This Week's Edition : 7-23-26

A Summer Recess Well Earned

Doni Crawford’s Last Hoo-rah, Postponement of Ballot Initiative Legislation, Hill East Development Debate, Passage of RESALE Act, and Ride-share Drivers’ Fight for Jobs

By Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr. WI Senior Staff Writer

When the D.C. Council resumes business in the fall, it will be without Doni Crawford, the interim council member who lost her bid to finish out the rest of her former boss' council term.

During the council's last legislative meeting before summer recess, a teary-eyed Crawford received her flowers— literally and figuratively— before thanking the members of her team and commenting on what she called the experience of a lifetime.

Target’s

Bullseye Builds Works to Revitalize Ward 8 Community Garden

After National Boycott, Employees Emphasize Longstanding Diversity Efforts

By Jordan Armstead WI Intern

After a 2025 national boycott, profit loss and change in leadership, Target is emphasizing the company's work to engage and support com-

5

“This has been my favorite job thus far,” Crawford said on the afternoon of July 14. “I've enjoyed it as a staffer, and now I've had the pleasure of doing it as a member. I don't want it to stop, but unfortunately it has to end this week, and I thank you all for your words,

COLLINS REPORT Page 36

Washington Informer)

munities across the U.S., including in the nation’s capital.

As part of Target’s nationwide community service initiative Bullseye Builds, launched in 2024, the corporation is collaborating with local organizations to revitalize a community garden at Town Hall

Page 13

Advocates Decry Impending Elimination of Homeland Security Commission Documents

By Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr. WI Senior Staff Writer

As the D.C. Council starts summer recess, transparency advocates inside and outside the D.C. government are still raising alarm about what recently transpired in council chambers.

Just over a week ago, the council approved the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Support Act (BSA) with a subtitle dissolving the Homeland Security Commission (HSC) and allowing for: the destruction of all commission records; a lifetime gag order on current and former commissioners; and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) exemptions for HSC and the agency under which it exists.

Elissa 2.0: Some Enthusiasm, and Skepticism, about the D.C. Council Returnee

By Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr. WI Senior Staff Writer

For at least the rest of the calendar year, Elissa Silverman will serve as one of the D.C. Council’s non-party affiliated members, a role she had for eight years before her defeat at the hands of then-Ward 5 D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie in 2022.

As she prepares to, once again, weigh in on legislation and conduct oversight, Silverman has people in her corner prepared to allay concerns about her brand of white progressivism.

“You just can't put in new bath wa-

ELISSA Page 36

4 Newly minted council returnee Elissa Silverman will serve as a non-party affiliated member of the legislative body for the rest of the calendar year. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

We Proudly Welcome Our Summer 2026 Interns

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STACY M. BROWN, WI SENIOR WRITER

Viral ‘Natasha’ Doll Sparks Outrage, Revives History of Toys Used to Dehumanize Black People

A viral toy marketed as a stress-relief doll has drawn condemnation from African American advocates, mental health professionals and historians after videos circulating on Chinese social media showed users stomping, stretching, slapping and even boiling a Black baby doll for entertainment.

The controversy centers on the so-called “Natasha” doll, a toy that resembles a dark-skinned child and has become a social media trend in China. Videos posted online show users physically abusing the doll while presenting the acts as comedy or a way to relieve stress.

For District-area psychiatrist Dr. Allan Cofield, the toy represents something far more troubling than an internet fad.

“The Black female, to go along with Malcolm X, has always been the most disrespected and unprotected Jackson spent his life surrounded by people who wanted something from him. Money. Fame. Access. Control.

person in the world and they have been a punching bag for white folks, obviously the Chinese, and unfortunately sometimes Black men,” Cofield told The Informer. “This doll carries that tradition and there’s no merchant who should be willing to carry this obscene and racist toy that satisfies the violent and hateful instincts of those who are seeking to buy such object.”

The controversy has also prompted questions about whether such a product could be sold in the United States. The Informer contacted District Attorney General Brian Schwalb’s office to ask whether a toy marketed around the abuse of a Black child-like figure could be sold in the District and whether consumer protection or anti-discrimination laws might apply. As of publication, Schwalb’s office had not responded. WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

EXCLUSIVE: Inside the Making of ‘Michael’ as the Jackson

5 With worldwide grosses approaching $960 million, “Michael” is becoming the highest-grossing music biopic and biographical film ever released. (Courtesy Photo)

Biopic Rewrites Box Office History

theaters turning into emotional revivals, may explain why audiences around the globe are responding as though they have been waiting decades to finally see Jackson tell his story on his own terms.

Some wanted a hit record. Some wanted a check. Some wanted ownership of the man himself.

But according to the people behind the blockbuster Lionsgate biopic “Michael,” only a tiny circle ever truly protected him.

And that, more than the sequins, moonwalks and sold-out

“It’s not just another music film,” longtime Jackson attorney and estate co-executor John Branca told The Informer in an exclusive interview. “The first time this story could be told. Not everyone else’s story, whether real or made up. Michael’s story.”

That story is now rewriting box-office history.

With worldwide grosses approaching $960 million, “Michael” has become the highest-grossing music biopic and biographical film ever released. The movie sits at No. 2 on the worldwide box-office chart for 2026 and appears head-

Every month, Social Security is supposed to provide certainty.

For millions of Americans, the federal program remains the financial foundation that keeps a roof overhead, groceries on the table and medications within reach.

This week, beneficiaries across the country are receiving their July payments as scheduled. Yet for others, the system has become a source of uncertainty, with administrative delays and customer service problems leaving some disabled Americans waiting months for benefits they say they were entitled to receive all along.

“I had gotten behind on all my bills,” District resident Mary Gates told WUSA9 after her Social Security disability benefits stopped when a work-study position at the University of the District of Columbia ended. the District of Columbia ended. “They’re telling me, ‘Well, we’re still working on it.’”

For Gates, the interruption quickly became more than a bureaucratic headache.

She said her work-study assignment ended in March, but so did the disability payments she relied on. Weeks turned into months as she repeatedly contacted the Social Security Administration seeking answers. Without the monthly income, she feared she would lose her home before anyone corrected the problem. It was only after Legal Aid DC became involved that her benefits were restored.

Her experience comes as the Social Security Administration continues processing payments for more than 75 million Americans who receive either Social Security or Supplemental Security Income. For most recipients, July benefits are arriving according to the agency’s regular payment calendar, with beneficiaries whose birthdays fall between the 21st and 31st scheduled to receive payments Wednesday.

SOCIAL SECURITY Page 14

AI Boom Drives Fight Over Electric Bills as D.C., Virginia and Maryland Clash Over Data Centers

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The artificial intelligence (AI) boom is beginning to hit consumers' wallets across the Washington region, with a new electricity auction expected to add $6.3 billion in future power costs. Further, officials in the District, Northern Virginia and Maryland struggle over where massive data centers should be built and who should pay for the infrastructure needed to keep them running.

PJM Interconnection, the operator of the nation's largest electric grid serving 67 million people across 13 states and the District of Columbia, said electricity demand is rising faster than new power generation can be added to the system. The grid operator identified the rapid expansion of data centers as the primary force behind that growing imbalance.

“These auction results show that demand for electricity continues to grow faster than electricity supply,” PJM President and Chief Executive Officer David Mills said. “We are working with government and industry leaders on multiple fronts to restore that balance by bringing on new generation as fast as possible and managing the growth of new load on the grid.”

MICHAEL from Page 4

ed toward the $1 billion mark.

Its momentum continues to be fueled by strong international audiences. The film recently became the first release this year to surpass $20 million in Russia, held remarkably well in Japan after opening weekend and remains one of the top-performing films of the year in Brazil.

“After the opening weekend, seeing the reaction around the world, on social media, at the box office, we realized this was going to be something very special, something we haven’t seen before,” Branca said.

The veteran entertainment lawyer, who first met Jackson in 1980 when Michael was 21 and Branca was 29, said the film succeeds because it captures something often lost beneath decades of headlines and controversy.

“I want to be real about this because

The industry's rapid growth has also produced growing public opposition and increased skepticism toward data centers continues to grow. A Gallup survey recently found that 71% of Americans oppose building artificial intelligence data centers in their communities, including 48% who strongly oppose them. Respondents most often cited concerns about electricity consumption, water use, environmental damage and higher utility bills, while supporters pointed to economic development, tax revenue and job creation.

Those concerns have become especially visible in the D.C. metropolitan area, where the world's largest concentration of data centers sits just outside the District in Northern Virginia.

The region has become indispensable to the nation's digital economy. Data centers process cloud computing, artificial intelligence applications, financial transactions, federal government operations and internet traffic flowing between North America and Europe. Washington itself serves as one of the country's major communications hubs, with commercial facilities supporting government agencies, defense contractors, financial institutions and thousands of enterprise customers.

Michael fired me several times and always brought me back,” Branca said.

“Trust wasn’t always easy for Michael.”

Branca explained their relationship was tested repeatedly as Jackson navigated extraordinary fame and the constant influence of people seeking access to him.

“We had a wonderful relationship in the ’80s and a little more challenging when time went on because there were so many people in his ear,” Branca said. “So, I don’t want to make it seem like Michael always trusted me and it wasn’t always champagne and roses.”

Still, Branca said Jackson ultimately showed where his trust rested.

“In the end he chose to keep John McClain and I in the will as executors and that said a lot to me,” Branca said.

“We always fought for Michael.”

WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

That growth has fueled billions of dollars in new electric infrastructure and further discussions about its effect on residents.

“The AI boom has rapidly accelerated data center development, prompting more conversations about how they impact the communities and landscapes around them,” according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

Energy Plans, Questions in Virginia

In Virginia, Gov. Abigail Spanberger's administration has taken one of its strongest positions yet, arguing that the companies driving the surge in electricity demand should bear more of the cost rather than shifting expenses onto households and small businesses.

In comments filed with the State Corporation Commission, Chief Energy Officer Josephus Allmond urged regulators to require large-load customers, including data centers, to pay for transmission projects built specifically to

serve them.

“It is a core policy of the administration of[Gov. Abigail Spanberger ... to foster an affordable, reliable, and clean energy system,” Allmond wrote. “This includes strong support for proactive, right sized, and cost-effective transmission development.”

The filing argues that appropriate safeguards are necessary to prevent residential customers from subsidizing infrastructure built for large commercial users. It notes that recent adjustments shifted roughly $58 million in transmis-

sion costs away from households and onto large-load customers while reducing the projected monthly surcharge for a typical residential customer.

Virginia officials also questioned Dominion Energy's growing investment plans.

According to the filing, the utility expects billions of dollars in future transmission spending, with more than three-quarters of those investments supporting data centers or mixed-use projects concentrated largely in Northern VirginAI BOOM Page 12

AROUND THE REGION

July 23

July 27

Signage Solutions

Signage Solutions

1891 – Louis Tompkins Wright, famed surgeon and civil rights activist, is born in LaGrange, Georgia.

1962 – Baseball great Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in the major leagues, is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

1984 – Vanessa Williams is forced to give up her Miss America title amid a nude-photograph scandal. She is replaced by Suzette Charles.

July 24

1954 – Civil rights activist and founding NAACP member Mary Church Terrell, who was the first African American to serve on the D.C. board of education, dies in Annapolis.

July 25

1943 – The USS Harmon, the first warship to be named after an African American, is launched in Quincy, Massachusetts

1972 – After The Associated Press breaks the story, US. government officials admit to the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, where Blacks were used as guinea pigs in syphilis tests under the ruse of receiving free health care.

1990 – Black Enterprise publisher Earl Graves and basketball legend Magic Johnson sign an agreement to purchase Pepsi-Cola of Washington, D.C., becoming the nation's biggest minority-controlled Pepsi franchise.

1992 – Gen. Colin Powell dedicates the Buffalo Soldiers monument at Fort Leavenworth.

July 26

1847 – Liberia becomes the first African nation on the continent to gain its independence.

2004 – Then-Sen. Barack Obama delivers an acclaimed keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, putting him on the national politics radar and launching him on the path to the White House four years later.

July 28

1868 – The 14th Amendment, guaranteeing to African Americans citizenship, and all its privileges, is ratified.

July 29

1895 – The first National Convention of Black Women is held in Boston.

1909 – Crime novelist Chester Himes, author of "Cotton Comes to Harlem" and "A Rage in Harlem," is born in Jefferson City, Missouri. WI

AROUND THE REGION

view P INT

EVAN ALDRIDGE

AND MYA TRUJILLO WI INTERN AND WI MULTIMEDIA REPORTER

“As cities across the nation, including D.C., deal with the repercussions of the Canadian wildfires, what are some of your concerns about potential long-term effects?”

KIMYATTA NEWBY / NORTHWEST, D.C

“The impact on lung function, allergies, greenhouse gases, the plant life damaged in Canada and how it impacted their ecosystem, houses lost, damage to our immune systems from smoke, “long COVID” getting exacerbated by the smoke…[and] experiencing the smog.”

ESSENIA SATYA / NORTHEAST, D.C.

IMANI M. / BOWIE, MD

“I think the biggest concern that I have is the air quality.”

“When the California wildfires happened, the biggest things [we were told were] everybody stay indoors…try not to take your pets outside. I also imagine in a post-COVID society, where almost everyone has “long COVID” or some sort of long-term [or pre-existing] respiratory infection…[wildfire smoke], it’s only going to exacerbate and make those things worse."

ELLE / BALTIMORE, MD

FATY ADAM / SOUTHWEST, D.C.

“This is normal stuff to me; this happens everywhere.”

“For people who have existing conditions, this made me think about what would happen if these [wildfires] were to become more prevalent.”

Our staff is made up of writers, just like you. We are dedicated to making publishing dreams come true. Trusted by authors for nearly 100 years, Dorrance has made countless authors’ dreams come true.

AROUND THE REGION

“I don't understand how the council held that to be legally sufficient,” D.C. Auditor Kathleen Patterson told The Informer. “We have a record retention law that says records have to be maintained for at least seven years… so I don't understand how that could go forward without any kind of debate.”

In her last act as Ward 3 D.C. council member two decades ago, Patterson secured the passage of the legislation launching HSC and revamping what’s known as D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA). While transparency advocates, specifically those who Patterson would later work with, didn’t express qualms about the commission’s dissolution, they took issue with the BSA subtitle preventing preservation of information.

Patterson also chimed in, calling it an affront to all that she’s worked toward during her council tenure.

“I'm an ex-newspaper reporter,” Patterson said. “I did lots of FOIA amendments as a council member. I brought the council under FOIA legislation, so I have a record that indicates my own support for open government.”

The D.C. Open Government Coalition’s Call that Went Unanswered

According to DC Code § 2-1706, each District agency is responsible for records management. In instances, perhaps like that involving the HSC,

Robert S. Becker of the D.C. Open Government Coalition says the Budget Support Act subtitle that eliminated the Homeland Security Commission included anti-transparency provisions that are too broad. (Courtesy Photo)

5 In her personal capacity, D.C. Auditor Kathleen Patterson advocated for the preservation of the Homeland Security Commission, her brainchild as a council member. Patterson questioned the legality of the council’s recent move to eliminate the commission’s records (Courtesy Photo) when inactive public records have historical significance, the agency is required to transfer them to the D.C. Archives for preservation and referencing.

That’s why, in June, with the second reading of the Fiscal Year 2027 BSA just days away, the D.C. Open Government Coalition, where Patterson served as a founding board member and president, sent each council member a letter decrying the HSC dissolution subtitle concerning destruction of documents and silencing of commissioners.

“At least somebody in the archivist’s office should go through them and determine whether they should be preserved,” Robert S. Becker, author of the June 26 letter, said about HSC records. “They are not in a category of records that can, under statute and regulations, can be destroyed, except the council has now passed a piece of legislation that tells the agency to destroy them.”

Becker, representing D.C. Open Government Coalition’s government relations committee, concluded that the subtitle aimed to “erase the commission’s history.” In his letter, he said the subtitle should’ve been introduced as a standalone bill, all while calling the gag order provision overly broad, unenforceable, and an infringement on subject-matter experts’ First Amendment rights.

For Becker, the subtitle also rests on the assumption that all HSC meetings were secret.

“I suspect that a lot of the informa-

tion that they had, even if it contains some classified information, also contained a lot of information that wasn't classified,” Becker said. “And those are records that should be available under FOIA.”

No council members responded to the D.C. Open Government Coalition’s letter, Becker said.

Much to the chagrin of local journalists and coalition members, the council permanently narrowed the scope of its engagement with the D.C. Government Open Meetings Act earlier this year. The move built upon emergency legislation approved last year to allow council members, under the shadow of the Trump White House and congressional Republicans, to meet privately about sensitive issues.

As the D.C. Open Government Coalition noted, the recently approved legislation, titled the Open Meetings Clarification Amendment Act, also placed the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council outside of the realm of the D.C. Open Government Meetings Act.

Becker said the council, as seen in FOIA exemptions for HSC documentation, has taken a similar posture toward public access to information.

“Usually, Open Records Act exemptions cover types of records to protect privacy and trade secrets,” Becker said, “but the council has had this tendency to say that all of the records of this body aren't subject to the HOMELAND Page 11

Trump Extends National Guard Mission in D.C. Through End of Presidency, Fueling

New Questions Over States’ Role

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

President Donald Trump has extended the National Guard mission in the nation’s capital through the end of his presidency, ensuring that thousands of members will remain on Washington’s streets until at least Jan. 20, 2029, and intensifying a national debate over the growing use of military personnel in civilian communities.

The Pentagon confirmed the extension last week, saying the mission will continue “until Jan. 20, 2029, or until terminated by the President.”

The deployment, first ordered in August 2025 under Trump’s declaration of a crime emergency in the District, had previously been scheduled to expire at the end of this year.

The decision immediately renewed scrutiny of a mission that has drawn sharply different reactions from the White House, District officials, governors and civil liberties advocates. It also raised fresh questions about the role states will continue to play in supplying troops for what has evolved from a temporary response into a years-long federal security operation.

No state has found itself at the center of that debate more recently than Hawaii.

Gov. Josh Green (D) has faced mounting pressure from good-government organizations, voting rights advocates and civil liberties groups to recall Hawaii National Guard members sent to the District earlier this month. The coalition argues Hawaii troops should remain available for emergencies at home instead of participating in a federal mission they describe as policing civilians in the nation’s capital.

The controversy intensified after differing explanations emerged about what Hawaii’s soldiers are doing in D.C.

State Adjutant General Stephen Logan initially said Hawaii’s Guard members were assigned to

a battalion-sized task force providing security and support for America250 and Freedom 250 celebrations surrounding the nation’s semi quincentennial. But the Joint Task Force later clarified that Hawaii’s personnel perform the same authorized mission as other Guard units assigned to Washington, including supporting local police and federal law enforcement, providing monument security, conducting community safety patrols, protecting federal facilities and assisting with traffic control.

“The Hawaii National Guard exists to protect the people of Hawaii — not to police Americans in their own neighborhoods,” Common Cause Hawaii State Director Camron Hurt said in urging Green to bring the troops home. “By allowing Hawaii’s troops to be used to intimidate and harass the people of Washington, D.C., Governor Green is setting a dangerous precedent.”

Hawaii is not alone.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz recently withdrew his state’s Guard members after they were seen patrolling neighborhoods well beyond Independence Day events, adding to the political pressure surrounding the operation.

The Trump administration has

consistently defended the deployment, arguing it has helped restore order in the District.

According to the Justice Department, the broader D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, made up of more than 30 federal agencies, has made more than 13,900 arrests, removed more than 1,500 illegal firearms and recovered 23 missing children since the operation began. Officials say the task force will continue operating over the next three years.

National Guard Bureau Chief Gen. Steve Nordhaus also praised the troops’ work during remarks earlier this month, saying Guard members have saved more than 235 lives, provided more than 530 medical assists, reunited 27 children with their families and supported law enforcement throughout the city.

“You all have done an amazing job,” Nordhaus told Guard members assigned to the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force. “You all have saved over 235 lives. You all have done over 530 medical assistances to personnel, you have restored children back to their families 27 times, and you have done amazing things in support of law en-

AROUND THE REGION

In an evening that celebrated history, entrepreneurship, and the enduring influence of Black media, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser presented the Key to the City to media visionary Cathy Hughes during a special ceremony at Sycamore & Oak in Southeast Washington. Pictured is TV One President Michelle Rice, Cora Masters Barry, Alfred C. Liggins, Cathy Hughes (holding the key to the city) and Mayor Muriel Bowser. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

CAPTURE

THE MOMENt

WI Editorial Intern Evan Aldridge reads a recent edition of The Washington Informer (WI). (Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

"We will all, at some point, encounter hurdles to

MISSION from Page 9

forcement to make sure we reduce crime.”

‘The National Guard is Not Contributing to Law Enforcement’

District leaders dispute whether the military presence deserves credit for the city’s public safety gains.

A recent analysis by the Niskanen Center concluded the deployment reduced some opportunistic property crime during its first six months but found no measurable impact on violent

HOMELAND from Page 8

statute, regardless of whether they contain any sensitive information. That's what happens with the Homeland Security Commission.”

Chairman Mendelson Weighs In, While Patterson Reflect on Attempt to Save Her Brainchild

District of Columbia Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D) said he didn’t receive the D.C. Open Government Coalition’s letter, while District Councilmember Charles Allen’s (D) office acknowledged the Ward 6 legislator's receipt of the letter, and nothing else as it pertains to “a bit more effort to make sure people see it and know what’s going on.”

Other council members, including D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2), chair of the council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry about the letter. In a separate email, Pinto’s office called the destruction of HSC documents a matter of protecting classified information, and an undertaking that’s “vital to the District’s public safety efforts.”

“The government’s greatest responsibility is to provide for the safety and wellbeing of our residents and visitors,” Pinto said in a statement, “and I am grateful for the hard work of the Homeland Security Commission in years past and the continuing work of HSEMA to ensure that our preventative homeland security efforts are strong and secure.”

crime, which researchers said had already been declining. The report estimated the Guard mission costs taxpayers roughly $1.65 million each day.

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has remained among the deployment’s most outspoken critics.

“The national guard is not contributing to law enforcement,” Mendelson said. “The presence of armed soldiers on our streets is unnecessary, hurts potential visitors to the district, creates the wrong impression about safety, and that’s not helpful.”

The city’s unique status as a federal district has limited the D.C.’s

In speaking about the HSC dissolution subtitle, Mendelson echoed points made by Pinto’s office.

“I don't think you can correlate that to government going down this path of becoming less transparent,”

Mendelson told The Informer. “If the Homeland Security records have to deal with security threats to the city, then there would be a value to not having them open to the public for a period of time.”

Becker, however, said Mendelson has always been on the wrong side of history.

“He has been opposed to transparency his entire time on the council,” Becker told The Informer. “He strongly opposed the first Open [Government] Meetings Act that Kathy Patterson introduced in 2006 and managed, with [At-large D.C. Councilmember] Carol Schwartz and some others, to defeat it. They got it tabled and referred back to the committee, and it died.”

During the latter part of 2006, in what was her last legislative meeting as council member, Patterson proved successful in ushering the passage of the Homeland Security, Risk Reduction and and Preparedness Act.

AROUND THE REGION

ability to challenge the deployment. Unlike governors, District Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has no authority to command the D.C. National Guard or order Guard units from other states to leave the city, leaving local officials with little direct control over a mission that now has an end date two-anda-half years away.

Furthermore, as the National Guard patrols District streets, advocates are worried they will be unavailable to do the necessary work in their states.

“As we approach hurricane season, our National Guard members must remain here at home and be available for its core purposes: disaster relief and other local emergencies,” a coalition urging the recall of Hawaii’s troops wrote in a letter. “Committing our Guard to an open-ended mission thousands of miles away would greatly undermine that readiness.” WI

You want thriving? Try $2.2 billion in lifetime savings for residents and businesses in all eight wards.

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The legislation established HSC as a means of gathering and evaluating information about, and advising the D.C. government on, homeland security matters. Other provisions expanded the responsibility of what would ultimately become HSEMA, strengthened requirements for the District’s emergency response plan, and mandated the creation of employee security training programs. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com. Still redefining power in the District.

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

ia. The administration warned that building infrastructure for speculative projects could leave captive ratepayers paying for facilities that never reach full use.

In Loudoun County, already considered the data center capital of the world, hundreds of residents have pushed back against new high-voltage transmission lines proposed to support additional development.

Some homeowners object to towers that could approach the height of the Statue of Liberty and oppose routes cutting through established neighborhoods. Dominion Energy maintains the transmission projects are necessary to preserve electric reliability as demand continues to increase.

“At Dominion Energy, we are dedicated to providing the reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy that powers our customers every day,” the company wrote in an October 2024 letter to

residents related to a new electric transmission within White Oak Technology Park.

The Data Center Battle in Prince George’s County

The debate has also reached Maryland.

Prince George's County recently approved a two-year moratorium on new hyperscale data center development, giving lawmakers time to determine where the facilities should be permitted and what regulations should govern them.

Council Chair Krystal Oriadha has said she would prefer a permanent ban, while Councilmember Wala Blegay has questioned whether county officials have enough information about how large facilities could affect water resources and surrounding communities before approving additional projects.

“Prince George’s County should absolutely pursue economic growth and new sources of rev-

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5 Advocates speak out against a potential data center in Landover, Maryland. A recent Gallup survey reveals 71%

Americans oppose building artificial intelligence data centers in their communities. (WI File Photo/Robert

enue. But not every project is worth the cost. Data centers can have significant impacts on our environment, our energy grid, our water resources, our land use, and the quality of life in surrounding neighborhoods,” Blegay said in a press statement on July 9. “Before we move forward with any largescale data center development, we must make sure we fully understand those consequences and put the right protections in place.” Although most hyperscale campuses are located outside the District, Washington residents remain directly connected to the issue because the city shares PJM's regional electric grid. Capacity auction prices established through PJM eventually become part of electricity rates paid by customers

throughout its service territory, including the District of Columbia.

PJM says new data centers can be planned and built two to three times faster than many power plants needed to supply them. The organization has expanded efforts to speed new generation projects, improve transmission planning, streamline interconnection studies and develop new rules allowing large electricity users to reduce demand during periods of grid stress.

“The challenges facing the electric system will not be solved overnight,” PJM said in outlining its strategy. “But PJM is pursuing a range of near-term and long-term solutions aimed at maintaining reliability, supporting economic growth and enabling regulators to protect consumers.” WI

Prince George's County recently approved a two-year moratorium on new hyperscale data center development, giving lawmakers time to determine where the facilities should be permitted and what regulations should govern them.

BUSINESS

Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) in Southeast D.C.

”I think the most exciting thing about this event is what happens when we leave,” Target Executive Vice President Kiera Fernandez told The Informer, ”and that is the community will have a space with some transformation done to it so the people that live here are able to come in, be in the garden, walk the path and see the new paint. Kids can come here [and] see we left the space better than we found it.”

Volunteers that joined this Bullseye Builds event— including Fernandez and other company leadership and employees from stores across the DMV area— were tasked with improving the walking trail, community garden, greenhouse and mural behind the THEARC campus.

“We want our teams and our guests [at Target] to know that we’re incredibly invested in our local communities,” said Manjot Guraya, group vice president for Target stores mostly in D.C. and Virginia, with a few locations also in Maryland and North Carolina. “I think as a D.C. resident who grew up in the area and lives in Union Market, it’s awesome when the company that I work for and the teams that I get to work with every day are excited to show up and invest in the local community.”

The Volunteer Fairfax team helped gather more than 100 volunteers and supplies, and handled the logistics of the day.

Together, the volunteers laid down fresh soft mulch and brick linings for the trail, new seedlings and flowers for the garden, and fresh paint for the children’s mural.

For Guraya, who grew up in the DMV and started as an assistant manager at Target 13 years ago, Bullseye Builds sends an important message to the community and people who work for his corporation.

“A lot of the team members that are here today live and work in the greater D.C. area,” he told The Informer. “I think it was really important that we show up for the community and I think we’re also showing our teams that we’re incredibly invested in supporting the local communities that they live in.”

Target Volunteer Says ‘DEI Never Really Went Anywhere’

The Bullseye Builds initiative was launched in 2024, about a year before three Minnesota activists— Nekima Levy Armstrong, Monique Cullars-Doty, and Jaylani Hussein— called for the original Target boycott.

CNBC reported in January 2025 about a Target employee receiving an internal memo, reportedly written and sent by Fernandez, detailing the Minneapolis-based retailer’s plan to end its three-year diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals.

In cutting DEI efforts, Target, under former Target CEO Brian Cornell, would stop external diversity surveys to nonprofits like the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. Further, the corporation would end supplier diversity programs that brought more products from Black and minority-owned businesses.

Levy Armstrong, Cullars-Doty and Hussein ignited the boycott, sparking other activists, such as the Rev. Al Sharpton, the Rev. Jamal Bryant and Tamika Mallory, to join the fight.

“[Target ] acted cowardly, and they

made the decision to bow down to the Trump administration,” Levy Armstrong told MPR News in January 2024, “when we are here today, saying we will not bow down.”

In March, Bryant announced his efforts were shifting from a Target boycott to a greater justice cause. Nonetheless, the corporation felt the sting. Since Target’s first rollback, the company lost at least $12 billion in valuation and about three quarters of profit, according to a March Washington Informer report. Following the resulting backlash and declining sales, Michael Fiddelke took over as Target's CEO.

Still, two years since the internal memo was sent, Fiddelke has not issued a public statement denouncing previous stances. However, the CEO

has reportedly apologized internally to employees.

“As a billion-dollar company, you cannot harm people in public and then apologize in private,” said Mallory, co-founder of the intersectional social justice organization known as Until Freedom in March 2026. “If the harm was public, then the acknowledgement must be public as well. It must be clear and it must be heard by all of those impacted.”

Having worked for the company as a store executive right out of college, Fernandez, chief community and stakeholder engagement officer, said community service is “deeply rooted in Target’s DNA.”

As a byproduct of the Dayton Hudson Corporation, Fernandez,

while volunteering at the Thursday afternoon event, said Target has long been focused and invested in communities and belonging.

“There are shifts that happen in business all of the time,” Fernandez, who also serves as president of the Target Foundation, told The Informer. “We’ve had a long-standing history of being really focused on inclusive workspaces, accessible workspaces, investing in diverse-represented organizations and people. Our team is 50% women, more than 50% people of color, and you see that represented everywhere we go in our stores and our distribution centers.”

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Commercial Window Film Purchase, Installation, Maintenance and Repair Services

Invitation for Bid (IFB) Bid #25-S-056

The Washington Convention and Sports Authority t/a Events DC is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to provide Commercial Window Film Purchase, Installation, Maintenance and Repair Services. Interested parties can view a copy of the IFB by accessing Event DC’s e-procurement website at https://eventsdc.com/about/procurement.

Key Dates

IFB Release Date: 5:00P.M. EST Thursday July 23, 2026

IFB Questions Due Date: 5:00P.M. EST Monday August 10, 2026

IFB Response Due Date: 5:00P.M. EST Monday August 24, 2026

Primary Contact

Ishmael Murray, Senior Procurement and System Analyst Email: imurray@eventsdc.com / Phone: 202-249-3701

Designing Your Second Half: Why Intention Matters More Than Hustle

By DC Black MBA

January is often filled with ambitious resolutions, carefully crafted vision boards, and lofty professional goals. By July, however, reality has a way of reshaping those plans. Deadlines shift, priorities evolve, unexpected opportunities emerge, and setbacks test our resolve. Rather than viewing the middle of the year as a checkpoint to measure what has not been accomplished, successful leaders and entrepreneurs see it as an opportunity to recalibrate, refine, and recommit.

The second half of the year is less about starting over and more about designing what comes next with intention.

Whether you lead a business, manage a team, serve in your community, or are building your career, intentionality is becoming one of today's most valuable leadership skills. It means making purposeful decisions instead of simply reacting to whatever appears next. It requires clarity, discipline, and perhaps most importantly, the willingness to say "no" to opportunities that do not align with your long-term vision.

For two women leading in very different spaces—education and creative entrepreneurship—that philosophy has become the foundation of how they approach both their work and their lives.

For Alicia Oglesby, a high school counselor, the second half of the year is about reinforcing the investments already made in students rather than rushing toward something new.

"I'm most excited to build on the work I started with students at the beginning of the year," Oglesby reflects. "It's always important to me to strengthen the comprehensive lessons from the first few months of school. Follow-up and reiteration are imperative when counseling students toward healthy behaviors."

Her perspective offers an important

reminder for professionals in every industry: growth often comes through consistency rather than constant reinvention.

As schools and workplaces alike continue adapting to the rapidly changing technology landscape, Oglesby is also paying close attention to artificial intelligence and its influence on young people. "The hot topic right now is certainly artificial intelligence and the impact of machine learning on students," she shares. "I am keeping tabs on these trends, particularly how social media and technology impact student communication and relationships."

While technology continues to evolve, Oglesby believes relationships remain the most valuable resource professionals can cultivate. "Networking and community involvement are everything in high school counseling," she explains. "Educators should work against being siloed. Community exists so that we can support each other and raise the next generation together."

She points to an old proverb that has become something of a professional mantra: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

That emphasis on community is echoed by entrepreneur and creative strategist Tiffany Green, whose work centers on elevating independent designers, creatives, and brand owners through intentional storytelling and curated experiences.

"I'm most excited about opportunities where I can continue to center independent designers, creatives, and brand owners," Green shares. "Developing those partnerships and helping bring their stories to life in a meaningful way is really important to me. That kind of work feels aligned and impactful."

Like many entrepreneurs, Green is embracing artificial intelligence without allowing it to replace what makes creative work distinctive. "AI is the trend we're all talking about right now," she explains. "It's creating more efficiency, but it's also pushing us to be more intentional about creativity, originality, and the human element, which is where I believe the real value still lives."

Although Oglesby and Green serve different audiences, their advice converges around one powerful idea which is intention. Intentional success is built through consistent daily choices rather than occasional moments of inspiration.

Oglesby encourages people to surround themselves with encouraging voices. "People should be sure to find supportive communities, whether they share your profession or not," she expresses. "We all need people to vent to as well as to call when we

need encouragement."

She also cautions against the pursuit of perfection. "Take pressure off of yourself to be perfect, no one is," she states. "Instead, focus on your personal aspirations and the small steps it takes over time to reach those goals. I love vision boards for this reason. It helps me remember who and what is essential to my life."

Green's advice begins with clarity. "Get clear on what you actually want and write it down," she stresses. "Then identify one action that directly supports that goal and commit to it. Having a plan and a system in place makes a difference. Freestyling will only take you so far."

Success is rarely the product of one dramatic decision. More often, it is built through dozens of intentional choices made quietly, consistently, and with purpose.

The second half of the year has already begun. The question is no longer whether you can achieve your goals, it is whether you will intentionally design the path that leads you there.

Headlines about this month’s payments have focused on the maximum possible retirement benefit of $5,181. That figure, however, applies only to workers who earned at or above Social Security’s taxable wage cap for at least 35 years and delayed claiming benefits until age 70. Only about 1% to 2% of beneficiaries receive the maximum monthly payment, while the average monthly Social Security benefit is about $1,937.

Advocates say those numbers mean little to beneficiaries whose payments stop unexpectedly.

“I started working with Ms. Gates in March, and she first got a payment in July,” said Stacy Cloyd, a senior staff attorney with Legal Aid DC.

Cloyd said restoring disability benefits after someone stops working “should be a straightforward process and should not require legal assistance.”

“It’s frustrating and it’s very challenging for people like Ms. Gates,” Cloyd concluded.

Former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley said beneficiaries should not have to seek help from elected officials or attorneys simply to obtain benefits or information from the agency.

“People paid for their customer service with the same dollars that they paid into for their benefits,” O’Malley said.

“I would consider it a failing as commissioner if somebody felt like

they had to call their congressperson or senator just to get an appointment or just to get through.”

The customer service concerns come as staffing has declined across the agency. According to publicly available Social Security Administration data, the agency has lost more than 8,000 employees during the past year and now averages roughly one field office representative for every 4,000 beneficiaries.

Another issue could catch some recipients by surprise next month.

Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries will not receive a payment during August because Aug. 1 falls on a Saturday. Instead, the Social Security Administration will issue August benefits on Friday, July 31, following its longstanding practice of sending payments on the preceding business day whenever the first day of the month falls on a weekend or federal holiday. The payment is not being eliminated or reduced, even though recipients will not see a deposit during the calendar month of August.

The unusual payment schedule has occurred several times this year and will happen again later in 2026 when weekends shift the timing of monthly distributions.

For Gates, the experience underscored how quickly an interruption in benefits can become a financial emergency. WI

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HEALTH

Lawmakers Push to Reduce Medical Misdiagnoses That Devastate Patients

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

A missed stroke. A cancer diagnosed too late. A blood clot mistaken for something less serious. Medical experts say those failures are among the most preventable threats in American health care, and lawmakers from both parties are renewing an effort to reduce them after new research estimated that more than 900,000 Americans each year either die or suffer permanent disabilities because of diagnostic errors.

“Far too many Americans have experienced the loss, pain, and hardship that come with a misdiagnosed medical condition, and for many, these errors cause permanent disability or death,” said Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen. “Medical diagnostic errors not only impact patients’ lives – they also cost patients and our nation billions of dollars each year. This legislation will invest in efforts to prevent and reduce diagnostic errors, giving medical experts, patients, and their families the research and resources they need to better treat patients and save lives.”

Van Hollen joined Sen. Ben Ray Luján, (D-N.M.), and Reps. Don Beyer, (D-Va.), Kim Schrier, (D-Wash.), and Jeff Van Drew, (R-N.J.), in reintroducing the Saving Lives and Reducing Health Care Waste by Improving Diagnosis in Medicine Act, bipartisan legislation designed to improve diagnostic accuracy, expand research and create new federal systems to identify and prevent medical errors before they harm patients.

The measure follows years of research documenting the enormous human and financial costs of diagnostic failures. A landmark National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report concluded that most Americans will experience at least one diagnostic error during their lifetime and estimated that roughly 80% of the harm

5Diagnostic errors surrounding stroke, cancer, blood clots, and more, medical experts say, are among the most preventable threats in U.S. health care, and lawmakers are working to reduce them. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

caused by those mistakes is preventable.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University later estimated that approximately 795,000 Americans each year become permanently disabled or die because dangerous diseases are initially missed or diagnosed too late. Their analysis found that stroke, sepsis, pneumonia, venous thromboembolism and lung cancer account for nearly 40% of the most serious diagnostic harms nationwide, suggesting that concentrated efforts could substantially reduce preventable deaths and disabilities.

The legislation would establish an Interagency Council on Improving Diagnosis in Health Care to coordinate federal efforts, identify barriers to research and recommend policies to improve diagnostic quality throughout the health care system. It also authorizes grants to establish Research Centers of Diagnostic Excellence, directs the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to create a national strategy for voluntary patient reporting of diagnostic errors and supports additional research, workforce training and quality improvement initiatives. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

THE JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS

National Symphony Orchestra SEP 12

JOE BONAMASSA GOV’T MULE

JULY 29

JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT Patty Griffin JULY 30

Wolf Trap Opera Puccini TOSCA AUG 7

THE CONCERT A TRIBUTE TO ABBA AUG 8

THEE SACRED SOULS LA LOM The Womack Sisters SEP 17

BEETHOVEN’S NINTH SYMPHONY

National Symphony Orchestra Gianandrea Noseda, conductor AUG 14

GERSHWIN, BERNSTEIN & AMERICAN MOSAIC

National Symphony Orchestra Gianandrea Noseda, conductor Renée Fleming, soprano AUG 15

YACHT ROCK REVUE AUG 16

JOSH GROBAN

ERYKAH BADU De La Soul The Alchemist SEP 20

GIPSY KINGS Ft. Nicolas Reyes AUG 23

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE TM IN CONCERT

National Symphony Orchestra AUG 27

JAMES TAYLOR & His All-Star Band AUG 30, SEP 1 + 2

PHILADELPHIA BALLET Stars and Stripes Forever! SEP 10

National Symphony Orchestra AUG 22 AND MANY MORE!

EARTH OUR

Water Plants in Peak Bloom at Annual Lotus and Water Lily Festival

By Ja’Mon Jackson WI Photographer

The 17th Annual Lotus and Water Lily Festival took place July 18-19, celebrating the peak bloom of thousands of exotic water plants. Hosted by the National Park Service, the free event embraced an America 250 theme by highlighting stories that connect shared national history with the beauty of treasured landscapes. WI

Compassionate Care For Seniors & Caregivers

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EDUCATION

Virginia Leads Region as New School Rankings Renew Debate Over What Really Makes a Great Education

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Virginia has the highest-ranked public school system in the Washington region, according to a new national analysis released Monday, while Maryland remains in the top 15 and the District of Columbia sits near the middle of the pack. This ranking, published by the personal finance website WalletHub, comes as education experts say strong schools depend less on how much money is spent than on how those dollars are used.

“Getting enough funding is essential for a productive school system, but simply having more money doesn’t guarantee success,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report.

WalletHub ranked Virginia sixth nationally, followed by Maryland at No. 14 and the District of Columbia at No. 30. Nationally, Massachusetts earned the top spot, followed by Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Wisconsin. New Mexico finished last, preceded by Alaska, Oklahoma, Oregon and West Virginia.

The findings are likely to draw attention across the District, Maryland and Virginia, where school quality remains one of the biggest considerations for families deciding where to live and where state and local governments invest billions of dollars in public education each year.

“How funds are applied also plays a big role in how good a school system is, as does the quality of educators, other professionals and the curriculum,” Lupo continued. “In addition, schools need to focus not just on test scores but also on making sure that students feel safe, comfortable and cared for.”

WalletHub compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 32 indicators measuring school qual-

ity and safety. The rankings considered graduation rates, standardized test scores, teacher credentials, student-teacher ratios, bullying, school violence, technology access and other factors. Academic quality accounted for 80% of each state’s score, while safety made up the remaining 20%.

Virginia’s sixth-place finish reflected a combination of strong academic performance and the nation’s fifthbest safety ranking. Maryland placed 14th overall despite ranking 26th in educational quality, aided by a fourthplace safety ranking. The District ranked 30th overall, including 27th for quality and 25th for safety.

The District’s results also revealed sharp contrasts. It ranked first nationally for median ACT scores, second for pupil-to-teacher ratio and had the nation’s lowest reported bullying incidence rate. At the same time, it ranked last in fourth- and eighth-grade math scores and had the nation’s highest dropout rate in the analysis.

Education researchers interviewed for the report said those differences show why per-pupil spending, by itself, says little about how well students ultimately perform.

Scott Thorne, an instructor in the Department of Marketing at Southeast Missouri State University, said districts often see better results by directing existing resources to the students and schools with the greatest needs.

“More important than how much money is spent is how the available money is spent,” Thorne said.

Ashlyn Aiko Nelson, an associate professor in Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs, said higher spending often reflects the additional costs of educating students who need more support rather than evidence of stronger schools.

“No; in fact, variation in per-pupil spending explains very little variation in school quality,” Nelson said.

“Many high-spending districts spend more on a per-pupil basis due to socalled compensatory funding,” such as additional resources for students living in poverty, English learners, students experiencing housing instability and children with

Attracting Quality Teachers, Community Partnerships

For many education experts, a critical part to student success is having strong educators in the classroom.

“Targeting funds to give incentives to attract teachers to hard to staff schools or students with special needs

3 A new analysis ranks Virginia as the top public school system in the Washington region, followed by Maryland and then the D.C. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

has shown to drive more improvement in quality,” Thorne said.

Nelson said attracting and retaining effective teachers should remain a top priority.

“Research shows that, on average, school-based factors only account for about 30% of the variation in student outcomes,” she explained. “Within schools, teacher quality ... is the factor that explains the greatest variation in student outcomes.”

Rosemary Salomone, the Kenneth Wang Professor of Law at St. John’s University School of Law, said additional funding can improve schools when it is directed toward proven priorities such as teacher salaries, facilities, technology and enrichment programs.

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D.C. is more than just a federal city. It is a collection of neighborhoods and communities that have nurtured distinctive cultures of creativity, learning, music, food, and sports. Its residents have contributed ideas that have been embraced by the country and have stimulated change.

Notice of Class Action Settlement

Authorized by the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York

— Notice of Class Action Settlement — Si desea leer este aviso en español, llámenos o visite nuestro sitio web.

TO: All merchants in the U.S. who accepted Visa or Mastercard credit or debit cards at any time since December 18, 2020.

This notice (“Notice”) is authorized by the Court to inform you about an agreement to settle the equitable relief claims in a class action lawsuit, called In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation, No. 05-md-01720 (BMC)(JAM)(E.D.N.Y.). The lawsuit claims that Visa and Mastercard, separately, and together with certain banks, violated antitrust laws and caused merchants to pay excessive fees for accepting Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, including by adopting interchange rules and rates, and other network rules, which the lawsuit has claimed constituted unlawful price fixing, unreasonable restraints of trade, and monopolization.

The defendants say they did nothing wrong. They maintain that their business practices are legal, justified, and the result of independent competition, and have benefitted both merchants and consumers. The Court has not decided who is right because the parties agreed to a settlement, which was preliminarily approved by the Court on June 9, 2026.

A. What Merchants Will Get from the Settlement

During the lawsuit, the Court previously certified an Equitable Relief Class under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(b)(2) and has now preliminarily approved a settlement of the Class claims (the “Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement” or “Settlement”). Under the Settlement, Visa and Mastercard have agreed to substantive changes to the Visa and Mastercard rules applicable to merchants who accept their cards as a form of payment.

The Class includes all persons, businesses, and entities that accept any Visa-Branded Cards and/or Mastercard-Branded Cards in the United States at any time during the period between December 18, 2020 and the date of preliminary settlement approval, or June 9, 2026. The Court has set November 16, 2026 as the date for a final approval and fairness hearing (the “Fairness Hearing”) in connection with the Settlement, after members of the Class have had the opportunity to evaluate the Settlement and exercise their rights, as set forth in the Notice. Further information regarding the Settlement and the Fairness Hearing will be posted on www.InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com.

Under the Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement, Mastercard and Visa will modify certain rules to preserve, establish, or expand the circumstances in which merchants can, among other things, do the following:

• Decline acceptance of Visa- or Mastercard-Branded Commercial Credit Cards and/or Premium Consumer Credit Cards.

• Surcharge customers a fee for the use of any Visa or Mastercard-Branded Credit Cards, including based on the type of card used (e.g., a different surcharge for rewards and non-rewards cards).

• Offer discounts to customers who do not pay with Visa or Mastercard-Branded Credit Cards, or based on the financial institution that issued the Visa or Mastercard-Branded Credit Card.

• Decline acceptance of Visa or Mastercard-Branded Cards at all outlets that operate under the same trade name or banner, even if that merchant accepts those same cards at outlets that operate under a different trade name or banner.

• Engage in Pilot Programs whereby they accept Visa or Mastercard-Branded Credit Cards at some but not all outlets operating under the same trade name or banner for a limited duration or test out various acceptance, surcharging and discounting options at some but not all outlets operating under the same trade name or banner, including not accepting Commercial or Premium Consumer Credit Cards, for a limited duration.

• Accept some digital wallets at brick-and-mortar locations but decline others and enable some digital wallets for on-line transactions but not enable others, and “steer” among the cards within a digital wallet under the same rules that govern steering among traditional cards.

• Receive the benefit of credit interchange rate reductions: Visa and Mastercard will reduce published and negotiated Credit Card interchange rates for U.S. merchants.

• Receive the benefit of Credit Card interchange rate caps: The Settlement Agreement reduces and caps “Standard” Consumer Credit Card rates at a specified level and otherwise caps Credit Card interchange rates, such that neither Visa nor Mastercard will increase any of its published Credit Card interchange rates above the rates effective as of March 31, 2025 and each will reduce its network-wide average Credit Card interchange rate to or below the specified level.

• Form Merchant Buying Groups that meet certain criteria to negotiate with Visa and Mastercard.

• Receive access to a Merchant Education Program, established and administered under the Settlement Agreement, to help understand and maximize the benefits of the rule changes, including how to effectively “steer” in States that restrict surcharging.

B. Monetary Aspects of the Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement

There is no monetary payment to members of the Class in this Settlement. This Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement concerns only the Equitable Relief Claims set forth in the lawsuit. Claims for monetary damages arising out of the defendants’ alleged antitrust violations are the subject of a separate settlement for the Rule 23(b)(3) Class. For information concerning the separate Rule 23(b)(3) Cash Settlement Class, please visit the website: www.PaymentCardSettlement.com

The Settlement does provide for Visa and Mastercard to make certain payments into the Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement Escrow Account, which money will be used to pay:

• The cost of settlement administration and notice, as approved by the Court,

• The cost of Merchant Education Program expenses, as approved by the Court,

• The cost of an Independent Auditor who will ensure that Visa and Mastercard comply with the credit card interchange-rate reduction commitments, and

• Attorneys’ fees and expenses, including any named Class Representative service awards, as approved by the Court.

The money in this fund will be distributed only if the Court grants final approval of the Settlement, and the money for attorneys’ fees and expenses, and service awards to Class Representatives, will be distributed only if the Settlement has become final and all appeals are exhausted, and the Court approves the application for attorneys’ fees and expenses, and Class Representatives’ service awards.

Attorneys’ fees and expenses, and service awards to the Class Representatives: For work done through final approval of the Settlement by the Court, as well as any work they will be required to do in the future, Class Counsel will ask the Court for attorneys’ fees and reimbursement of reasonable and necessary litigation expenses, and any service awards to the named Class Representatives that the Court may award, in an amount not to exceed $206,000,000. The Settlement Agreement requires Visa and Mastercard to pay these fees and expenses separately from the other Settlement financial obligations and they will not reduce any other benefits of the Settlement; members of the Class will not be required to pay any amount toward these fees and expenses.

C. Legal Rights and Options

Merchants who are included in this lawsuit have the legal right to Object to the Settlement. The deadline to object is: September 14, 2026. To learn how to object, visit: www.InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com or call toll-free: 877-318-7713.

Note: You cannot elect to be excluded from the Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement. For more information about these rights and options, visit: www.InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com or call toll-free: 877-318-7713.

D. If the Court Grants Final Approval of the Settlement

If the Court grants final approval to the Settlement, members of the Rule 23(b)(2) Class will be bound by the terms of the Settlement and will release all claims against all released parties listed in the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement will resolve and release any claims by payment card acceptors against Visa, Mastercard and other defendants that were or could have been alleged in the lawsuit, including any claims based on interchange or other fees, nosurcharge rules, no-discounting rules, honor-all-cards rules, and any other network rules. The Settlement will also resolve any payment card acceptor claims based upon the future effect of any Visa or Mastercard rules as they were or are in place on December 18, 2020 and up to the Settlement Final Date (as defined in the Settlement Agreement), the modified rules provided for in the Settlement, or any other rules substantially similar to those rules. The release will not bar claims involving certain specified standard commercial disputes arising in the ordinary course of business.

For more information on the release, see the Superseding and Amended Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement Agreement at: www.InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com.

E. The Court Hearing About This Settlement

On November 16, 2026 at 11:00 am ET, the Court will hold a hearing to decide whether to approve the proposed Settlement, Class Counsel’s request for attorneys’ fees and expenses, and service awards for the named Class Representatives. The hearing will take place at: United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Cogan 225 Cadman Plaza East Brooklyn, NY 11201

You do not have to attend the Court hearing or hire an attorney, though you may do either at your own expense. The Court appointed the law firms of Hilliard Shadowen LLP; Grant & Eisenhofer P.A.; Freed Kanner London & Millen LLC; and Nussbaum Law Group, P.C. to represent the Class (“Class Counsel”).

F. Questions?

For more information about this case (In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation, MDL 1720), you may:

Call toll-free: 877-318-7713

Visit: www.InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com

Write to the Class Administrator: Interchange B2 Class Administrator, P.O. Box 6340, Portland, OR 97228-6340

or Email the Class Administrator: info@InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com

Election Integrity Requires Facts, Not Fear

Trump’s Address Underscores the Need for Evidence-Based Public Confidence as the Nation Approaches the 2026 Midterm Elections

President Donald Trump's recent address to the nation brought election integrity back into the political spotlight, arguing that Americans should remain vigilant about how elections are conducted ahead of the 2026 midterm contests. The speech revisited allegations that have shaped American political discourse since the 2020 presidential election.

While safeguarding elections is a legitimate responsibility of government at every level, public confidence depends on ensuring that claims about election administration are supported by credible evidence.

The United States operates one of the world's most decentralized election systems. More than 10,000 state and local jurisdictions administer elections under varying laws, procedures, and oversight mechanisms. Although the system is not without flaws, federal and state election officials from both parties have consistently maintained that it includes numerous safeguards to detect and prevent fraud.

It is also important to remember the historical record. After the 2020 presidential election, state election officials, the U.S. Department of Justice, the

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and numerous independent reviews found no evidence of fraud on a scale sufficient to change the election's outcome. More than 60 lawsuits challenging the results were dismissed by state and federal courts, often for insufficient evidence or legal deficiencies.

Those decisions were issued by judges appointed by presidents of both parties, including several appointed by Trump. Although some cases were dismissed on procedural grounds rather than after full evidentiary hearings, the overall judicial record did not substantiate claims that the election had been stolen.

The president's address renewed concerns about voter registration, mail-in ballots, non-citizen voting, and election administration. These issues remain subjects of active debate in Congress and state legislatures. Supporters of stricter election laws argue that additional safeguards strengthen public confidence and reduce opportunities for fraud. Opponents counter that some proposals could make voting more difficult for eligible citizens while addressing problems that avail-

able evidence suggests are relatively infrequent. These are legitimate policy questions that deserve thoughtful, factbased debate rather than assumptions.

The larger challenge extends beyond any single speech or political leader. Public confidence in elections is strengthened when elected officials present evidence accurately, acknowledge legitimate concerns, and respect the conclusions of courts and election administrators. Repeating claims that have been rejected by the judicial system risks eroding confidence in democratic institutions. Likewise, dismissing citizens' questions without transparency can undermine trust.

AAs the nation moves toward the 2026 midterm elections, Americans deserve a robust debate on election policy. They also deserve assurance that election outcomes will be determined by eligible voters casting lawful ballots and by impartial officials faithfully administering the law. Democracy depends not only on secure elections but also on confidence that disputes will be resolved through evidence, the courts, and the Constitution—not by the repetition of unsubstantiated claims. WI

D.C. Doesn’t Need to be Rescued from Crime, Just the Continued Interference of and False Claims made by the White

It’s almost been one year since the president, citing data that was later proved to be false, declared a public safety emergency in Washington, D.C., and summoned the National Guard, 800 members strong, to rescue the city from “crime and bloodshed.”

But if keeping our streets safe really mattered to the president, why didn’t he call on the National Guard after a

mob of supporters violently assaulted the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021? Not only did his supporters breach the Capitol, but their actions led to multiple deaths and extensive damage to the complex.

So, what benefits have we reaped since taxpayers began to pay for National Guard troops in D.C. to an estimated tune of $3 million per day,

For the record, when the National Guard was sent to D.C. in August 2025 to fight crime under the auspices of the Safe and Beautiful Task Force, violent crime had just recorded a 30-year low.

House

according to an estimate by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office?

To name a few things: save for their assignments to conduct vaguely defined federal initiatives including medical assistance; enforcing law and order, like those unfortunate few who “stole” pieces of the Reflection Pool; and “beautification projects,” the White House has yet to answer the question – at least not honestly. And that’s the real problem.

For the record, when the National Guard was sent to D.C. in August 2025 to fight crime under the auspices of the Safe and Beautiful Task Force, violent crime had just recorded a 30year low. Even after the declared emergency ended one month later, the task force and troop presence continued. Again, we ask, why did or does D.C. need the National Guard?

In recent weeks, the number of troops in the city has risen to nearly 5,000 from more than 20 states as

TO THE EDITOR

“Excellent coverage of Bishop Boxie’s Consecration as auxiliary bishop of Washington, D.C.”

- Sister Gloria Rubio (In reference to the article: “Auxiliary Bishop Robert Boxie, the Youngest Prelate in America.”)

“Excellent work. I believe in freedom, humans right and in peace of the world, unity makes us stronger.”

- Julia Solano Fernandez (In reference to the article: “Popular Democracy Commemorates the 14th Amendment With Let’s Get Free Celebration.”)

what was described by federal officials in May as part of a “summer surge” of law enforcement. However, the presence of the National Guard, almost from the beginning, has resulted in heavy criticism and legal pushback from D.C. local officials, who cite falling crime rates, lack of local control over the military, and costs that have scaled into the billions.

Now, ignoring local politicians in D.C., business leaders, and taxpaying citizens as well, the president has decided to continue his so-called anti-crime mission, according to the Pentagon, through Inauguration Day

2029.

Elizabeth Goitein, senior director of Liberty and National Security at the Brennan Center for Justice, said she believes that either the president is attempting to normalize the use of the military as domestic police or is planning a role for the military during the transition of power to a new president. So, Washingtonians, if you need law enforcement to come to your rescue, who do you call and who shows up? It’s a safe bet that it won’t be the National Guard who pulls up to your door. WI

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Guest Columnist

HBCUs Are Still the Vanguard

This week I am thinking about what it means to go back to school in a country that still rations opportunity. The stores are selling backpacks and dorm décor, but the deeper question is who gets access to education, who must borrow for it and which institutions continue to carry the burden of Black possibility.

The fireworks have dimmed, and the

Fourth-of-You-Lie sales are waning. In this country, we commemorate through commerce and celebrate through retail activity, so even though we are just a few days into July, back-to-school signs are already shouting from store windows and websites.

Who is going back to school, and under what circumstances?

As with every milestone in this country, inequality roars. Some students will return to school with new laptops, quiet rooms, family-paid tuition and networks that cushion every stumble. Others will return carrying debt, doubt,

Guest Columnist

Julianne Malveaux

family obligations, food insecurity, transportation challenges and the accumulated disadvantages of underfunded schools and under-resourced communities.

The back-to-school season is marketed as a fresh start. For too many students, it is also a reminder that opportunity in America has always been rationed. That is why historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) still matter. Indeed, that is why HBCUs remain the vanguard.

The vanguard is not always the largest part of the army. It is the front edge.

The Big Lie Is Coming For Us This November

dia outlets chose not to air out of their journalistic responsibility to defend the truth.

"Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election. Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!" — President Donald J. Trump, via Twitter/X, Dec. 19, 2020

The big lie just got bigger.

Last night, we watched a sitting president declare war on America in a primetime speech that reputable me-

As a Black man in America, if I were placed on trial for a major crime such as first-degree murder and knowing I was totally innocent, it would be impossible for me to forget the long criminal justice history of this nation, particularly when it resulted in the incarceration and sometimes execution of Black men who did not commit the alleged crime.

In a tangential rant about voter fraud, the president bounced from one outlandish lie to the next, with his focus zeroed in on the outcome of the 2020 election — the same election his own party certified six years ago. Unlike the 2016 election, in which he was the victor, the FBI found no evidence of meddling.

Despite lacking evidence, the president lied to millions of Americans, stating that China and other foreign adver-

saries "likely" influenced the outcome. He claimed that voting machines were vulnerable to hacking and unreliable, a lie that cost the one network that aired his speech unedited, Fox News, $787 million in a settlement with Dominion Voting Systems for pushing lies about the 2020 election.

I won't give any of the other outrageous claims any air time, but the speech was a warning to all of us that the coming midterm elections are going to be targeted by this administration.

According to CBS, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the

It moves first. It absorbs blows. It clears the path. By that definition, HBCUs have always been the vanguard. They were built because this country's higher education system excluded Black people by law, custom, violence and contempt. Their founding question was not, "How do we reproduce privilege?" Their founding question was, "How do we cultivate genius where America has refused to see it?"

That question remains urgent. HBCUs enroll only a fraction of Black college students, but their impact is outsized. In 2022, HBCUs enrolled

about 9 percent of Black college students, yet they produced 16 percent of the bachelor's degrees earned by Black students in 2021-22. UNCF reports that HBCUs generate $16.5 billion in annual economic impact and support more than 136,000 jobs, and that the 2021 HBCU graduating class is projected to earn $146 billion over their lifetimes.

These are not sentimental institutions. They are economic engines, leadership factories and community ancho

Page 37

government's top cyber defense body protecting U.S. election systems, saw nearly 1,000 CISA personnel — or nearly one-third of the agency's workforce — leave or be removed from active service by mid-2025.

Last week, the president fired the last three members of the Election Assistance Commission, the independent federal commission that assists election administration officials nationwide.

And in the hours leading up to the speech, his nomination for attorney general set the stage for the siege on our voting rights.

During the confirmation hearing of Todd Blanche, Trump's personal lawyer and nominee for U.S. attorney general, he was boldly asked whether he would uphold the constitutional right to vote by blocking the deployment of ICE agents to voting places. He sidestepped the question by stating that he would "follow the law." He also avoided answering the simple question of who won the 2020 presidential election. You read that right.

Blanche, who in his role as acting

Therefore, my freedom and entire future would depend on having a competent and aggressive lawyer fighting on my behalf. My representative would need to be a meticulous, strategically bold and grounded attorney — one who will hold the opposition accountable. Since my life is on the line, I would need a lawyer who has a little "bulldog" in them and is fighting for me. Someone who, at the right moments, can be highly aggressive and combative in a righteous, indignant way when shameless lies, schemes and hypocrisy need to be exposed and de-

stroyed. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, as a civil rights lawyer and member of the U.S. Congress, exemplifies the type of fighter I would need if my future were at stake in the courtroom, the public square, city hall, state legislatures and throughout the halls of Congress.

America's 250th anniversary celebration was a reminder of how critical it is for people of color to have competent yet aggressive representatives fighting for their futures. When President Trump sidelined America 250, the long-standing bipartisan commission tasked a decade ago with plan-

ning anniversary festivities, he replaced it with his own group of political allies, called Freedom 250.

The national celebration was then redefined in Trump's terms, reflecting his personal vision of America. What should have been a national civic milestone highlighting patriotism in inclusive and unifying terms became a MAGA campaign rally. John Pitney, a former national Republican official who now teaches political science at Claremont McKenna College, said Trump is diverging from the tradition of presidents who have used moments

of national triumph and tragedy to speak as Americans first, not as partisans.

The meaning behind America's 250th anniversary and national patriotism differs for Black Americans, who have shown love for a country that has not always returned it. It is true that America is the "Land of Opportunity," a phrase and theme received because of its historical promise of economic mobility, vast available land and freedom that allowed im-

MARSHALL Page 37

Guest Columnist

Blessed to Still Have Acts of Kindness

at all kinds of places. They were having opportunities that we could not even dream we could ever have.

When Barack Obama became our president, some of us began to believe our nation was on its way to approaching equal rights for all, where most of us had a chance to become whatever we chose to work for. Some of us began to be comfortable with the idea that our children and grandchildren could become whatever they were willing to work for. They were becoming leaders

For a while, we didn't have to read about so many murders of our children. They didn't witness the worst of America's leaders from the top down using vulgar language, hearing about the highest-ranking public officials raping women and not even serving time in jail for it!

We didn't hear about presidents in such an ugly way talking about their predecessors, using profanity during hours young people were up trying to

concentrate on their studies. We didn't witness a president ignoring court orders such as taking down his name from the President John F. Kennedy Center. He's still ignoring the order, and with another act of defiance of a court order, he placed a tarp over the space so no one can see whether the order has been fully complied with — or at least he keeps us guessing, while he tries to figure out how to leave his name there.

How do Americans tolerate this man continuing to occupy our White House by disobeying every rule, every law and every practice followed for years, with-

out ever disobeying judges — and now he even disobeys Supreme Court orders without punishment? How do we teach our children to obey laws?

It's no wonder many young people don't feel they have to obey laws, do things reminiscent of many years past and think nothing of killing a young man by the name of Nolan Wells in Mississippi. I thank God for an athlete who has been cheated out of his chances to go as far as his talent would take him, yet shows his thoughtfulness by intervening and paying to seek justice for young Nolan Wells.

The 'Democratic Socialist': It's the Message, Not the Messenger

"In 1956, I shall not go to the polls. I have not registered. I believe that democracy has so far disappeared in the United States that no 'two evils' exist. There is but one evil party with two names, and it will be elected despite all I can do or say. There is no third party. On the Presidential ballot in a few states (seventeen in 1952), a 'Socialist' Party will appear. Few will hear its appeal because it will have almost no

Nearly 92% of American households rely on a personal vehicle to manage their daily lives. Consumers shopping for a vehicle in May learned that the average cost of a new car was $49,307, and that used cars averaged $25,918, according to Cox Automotive.

But the high price of vehicles is not the only financial challenge confronting Black and other consumers of color.

opportunity to take part in the campaign and explain its platform. If a voter organizes or advocates a real third-party movement, he may be accused of seeking to overthrow this government by 'force and violence.' Anything he advocates by way of significant reform will be called 'Communist' ..." — Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois, 1956

How prophetic was the brilliant American sociologist, writer, historian, Pan-Africanist and civil rights activist Dr. Du Bois? As we witness the backlash from the Democratic Party's leadership, as well as President Trump's response to

the success of democratic socialist candidates in the New York City and Washington, D.C., primaries and anticipate backlash from the democratic socialist victory in Colorado, a couple of important questions come to the forefront. Are we witnessing the development of a new politics in America? If so, what should the response of the African American community and electorate be?

It is important to understand that changes in the political landscape take time. Events such as Democratic Socialists winning over Democratic Party-backed candidates do not happen in a

Black Consumers

Discriminatory and predatory practices in the sale and financing of cars have pushed millions of buyers into longer and higher-priced loans.

A study by the National Fair Housing Alliance found that non-white test shoppers were given more expensive financing 62.5% of the time compared with white testers with equivalent or worse credit. Similarly, another recent independent study by the Century Foundation concluded that Black, Hispanic and American Indian borrowers are given higher interest rates on auto loans across all credit tiers. Research

published by the Federal Reserve found Black borrowers disproportionately pay the highest interest rate markup, resulting in more than $3,000 in additional interest over the life of the loan.

Now a new report released by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) found that the terms of predatory loans, as well as dealers and lenders conniving to drive up costs — not the consumers' willingness to pay — made delinquency and default more likely. These tactics limit alternatives borrowers can pursue to lower their payments. This conclusion came through a series of consum-

Before Nolan Wells, there was Karmelo Anthony from Texas, who was cheated out of a fair trial. Every possibility was denied him when certain witnesses who likely would have told a different story about what happened in the tragedy were not allowed to testify. Karmelo, who was a senior in high school, was convicted under questionable circumstances. He was given 35 years in prison and sent there immediately from the courtroom at the end of the trial.

In response to Karmelo's tragedy,

vacuum. One must understand the history in order to understand "the now."

In the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primary, Sen. Bernie Sanders (IVt.) decisively defeated Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire. During the 2016 campaign, Sen. Sanders "came out" as a "democratic socialist (DS)" during a speech at Georgetown University. He told the crowd that democratic socialism is not a Marxist ideology calling for the abolition of capitalism. "I don't believe government should own the means of production, but I do believe that the middle class and the working families

who produce the wealth of America deserve a fair deal…" Democratic Party leaders were initially alarmed and strategists suggested the party distance themselves from Sanders. They feared that the label "democratic socialist" would be politically radioactive. Hillary Clinton said his ideas were economically unfeasible and politically unrealistic. Republicans seized on the "socialist" label to frame his campaign as a radical shift toward government control.

In the 2020 Democratic Party pres-

er focus groups with subprime credit scores, most of whom are Black, reeling from the effects of predatory car loans.

High-pressure tactics, misleading claims about vehicle features or conditions, and aggressive upselling of overpriced add-ons and services together obscured the true cost of the vehicle and prevented consumers from making informed decisions. Beyond the auto sale, dealer financing exposes consumers to interest rate markups, hidden fees and unaffordable loan terms.

Nicole, a Black woman in her early 50s who lives in Minneapolis, shared

her personal story of urgently needing a vehicle as she went through a separation in which her former spouse kept their car.

A full-time employee at a nonprofit organization focused on ending homelessness, she earns less than $50,000 a year. She took out a loan for $19,000 with an interest rate of 24% and a 48-month term. In addition to the inflated sales price of the vehicle, the dealer included a $2,000 warranty, and the lender rolled over a previous loan for

Washington Informer Weekend Checklist

WASHINGTON INFORMER'S

LIFESTYLE Things To Do, DMV!

By Jordan Armstead WI Intern

Whether looking to enjoy a good laugh, discover talented artists or simply spend time with friends and family, this weekend's lineup offers something for everyone across the DMV area.

Check out a handful of the many events happening and dive into the Washington Informer Calendar for more.

Thursday, July 23

SqueakyFest DC: Comedians with Disabilities

8 p.m. – 10 p.m. | $25 Pikio Taco (at Hotel Rendale),

1900 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington, D.C., 20009

SqueakyFest is the first-ever multi-city comedy festival for comedians with disabilities. Their unique approach finds local talent from across the globe to perform stand-up comedy, sketch comedy, improv, and more to unite the disability community and use humor as a tool for advocacy.

Hosted by Squeaky Wheel writer Jenny Cavallero, this Washington, D.C. event is produced in partnership with Just Kidding Comedy Collective, and features five hilarious comedians with disabilities from the local area: Adaobi Ugochukwu, Jasmine Solaman-

te, Kenny Rooster, Auriel Haack and Sandi Benton.

Friday, July 24

Who Did It? An Improvised Murder Mystery

10:30 p.m. | $15.00

Phoenix - UDC Mainstage Venue, 4250 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 4332 Washington, D.C., 20008

This improvised comedy puts audiences at the center of a mur-

EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT SERVICES REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) BID #25-S-059

The Washington Convention and Sports Authority t/a Events DC is soliciting proposals from qualified contractors to provide Executive Recruitment Services.

This RFP is designated for District of Columbia Department of Small, Local, and Business Development (DSLBD) small, certified business enterprises only.

Interested parties can view a copy of the RFP by accessing Event DC’s e-Procurement website at https://eventsdc.com/about/procurement.

Key Dates

RFP Release Date: Thursday, July 23, 2026

RFP Questions Due Date: Thursday, July 30, 2026; 5:00PM, EST

RFP Response Due Date: Monday, August 24, 2026; 5:00PM, EST

Primary Contact

Name: Gerald Green, Deputy Director Office of Contracts and Procurement Services

Email: ggreen@eventsdc.com / Phone: (202) 249-3028

der investigation, helping create the crime scene before detectives solve the case completely unscripted. Every performance features new suspects, clues, and killers revealed live onstage. As winner of the 2023 Capital Fringe Festival, the show also headlined Mystery Night at the Library of Congress. Catch "Who Did It?" from July 10-25 as a part of the District Fringe Festival.

Saturday, July 25

Flourish A Community Mental Health Summit

7 a.m - 2 p.m| Free with registration Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street NW Washington, D.C., 20001

Created in honor of BIPOC/ Minority Mental Health Month, the Flourish Summit brings together mental health clinicians, wellness professionals, advocates,

3 Local comedians Adaobi Ugochukwu, Jasmine Solamante, Kenny Rooster, Auriel

and Sandi Benton will perform during SqueakyFest’s comedy showcase celebrating disability representation and inclusive comedy. (Courtesy Photo)

community leaders, and individuals who believe that healing happens when we learn, connect, and grow together. Whether a personal wellness journey, supporting a loved one, or simply looking for a space to learn and be inspired, there's a place for everyone at Flourish.

Participants can expect inspiring speakers, expert-led workshops, panel discussions and practical tools to take home and use in everyday life.

Hosts invite attendees to bring a new or gently used book to donate for kids, teens, and adults in all genres.

Sunday, July 26

Sheryl Underwood: The I Need a Job Tour

7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.| $43.50 DC Improv, 1140 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington, D.C., 20036

Catch Sheryl Underwood, the Emmy-award-winning co-host of "The Talk" on CBS, and a highly sought after contemporary humorist who expertly balances her corporate presence with her streetwise comedy chops. Never forgetting her roots in stand-up comedy or her early days on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam and BET’s Comic View, her shows fearlessly tackle race, politics, sex, and life, in a way that only she can. WI

5 Photographer Jarvis Grant’s 2016 collage, “In Conversation,” uses the technique of photomontage. The collage is in the “Rip! Tear!” exhibition currently at I (Eye) Street Gallery in Southeast, D.C. (Courtesy Photo/D.C. Commission on Arts and Humanities)

Collage Art in Many Forms at D.C. Commission for the the Arts and Humanities’ ‘Rip! Tear!’

Individual Works Expand Methods of Storytelling

Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer

When thinking about creating a collage in school, some may remember tearing images out of a magazine, ripping fabric or buttons off clothes, or picking up acorns and leaves, then pasting them onto cardboard or construction paper. However, the look and feel of collage goes further in the current exhibition “Rip! Tear! Collage as Critique,” curated by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH).

In this exhibit, running until Aug. 7 at I Street Gallery--- as part of CAH’s headquarters at 200 I Street SE––23 D.C.-based artists use their creations to comment on a fractured American history and modern life.

“We're deeply proud to empower artists to speak freely through their work. We do not tone [or] police their feelings, their messages, or their creativity,” said Aaron Myers, CAH executive director, during the exhibition’s opening event in June. “Artists are essential truth tellers in our society, and it is our responsibility as a public agency to create space for them to reflect the world as faces.”

The collected works in “Rip! Tear!” stray from conventional approaches to paper collage by employing methods such as assemblage, quilting, bricolage, video, and photomontage that knowingly are not in sync with what is expected.

Conversation and Book Signing event with U.S. Representative James E. Clyburn

Sponsored by The Alpha Omega Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

The leadership of Alpha Omega and Kappa Psi Chapters of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., held a special “Conversation and Book Signing” event with U.S. Representative James E. Clyburn, on Wednesday, July 15,2026, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, 206 New York Ave., N.W., Washington, DC.

Congressman Clyburn shared with the audience the gripping political history of the Reconstruction era and the many electoral battles still existing today.

This discussion was extremely timely as Congressman Clyburn recently defended an effort by the South Carolina GOP to break up his congressional district.

This discussion also provided insight on how the history of civil rights in the post-Civil War south gave way to the narrative of hope and resilience.

The exhibit is a commentary on the adverse treatment of people worldwide, coupled with a strong vision for the future.

Under the direction of CAH Curator Dr. Michelle May-Curry, a three-person juried panel chose the artists and their works for the exhibition.

“Positive change can come on the other side of things falling apart,” said May-Curry in describing the intent of “Rip! Tear!” at the opening event. “The premise for this show builds from a belief that curiosity for the act of ripping itself can lead to meaningful transformation.”

Works in ‘Rip! Tear’ Artists Discuss Visions Behind Work

Photographer Jarvis Grant, featured in the exhibition, used a technique called photomontage to create his 2016 piece titled, “In Conversation.” What appears to be two women in the finished piece is really the same woman, to depict that she is in conversation with herself.

“You’re putting everything within one image,” said Grant, a D.C. resident and Howard University alumnus. “This is about four different images that are: the woman by the window, the woman on the bed, and the clouds, because I was thinking of layers.”

WI

From Joseph Rainey, the first black elected official to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives to George Henry White, elected to the House in1897 who served until 1901, Clyburn explained their journey and laid out the historical milestones and historical comparisons and contrasts, and why he is only the ninth black elected to Congress from the state of South Carolina, in more than a century.

Photos Courtesy of The Alpha Omega Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

4Brothers of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, flanking Congressman Bro. Jim Clyburn (SC), representing local chapters, Alpha Omega, Kappa Psi, and Omicron Gamma

5Preparing to shoot a segment of the WHUT TV, PBS & District Knowledge Network Broadcast Special "Generation Teen" w/Special Correspondent Omega Brother Bernardo Little, Basileus, Delta Theta Chapter, Congressman Bro. Jim Clyburn (SC), & and Executive Producer, William Marshall Jr., Alpha Omega Chapter, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

We’ve proudly been serving communities around the country for 240 years.

Here in the DMV, we have an ongoing commitment to the veterans who make us stronger — helping them access careers, transition programs, housing, and now unforgettable experiences like FIFA World Cup 2026™ tickets.

review wi book

When Memory Fades: What to Expect at Every Stage, from Early Signs to Full Support for Alzheimer’s and Dementia

By Nathaniel Chin,

MD

c.2026, St. Martin’s Essentials

$30.00 / 422 pages

Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer

Mom called you in a panic the other day. She’d lost her keys and by the time you arrived to help, she’d found them. In the refrigerator.

These kinds of things keep happening, not often but often enough, and you don’t know quite what to worry about. But in the new book “When Memory Fades” by Nathaniel Chin, MD, you’ll learn about the journey ahead, for both of you.

You can’t remember why you walked into a room. You got lost last week, going to the bank. Popular wisdom says that things like that are normal as we age, but Chin says that’s not true – although the answer may not be a worst-case scenario, either. Yes, memory problems could just be signs of stress, dehydration, or lack of sleep – or is it time to see a doctor?

Chin says maybe, yes.

He was working his way through medical residency when his father, a geriatrician in Madison, Wisconsin, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Chin, now a geriatrician, was blindsided, but that diagnosis also changed his life.

Here, he writes about the brain, and how Alzheimer’s and dementia are diagnosed, explaining that dementia has many faces and, depending on a doctor’s evaluation, memory problems might be slowed or improved. He shares his father’s illness with readers, but he also writes about his mother, a steadfast, steady caretaker.

Her story reminds reader-guardians to care for themselves, too.

Know how to talk the talk, so that you can have “a more productive” conversation with your doctor. Understand that there’s nothing “normal” about dementia or Alzheimer’s. Know the statistics – African Americans are affected with dementia twice as much as whites – and know how to lower your risks. Learn here what questions to ask, how to break the news to everyone, and any legal matters that will be important soon. And know how to tend to you.

Says Chin, “The best action you can take is to educate yourself… The more you understand, the better equipped you are to make sound judgments.”

Something’s off about Dad, just a lot of little things that don’t add up. When is it time to step in? “When Memory Fades” can help you decide. Wise, wide-spread, comprehensive, and compassionately helpful, this is a book you can read and then take it to the doctor with your loved one. It’s a book that makes sense when nothing else does, and its biggest feature is that it smoothly transitions from easy-to-grasp science and charts to gentle coaching for caregivers. Author Nathaniel Chin, MD writes with storytelling, humility, grace, and experience from both sides of the Alzheimer’s/dementia issue, and his words are reassuring but also urgent. Learn, but don’t wait, he says. Know how to safeguard yourself. See your doctor, and don’t fear testing. Watch for signs of depression. And never, ever stop asking for help.

Read those last seven words and find “When Memory Fades” now. It’s a book to have on your shelf, whether you’re 45 or 95 because, as you’ll see, dementia happens and knowledge is key.

WI

LIFESTYLE

JULY 23 - 29, 2026

ARIES A minor technical glitch this week forces you to learn a workaround that turns out to be faster than the original method ever was. Someone in your orbit is testing boundaries mostly to see if you'll actually enforce them. A purchase you've been debating for weeks stops making sense the moment you price out the alternative. Physical tension you've been ignoring in your shoulders is a symptom of something you can fix with fifteen minutes, not a massage. Lucky Numbers: 9, 27, 58

TAURUS A neighbor or coworker brings up something small that turns out to matter a lot more than either of you expected. Your instinct to double-check everything saves you from a mistake that would've been expensive to unwind later. A recipe, playlist, or route you default to without thinking is worth breaking just once this week. Lucky Numbers: 15, 29, 62

GEMINI Three unrelated conversations this week are all circling the same unspoken point, and you're the only one who's noticed the pattern. A subscription, membership, or commitment you forgot you had is quietly renewing without your input. Someone asks your opinion expecting agreement and gets something more useful instead. A short trip you almost talked yourself out of turns into the best decision of the month. Lucky Numbers: 6, 21, 47

CANCER A family member's offhand comment lands harder than they meant it to, and it's worth naming that instead of absorbing it. Money you set aside for one purpose is about to be needed for something more urgent. A hobby you dropped years ago resurfaces through someone new in your life who's genuinely curious about it. Lucky Numbers: 10, 35, 71

LEO A compliment you brush off automatically is worth actually sitting with this time, since the person meant it literally. Traffic, weather, or a scheduling conflict forces a change of plans that turns out better than the original. Someone younger than you looks to you for advice on something you didn't realize you were good at. Lucky Numbers: 13, 39, 66

VIRGO A document, spreadsheet, or file you built months ago proves its worth when someone else needs exactly that data. An unexpected expense this week tests a budget you thought was more flexible than it turns out to be. Someone you manage or mentor makes a decision without consulting you, and it's the right one. Lucky Numbers: 19, 44, 78

LIBRA A group chat or shared plan falls apart, and stepping back from organizing it is the right move for once. Someone asks to borrow money, time, or your car, and the honest answer is more complicated than yes or no. A piece of furniture, clothing, or gear you've outgrown is taking up space you need for something new. Lucky Numbers: 2, 31, 59

SCORPIO A rumor or piece of gossip reaches you secondhand, and refusing to engage with it is more powerful than correcting it. Someone tests your patience deliberately this week to see where the actual limit is. A financial opportunity that looked too good a few months ago is now worth a second, more serious look. Sleep, or the lack of it, is affecting a decision you thought was purely logical. Lucky Numbers: 17, 40, 84

SAGITTARIUS A trip you've been planning in theory finally gets a real date attached to it. Someone from your past resurfaces on social media at exactly the wrong or exactly the right moment, depending on how you handle it. A class, course, or new skill you started on a whim is closer to useful than you expected. Lucky Numbers: 23, 48, 67

CAPRICORN A project you've kept entirely to yourself needs a collaborator whether you're ready to admit that or not. Someone at work notices your consistency before they notice your output, and that's the compliment that matters. A bill, tax form, or piece of paperwork you've avoided opening is smaller than the anxiety around it suggests. Your usual answer to "how are you" stops being true, and it's worth updating it honestly. Lucky Numbers: 25, 52, 79

AQUARIUS A group project puts you in charge of something you didn't ask to lead, and you're better at it than expected. Someone repeats an idea of yours back to you as if it were theirs, and it's not worth the argument. A device, app, or piece of tech you resisted adopting turns out to solve a problem you'd stopped noticing. A friendship that's mostly online finally moves into the real world, and it holds up. Lucky Numbers: 14, 37, 60

PISCES A dream or half-formed idea from earlier this year starts making practical sense for the first time. Someone close to you needs less advice and more simple company this week. A creative project you've called "just for fun" is good enough that it deserves to be shown to someone. A financial habit you picked up almost by accident is quietly paying off faster than you tracked. Lucky Numbers: 8, 32, 55

World Cup Concludes with Spain Capturing Second Win Extra-time

Winner Bests Argentina

By William Deffaa WI Intern

Ferran Torres came off the bench to score an extra-time winner en route to Spain’s 1-0 victory against 10-man Argentina in Sunday’s World Cup Final in New Jersey.

Spain’s triumphant win –– the nation’ssecond World Cup victory after 2010 in South Africa –– marked the end of the monthlong World Cup series, hosted in the U.S. for the first time since 1994.

Argentina’s Enzo Fernández was sent off after a second yellow card three minutes into second-half stoppage time after a gruesome tackle on Spanish defender Pau Cubarsí. Earlier, the Argentinian midfielder was booked for arguing with Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić.

Even before Fernández’s exit, Argentina struggled to create any kind of attack, with Lionel Messi quiet for most of the game as they became the

first team on record to not record a single shot during normal time of a World Cup Final (since 1966).

While Argentina struggled, Spain remained patient in their possession, carving out chances when they could, only to be stopped by the gloves of Argentinian goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who made 11 saves––the most on record during a World Cup Final.

But after countless pressures from La Roja, in the 106th minute, substitute forward Ferran Torres powered a volleyed ball into the roof of the net, breaking the deadlock.

Torres, who has suffered with confidence issues marked by outside criticism and subpar performances for his club, F.C. Barcelona, and country, reflected on his personal journey.

“At the end of the day, this is a marathon, not a sprint,” said Torres. “You have to keep working hard no matter what comes your way and, in the end, things always go to those who deserve them most." WI

CAPTURE

the moment

Prince George's County residents connected with housing counselors, mortgage professionals, legal experts and financial advisors during United Communities Against Poverty's (UCAP) 2nd Annual Housing Resource Fair in Capitol Heights. The free event provided information on first-time homebuyer programs, affordable housing resources, credit counseling, down payment assistance and other services designed to help families achieve long term housing stability.

(Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

RELIGION

Local Pastor Poised to Lead 65-Year-Old Progressive National Baptist Convention

Organization Rooted in Freedom Work Looks Toward Future

By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer

Pastor Keith W. Byrd Sr. will never forget Jan. 15, 2012, when President Barack Obama and the then-first family visited Zion Church in Northwest, D.C. on what would have been the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 83rd birthday. However, 14 years later, Byrd is celebrating another monumental moment in his ministry, as

he is poised to take the reins of the Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC).

As the organization meets for its 65th annual session in Washington, D.C. July 19-23, Byrd emphasized the importance of the gathering, now more than ever.

“It is no coincidence that we are convening in the most powerful city in the world as Progressive Baptists to address the challenges facing our

people,” said Byrd, who has served as PNBC’s first vice president. “This is exactly where we need to be, front and center, speaking truth to power while bringing hope to those who have been left out far too long.”

For the Rev. Dr. David R. Peoples, Progressive National Baptist Convention president, it was critical to hold the annual gathering in the District— where PNBC is headquartered— to further the organization’s work and mission.

“There is no better place to convene than here in Washington, D.C.,” Peoples said. “Our members have traveled all over the country and parts of the world to be a part of this power-packed session.”

Hosted at the Omni Shoreham in Northwest under the theme “It’s Time to Evaluate,” the five-day convening included meetings, services, and an advocacy trip to Capitol Hill on July 20.

“President Peoples and the headquarters staff have worked tirelessly to make this week impactful for all in attendance,” said Bryd, pastor of Zion Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. “There will be powerful preaching, mesmerizing music, intensive engagement, and fabulous fellowship for all.”

Guided by this year’s theme and reflections on scripture, particularly I Corinthians 15:8-12, faith leaders from across the globe met with a goal of gaining inspiration to further their ministries around the world.

“This year's theme, ‘It’s Time to Evaluate,’ reminds us that every generation has to stop, take inventory, and ask whether we are being faithful to the work God has entrusted to us,” the Rev. Thomas L. Bowen, PNBC

general secretary, told The Washington Informer. “Evaluation isn’t about looking backward with nostalgia; it’s about looking forward with clarity and renewed purpose.”

Remembering PNBC’s Roots,

‘Raising

Up the Next Generation’

Since its inception in 1961, the Progressive National Baptist Convention has worked to reflect the religious, social and political climate of its time. Its mission was to transform the traditional African American Baptist Convention as well as society.

“The Progressive National Baptist Convention has always sought to speak truth to power—but we’ve also sought to be a moral power that speaks truth,” said Bowen, who also serves as the Earl L. Harrison minister of social justice at Shiloh Baptist Church in Northwest.

The formation of the convention was wrapped up in the Civil Rights Movement and was begun by some of the same people who were deeply involved in the freedom fight for African Americans.

Pastor Raymond Henderson of Second Baptist Church of Los Angeles, California presided over the first meeting in Cincinnati. As a result of this two-day intensive organizational meeting, the Progressive National Baptist Convention was formed.

During that Ohio convening 65 years ago, the Rev. T. M. Chambers was elected as PNBC’s first president. Afterwards, leadership from across the United States joined the convention family and spawned a national movement.

PNBC was critical to King’s civil

6 As president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, the Rev. David Peoples says holding the 65th annual convening in the nation’s capital was critical, offering attendees inspiration, a chance for advocacy and calls to action. (Courtesy Photo/ Progressive National Baptist Convention)

rights leadership and work, providing housing for him and other freedom fighters.

“If the Progressive National Baptist Convention did not exist, there would still be a need for a movement like it,” Bowen said. “By the grace of God, it does exist, and we intend to be as faithful and as relevant in this generation as our founders were in theirs.”

More than six decades since its founding, Bowen said PNBC is celebrating the past while planning ahead for the next 65 years and beyond.

“We’re also investing intentionally in the future. We’re raising up the next generation of pastors, leaders, and prophetic voices,” Bowen told The Informer. “We’re making sure women in ministry are not only welcomed but recognized for the extraordinary leadership they are providing in our churches and communities."

Leading the milestone 65th session as PNBC prepares for new leadership, Peoples reflected on his tenure, while expressing hope for the future of the organization under Byrd.

“As we transition to pass the gavel, we reflect on how far we as a PNBC denomination have come. We leave this ship better than we found her. We will continue,” Peoples, pastor of Imani Missionary Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, said. “We are excited for the next president, Dr. Byrd and Lady Byrd, and the Zion Church family for what God is about to do through them. PNBC, the best is still yet to come.” WI

Last Saturday, the 64th Biennial Boulé of Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Inc. came to a phenomenal close. Held in Baltimore, Maryland, at the Hilton Inner Harbor Hotel, the historic gathering concluded with an enriching and inspiring closing banquet.

Scripture shares in Ecclesiastes 3:1, "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." This truth echoed through the room during the magnificent closing gala and awards formal banquet, marking the end of the Boulé.

Under the stellar leadership of International President & CEO Dr. Kartessa Bell, the sorority honored members with prestigious awards, including me –– I received The Legacy Award, along with others across various categories, including the Eastern Region Event Planning Committee, under the leadership of Phyllis Vessels, Boule Marshall, Tamara Causley Roberts and Co-Boule Marshall, and Mary Porter. The evening also featured a historic first: the crowning of the Inaugural Miss Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Inc.

During the awards celebration, the Gamma Phi Delta Foundation, Inc., an organization where I have proudly served as President for the past ten years, was invited to participate. In another historic first, the sorority and foundation partnered to honor a phenomenal Baltimore woman of God and HistoryMaker: a ‘great’ friend of mine from over ten years ago, the

WITH LYNDIA GRANT

From Shackles to the Bench A Journey of Faith, History, and God’s Grace the religion corner

Honorable Judge Wanda Keyes Heard.

Supported by her sisters of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., family, and friends, Judge Heard accepted her recognition not just with gratitude, but with a profound testimony of how God turns historical pain into divine purpose.

As the daughter of a teacher, Judge Heard naturally brings history into the light. She recalled how she used to educate jurors about Supreme Court Justice Roger Taney, the man behind the infamous 1857 Dred Scott decision, which declared African Americans inferior beings who could never be citizens. But God always has the final say.

Stepping back even further into history, Judge Heard shared a sobering truth about our regional soil. She said, "In 1817, near the intersection of Pratt and Light Streets, right where the Hilton Hotel now stands, docks served as a major hub for the domestic slave trade.

Enslaved men, women, and children were marched down Pratt Street in shackles, held in pens, and loaded onto ships bound for the deep South.

As a Black woman, Judge Heard stands as a living testament to the resilience of ancestors who may have walked those very streets in chains.

Fast forward nearly 200 years to 2016. In the very city and within blocks, it is where our ancestors were viewed as property. Judge Wanda Keyes Heard made history as the first woman ever to be appointed Chief Judge of the Baltimore City Circuit Court.

Reflecting on this, Judge Heard said, "What a mighty God we serve! Only God could orchestrate a 200-year journey from the slave docks to the highest seat of justice

in the city of Baltimore."

Looking back on her 40 years of service to justice and the community, Judge Heard gave all honor and praise to God, alongside her parents and ancestors who prayed and sacrificed for her.

She left the audience with a powerful, urgent charge: pray for those chasing their dreams, support our Black-owned businesses and professionals, and never let obstacles stop you.

In a time when many are trying to erase our history, Judge Heard’s message is clear: "Know it. Tell it." Let us hold our heads high, remembering that the same God who broke the chains of the past is guiding our steps into the future.

Let me close by saying, there was a news article about Judge Wanda Keyes Heard, a Special Feature: “Retired Chief Judge Wanda Heard: The Judge Who Showed Up,” by Doni Glover, July 2, 2026, in an online newspaper, entitled BMore News (bmorenews.com). What stood out for me was how this article shared how she gave men and women a second chance. Some listened, and others did not. The article talked about how she would get in her car and drive to the job or go wherever she thought she needed to, in order to speak with those who were under her supervision, on probation with stipulations. Great article title; she really was the judge who showed up!

It is my pleasure to call Judge Wanda Keyes Heard my friend. She was on panels at my church, and on a panel about Shirley Chisholm, and several times she was featured on my radio show, Think on These Things. We love you, Judge Wanda Keyes Heard; you do us proud! WI

Person Worship:  Sunday @ 9:30 A.M.

Sunday @ 9:30 A.M.  www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

& Study:  Wednesday @ 12 Noon and 7:00

Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org