The National Zoo, located at 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, introduced 19-year-old Trong Nhi (trong-nEE) and her daughter, 9-year-old Nhi Linh (nEE-lin), to the District today, saying that visitors will be able to observe the pair from 10 a.m. to noon daily at the Elephant Community Center.

A gift from the Rotterdam Zoo in South Holland, Netherlands, the mother and daughter pair will be joining five other elephants that already are residents at the Elephant Trails exhibit: females Bozie (47), Kamala (47), Maharani (32) and Swarna (47), as well as a 41-year-old male, Spike.

One visitor at the Elephant trails exhibit, Krestel Coffee, told 最新蜜桃影像 that it was cool to see the elephants so close up. 鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome that they鈥檙e finally able to start introducing the elephants and breeding them, especially since we get to see their interactions like two-feet in front of us,鈥� Coffee said.

鈥淟ook at the tusks on that thing,鈥� added Coffee鈥檚 friend, Charlie Gabriel, when Spike, the 41-year-old male, entered the enclosure.

Another visitor 最新蜜桃影像 caught admiring the new elephants, Casey Fitzmaurice, emphasized how special this occasion was for him.

鈥淚 just happened to visit for a couple of days, so the chance to get to see these massive new elephants on their first day out of quarantine was truly special,鈥� Fitzmaurice said.

Trong Nhi and Nhi Linh have already begun introductions with Spike and the other female elephants, facilitated by the elephant keepers. In these introductions, which the zoo has dubbed 鈥渉owdy introductions,鈥� the elephant team, allow the elephants to communicate and interact safely from behind a barrier.

Keepers observe these interactions to understand if the elephants are comfortable within each other鈥檚 presence, looking for calm and positive movements in their behavior.

One visitor asked a member of the elephant team how the introductions had been going, and he said that Trong Nhi and Nhi Linh鈥檚 introduction to Spike earlier today went well, with positive interactions, and ended with the elephants separating on their own.

Based on recommendations in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums鈥� Species Survival Plan (SSP), the National Zoo plans to breed Trong Nhi and Nhi Linh with Spike in hopes of fortifying the Asian elephant鈥檚 declining population in a healthy and genetically diverse manor.

In a press release, Bryan Amaral, acting associate director of animal care, said the National Zoo is thrilled with the progress Trong Nhi and Nhi Linh are making with their transition. Amaral said, 鈥渙ur animal care staff and [the new elephants] continue to learn from and about each other. While this is another sign of our commitment to Asian elephants, it also is significant for the sustainability of the Asian elephant population in North America as well.鈥�

According to the zoo鈥檚 press release, the population of Asian elephants that originate from only 13 countries have suffered population decline due to habitat loss, conflict with neighboring human populations and poaching. The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers the species endangered with estimates of between 30,000 to 50,000 Asian elephants remaining.

Updates on Trong Nhi and Nhi Linh鈥檚 progress can be found on the National Zoo鈥檚 Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Through Jan. 22, Georgetown is hosting to five different luminous art installations, scattered across the heart of the neighborhood, M Street and down to Georgetown Waterfront Park.

To enhance visitors鈥� experience, members of the Georgetown Business Improvement District wanted to cluster the installations geographically between M Street and the waterfront, so that people could see the compelling artwork and also have time to dine and shop.

Georgetown GLOW has been a staple of the neighborhood since 2014. According to Nancy Miyahira, vice president and marketing director of the business improvement district, the idea came by chance as business district members were inspired by a group of international light artists who visited Washington in 2013, asking for a place to showcase their art.

The group had the backing of the Alliance de Francaise, a French arts and culture nonprofit based in the District, to bring D.C. its own light festival for the season.

Miyahira said she thought it was a unique idea, and that GLOW was born the following year.

This year, the event features five bright art installations by several artists from across the world.

One of the installations, “All the Light You See,” by Alicia Eggert, is hosted in Georgetown Waterfront Park, showcasing a large flashing sign with the big, bolded phrase: 鈥淎ll the light you see is from the past.鈥�

Eggert told to TheWash that her installation represents how 鈥渙ur human lives are very linear and finite, but we exist within a universe that seems infinite and cool in nature.鈥�

Eggert said she is often inspired by 鈥渉ow we perceive light and the way that light travels across space and time [and] everything we’re seeing is an image of the past even, when we look across the room, we’re seeing an image that is a millisecond in the past.鈥�

When asked about the installation, Miyahira said: 鈥淛ust the idea of Alicia Eggert鈥檚 work, the way it felt against the Potomac River, Roosevelt Island with the Kennedy Center, the Key Bridge in Rosslyn, it just kind of was framed by basically that whole area,鈥� Miyahira added.

When looking for new installations each year, Miyahira said the business improvement district looks for installations that have a mix of whimsical and family-friendly fun, but also want to 鈥済ive people pause to think about a statement that the artist is trying to make about the world.”

Miyahira said a number of things are considered when selecting installations to feature in the yearly light festival, such as the sites that are available that have space, a level surface and access to electricity. However, enjoyment and accessibility are always at the forefront of their consideration, she added.

Karen Wu and Michelle Duong, two friends that TheWash caught enjoying the “Cloud Swings” installation on East Market Lane, said that they walking back from another Christmas event in Rosslyn, and the installation had caught their eye.

鈥淲e had to double back for it,鈥� Wu said. 鈥淲e were looking for something to do on a Thursday night 鈥� So we just wanted to pop over, check it out and head down to the waterfront, 鈥� And we got some cookies!鈥�

Another visitor to GLOW, Makeda Ingram, who was admiring the installation entitled “Butterfly Effect,” told TheWash that she was looking for free things to do with her two boys, ages nine and 12, and she stumbled upon GLOW in her search.

鈥淚 ended up following the map, this is the third stop on the map, and this is really the nicest one. I like the butterflies; it鈥檚 really nice,鈥� Ingram said. 鈥淚 liked the first one, it had the thing hanging down from the building and it made sound bath noises. I liked that 鈥� it was very calming.鈥�

Michelle Bauer, who was taking pictures in front of the “Picto Sender Machine” at Washington Harbour, told TheWash that Georgetown GLOW was the perfect event for a girls’ night out.

鈥淚 saw the Instagram post from the Georgetown Main Street page, and it was just a good excuse to do a girls’ night,鈥� Bauer said. 鈥淚 think the map is really helpful because we can follow that around. It鈥檚 fun to get out and have an excuse to go to dinner and drink hot chocolate and have a fun time.鈥�

GLOW typically brings more than 100,000 people to the neighborhood during the event鈥檚 residence period and has achieved a 鈥減ositive economic impact鈥� for its businesses yearly since its first showing, Miyahira said.

鈥淕LOW has really been a team effort over the years,鈥� as the Georgetown business improvement district鈥檚 goal has been with the inception of this event “to bring an enticing experience during the holiday season,” Miyahira said.

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Nationals Park, located at 1500 S. Capitol Street SE, is hosting Enchant, a delightful Christmas maze running until early January.

The Hallmark Channel-sponsored event features over 4 million lights and a luminous white 100-foot Christmas tree that can be seen from anywhere inside the stadium.

Enchant includes a number of attractions such as animated light sculptures, a maze, and a Christmas village. Other attractions are live entertainment, Christmas-themed food and drinks, a Christmas market, interactive games, and appearances from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

For the little ones, Enchant features a Little Elves Play Place, where children can listen to stories read by Mrs. Claus and play reindeer games.

One guest, Kayla Martin, told 最新蜜桃影像 that she came to Enchant because she loves Christmas.

鈥淟ast year, I didn’t get into the Christmas spirit, so I wanted to change that, and this was the perfect opportunity,鈥� said Martin. 鈥淚 particularly enjoy the ice skating and the maze. The lights were absolutely beautiful, and it was so nice to get into the spirit tonight.鈥�

Inside the maze, guests will find the 100-foot Christmas tree and will have the opportunity to walk through light tunnels and see various displays, like a giant windmill and floating whales. The maze also features a dance floor, reminiscent of a Christmas discotheque, and giant mushroom structures with hanging light vines, creating a Christmas forest.

This year, the maze鈥檚 theme is Santa鈥檚 Magic Timepiece. As guests enter the maze, they will be able to help Santa on his quest to retrieve all the pieces of his timepiece. The timepiece is made of stars scattered throughout the maze and guests can help save Christmas by going on this scavenger hunt.

Besides Enchant鈥檚 many Instagram-able locations, guests will find several cozy coves to sit and purchase a drink of their choice – a cocktail or a hot chocolate. There were sweet treats also available at one of the wooden lodges scattered throughout the maze.

At one of the maze鈥檚 lodges, 最新蜜桃影像, ran into Amanda Gant, who was enjoying the Christmas spirit with her fianc茅.

鈥淚 love it here. I saw it advertised on Instagram a few days ago, and I thought it would be a great date idea. So here we are and with all the lights and everything, it turned out super magical,鈥� said Gant.

Enchant also offered a number of shops in its market for guests to remember their experience with a holiday trinket or take home one of the light-up Christmas lightbulb cocktails from the Tipsy Tree Lounge.

最新蜜桃影像 caught a father of two, Robert Gutman, checking out the shops in the Christmas village.

鈥淚 love coming here with my kids. It鈥檚 a great thing to do with family in the winter, and the Christmas village has the best hot chocolate. We love it,鈥� Gutman said.

Tickets range from $23 to $32 with ice skating costing an extra $15 to $18. Special discounts are offered for families of four and military service members. Tickets can be purchased via the website .

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The D.C. Council passed the bill, , on Nov. 1.

Ella Hansen, a liaison to Ward 2 Councilwoman Brooke Pinto’s office, told a Nov. 1 meeting of听ANC 2E that discussions are now underway about making the change permanent.

Shawn Hilgendorf, director of the council鈥檚 Committee on Government Operations and Facilities, told TheWash in an email that the council is looking at a couple of potential solutions, and confirmed the council鈥檚 intention is to work on legislation to make the policy permanent. At-Large Councilmember Robert White chairs the committee.

The emergency bill maintains the flexibility for ANCs to meet in-person, remotely, or in hybrid fashion as they see fit to best engage their communities, Hilgendorf said. 听At a legislative hearing Nov. 15, the council considered another bill that would provide a longer-term extension.

Hilgendorf said that, during the public health emergency, several of the ANCs around the city found that attendance and public engagement at remote meetings was much higher than they had seen at in-person meetings prior to the COVID pandemic.

According to Hilgendorf, some ANCs also found virtual meetings to be more efficient and easier for commissioners to balance their commission duties with their jobs, personal lives, and childcare needs. However, other ANCs found that they lost engagement from members of their community that were less comfortable with technology and missed something from in-person engagement.

Hilgendorf said the D.C. Council believes 鈥渂oth of those experiences are valid. We believe the future likely lies in hybrid meetings 鈥� and our Committee has provided funding to permit those as well. That said, our Committee firmly believes that ANCs themselves are best situated to understand whether their community is best served through remote, hybrid, or in-person meetings going forward.鈥�

John Edwards, a partner at Bonstra Haresign Architects, must attend ANC meetings across the city frequently as part of the construction-permitting process.

Architects like Edwards interact with ANCs to gain approval for things such as zoning changes or historic preservation projects, and must take into consideration critiques made by commissioners.

鈥淥nce it went virtual, it made everything much, much easier. Since, I had control over the presentation – all they had to do was give me control over the Zoom and you could pull up all the materials that you need,鈥� Edwards said.

鈥淏eforehand, if you brought some materials with you on a thumb drive and someone from the commission or the audience asked a question that you needed some other material for, you didn鈥檛 necessarily have it and you would have to explain it,鈥� Edwards said.

Edwards told TheWash that ANCs operated slightly differently throughout the city prior to the pandemic. 鈥淪ometimes you didn鈥檛 know where they were meeting, and you needed to make sure that the ANC had the technology to show what you needed to show, so, many times presenters had to print out large display boards propose their ideas,鈥� he said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 much easier for people to participate, it鈥檚 much easier for the commissioners to participate, so you have better attendance all around. It鈥檚 much easier for people testifying to participate. I could have my entire design team, and my owners and supporters, all join on Zoom and doing that in person was a lot more of a hassle,鈥� Edwards said.

With this greater flexibility, it is easier for commissioners, presenters, and residents alike to attend meetings, Edwards said, and shifted the need for individuals to worry about things such as seeking out childcare during these meetings, which are usually held in the evenings.

The post Mayor Bowser signs bill allowing ANCs to continue holding virtual meetings鈥揻or now first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

At a panel entitled 鈥淎 Nuclear Middle East: Preventing Proliferation,鈥� Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence Elbridge Colby moderated a conversation between former State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus and Center for Strategic and International Studies Director of the Middle East Program Jon Alterman.

Alterman argued that China has been beating the United States when it comes to strengthening ties in the Middle East in recent years.

鈥淵ou can talk China, China, China, as much as you want,鈥� said Alterman. 鈥淐ountries on the receiving end are interested in what they can get, and the Chinese explicitly say, 鈥榯his is what you can expect from the United States and this is what we鈥檒l do.鈥� 鈥�

Alterman said that China has been making more enticing deals with Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, giving these countries 鈥渁n 80% solution at a 60% price.鈥�

The CSIS director asked the audience to think of China鈥檚 strategy in the Middle East in terms of imperialism, with 鈥渋mperialism 1.0 being imperialism, and imperialism 2.0 being the 鈥榬ules based鈥� international order.鈥� China is interested in imperialism 3.0, he said, 鈥渨hich you come in mostly economically, you don鈥檛 need to have the same military footprint at all, [and] you don鈥檛 need the same diplomatic footprint.鈥�

Colby pushed back, saying we do not need to globalize our competition, but instead the US should station itself at the first link in China鈥檚 Belt and Road chain, effectively crippling China鈥檚 ability to project serious military power into the Middle East.

鈥淚n Asia, from my point of view, it鈥檚 almost geometric, it鈥檚 like Japan鈥檚 on our side, Australia鈥檚 on our side, we鈥檝e got the military perimeter right, and we should allocate resources and political capital necessary to solve the problem,鈥� said Colby. 鈥淏ut then the Middle East and Europe remain really important, but that鈥檚 where that power scarcity is felt.鈥�

Ortagus attributed the waning U.S. influence in the Middle East to the way our country views itself on the world stage.

According to Altermen, 鈥渨e can鈥檛 imagine any global power that doesn鈥檛 want to follow our lead, that doesn鈥檛 want to use our structures, that doesn鈥檛 want to integrate military/economic power in the same way.鈥�

Ortagus said, 鈥渢here is a big difference on both how China and Russia are viewed globally versus how they view themselves internally鈥� there is the feeling [by their government and its people] that the authoritarian model is on the rise, that America and the West is on the decline.鈥�

Alterman responded, saying, 鈥淲hen a Middle Easterner looks at the United States, they think about U.S. performance in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they鈥檙e not very impressed.鈥�

鈥淚 think from a Chinese perspective, China looks at the US in Iraq and Afghanistan and says that鈥檚 exactly the way not to run your foreign policy to pour money after money after money into trying to make somebody something they鈥檙e not,鈥� Alterman said.

He said that American鈥檚 past strategy in the Middle East has forged this opinion of Washington in the minds of Chinese leadership in Beijing.

鈥淚 think in many ways it sort of reinforces this sense that the Pax Americana not only is over 鈥�

never really was; the US isn鈥檛 really essential the way it was, and we鈥檙e going to engage differently with other countries of the world and the United States can go suck eggs,鈥� Alterman said.

In the final minutes of the talk, the Biden Administration鈥檚 approach to Iran was discussed and the attempted reconciliation of 听the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known commonly as the Iran nuclear deal.

鈥淭he only plan that they鈥檝e had was to get back into this deal. The Ayatollah and his henchmen clearly have had no interest in getting back [into this deal], and then they played them for 18 months鈥o, I really don鈥檛 see any strategy for what they鈥檙e going to do for the next two years,鈥� said Ortagus.

Ortagus didn鈥檛 see any room for the US to get back into the JCPOA and said it would be a political disaster. Using the Trump era policy of maximum pressure to regain leverage with the Iranian regime was the only option that the Biden Administration had left, Ortagus said.

However, Alterman said that, because the US has a checkered past with regime changes,听the country must build tools, such as diplomacy, military power, sanctions, and gather all possible support to deal with a regime like the one in Iran.

He said, 鈥渟o much of our analysis of China is based on the last 20 years, what should you be thinking about for the next 20 years?鈥�

Alterman said China fumbled Covid, hard, that their population is starting to decline, and their economic growth is flattening. 鈥淎re we making a fundamental mistake in not appreciating that all we鈥檙e taking about really is where the Middle East will be in 20 years? But where is China going to be in 20 years and what does that mean strategically for us in our own country?鈥� he asked.

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On this Election Day morning, students were running to class for timed midterm exams or having breakfast sandwiches and coffee on the quad, while others canvased, trying to talk to their fellow students about the issues being voted on today.

Georgetown University student Alexa Panati was excited about voting, as she planned to drop off her ballot after her morning classes.

Panati said that marriage equality, abortion rights and gun safety where some of the most important issues that she was voting for.

鈥淚 think voting is a civic duty that a lot of people have fought very hard to get, especially for me as a woman, so voting is something that I do to honor that because I care a lot about the future of the country,鈥� said Panati.

Alexia Netcu, a Romanian immigrant, said voting is tough issue for her because she cannot vote in the United States and hasn鈥檛 lived in her home country since she was eligible too. But, she said she believes that voting is one of the only ways to make your voice heard.

Netcu said that what she worries about is much the same as many other Americans and her classmates: abortion, sustainably and the economy. However, she said, back home in Romania, corruption, and the balance of power that officials have over the public was on the minds of the Romanian public just as is the case for many Americans.

鈥淚t makes me sad to see moral corruption reaching high ranks of government, and that exists in many other countries, too,鈥� Netcu said. 鈥淏ut, it was very disheartening to see that in a country that I looked up too in terms of leadership and setting an example for the world, having someone that speaks like that about people and has those opinions.鈥�

Netcu said she wasn鈥檛 discouraged that she couldn鈥檛 vote this election day, adding that she felt supported by a large portion of the American

population that she believes share her views.

Megan Chasar agreed with her fellow students on the importance of voting, calling the opportunity a privilege and stating that every vote

matters.

Since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, health care has been especially important to her, Chasar said. In addition, she said she is concerned about violence, adding, 鈥淚鈥檓 very anti 鈥� Second Amendment.鈥�

Chasar said she would be voting in the District. However, while many of her family members who were able to vote in person chose to vote by mail, she said she trusted voting in person more because of voter fraud.

The post Georgetown University Students optimistic on Election Day first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

Thor Equities, the owner of 3000 M St., will need a planned unit development (PUD) application and a map amendment to rezone the site. The application is the last approval the company will need before it can start construction.

The proposed structure is a hotel consisting of 100 rooms with approximately 10,000 square feet of attached retail space. It will stand at about 64 feet tall.

Georgetown Business Improvement District President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Sternlieb told TheWash that Thor is planning on starting construction as soon as it gets through the entitlement process with the Zoning Commission in December. Thor Equities would have an order drafted in January, finalized in April or May, and acquire permits to start construction in 2023.

Sternlieb said that, in the case of Thor Equities, time and money delayed the process. Since Thor acquired the property in 2016, construction costs and interest rates have gone up, and consequently, so did the cost of borrowing money.

鈥淭hor says they want to develop it themselves. They want to do a luxury flag on it. That’s what they say, but I’ve worked with developers for almost 35 years. And I will say, it’s one thing for what they intend, it鈥檚 another thing what they do because the sand is always shifting under their feet,鈥� Sternlieb said.

Sternlieb said Thor could intend to flip the entitlement of the property as was the case with District-based developer SB-Urban, 飞丑辞听bought the property in 2013 after the closing of the old Latham Hotel and sold it to Thor after realizing its costs were too high.

“I think a lot of people right now are over their skis. They’ve got more money invested in their projects than they can get out of them. And so, they’re gonna stay in until they can get their money back, but things change,鈥� Sternlieb said.

ANC Commissioner Lisa Palmer echoed the sentiment, telling TheWash that the economy has shifted since Thor Equities first started to pull together its concepts, which has created challenges for the developer.

“Financing is a different proposition now than it was when we first started, and there are standards that need to be met in Georgetown that sometimes butt up against financial goals for applicants, and finding the balance there can take a while,” Palmer said.

Palmer declined to comment on how the ANC might handle Thor Equity’s zoning case, PUD application and map amendment zoning requests.

At a previous ANC hearing in July, Zoning Commissioner and National Park Service Designee Peter May objected to the height of the building due to neighborhood regulations and the building’s proximity to the C&O Canal. Others considered the years the property has sat undeveloped and the facility’s new profit will bring into the community.

The property has been vacant since 2012, and in January 2021 the ANC passed a resolution classifying 3000 M St. as a “blighted property,” defined by the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs as an “unsafe, unsanitary, or otherwise determined to be a threat to the health, safety, or general welfare of the community.”

The DCRA approved the motion to categorize the set as “blighted.” However, the property is currently categorized as “vacant.” Both categorizations come with higher property taxes, to put pressure on the owner to expedite actions moving forward.

In a statement to the Georgetowner in 2021, Palmer said that the ANC wanted the project to happen, although, until construction begins again, the tower crane on the site at the time needed to come down.

Palmer stressed in her interview with TheWash that the tower crane had been an issue with the vacant construction site for many years, with residents concerned about it swinging over M Street during storms.

Although it was never considered dangerous, the tower crane was removed in March 2021, marking a significant construction halt for Thor Equities.

The company cited a loss of retail tenant commitments as the reason for the stall in proceedings but was determined to move forward with the project.

“Nobody wants to live in a neighborhood with essentially a full-size block being a hole in the ground with, dilapidated fencing around it. People are very frustrated, and they’re eager to see something be built”, Palmer told TheWash.

If Thor Equities were to break ground next year, a new hotel could be added to the Georgetown landscape by 2025.

The post 3000 M St. saga may finally be at an end first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

鈥淭here鈥檚 been some discussions recently that鈥檚 going to lead to a change in posture from the National Park Service in terms of how encampments are handled on a local scale,鈥� said US Park Police Captain Jon Hofflinger at an Oct. 4 Advisory Neighborhood Commission meeting for District 2E.

In a press release from the National Park Service given to the Wash, the NPS said it 鈥渉as begun a gradual enforcement of its no-camping regulation (36 CFR 搂 7.96) with the goal of full enforcement across all national park lands in the District by the end of 2023.鈥�

The agency has pledged to take a social services-first approach, working in collaboration with local social service provides as it begins to expand and re-enforce their no-camping regulation in parks across the District.

The National Park Service 鈥渨ill continue to work closely with the District to coordinate social services for unsheltered individuals on park lands as we implement this change in approach to unsheltered encampments at our sites.”

At the ANC meeting, Hofflinger said, Park Service areas in the Georgetown, which include the Georgetown Waterfront Park, the C&O Canal, the Francis Scott Key Park and a number of historical properties, haven鈥檛 seen the volume that there may be in the central downtown area.

Beginning in June of this year, the Park Service began enforcement of its no-camping regulation by clearing two homeless encampments located on federal land at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station and another located at 11th Street, NW and New York Avenue NW.

The NPS had stepped backed its no camping policy in the District during the pandemic, unless the structures were causing hazards.

This relaxation of its no camping policy was at the behest of the federal government for the past two years, as the government advised agencies like the NPS to allow unhoused populations to stay put as part of their pandemic-related policies.

However, the output of these polices are disjointed with many homeless residents not knowing where to go next.

The National Park Police declined to comment on the recent actions taken to remove homeless encampments from local parks.

Helen Gebregiorgis, a D.C. transplant from Chicago who worked as a psych coordinator at an afterschool program for the kids that lived at a local shelter, spoke passionately about the treatment of homelessness within the District.

鈥淚 have mixed feelings, and I feel like a lot of people don鈥檛 understand homelessness, it鈥檚 not one type of way of being it鈥檚 like there鈥檚 multiple reasons why people end up with homeless. I think there鈥檚 a lot of judgment when people see an individual, there could be health reasons, mental health reasons,鈥� Gebregiorgis told the Wash.

鈥淎t the end of the day we鈥檙e human beings, and we treat people who are homeless very inhumane,鈥� she said.

When asked about the recent dismantling of homeless encampments in the District, Gebregiorgis said she was frustrated and heartbroken by the attention brought to the issue and the lack of action to go along with it

鈥淗ousing is an issue here in DC — it鈥檚 a huge issue — there鈥檚 a shortage of houses and a lot of vacant homes that could be used and developed into affordable housing but instead these homes stay vacant.鈥�

Gebregiorgis said that hearing people鈥檚 stories that have been affected by homelessness is the first step of many in getting D.C. residents to take action.

鈥淚 think about the importance of building people power. With organizing you have to build that, in order for some sort of action to be taken and it starts small by listening directly to the people who are being impacted and there needs to be some sort of alinement to the question 鈥榳hat are we going to do about this?鈥�

Last year, Mayor Bowser opened the Terrel in Ward 1, the District’s eighth new shelter, realizing her 2014 campaign pledge to bring shelters to every ward in the District. Since the Bowser Administration鈥檚 Homeward D.C. was implemented in 2016, homelessness has been down by a total of 47% and 13.7% in the past year, the administration said in a earlier this year.

Georgetown hosts the Georgetown Ministry Center, which features a drop-in center, street outreach and a winter shelter.

Although, D.C. residents say that homelessness is still an issue with a lack of affordable housing.

Chicago native Aaron Bivens, a homeless man that was panhandling on the corner of Wisconsin Avenue, NW and M Street, NW told the Wash that he was just surviving, struggling to get along with the other unhoused residents that frequent the local shelter.

鈥淢an, it鈥檚 rough, it鈥檚 degrading. I mean different folks feel different ways. I鈥檓 not used to it,鈥� Bivens said.

鈥淚鈥檒l put it like this, like I go to a shelter, I鈥檓 treated totally different. They鈥檒l steal everything I have because I鈥檓 not from here, so I mostly sleep on the streets. You know, I can鈥檛 survive, I see the way they treat other people it鈥檚 not the same. I can only speak for myself and for me it鈥檚 rough but because of that man above, I got a chance, because come November the first, I move into my place, they gave me a voucher.鈥�

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Kevin Chavous, a spokesperson for committee chair Anita Bonds (D-At Large) said the bill was expected to pass the committee.听

The bill is sponsored by Councilmember Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) and builds upon her previous bill, the Expanding Student Access to Period Products Act of 2021, which was passed unanimously earlier this year.听听听

That required all public, public charter, private schools, and post-secondary institutions to provide free period products to students. The legislation also required the creation and implementation of a menstrual health education standard by the District鈥檚 State Office of the Superintendent of Schools (OSSE). 听

鈥淭he inability to access period products can create serious health consequences,鈥� Pinto said Oct. 4 in a public hearing notice on the new bill. “Women, transgender men, and non-binary people who lack access to menstrual products are more likely to reuse products or use products for too long, which puts those individuals at higher risk for infection and other conditions that require medical care.”

Pinto鈥檚 Period Act seeks to alleviate the 鈥減eriod poverty鈥� experienced by many of D.C.鈥檚 most vulnerable residents, such as the unhoused, the councilmember said.听听

All entities in the District that have been awarded human care agreements, which include shelters and care facilities, would be required to provide free period products. These human care agreement recipients provide services to a number of demographics, from minors in the custody of the District, to residents that are disadvantaged, disabled, elderly, and unemployed.听

Another aspect of the bill would require a dispenser or container with period products to be in all women鈥檚 and gender-neutral bathrooms. In the case that a building does not have a gender-neutral bathroom, at least one men鈥檚 bathroom would be required to have menstrual products and a sign would be provided in the other men鈥檚 bathrooms indicating their location.听听

With Pinto鈥檚 bill, both tampons and pads would be provided at all locations.听听

At an Oct. 11 hearing of the housing committee, Pinto said: 鈥淭his bill is another step towards overcoming the stigma surrounding menstruation and treating period products the same as toilet paper 鈥� a product everyone agrees is a basic necessity and can be readily found in public buildings and places.听

鈥淭he District has the opportunity to be a national leader on period equity and look forward to getting this bill passed and implemented.鈥�听

At the hearing, many menstruating individuals testified to the importance of the bill and provided comments on how it could be more effective in assisting groups the bill is trying to reach. 听

Winnie Zhang, a community organizer at Period, a nonprofit focused on eliminating period poverty and furthering menstrual equity legislation, told the committee: 鈥淚f this act is enacted in the District, it will show other states what they鈥檙e capable of achieving, it will show policymakers that period poverty is a real legitimate problem that many experience and many should not be experiencing. And that the solution is simple: provide free access to these products鈥� really would be a shame if this period act wouldn鈥檛 be enacted because that would perpetuate the notion that marginalized groups don鈥檛 matter.鈥� 听

Others, like Harvard sophomore Shruti Gautam, who helped facilitate state policy organizing in her home state of Missouri and volunteers with community organizing in the Boston area to end period poverty, talked about the necessity of period products.听

鈥淓very person needs to be able to take care of themselves and their bodily processes that they don鈥檛 have their own jurisdiction over, thus there is a right to a bathroom, and this translates for there being a right to be able to use these products and facilities,鈥� Gautam said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 no one鈥檚 fault they have these processes and not giving them the proper resources to take care of them is putting more people at a disadvantage and susceptible to a disease.”听

Many, like University of the District of Columbia law student Beth Brodsky, shared stories of their experiences of not being able to locate period products when they needed them most. 听

鈥淎 few days ago, I could not access menstrual products myself,” Brodsky recounted. “I went to a D.C. professional event requiring business attire, so I wore a pair of tights, and outside the event, a group of men were uncomfortably staring at me, I wasn鈥檛 sure why. And so, when I got to the bathroom, I realized they were staring because 鈥� surprise 鈥� I got my period, which for me, like many other menstruators it鈥檚 hard to predict. As a student, I鈥檓 trying to establish a professional identity in public spaces, and nobody wants to hire someone that bleeds all over themselves.鈥� 听

听鈥淚 think it’s fantastic not only because sometimes you forget products and accessibility is important but all because accessibility is important in the terms that period products are taxed and a luxury with a pink tax on them,鈥� American University student Mara Shepherd told 最新蜜桃影像. 鈥淭hey’re a necessary hygiene item. It鈥檚 like not having access to toilet paper – we can鈥檛 just hold it in and wait for later.鈥澨�听

AU student Bryanna Miller agreed, saying 鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful idea, I think it should be implemented everywhere. There鈥檚 women, femme-presenting people, people who experience periods everywhere, so it鈥檚 like why wouldn鈥檛 you. I don鈥檛 see any downside to it.鈥�听

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