Politics. On Point.

DC Mayor, Vincent C. Gray  along with  Kwame Brown,   Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia received awards last evening at the 39th Annual Whitney M. Young Jr. Memorial Gala presented by the National Urban League . This year’s platform introduced the idea of celebrating Washington, DC’s diverse population, as a united community with the theme, “ YOU, ME, WE….DC!”   Both men have been embattled in a series of alleged wrong doings ranging from questionable hiring practices to misuse of city-owned vehicles .   Mayor Gray, who campaigned under the phrase "One DC", has come under fire for his hiring practices that included one Sulaimon Brown, who allegedly was paid handsomely to discredit former Mayor Adrian Fenty during Gray's mayoral campaign. In another staffing shakeup, Geri Mason Hall resigned as Gray's Chief of Staff.  Hall was replaced by Paul Quander on an interim basis. About the Whitney M. Young, Jr...

Meet all 44 presidents this President's Day weekend at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in our Nation's Capital. It seems that former DC Mayor, Adrian Fenty, was partly responsible for the $2M exhibit which will open February 17, 2011.  DC is the only place in the world to feature the exhibit. From the Madam Tussaud web site: Mayor Fenty helped unveil artist renderings of the new gallery and spoke briefly while attendees admired the nine new wax figures of U.S. presidents that were on display: John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, James Garfield, Chester Alan Arthur, Grover Cleveland and Gerald Ford. Additionally, 30 first grade students were on-hand from D.C. Public School Cleveland Elementary to “meet” the new wax figure of the U.S. president for whom their school is named, Grover Cleveland. “Among the many museums and entertainment options in Washington, Madame Tussauds uniquely combines art, popular cul...

Incoming Mayor Vincent Gray has named five more appointments to the senior leadership of his new administration. De’Shawn A. Wright will be the Deputy Mayor for Education.  Wright worked previously as a senior advisor to Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, New Jersey, and has worked to develop a comprehensive reform agenda for the Newark Public Schools and has a strong background in policy, management, and classroom teaching. Hosanna Mahaley , will head the Office of the State Superintendent of Education.  Mahaley has worked the last few years developing innovative strategies for elevating teaching and assessing student progress. Rochelle L. Webb  will head the Department of Employment Services.  Dr. Webb has more than 20 years of leadership experience implementing state and federal initiatives related to employment and human services in Arizona and Texas. Gustavo F. Velasquez will continue serving as the Director of the Office of Human Rights, while Clarenc...

General Election Just 15 Days Away As a result of the new early voting program, residents can cast their ballot for the General Election starting today. Just like during the Primary, early voting opens first at the Board of Elections office at One Judiciary Square. People can vote there until Monday, November 1st, from 8:30 am to 7:00 pm. From Saturday, October 23rd until Saturday, October 30, early voting will be open at the same four remote voting centers as during the primary election: Chevy Chase Community Center, 5601 Connecticut Ave., NW Hine Junior High School, 335 8th Street, SE Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, 701 Mississippi Ave., SE Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Ave., NE All polling locations are closed on Sundays.

DC Public Schools Chancellor, Michelle Rhee, Announces Resignation The “mutual decision” to have DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee resign today was one that incoming mayor Vincent Gray called “the right one for our school community.” Incoming DC Mayor Vincent Gray  with interim DC Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson. Photos/CD Brown. During this morning's press conference at the Mayflower Hotel, Chancellor Rhee, outgoing Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, and incoming mayor Vincent Gray, welcomed and announced Kaya Henderson as the interim school chancellor to replace Rhee. Henderson served as the Vice President for the New Teacher Project , a recruitment project designed to hire the best and brightest teachers to teach in urban settings. Reading excerpts from a posted statement  on the DCPS web site announcing her resignation, Rhee said "with Henderson at the helm, and the DCPS management team in place, everything the city needs to be able to continue the reforms, will b...

White House Press Release Today, President Barack Obama announced a new goal of recruiting 10,000 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) teachers over the next two years. This announcement will move the country forward on the Obama Administration’s ambitious goal of preparing 100,000 STEM teachers over the next decade . “When I came into office, I set a goal of moving our nation from the middle to the top of the pack in math and science education", said President Obama. "Strengthening STEM education is vital to preparing our students to compete in the 21st century economy and we need to recruit and train math and science teachers to support our nation’s students.” As America’s students lag in math and science when compared to peers around the world, President Obama has made improving STEM education one of his top priorities. President Obama has identified three overarching priorities for STEM education, necessary for laying a new foundation for America’s...

In his second address (in as many years) President Obama gave remarks at the Annual Legislative Conference of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Phoenix Awards dinner where he did talked about what some say he rarely speaks on, or addresses at all - race. The president, did to some degree, attempt to speak about race, especially in these tough economic times that has seen the African American community hit hardest. On the current economic recession, calling it (again) "the worse since the Great Depression", Obama said, "It’s hit Americans of all races and all regions and all walks of life.  But as has been true often in our history, as has been true in other recessions, this one came down with a particular vengeance on the African American community." President Obama gives remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Inc.’s Phoenix Awards Dinner. Photos/CD Brown. Unemployment within the African American community is do...

The campaign to reelect Fenty wants to show what he's done these last 4 years for the city of D.C. Read his latest campaign newsletter where he praises the opening of the "modernized Stoddert Elementary" school, and boasts  "gone are the days of schools not opening on time". Adrian M. Fenty with school chancellor Michelle Rhee. Rhee is to be wed on September 4th. (Does she have the right one? ) Writes Fenty... This has been an incredible week for DC students. Gone are the days when schools failed to open on time, textbooks weren't delivered, and bathrooms didn't work. Instead, we opened the modernized Stoddert Elementary, we've launched a new Safe Routes to School initiative, and today, we'll unveil the brand new Eastern Senior High School. We've replaced delay, inefficiency, and a school system that was failing our kids with new schools, better programs, and dramatic increases in student achievement. We won't stop until every chil...

We Are The Future! With just two weeks to go until the 2010 school year begins, several students protested outside the John Wilson building on Monday in an effort to get Mayor Adrian Fenty to find money to continue this year's D.C. summer jobs program. The student-protesters said their summer jobs helped prepared them for life, taught them cooking skills, and about health. Student-protestors in front of the John A.Wilson Building want their summer jobs back. Photo/CD Brown . The students also became advocates of ridding their community of bad food and liquor stores and enhanced their want for more organic-like grocery stores like Harris Teeter. "[There aren't] too many grocery stores", said Donald Simon. "Just a lot of liquor stores and take out." Members of the group said that having a summer job afforded them the opportunity to buy their own school clothes. "Things that I didn't have last year, I have now", said Melody Wynn, fo...