SCOTUS reporter @ Courthouse News Come for the legal news, stay for the Taylor Swift commentary and cat photos Signal: @kreichmann.13
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The majority are MP, only some appear to wear the badge. It’s possible I missed the others, of course, but those who do wear the badge appear to do so prominently
Does anyone know why some guard members are wearing badges and others (seemingly) are not?
Lots of the guard members smile and wave when they notice someone is taking a photo. They generally seem to be making the most of a situation they have very little control over (This guy was waving at the camera in case there’s any confusion)
I’ve yet to see any guard members involved in law enforcement activity. A WV member told me he assisted with an arrest for some kind of disturbance. For the most part, they’re walking around, taking photos, and answering questions from lots of onlookers
To be fair, I was riding a bike when going to take these photos and did a very uncoordinated scurry backwards with said bike to get this specific angle with the Amtrak scooter/MATV. All the National Guard members seen have been very cordial
It appears so. Clearer photo here. It’s strange because I haven’t seen the DC guard carrying rifles, only sidearms. I’d assume they have them in the vehicle since he is carry the magazines? Definitely unique to what other guard members are carrying
The scene is pretty constant with National Guard. A few members stand near equipment and answer questions from on lookers while a small protest persists in the background
National Guard and Amtrak police join forces at Union Station
Why are degrees and certifications “off-putting?” I understand contextualizing complex topics and using plain language, but I disagree that “accessibility” is a huge issue. You can bring a camel to water, but you can’t force it to drink.
Last week we had stories about a reporter who wouldn’t accept a bag of chips from a political staffer and content creators who think it’s no big deal to secretly accept thousands of dollars a month from dark money groups Guess who the public deems trustworthy
"Over the past 22 months, the war in Gaza has become the most deadly conflict for journalists in history."
My camera has to be one of the best investments I’ve ever made. I bought this baseline Canon DSLR over 6+ years ago, and it feels like the one piece of technology in my life that hasn’t “needed” upgrading
Some of the harden criminals on the mall today
JUST IN: Judge who blocked the transfer of about 600 Guatemalan minors from US to Guatemala Sunday is keeping a very tight leash on the government. Echoes of Alien Enemies Act litigation simply deafening here. Earlier: www.politico.com/news/2025/08...
If you haven’t watched the Disney+ documentary on Katrina, you need to
I daresay it's *probable* Trump has some medical issues and treatments we don't know about. However, as someone who was *literally there* when he was hospitalized last time, I think we'd know if it hit that level.
A real comment section on TikTok. The lack of interest in researching basic facts is infuriating. The video suggesting that an ambulance within the motorcade was suspicious has over 68k likes.
Even if they tried to somehow freeze out the pool, the motorcade or Marine One are not exactly inconspicuous when moving through DC. You'd also need *a lot* of people not leaking.
Small protest outside Union Station. One veteran holds a flag with a quote from Justice Sotomayor’s dissent in the presidential immunity case
Lots of National Guard out on the National Mall today
I’m not sure it’s coming across just how large these vehicles are. It’s pretty jarring
Lots of people asking the guard members questions (including yours truly).
D.C. National Guard at Union Station. These troops aren’t carrying the large rifles like the WV guard. The oil tray was placed under each vehicle to prevent staining on the bricks
Speechless… Those who own land would be offered a “digital token” in exchange for rights to redevelop their property, to be used to finance a new life elsewhere or eventually redeemed in “AI-powered, smart cities” to be built in Gaza www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Journalism lives to fight another day
👀👀👀
If Judge Kacsmaryk allows Texas to join the abortion pill litigation in Amarillo, the Trump Justice Department may no longer argue that the suit should be dismissed, and the case could once again return to the Supreme Court. More on this under-the-radar attack:
Tried to get you more info on what firearms training they receive but the guards’ website doesn’t actually link to a current webpage I think it’s fair to say yes, but of course it would be helpful if I could actually verify that information easily
Turns out you can never fully escape the C-UAS beat
And ICYMI: As the country grapples with another mass shooting, gun advocates petitioned the Supreme Court on Thursday to loosen restrictions on weapons that have become synonymous with such tragedies. www.courthousenews.com/despite-conn...
Number is from the Gun Violence Archive www.gunviolencearchive.org
West Virginia National Guard walk on the National Mall in D.C. carrying rifles as part of Trump’s “crime crackdown.” In the distance, a flag on Capitol Hill flies at half-mast to mourn two children killed in the 285th mass shooting this year.
More info on guard on the mall: Use of force is similar to MPD protocol. The two men I talked to were from West Virginia—one here for the first time, the other was here for Jan6
Armed national guard on the National Mall
LOL.* * = DC Circuit edition
I took this picture myself at the CDC protest today. These are among the hundreds of bullet holes in CDC headquarters windows, visible from the street. I heard today that the admin has no urgent plan to fix these windows. Imagine being a CDC employee going to work under these conditions
As the country grapples with another mass shooting, gun advocates petitioned the Supreme Court on Thursday to loosen restrictions on weapons that have become synonymous with such tragedies. @courthousenews.bsky.social www.courthousenews.com/despite-conn...
In it's emergency appeal at SCOTUS, South Carolina claimed that allowing one transgender boy to use the boys’ bathroom threatened “gender congruent students from using the restroom anywhere.” www.courthousenews.com/south-caroli...
Full filing here: www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/u...
CNS' Kirk McDaniel with the inside scoop that the oversized gavels are easily and quiet frequently broken.
I guess everything really is bigger in Texas
NEWS: South Carolina asks SCOTUS to enforce transgender bathroom ban @courthousenews.bsky.social
This should be the nail in the coffin for “news influencers” but I doubt it will be. The journalism cosplay and claiming to be “more transparent” than the mainstream media while simultaneously signing a secret contract that dictates your content is wild apple.news/AKTtXtnJzSYi...
It’s interesting to me how much genuine hatred there is on the left for the PSA bros while also discussing the need for more progressive media.
As a former Catholic school kid, I found myself haunted by the image of bullets shattering stained glass windows. www.thenation.com/article/soci...
Who let the D.C. bureau podcast together... tune in to the next @sidebarcns.bsky.social episode 👀
Tell me you haven't seen Miss Americana without telling me you haven't seen Miss Americana
A day after the latest mass shooting that killed two young children, the Supreme Court has been asked to overturn Illinois' AR-15 ban @courthousenews.bsky.social
If anyone from CDC, FEMA, EPA, DOJ etc wants to chat, my signal is kreichmann.13
RIP to the poor guard members running sprints up the hill though
A morning on Capitol Hill in 2025
Abbe Lowell and I represent CDC Director #SusanMonarez. Contrary to govt statements, Dr. Monarez has neither resigned nor yet been fired. She will not resign. We have issued the following statement:
You’ll know Taylor and Travis are getting married when the tickets to her next tour go on sale. She’ll give the Swifties the most insane zodiac killer puzzle to solve so she can have a moment of peace
*whisper shouts* Sharing a screenshot of a story is useless without the link
“If every author in the class filed a claim, industry advocates warned, it would "financially ruin" the entire AI industry.” arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
Yes and no. She left the door open to do so More from @benjaminweiss.bsky.social here: www.courthousenews.com/dc-mayor-lea...
Lots of data out there on the dangers of police chases but I'll link this 2024 story from the SF Chronicle www.sfchronicle.com/projects/202...
The United States Park Police Fraternal Order of Police posted this after Bowser said more vehicle pursuits would be concerning
Incidentally, Xinis has scheduled the hearing for the same time and date as when the justices will take the bench for the first oral argument of the new Supreme Court term.
Live shot of me trying to get through everything on my two-do list for the next two weeks:
Very interesting press conference from Bowser. I'm not sure I've seen a swell of support among community members trusting her judgment, and it's hard to imagine any changes in that direction following the tone of that press conference
On message to Hispanic workers Bowser: "Whether you have documents or your undocumented, you almost you feel like you're being caught up in a dragnet, and that is horrible... I would just express to them as a neighbor, how very sorry I am that they're living in this terror."
On cost of federal "surge" Bowser doesn't provide any numbers but says the city can track expenses
On DC residents' fears of impending doom, Bowser: "I'm not sure I'm qualified to answer that question, because I know there's a lot of anxiety. There's tremendous anxiety in the district...but I also know there's a lot of anxiety in our nation."
Bowser wouldn't say whether counts of unhoused individuals would be shared with feds or concerns that those counts could be used to target unhoused individuals
On House investigation into DC crime statistics "We'll answer any questions that are that are proposed to us, and we don't have any update at this time on the internal investigation."
On DC's status as a sanctuary city: Bowser: "The councils' laws are still in place. There's been no change to the law, but if you're referring to the sanctuary values, there has been no change."
On when Bowser would push back against Trump's requests, she says nothing has happened yet that meets that bar but suggests loosening standards on uses of force, allowing more vehicle pursuits, or getting rid of body cameras would meet that bar
On concerns that residents don't want to call MPD because of fears that ICE will follow, Smith says she understands concerns but no concrete answer for what is to be done
In what capacity is MPD assisting ICE? Police Chief: "based on the President's executive order, we are supporting the ask of the Metropolitan Police Department to support our federal partners in this effort"
Bowser said she is concerned about masks "While I'm not going to give you like a rundown of every word that was said in the meeting, you can be assured that the things that we are very concerned about, we are working on a resolution for."
Asked about Trump's claims that Bowser needed to get her act together, she wouldn't detail her conversations with Trump and pivots to the "benefits of federal law enforcement"
On whether Bowser was "pro surge" "This is pretty pro we have seen reductions in crime"
MPD Police Chief doesn't directly address a question about feds being "too aggressive." She says there are concerns anytime there's an "influx of anything" and says it's important to have MPD officers aligned with fed partners
Asked about the "federal takeover," Bowser interrupts and clarifies "federal surge"
Asked whether federal presence could go on for a full year, Bowser said she has no idea what projects Trump could undertake or what timeline they'd be under
"Let me put it this way, if there were 500 additional MPD officers, that same activity —arrest and gun recovery—would have likely been made."
"Why would the admin exerting greater control over Union Station a good thing?" Bowser: "They own Union Station" She says investments are not in any current budgets, and Union Station has suffered from not getting money for renovations.
"Do you think this is going to end after 30 days?" Bowser: "What we want is local control of our public safety ecosystem, and that includes deployment of officers. We want federal officers that work in coordination with us." She refused to say whether surge would end by deadline
Bowser said DC residents are defending their city. "They are giving me ideas, talking to me and trusting my judgment."
Q on Union Station "takeover" Bowser notes that the federal government owns Union Station. She doesn't know the details about what the admin wants to do but says management assistance could be an "amazing initiative" for the feds to take on
Bowser said she did not discuss going beyond the 30 day emergency period with Trump. She did discuss with Bondi but no details
Bowser said 1,500 arrests include MPD and some federal arrests but maybe not all federal arrests
Bowser said DC still needs more police, more prosecutors, more judges, more effective prevention programs and need to ensure local control. She also mentioned delivering a new residential youth treatment center
What hasn't worked: -break in trust between police and community — especially masked ICE officers -National Guard has not been an efficient use of resources
What has worked according to Bowser: -more stops that have collected illegal guns -"perceived accountability in the system driving down illegal behavior" -fewer gun crimes, fewer homicides, extreme reduction in carjackings
Bowser said she'll be issuing a mayor's order in the coming days to explain how emergency operations center will engage with feds in DC
Bowser said DC will do a census count of unhoused people in DC on Thursday or Friday, hoping to connect them with services
Currently, there are just over 5k unhoused people in DC according to Bowser. There's been an 18% decrease in family homelessness and 4.5% decrease among single adults "We have a relatively small encampment problem in DC. It, however, is highly visible."
Bowser said DC will support Trump's $2 billion request to improve infrastructure
Bowser says that the surge of federal officers has had a "significant increase on crime in Washington, DC." (I believe she meant feds have helped crack down on crime but unclear to me) She followed this by stating that over the 20 day federal surge there has been a 87% reduction in carjackings
Officials say DC needs 4k MPD officers. Bowser says DC needs to hire at least 500 new officers of the next few years
Youth prosecution is a local responsibility. Courts are federally appointed judges. DC jails hold some incarcerated individuals but others go to federal prisons
"When we talk about the criminal justice system in DC, it's not a local system. So unlike any state or city, our city ecosystem for public safety combines local responsibility and federal responsibility." When arrested, people go to DC jails but feds responsible for adult prosecution.
Tuning into D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's "situational update." She begins with the reminder of D.C.'s unique status leaving 700k citizens without voting representation in Congress www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/m...
Trying to get people to remember that D.C. is operating at $1 billion budget shortfall because congressional Republicans refused to pass the city's budget
Of course that brings us back to Justice Jackson's dissent last week in the health grant funding case: "Calvinball has only one rule: There are no fixed rules. We seem to have two: that one, and this administration always wins.” www.courthousenews.com/supreme-cour...
