| | | Culture · Politics · Poetry | | THE FEEDSACK | | |  | | The District Feed | | Friday, October 30 | | Covers roughly 7 a.m. Thursday to 7 a.m. Friday, Eastern time. | | Weather Sunny today, with a high near 75 and wind gusts as high as 23 mph. Tonight, mostly clear, with a low around 45. National Weather Service | | Forwarded this email? Sign up for The District Feed. | | | At-large D.C. Council member Robert White, the Democratic nominee for the District's delegate seat in the U.S. House, will resign from the Council effective Monday, Nov. 2, the day before the election, according to his campaign. White had argued he could keep his seat until the result is certified in early December, but in a statement he said he wanted to "remove any doubt before Election Day" about his eligibility. Context A 1970 federal law bars D.C.'s delegate from holding another paid public office at the time of election, and Attorney General Brian Schwalb, the city's elected lawyer, said that means White had to leave before Nov. 3; White disputes that reading and says he will work to clarify the law if elected. Republican delegate nominee Denise Rosado argues White is already disqualified because early voting has begun. Under the Home Rule Charter, the D.C. Democratic Party's central committee will appoint an interim member to hold the at-large seat until voters fill it in a special election, and Council Chair Phil Mendelson's office said he will take on White's staff through the end of the year so work on White's pending housing bills can continue. | | | In a court filing Wednesday, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward acknowledged that President Trump has directed the Interior Department and the National Park Service to close East Potomac Park by Nov. 15 for a redesign of its public golf course, and said Interior is developing a plan to carry that out; government lawyers also appealed the judge's order limiting work on the course. The Washington Sun reports that U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes is scheduled to hear from administration lawyers Friday at 10 a.m. Context Reyes's preliminary injunction bars removing trees at the course and requires 10 days' notice before closing it for anything other than a holiday or a regular closure. At an Oct. 19 hearing, Woodward told Reyes "there is no plan to close the course" by Nov. 15. Trump says the redesign will take about 15 months and has called the course a "national disgrace"; preservationists oppose the plan, and the design he posted would remove Ohio Drive, the road around the course that residents use for biking, running and birdwatching. | | | The D.C. Council said a flyover by Air Force One on Thursday gave people downtown, at the Pentagon and at Reagan National Airport only about 15 minutes' notice and startled many people, including council members. The White House shared video of what it called "a special Halloween flyover by Air Force One." Context The D.C. Council is the city's legislature, led by Chair Phil Mendelson. WJLA's report did not give the time of the flyover or name a council member, and it did not include a response from the Federal Aviation Administration or the Air Force. | | | A staff member at KIPP DC Grow Academy in the 400 block of P Street NW found a gun inside a box of Halloween candy Thursday while getting ready to hand out candy; staff secured it and called police, who responded around 2:50 p.m. No one was hurt, no students came into contact with the gun, and no arrests had been made. Context KIPP DC is a public charter school network. The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating; school officials said families were notified, and it is not yet known who owns the gun or how it got into the box. | | U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston on Thursday blocked federal guidance that required people with qualifying conditions to also show those conditions significantly impair their ability to meet new Medicaid work requirements in order to be exempt. He upheld two other federal limits and did not strike down the work requirements, in a suit brought by 25 states and the District of Columbia. Context The work requirements come from the 2025 law known as the One Big Beautiful Bill: starting Jan. 1, 2027, many adults ages 19 to 64 covered through Medicaid expansion must work or volunteer at least 80 hours a month or attend school at least half time, with exemptions for people who are medically frail. The states argued the stricter test goes beyond the law's text and would keep eligible people from care; the judge found the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services exceeded the law on that point but that the government gave a non-frivolous rationale for the other provisions. CMS and the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately comment, and CMS declined to say whether it would appeal. | | | Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in Washington on Thursday ordered the Justice Department to identify which states, beyond California and Washington, have received its letters about removing noncitizens from voter rolls or setting aside their ballots. He said he plans to rule by Monday on a request by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic campaign groups to bar the administration from interfering with state election procedures. Context The Democratic plaintiffs say the letters pressure states with threats of prosecution; Justice Department lawyer Christian Dibblee said the letters only notify states of potential violations of federal law and that acting on them is the states' choice. The administration says it has found evidence that noncitizens have voted or will vote illegally, while the AP reports that state and federal investigations show noncitizen voting is extremely rare. Boasberg questioned whether the plaintiffs have standing and said the department could end the case by committing not to send more letters before the election. The AP reports the list is due Friday; Roll Call reports a further filing is due Saturday. | | | Civic | Friday and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. · 25 early vote centers across D.C. In-person early voting is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Sunday, Nov. 1. | | | | Things to do | Friday, 7 p.m. · Politics and Prose at The Wharf, 610 Water St. SW Author Jim Emison discusses his book Murder on the Hatchie: The NAACP's First Martyr in conversation with Aderson Francois. | | Follow The Feedsack
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