The D.C. Department of Buildings says it's going to contract with a company to drive around D.C. photographing the exterior of all properties (like the Google Street View cars) and then use AI to determine which ones are vacant or have other exterior housing violations.

Interesting: A D.C. liquor license inspector has been fined $6,000 for refusing to pay his tab at a local lounge and threatening to have the place inspected and fined if his bill wasn't reduced or forgiven. When a complaint was lodged with ABCA, he inspected and cited the lounge.

Waymo isn't legal in D.C. yet, but the self-driving car company is already building out three maintenance and charging facilities in the city. It's a nudge to the D.C. Council to move on a pending bill; also a teaser of what Waymo says it can offer D.C. www.notus.org/metro-newsle...

Just a day in D.C.

Moody says that D.C. schools teach kids "how to be activists" instead of why the U.S. is great, citing examples in the city's "outrageous curriculum" that include LGBTQ history (D.C. has a large and longstanding LGBTQ community):

NEWS: Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Florida) has a new bill to require the U.S. flag be displayed in all D.C. school classrooms and mandate the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of the day, though students could opt out. "We should be teaching kids why America is worth loving," she says.

NEWS: @chairmanmendelson.com has fired back at @mayorbowser.dc.gov after she returned the 2027 budget unsigned and criticized the D.C. Council for its spending decisions. "At a time when our government is under siege, it not constructive to take gratuitous pot shots at your co-equal branch."

D.C. is auctioning off a rare 1924 $20 gold coin; with less than a day to go, it's already at almost $3,000. The city often auctions off unclaimed property found in safe deposit boxes, after first trying to find the rightful owner. The auctioned items are often fascinating.

Interesting: The organizers of the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler are warning runners that the traditional route could be impacted in 2027 and beyond by construction on Trump's new arch and around East Potomac Park. They say the latter stretch "could be eliminated forever."

In a letter to the D.C. Council, Door Dash says its recent advocacy for a House GOP bill that restricts D.C.'s ability to determine taxes and fees reflected its opposition to a new 20-cent delivery tax in D.C., "not D.C.'s broader ability to... govern autonomously."

This gas station at Georgia Avenue and Farragut Street NW didn’t fare too well during the storm.

That’s less than ideal.

Wow, the storm took down a massive tree like it wasn’t anything much.

Massachusetts Avenue at Idaho Avenue NW is totally blocked off by downed branches.

This car was just barely spared, but its owners are now trying to figure out how to move it before any further storms.

Well, whatever quasi-tornado just tore through my neighborhood in Northwest brought down a lot of trees and branches. That had 2012-derecho energy, for those of you who remember.

NEWS: @mayorbowser.dc.gov says she isn't signing the 2027 budget that was approved earlier this month by the D.C. Council. It still takes effect, but she protests some of the spending decisions and says the council is kicking the can down the road on "tough budget problems."

In a statement, DoorDash tells me that the council passed the "arbitrary" new fee without holding any hearings. "We have always supported home rule for D.C.," says the company. "But will continue to defend D.C.'s small businesses, local economy, and underserved residents."

NEWS: @mayorbowser.dc.gov is speaking out against the Republican bill making its way through the House that would restrict D.C.'s ability to increase (or decrease) taxes and fees. She says Congress should instead make federal tax changes to help D.C.'s economy grow.

Interesting: An ongoing lawsuit over the constitutionality of D.C.'s ban on gun magazines that hold more than 10 bullets has been put on hold pending the outcome of two Supreme Court cases, both focusing on state bans of AR-15s (which D.C. also prohibits).

The team also gently pushed back on suggestions from some CFA members a few months back that one of the parking decks be built right across from the existing D.C. Armory. The team says doing so would essentially ruin what's supposed to be a pedestrian area.

Missed this last week, but the Commanders provided updated renderings of the planned new stadium at RFK to the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts. They include what I think is the most detailed rendering of what the main entrance of the stadium will look like when fully built out.

Interesting: Ahead of tomorrow's House markup of a GOP bill to require congressional approval of any tax or fee increase in D.C., @chairmanmendelson.com writes Rep. James Comer to warn that it would "paralyze our tax code" and "reinsert Congress in the minutia of local affairs."

Interesting: @chmnmendelson.bsky.social has introduced a bill for D.C. to enter into a public-private partnership with D.C. United to build a roof on Audi Field “in order to realize more than one hundred new events annually” at the eight-year-old soccer stadium. lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B2…

And here’s a massive chandelier in a big underpass that would other looks kinda ugly:

Infrastructure upgrades are a necessary evil in all cities, so why not explain what’s being done in normal language instead of posting a big sign just saying how much money the government is spending and who the chief executive is?

Industrial spaces and facilities exist and are needed in most cities, and they really don’t just have to be ugly.

Be warned: I’m in Vancouver visiting family and I’m going to be nerding out so hard on all things urbanism, starting with some of the city’s awesome residential buildings. Starting with this one, which looks amazing from all angles.

Bowser has another very specific bill basically clarifying that people using short-term rental platforms like Airbnb aren't tenants and can be more quickly removed if they stay longer than they should. This responds to a high-profile incident last year.

Friday news dump of sorts: @mayorbowser.dc.gov is introducing a housing bill that, among other things, proposes a number of changes to the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), which broadly gives tenants the first crack at buying their building when it hits the market.