City Cast DC with Michael Schaffer
How do you catch a DC spy?
May 8, 2023
Good morning, Washingtonians. Welcome to Spy Week. It’s estimated there are over 10,000 spies in D.C., so chances are you know one. But who are they? Where do they hang out? How do you catch them? Well, buckle up and keep reading, because this week we bring in the experts to spill their secrets.
What's CITY Talking About?
Easing Into Higher Wages for Tipped Workers
D.C. Council now has two bills to help restaurants pay workers more. They’re required to do so since residents voted last year to phase out the tipped minimum wage. Both bills address how service charges, which contribute to worker pay, will count towards a restaurant's profit and how they should be taxed. [DCist]
Brakes Slam on Free Buses
Metro asked for a one-year pause on making Metrobus rides free within city limits. Last December, D.C. Council passed a bill that would make rides free starting this summer, but Metro says they need to consider wider regional implications first. They’re also not too happy about D.C. Council’s plan to use the funding meant for the K Street Transitway project, saying it’s a lynchpin for new bus routes downtown. [Twitter]
Rebranding Eden Center
Eden Center might soon be “Little Saigon.” Vietnamese community activists in Arlington successfully lobbied the city to revise its redevelopment plans for the area, to continue highlighting its cultural significance. The new plan also includes suggestions to hang officially branded and bilingual banners around the area, and rename the portion of Wilson Boulevard in Falls Church as Saigon Boulevard. [Washington City Paper]
DCHA, The Scandal That Keeps Giving
Emails obtained by the Washington Post show D.C. Housing Authority Director Brenda Donald worked with landlords on a public relations strategy to bolster the agency’s image. Her staff ghost-wrote an op-ed for a landlord praising the agency and submitted it to Washington City Paper (who did not publish it). This all happened while she was navigating how to pay landlords for housing voucher holders. And now, she’s resigned. We have all the juicy details at the end of today's episode. [Washington Post 🔒/City Cast DC 🎧]
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The building brimming with secrets is open
Inside the International Spy Museum are two floors of ciphers, submarines, James Bond's Aston Martin and the *actual* ice axe that killed Leon Trotsky. There are tales of defectors, traitors, saboteurs, and George Washington’s underground network of spies. It’s a DC museum unlike any DC museum. Visit today!
Where Is It?
This hot rod is the Aston Martin DB5, first seen in the 1964 James Bond film “Goldfinger” and now on display in the International Spy Museum lobby. It’s one of the many absolutely wild artifacts in the museum, which also includes a lipstick pistol and a pigeon camera.
Nice job to our first three correct guesses by Sylvia C., Jessica H., and Dash S.
Now that it’s spring, let’s get outside. Can you tell me where this picture was taken? No hints this time, but extra points if you can tell me a bit of history about it.
What To Do
🏛️ Architecture of D.C. | Today | 12 p.m.
Listen to author G. Martin Moeller, Jr. from the American Institute of Architects discuss the best architecture D.C. has to offer. [Free, Virtual]
🪴 Plant Week | Today - Sunday | All Day
D.C. Plant Week starts today with great deals and events at all your favorite local plant shops. Jungle + Loom, The Sill, and Ace Hardware all have 20% off. [Free, Varies]
🎶 AAPI Celebration | Today | 6:30 p.m.
The city is hosting this outdoor celebration with community awards and AAPI performers. [Free, U Street]
🎨 Collage Making | Wednesday | 6 - 7:30 p.m.
Head to the Phillips Collection for an evening of collaging and experimenting with materials through mood board making [Free, Dupont]
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Westpost has it all
Spring’s greetings from Westpost, National Landing’s go-to destination for up-scale shopping, exquisite culinary experiences, boutique fitness, and so much more. Find delight at Westpost, where enchanting experiences await around every corner.
Today on City Cast
Robert Wallace, author of Spy Sites of Washington, DC, spills the weirdest and craziest D.C. spy stories. Plus, there's a short, bonus interview at the end, about Brenda Donald stepping down as director of the D.C. Housing Authority.
🕵️ Spy Museum Tip To Go: The museum address is 700 L’Enfant Plaza, SW, but the museum is located on the UPPER level on 10th Street. The lower level is the parking garage. If your Uber or Lyft tries to drop you on lower 10th, ask them to drive up the ramp to drop you in front of the museum.
Free · 5 days a week