Washington, D.C
Arizona students ponder political values during DC trip
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — From the moment the students boarded their morning buses, they were challenged to think about political values like liberty, equality, and justice.
Thursday was the third day of an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC for 275 Arizona high school students.
At the Jefferson Memorial, they explored the complexities of a Founding Father who enslaved people.
Shirley Thoreson from Maryvale High School said it’s important to learn the nuances of key historical figures. “We need to acknowledge the truth so we can move forward and learn from the past.”
Learning from the past is one of the major goals of the four-day trip.
The students arrived Tuesday on the Arizona Cardinals team plane. Team owner Michael Bidwill launched the annual civics trip three years ago, selecting students from Title I schools in a statewide essay contest.
For some students, it’s their first time on an airplane. Alexis Delgado marveled at the lush trees in the D.C. area.
“It’s been like a dream, to be honest, because I’ve never experienced something so beautiful, coming from a dry place,” said the incoming PXU City High School senior.
All week, instructors with the Close Up Foundation have encouraged students to find their voice. Sixteen-year-old Janelle Harris found hers.
“It was really scary, to be honest. I was really nervous,” she said.
On Wednesday, the 16-year-old walked straight up to U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly and asked him a tricky question about why he maintains support for Israel despite the suffering in Gaza.
“Seeing as he was an astronaut, I feel like it’s an astronaut’s duty to fight for the progression of humanity, not just Americans,” she said.
She said this week’s lesson plan helped. “I definitely did use what we talked about in the deliberating process and just tried to get my point across as best I could in the small portion of time I had to talk to him.”
The senator was impressed. “It’s good to see that they’re interested in something,” Kelly said.
Janelle knows she didn’t convince Sen. Kelly to change his views, but she found it powerful to express her political values.
“I thought it was a very interesting experience, and I’m very lucky to have had it,” she said.
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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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