Metro Newsletter https://www.notus.org/metro-newsletter Metro Newsletter en-US Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:31:00 GMT Tax Cuffs https://www.notus.org/metro-newsletter/tax-cuffs Zara Norman, Jenny Gathright Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:31:00 GMT https://www.notus.org/metro-newsletter/tax-cuffs House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., arrives for a hearing with former Goldman Sachs senior counsel Kathryn Ruemmler and her ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., arrives for a hearing with former Goldman Sachs senior counsel Kathryn Ruemmler and her ties to Jeffrey Epstein, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Washington. Rod Lamkey/AP Photo
Good morning, D.C. In today’s newsletter: A consequential tax code vote, continued weather woes and the dismantling of the D.C. streatery.

Sign up for the NOTUS Metro newsletter for essential coverage of the D.C. region.



THE LATEST

The House is set to vote tomorrow on a bill that would prevent the D.C. Council from making changes to the city tax code without explicit congressional approval.

House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Kentucky) said he introduced the measure because he wants to prevent city lawmakers from raising taxes, a step D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson has said they may take to confront a budget crunch in the coming year, Jenny reports.

The twist? The bill could also prevent the city from decreasing existing taxes or fees. If it passes, any change to Title 47 of the D.C. code could go into effect only if both chambers of Congress approve.

Comer said in a statement that tax increases are the true target of the policy.

"Congress must have stronger oversight tools to prevent these job-killing tax hikes, which will drive employers, investment, and residents out of the city," he told NOTUS. "And if pigs ever fly and the DC Council approves tax cuts instead, I'll be the first to lead the charge for Congress to approve them immediately.”

The bill would face an uphill battle to overcome the filibuster if it makes it to the Senate. It’s the latest in a series of attempts by Republicans to undermine the D.C. government’s ability to dictate local policy — and it underscores just how much some watchful eyes on Capitol Hill are scrutinizing the D.C. Council.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said “the entire Committee, Republicans included, should be offended by this reckless waste of their time.”





FROM THE DISTRICT

D.C.’s weather woes continue this afternoon, with severe storms likely and “a tornado or two” possible, Capital Weather reports.

The city is ordering restaurants to dismantle their streateries, Axios D.C. reports. These outdoor dining areas were a lifeline for restaurants during COVID, but an onerous permitting process to make them permanent has spelled their doom.





FROM VIRGINIA

Ratepayers would be on the hook for a proposed 115-mile transmission line traversing rural Virginia, WTOP reports. It would power the northern part of the state, which is home to the world’s densest concentration of data centers.





FROM MARYLAND

National Harbor’s “Sphere” will be taller than the U.S. Capitol and almost exactly the height of the Washington National Cathedral — or 45 AJ Dybantsas, per City Cast DC.





GUESS THE LISTING


pool1 copy.jpg (1418x945, AR: 1.50)
Listed for $1,095,000, this three-bedroom brick Cape Cod is a party in the back with a stone patio, in-ground pool and custom-built pool house.

Where is this house listed? Click on your guess to see the answer:

  1. Maryland
  2. Virginia 
  3. D.C.
We’ll let you know tomorrow how many of you got it right.





SPORTS

With the battle over the future of college sports heating up in the Senate, a major question is whether senators pushing the Protect College Sports Act can get the SEC and Big Ten conferences on board.

As NOTUS' Jesse Dougherty reports, one potential tweak to the bill has to do with conference realignment and expansion, as the initial text would have halted any future expansion for leagues making more than $700 million (which includes the SEC and Big Ten). The change the various factions are kicking around: capping conferences at 19 programs instead and making it so any school that wants to jump from one power league to another has to first go independent for five years.

Nationals infielder Luis García Jr., a surprise slugger this season, has received interest from multiple teams on the trade market, The Athletic reports. The MLB trade deadline is Aug. 3.

What to Watch Today
MLB: Nationals at Rockies, 8:40 p.m. (MLB.TV)





Thank you for reading! If you liked this newsletter, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at metro@notus.com.

The newsletter was produced by Jaden Amos, Michael Errigo and Nikie Johnson. Photo by Garland Gay. Finally, yesterday’s trivia answer was B) John Quincy Adams. A special shout-out to Susan Stonesifer, who answered first.
]]> Welcome to NOTUS Metro https://www.notus.org/metro-newsletter/welcome-to-notus-metro Martin Austermuhle, Zara Norman Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:31:00 GMT https://www.notus.org/metro-newsletter/welcome-to-notus-metro A view of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington DC.
A view of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington DC. (Mark Alfred/NOTUS) Mark Alfred/NOTUS
Good morning, D.C. In today’s newsletter: A welcome, a scathing audit, free buses (maybe) and the AJ Dybantsa hype train.

HELLO!

Welcome to NOTUS’ daily newsletter focused on all things D.C. We’re building Washington’s next great newsroom, and over the past two months, we’ve formed a team of local reporters to cover news, sports, food and all the quirks and curiosities that make our region tick.

Martin Austermuhle and Zara Norman will keep you in the know and set the tone for your day.

We’d love to hear from you! Send us an email or ping us on social media — let us know what you’re interested in, what you’d like to see us cover and what we might be missing.





THE LATEST

Add a scathing audit to the mountain of problems plaguing D.C.’s housing authority, which has also struggled to address poor housing conditions, leadership turnover and a recent cyberattack.

Auditors from the D.C. inspector general’s office, who released their findings last week, couldn't verify how much money the agency had, or where it was, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, according to NOTUS’ Jenny Gathright.

The housing authority also didn’t adequately protect millions of dollars in bank deposits, and there were signs that money designated for certain federal programs may have been used for other purposes, the audit found.

The mistakes could have serious implications. The housing authority, which receives a significant amount of its funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, submitted “material misstatements” to the federal government, the report said.

The agency did not dispute the findings. It is working to remedy the issues, many of which were repeated from last year, and noted that a transition to new accounting software exacerbated some of them.





DEEP DIVE

Where are D.C.’s free buses? District leaders, including Mayor Muriel Bowser and council member Charles Allen, have tried for years to make it happen. It’s never stuck.

Janeese Lewis George (who’s all but certain to be D.C.’s next mayor) wants to make the Metrobus free for SNAP recipients, who already get a 50% discount. She’s not ruling out eventually making it free for all, her campaign told Zara.

Will it happen? It’s not just a District decision, since WMATA is a multistate agency, and JLG would need to find the revenue. WMATA relies on bus fares for 10% of its passenger revenue, but only 1 in 4 riders paid to board this May. In May 2019, it was 3 in 4.

https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/yr9mj/2/
Rather than writing that off, WMATA is cracking down. The agency asked bus operators to start quoting the fare again as riders board — something drivers say can lead to violence.

Expect a debate next year once a new mayor is sworn in, Allen told NOTUS.





FROM THE DISTRICT

D.C.’s cyclist community gathered at East Potomac Park over the weekend to protest President Donald Trump’s planned renovations there, NBC4 reports.

Protestors also rallied outside an old hospital campus in Southeast D.C., worried it will be redeveloped into an ICE facility, WTOP reports.

Three people were arrested after a car crash near D.C.’s World War II Memorial, including two people who stopped to help the driver but were later picked up on drug charges, ABC7 reports.





FROM VIRGINIA

Vice President JD Vance is reportedly moving into a second home in Middleburg. The affluent Loudoun County town has mixed feelings about its newest resident, The Washington Post finds.





FROM MARYLAND

Ten people were hospitalized, and a Tesla Cybertruck was cut in half, in a Silver Spring collision Saturday that involved at least 11 vehicles, WTOP reports.





D.C. TRIVIA


Which president was famous for skinny-dipping in the Potomac River?

  1. James Madison
  2. John Quincy Adams
  3. Teddy Roosevelt
Email us the answer — the first reader who gets it right gets a shout-out. The answer will be at the end of tomorrow’s newsletter.





SPORTS

The AJ Dybantsa hype is real, with Wizards owner Ted Leonsis going so far as to compare the NBA’s No. 1 overall pick to an all-time great.

"What I was impressed with was when we introduce him to people, he makes eye contact, he asks, 'What's his name?' Shakes his hand. He's a very magnanimous personality," Leonsis told ESPN. "It reminded me, I hate to say this, of Alex Ovechkin, where he just lights up the room.”

Josiah Gray may have been forgotten by many Nationals fans, but he’s still fighting to get back on the mound. NOTUS’ Jesse Dougherty has the exclusive interview.

What to Watch Today

Nationals at Rockies, 8:40 p.m.,MLB.TV

Mystics at Valkyries, 10 p.m.





Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Jaden Amos, Jeff Dooley and Nikie Johnson. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at metro@notus.com.]]>