🚨 Federal officers dispatched to DC streets

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Trump Dispatches Federal Officers to DC Streets

Federal officers will continue to patrol parts of D.C. this week as part of a Trump-ordered surge targeting violent crime, including 120 FBI agents. Trump is expected to have a news conference this morning where he may announce further plans for a federal takeover of Washington. [NBC4, Washington Post, WTOP]

• Trump is not just zeroing in on violent crime. In a Truth Social post on Sunday, he also demanded that homeless residents leave D.C. [Truth Social]

Freak Wind Blasts Georgetown Canoe Club

D.C.’s summer storms have felt wild, but the Washington Canoe Club recently reported a sudden wind gust out of nowhere. This gust, possibly over 45 mph, flipped a canoe and tossed furniture into the Potomac during an otherwise calm and sunny day. The cause remains a mystery, but experts think it could’ve been a quirk of local weather or architecture. [Washington Post 🔒]

Baltimore Schools Face Federal Antisemitism Probe

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has opened a Title VI investigation into Baltimore City Public Schools after a complaint—including allegations of a teacher giving Nazi salutes—claims the district tolerated persistent antisemitic harassment toward Jewish students. [Washington Post 🔒]

The Wildest DC Political Scandals (That Didn’t Happen on Capitol Hill)

There’s always a lot of drama on Capitol Hill, but some of D.C.’s messiest political scandals have come from local politics. Case in point: the ongoing drama surrounding Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, who said on Friday (during his swearing-in ceremony after a special election) that he believes the FBI wants to arrest and kill him … more on that below.

City Cast DC host Michael Schaffer and NBC4’s Mark Segraves have both covered D.C. through all kinds of twists and turns, and take us on a greatest-hits tour of D.C.’s most chaotic local scandals.

🧃 Marion Barry’s Infamous Comeback

The 1990 FBI sting that caught Mayor Marion Barry smoking crack in a hotel room is still the most infamous moment in D.C. political history. But what made it legendary wasn’t just the arrest—it was the comeback. Barry served six months in prison, then got reelected.

Locals knew exactly why he won: Barry showed up for his constituents, and for many, the scandal didn’t erase the work. He’s still called “Mayor for Life” for a reason.

💰 The Bribes and the “Shadow Campaign”

Fast forward to the 2010s and the corruption gets more elaborate. Vince Gray’s campaign was accused of running a secret, multimillion-dollar “shadow campaign” funded by businessman Jeff Thompson. It was also shown that he spent city funds on several superfluous items, including a luxury SUV. Although Gray was never charged, several top aides were, and the whole thing caused enough of a stir that he lost reelection.

Around the same time, Councilmember Michael Brown was busted in an FBI sting for taking tens of thousands in bribes—some of it literally stuffed into duffel bags and handed off in a parking lot.

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