D.C. Makes HQ2 Shortlist
Washington, D.C., is one of 20 places to make the latest cut in Amazon’s search for a second headquarters. With $5 billion set to be invested, Amazon’s HQ2 would equal the internet retail giant’s original home in Seattle. Also selected from the 238 communities that submitted proposals were Montgomery County, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Four D.C. neighborhoods were offered as possible sites: Anacostia Riverfront, Capitol Hill East, NoMa-Union Station and Shaw-Howard University.
The Justice Department sided with the Washington archdiocese, which had its bus ads rejected.
A.G. Sides With Archdiocese on Bus Ads
The Justice Department sided with the Archdiocese of Washington regarding the “Find the Perfect Gift” Christmas ads the archdiocese wanted to run on Metrobuses. In November 2017, the archdiocese and Metro went to court after WMATA said no to the posters, saying the agency bans ads promoting or opposing religion.
D.C. hopes to regain the fittest-city top spot.
Who’s the Fittest in the Land?
After losing by one point to Minneapolis for fittest city in the United States, D.C. is working to take back its title. Vida Fitness and the Department of Parks and Recreation are launching “Take Back #1,” a citywide campaign to return D.C. to the top spot when the rankings come out May 16. The city was numero uno on the American College of Sport Medicine’s American Fitness Index in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Trump Hotels are getting bad reviews on Yelp after his vulgar comment.
Trump Hotels Dissed on Yelp
In the wake of Trump’s comments about African nations, El Salvador, Haiti and Honduras — he allegedly called them “s–thole countries” — the Yelp reviews for his Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue and other hotel properties have tanked. Most of the reviews have used the vulgar term. Among the comments quoted in Washingtonian magazine: “The owner is a racist, senile old man. Don’t waste your money” and “I thought it would be tacky, but it’s revoltingly awful.”
Teachers were pressured to pass Ballou students despite violations.
Report: Ballou Teachers Were Pressured
The findings of a investigation into the Ballou High School graduation and absenteeism scandal have been released. WTOP reported that teachers were pressured by the school’s principal and administrators to pass students. The report also uncovered a pattern in which students were allowed to graduate with a large number of days absent. Records showed that 133 out of 177 graduating seniors committing policy violations.
NBC4’s Tom Sherwood has joined the City Paper.
NBC4’s Sherwood Moves to City Paper
Local political reporter and commentator Tom Sherwood will become a contributing writer at Washington City Paper after nearly three decades at NBC4. Prior to joining NBC, the Navy Reserve vet worked at the Atlanta Constitution, where his first assignment was writing obituaries. Sherwood has long written a column for the Current Newspapers, now in Chapter 11.
