Why the Holocaust Museum self-censored

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Hirshhorn Director Steps Down

Melissa Chiu, the director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden for 12 years, is leaving to take over at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. She is the fourth Smithsonian museum director to depart within the last two years but says her decision has nothing to do with the Trump administration. Her final project, a redesign of the museum’s sculpture garden, will open in October. [New York Times 🔒]

Bowser’s Final Budget Paints a Dire Picture

Mayor Bowser revealed her final budget proposal and it’s (unsurprisingly) not pretty. It includes $469M in cuts that will affect paid medical leave for workers, early childhood educator pay, and postpone raises for firefighters. Amid rising costs and flat revenue forecasts, significant cuts were inevitable, it is just a question of where they will come from. The proposal now heads to D.C. Council. [Washington Post 🔒]

Triumphal Arch Revealed

The Trump administration revealed renderings for the President’s planned 250-foot triumphal arch opposite the Lincoln Memorial. The behemoth structure features the phrase “One Nation Under God” and is topped with a winged Lady Liberty statue. The plan still requires congressional authorization and already faces a lawsuit by veterans and historic preservationists who say it would obstruct views of the cemetery. [ARLnow]

PG County Fights To Avert ICE Detention Centers

Lawmakers in Prince George’s County introduced a pair of bills to prevent an ICE detention facility from opening, closing any potential loopholes. While there are no current plans to build one in the county, there have been efforts in nearby Howard and Washington counties. [WTOP]

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