Wake to Washington

to behold is to become beholden to

Unhealthy behaviors around food are symptoms

Enroll in the Food Sanity Program to get to the root of these behaviors and start eating in alignment with your body’s needs. Starts 10/22.

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Feeling gassy

Legislation to improve DC’s clean energy initiatives to going into effect this year, but the bill doesn’t address the looming question of natural gas. While Washington Gas has promised to unveil a long-term plan to reduce the use of fossil fuels, the company is simultaneously subsidizing the installation of new gas pipelines in apartments and condos.

• The district’s reliance on natural gases like methane is a major impediment to the District’s pledge to become carbon-neutral by 2050. 

“My whole life is hanging on this.”

An underground tunnel system. Nuclear paranoia. And a basement fire that claimed an up-and-coming tech bro’s life. You may have heard snippets of the years-long Bethesda saga that ended in a rare "depraved heart" murder conviction, but the twists, turns and gruesome details that have come out since the trial will leave you questioning your neighbors in even the sleepiest DMV suburbs. 

Why is it so expensive to live here?

Urban Institute put out a new report detailing how our region can solve the affordability problem and meet our future housing needs (full report here if you’re nasty). The housing market isn’t supply/demand Econ 101 — it’s a segmented market, which means we do have to build more, but specifically building to meet the need for low- and middle-income households. We also have to work regionally; Bowser’s commitment to 36k new units in DC is good, but nothing if VA and MD don’t back us up. 

• If you’re curious how much housing DC (and other cities) are building now compared to years prior, check out this juicy graph from CityLab. 

The incarceration debate

Does DC incarcerate more people per capita than the other 50 states? Well, it’s complicated. A Prison Policy Initiative report from 2018 provides numbers that suggest the answer is yes, while other criminal-justice reform advocates say actually the numbers are lower. And then there’s a totally separate data question—should we be comparing DC to states at all?  “It’s apples to oranges,” one researcher said. (The logical solution? Abolish prisons.)

Also || the design history of National Parks maps, author of a viral DC chicken sandwich tweet gets free chicken for life, Chef José Andrés is at it again in the Bahamas (and you can support that work!), the history of the women’s restroom lounge, pop-up shops as “social infrastructure”

Wednesday, September 11

Where the Supreme Court is headed

Profs & Pints is back with a guide to the Justices and their coming term--hosted by Garrett Epps, professor of law at the University of Baltimore, Supreme Court correspondent for The Atlantic, and author of American Epic: Reading the U.S. Constitution. (6pm)

Garage art party

DC Startup Week hosts a special reception to connect with the city’s ~*~creative entrepreneurs~*~ with art, drinks, music and discussion at The Cheshire. Plus, shop sustainable fashion pop-up Tribute and contemporary sustainable furniture design by NosNos. (6pm)

Also || Graphic novelist Yann Kebbi | AIGI office hours with Brave UX | DC Beer Week at The Sovereign | The Messthetics 

Thursday, September 12

African-American Women and the Battle for the Vote

Join the National Archives for a panel discussion on the roles, challenges, and achievements of African American during the suffrage movement. (7:15pm)

Downtown book $ale

Don’t miss the Capital BookFest, a pop-up book (and CD & DVD) sale happening in Wilson Plaza all day. Everything is $6 or less, and is donated by Carpe Librum, a used donation-based bookstore that benefits Turning the Page. If you aren’t able to make it today, the event is happening again on Thursday, October 24th. (10am-6pm)

Also || | Swing Left Columbia Heights debate watch | runway for freedom | horror on the hill: readings from his hideous heart | zoo uncorked | 

Prana Visualized | CBC Reception | DC Inno Fireside Chat | 9 local songwriters

Friday, September 13

Tunes for the cause

Listen to some tunes and support Immigrant Families Together at the Room for More festival, happening every weekend in September throughout the city. On day 1, catch Slokey, Faded Home, and Tavor at Dwell. (8 pm)

#NextStop: Dupont Underground

See your Metro daydreams come to life at Next Stop, an expedition to over 30 different destinations created by animators, illustrators, and motion designers. (6 pm)

Also || Halloween... selfie museum? | LGBTQ center fall reception | Shakey Graves & Dr. Dog | pitch a single friend for love/lifetime embarrassment | NSO in your neighborhood

Saturday, September 14

Samps for the cause

N Street Village, the largest provider for homeless women in DC, is celebrating Logan with food and drink samples from your fav 14th street spots. The price of each ticket can provide 30 meals for their residents. (3pm) 

Game Genius 

They design and host a socially-themed Treasure Hunt that gives back to local orgs. This year’s game focuses on women's history--Part 1 is an online challenge featuring women from every state. Part 2 is a ticketed adventure race (Sept 14 or Oct 12) through DC, with proceeds benefiting the National Women's History Museum. (10am-3pm)

Also || | celebrate Petworth |New Inca Son| | Blagden Alley Festival | Ward 5 Day | Paw Paw Party | New Orchestra of Washington 

Sunday, September 15

Small Press Expo (all weekend)

SPX comics and graphic arts fest is like Zinefest’s cool big sister, showcasing indie comics plus panels and events. Including 730 contributor Josh Kramer on a graphics journalism panel and a birthing stories panel with Lucy Knisley, who depicts motherhood honestly and tenderly AND drew her cat Linney so well when Linney died my whole group chat cried about it. (Saturday and Sunday, 11am-6pm)

How has Chinatown changed since the 60s?

Regardless of where they live, humans find and create places to play. Join former longtime Chinatown resident Jack Lee on a walking tour of the alleys and parking lots where he and his friends played games while growing up in DC in the 60s. (10 am)

Also || your brain on politics | tunes: Forgetter | lots of walks | NSO at the Arboretum | beer and records

Monday, September 16

When They See Us

Screen the first and fourth parts of “When They See Us,” the limited series about the conviction and exoneration of the Central Park Five, at Woolly Mammoth Theater. Each screening will be followed by a discussion on how to address racist police violence in DC. (6:30 pm)

Also || tunes: Bloc Party | Learn to AcroYoga | Historic theater walking tour | Folger poetry series featuring Danez Smith | Heroes of the Underground Railroad around DC

Tuesday, September 17

Sounding like a SNACK

Do you want your local food/podcast opinions to be heard? Informally meet up with the hosts of Dish City, a WAMU podcasts that talks about city change through local food, every Tuesday after their new episodes drop to share your hot food takes. (6 pm)

Talk poetry to me

Explore classic and contemporary poetry at Solid State Books’ Poetry Book Club. This month will focus on Feeld by Jos Charles, a poet who bends language to a place where it becomes a felt thing, a terrain to be crossed. (6 pm)

Also || Saintseneca | Profs & Pints: Poldark | the Sapphire Sapphos | Congressional Briefing: Countering Mass Shootings in the US | Press v Politicians Spelling Bee | sip and write