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Washington, D.C
Controversial ride-hailing app Empower is now in Baltimore
Empower, a ride-hailing app that has generated controversy by bucking regulators in Washington, D.C., has expanded service to Baltimore as a state regulatory board has tried to stop it.
The company’s announcement came Friday, shortly before a D.C. judge forced the company to cease operations in the nation’s capital. That’s because the company, which markets itself as a cheaper alternative to Uber and Lyft, had not registered with a District of Columbia agency that oversees for-hire vehicles. D.C. requires companies to pay taxes and congestion fees, have insurance and conduct background checks, in addition to subjecting them to additional oversight. Empower has kept costs low by not complying with such requirements, officials said.
Empower CEO Joshua Sear rebuffed these claims earlier this year and told local media that every driver undergoes a background check. The company, which facilitates over 90,000 rides a week in the Washington metro area, contends that drivers who appear on the platform are not employees, but rather buyers of software that in turn helps them reach riders. Drivers pay for software access, then set their rates and keep their earnings.
If the app gains traction here, Empower could drive down prices for ride-hailing Baltimoreans. It could also bring some of the D.C.-area chaos that it ignited up to Charm City.
Empower has not yet engaged with the Baltimore City Department of Transportation, Sear said. “We welcome the opportunity to work with them to improve the lives of drivers and help facilitate more transportation options for Baltimore Metro Area residents,” he added. “We intend to reach out after the holidays.”
Here in Maryland, the state’s Public Service Commission regulates ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft, issuing them “transportation network company,” or TNC, licenses.
Ride-hail drivers also have to apply for and obtain a specific license from the commission in order to operate — they do so through a specific operator, such as Uber or a taxi company. The license doesn’t cost the driver anything, but requires a fingerprint-supported criminal background check and compliance with all Maryland insurance and vehicle registration laws.
In April, the PSC filed a formal complaint against Yazam Inc., which it says has operated as a TNC under the name Empower in Maryland since at least 2021, and has done so without authorization.
The commission directed Empower to apply for authorization in January 2022, writing in a letter that it could face fines of up to $2,500 for every day it was out of compliance, as well as possible criminal consequences.
The company had not done so by the April filing, the commission wrote in its complaint. The company “continues to operate unlawfully in Maryland,” the complaint alleges.
A PSC spokesperson declined to comment on the matter and cited the pending case against the company. Officials at Baltimore’s transportation department, which has a rideshare coordinator on its staff, also did not respond to request for comment.
In its response in June, Empower argued that it is not a TNC because of the nuances that differentiate it from Uber and Lyft, and therefore it is not subject to Maryland’s regulation of ride-hailing companies. “Empower does not provide transportation anymore than OpenTable provides lunch or Expedia provides flights,” the company wrote.
The company response also argues that Empower isn’t harming Marylander consumers but rather providing additional competition that is helping them. It further alleges that the commission itself has even recognized that Empower does not fit Maryland’s definition of a TNC.
Empower, based in McLean, Virginia, has been marred by controversy since it launched in the District of Columbia in 2020. Earlier this year, a woman told police in Arlington, Virginia, that she was sexually assaulted by an Empower driver. The driver has since been suspended, The Washington Post reported.
Competitors Uber and Lyft also pushed back against regulation in Washington, D.C., during their infancy about a decade ago, but came to a resolution with the local government.
These scandals prompted D.C.’s attorney general to file a lawsuit against Empower in July. He accused the company of failing to maintain rider records and conduct background checks adequately.
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Washington, D.C
National Guard continuing DC deployment through Inauguration ’29
The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed Wednesday the National Guard will remain deployed in Washington, D.C., through Inauguration Day 2029.
Mayor Muriel Bowser and other city officials have been against deployment since it began last summer, but pushing back has been an uphill battle.
More than 5,000 National Guard troops are deployed in the city after President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a crime emergency, and that number swelled for the Fourth of July.
City leaders made it clear they want the National Guard to leave, but the Defense Department says the troops will stay through the end of the Trump administration.
City leaders argue the National Guard is unnecessary, the soldiers are not trained in law enforcement and it’s bad for business. A lawsuit filed by the D.C. attorney general was overturned on appeal pending further litigation.
“My understanding is that there’s going to be some sort of proceeding in September, and so the city is still litigating that we don’t want these National Guard troops from other states here,” D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said.
On July 9, the D.C. Council sent letters to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan asking them to withdraw their National Guard soldiers that were sent for the Fourth of July celebrations.
“We respectfully ask that you recall all Michigan National Guard personnel as soon as practicable and decline any extension of their current deployment,” Council wrote to Whitmer.
“To have National Guard troops sent here from states across the nation who are armed, who are not trained in our laws, does not help us advance public safety and is not the right path forward,” Councilmember Brooke Pinto said.
The Council did not reach out to any other governors with troops deployed to Washington.
Bowser declined to comment on the extension of the guard’s deployment.
News4 reached out to both governors’ offices for comment but has not heard back.
Washington, D.C
Benjamin Netanyahu to fly to DC for Graham Lindsay’s funeral, meeting with Donald Trump | The Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to fly to Washington, DC, on Saturday night, Israeli sources told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
Netanyahu’s visit would mark the first official trip to Washington since the war with Iran, with his last visit in February.
During a recent phone call made by Netanyahu to congratulate Trump on the 250th anniversary of US independence, the two leaders agreed to “meet soon.”
Netanyahu’s main commitment during this upcoming trip will be attending Graham’s funeral, who passed away on Sunday after “a brief and sudden illness.”
Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, mourned Graham in a statement on Sunday.
“Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable. He devoted his life to defending America, strengthening our alliance and standing up for the free world,” Netanyahu said in his statement.
“Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.”
“Our hearts are with Lindsey’s family and with the American people at this difficult time. May his values and initiatives continue to guide us toward victory and peace, and may his memory forever be a blessing.”
Miriam Sela-Eitam contributed to this article.
Washington, D.C
DC residents who’ve owned their home for 70 years now told they can’t park there
WASHINGTON (7News) — Some D.C. residents told 7News they are fed up with the no-parking signs that have been added in front of their homes.
For the first time in 70 years, the view outside Anita Marsh’s home has changed.
“It’s very emotional,” said Marsh. “To be in a place where there’s no access to my door, no one can legally park for me to enter and exit my home. It’s frustrating, but more importantly, it’s upsetting. It’s very upsetting. I find it heartless.”
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Video from Marsh showed what she woke up to on Monday morning. She said the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) installed no parking signs in front of her home.
“How do I walk? How do I get into my house? I’m not very ambulatory,” said Marsh. “I have mobility challenges. So what happens?”
Neighbors about a mile away, over on Kimi Gray Court, reached out with the same frustrations. That’s where 7News met Aaron Harris.
“DDOT put these signs up, these signs, and they are ticketing people who are trying to park in front of their home because they have multiple cars,” said Harris.
Both neighborhoods feel that access to their home will now cost them.
“I’m very nervous because also financial impact is on a retiree,” said Marsh.
7News also got a call from businesses on MLK Jr. Avenue in Anacostia who said DDOT hit them with changes, too. 7News met Ronald Moton in front of his Gogo museum.
“They bring a bus lane without talking to us and take away 29 parking spaces,” said Moton.
Moton said business owners and customers have been hit with $200 tickets.
“This is a community trying to build itself up and survive,” said Moton. “You cannot come and dump stuff like this on us without talking to us.”
“We can’t afford to pay $90 a week or $180 or $270 per week because we’re in violation in front of a property that wasn’t zoned this way,” said Harris. “At least we didn’t know it was owned that way until the signs went up and they started getting ticketed.”
“I’m very scared. I’m very scared. And very upset,” said Marsh. “I’m not going to be able to stay in my house. Then I’m going to be forced to go elsewhere. Because I’m not going to be able to enter and exit my house.”
7News reached out to DDOT and Councilman Charles Allen, who chairs D.C.’s Transportation and Environment Committee, and asked about the no-parking signs community members feel came out of nowhere. 7News has not heard back from either yet.
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