Downtowner News Briefs: June 6, 2022
By • June 6, 2022 0 1819
“Shaming Renaming” Gets D.C. Council Member Banned from Russia
D.C. Council member Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), helped name a block outside the Russian Embassy after a dissident the Russians are trying to erase from history. The “shaming renaming,” as it was nicknamed, ended up getting Cheh banned from Russia. Cheh told The Washington Post she was “honored” to be so banished. The Russian Embassy at 2650 Wisconsin Ave. NW is in banished Council member Cheh’s ward.
Trump Hotel Becomes Waldorf Astoria
Rooms are officially open for business at the former Trump International Hotel at 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. The hotel is now a Waldorf Astoria after the sale of the Trump Hotel closed last month. Global investment firm CGI Merchant Group paid nearly $400 million to take over the lease of the building to rebrand it as a Waldorf Astoria, part of the Hilton Hotel family.
The Washington Waldorf Astoria at 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, the Old Post Office Building, formerly the Trump Hotel.
Mayor Bowser Nominates New Chief Financial Officer
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has nominated Glen Lee, who previously spent decades working for the city of Seattle, as D.C.’s new chief financial officer. Lee most recently served as Seattle’s finance director. If he’s confirmed, he would be the fifth person to occupy the independent office, created in 1995.
Facebook’s Zuckerberg Sued by D.C. Attorney General
D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine has sued Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg. Racine is accusing Zuckerberg of giving the public a false impression of the handling of personal data in connection with the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The suit was filed in D.C. Superior Court. Racine’s office has been in a legal battle with Zuckerberg for years over third-party apps’ use of personal data and not disclosing the leak of data to Cambridge Analytica. For those unfamiliar, Cambridge Analytica is an analysis firm used by former President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Four years ago, Facebook admitted that the firm may have had personal information from nearly 90 million users.
D.C. Studying First Potential Monkeypox Case
On Sunday, D.C. Health announced they may have found the first monkeypox case in the area. The health agency sent an orthopox sample (monkeypox is from the orthopox virus family) to the CDC for testing. As of now, the patient is isolating and doesn’t pose any risk to D.C. area residents. There have been 780 confirmed monkeypox cases in countries outside the virus’s normal range (typically Central and West Africa). The infection is usually a mild one.
First Fully Vegan Bar Opens in D.C.’s Dupont Circle Neighborhood
Local vegan deli and caterer DC Vegan has opened its first completely vegan bar. The venue, dubbed “Botanical Bar,” features botanical cocktails, vegan wines, local draft beer and snacks from the vegan Italian American deli upstairs. DC Vegan was founded by husband-and-wife duo Leah Curran Moon and Michael Jantz Moon. DC Vegan’s building is 5,000 square feet and houses the vegan deli, a private event space and the new bar on the lower level.
D.C. now has its first all vegan bar. Photo courtesy DC-Vegan.com.
Downtown BID to Hold Annual Board of Directors, Membership Meeting June 13
The Downtown Business Improvement District Corporation will host a joint annual Board of Directors and Membership meeting next Monday, June 13, at 4 p.m. The Board of Directors meeting will be held to elect new officers and approve the new fiscal year 2023 budget. The membership meeting will be to elect new board members. Guests are welcome to attend virtually or in person. More information on how to RSVP can be found here.
