✊ Pro-Palestinian encampment draws hundreds

What's CITY Talking About?

GW Israel-Hamas War Protests Ramp Up

Pro-Palestinian protests at George Washington University continued throughout the weekend. Over 30 tents and hundreds of demonstrators – both students and non-students – filled the yard Sunday afternoon. The university suspended seven student demonstrators on Friday. They also requested D.C. police clear the encampment, but the police rejected the appeal. Protestors are demanding that their universities drop charges against the protesters, protect pro-Palestine speech on campus, and divest from companies supporting Israel. [WTOP/The GW Hatchet]

Police Officers Discharged for Misconduct

The Metropolitan Police Department will remove 21 officers at the end of the month. Of those, 12 will be dismissed because of a new provision in the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act. It prohibits MPD from renewing police officers with misconduct on their record. The provision is a permanent version of emergency legislation passed after the George Floyd protests in 2020. MPD opposes the dismissals, saying they already do not have enough officers to deal with crime. [WTOP]

DC’s Bars Among the Best

The “World’s 50 Best” just dropped their “Best 50 Bars in North America” list, with two D.C. spots making the cut. Service Bar and Eaton’s hidden Allegory bar came in at 22 and 23, respectively. Time to get tipsy 🍸 [The World’s 50 Best]

• Related: Service Bar and Allegory are rightfully getting their shine, but what are D.C.’s most underrated bars? [City Cast DC 🎧]

Downtown Loses Penn Quarter Farmers Market

The Penn Quarter farmers market is shutting down after 20 years. The market is the latest casualty of Downtown’s decline after struggling with low sales following the pandemic. [WTOP, City Cast DC 🎧]

Tuning In: May Local Music Guide

Welcome to another edition of our monthly music newsletter feature, where we highlight a local artist and upcoming shows from local acts. This month we interviewed long-time DMV indie darling, Sunstoney, who recently moved to Colorado and just dropped her latest EP last week.

🎙️ Spotlight: Sunstoney

Self-Described Sound:

Indie pop

Get To Know the Artist:

Ethiopian-American singer-songwriter Sunstoney grew up knowing she could carry a tune, but never thought much more of her talent. After her first real breakup when she moved to college, she decided to use her voice for catharsis. Sunstoney began to write out all her heartache. Then, she started knocking on her friends’ doors to inquire about music software like GarageBand, Ableton, and Logic Pro, so she could learn to create and produce her own music.

Fast-forward a decade and another move — this time from D.C. to Colorado — and Sunstoney is back to expressing her emotions through song. Her new EP, “The Mirror is Calling,” which dropped April 26, explores her journey towards self-love and discovering who she is after leaving her friends and community in the District. Her ethereal, dreamy pop sound adds a depth of intimacy and nostalgia throughout all five tracks.

Read the full interview here.

Next Show:

Sunstoney will headline at Songbyrd in July. Stay tuned! Listen to her new EP released last Friday.

Follow:

@sunstoney

Song to Check Out:

“The Mirror is Calling”

🎟️ Other Upcoming Local Shows To See

1. Flowerbomb (opening for PACKS) (Indie Rock) | May 5 | 8 p.m. | $15+| DC9
2. Brandin St. Clair, Ruqqiyah (opening for Leone) (Neo-Soul )| May 10 |8 p.m. | $12+ | The Pocket
3. S Y Z Y G Y X (opening for Godly the Ruly) (Synth-Pop) | May 11 | 10 p.m. | $22.25 | Comet Ping Pong
4. Nova Twins (Hard Alt. Rock) | May 14 | 8 p.m. | $25.75 | Songbyrd
5. Al Hostile (opening for serpentwithfeet) (R&B) | May 20 | 8 p.m. | $25+ | Union Stage

🎵 New Local Music Mentions

Griefcat: "Carbon Footprint"

If you’re a fan of satire, punk rock anthems, and lecturing people on sustainable practices, this song is for you! Griefcat’s latest album, “Late Stage Capitalism,” is full of funny themes and lyrics, but this track turns it up to 11.

🎧 Your DC Playlist

Check out this Spotify playlist we made, featuring Sunstoney’s songs and inspirations, plus music by the other local bands you should know.

Where Is It?

First, what was last week’s photo?

Nice work detectives. This statue, called "Man Controlling Trade,” is located outside the Federal Trade Commission on Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

The statue represents the struggle between federal regulators and unbridled markets, reflecting the FTC’s mission of promoting competition and protecting consumers.

The artist, 29-year-old sculptor Michael Lantz, was given $45,600 to complete the statue and its twin on the other side of the building. It was a life-changing sum for Lantz, who previously earned $94 a month at his government relief job.

I am not sure how many federal regulators I’ve met that look quite as chiseled, but we can all dream.

🏆 Congratulations to Pierre F., D.B. (again!), and Jen J. for being the first three to guess correctly.

Now, onto this week’s challenge:

More statue trivia! Where is this statue located? Bonus points if you can tell me what it memorializes.

What To Do

Today on City Cast

Big Drama in D.C.’s Little Leagues

Parents behaving badly? High-powered lawyers? The Wall Street Journal’s James Fanelli is here to walk us through his epic story about a Northwest D.C. Little League conflict.