said in a post on X after 8 a.m. that the closures had been lifted.

The investigation remained active Sunday morning. The Secret Service said it’s seeking a possible vehicle and a person of interest, while coordinating with U.S. Park Police and Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department.

Officials encouraged members of the public with information to call D.C. Police at 202-727-9099 or text 50411.

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Washington, D.C

Native News Weekly (April 5, 2026): D.C. Briefs

Published

22 hours ago

April 5, 2026

Press Room

WASHINGTON — In addition to articles already covered by Native News Online, here is a roundup of other news released from Washington, D.C. that impacts Indian Country recently.

Trump FY 2027 Budget Proposes Eliminating Funding for Institute of American Indian Arts

The Trump administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget proposal, released Friday, April 3, 2026, calls for the elimination of federal operating funding for the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), drawing sharp opposition from the institution’s leadership.

IAIA’s Board of Trustees and administration condemned the proposal as reckless and inconsistent with the federal government’s treaty obligations, trust responsibility, and longstanding commitment to American Indian and Alaska Native higher education.

If enacted, the proposal would cut IAIA’s annual federal appropriation from $13.482 million to zero beginning in the next funding cycle. Leaders say the loss would severely impact the school’s ability to maintain academic programs, student support services, and daily operations—placing at risk an institution that has served as an international center for contemporary Indigenous arts and cultural leadership for more than 60 years.

“IAIA exists because Native artists, Native communities, and Congress recognized that Indigenous creativity and cultural knowledge are vital to this country,” said IAIA President Dr. Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo). “Eliminating IAIA’s federal appropriation will weaken educational opportunity, threaten the development of future Indigenous artists and leaders, and severely undermine a mission that Congress has supported for decades. We urge Congress to reject this proposal and support IAIA in FY 2027 at $14.1 million.”

OSHA to Host April 8 Webinar to Support 2026 Safety Stand-Down Efforts

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is hosting an April 8 webinar aimed at helping employers across all industries participate in the 2026 Safety Stand-Down.

The session will provide guidance for employers planning events tied to the 20th annual Georgia Struck-by Alliance Safety Stand-Down, held each year during National Work Zone Awareness Week. During these events, employers are encouraged to pause work and focus on preventing serious injuries and fatalities through training, education, and demonstrations of safe workplace practices.

OSHA staff will share free compliance assistance resources, information about consultation services, and details on the agency’s Safety Champions Program. The webinar will also offer practical ideas for organizing stand-down events and explain how employers can register their activities to receive a workplace safety certificate.

The agency recommends employers host safety stand-downs during nationally recognized observances such as National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 20–24) and Workers Memorial Day (April 20–24).

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Washington, D.C

Bus Driver Crashed Into Ambar Balkan Cuisine after car driver, allegedly, ran a red light. – PoPville

Published

1 day ago

April 4, 2026

Press Room

Bus Driver Crashed Into Ambar Balkan Cuisine after car driver, allegedly, ran a red light. – PoPville

driving dangerously

Published April 4, 2026 at 9:29AM
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Updated April 4, 2026 at 10:00AM

7th and Q Street, NW

“Dear PoPville,

Tough morning in Shaw –
Metro driver told me that a car ran a red light and collided with another and the driver swerved to avoid and ran into ambar. Driver is injured and at the hospital along with a passenger who went through a window… horrible. Thank god it was 7 am or there would be a lot of dead or gravely injured people.”

photo by DC Fire and EMS

DC Fire and EMS reported starting at 7:23am:

“Update vehicle into building 7th & Q Sts NW. 3 adult female patients transported with minor injuries. Further structural assessment will be conducted once bus has been removed from inside building.

Update crash with vehicle into building 7th & Q Sts NW. Bus & vehicle involved with bus partially inside unoccupied restaurant. 4 patients being evaluated. Collapse team evaluating structural stability. Firefighters have secured utilities & searched structure.

Crash with vehicle into a building 7th & Q Sts MW. Bus into unoccupied restaurant. Working to determine number of injuries.”

Thanks to all who messaged me Saturday morning around 8am: