In a news conference Friday, owner Chuck Kuhn said he would donate the historic vessel and its operations to Montgomery County. At the same time, the county will purchase the land where the ferry docks on the Maryland side of the Potomac.

The county will pay $1.5 million for the approximately 2.5 acres of riverfront land, a store, a ferry ramp, a boat launch and storage buildings. Once the sale is finalized and the county assumes possession of the property, the vessel will be pulled out of the river and examined for repairs, officials said. The county hopes it can finalize the transition in the next two months.

Kuhn, who purchased White’s Ferry with his wife, Stacy, six years ago, said the goal was to get the ferry open.

“We never were worried about who owned it. We just wanted to make sure the ferry got back open for the community. It was an amazing journey and today is a great step,” Kuhn said.

In December 2020, the ferry shut down after a Loudoun County judge ruled White’s Ferry had been trespassing since the end of a licensing agreement that allowed the ferry to dock at Rockland Farm on the Virginia side of the Potomac.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said the ferry’s shutdown has heavily impacted the city of Poolesville, where the ferry is located. He called the deal a “major milestone, a significant step” toward reopening the ferry. After years of assisting with negotiations with both landowners, he said owning the property itself was the most “logical and simple thing” to resume service.

“I hope that our colleagues in Loudoun County and the Commonwealth of Virginia take note of this major shift, and see their way to acquire the rights needed to restart the service, and we stand ready to work with them to achieve that goal,” Elrich said.

“I’m optimistic that the climate on the other side of the river has improved.”

Over the years, Kuhn has been unable to reach a deal with Libby Devlin and her brother Peter Brown, who own Rockland Farm, to allow the ferry to resume service. This includes the Montgomery County Council putting together a $3 million offer to resolve issues.

In 2021, Loudoun County’s Board of Supervisors urged Kuhn and Devlin to negotiate a deal on their own. “Work it out,” Chair Phyllis Randall encouraged the private owners at the time.

Montgomery County officials said they last spoke to the Rockland Farm owners around February, with Elrich adding that he would like to negotiate a deal to resume service. Devlin told WTOP Thursday she was unaware of the deal between Kuhn and Montgomery County and hadn’t been invited to participate in Friday’s news conference.

When asked if this deal might pave the way for Loudoun County to exert eminent domain over the land in Virginia where the ferry docks, Elrich said it’s possible, but it should be the final step, as it could be delayed through a lengthy court battle. However, he admitted it has been a struggle to work with the Rockland Farm owners.

“But if it came down to eminent domain, I’d hope the state would consider doing it,” Elrich said.

“They聽recognize the economic value and the purpose. This is something they should be willing to do. They certainly have the power to do it.”

In a statement to WTOP, a spokesperson for the Office of the County Administrator in Loudoun County said that Montgomery County informed them of the White’s Ferry acquisition Thursday, adding that the jurisdiction sees the deal as a positive development.

鈥淭his is an important milestone toward improving regional connectivity,” Loudoun Economic Development Executive Director Buddy Rizer said in a statement. “Working together on projects like this creates stronger local economies and better opportunities on both sides of the river.鈥�

Established in 1786, White’s Ferry carried between 600 and 800 vehicles daily across the Potomac River and more on weekends. Once it is open and running, Montgomery County will hire people to operate the ferry.

“The ferry is a vital service that we want to have restored,” Montgomery County Department of Transportation Director Chris Conklin told WTOP. “With this arrangement, we have the Maryland landing and ferry operations in control and continue to seek solutions by finding answers to where the boat can land in Virginia.”

WTOP’s Jos茅 Uma帽a contributed to this report.聽

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Jesica Argueta, 23, of Silver Spring pleaded guilty Wednesday to vehicular manslaughter by gross negligence and one count of second-degree assault for causing the crash that killed Josephine Gieske, who was riding in the passenger seat of a Toyota 4Runner, and seriously injured the driver.

Montgomery County police and prosecutors said Argueta was driving her Toyota GR86 at speeds up to 84 miles per hour in a 40-mph zone. Argueta admitted she was weaving through morning rush hour traffic when she hit the vehicle Gieske was riding in as it attempted to turn left from Randolph Road onto Sherwood Forest Drive.

Argueta faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. She’ll be sentenced Sept. 16.

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With one month until Indy cars race through the streets of the nation’s capital during the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, preparations for the District’s road course are ramping up.

Crews on Wednesday laid hot asphalt along sections of Pennsylvania Avenue, one of the main stretches of the 1.66-mile circuit. The course also includes Independence and Constitution avenues, 9th Street, and crosses the National Mall at 7th and 3rd streets NW.

Race organizers said crews will begin installing safety walls and fencing on Sunday to prepare the course for drivers and spectators.

According to organizers, most of the heavy construction work will take place overnight and during periods outside rush hour.

Crews have already removed a number of street poles and objects from medians as preparations continue for the races on Aug. 22 and 23.

Organizers said road closures are not expected to become an issue until shortly before and during race weekend.

Here is the course map:

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The bill is sponsored by Rep. James Comer, a Kentucky Republican who chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

鈥淩adical D.C. Democrats want to solve their spending problem by reaching deeper into taxpayers鈥� pockets and driving further on the path to socialism,鈥� Comer said.

Comer alluded to but did not name D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George, who is likely to become the city鈥檚 next mayor after winning the Democratic nomination.

D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said the bill would mark a major blow to local control.

鈥淚f enacted, this will be the most consequential reduction in D.C.鈥檚 authority to govern itself since the D.C. Home Rule Act was passed in 1973 the entire modern history of D.C. home rule,鈥� Norton said.

For all the latest developments in Congress, follow WTOP Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell Miller at Today on the Hill.

Mayor Muriel Bowser also opposed the legislation in a statement Wednesday.

鈥淭his would render the District incapable of recovering from the debilitating impacts of COVID, federal remote work, and DOGE,鈥� Bowser said.

In a letter to Comer, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson said the bill 鈥渨ould straitjacket District government while not adding to Congressional authority over the District. Congress already has the authority to disapprove any and every tax increase adopted by the Council.鈥�

Council member Robert White, the Democratic nominee in the 2026 election to replace Norton as D.C.鈥檚 congressional delegate, said the bill 鈥渨ould be devastating.鈥�

鈥淥ur budget would become a request we sent to Congress that dies the moment they ignore it. That鈥檚 not oversight. It鈥檚 a veto over our own city,鈥� White said.

If the bill eventually gets a vote on the House floor, it will still face an uphill battle in the Senate, where Democrats would likely block it with a filibuster.

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Charles County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Diane Richardson said the thefts took place at Trinity Memorial Gardens, on Mattawoman Beantown Road, in June and July.

“On July 8, our detectives were conducting late night checks in the area near the cemetery when they noticed a van parked in a spot that really didn’t make sense for that time of night or that location,” Richardson said.

Investigators canvassed the area and recovered at least 40 vases from a trash can near the van, according to Richardson.

“They learned that the van had been rented, and from that they were able to determine who rented it,” Richardson said.

One suspect, Trey Franklin Mason, 25, was found in a motel in Waldorf that night. Further investigation led to the arrest of the second suspect, 34-year-old David Anthony Downing of Waldorf.

Detectives determined that up to 100 bronze vases had been taken to a scrap metal recycling facility in another jurisdiction.

“We actually went to that scrap dealer and were able to recover over 100 vases,” before they were melted down, “which were returned to the cemetery.”

Asked about a possible motive, Richardson said: “It’s sad and unfortunate, but it’s because there’s a profit in it.”

Mason and Downing are charged with theft scheme, destruction of property, fraud and other charges, and are being held without bond.

Richardson said the scrap dealer that purchased the items is being investigated by Maryland State Police.

“In Maryland it is illegal for scrap dealers to buy cemetery bronze, which includes vases, markers, plaques or any bronze originating from a cemetery.”

Mason and Downing are both scheduled to appear in court in September.

Contacted 太子探花, Trinity Memorial Gardens declined comment.

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“Human trafficking and labor trafficking doesn’t always occur or look the way people expect it to,” council member Dawn Luedtke said. “It often occurs in businesses that appear perfectly legitimate until you look a little deeper.”

aims to reduce repeat offenders in Montgomery County.

“From June 2024 to February 2026, police issued 40 civil citations to 25 spas, and charged 13 spa owners with felony offenses related to illegal operations,” Luedtke said.

Despite the increased enforcement, operators of the illegal businesses have exploited a loophole.

“Here’s the problem: Some of the same individuals who get cited and shut down that particular business, they just pop up as a new LLC in a different part of the county, and apply for another license, and the cycle starts over again,” Luedtke told the council.

Her new bill would involve collaboration between police and the county’s department of health and human services to close the loophole.

The bill would require applicants for a bodyworks establishment to disclose all corporate officers and business managers to HHS, which would be prohibited from issuing a license if an officer or manager has been convicted of human trafficking or prostitution-related charges.

In addition, applicants would be ineligible if they previously owned or managed a bodyworks establishment whose license was revoked.

“Working to close that gap is in the best interest of our public and those who are being victimized by trafficking,” Luedtke said.

The bill was developed in consultation with county police, members of the county’s Human Trafficking Prevention Committee and the health and human services department.

A public hearing on the bill will be held Sept. 15.

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Fairfax County police said 29-year-old Kumneger Ayalsew of Alexandria is facing nearly 200 criminal charges connected with stealing from cars that are parked at fitness centers across the county and neighboring jurisdictions.

According to police, the modus operandi in the monthslong string included “stealing wallets, credit cards, and other personal belongings from unlocked vehicles before quickly making fraudulent gift card purchases at nearby retailers, often before victims realized the thefts had occurred.”

Police said detectives linked multiple cases using surveillance footage, financial records, digital evidence and search warrants. He was arrested in Alexandria on June 26.

The charges against Ayalsew include credit card larceny, credit card fraud, vehicle trespassing, identity theft, petit larceny, money laundering and obtaining money by false pretense.

On July 14, Ayalsew was released on his own recognizance on the Fairfax County charges, over prosecutors’ objections. He remains behind bars at the Arlington County Detention Center on charges filed by the Falls Church Police Department.

Ayalsew has a motions hearing in Fairfax County District Court on Thursday, with a preliminary hearing set for Aug. 5.

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Prior authorization is a requirement that a doctor, hospital or other healthcare provider obtain approval from a health insurance company before a specific drug, procedure or medical test will be covered.

“Health insurance plans are increasingly using prior authorization to determine what medical care we get,” said Kevin Brasler, executive editor of. “Certain drugs or classes of drugs, any elective surgery or medical imaging tests must be approved by the health insurance plan before you can go get that.”

The process can leave patients waiting for days to learn whether their insurance will cover a treatment, medication or diagnostic test.

Insurance companies said prior authorization ensures treatments are medically necessary, encourages the use of lower-cost alternatives when appropriate and helps prevent unnecessary spending and fraud.

According to , the national trade association representing the health insurance industry, “Prior authorization is an important safeguard used by both public and private payers to ensure patient care follows clinical guidelines. It helps reduce patients’ exposure to low-value, unsafe or inappropriate care.”

“One thing they do, for example, is say, ‘The doctor’s prescribed this expensive drug, we want you to try the less expensive drug first, before you can use the more expensive one,'” Brasler said.

He said patients are not required to simply accept an insurance company’s decision.
“The first step, if you’re denied under prior authorization is to ask the doctor to go to bat for you,” Brasler said.

According to an , doctors now juggle an average of 43 prior authorization requests per week.

“That’s what’s frustrating now, not just for patients, but for doctors,” Brasler said. “Surveys of doctors found they’re spending 15-plus hours a week, on average, just fighting these prior authorization battles for their patients.”

Most people do not appeal prior authorization denials. Fewer than 1 in 10 denied requests are appealed, of data that Medicare Advantage insurers submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services between 2019 and 2022.

However, more than 83% of appeals resulted in an insurance company partially or fully overturning the initial denial in 2022.

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The last remaining streetcar bridge in D.C. will soon be demolished.

On Wednesday, the a Memorandum of Agreement to allow removal of the Foundry Branch Trestle Bridge, which is owned by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority 鈥� or WMATA.

The 280 foot bridge was built in 1896. It carried the Glen Echo Line, which took streetcars from Georgetown past Glen Echo Park, in Montgomery County, Maryland, until 1960.

Over the years, it became overgrown, and weather took its toll on the largely wooden structure.

The trestle bridge is located on federal parkland in Glover-Archbold Park, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites.

Since 2014, the National Park Service has been doing feasibility and engineering studies to determine whether the structure could be preserved or integrated into the parkland.

The Glover-Archbold Trail, which runs beneath the bridge was cordoned off in 2016, when debris from the bridge began falling.

Under the Memorandum of Agreement, during demolition of the bridge, WMATA will “preserve and protect the remaining concrete Trestle footers (in place) to provide tangible evidence of the former location.”

After demolition, the landscape will be reestablished with native vegetation, and the Glover-Archbold Trail will be reopened.

“This will allow the park to continue to function as a critical greenway that extends from upper Northwest Washington, D.C., to the Potomac River,” according to the MOA.

Signage will be developed to provide the historical and architectural characteristics of the trestle, as well as its function as part of the Washington and Great Falls Electric Railway Company operations.

The Park Service said the signage will be placed along Canal Road NW in a location and manner that is accessible to all visitors.

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Prosecutors and investigators have long said that James Branton was the last person to see her alive.

Branton, 46, was scheduled to stand trial July 24. He’s now set to go to trial Sept. 24 to allow enough time for both the prosecution and defense to sort through all the evidence in the case.

Branton pleaded not guilty after being charged with multiple sex offenses, which allegedly occurred while Akens, her younger sister and her mother lived with Branton from 2006 through 2011.

Shortly after Branton’s April 10 arrest, Spotsylvania County Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney Ryan Mehaffey told the judge that recently learned evidence demonstrated 鈥渢he potential motive of Mr. Branton to kill Miss Akens.鈥�

That was the first time prosecutors said in court and in court filings that they believe Akens is dead.

鈥滽atelin was afraid of Branton when she was alive,鈥� Mehaffey told Circuit Court Judge Ricardo Rigual on April 21.

Sheriff鈥檚 investigators and prosecutors have not revealed any evidence to suggest that Akens is dead. In the week after his arrest, crime scene technicians searched Branton鈥檚 home on a secluded, wooded property on Oak Crest Drive in Partlow, using front loaders and other heavy equipment.

On the day she was last seen, Akens was set to fly to Arizona. A family member dropped Akens off at Branton’s house with the understanding that Branton would give Akens a ride to Springfield Mall, where she would take the Metro to Reagan National Airport.

This week, with the abuse trial date nearing, prosecutors and defense filed a joint motion, saying “the parties are diligently engaging in voluminous discovery,” and asking for the trial to be delayed.

Branton will remain behind bars until his new trial date in September.

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The Board of Supervisors will consider an ordinance that would allow the county to tear down the burned-out skeleton of the home owned by the man charged with setting the fire.

Jacob Bogatin is scheduled to go on trial in September, charged with first-degree murder and arson.

Earlier this year, neighbors on Riptide Square, in the Lowes Island neighborhood, told WTOP that they had grown weary and frustrated by “the daily reminder of the arson and loss of life” they continued to see and smell.

The townhome at 20703 Riptide Square, where Akers lived, was removed promptly. However, the severely damaged homes flanking Akers’ home 鈥� including the home at 20701 Riptide Square, which is owned by Bogatin and his wife 鈥� remained standing.

On Wednesday, the Board of Supervisors will consider an ordinance that would give the county the option to demolish Bogatin’s home, after several county agencies determined the remaining structure might endanger the public health or safety of neighbors.

The staff report ahead of Wednesday’s meeting doesn’t mention Bogatin by name, but recommends the supervisors adopt the ordinance, which “requires the property owner to remove the structure, and gives County staff the authority to remove the structure should the owner fail to do so after reasonable notice” of at least 30 days.

The estimated cost to demolish and remove the remaining structure is between $50,000 and $150,000, according to the staff report. If the county initially paid to tear down 20701 Riptide Square, it would be authorized to place a lien, which allows the county “to recover its accrued costs when the Property is sold, or the owner satisfies the lien.”

Growing list of charges against Bogatin

Court records show Bogatin is scheduled to stand trial for murder and arson, starting on Aug. 24.

As WTOP first reported, when Bogatin was arrested, he had another serious crime hanging over his head for decades 鈥� one in which his co-defendant has been identified as a powerful Russian organized crime boss.

According to federal court records, in 2002, Bogatin and three other men were indicted in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on charges of mail fraud, money laundering, false filings with the Securities Exchange Commission, as well as Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization conspiracy counts, which are often used in organized crime prosecutions.

The case in Pennsylvania never went to trial because Bogatin鈥檚 three co-defendants fled and have been declared fugitives to this day.

One co-defendant, Semion Mogilevich, has been as 鈥渁 transnational organized crime boss … operating from Russia鈥� and other countries.

In 2003, Bogatin was released on a $1 million bond. Over the next few years, conditions of home confinement and electronic monitoring were reduced. Court records in his local case say Bogatin moved to Loudoun County 17 years ago.

Since his arrest on Oct. 28, 2025, Bogatin has amassed several new charges.

In April of this year, he was charged by federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania with four counts of theft of government money.

Earlier this month, he was charged with assault and battery in connection with an altercation with another inmate at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center. The other inmate was also charged in the incident.

And, on Monday, July 13, Bogatin and his wife were indicted for attempting to receive money under false pretenses by filing insurance claims for items that were lost in the fire. Loudoun County prosecutors say the items had been stored elsewhere.

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Stafford County, Virginia, prosecutors assured a circuit court judge that the lawyer for bus driver Jing Sheng Dong will soon have access to evidence gathered in the deadly May 29 crash that killed five people and injured more than 40 on Interstate 95.

During a Tuesday hearing, defense attorney Thomas Walsh told Circuit Court Judge Charles Clark that he had not received that access from prosecutors, which would allow him to start lining up witnesses.

Walsh had asked the judge to order prosecutors to provide evidence they had gathered, as he prepares a defense for a case that was indicted 鈥渙ne business day鈥� after the crash.

The process of both parties exchanging information about evidence and witnesses before trial is known as discovery.

Stafford County Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney Eric Olsen and Assistant Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney Curt Baranyk told the judge, 鈥淲e will provide everything that we have in our possession,鈥� and promptly share any future forensic analysis they receive, in preparation for Dong鈥檚 scheduled Oct. 6 trial.

Clark set an Aug. 13 deadline for prosecutors to turn over their evidence to Dong鈥檚 attorney. On Sept. 8, the judge said he will hear arguments over the admissibility of evidence.

After the judge announced the deadlines and hearings, Olsen told the judge and defense, 鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to wait until that August date 鈥� by next Friday we鈥檒l upload what we have鈥� into a secure online system that provides access to the defense.

The judge seemed satisfied: 鈥淚t sounds like discovery won鈥檛 be an issue moving forward.鈥�

Dong, 48, who was also injured in the crash, sat in a wheelchair beside Walsh and a Chinese interpreter at the defense table.

Dong will ultimately face five counts of involuntary manslaughter, although only three have been indicted thus far. Prosecutors filed two involuntary manslaughter counts at the district court level in order to avoid having a trial begin within five months, which is the requirement in circuit court.

Dong was operating a bus owned by E&P Travel of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, traveling southbound on I-95 when, at around 2:30 a.m., his bus plowed into a line of vehicles slowing for a construction zone near Marine Base Quantico.

In a previous court hearing, Walsh said Dong was driving under the speed limit when the crash occurred and that Dong was neither under the influence of drugs nor alcohol, and was not using his cellphone.

Walsh has said he intends to file a motion for bond in the near future.

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D.C. has held the No. 2 spot since 2023 in the fitness rankings of America’s 100 largest cities.

“The things that make places like Arlington, Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Seattle, Denver the top five is accessibility” to parks and trails where residents can exercise, said Dr. Stella Volpe, past president of the American College of Sports Medicine and chair of the Fitness Index Advisory Board.

The 19th annual report shows the nation’s fittest cities combine lower obesity and chronic disease rates with higher physical activity.

“Even when it comes to public transportation, it’s easy for you all (in Arlington and D.C.) to walk to public transportation or walk to get coffee or walk to lunch,” Volpe said. “That ability to have places close by makes it really, really nice.”

Asked if Arlington County’s financial resources played a role in its consistency atop the list of fittest cities, Volpe said the county has the ability to prioritize recreation.

“There could be small things that cities that don’t have enough resources do 鈥� for example, cleaning up some parks and maybe having that be a community event,” Volpe said. “Putting some lighting or paving a trail that hasn’t been paved in a long time, those kind of things that may seem small could make a big difference.”

According to the index, lower-ranked cities continue to show clustering of chronic disease indicators, including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

In the past year, “food insecurity has increased in 99 of the 100 cities that we assessed,” Volpe said.

“The fitness index provides us more than just a ranking of cities; it gives communities the data they need to identify where gaps exist and which indicators have the greatest impact on long-term health,” said Dr. Shantanu Agrawal, chief health officer at Elevance Health.

According to Volpe, the cities that consistently rank at the top aren’t succeeding because of one program or investment. She said they create environments where physical activity can easily become part of everyday routines.

“Increasing physical activity decreases our risk of chronic diseases of all types 鈥� it doesn’t mean we’ll never get a disease, but it decreases our risk greatly,” Volpe said. “Physical activity and exercise is the best medicine.”

To see the full American Fitness Index 2026 rankings, go to the .

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Mayor Muriel Bowser said in the coming weeks each mural will tell its own story, reflecting the history, identity, aspirations and unique character of its neighborhood.

鈥淧ublic art is a fantastic way to celebrate our country鈥檚 semiquincentennial 鈥� through art, we can share our stories, celebrate our shared values, and inspire future generations,鈥� Bowser said in a news release. 鈥淭hese murals will highlight the people, places, and cultures that make our nation鈥檚 capital a vibrant and beautiful city.鈥�

Each D.C.-based artist was “selected for their artistic vision and deep connection to the communities they represent,” the news release said.

The first mural is underway at 1335 H St. NE. Other mural locations will include Ben’s Chili Bowl in Ward 1, Blagden Alley in Ward 2, the Shrimp Boat complex in Ward 7 and the Southeast Tennis Learning Center in Ward 8. Additional locations and artist information will be released as work progresses.

MuralsDC is a program of the D.C. Department of Public Works, which has coordinated the installation of nearly 200 murals across all eight wards. The program launched in 2007 and “celebrates neighborhood identity, deters graffiti, and enhances public spaces across the District,” Bowser’s office said.

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The D.C. Council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment will hold a public hearing Monday that could lay the groundwork for companies operating autonomous vehicles, or AVs, in the District.

Until now, companies including Waymo and Zoox have been participating in a pilot program that requires human drivers to be in the vehicles to take control in an emergency.

Authored by Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen, the 聽would allow the commercial deployment of AVs offering rideshare services in the District of Columbia.

Proponents say autonomous vehicles are already safer than the average human driver. In addition, AVs can provide more equitable access to rideshare services throughout the city and accommodate people with disabilities.

The bill would establish a commercial autonomous vehicle program within D.C.’s Department of Transportation, which would issue permits for commercial AVs. Applicants would have to submit a first responder interaction plan to ensure that law enforcement and emergency personnel can safely interact with AVs, as well as contingency plans for operational challenges including power outages and network failures.

Under the bill, commercial vehicles would be phased in, and until Jan. 1, 2028,聽operators would be “limited to 200 vehicles.”

The bill would establish a vehicle miles traveled – or VMT – tax of 15 cents per mile that “encourages AV operators to minimize passenger-less operations and circuitous routing.”

Opponents say bill could eradicate drivers’ livelihoods聽

Before the public hearing, opponents will hold a protest and news conference outside the Wilson Building.

Several unions, including those representing workers who rely on Uber and Lyft as their primary or supplemental source of income, will urge the council to put the brakes on the bill.

Pointing to San Francisco, “Waymo absorbed nearly 30 percent of the rideshare market in just 20 months. In most cities where autonomous vehicles have been introduced, driver pay has already dropped,” a news release said. “This is less money not only for drivers and their families, but less support for D.C. businesses and public services.”

One of the workers’ unions joining the protest, called 32BJ SEIU, said it represents over 20,000 Black and Brown building cleaners, security officers and airport workers in the D.C. area.

“Over 40% of the employees are part-time workers, many who rely on earning additional income through Uber or Lyft to make ends meet,” the release said.

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