Good morning, D.C. In today’s newsletter: an overcrowded D.C. courtroom, JLG’s listening sessions and Thomas Boswell on the Nats.
THE LATEST
If you want to see how President Trump has changed policing and prosecution in this city, the basement of the D.C. Superior Court is a good place to start.
It’s where NOTUS’ Jenny Gathright spent Monday, Aug. 3, watching initial hearings for people who had been locked up over the weekend.
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There, in courtroom C-10, was the usual snapshot of societal challenges that bring people in contact with police and jail: violence, addiction, mental illness, poverty. But the cases that day also showcased Trump’s effect on D.C.’s court system.
Last August, he declared a crime emergency in D.C., seized temporary control of the city police department and flooded the streets with federal agents. Jeanine Pirro, whom he appointed the city’s top prosecutor, ordered the lawyers in her office to seek the toughest possible charges for street crime in the nation’s capital.
What happened in the aftermath? More police stops, more felony charges filed in court and more people locked up in the D.C. Jail.
A year later, that heavy policing and prosecution continues — and the records from the Aug. 3 court appearances show it: In those cases where court filings were publicly available, federal officers were present for half of the arrests. A quarter of the charging documents Jenny was able to review specifically stated that officers were patrolling as part of Trump’s “D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force,” the team he created last year to intensify policing in the District.
FROM THE DISTRICT
Capital One Arena is getting a new look. New renderings released Tuesday give fans a glimpse at the reimagined stadium’s exterior, food hall and an immersive video wall, Axios D.C. reports. The three-year renovation is set to finish next fall.
Janeese Lewis George wants to hear from you. The winner of June’s Democratic primary will hold listening sessions in each of the city’s eight wards starting in early September. She says the sessions are to “hear what’s working, what needs to change, and what you want your government to do better.”
A corner store on Capitol Hill has been brought back to life — by its neighbors. Mott’s Market just south of Lincoln Park is now officially back in business, after a topsy-turvy sale and renovation that was funded in large part by 100 nearby residents who didn’t want to see the century-old neighborhood staple disappear. City Cast D.C. has the heartwarming story.
Mayor Muriel Bowser praised the Commanders’ choice of contractors to build out the team’s new $3.8 billion stadium, which was announced Tuesday as a joint venture between D.C.’s Clark Construction, Mortenson and Smoot Construction.
“This is the team that will get it done — they have extensive experience in DC and a proven track record with building iconic sports venues,” Bowser said in a statement. “With this decision, we’re one step closer to transforming 180 acres of land on the banks of the Anacostia into a Super Bowl-ready stadium, and then housing, entertainment, park space, and more.”
FROM VIRGINIA
An ICE agent pulled a gun on a Virginia woman as she drove through a Falls Church parking lot on Monday, NBC4 reports. Rep. Don Beyer posted on X that his office will be “demanding answers and consequences.”
FROM MARYLAND
Business owners in Prince George’s County are suing over a $5,000 annual fee assessed on liquor stores, tobacco stores, gun stores and consolidated storage businesses, saying it amounts to a vice tax that the state would need to sign off on, WTOP reports.
PLAN YOUR WEEKEND
For the reader: Chang-rae Lee talks “A Tender Age” at Politics and Prose, Thursday.
For the traditionalist: Montgomery County Agricultural Fair in Gaithersburg, Friday to Aug. 22.
For the music lover: “American Mosaic” played by the National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap, Saturday.
For more info on this weekend’s events, read our weekly culture calendar here.
SPORTS
Thomas Boswell is back. After five decades covering D.C. sports at The Washington Post, the award-winning columnist makes his NOTUS debut this morning with some thoughts on the Nats and their owners. A preview:
The Lerners should have ponied up for a [bullpen] out of common decency. When you charge the fifth-highest prices in MLB to attend a game, driven by the second-highest concession costs in the sport, then, no matter the bleak preseason prophecies, you don’t field a roster with No Bullpen At All. Even if you think you’ll go 66-96 again, as Las Vegas predicted, you still owe customers a bullpen that can hold a fat lead with two innings to play. Not turn a 9-1 lead into an 11-10 loss. Unless, of course, you want to drive your fans to drink — with a 16-oz beer for $15.40.
Read the full column here.
Training camp update: NOTUS’ Martenzie Johnson reports that Daronte Jones, the Commanders’ new defensive coordinator, is already making an impact. Throughout camp, defensive players have lauded Jones’ teaching ability and principles. In his press conference Tuesday, Jones said he wants to build a unit that plays with confidence and calm.
“[The offense] is trying to get the defense to get rattled, get nervous,” Jones said. “But if we just understand that motion causes emotion and our best ability is to stay ahead of a call, that allows us to calm things down and be slower in our processing.”
What to Watch Today
MLB: Nationals vs. Cubs, 6:45 p.m. (MLB.TV)
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The newsletter was produced by Jaden Amos, Michael Errigo and Andrew Burton. Photo courtesy of Monumental Sports & Entertainment.
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