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Domestic violence has been on the rise in D.C. for some time. In April, the 51streported that although D.C.’s overall murder rate had decreased by nearly half year over year, domestic-related homicides and assaults with a dangerous weapon had gone up. Intimate partner murder accounted for a quarter of the 26 homicides recorded between January 1 and April 30. In all of 2025, there were 28 domestic-related homicides.
For the Wanda Alston Foundation, which offers housing and support services to homeless and at-risk LGBTQIA youth, the overlap of domestic violence and homelessness interweave. City Paper contributor Taylor Ruckle reports that, according to this year’s Point-in-Time Count in D.C., “22 percent of unaccompanied adults and 44 percent of adults in families experiencing homelessness are survivors. Of the 5,363 unhoused individuals accounted for in the 2026 PIT, 12 percent of all adults identified as members of the LGBTQIA community.” Ben Rosen, program director at the Wanda Alston Foundation, notices the crossover when evaluating entrants to the foundation’s shelter.
The need for support is particularly high among queer and trans people, who, according to the Human Rights Campaign, may be more likely to experience intimate partner violence, but may face discrimination from therapists, shelters, and other institutions.
The convergence of these issues has led to a new partnership in D.C. At the end of October, aka Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Wanda Alston Foundation and the local all-queer therapy practice LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative introduced Show Me Love DC, a program that offers free and low-cost counseling services to LGBTQIA survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence.
“Counseling and therapy and mental health support is so incredibly important for building resilience, healing after trauma, building self-advocacy skills, coping skills, and ability to utilize more resources,” says LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative founder SC Nealy.
Lawyer up: Democrats in the House and Senate are planning to investigate convicted felon and President Donald Trump’s corruption, and are preparing an oversight agenda to examine the Trump family’s self-enrichment, crypto business, real estate, and business dealings, the bunker/ballroom and other vanity projects, along with government stock trading, ICE raids, the Epstein files, and DOGE. Plus one point for investigations into the extravagant self-dealing that has come at the public’s expense. +1 [AP News]
Hand gun: On Monday, police charged D.C. man William Johnathan Clark, 28, with “threats in a menacing manner” after he pointed a “finger gun” at National Guard members. Guard troops asked police to arrest Clark over a “threatening hand gesture.” Clark was also charged with assault on a police officer but the affidavit didn’t explain that charge. Making hand gestures is typically constitutionally protected free speech. Guard members in D.C., many of whom are from outside the area, have been jeered, threatened, and spit on, the Post says. During Clark’s arraignment, prosecutors reduced the charges to a misdemeanor count of simple assault, and a judge scheduled a hearing for December. Minus one point for overreacting. -1 [Post]
Power dynamic: Democrats’ historic victory Tuesday night could slow down Trump’s plans to remake D.C. in his image, including the 250-foot arch, the ballroom, the Kennedy Center closure and renovation, and the East Potomac Golf Links. With the Democrats taking control of the House and Senate, Georgetown law professor Steve Vladeck calls the midterm results a “huge public repudiation of so much of the president’s agenda” and suggests that the courts might align with voters in these cases. Also Democrats will be replacing Kentucky Congressman James Comer, who has pushed to overturn D.C. laws, on the House Oversight Committee. Plus one point for more control of our city. +1 [WTOP, Axios, WBJ]
Forced exposure: While most federal workforce “separations” in Trump’s second term have been classified as “voluntary,” a new survey suggests many civil servants left their posts because they felt coerced. Almost 75 percent say they left due to “pressure, incentives, or an involuntary separation.” More than 2,000 former federal employees from 55 agencies who left two years ago responded to the survey, with 85 percent saying they “strongly disagreed” that their departures were handled with dignity and respect. Instead of making government more efficient, respondents say the cuts reduced capacity, expertise, and services to the public. About 87 percent said either “yes” or “maybe” when asked if they’d return to government jobs. Minus one point for losing top talent, service, and expertise. -1 [Federal News Network]
Falling stocks: Elon Musk spent $474 million on GOP races in the midterms, nearly half in Texas, where his companies are based. But after his candidates lost bigly, shares of SpaceX and Tesla plummeted on Wednesday. That’s even as tech stocks, including Meta, Microsoft, Google, and the rest of the stock market, were doing great. Democrats have indicated they will investigate Musk when they take control of Congress, which could complicate the richest man alive’s future plans. Plus one point for poetic justice, not that it will really impact his bank account. +1 [NYT]
Where to go, who to see, and what to do this weekend.
Global Experience Index’s numbers for 2025 show that visits to federally funded museums in D.C. fell last year. Attendance at the National Gallery dropped 28.9 percent; likewise both the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of American History saw a decline in visitors by 15.4 percent and 14.3 percent, respectively. Ocula reports that the drop is linked to last year’s 43-day federal government shutdown, which closed both NGA and Smithsonian museums for more than a month. [Ocula]
Baltimore has renamed West Peninsula Drive to Lindsey Vonn Way to commemorate Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn’s 20-year partnership with Under Armour, which is headquartered in the city. Vonn was in Baltimore for the renaming ceremony. [Banner]
