Latest news with #MurielE.Bowser
Yomiuri Shimbun
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Joy, Tension Collide as Worldpride Arrives in Trump's Washington
Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post A mural purported to be the longest in LGBTQ+ history was recently installed along 15th Street NW between O and V streets. The WorldPride Parade will kick off here June 7. The welcome signs for WorldPride, the world's largest LGBTQ+ gathering, are out across Washington. Banners hang from lampposts along major roads. Rainbow stripes have been painted on bike lanes and sidewalks. The message from the District to LGBTQ+ residents and visitors has been a cheery and unequivocal, 'We want you here.' At a Pride news conference Thursday, District Mayor Muriel E. Bowser proudly called the District 'the gayest city in the world' and encouraged residents to fly Pride flags in front of their homes. But for many in the LGBTQ+ community, the election of Donald Trump and his return to the presidency has altered the mood – and the outlook – for WorldPride. Less than a year ago, city leaders, LGBTQ+ business owners and Pride organizers said they anticipated the event and its associated panels, parties and parades would bring up to 3 million people to D.C. They projected hotels at full capacity and a revenue bonanza that would more than justify the city's $5 million budget to prep for the festival, which includes the 50th anniversary of Pride celebrations in the District. Now, while many community leaders and business owners remain optimistic that the event will be the success they envisioned, they are also tempering their expectations. They fear that the Trump administration's targeting of transgender rights and attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have scared off corporate sponsors and discouraged people – especially international visitors – from coming to Washington for Pride. A number of countries have issued travel warnings for LGBTQ+ individuals thinking of coming to the United States, and organizations representing affected groups in Canada and Africa said they are boycotting the event. Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, has spent much of the past five years working to bring WorldPride to D.C. He's thrilled that it is finally here, excited for the city and the LGBTQ community, and ready for the parties to begin. At the same time, he says, 'the executive orders that were directly targeting our community and other marginalized communities created feelings of despair, of anger, of 'what country am I living in?'' Bos has seen corporations and individuals withdraw from the event over their fears of retribution from the administration. His biggest disappointment, he said, 'is not being able to host this WorldPride at a time that we felt we were in a space that the government had our back, that our corporate partners had our back.' Conflicting emotions is a common theme for many in the District's LGBTQ+ community. 'We're excited for WorldPride obviously,' said Stephen Rutgers, co-owner of Crush, a popular gay bar on 14th Street NW that opened about a year ago. 'I think the city will see an influx of people. Will it be the two or three million that were initially projected to come? I don't think so. But at this point just having a normal D.C. Pride is a success. Anything over that is sort of the cherry on top.' With the arrival of the Trump administration, Rutgers says that what was supposed to be a celebration of rights that have been gained is now tinged with worry and anger about what is endangered. 'It's changed the tone and the narrative of what WorldPride could have been and what it's going to be,' he said. 'It could have been a very big, fun celebration and just everyone out and about, but now it's reminding people of the history of what Pride is and that all our rights are still not safe. We need to come out and be loud and proud and celebrate those things.' There are hundreds of official and unofficial parties and events scheduled during WorldPride, which officially began May 17. A welcome concert featuring Shakira at Nationals Park scheduled for Saturday night was abruptly canceled after the artist pulled out Friday, citing production issues for the event. That was an unexpected blow to the festival, but organizers said they were working to reschedule its events. Pride culminates June 7 and 8 with a parade, rally and concerts on Pennsylvania Avenue headlined by Cynthia Erivo and Doechii. Yet attendance projections for WorldPride, which includes celebrations of Trans Pride, Black Pride and Latinx Pride, remain in flux. Hotel bookings, one indicator of attendance, are down 10 percent for the three-week period of WorldPride compared to the same time last year, according to Destination DC, the nonprofit organization responsible for marketing the District to tourists and convention planners. Last year, the District hosted 2.2 million international visitors; that is expected to decline by 6.5 percent in 2025, according to Tourism Economics, which tracks travel data. The firm attributes the drop-off in international visitors to a variety of factors, including the impact of tariffs on prices, concerns about immigration and border policies and an overall negative sentiment. In 2024, about 72 million international visitors came to the United States. Tourism Economics estimates that number will drop by about 10 percent in 2025. Citing new U.S. government policies, particularly ones directed at trans individuals, a number of LGBTQ+ organizations in Canada, Africa and Europe have said they will not send members to WorldPride. Several European countries, including Denmark, Germany, Finland and Ireland, issued travel advisories in March and April alerting citizens that if their travel documents have their gender marked as 'X' rather than male or female, they could face difficulties when trying to enter the United States. Officials from the State Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection said there are no restrictions against international visitors to the United States based on gender identity or sexuality. Stephanie Carre, general manager of the Dirty Habit restaurant and bar at the Hotel Monaco in downtown Washington, expressed some concern about the political climate affecting attendance. Like other business owners and managers around town, Carre is counting on a big overall turnout for Pride to help her meet her bottom line. The bar is hosting several WorldPride events, including an exhibit of portraits of gay icons by pop artist Wayne Hollowell and a drag brunch on June 8 featuring Alyssa Edwards. Tickets for the brunch start at $150 and Carre said they're hoping for at least 400 people to attend. If she can reach the venue's 800-person maximum, the brunch will be a big win. 'Unfortunately there's been a lot of controversy in the air since January,' Carre said. 'I was thinking it would be a great time to come and celebrate even harder because of that. So I'm hoping we get a huge influx of people coming to town to express their American freedom and be who they are.' Carre is 'cautiously optimistic' the numbers will be there. 'We were hoping for double the numbers of a normal Pride year, but it's kind of uncertain right now,' she said. As with any major event in the District, security and safety will be priorities, Pride organizers and city officials said. In addition to keeping visitors and residents safe at Pride events and on city streets, D.C. police and other law enforcement agencies say they will also be tracking rallies and protests. At various points during the next two weeks, demonstrators celebrating Pride will rally at the Lincoln Memorial, protest DOGE outside a Tesla showroom in Georgetown and gather at the Capitol Reflecting Pool for a Transgender Unity Rally. 'At this time I want to emphasize there are no known credible threats to WorldPride or any affiliated events,' DC Police Chief Pamela A. Smith said at Thursday's news conference. 'That being said we always want to remain vigilant and we always want to be ready. We will continue to evaluate our intelligence and adjust our posture accordingly if necessary.' The city is still reeling from a shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum on May 21 that took the lives of a young couple, both Israeli Embassy employees. The alleged shooter told police, 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,' according to an affidavit in federal court. The museum reopened Thursday. Although its leaders are still grieving from the attack, they are encouraging Pride attendees to come see the museum's newest exhibit, LGBTJews in the Federal City, which tells the history of Jewish involvement in LGBTQ struggles and activism as well as the change within the Jewish community with respect to LGBTQ inclusion over the past 50 years. 'The tragic shooting outside our building just reinforces how important it is to be a place where people can come learn about Jewish people, Jewish culture and the richness and diversity of the Jewish community in Washington D.C.,' Beatrice Gurwitz, the museum's executive director said in an interview. 'We have always aspired to bring in people who are Jewish, and who are not Jewish, to relate to what we have here and to better connect across difference.' At As You Are, a coffee shop, bar and self-described queer community space on D.C.'s Capitol Hill, owners Jo McDaniel and her wife, Rach 'Coach' Pike, are planning Pride-themed dance parties, karaoke nights and storytelling sessions at their 3,000-square-foot venue. They acknowledge some of the tension surrounding this year's festival but they also see it as a chance to showcase their city to visitors. 'We're looking forward so much to meeting a bunch of new folks and showing them how D.C. hospitality, there's really nothing like it,' McDaniel said, 'We have just enough small town in our big city to really make it special and caring and warm and I'm excited for folks to get to experience that.'
Washington Post
30-04-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Republican Medicaid cuts could mean ‘Armageddon' in D.C., official says
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), her staff and health-care providers have been lobbying Congress for months to stave off Medicaid cuts that one top city official said would amount to 'Armageddon' for low-income residents and wreak havoc on the region's health network. House Republican proposals to slash government spending on Medicaid would devastate the insurance program that covers 40 percent of District residents and makes it possible for hospitals and clinics to care for the most vulnerable, they say. Under one scenario, D.C. could lose $1.1 billion, forcing the city to drop some residents from the rolls and scale back services for others. 'I have lost many hours of sleep over that possibility,' said Wayne Turnage, deputy mayor for health and human services. He likened the possibility of crafting a bare-bones health-care finance budget to 'Armageddon.' Cuts targeting Medicaid in the District are among the proposals the House Energy and Commerce Committee is expected to consider next week. Republicans also have floated reductions in federal contributions to D.C. and the 40 states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, as well as governments, such as the District's, that use local dollars to insure undocumented immigrants. 'The Medicaid cuts that are being contemplated really will be devastating really for everywhere nationwide, but there are many reasons to especially worry about D.C.,' said Joan Alker, executive director of the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University. Democratic lawmakers in Virginia and Maryland sent a letter Tuesday to leaders on the Energy and Commerce Committee urging them to consider how cuts could weaken health care in the nation's capital. Reducing the federal payment in D.C. 'will undermine health care not only for Medicaid recipients in the District but for everyone in the region, regardless of their insurance status. Families will lose coverage,' Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Maryland) said in a statement. 'Republicans' effort to cut Medicaid is cruel and nothing short of catastrophic for the health of the American people.' City officials already face a $1 billion shortfall that prompted Bowser to institute a hiring freeze and other 'extraordinary measures.' The city also lost its coveted triple-A bond rating because of cuts to the federal workforce, a sluggish real estate market and the uncertainty over Medicaid funding, Moody's said. Federal Medicaid payments for states are based on a formula that considers average per capita income, but in D.C., the rate was fixed in 1997 when the District teetered on the edge of financial collapse. Then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Thomas M. Davis III, a GOP congressman from Northern Virginia, brokered a deal that said the federal government would pay 70 percent of Medicaid costs and the District 30 percent. But Davis said the national debt has ballooned since then. 'Everybody's taking a haircut,' he said Tuesday. 'We just have to understand that the circumstances have changed, and the Congress is looking around anywhere they can.' The arrangement recognized that the District's tax revenue is limited by the amount of tax-exempt federal property within its borders and the inability to levy a commuter tax on people who work in the District but live elsewhere, said Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District's nonvoting representative. D.C.'s federal payment 'is higher than that of many states in part to compensate for those revenue-generating restrictions,' Norton said in a statement. Reducing it 'would be devastating for the nation's capital and the sizable number of residents from other jurisdictions who receive care within D.C., including federal officials and their staffs, federal employees, visitors, and the children from all 50 states who receive vital care at one of the hospitals in this region. To even consider this reduction is misguided and irresponsible.' Bowser and her federal affairs staff have talked to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and members of the committees overseeing Medicaid and D.C. Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over health care, are expected to consider cutting spending by as much as $880 billion over 10 years, which they can't do without shrinking Medicaid. Members are at odds, with moderates saying they won't vote for a bill that cuts the public insurance program. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) said he'll oppose such cuts if they come to the Senate. 'We'll be fighting back every step of the way against Republican efforts to strip Americans of their health care in order to pay for their giant tax giveaway for the rich,' he said in a statement Tuesday. Trade groups representing D.C. hospitals, community health clinics, behavioral health providers and others have met with lawmakers and strategized for months on how to protect the city's Medicaid payment. Officials at hospitals serving D.C. and parts of Maryland and Virginia say cuts will probably force some to close, jeopardizing thousands of jobs and critical services such as labor and delivery and trauma care. They estimate caring for uninsured people could cost $232 million. About half of patients treated at Children's National Hospital receive Medicaid, putting the highly specialized care at D.C.'s only Level 1 pediatric trauma center at risk. 'This potential threat is the most concerning in my 26-year career as a health-care administrator. The impacts would be immediate and devastating,' Children's National Hospital chief executive Michelle Riley-Brown said. Community health clinics, which care for low-income patients — many of whom have complex needs — would also be hit hard by cuts. Unity Health Care, the city's largest network of clinics, receives about 70 percent of its funding from the federal government. 'Any significant cuts to these major programs would likely lead to reduced access for patients, including those who need it most — pregnant individuals, people with substance use disorders, people needing behavioral health services, among other key groups,' Unity Chief Medical Officer Benjamin Oldfield said. Compared to states, the District has generous income eligibility limits — up to 215 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $33,600 a year for a single adult and about $71,000 for a family of four. Adults without children — about 91,500 — make up the biggest part of Medicaid in D.C. and are most likely to lose coverage if the program is slashed, city officials say. The second-highest number of D.C. residents are children under 20 years old — about 90,600. D.C. consistently ranks second, behind Massachusetts, with the lowest number of uninsured residents. 'It's a very laudable goal of city councils and mayors over time that they would provide so much emphasis on providing health insurance for everybody who can't afford commercial insurance,' Turnage said. 'It's a wonderful thing.' Meagan Flynn contributed to this report.
Washington Post
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Mayor Bowser's legacy in D.C. is the sports city she has helped build
At her own personal Super Bowl, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) raised both hands and pumped her fists. She waved like a royal, then returned the applause back to a room that was filled with her loudest supporters placed in the most prime locations. She celebrated all the way to her seat, flanked by Washington Commanders majority owner Josh Harris and Roger Goodell, commissioner of the whole NFL. Because she did it. She will go down as the mayor who not only saved two of the city's sports franchises, but the one who (possibly) brought football back to the District. The Commanders and the city agreed on a deal to build a new stadium and further develop the neighborhood surrounding the old RFK site. And this comes on the heels of Bowser striking a deal with Ted Leonsis, the head of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, to keep the Capitals and Wizards in the Gallery Place/Chinatown neighborhood for the next quarter of a century. All that's needed now to move forward with the $3.7 billion deal and cement Bowser's legacy as the Mayor of Sportstown, USA, is the approval of the D.C. Council, but that was such a trifling, little detail Monday morning as dozens and dozens of overjoyed football fans celebrated the city's favorite sports franchise possibly coming back home. If she wanted to, Bowser could have lapped the grand room at the National Press Club, high-fiving every legend in the room from Joe Gibbs to Eleanor Holmes Norton. She didn't, but after starting her remarks with a callout — 'Promise made,' to which plenty in the crowd roared back: 'Promise kept!' — Bowser could have then simply dropped the mic and walked off stage, staring down any journalist who would dare question how her promise might impact the real residents of the neighborhood. Instead, Bowser remained dignified during the single most important day of her career. But make no mistake, this was her trophy. She did it. In her decade leading the city, Bowser has taken plenty of shots for what has gone wrong under her watch. Some of the criticism is fair; other issues have been out of her control (unless of course she's personally responsible for rodents overrunning the city). Bowser is the hometown elected official, the city's chosen champion, and she has prioritized arenas and stadiums as the foundation of her legacy. So Monday felt as significant as a Super Bowl win. Because with all of its anticipation of a shiny, new stadium sold out by Commanders games or Beyoncé concerts, any and everything seems possible. 'Washington sports teams should play in Washington,' Bowser has said. 'The sports economy, sometimes it gets minimized to, like, fun and games. But it's dollars and sense.' Bowser loves that well-crafted line, and she will use it often to explain how sports can drive economic growth in a city. But she's no robot, echoing talking points. She will push back when she feels her big ideas are being questioned. She will defend them, safeguarding her legacy. After all, 'the mayor who brought the NFL back' is a heck of a first line in an obituary. So when a television reporter challenged Bowser on how she can justify this particular development in light of the city's current budget crisis, she was ready. 'We're not talking about the … [fiscal year 2025] summer crises. We're not talking about that. What we're talking about is our future,' Bowser said before getting drowned out by applause, whistles and the shouts of several vocal supporters: 'That's right!' and 'All right!' 'You know what our job is right now? Our job is replace economic activity for 40,000 people,' Bowser said, only stopping when a man shouted: 'Go 'head!' A dramatic pause followed before she continued, her congregants eating up every word. 'If we don't make some change, they may not have their jobs. ('Ohkay!') If we don't make some change, they may not live here. So our job is to advance a budget that is bold and that invests in growth. … If you need to add revenue, as we do, you can't leave 180 acres vacant. ('Mmmhmm!') If you need to add jobs, as we do, you cannot wait for an anchor to show up to start developing there. ('That's right!') When you need to attract business, you have to be about business.' At this point, the whole room was applauding. When Bowser finally finished, Goodell leaned over and whispered something, to which she responded: 'Thank you.' Well, she did it. The proposed stadium would be built in a gentrified neighborhood that has changed so much from its Black middle class roots that Kingman Park residents created a portion of the precinct that voted for Trump more than any other place in the District. Since the 1990s and the slow melting away of a 'Chocolate City,' the trend shows that Black residents won't make up the majority of the newest neighbors who would move into the thousands of homes promised in the neighborhood. A few blocks away from the whoops and cheers happening downtown sat a man on the sidewalk of 14th Street. He could not have been past his 30s. Whether he makes his home on that street, not sure, but clearly, he's living a life that has gone off script from the American Dream. In a city that boasts a population of just over 700,000 but with more people experiencing homelessness than the states of Arkansas and Mississippi combined (two of the highest poverty rates in the country), that man asking for money outside a convenience store might be viewed as nothing more than a statistic by the office workers and tourists passing by. But she did it. The federal labor market in the District is drowning because of mass layoffs conducted by the Trump administration. The average 20-something makes just enough to live in a dwelling shared by roommates. The city's Vision Zero road safety initiatives can feel more like 'Zero Vision' by the pedestrians and cyclists who still have to dodge drivers wielding their vehicles like deadly weapons. We have no statehood. And the rats suck. But Bowser did it. She's on the doorstep of bringing the Commanders back home. A feat her predecessors could not accomplish, because she recognized the importance of dollars and sense. The people want fun and games. They want the prestige and the opening shot of the Capitol on Fox telecasts before kickoffs. They want to stick their chests out Monday and feel good about being a Commanders fan. They want the ever-expanding blob called the NFL that devours everything in its path in their city, too. And hey, if some dollars get thrown around to create some hourly wage jobs or a park kids can play at, then great. The people, shouting from the amen choir in a downtown press room or throughout social media or anywhere around the city, want sports. Bowser's legacy will be that she heard them, loud and clear.
Washington Post
28-04-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Commanders' stadium plans could put D.C. in the Super Bowl mix
The Washington Commanders' agreement with D.C. to build a stadium at the site of its former home would return the team to its roots, while also creating new possibilities that could include hosting a future Super Bowl. The $3.5 billion deal, which was announced before cheering onlookers Monday at the National Press Club by Commanders principal owner Josh Harris, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, generated a mix of nostalgia and excitement, with many in the crowd recalling their fondest memories of the team's 35 seasons at RFK Stadium on the banks of the Anacostia River.
Washington Post
24-04-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
While D.C. braces for cuts, Bowser proposes another boost for schools
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), previewing parts of her budget proposal for next year, said Thursday she wants to fund programs that reduce the cost of child care and pay stipends to preschool teachers. Together, the Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Program, Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund and D.C. Child Care Subsidy Program would cost $175.5 million, an almost $11 million increase from last year.
