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Alsobrooks proposes freezing 800 county positions in tough budget year

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Alsobrooks proposes freezing 800 county positions in tough budget year


Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks (D) wants to freeze more than 800 county positions, cut agency budgets and draw down rainy-day funds to fix a projected $171 million budget shortfall for the 2025 fiscal year.

The county’s hands are tied, she said. Revenue fell short of projections — again. And with each passing year, state mandates for education spending have mounted, prompting Alsobrooks to ask the legislature for more flexibility on school spending this session even as she to seeks to leverage her record on education in appeals to voters.

Alsobrooks, who is running for U.S. Senate, said difficult decisions had to be made for the $5.46 billion budget she unveiled Friday, which confronts dwindling federal aid and higher interest rates in addition to increased obligations.

“This year’s budget includes cuts to almost every county agency except for public safety and the Prince George’s County public school system,” she said. “Most departments will see a decrease in dollars year over year, and some programs and initiatives will face reductions.”

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Prince George’s isn’t alone in grappling with a confluence of challenges from the pandemic recovery, dwindling federal aid and increased expenses. The state also is facing a round of belt-tightening, as lawmakers’ ambitions collide with lackluster economic growth. State House lawmakers on Friday released a $1.2 billion package of proposed taxes, tolls and fees to avoid cuts to programs, including a landmark education initiative that Alsobrooks has singled out as a major cost driver for Prince George’s.

“I’ve been talking with my counterparts across the state, and we’re all having the same difficult decisions and the same challenges,” Alsobrooks said.

The county is again dipping into its reserves to help make ends meet, but the request is less this year, at nearly $33 million, which Alsobrooks said is designed to protect the county’s Triple-A bond rating. Last year the county reached for $56 million. She also shifted spending to overcome a $60 million budget shortfall.

But those maneuvers weren’t enough to ward against increased costs and coronavirus reverberations, and the county’s long-term projections show more challenges. In January, the county’s Spending Affordability Committee predicted that structural challenges could leave Prince George’s with a deficit of up to $407 million within the next five fiscal years.

Similar to last year, nearly 62 percent of the county’s operating budget goes toward education, 20 percent goes to public safety, and the rest covers government services, such as college and library spending and infrastructure development.

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Alsobrooks has resisted asking county residents to pay more; Prince George’s is seeking to lower the burden on property owners by luring more development, in hopes of diversifying its tax base.

She said she’s pressed for more flexibility from state lawmakers in how the county may spend select tax proceeds that have by law been largely earmarked for schools.

“I have specifically avoided raising taxes,” she said, casting her efforts in Annapolis this year as a way “not to further burden our residents and to make sure that they get the services that they have come to expect.”

Lawmakers have so far indicated support for bills she requested to allow Prince George’s to exercise discretion over money generated by the local telecommunications and energy taxes. The taxes brought in a combined $88.4 million in the 2022 fiscal year, county records show, with nearly all of that going to operating expenses for Prince George’s County Public Schools — the second-largest school system in Maryland.

That money previously had not counted toward Prince George’s required contributions under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a landmark state education plan aimed at ensuring that Maryland schoolchildren have equal access to quality education.

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Ahead of Friday’s news conference, Alsobrooks said in a letter to the Prince George’s County delegation in argument for the legislation that her office had already made $100 million in reductions in anticipation of a shortfall.

To avoid affecting current county employees, Alsobrooks said she froze positions, a choice expected to have trickle-down impacts on residents.

“[That] means that we have fewer people doing more,” she said.

Alsobrooks built her budget proposal on the assumption that the county would be granted control of the local telecommunications and energy tax proceeds; the legislation is in the hands of the state Senate.

“We would have seen much more dramatic cuts if we had not been able to have that flexibility,” she said.

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Despite the dour forecast for the county’s financial future, Alsobrooks said she made targeted investments in the safety and health of the county, by increasing the Prince George’s County Police Department’s budget 2 percent, or $7.6 million. The growth in the agency’s budget includes funding for 100 recruits. She also allotted nearly $280 million to the fire and emergency services department, which also would fund 100 recruits and a paramedic program.

The budget also includes about $104 million for health and human services, a priority for Alsobrooks, about $21 million of which goes to support mental health, addiction and substance abuse programs.

County Council Chair Jolene Ivey (D-District 5) said the council will work closely with the county executive’s office to pass the budget for the new fiscal year, which begins July 1.

“We’re going to spend the next couple of months really going through it line by line, and trying to make sure that we’re all in agreement on the best way forward for the county,” she said. “We’ve all had to really look at the budget and be more fiscally conservative because once you know what we have to deal with, we just can’t go spending money willy-nilly. You have to make sure that you’re being responsible.”



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19-Year-Old Transgender University of Washington Student Fatally Stabbed

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19-Year-Old Transgender University of Washington Student Fatally Stabbed


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This story contains descriptions of fatal violence against a transgender person.

The Seattle Police Department are searching for a suspect after a 19-year-old University of Washington student was stabbed to death in an off-campus student apartment complex on May 10.

Seattle Police Department Detective Eric Muñoz told NBC News that the victim is “believed to be a 19-year-old transgender female” who was enrolled at the university. The victim has not yet been publicly identified by name. She was found in the housing complex laundry room shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday night.

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The housing complex, Nordheim Court, is privately managed but affiliated with the university, located near an upscale shopping center in Seattle’s U-Village neighborhood. According to NBC News, residents received an official alert from UW to stay inside their homes and lock all windows and doors — an alert that was lifted around 1 a.m. with the acknowledgment that “a death investigation remains ongoing.”

According to SPD detective Eric Muñoz, police and the fire department attempted lifesaving measures but ultimately “pronounced the victim deceased at the scene.”

“Officers are actively searching for the suspect, believed to be a black male with a beard, 5’6-8” tall, wearing a vest with button up shirt, and blue jeans,” Muñoz wrote in a blotter report.

Muñoz noted that the victim would be identified by the medical examiner’s office in “the coming days.” The SPD did not immediately respond to Them’s request for comment.

This is the seventh known trans person to be violently killed in 2026. In mid-April, 39-year-old transmasculine farmer Luca RedBeard was fatally shot in rural New Mexico. Last week, police in Marion County, Florida opened a homicide investigation into the shooting death of a 29-year-old who went by multiple names and referred to “transitioning” on social media. In Kentucky, an investigation into the disappearance of 22-year-old trans college student Murry Foust remains ongoing.

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Police are asking anyone with information about the University of Washington case to call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000, emphasizing that anonymous tips are accepted.

This is a developing story.

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How the Sea Mar Museum Is Preserving Latino History in Washington

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How the Sea Mar Museum Is Preserving Latino History in Washington


On a quiet stretch of Des Moines Memorial Drive in South Seattle, the Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture rises like a long‑overdue acknowledgment. Its brick exterior doesn’t shout; it invites. Inside, the rooms hum with the stories of families who crossed borders, harvested fields, organized classrooms, and built communities across Washington state—often without seeing their histories reflected anywhere on a museum wall.

For Rogelio Riojas, founder and CEO of Sea Mar Community Health Centers, the museum is a promise kept. “We wanted to make sure the contributions of Latinos in Washington state are recognized and preserved for future generations,” he told The Seattle Times when the museum opened in 2019. It was a simple statement, but one that captured decades of work—both visible and invisible—by the region’s Latino communities.


Walking through the galleries feels like stepping into a living archive. One of the most arresting sights is a pair of original farmworker cabins, transported from Eastern Washington. Their narrow wooden frames and sparse interiors speak volumes about the migrant families who once slept inside after long days in the fields. The cabins are not replicas or artistic interpretations; they are the real thing, weathered by sun, dust, and time. They anchor the museum’s narrative in the physical realities of labor that shaped the state’s agricultural economy.

Sea Mar describes the museum as “dedicated to sharing the history, struggles, and successes of the Latino community in Washington state,” a mission that plays out in photographs, letters, student newspapers, and oral histories contributed by community members themselves. These aren’t artifacts chosen from afar—they’re family treasures, personal archives, and memories entrusted to the museum so they can live beyond the kitchen tables and shoeboxes where they were once kept.

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The story extends beyond the museum walls. Just steps away is the Sea Mar Community Center, a sweeping, light‑filled gathering space designed for celebrations, performances, workshops, and community events. With room for nearly 500 people, a full stage, a movie‑theater‑sized screen, and a catering kitchen, the center was built with one purpose: to give the community a place to see itself, gather, and grow. Sea Mar describes it as “a welcoming space for families, organizations, and community groups to gather, celebrate, and learn,” and on any given weekend, it lives up to that promise.

Together, the museum and community center form a cultural campus—part historical archive, part living room for the region’s Latino communities. Students come to learn about the Chicano activists who reshaped the University of Washington in the late 1960s. Families come to see their own histories reflected in the exhibits. Visitors come to understand a story that has long been present in Washington, even if it wasn’t always visible.

The Sea Mar Museum is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., offering free admission to anyone who walks through its doors. For many, it’s more than a museum—it’s a recognition, a gathering place, and a testament to the people who helped shape the Pacific Northwest.

Preserving Latino History and Community Life in Washington was first published on Washington Latino News (WALN) and republished with permission.



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Mother’s Day Bunch at Lady Madison | Washington DC

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Mother’s Day Bunch at Lady Madison | Washington DC


Celebrate Mother’s Day with à la carte brunch at Lady Madison featuring seafood, entrées, desserts, and premium beverage options.

Celebrate Mother’s Day in sophisticated style at Lady Madison, located inside Le Méridien Washington, DC, The Madison. Join us on Sunday, May 10, 2026, from 12:00–3:00 PM for an elevated à la carte brunch experience in downtown Washington, DC.

Enjoy a refined selection of chef-driven brunch classics, fresh seafood, seasonal salads, and elegant entrées. Highlights include a Build Your Own Omelette, Crab Benedict with lime hollandaise, Chilled Seafood Trio, and signature mains such as Roasted Rack of Lamb, Cedar Plank Sea Bass, and Marinated New York Strip Loin.

End on a sweet note with classic desserts including Crème Brûlée Cheesecake, Fruit Tart, Strawberry Shortcake, and Passion Fruit Cake.

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Enhance your experience with beverage offerings, including bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Marys for $30 with house selections. Piper-Heidsieck Champagne is also available by the glass for $16 or by the bottle for $49.

Reserve on OpenTable:
https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1426987&restref=1426987&experienceId=695240&utm_source=external&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=shared

À La Carte Menu

Les Œufs & Brunch
Egg White Frittata — $24
spinach, tomato, mushrooms, green onion
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit

Build Your Own Omelette — $24
ham, smoked salmon, vegetables, cheeses (choose up to 3)
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit

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Crab Benedict — $24
lime hollandaise, salsa cruda
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit

Brioche French Toast — $17
berry compote, whipped butter, maple syrup

Les Froids & Salades
Chilled Seafood Trio — $28
Jonah crab claws, shrimp, cocktail sauce

Spring Berry Salad — $17
brie, berries, champagne vinaigrette

Golden & Crimson Beet Salad — $18
red wine vinaigrette
Add protein: shrimp, salmon, skirt steak +18 | chicken +16

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Les Plats Principaux
Roasted Rack of Lamb — $42
mint sauce, huckleberry reduction, sweet potato purée, asparagus

Cedar Plank Sea Bass — $49
saffron rice, spring vegetables

New York Strip Loin — $42
mushroom sauce, truffle croquette potatoes, haricots verts

Les Desserts — $14
Crème Brûlée Cheesecake
Fruit Tart
Strawberry Shortcake
Passion Fruit Cake

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