Washington City Paper

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DHCD failed to spend about $1M allocated for its first-time homebuyer assistance program. The agency told applicants earlier this year that the program ran out of money. Fully story: buff.ly/mFmcoSw

The D.C. Court of Appeals tossed out an armed carjacking conviction due to an MPD detective's "highly suggestive" tactics prompting a witness to identify the suspect. buff.ly/wm054ns

Beverly Perry, longtime adviser to Mayor Muriel Bower, is stepping down from her role. She will head a new lobbying shop at Taft Law Firm. @tomsherwood has the details: buff.ly/xOlabs8

Mayor Bowser’s RENTAL Act could strip key tenant protections from tens of thousands of Ward 8 residents—just as the ward is left without a councilmember to fight for them. Here's what's at stake: buff.ly/REyBG0x

Thievery Corporation’s Eric Hilton turned a Georgetown space into his musical sanctuary. He spoke with contributor Christina Smart about his new studio, solo album, and what’s next. buff.ly/NAUCc18

John Cena plays a movie-star-turned-president in Amazon’s “astonishingly un-terrible” original action comedy. Chris Klimek reviews Heads of State. buff.ly/ehR84KM

Arena Stage brings A Wrinkle in Time to life with spectacle, sincerity, and at least one memorable tune. Critic Chris Klimek calls it earnest, but is that enough? His review: buff.ly/eqDTxIU

Jack Evans is back on the D.C. payroll with a $127K/year job—but DHCD won’t explain what he does. Ignored emails, FOIA requests, and one bizarre comment about someone else typing his reports: buff.ly/lSgeRmo

Beyoncé’s stop at Northwest Stadium wasn’t just a concert—“it was a living, breathing art installation, a cultural exegesis, a Black feminist thesis, a family archive, and a stage production worthy of Broadway,” writes contributor Teniola Ayoola. buff.ly/2sHtCXX

Cops arrested more than 20 people over the long weekend, the new Congress Heights hospital is overwhelmed and understaffed, and the Nats fired both their manager and GM. Here’s your weekend roundup. buff.ly/MQ2Bkvx buff.ly/MQ2Bkvx

A local record pressing plant went from a basement shop to vinyl powerhouse—with help from Metallica, pandemic demand, and a whole lot of elbow grease. Here’s how Furnace Record Pressing made it big. buff.ly/JQmIL9s

Kim’s Convenience, the play that inspired the hit TV show, takes the stage at Olney through July 27. Critic Nicole Hertvik says it’s “a vivid, heartfelt, and humorous portrayal of intergenerational family dynamics.” buff.ly/52KStQw

Heat revolves around a bank robbery sequence, but at its core, it’s “a tender exploration of how cops and criminals alike suffer from their respective, connected trades.” Noah Gittell revisits the 1995 thriller, screening this weekend at AFI Silver. buff.ly/R3bRatG

Another round of photos from @darrow_m’s archive 📸 Catch up on Postcards From Home, an unpublished series of photos capturing D.C. life from 1986 to the early 2000s. buff.ly/cQq7HbL

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Mayor Bowser wants to roll back tenant rights for 34,000 renters in newer D.C. buildings, saying they rarely use them. We spoke to tenants who have seen TOPA’s benefits. Here are their stories. buff.ly/M2x9ztg

Two regulars-turned-owners are bringing the River Terrace nightclub known for its hand dancing back to life with queer programming, game nights, and job training. “We want to use this venue to pay it forward,” says Kia Wallace. buff.ly/SjuolCv

Equitable Access Preference gives at-risk D.C. students a better shot at enrollment in sought-after schools. It’s helping, but advocates worry Trump’s DEI rollbacks could threaten this quiet progress. buff.ly/XhunJR6

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