Samantha Decenord, an Adams Morgan resident, stood at the Wisconsin Ave. and Woodley Road bus stop waiting for bus 33. She said the bus times online rarely coincide with the actual pick-up time.

“The buses have been kind of running weird lately,” Decenord said. “Google Maps will say a certain time, then it’ll come early or really late. I have trouble figuring out the times, so I just go and wait at the stop.”

She said she noticed the road paving on Wisconsin Avenue but did not know it could cause significant delays. She said the 96 line from East to Capitol Heights Station is the most delayed bus she takes.

91����ington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority issued an alert around 10 a.m. Tuesday for the 96 line.

Jordan Pascale, a media relations manager for WMATA, said traffic along the route is causing significant delays.

The 96 line moves from Tenleytown along Wisconsin Avenue NW to the Capitol Heights Station along E Capitol Street SE.

“Anything that’s going through a high congestion area, usually there’s going to be some traffic along there,” Pascale said. “They usually clear up pretty fast.”��

96 Alert: Traffic delays Route 96 in both directions. Check where your bus is at

— Metrobus Info (@Metrobusinfo)

Decenord said she understands traffic and construction can delay the buses, but she wants more accurate timing online.

Parts of Wisconsin Avenue NW near Cathedral Heights seem easier to pass through for motorists, but strips of the road near Tenleytown are down to one lane on each side. Traffic near the road work on Tuesday morning caused some bus delays.��

Fiona Goe, a student at American University, said she’s seen a lot of bus delays and buses not in service.��

Goe said she waited “for a while” for her bus to campus Tuesday morning.��

“I feel like it’s been 30 minutes,” Goe said. “It’s horrible; it makes me late to school all the time.”

The District Department of Transportation announced in November “ on Wisconsin Avenue NW from Upton Street NW to Warren Street NW, from Monday, November 27, 2023, to Friday, January 5, 2024.”

The paved Wisconsin Avenue NW in parts, with some working on roads near Newark Street NW and others on the ground near Van Ness Street NW.

The post Wisconsin Avenue road work causes some bus delays first appeared on 91����.

Residents from Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights sought answers for their fears of becoming another crime statistic.��

Allen Wright, a 7-year Adams Morgan resident, said he had seen more crime in the neighborhood and wants attention on curbing and solving the issues.��

He appreciated how the police chief handled herself, answering questions in a “holistic way.” However, he did not say the same for Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, who facilitated the event.��

“I think a lot of us who came here are skeptical of our council member,” Wright said. “She hasn’t been very concerned about addressing community concerns, including crime and she also didn’t seem to be supportive of the people actually doing the work like the police chief and her staff.”��

Wright said he saw an obvious contrast between Nadeau and the police chief when it came to supporting law enforcement in his neighborhood.��

Other community members at the event shared the same sentiment as Wright.

Some citizens yelled at Nadeau during the Nov. 28 event.

“People are dying,” one resident shouted from the back of the auditorium of the D.C. Housing Finance Agency, 815 Florida Ave. NW.

“I’m scared,” another woman in attendance voiced.��

“If you don’t address crime, you are really harming the most vulnerable people in the community,” Wright said. “Everyone in the community needs a safe space to live in and if you’re not focused on that and giving the police the tools they need, then you’re harming people.”

Wright said his biggest concerns are public drug use, or “open-air drug markets,” and robberies.��

“Adams Morgan is a great area,” he said. “I want to see the city council work on keeping it that way. You definitely see that there’s more crime and drug use in Adams Morgan. The carjackings are unnerving too.”

Adams Morgan residents, along with Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant dwellers, expressed fear and worry over the rise of robberies, assault and property crimes.��

Crime in Adams Morgan increased by 142 incidents in 2023, with the latest number sitting at 425 as of Dec. 3, according to .

Property crimes, including theft, burglary and carjackings, make up more than two-thirds of the crimes in Adams Morgan this year, according to the department. Theft made up about 270 of the 425 reports.��

“Crime has gone up,” the police chief said. “The responsibilities for our officers have also gone up, but we’re working with lower numbers [of officers]. We’re working diligently to build those numbers back up.”��

Most people in the crowd collectively agreed that more police officers need to be placed around the neighborhoods. Smith told the crowd that hiring more officers would help curb crime.

Nadeau told 91���� she introduced to help reduce crime seen in Adams Morgan– including a bill that would increase the number of police officers.��

“I’ve got the Cadet Bill to help us with recruiting and retaining DC residents in the police force,” she said. “I announced two bills, one which would increase the reward and the relocation assistance for homicide… and then also a bill that would actually put emergency personnel now on the phones at the 911 call center for medical emergencies, so that we don’t have the issues that we’ve been having with understanding and response times.”

Despite the vocal criticism at the event, Nadeau said everyone needs to work together to improve crime rates in Adams Morgan and neighboring communities.

“I think residents and I just want to hear what is the plan for addressing public safety,” Nadeau said.

“Adams Morgan hasn’t hasn’t seen this type of crime in a very long time and I think that’s really unsettling to folks,” she said. “Adams Morgan has had a difficult year because it started off with a string of burglaries in the commercial corridor, and it took MPD a little while, but they did get it.”��

Smith said she wants to work with more community members and the DC council to find more ways to keep neighborhoods safe.��

Smith was appointed police chief in November, about four months into her role as acting chief.��

The post ‘People are dying:’ Adams Morgan, Ward 1 residents scared about the rise of crime first appeared on 91����.

House members have fewer than 10 legislative days left to vote on the proposed aid, which includes $75.7 billion for Israel and Ukraine alone. ��

Americans on both sides consistently support aid to Ukraine, with 50% of Republicans and 75% of Democrats backing the funding, according to the .��

However, Americans remain divided on aid to Israel, with 26% of those surveyed saying the U.S. is not doing enough to support, and 20% saying the U.S. is doing too much.

Democratic and Republican members say they are seeking conditions for the aid packages for both war-torn countries.����

Some Republican lawmakers clarified they will not support $61.4 billion in aid to Ukraine unless they receive border security measures to tackle the migrant crisis at the U.S – Mexico border.��

Meanwhile, some Democratic lawmakers want the Israeli Defense Forces to comply with international law to minimize civilian casualties and pull back from Gaza in return for $14.3 billion in aid.��

Jordan Tama, an American University professor and U.S. politics and foreign policy scholar, said it’s likely that conditions will be placed on aid for both, since lawmakers are seeking limitations.��

“One way to forge a compromise that makes those members of Congress feel like we’re not just giving a blank check is to include some kinds of conditions or monitoring,” Tama said.��

Republican members like Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-New York, said they refuse to consider additional Ukraine funding unless the Biden administration allocates more emergency funding for U.S. border security.��

“I will not consider voting for any of the Ukraine money until we see some border security out of the administration,” he said. “The administration can’t prioritize Ukraine over our own southern border and the invasion of our own nation.”����

Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, said bipartisan bills need to get on the floor immediately.��

“The House leadership has to get very serious about what matters most,” said Landsman. “Staying in power, or meeting the needs of the American people, and passing a budget that maintains critical investments in the American people, in our economy, and making sure that we are there for folks abroad.”��

The foreign aid debate comes as the federal funding deadline looms and the Biden administration pushes for congressional support.��

“We have 53 days, or 52 days, maybe before the next funding deadline,” Langworthy said Wednesday. “We have to continue on in our work and we have five more appropriations bills to finish up. We need to see an agreement on a top-line spending number between the Senate and the House.”��

There is tension in both parties over two different pieces of the proposed foreign aid package, Tama said. Republicans are torn about Ukrainian aid and Democrats are split and actively debating aid to Israel.��

��“Overall, this is a package that is likely to have something for everybody, but also generate a variety of concerns among different parts of the Democratic and Republican caucuses on Capitol Hill, and so a kind of compromise or package that attracts sufficient majorities to get through Congress,” Tama said. “I think it’s possible, but it’s challenging.”��

House members express hesitation on the timeline for major decisions as the end of the year quickly approaches. Representatives seem unresolved as to how the proposed package will impact the budget as members tack on requirements for approval.��

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, said the aid package debate could push back budget talks but he does “not know the answer to that.”��

Raskin also said “I don’t know,” about adding certain conditions to the foreign aid packages. He did not specify any conditions.����

“The people of Ukraine need help defending themselves against [Vladimir] Putin’s violent onslaught, Israel needs help in their fight against Hamas,” Raskin said. “There are huge humanitarian crises taking place in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip so we need to rush aid there, so I support every part of it.”��

Raskin, along with 25 members of Congress, last week to President Biden urging “an immediate cessation of hostilities against targets with a civilian presence to facilitate the timely evacuation and protection of children and babies.”

The post Lawmakers face uncertain path for aid to Israel, Ukraine first appeared on 91����.

In the halls of Congress Wednesday, legislators such as Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., questioned who would enforce the code and called it a “big problem.”

“Supreme Court members cannot remove themselves,” Takano said. “The accountability comes back to Congress. When there’s no remedy or enforcement, I don’t get the teeth.”

Similarly, Rep. Jim Banks, R- Ind., said he had not reviewed the ethics code yet but the potential “purely internal” process concerned him.

“We all are checked-and-balanced by people outside of our organizations,” Banks said. “My guess is there’s more of a role for Congress than they’ll take care of themselves.”

Monday, the Supreme Court published a 15-page code of conduct, the first-ever code in the court’s 234 years.

Media outlets including and recently reported Justice Clarence Thomas’s personal relationship with billionaire real estate developer Harlan Crow, a conservative donor.

​�ċ also revealed Justice Samuel Alito did not recuse himself from a case with a hedge fund billionaire who earlier gifted the justice a private jet trip to Alaska.��

Justice Sonya Sotomayor also came under fire this year following accusations she leveraged public appearances to sell more autobiographies, according to the .

The new list of rules is in response to the perception that justices “regard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules,” according to a statement by the court.

All nine justices signed the 15-page document codifying principles of conduct.

Who rules the Court?

Rep. Jim Jordan, R- Ohio, said the code “is fine” because he preferred the legislative branch to not impose upon the judiciary.

While the Supreme Court never previously published a code of ethics or decorum, Article One of the U.S. Constitution accounted for legislative oversight of the judiciary. A simple majority in the House would impeach a justice– a subsequent two-thirds Senate vote would then remove the judge from the high court.

In 1804, the House impeached Justice Samuel Chase though the Senate later acquitted him, according to the . He is the only impeached Supreme Court justice.

Washington College of Law Professor Stephen Wermiel said the new code is an effort to “keep Congress off [justices’] backs.”��

The new code adapted the to the specific demands of the Supreme Court, according to the high court’s commentary section.

Some of the standards outlined how justices “should avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety” and they “should not be swayed by partisan interests, public clamor, or fear of criticism.”

Monday’s code of ethics lacked an implementation mechanism which leaves justices to regulate themselves, Wermiel said.

“It’s not necessarily a great way to enforce an ethics code,” Wermiel said. “It’s not going to change the way they do things and that’s frustrating to many people who had hoped that they would come up with an ethics code that had some more teeth and enforcement mechanism.”

Wermiel said the Supreme Court would not realistically allow another entity to discipline their ethics, though some members of Congress wanted some form of outside oversight.

Rep. Steve Cohen, D- Tenn., said the court needs to impose “some type of sanctions,” to enforce the rules. He said “nobody” currently holds the court accountable.

“They just take care of each other,” Cohen said. “The Supreme Court’s not going to enforce against their own.”

The word “should” appeared 52 times in the new conduct code, while binding verbs like “must” and “shall” appear six and zero times.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D- N.Y., called the code “a fig leaf for the court.”

“I think of it as more of a [public relations] effort than anything that’s actually a serious measure,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

The post Lawmakers doubt Justices will enforce their own ethics code first appeared on 91����.

“They cannot erase our history,” read one sign posted on the fence.

Development on this site has been the focus of a costly lawsuit since 2017, but a new owner has raised hopes of finding the balance between affordable housing goals and business profits.��

“We’re not sure exactly what we’re going to do yet,” said Martin Mellett, vice president of external affairs for Jubilee Housing.

“When the property was given to Jubilee, we became the defendants in that litigation,” he said. “So our hope is that we can come to an agreement with the plaintiffs in this case and just settle this outside of court.”

Truist Financial Corp. donated the land in October to D.C. nonprofit Jubilee, changing the trajectory of the plaza’s future.

Adams Morgan for Reasonable Development and the Kalorama Citizens Association took the former owner to court after the bank planned to build condos– taking away a majority of public access.��

Jubilee asked the DC Superior Court for outside mediation on the lawsuit this month. According to court documents, the scheduled trial is paused until at least April 2024.

Mellett said Jubilee wants to work through the lawsuit and come up with housing that benefits the community.��

“The hope is that we can figure out a solution that works for everybody,” he said. “Jubilee wants to keep some part of the plaza available to the rest of the community.”

The new deed for the plaza includes a promise of about 40 affordable apartment units (90% of the building) and 10% dedicated to retail.

However, Mellett said Jubilee remains in the planning phase and is still determining if retail space will be offered or how many units will be considered affordable housing.

Mellett said it might take more than a year to begin construction on the project. He said Jubilee is working to find funding for demolition and construction.��

How does Jubilee play into DC’s affordable housing goal?

Jubilee currently manages 11 housing developments in Adams Morgan, four under construction. Those numbers do not include the recently acquired Adams Morgan Plaza.

Mellett said Jubilee focuses primarily on Adams Morgan because the organization was created in the neighborhood 50 years ago.

Jubilee houses about 552 residents in its affordable homes, including The Sorrento on 18th Street and The Maycroft on Columbia Road.��

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a housing initiative in 2019 that made it a goal to create 12,000 affordable housing units by 2025.��

So far, , said Nick Stabile, program analyst for the DC Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development.

When asked if the District was on track with the goal, Stabile said, “We are making significant progress.”��

Stabile said Adams Morgan is under the Mid-City planning area for DC, which has surpassed its 2025 affordable housing goal.

The Mid-City planning area, including the Columbia Heights and Mt. Pleasant neighborhoods, is 118% on target, according to the housing count dashboard.

“One of the primary benefits of affordable housing is that it really ensures that people at a range of incomes can afford to live in Adams Morgan,” Stabile said. “Some people might go to school in Adams Morgan, they might shop or work at local businesses, and contribute to the overall vibrancy of the neighborhood.”

Some business owners are concerned about the construction

Jubilee currently has two developments under construction about two streets from the Adams Morgan Plaza— 2400 Ontario Rd NW and 1721 Kalorama Rd NW.

Brian Logan and Bill Castellani work at a real estate office on Kalorama Road— surrounded by the Jubilee construction.

Logan and Castellani are concerned that more construction in Adams Morgan might drive people away— literally.

“While they’re doing construction, there’s no parking anywhere,” Logan said. “It’s troubling for us.”

Castellani said construction on the Kalorama Road development paused more than three months ago, but parking near the building is still not permitted.��

The businessmen said construction at a main intersection, 18th Street and Columbia Road, might be more challenging for motorists and neighbors.��

Logan said he also worries that Jubilee’s affordable housing and transitional housing might raise crime rates.

“I think that in the past, they have found that when you concentrate too much of one kind of housing in an area, it’s not necessarily a good thing,” Logan said.

The post Adams Morgan Plaza lawsuit on hold while affordable housing goals are discussed with new owners first appeared on 91����.

He was wrong.

“For a while, I thought the money went to the waiter, but I didn’t realize I was just paying more to the restaurant,” Wilks said. “I don’t understand what I’m being charged for, but it’d be cool if more places explained it.”��

The Federal Trade Commission aims to clear up that confusion. The commission in October announced it is looking to manage service fees to ensure consumers understand what they are paying for, according to the “.”

This does not necessarily mean the commission will ban service charges, but businesses must clearly state what the charge goes to.

“It doesn’t stop me from eating out,” Wilks said. “But, like, where does my money go? Because I know I’m paying for more than my meal and the waitress.”

The proposed rule states it would ban “unfair or deceptive practices relating to fees for goods or services, specifically, misrepresenting the total costs of goods and services by omitting mandatory fees from advertised prices and misrepresenting the nature and purpose of fees.”

The commission said it believes deceptive or unfair fees are prevalent and the organization needs to address it.

Adams Morgan restaurant owners have mixed feelings about possible changes in how they charge fees.��

On the one hand, Alana Jackson, manager of Taqueria Al Lado in Adams Morgan, said transparency is important to both restaurants and consumers.��

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some restaurants added service charges to bills to help run the business. These charges were separate from gratuity, and they ranged from 2% to 20%.

“I think that [service charges] have caused a lot of animosity from the part of consumers,” Jackson said. “They feel like they don’t know how much a meal is going to be or how much extra will be charged because they sat down.”

She said regulating the service charges “should take place” to create the most transparency between the business and the consumer.��

“From our perspective, we think it’s fair that service charges are as upfront and make as much sense to most people as possible,” she said.

Jackson also said undisclosed or unexplained fees could lead to wait staff receiving less tips.��

While Jackson agrees the Federal Trade Commission should regulate service fees, Mezè Restaurant manager Ali Sen hopes the federal government stays out of his business.

Sen, who helps run the Mediterranean restaurant in Adams Morgan, said the owner has not implemented a service charge but the idea is floating around.��

“Everything’s going up, like the rent and this and that, so I understand the owner,” Sen said. “It’s not a good idea.”

Sen said the government does not need to add more control over businesses as restaurants in Adams Morgan try to work with what they make.��

Some Adams Morgan restaurants advise patrons of the extra charge on the menu, while other businesses just add the fee to the bill.��

The commission on the proposed rule until Jan. 8. So far the commission received more than 12,000 comments, with a majority supporting “government action or described negative experiences relating to fees that suggested support for such action,” according to the docket.

The commission will consider revising the rule based on the comments, and then implement it.

The post Adams Morgan restaurants weigh in on Fed’s proposed service charge regulation first appeared on 91����.

D.C. native Stephen Brice joined the Adams Morgan Partnership BID in October as a safety ambassador to ensure the neighborhood’s safety and build trust with locals.

“I enjoy just being around and talking to people,” Brice said. “I’m starting to introduce myself to the businesses, talking with people. I also recognize that there is a homeless population, so you have to be sensitive about that and maintain a friendship with them.”��

Brice, who also works in law enforcement at Catholic University, trains through Omar Castillo, who has been full-time with the BID for about a year.��

On a sunny October afternoon, 91���� went on patrol with Brice and Castillo. They walked up and down Columbia Road and 18th Street to check for safety hazards, including downed scooters, misplaced trash and people in need.

They stopped to speak with pedestrians, put trash in bins and check if any poles wobbled.��

The safety ambassadors report any issue, crime or accident to the police or the proper authorities, Castillo and Brice said. The patrol also connects with rehab organizations in the area to offer resources to those experiencing homelessness.��

“We know all the homeless in the area,” Castillo said. “First thing when I walk outside, we check on the homeless because we need to make sure that they are okay.”

Public safety in the neighborhood remains a top concern for the Adams Morgan Partnership BID, and the organization hopes to get more money for more ambassadors in the area, said Kristen Barden, executive director of the BID.

“This fall, we’re going to apply for a grant with the city, the city’s made available just this fiscal year,” Barden said. “And depending on how much money we get, we’ll��be hiring more ambassadors because we want to ideally have two people working all the time.”

Barden said the ambassadors are her “eyes and ears on the street.”

The safety ambassadors look out for criminals or suspicious people reported by authorities or residents.

However, Castillo said they try to keep a distance from police issues since “crime is very often,” but the neighborhood has constant law enforcement patrol.��

with 361 incidents as of October 17— 315 of those included thefts and burglaries, according to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.��

The police department reported an increase of 81 property crimes in the neighborhood.��

That rise in business break-ins, carjackings and theft from vehicles keep Castillo and Brice on the lookout.

“We go to the MPD crime meeting every month,” Castillo said. “We want to make sure we know what’s going on, we need to keep our eyes open.”

Safety ambassadors especially watch out for businesses after learning of a string of robberies last winter.��

Currently, Adams Morgan has two part-time and one full-time safety ambassador. The budget sets aside about $150,000 for safety ambassadors each year.��

Ambassadors roam the streets from noon to 8 p.m. daily and encourage residents to reach out to them.��

The post More safety ambassadors join the force as crime grows in Adams Morgan first appeared on 91����.

Demonstrators dawned keffiyehs, flags and traditional Palestinian garb as they chanted “Cease fire now” and “Free free Palestine.”��

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) organized the march to support the Palestinian people in the wake of the conflict between Hamas and Israel. Taher Herzallah, a member of AMP, helped lead the protesters.��

“We gather today under the raindrops as our families in Gaza are enduring the drops of missiles on their homes,” Herzallah said. “This act of genocide that we are witnessing in real-time, all green-lit and supported by this White House right here, shame.”

The march started in Lafayette Square and circled the block, marching through the Black Lives Matter Plaza, finishing directly in front of the White House with the crowd chanting “Biden, Biden you can’t hide.”

Palestinian militants led by Hamas carried out a cross-border attack on Israel on October 7. Israel retaliated by attacking Gaza with missiles, killing civilians and military targets.��

Hamas has killed about 1,300 people in Israel as of Saturday, according to Israeli officials. Israel has killed about 2,000 people, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Moshe Rosen, a Jewish supporter of Palestine, said that he was there because the Israeli government’s actions did not reflect every Jewish person’s values. He supported Palestinians’ grievances with their treatment by the Israeli government.��

“There is a build-up of frustration, and it comes to a point where people say we tried a diplomatic way and it’s not working, and it explodes,” Rosen said. “In essence, you could call Gaza one of the largest prisons in the world.”

Rosen criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions towards the people in Gaza in response to the initial attack.��

“They just want to go home; they just want to live in peace,” Rosen said. Other Jewish protesters held signs that read, “U.S. Jews say Netanyahu and his far-right govt. do not represent us,” and “Israel does not speak for us.

“In no way of form what’s going on in Israel reflects on our Jewish values,” Rosen said. “Anti-Zionism is not Anti-Judaism, Israel and Judaism are separate.”

Gaza has faced economic hardships and has lacked necessities like food, water and medical care for about 16 years under an Israeli blockade, according to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on October 9 vowed a “complete siege” of Gaza and cut off all the entry of supplies, fuel and humanitarian aid to the 2.3 million people living in the strip.

An Egyptian-American Christian, Ian Tennison, chanted with the demonstrators and said this was a human rights issue. He said he stands with Palestinians who are affected by Israel’s response.��

“I’m out here to show the Palestinians that other Arabs are listening, other Arabs are with you,” Tennison said. “Many American Jews are on our side because they rightfully acknowledge that genocide, apartheid, settler colonialism are not Jewish values and in reality are things that they have been subjected to for centuries.”��

Tennison said, “This is a war off of occupation, settler colonialism,” and affects all Arabs, not just Palestinians.

Jinan Deena, a D.C. resident, joined the protest to stand in solidarity with her family, who is sheltering in the West Bank.

“I’m protesting for the freedom and liberation of the Palestinian people and we need an immediate ceasefire, we need humanitarian aid to reach Gaza,” Deena said. “We just want people to understand that Palestinians are human, and as much as people are calling for peace, peace can not come without freedom.”

Deena said people not familiar with the history of Palestine need to understand the conflict did not begin just this month.

“Palestinians have been under occupation for 75 years,” Deena said. “They have been brutalized, they have been ethnically cleansed, homes demolished, schools bombed, and I really want people to give humanity to the Palestinian people above all else.”

Israel has ordered the evacuation of roughly one million Palestinians in the northern part of Gaza. This has intensified the already devastating effects on its estimated two million citizens and is a step towards a reported ground invasion by Israeli troops.��

The post Protesters criticize Biden in march to White House in support of Palestine first appeared on 91����.

Robbers shattered the hot pink-lined glass door into The Cakeroom and stole a cash drawer with $50 inside.

The bakery at 2006 18th Street NW continued to service patrons with banana chocolate or carrot cupcakes among the clean-up efforts in the retro pink, red and white store.

The customers might not have noticed, but the incident had a bigger impact on owner Fadi Jaber.

“It was very traumatizing and emotionally draining,” Jaber said. “So ever since then, we’ve gone totally cashless and even advertised it on social media, plus on the glass window. We haven’t had another robbery since.”

Jaber said always preferred taking payment by debit or credit card. He occasionally accepted cash but between the burglary and finding money missing from the drawer, he told customers they needed to use plastic.

Jaber said the cash became burdensome.

Jaber fears that will not last long with criminals now aware that every business in the District will keep cash in the till.

Starting this month, D.C. businesses can no longer refuse cash payments. The ban on cashless businesses comes about three years after the D.C. Council approved it and added funding for it in fiscal year 2024.

D.C. follows other cities like New York and Philadelphia in the cash mandate, trying to be more inclusive with shoppers.

“I don’t think it’s fair for them to enforce something like that,” Jaber said. “It should be up to businesses whether they want to go cashless or not. [The government is] not the one running my business and knowing how secure it is. So, I don’t agree with it.”

Jaber said the ban is “invasive,” but he will abide by it and purchase a new cash drawer, which he has not had since the break-in.

“If another robber comes, another robber comes,” he said. “I just hope the government will help us.”

Burglaries in Adams Morgan have according to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s crime data. D.C. police describe a burglary as entering a site with the intent to take something.

DC Councilman Kenyan McDuffie, chair of the Committee on Business and Economic Development, voiced the concerns of businesses during last month’s State of the District and Region Conference, hosted by the D.C. Chamber of Commerce.

“We have to ask whether or not this is something we should do October 1 or perhaps we should push out a little further while we address some of the concerns some of the business community has,” McDuffie said. “We have folks who are, literally, some businesses, locking their doors during business hours in the day because they are fearful of robberies that they’ve experienced.”

Kristen Barden, executive director of the Adams Morgan Partnership Business Improvement District, said “Most of our businesses accept cash so it really isn’t an issue here.”

Barden said the BID put the new law in the Adams Morgan weekly newsletter to inform the neighborhood’s businesses, but so far that’s the most of the organization’s education efforts.

Businesses that “discriminate against cash” will face civil penalties, according to the.

Che Ruddell-Tabisola, director of government affairs for the D.C. Restaurant Association, said the ban was first proposed in 2018, a “different era.”

“This is not the time for it,” Ruddell-Tabisola said. “Let’s get the gun violence under control, let’s get things right to like a reasonable state, and then we’ll start taking cash again.”

The director said the threat of robberies and burglaries increases in entertainment areas like Adams Morgan, especially if they require cash.

Ruddell-Tabisola works to constantly inform eateries of laws and rules they need to follow but he has “never seen operators more scared to comply with a law.”

The ban is in place for now, but Ruddell-Tabisola said the association reached out to The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection to ask about an education campaign on the new law and if there is a grace period.

He said it is unclear if there is a grace period for cashless businesses.

The post ‘This is not the time for it’; DC’s cashless ban leaves some Adams Morgan business owners scared first appeared on 91����.

Customers walk in and out of the business at 1726 Columbia Road NW to shop an array of brands, from a $3,000 bottle of Kentucky Owl whiskey to a $6 bottle of Casamigos tequila.

“We try to keep up with what our customers want and the changing of the neighborhood,” said Greg Parikh, the liquor store owner. “The neighborhood keeps changing for good and you want to keep changing with it.”

Parikh said since he began running the store, he has seen many businesses open in the neighborhood but many of them closed down.��

91���� six businesses in the last year reported to social media to announce shuttering storefronts in Adams Morgan, including 18-year-old Amsterdam Falafelshop, a late-night falafel and shawarma restaurant.��

“The neighborhood, from when I took over to now, over the years has changed a lot,” Parikh said. “We had a CVS store next to us and a luggage store and then they closed down and demoed the whole building, and now it’s a high-rise building.”��

Long-time Adams Morgan resident Josh Gibson said that’s just the nature of business in the neighborhood.��

Gibson said many of the buildings in the neighborhood were once other businesses— including the Ontario Theatre, which became condos and the Banfield Pet Hospital; The Knickerbocker Theatre, which is being considered for redevelopment; and The National Arena roller rink, now a Harris Teeter.��

Those were only a few examples of the lives commercial buildings move through in Adams Morgan but they were significant, Gibson said.

“There’s just a ton of churn and a ton of lives that businesses go through,” Gibson said. “You can’t get too attached to any neighborhood business because you know inevitably it’s going to go, whether it’s for economic reasons or family health reasons, and a new place will come in.”

Gibson, co-author of “Adams Morgan (Then and Now),” watched many businesses in the neighborhood come and go since moving to the area in 1998, including his favorite restaurant Cashion’s Eat Place, an upscale American eatery.��

“It’s hard as someone who has lived in the neighborhood for so long, and we’ve fallen in love with places that closed,” Gibson said. “You just have to remind yourself that all of the places you love were new once but will definitely go at some point.”

Gibson wonders why businesses in the area close down, but he said, “The assumption is that it closes because it wasn’t making money.”

Parikh credits his returning customers for his store’s success. He also works to keep up with Adams Morgan’s changing economic environment by fulfilling customers’ wants— like creating a delivery system to use during the COVID-19 pandemic or renovating the inside of the store for a more attractive look.

After the former owner filed for bankruptcy, Parikh bought the business in 2002 for $650,000, according to the D.C. Recorder of Deeds. Parikh said the “store has been through so much” since he took over, but the business still does well overall.

Gibson said the area is mainly known for its nightlife, so daytime businesses tend to need help. However, he said recent years show an uptick in daytime foot traffic, encouraging more businesses to open during the day.��

91���� 225 businesses operate in Adams Morgan, according to Kristen Barden, executive director of Adams Morgan Partnership Business Improvement District, a 501 (c) (6) aimed at enhancing the neighborhood.

However, the Adams Morgan Partnership BID website lists at least three closed-down stores, so the number of current businesses in the area needs to be clarified.����

At least three buildings on Columbia Road NW in Adams Morgan show for sale or for lease signs, with some residents fearing more stores will follow suit.

The post Adams Morgan businesses come and go, but one beats the odds 86 years running first appeared on 91����.