Stewart Schwartz 🇺🇸🇺🇦

Council discussion of ZTA 25-02 moves on to corner lots and service roads. Here’s our take @betterDCregion! Hoping to see corner lots added in, and lots on service roads stay in. 👍

"Donald Trump must distinguish between two kinds of peace. The first is a true peace between these warring nations that would last. The alternative is a ceasefire that ignores accountability—an invitation to new atrocities." thebulwark.com/p/vladimir-put…

If anyone still doubted that Gabbard is a bad actor, installed in her present job with the purpose of corrupting U.S. intelligence and turning it into a tool of Trump’s personal agendas and vendettas, her Russiagate report should put those doubts to rest. thebulwark.com/p/gabbard-garb…

On ZTA 25-02, Jawando, Mink, and Katz are NO votes. Fani-Gonzalez a yes vote (able to continue speaking after booing from crowd, and President Stewart asks everyone to be respectful). Looking like Albornoz is a yes!

Albornoz is a YES: He highlights how much community input there has been on this and the excellent work of Council central staff. He says it’s a good thing people want to live in MoCo, but we haven’t built enough and need to do more. He will support the ZTA.

I take issue w/ Jawando’s framing here on workforce housing— he cites $137k *max* income for family of 4 to allege colleagues have misled public by saying teachers, firefighters earning $60k would be eligible. Very clear they could be in a two-income or <4 person household!

Amendment #1 to change ZTA effective date to 11/1 to coordinate w/ related subdivision bill passes unanimously. Amendment #2 (Sayles) is a biennial report on applications, units produced, etc. Says will help show the community the ZTA’s benefits for affordability and equity

Glass offers a friendly amendment to also include in this report newly built single-family homes triggered by a demolition permit. Compare impact of new homes under this ZTA to those that can be built today. (I like this!) Sayles accepts, Council adopts Amendment #2 unanimously.

Regarding parking: we at @betterDCregion have recommended greater flexibility to reduce parking reqs in this ZTA—current reqs would greatly restrict number of units possible on smaller lots. More flexibility is also better for stormwater management + tree coverage

Council discussion of ZTA 25-02 has begun! Friedson summarizes the PHP committee work—although increasing/decreasing included lots was discussed PHP wanted to keep it close to what was proposed initially to public. Some disagreement on corner lots and service roads (stay tuned!)

I’m at the MoCo Council today for ZTA 25-02 (allowing more housing types on county corridors)! I’ve run into friends from the fight to remove the M-83 highway from county plans, and met others advocating on important issues outside those I work on. This is local advocacy! 😊❤️

general motors: trump admin’s tariffs brought second-quarter core profits down 32% $1.1 billion operating income loss (more tariffs to come)

Weird that the House is adjourning to avoid voting on a hoax

Cheering on the football team. (As do I). But says nothing about the NIH cuts gutting research at Ohio State and other schools across Ohio.

Republicans shut down the government and sent them home early. All in an attempt to block Americans from getting the truth about the Epstein files. That's how bad this is going.

RM @RepRaskin explains how Trump is taking a page from China's authoritarian playbook—attacking academic freedom and coercing universities into doing his bidding.

AWFUL scenario. Border Patrol agents raided a car wash and arrested a DACA recipient working there. He has a REAL ID, but they didn't even let him show his ID, they just grabbed him and threw him in a van. He was then detained for a MONTH before getting bond.

Less than a day after announcing the new Amtrak service between New Orleans and Mobile, trains already started selling out. It's almost as if people want more transportation choices 😳

This accusation by Trump is completely outrageous… and very dangerous.

He's truly a tinpot dictator - out here threatening people and businesses and using government power to impose his personal whims.