A FRIGHTENED LITTLE MAN - Trump Tear-Gas Protesters

"Inside the push to tear-gas protesters ahead of a Trump photo op" by Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, Rebecca Tan - The Washington Post 6/1/2020

President Trump began mulling a visit to St. John’s Episcopal Church on Monday morning, after spending the night devouring cable news coverage of protests across the country, including in front of the White House.

The historic church had been damaged by fire, and Trump was eager to show that the nation’s capital — and especially his own downtown swath of it — was under control.

There was just one problem: the throngs of protesters, who on Monday had again assembled peacefully in Lafayette Square across from the White House to protest the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis.

And so — shortly before the President addressed the nation from the Rose Garden at 6:43 p.m. Monday and roughly a half-hour before the District’s 7 p.m. curfew went into effect — authorities fired flash-bang shells, gas and rubber bullets into the crowd, clearing a path for Trump to visit the church immediately after his remarks.

The split screen as Trump began speaking was dark and foreboding — an angry leader proclaiming himself “an ally of all peaceful protesters” alongside smoke-filled mayhem and pandemonium as protesters raced for safety.

Before Trump vows to end ‘lawlessness,’ federal officers confront protesters outside White House.

The evening’s events were the product of a President who favors brute strength and fears looking weak, yet finds himself reeling from a duo of crises — a deadly pandemic that has left more than 100,000 Americans dead and racial unrest that has led to protests and riots across the nation.

He has also been consumed by his faltering poll numbers against former vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for President.

When Trump had returned safely to the White House less than an hour later, the verdict seemed clear: The President had staged an elaborate photo op, using a Bible awkwardly held aloft as a prop and a historic church that has long welcomed Presidents and their families as a backdrop.

In the process, protesters had been tear gassed and attacked, and Trump had taken a raging conflagration and doused it with accelerant.

“We long ago lost sight of normal, but this was a singularly immoral act,” said Brendan Buck, a longtime former Hill aide who is now a Republican operative.  “The President used force against American citizens, not to protect property, but to soothe his own insecurities.  We will all move on to the next outrage, but this was a true abuse of power and should not be forgotten.”

Trump’s decision to speak to the nation from the Rose Garden and to visit the church came together earlier in the day, said one senior White House official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.  The President was upset about news coverage of him briefly retreating to the White House bunker Friday evening amid protests, and he repeatedly wondered why anyone would have disclosed those details to the news media, two officials said.

He was also frustrated by coverage this weekend of his call with the Floyd family, which he believed was positive — Trump called it “a very good call,” an official said — but was portrayed negatively.

Finally, Trump was angry at cable news footage from Sunday evening, showing protests and riots near the White House, a White House official said.  He spent much of Monday discussing with his team how to demonstrate the streets in Washington were under control and that there would not be riotous scenes in the coming days, the official said.

Inside the West Wing, aides were torn on the proposed spectacle.  One official argued it was necessary, allowing Trump to demonstrate that he was not hunkered down and was out of the White House, as well as standing with evangelical voters by visiting the church.  But two others worried it could backfire.

“It was just to win the news cycle,” one Trump adviser said.  “I’m not sure that things are any better for us tomorrow.”

Jason Miller, a former senior adviser on Trump’s 2016 Presidential campaign, defended the President’s decision.  He said Trump was elected in part on law-and-order themes, which he needs to continue to hammer, while simultaneously talking to black supporters about some of his initiatives, such as criminal justice reform.

“You’re going to have to go and knock some of the bad guys around a little bit,” Miller said.  “Once they get tear gassed or pepper sprayed, they don't want it to happen again.”

He added that Trump had been reminded by allies that he was elected as a “get-things-done President.”

“He’s not the hand-holder or consoler in chief,” Miller said.  “He was elected to take bold dramatic action and that’s what he did.”

The action began less than an hour before the District’s curfew, and in the moments before Trump was set to speak.  Just after 6 p.m., hundreds of protesters were gathered on H Street NW, facing Lafayette Square.  Though members of the National Guard — wielding shields that said “Military Police” — were lined up behind barricades, along with Secret Service and other law enforcement officers, the protesters remained peaceful.  Several played music, and one painted on an easel.

But shortly thereafter, Attorney General William P. Barr visited the scene, and, about 6:30 p.m., the National Guard moved just yards from the protesters, prompting some screams.  Some protesters threw water bottles, but many simply stood with their arms raised.

Then, the chaos began.

Members of the National Guard knelt briefly to put on gas masks, before suddenly charging eastward down H street, pushing protesters down toward 17th Street.  Authorities shoved protesters down with their shields, fired rubber bullets directly at them, released tear gas and set off flash-bang shells in the middle of the crowd.

Protesters began running, many still with their hands up, shouting, “Don’t shoot.” Others were vomiting, coughing and crying.

As Trump began to speak, some protesters took a knee several blocks from the White House, again yelling, “Hands up!  Don’t shoot!”  But they were never able to stay kneeling for more than a couple of minutes, because authorities kept pushing them forward, as a thick, yellow cloud of smoke hung over the crowd.

About midway through his remarks, and roughly 10 minutes before the city’s curfew was set to go into effect, the President offered a stark warning: “Our 7 o’clock curfew will be strictly enforced.  Those who threaten innocent life and property will be arrested, detained, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Trump concluded by promising that the nation’s “greatest days lie ahead,” and then said, cryptically, “And now I’m going to pay my respects to a very, very special place.  Thank you very much.”

Accompanied by a small cadre of top advisers — including his daughter Ivanka Trump, clad in dark coronavirus mask — the President then made his way over to the church.

One White house official noted the lack of any black aides.  Vice President Pence, a leading administration official to Christian voters, was also conspicuously absent from the event at the church.

Trump seemed to take in the scene and paused in front of St. John’s, turning to the cameras and holding up a black Bible in his right hand.

Asked if it was a family Bible, he said, simply, “It’s a Bible.”

Soon after the church event, the President’s top law enforcement and military officials, including the secretary of defense, attorney general and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, walked across parts of downtown Washington in an unusual show of force.

Some local officials were livid.  D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser upbraided Trump on Twitter: “I imposed a curfew at 7pm.  A full 25 minutes before the curfew & w/o provocation, federal police used munitions on peaceful protesters in front of the White House, an act that will make the job of @DCPoliceDept officers more difficult.  Shameful!  DC residents — Go home.  Be safe.”

The Right Rev. Mariann Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, said she learned of the President’s visit by watching it on the news.

“I am outraged,” she said, with pauses emphasizing her anger as her voice slightly trembled.  “I am the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and was not given even a courtesy call that they would be clearing with tear gas so they could use one of our churches as a prop, holding a Bible, one that declares that God is love and when everything he has said and done is to inflame violence.”

But Trump’s campaign team viewed the visit as a success.  By late Monday, campaign officials were already tweeting a black-and-white photo of him walking to the church with a coterie of aides in his wake.  Tim Murtaugh, the campaign’s top spokesman, posted the picture without a caption.

As the curfew descended upon the nation’s capital, the scene had calmed down significantly.  Trump returned to the White House, and the groups of hundreds of protesters began dispersing.

Helicopters could be heard overhead all over the city Monday night, and officials said the streets were far emptier than usual.

EXPANDING REACH - John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

"With newly expanded campus, Kennedy Center aims to make art an experience for all" PBS NewsHour 9/6/2019

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SUMMARY:  The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., is expanding its vision and offerings as it enlarges its physical footprint for the first time in its 50-year history.  The institution hopes to showcase a range of arts, provide a "campus" feel and illuminate art as it's created.  Jeffrey Brown reports on "[The] Reach," the effort housed in three newly constructed buildings.

STONE BY STONE - The Washington National Cathedral

"The painstaking process of repairing a damaged cathedral" PBS NewsHour 6/10/2019

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SUMMARY:  The Washington National Cathedral in Washington DC, sustained major damage during a rare 2011 earthquake.  Nearly eight years later, reconstruction is still underway at the country's second-largest church.  Jeffrey Brown visited the landmark to learn more about the long and painstaking repair effort, including how it has been funded and what steps have been taken to avoid future disaster.

TRIBUTE - McCain

"Despite losses, McCain’s spirit was ‘never broken,’ says former defense secretary" PBS NewsHour 8/27/2018

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SUMMARY:  Judy Woodruff looks back on the prolific and storied career of Sen. John McCain, from his military heroism to two disappointing presidential campaigns to a reputation as a party maverick.  Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen was a close friend of McCain's, serving as a groomsman at his 1980 wedding.  He joins John Yang to remember McCain's irrepressible humor and “restlessness” to do more.

"How did John McCain and Ted Kennedy find common ground? ‘They listened’" PBS NewsHour 8/29/2018

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SUMMARY:  Sen. John McCain’s death on Saturday, nine years to the day after friend Sen. Ted Kennedy died of the same type of brain cancer, has drawn parallels between the two political icons, who were known for their occasional bipartisan efforts and their shared sentiments.  Victoria Reggie Kennedy, the senator’s widow, joins Judy Woodruff to talk about their friendship.

"John McCain remembered as a fighter for American ideals" PBS NewsHour 8/30/2018

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SUMMARY:  Friends and family, ordinary citizens and VIPs alike gathered Thursday in Phoenix to honor the life and legacy of Arizona Sen. John McCain, who died last Saturday at the age of 81.  Judy Woodruff reports.

"Washington pays tribute to McCain: ‘He would fight tooth and nail for his vision of the common good’" PBS NewsHour 8/31/2018

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SUMMARY:  Washington pays tribute to John McCain at the Capitol
Blurb: At a ceremony inside the Capitol Rotunda Friday, Sen. John McCain's family gathered as lawmakers paid final respects, and top Republicans testified to his independent streak.  Judy Woodruff reports.

"McCain modeled a bedrock belief in human dignity and American democracy, say family and friends at his funeral" PBS NewsHour 9/1/2018

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SUMMARY:  Politicians, family and friends gathered at the Washington National Cathedral Saturday to remember former Presidential candidate and decorated Navy pilot Sen. John McCain.  While President Donald Trump was not invited, former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama gave eulogies and hailed their once-political opponent's courage and dignity, saying that he modeled the best of American leadership.

THE RALLY - White Supremacist Washington DC 8/13/2018

The Daily Show
with Trevor Noah

There's nothing funnier than watching a white supremacist ask a black cop for a favor.

HOCKEY - The Stanley Cup Matches 2018

"Stanley Cup matches NHL newcomers with veterans who exceeded expectations" PBS NewsHour 6/1/2018

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SUMMARY:  Saturday night the Las Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals face off for game three in their Stanley Cup matchup.  A year ago, the Golden Knights weren't even a team.  How did they make it to the finals on their first try?  And can the Caps finally make good after coming up short in playoff series past?  Amna Nawaz discusses the two teams with Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.

TRUMP AGENDA - The Making of Federal Government Incorporated

Trump's steady march to have a federal government run by corporations, aka 'filling the swamp.'

Government is NOT a Business (reminder)

"Lifting the Veil on Another Batch of Shadowy Trump Appointees" by Derek Kravitz, Isaac Arnsdorf, and Marina Affo - ProPublica 8/31/2017

The administration continues to quietly hire political staffers — more than 1,000 so far, many of them regulating industries they previously worked for — but we've uncovered more identities.  “The swamp continues,” says a Trump campaign official who is now a lobbyist.

President Donald Trump has left hundreds of government jobs unfilled that require a vote by the Senate.  Yet his administration has installed more than 1,000 people through political appointments at every major federal agency, handing over control of the government's day-to-day operations to industry insiders and loyalists to an unprecedented degree.

Among the latest Trump administration appointees is a lobbyist who until March worked for a leading hepatitis C drugmaker that priced its treatment at $1,000 a pill and is now leading a White House working group setting drug pricing policies.  The list includes the new head of the government's offshore oil drilling safety and enforcement agency, who previously sat on the board of Sunoco Logistics and who told an industry conference earlier this month that deepwater drilling should ramp up.  Then there's the Hollywood actor who has called global warming and climate change a “leftist political tool” and “not sound science” on Twitter and who is now the communications director at the Department of Health and Human Services.  Finally, this group also includes the 80-year-old retired chief legal officer of Morgan Stanley, who once told government lawyers he was “going to kick your ass” and is now a deputy attorney general in the Justice Department's antitrust division, overseeing litigation while his boss awaits Senate confirmation.  (At the time, Kempf denied using the expletive in exactly those terms.)

These political appointees, some of them members of what have been dubbed “beachhead teams” during the presidential transition, and others who are now permanent employees, don't need Senate confirmation.  Many of them have operated in the shadows and the White House has declined to publicly reveal their identities.  Some political appointees, such as Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross's chief of staff, Wendy Teramoto, were initially hired as special government employees, or SGEs.  They are brought on as temporary advisers and don't face the same rules that other federal employees do.  But Teramoto and others have stuck around, and been promoted to permanent jobs.  The administration reveals virtually nothing about this category of staffers.

“As long as you know who to call, they are more than willing to work with 'industry,'” said Scott Mason, a Trump campaign veteran who's now a lobbyist with Holland & Knight.  “The swamp continues as the ecosystem it has always been, advocating on behalf of Americans who are all represented in one way or another by an interest group.”

We now have a full list from the Office of Personnel Management, the federal government's human resources department, and it counts more than 1,000 political appointments since Trump took office on Jan. 20.  The 1,000 include some 400 that ProPublica first revealed in March, and another 140 that were added in subsequent updates.  We found that of the roughly 500 new appointees on our list, at least 61 have been registered lobbyists at the federal level.  (This is likely an undercount since it does not include those who have not registered or who worked solely on the state level.)

We found at least 44 people who have been rehired for second stints in the same government jobs after their initial terms expired.  Another 194 people have been given new jobs after their initial beachhead terms.

“The pool of 'Trump Republicans' was small so that they had to go to regular Republicans, a lot of whom worked for the Bush administration,” said Ivan Adler, a lobbying headhunter with the McCormick Group.  “And there happen to be a lot of lobbyists among that group.”

We're still sorting through the new names and we want your help.  If you have tips or want to flag someone for us, email beachhead@ProPublica.org.

“What's unusual is the size and scope of these teams,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, which advises both Republican and Democratic presidential administrations on transitions.  “The normal process in filling your political team is going from the campaign to the transition team to a political appointment.  The cabinet picks manage all of this.  But without them, the beachhead teams have been in charge.  It's added a whole other level of confusion to an already difficult process.”

It has also added a layer of shadows, said Jeff Hauser, who runs the Revolving Door Project at the D.C.-based Center for Economic and Policy Research.  “These are political appointees who are subjected to much less scrutiny than if they went through the Senate-confirmed process,” he said.  “And these special employees, many of whom are on short stints and go back to regulated industries, are not answerable to anyone except the White House.  It's an outsourcing of government.”

Dozens of original beachhead team members have left government altogether, with several returning to lobbying or other industry-advocacy work.  Donald Schnare, a lawyer and longtime critic of the EPA named to that agency's beachhead team in December, resigned in March after infighting between political appointees and the hand-picked staff of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt boiled over.  Schnare told ProPublica that nearly every member of the Trump administration beachhead team at the EPA were refused permanent jobs by Pruitt.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is lagging in nominating key leaders to government jobs that require a vote of the Senate.  As of the August congressional recess, the Trump administration has nominated 277 people for Senate confirmation and just 44 percent have been confirmed, according to the Partnership for Public Service.  By comparison, the previous four presidential administrations — those of Barack Obama, George W.  Bush, Bill Clinton, and George H.W. Bush — had nominated at least 315 people by the August recess and had their picks confirmed at rates above 60 percent at that point in the process.

To fill the gaps, the White House placed at least 18 “senior White House advisers” at federal agencies, to act as the administration's eyes and ears.  Many were Trump campaign staffers and loyalists with little to no government experience and they publicly clashed with several of Trump's top Cabinet picks, including Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin and Transportation secretary Elaine Chao.

Staffing records show that at least 11 of these advisers have left their original jobs or departed the government.  (Several advisers, such as Paula Stannard at Health and Human Services, Mary Anne Bradfield at the Small Business Administration and Maren Kasper at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, were promoted to permanent positions.)

But seven still remain, including Sam Clovis, a former radio host whose nomination as the Agriculture Department's chief scientist is pending.  (Clovis has attracted press scrutiny for, among other statements, his assertions that he is “extremely skeptical” about climate change.)

Here are a few Trump political appointees we've found:

• Joe Grogan, an associate director for health programs at the Office of Management and Budget, most recently worked as a lobbyist for Gilead Sciences, the pharmaceutical company that has been accused of price-gouging in its sales of a novel hepatitis C treatment.  Since his appointment, Grogan has taken a leading role in a White House working group on drug pricing policies.  As reported by Kaiser Health News, internal documents from the working group show that, despite vows by President Trump to lower the price of medications, Grogan's team is pushing pharma-friendly policies, such as extending a drug's patent time in foreign markets.  Grogan and the Office of Management and Budget did not respond to requests for comment.

• Donald G.  Kempf Jr., a hard-nosed attorney and former Marine who spent 35 years at Kirkland & Ellis and another six years as chief counsel at Morgan Stanley.  He was personally recruited by incoming Deputy Attorney General Makan Delrahim, whose nomination has languished without a vote since March.  As to why he came out of a 12-year retirement, Kempf told ProPublica that “my country has been very good to me” and that he “welcomed the responsibility.”  Kempf had a storied career, often representing corporations in antitrust and mergers and acquisitions litigation at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis.  But during his tenure at Morgan Stanley, the bank suffered a series of legal defeats and regulatory fines before his retirement from the organization in 2005.

• Brad Bailey is the new Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, focusing on tax and the budget, at the Department of the Treasury.  Before his new role he was a registered lobbyist for O'Rourke and Nappi where one of his clients was H&R Block.  As ProPublica has reported, H&R Block has been fighting to stop a free government tax filing system for years that would make the company obsolete.  As recent as April, Bailey was one of the people lobbying on behalf of H&R Block.  In response to questions, the Treasury Department said in a statement: “Treasury's ethics officials work with agency personnel to address and mitigate potential conflicts if and when they arise.”

• Scott Angelle is the director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, the agency that oversees safety for offshore oil and gas drilling.  He served as Louisiana's secretary of natural resources from 2004 to 2012, and was appointed interim lieutenant governor from May to November 2010.  During that time, Angelle helped lead a successful effort to bring an early end to the federal moratorium on deepwater drilling that was imposed after the April 2010 BP oil spill.  Before joining the Trump administration, Angelle spent several years on Louisiana's Public Service Commission, where his position on the board of Sunoco Logistics Partners, an oil pipeline company — for which he received $989,238 — raised conflict of interest concerns.  (Angelle denied any conflicts at the time.)  Sunoco Logistics merged with Energy Transfer Partners, the developer of the Dakota Access pipeline, in April.  Angelle spoke at an industry conference this month where he encouraged oil and gas companies to drill deepwater wells.  Angelle did not respond to requests for comment.

• Charles Faulkner, who was appointed deputy assistant secretary of state on June 11, left BGR Government Affairs, a D.C. lobbyist firm, where he had been a lobbyist for several foreign governments.  His client list included the Kazakh embassy, for which he provided political consulting and arranged meetings between U.S. and Kazakh government officials.  He also advised the Kurdistan Regional Government, a semiautonomous part of Iraq that often has tense relations with Baghdad, as well as neighboring Syria, Turkey and Iran.  The State Department did not respond to a request for comment.

• Until March, Wendy Teramoto was a managing director at Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross's former investment firm, WL Ross & Co., and held board positions on several Ross-connected corporations, including the Greenbrier Companies, an Oregon supplier of railroad equipment.  Teramoto took a job as a part-time special government employee at the Commerce Department, as an adviser to Ross, in mid-March.  Commerce Department officials said that between March and August, Teramoto “resigned from all outside non-federal positions” and signed an ethics pledge but she did not become a full-fledged government employee, subject to ethics requirements, until Aug. 1, when she was appointed Ross's chief of staff.  In a statement, the Commerce Department said Teramoto is “subject to the same disqualification requirements under conflict of interest statutes as the Secretary and other federal employees.”

• As assistant secretary for border, immigration and trade policy at the Department of Homeland Security, Michael Dougherty could be in a position to benefit his former employer.  Dougherty was previously CEO of the Identification Technology Association, a trade group for companies that sell biometric and cybersecurity technologies for borders, law enforcement and emergency management.  Before that, he worked for the Raytheon unit that sells products and services to U.S. law enforcement agencies.  Dougherty is careful to comply with ethics rules and keep his government work separate from his past employment, according to his successor at the trade group, Jason Conley.  “Where members have tried to reach out, he's been appropriately nonresponsive,” Conley said.  In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said it provides ethics training to all political appointees and reviews any potential conflicts of interest.

• Mark Vafiades, a Hollywood actor (best known for roles in “An American Carol” and “Vengeance Trail,” according to his IMDB listing) is now communications director at Health and Human Services.  Vafiades has been particularly vocal on social media, calling global warming and climate change a “leftist political tool” and “not sound science!” and advancing claims of voter fraud in his home state of California.  The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to a request for comment.

• Emily McBride, a former aide to Jeff Sessions when he was a senator, and then an assistant in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs, in June became a special assistant to the head of the General Services Administration.  The GSA leases the building housing Trump's Washington hotel, which ethics experts say is a conflict of interest because the President is effectively both tenant and landlord.  The GSA has already concluded that Trump's ascension to President didn't violate his lease (despite the opinion of some legal experts), but the agency is still responsible for ongoing review of the hotel's finances.  A GSA spokesman said McBride won't participate in the oversight of Trump's hotel.

• Adam Kissel, who joined the Department of Education as deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs, has spent the past five years at the Charles Koch Foundation, working on higher education projects.  The foundation has faced scrutiny for donating millions to colleges and universities around the country, including to academic institutes focused on “market-oriented ideas” and “the practice and potentials of freedom.”  Before his role at the Charles Koch Foundation, Kissel worked at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, where he was a prominent critic of the Obama Administration's approach to investigating sexual violence on campus.  Kissel and the Education Department did not respond to requests for comment.

• Jonathan Galaviz was hired as an adviser at the State Department's Office of Security, Democracy and Human Rights, on June 11.  He has consulted for foreign governments, including Russian state-run investment firms, helping with a host of gaming industry issues.  The State Department did not respond to a request for comment.

• Alexander Fitzsimmons was appointed chief of staff and senior adviser at the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.  He came to government from the advocacy group American Energy Alliance and Fueling U.S. Forward, a public relations group supporting fossil fuels.  Both organizations are backed by Koch Industries and they called for the elimination of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in 2015.

ARTS - Sun's Rise and Fall

"Artist puts time in perspective by painting sun's rise and fall" PBS NewsHour 7/18/2017

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SUMMARY:  The sun will rise in the morning, no matter what happens.  That idea was the inspiration for Swiss artist Nicolas Party, who painted a new mural directly onto the walls of the Hirshhorn Museum for his exhibit "Sunrise, Sunset."

DOMESTIC TERRORISM - Attack on Congressmen

"Attack on congressman provokes somber reflection in Washington" PBS NewsHour 6/14/2017

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SUMMARY:  A gunman opened fire Wednesday in Alexandria, Va., during a morning practice for the Congressional Baseball Game.  The gunman, who died from his injuries sustained during the attack, shot Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, the House Majority Whip, and four others.  Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff for an update on the reaction from Capitol Hill.

WASHINGTON D.C. - LGBT Safe Houses

"Giving homeless transgender youth a safe haven from the streets" PBS NewsHour 5/22/2015

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SUMMARY:  Homelessness is a reality for many young transgender Americans.  In Washington [D.C.], a row house has been turned into a safe haven for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth who have nowhere else to go.  Hari Sreenivasan talks to the group home's founder about creating a space that is safe, fun and feels like home for those who may have been kicked out by their families for being different.

JUDY WOODRUFF (NewsHour):  Hari Sreenivasan is back with a report on one of a handful of programs in the country that’s helping homeless transgender youth get their footing in society.

It’s another in our Transgender in America series.

HARI SREENIVASAN (NewsHour):  It looks like any other row house in Washington, D.C., but Ruby Corado’s house is different.  It’s a safe haven for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth who have nowhere else to go.

Fifteen, 20 years ago, if you were trans, you were living in a house, you walked out on a stoop like this and some kids were walking by, what’s the likely reaction then vs. now?

RUBY CORADO:  Fifteen years ago?

HARI SREENIVASAN:  Yes.

RUBY CORADO:  It was impossible to be me during the day.  We were segregated to the underground world.  Today, we can be trans in the entire city.  It’s still hard, but we can still be ourselves.  And we take those risks because, deep inside of us, we are happy.

THE WEB - Washington DC Watchdog Shuts Down

"Website that kept watch on D.C. homicides shuts down" PBS NewsHour 12/29/2014

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SUMMARY:  Homicide Watch, an online database that records and tracks homicide cases, was created to document under-reported crimes in Washington, D.C.  The site has been praised by law enforcement and the families of victims, but is shutting down in that city.  Co-founder Laura Amico, a Boston Globe reporter, speaks with Jeffrey Brown about sharing violent crime information with the public.

GWEN IFILL (NewsHour):  This has been a year of extensive debate over crime and justice and public safety.  But keeping track of the ebb and flow has often fallen to organizations outside of law enforcement.  Now, one of those tracking sites is shutting down.

Jeffrey Brown is back with that story.

JEFFREY BROWN (NewsHour):  Mark every death.  Remember every victim.  Follow every case.  That’s been the mantra of a group called Homicide Watch started by two journalists in Washington, D.C., to comb databases and document under-reported crimes occurring in their city.

It’s received much praise from law enforcement and families of victims.  And the concept has been picked up in other cities, including Chicago, Boston, and Trenton, where sites partner with a local newspaper or university.

Now, though, the original Washington, D.C., site is shutting down, unable to find a permanent home.

Joining us is Laura Amico, a Boston Globe reporter who created the site with her husband, Chris, who we should say worked previously with the “NewsHour” online.

And, Laura Amico, welcome to you.

First, what’s the idea behind Homicide Watch?  Why did you think it was needed?

LAURA AMICO, The Boston Globe:  Hi, Jeff.  Thank you for having me.

Homicide Watch started because I had a need, and I was willing to take a risk.  We moved across the country from California so that my husband, Chris, could take that job with “PBS NewsHour.”  And I found myself an unemployed crime reporter in 2009, when there just weren’t that many jobs in journalism.

As I was searching for a job, I saw a need to be done in my local community.  I saw families of victims and suspects trying to connect on places like Facebook and Twitter and Legacy.com.  They were looking for information about cases and they were looking to connect with one another to share what they were learning.

I looked at this and I looked at my skills.  And I saw that I had a lot of free time on my hands and thought maybe there is something here I can do.  And it grew very organically out of that.

WASHINGTON D.C. - Decriminalizes Marijuana

"Washington D.C. becomes latest jurisdiction to decriminalize marijuana" PBS NewsHour 7/20/2014

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HARI SREENIVASAN (NewsHour):  This week, the District of Columbia became the latest jurisdiction to decriminalize possession of marijuana.  It’s part of a growing national trend.  For the latest about all this, we’re joined by Melanie Eversley, a reporter for USA Today.

So, what’s the new rule specifically in D.C., you can’t just walk down the National Mall smoking marijuana now, right?

MELANIE EVERSLEY, USA Today:  Right, right.  Essentially, this law took effect on Thursday.  It basically decriminalizes possession of up to an ounce of marijuana.  So what that means is if you are caught with that on your person, instead of being subject to criminal penalties, what you would get is a $25 ticket, which is less than the cost of a parking ticket here in New York City.

It also changes a couple of other things.  If police smell marijuana while they’re on their beat or whatever, they can no longer search a person for it.  If they also find up to an ounce of marijuana on a person, they can no longer automatically search them, so it drastically changes things.

AMERICA - More on the Washington Navy Yard Shootings

I'm retired U.S. Navy (22yrs) and have worked (before my full retirement) for a DoD sub-contractor.  ONE problem is the DoD depending on the Contractor (who hires the sub-contractor) to do vetting for security clearances for the sub-contractor.  Of course the vetting is SUPPOSED to be the same as DoD would do, but is it?

"Navy Yard Tragedy Draws Attention to Who Has Access to Military Facilities" (Part-1) PBS Newshour 9/17/2013

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SUMMARY:  While Washington mourned the 12 victims of the Navy Yard shooting, authorities released new details about the shooter, Aaron Alexis.  The Defense Department contractor had had run-ins with the law and sought help for mental health issues.  Ernesto Londoño of The Washington Post joins Gwen Ifill to update the developing portrait.

"How Did Aaron Alexis Get Security Clearance to Be a Defense Contractor?" (Part-2) PBS Newshour 9/17/2013

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Revelations about the mental health of the gunman who killed 12 at the Navy Yard raises questions about how someone like Aaron Alexis is allowed access to a U.S. military base.  Judy Woodruff discusses screening with Dr. E. Fuller Torrey of the Treatment Advocacy Center and Dr. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, a former Army psychiatrist.

AMERICA - Washington Navy Yard Shooting

"At Least 12 Killed in Mass Shooting at Washington Navy Yard" (Part-1) PBS Newshour 9/16/2013

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  A shooting at the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command in Southeast Washington, D.C., claimed the lives of at least a dozen people inside.  District of Columbia police confirmed one shooter, Aaron Alexis, died at the Navy Yard.  Judy Woodruff reports.

"Witnesses Raise 'Security Vulnerabilities' Concerns at Navy Yard After Shooting" (Part-2) PBS Newshour 9/16/2013

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Judy Woodruff speaks with Bloomberg News' Chris Strohm, who spoke to eyewitnesses on the scene at a mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard.  Employees recounted hearing gunshots and hiding under their desks, and weighed in on the screening practices to get into the building.

AMERICA - Can We Honor the Expectations of the 'March on Washington'

"Can America Fulfill the Demands Made by Those Who Marched on Washington?" PBS Newshour 8/30/2013

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JUDY WOODRUFF (Newshour):  Now we wrap up our coverage of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.

First, longtime civil rights activist Linda Chapin of Orlando, Fla., recalls coming to the Capitol as a 22-year-old.

LINDA CHAPIN, civil rights activist:  It was, as much as anything -- for my group of friends who met up in Washington the day before, it was exciting.  It was passionate.  It was fun, all of those things.

(LAUGHTER)

LINDA CHAPIN:  And we didn't know that it would come together to be one of the largest protests in the history of the United States.

And another thing that interests me greatly is that the organizers didn't all have the same goal.  Some of them were there to support President Kennedy's Civil Rights Act.  Some of them were going there to say, no, we don't support that; it's not strong enough.  Some of them were there to say something different.

And, yet, it all came together in this incredibly symbolic and historic event.

JEFFREY BROWN (Newshour):  That was Linda Chapin of Orlando, Fla.  You can find her story and other firsthand accounts at Memories of the March on the PBS Web site Black Culture Connection.

And now Gwen Ifill has the final installment of her series of conversations on the march.

AMERICA - In Washington DC, What Constitutes a Decent Wage?

So much for the Wal-Mart TV adds touting they're good FOR workers.

"D.C. Picks Fight With Walmart Over Higher Wages for Low-Income Workers" PBS Newshour 7/17/2013

Excerpt

JUDY WOODRUFF (Newshour):  It looks like any other routine construction site, but the work at this location in Washington, D.C., is at the center of a major fight over wages that is capturing national attention.  When completed, the building is set to become the first Wal-Mart in the nation's capital, one of six stores it says it plans to eventually open in D.C.

But now a battle over a living wage could derail that plan.  Last week, the D.C. City Council approved legislation that would require select employers to pay an hourly rate that's almost 50 percent higher than the city's current minimum wage.

If signed into law, the measure, called the Large Retailer Accountability Act, would force businesses to pay workers at least $12.50 an hour.

The bill applies to stores with operating space of 75,000 square feet or greater and with annual corporate revenues of at least $1 billion.  Unionized stores like the area grocery chain Giant would be exempt.  Wal-Mart officials have said plans for three of the six D.C. locations would be dropped if the bill is signed, and could jeopardize the other three currently under construction.

Just before last week's vote, Wal-Mart's regional general manager criticized the bill in a piece in The Washington Post.  "From day one," he wrote, "we have said this legislation is arbitrary and discriminatory and that it discourages investment in Washington."

The fight in D.C. is the latest in a growing number of battles and smaller demonstrations around the country to call for higher wages for lower-income workers.  Just last week, employees at Smithsonian museums who work for contracted franchises like McDonald's went on a one-day strike over pay.

EDUCATION - Possible Cheating in DC Schools

"DC Schools Warned in 2009 About Possible Cheating" AP, ABC News 4/12/2013

An internal memo shows that District of Columbia schools officials were aware in early 2009 about the possibility of widespread cheating on standardized tests.

An analyst hired by then-schools chancellor Michelle Rhee found that 191 teachers at 70 schools had been implicated in possible testing infractions involving wrong answers that were erased and changed to the correct ones.

Investigations found isolated cheating but not to the extent suggested by the erasure rates.  One teacher was fired.

In Atlanta, dozens of educators, including the former superintendent face racketeering charges, accused of a widespread test cheating scandal.

D.C. school officials say the memo was based on incomplete information and flawed methodology.

The memo was obtained by journalist John Merrow, who shared it with The Associated Press.  USA Today was first to report the contents.

For non-U.S. readers:  "DC" = District of Columbia = Washington DC our national capital.

EDUCATION - Teacher Evaluations in DC Public Schools

"In Washington, D.C., Public School Teachers Put to New Test"
PBS Newshour 8/31/2010

From what I see, this IS the way to run a public school.

(from transcript)

MICHELLE RHEE: I didn't -- I didn't sort of proffer any guesses at the front end to say, well, it's going to be this percentage or that percentage.

But when we took control of this school district in 2007, 8 percent of the eighth-graders were operating on grade level in mathematics, 8 percent. And if you would have looked at the performance evaluations of the adults in the system at the same time, you would have seen that 95 percent of them were being rated as doing a good job.

How can you possibly have a system where the vast majority of adults are running around thinking, "I'm doing an excellent job," when what we're producing for kids is 8 percent success?

A very good question.

ALSO SEE

"Method to Grade Teachers Provokes Battles" by SAM DILLON, New York Times 8/31/2010