City Cast DC with Michael Schaffer
Is ‘Fedlandia’ DC’s newest neighborhood?
February 17, 2026 · 💌 Kaela
Cancel all my plans, an indie D.C. rom-com just dropped. “Step Back, Doors Are Closing” follows a couple falling in love in D.C. over the course of a weekend after a chance encounter on the metro. Take a shot every time they ride a Capital Bikeshare.
What's CITY Talking About
Au Pair Sentenced to 10 Years For Double Killing
A Brazilian au pair who developed a romantic relationship with her employer and plotted with him to murder his wife and another man in Herndon was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The term is the max allowed for manslaughter and went beyond the terms of an earlier plea deal. [WTOP]
Banner Expands To Cover DC Sports
For those still mourning Washington Post’s sports coverage, Baltimore Banner is expanding its sports coverage to include D.C. teams! They are adding reporters to cover the Nationals and Commanders, as well as enterprise reporting on the Capitals, Wizards, and Terps. City Cast also has open job postings for local reporters and an editor. [Baltimore Banner/City Cast DC]
Welcome to Fedlandia, DC’s Newest Neighborhood
A group of architects are pushing an ambitious plan to knock down a swath of neglected federal office buildings and replace them with a grand neoclassical vision — dubbed “Fedlandia.” It echoes a vision D.C. has considered for years but never gotten off the ground. Here’s what it might look like. [City Cast DC 🎧]
How the DHS Shutdown Affects You
The Department of Homeland Security is facing a funding lapse as part of the partial government shutdown. Axios predicts the closure will lead to long TSA wait times at the airport and slower disaster relief. [Axios]
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What To Do
Tuesday, Feb. 17
- 🪴 Soulentine’s Day: Kintsugi Creative Workshop at Femme Fatale (Cleveland Park)
- 🧨 Lunar New Year Celebration at Central Place Plaza (Rosslyn)
- ⛷️ Winter Olympics Watch Party at the Mt. Pleasant Library
- 🧠 Profs & Pints DC: Our Bodies, Our Minds at Penn Social (Penn Quarter)
- 🎞️ 37th Annual Black Film Festival at MLK Library (Downtown)
- 🎵 Tunes: Say She She at the Atlantis (U St. Corridor)
- 📚 Author Talk: “Clutch” at Solid State Books (H St. Corridor)
Wednesday, Feb. 18
- 📗 Book Talk: “American Struggle” at Sixth & I (Chinatown)
- 🪄 Profs & Pints: The Folklore of Love Spells at the Hill Center (Capitol Hill)
- 🐚 Tiny Lunar New Year Altars Workshop at Del Ray Artisans (Del Ray)
- 😁 Author Talk: “Every Happiness” at East City Bookshop (Capitol Hill)
- 🎹 Local Tunes: Jeff Barsky at the Rhizome (Takoma)
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This Reddit thread of joking nicknames for local businesses is the best thing you’ll see today. Harris Teeter: “The Teets.” Eebee’s: “Eebee Jeebie.” 9:30 Club: “Dirty Thirty.”
🎉 P.S. Big shoutout to our two newest City Cast DC members Kimberly K., and Stephanie M.! We ♥️ U
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