City Cast DC with Michael Schaffer
Is the Potomac swimmable again?
May 18, 2023
Morning, neighbor! D.C. has the best drivers in the country apparently? A new Forbes study looked at data from fatal car accidents, phone usage, and traffic cams across the country and reported that D.C. was the best and Virginia and Maryland ranked right near the middle. I never would have guessed!
What's CITY Talking About?
Not Yet Clean Enough
A new report has declared the Potomac River almost safe to swim in. The Potomac River Conservancy gave it a “B,” its best grade in years. It hopes to be able to lift the swimming and fishing ban in the next two to three years, but for now, there are still serious concerns about polluted urban runoff. That said, in the 1960s, President Lyndon B. Johnson called the river a “national disgrace,” so we’ve come a long way. [Potomac River Conservancy]
Cyberattacker On the Loose
The U.S. is cracking down on Mikhail Matveev, a cyberattacker involved in a ransomware campaign called Babuk, which targeted the D.C. Police. The authorities announced criminal charges, economic sanctions, and a $10 million reward for information about him. In 2021, Matveev allegedly infected D.C. Police computers, stole data, and extorted the police agency, causing $5,000 in losses. [Washington Post 🔒]
Commanders Make More Without Snyder
Commanders bidder Josh Harris predicts current owner Dan Snyder cost the team hundreds of millions in revenues and potential public subsidies. A new financial prospectus shows that Harris believes the franchise will sell more tickets, attract more sponsorships, and receive more taxpayer money for a new stadium once Snyder is gone. [Washingtonian]
What To Do
✏️ Skip To the Fun Parts | Thursday | 7 p.m.
New Yorker cartoonist Dana Maier is discussing her book “Skip to the Fun Parts,” about how to make brutal realities of the creative process more fun. [Free, Union Market]
🎭 Three By Yeats | Friday | 7:30 p.m.
The DC Arts Center is hosting a trio of plays by the great Irish writer William Butler Yeats to celebrate Irish music and dance. [$40, Adams Morgan]
🫖 English Tea Cooking Class | Saturday | 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Marianne Tshihamba will lead you through creating a traditional English high tea, complete with cheese sandwiches and clotted cream. [$58, Capitol Hill]
🛍️ Lucketts Spring Market | Saturday | 12:30 - 5 p.m.
This enormous antique market in Leesburg is worth the drive. Find dozens of vendors selling everything from furniture to art to jams. [$15, Leesburg]
Today on City Cast
What’s Next in D.C.’s Budget Debate
The Washington Post’s Michael Brice-Saddler walks us through what made it into D.C.’s 2024 budget, what was cut, and who won which battles.
We’re hosting a live podcast taping! Join us on Saturday, June 3 at 1 p.m. at Right Proper in Brookland to see how the sausage gets made. We will be taping a special episode of City Cast DC on the local craft beer industry that you won’t want to miss!
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