Washington, D.C
NRCC takes aim at House and DC Democrats over rising crime rates
EXCLUSIVE — House Republicans’ campaign arm is calling attention to the rising crime levels in Washington, D.C., placing blame on years of failed Democratic policies and a progressive city council.
Washington, D.C., has faced an uphill battle over the last few years when it comes to crime, with the pandemic ushering in a wave of violence that continues to ravage the district’s once-flourishing downtown area. Recent sharp upticks in juvenile offenses and carjackings eventually forced Mayor Muriel Bowser and the D.C. Council to take another look at what the district can do to bring down criminal activity — but House Republicans say it is too little, too late.
A recent National Republican Congressional Committee memo obtained by the Washington Examiner claims that Washington, D.C., leaders are not only “ill-equipped” to handle the district’s increasing crime rates but also “directly contributed” to the problem.
“The failure of D.C. Democrats to keep crime under control has turned the city into a place hostile for residents, businesses, and tourists,” the memo stated. “House Democrats have directly contributed to the ruination of America’s capital city. If applied nationally, the policies supported by House Democrats would bring similar chaos to the whole country.”
In 2020, the D.C. Council approved a $15 million slash in police funding, following a growing trend across major cities in the nation after the Black Lives Matter movement that led to increased support for defunding the police. The council drew national attention a few years later when it overhauled its criminal code in 2022 to reduce offenses and penalties for homicide, robberies, and carjackings — the first time in 100 years that such changes had been made.
The criminal code, like all legislation coming out of the district, is subjected to federal oversight. In February and March, the House and Senate voted to overturn an overhaul of the criminal code, with 173 House Democrats voting in support of the Washington, D.C., law. It marked the first time in 30 years that Congress has repealed a local law passed by the D.C. Council. The council did pass a separate police reform bill that improved police accountability, banned chokeholds, and increased de-escalation training for law enforcement officers.
Though the criminal code overhaul was overruled by national lawmakers, Washington, D.C., is still seeing a rise in homicides, robberies, and carjackings. In 2023, motor vehicle theft increased 82%, robberies increased 67%, and homicides increased 35%. Within the first week of 2024, there have been more than 125 carjackings and 44 robberies.
A House Republican operative told the Washington Examiner that because the D.C. councilmembers trend “pretty far to the left” with virtually no institutional checks, the district serves as a “great example of what happens when you give Democrats completely unmitigated, total absolute control.”
“What’s happened in D.C. is ultimately what they would, if Democrats could, end up doing to most American cities in most American states,” the operative said.
Washington, D.C., is not receiving much support from its attorney general either. Juvenile crime has risen substantially in the district, and there is a lack of strong policies to detain or prosecute them. Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb has come under fire for declining to prosecute several juvenile cases, leading to many of them becoming repeat offenders and escalating to more violent crimes. He also pushed back against Bowser’s “tough on crime” act last summer.
Some of the D.C. councilmembers’ stances on crime are catching up to them. D.C. Councilman Charles Allen is now facing a recall effort led by Jennifer Squires, a former government worker, who said that the representative of Ward 6 should be more dedicated to curbing crime. The recall organizers need to collect signatures from at least 10% of registered voters in Ward 6 to move forward to a special election.
Ward 6 is the largest in the district, spanning the neighborhoods of Downtown, Penn Quarter, Gallery Place, and Chinatown — all areas with increased crime rates. Allen guided the crime laws that Congress blocked in March and also supported the controversial police reform bill in 2020 that was largely opposed by the D.C. Police Union.
In the wake of high-profile crimes, Bowser introduced new legislation in October to support “safe and effective policing” that has been criticized by conservatives for missing the mark. The new legislation would ban criminals from wearing masks, declare drug-free zones, and create new penalties for organized retail theft.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The Democratic mayor has also faced recent criticism for her lack of appropriate crime responses after the Washington Wizards and Capitals announced that the organizations would move to Virginia due to the rising criminal activity in the Gallery Place neighborhood.
“Extreme Democrats’ radical policies turned our nation’s capital into a hot bed of soaring crime, causing residents to flee their neighborhoods for safer communities,” NRCC Rapid Response Director Ben Smith said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “Now, extreme House Democrats want to export the same failed policies across the country. Only House Republicans are working to stop them.”
Washington, D.C
Weekend weather in the DC Area: A little bit of everything
WASHINGTON (7News) — If you’ve got plans around D.C., Maryland, or Northern Virginia this weekend, you’ll want to stay flexible.
The forecast brings a mix of warm temperatures, sunshine, and a few rounds of showers and storms—especially Saturday and late Sunday.
Here’s a simple, hour-by-hour style breakdown so you can plan ahead.
Saturday: Warm Front, Clouds, and Spotty Storms
Morning (6 AM – 12 PM)
Mostly cloudy to start
A few early showers possible, especially toward the MD/PA border
Temperatures climbing through the 60s into the low 70s
What’s happening: A warm front is lifting north, bringing in milder air.
Afternoon (12 PM – 5 PM)
Highs reach the mid-70s
Clouds may break at times
Scattered showers and thunderstorms develop
Storm window: 2 PM – 7 PM
About a 50% chance of rain
Severe risk is low, but not zero
Possible:
Brief heavy downpours
Gusty winds
Maybe even small hail in isolated spots
Good news: Not everyone sees rain—but keep an eye on the sky.
Evening & Night (After 7 PM)
Storm chances linger early, then fade
Skies turn partly cloudy overnight
Lows drop to the mid-50s
Winds become light
Most of the night should be quiet and comfortable.
Sunday: The Pick of the Weekend
Morning
Dry and pleasant
A mix of sun and clouds early
Afternoon
Sunny and warmer
Highs in the low 80s
Light southwest breeze
This is your best outdoor day—great for parks, brunch, or yard work.
Sunday Night (After Midnight)
Clouds increase
Showers likely after midnight (70% chance)
Lows in the mid-50s
Winds shift from the north
Rain becomes more steady and widespread overnight
Looking Ahead (Late Sunday into Monday)
A cold front approaches from the northwest
Best chance for rain: Sunday night → Monday morning
Rainfall totals:
Generally 0.10″ to 0.25″
Locally higher in spots
Storms are possible, but:
Limited instability
Severe weather risk remains low
Weekend Planning Tips
Saturday:
Keep plans flexible—have a backup indoor option in the afternoon
Sunday:
Get outside early—it’s the best weather window
Sunday night:
Expect rain if you’re out late or traveling
The Big Picture
This weekend is part of a warming trend, with temperatures climbing from the 70s into the 80s. But with that warmth comes multiple chances for showers and storms, especially as weather fronts move through the region.
This weekend compared too next
Washington, D.C
Mom finds out daughter with autism was sexually abused at DC school week after it happened
CONTENT WARNING: This story contains content that may be uncomfortable to some readers. Discretion is advised.
WASHINGTON (7News) — A mother said she learned her 13-year-old daughter was sexually abused in a D.C. school when a detective contacted her a week after it happened. She said the school never notified her.
7News sat down with the mother on Friday, while her daughter was being evaluated and interviewed by detectives. We’re not sharing the mom’s identity to protect her daughter.
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The mom said she got a call Sunday night, “regarding my daughter and a sexual assault that happened at school involving my daughter last Monday.”
However, it didn’t come from the place or people she said she counted on.
“I never got a phone call from the school, an email, a text, nothing to say,” said the mom. Nothing happened until a week later.
That’s when a detective called and told her what happened.
“She was forced to give oral sex to a student in school,” said the mom.
Her 13-year-old daughter is disabled, autistic, and has challenges communicating.
The mom said she was sending her daughter to school without knowing what happened.
“I noticed a little behavior, emotional changes,” said the mom. “When I got that call now, it makes sense to, you know, what you because of what she had experienced at school and to come home and she didn’t say anything or no one had called me and just like it breaks my heart.”
7News obtained a copy of the police report, which confirms the youth investigative branch is investigating what happened to her daughter as sexual abuse. It shows that a Kelly Miller Middle School social worker reported it to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) last week.
“I just hope that I can be able to get her back on the right track. From all the trauma, on top of trauma,” said the mom. “To be able to grow and not have to hold that in the back of her head that she experienced in school, which should have been her safe place.”
7News started reaching out to DCPS just after 12:30 p.m. to ask if the students suspected of the abuse have been removed from the school, and why parents wouldn’t have been notified about the incident. They did not get back to us until after our first report aired. They did not answer either question. They provided the following statement.
A district spokesperson provided this statement:
At DC Public Schools (DCPS), student safety and wellbeing are paramount, and the district treats any allegation of sexual misconduct with the utmost seriousness. DCPS will continue to cooperate with law enforcement as this matter is investigated.
In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and our obligation to maintain student confidentiality, we are unable to provide comment on individual student cases.
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault or abuse, the National Sexual Assault Hotline can be accessed by calling 1-800-656-4673.
Washington, D.C
Canvas cyberattack leaves many DC-area school systems without service
WASHINGTON – A cyberattack on the Canvas learning management system left thousands of schools and universities offline Thursday, disrupting access to grades, assignments, course materials and lecture videos as students prepared for finals.
The hacking group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the breach, according to the Associated Press. Instructure, the company behind Canvas, did not immediately respond to questions about whether the system was taken down as a precaution or knocked offline, the AP reported.
READ MORE: Canvas outage impacts thousands of schools, universities: Hacker group reportedly takes credit
The hacking group posted online that nearly 9,000 schools worldwide were affected, with billions of private messages and other records accessed. Many school systems and universities in the Washington, D.C. region rely on Canvas as their primary learning management system.
In Montgomery County, school officials said access to the platform will remain unavailable “out of an abundance of caution” while they work to understand the impact of the incident and any potential vulnerabilities. Families were urged not to log in until MCPS and the myMCPS Classroom vendor resolve the issue.
The University of Maryland said it does not yet know when Canvas will return to service.
Canvas Cyberattack DC-Area School Systems Affected
Montgomery County Public Schools
Canvas (myMCPS Classroom) owned by Instructure Inc., is used by the school district as its learning management system. Due to a reported global cybersecurity concern involving Canvas, and impacting numerous school systems, universities, corporations in Maryland, other states, and worldwide, thus access to myMCPS Classroom has been disabled.
Out of an abundance of caution, access to the system will remain unavailable while we work to better understand the full impact of the incident and any potential vulnerabilities involving information connected to the platform. Please do not attempt to log in to the platform until MCPS and the myMCPS Classroom (Canvas) vendor have resolved this problem.
At this time, appropriate MCPS technology and security staff are continuing to assess the situation and coordinate with the vendor. We understand this disruption is frustrating and appreciate your patience as this work continues.
myMCPS Classroom provides access to student information such as grades, assignments, attendance, and course materials, and is an important tool for students and families to monitor academic progress. Additional information on how students can access resources and functions in myMCPS Classroom will be provided as soon as possible.
Updates will be shared as soon as additional information becomes available.
University of Maryland
Canvas may appear to be up right now, but please to not use it. DIT Security is not confident the system is safe to use right now. Please check back here before using Canvas.
For our faculty who use Canvas, we have created this guidance, and we will continue adding resources tomorrow. Please stay in touch with your students as we adapt to this evolving situation.
Prince George’s County Schools
There has been a cybersecurity incident involving Canvas, our Learning Management System.
Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, notified us of a global cybersecurity incident affecting 275 million users across numerous educational institutions. We have been informed that PGCPS was one of the many impacted organizations. While personal information including names, emails and Student IDs was impacted, NO sensitive information, such as dates of birth, passwords, financial information, was involved. PGCPS does not store that type of sensitive information or parent information in Canvas.
We are using this as an opportunity to reinforce the importance of exercising caution when communicating by email and remaining vigilant regarding suspicious messages, spam, phishing attempts, or other potentially fraudulent communications.
We will continue to monitor the situation and remain in close communication with Instructure.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Due to the ongoing issues with the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS), AACPS will operate schools on Friday, May 8, 2026, without the use of the LMS. The Virtual Academy will also remain open with altered instructional delivery that will also not use the LMS. Further instructions will be communicated from the school principal. The latest information regarding the breach and the status of school district operations can be found at www.aacps.org/canvasbreach.
Prince William County Public Schools
We are aware of the error appearing when accessing Canvas and are actively working with the vendor to resolve it. The issue is not just impacting PWCS, and is widespread and national in scope. We will provide updates when the vendor has resolved the issue.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting.
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