USPS worker stole $1.6M in checks from mail, funded lavish lifestyle at 'gentlemen's clubs'
A Washington, D.C., postal worker was found guilty last week of stealing more than $1.6 million worth of U.S. Treasury and private party checks from the mail to fund a "lavish lifestyle," officials said.
Hachikosela Muchimba, 44, was an employee at the U.S. Postal Service. Between Dec. 2020 and March 2023, Muchimba deposited altered checks into bank accounts under his control, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office, District of Columbia, on Friday.
Bank surveillance footage captured him making deposits and withdrawals of the funds, the release said.
Muchimba used the proceeds from his scheme "to fund a lavish lifestyle that included international travel, stays at luxury hotels, and purchases at gentlemen’s clubs," the attorney’s office said.
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Local to the DMV News
Man Making Threats at CIA HQ, Bomb Squad Called In
An armed man was seen making threats at the gate of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters in McLean, Virginia, leading to a large police presence, including the Fairfax County Police Bomb Squad.
A CIA spokesperson told Newsweek in an email statement Wednesday: "There is an ongoing incident that law enforcement is currently responding to outside CIA Headquarters. Additional details will be made available as appropriate."
On Wednesday morning, officials told Washington, D.C.'s WJLA that a man pulled out a handgun and pointed it at CIA headquarters. A livestream from the news station showed the authorities at the scene, including armored vehicles.
The Fairfax Police Department said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that it was dealing with a "barricade incident" at the CIA headquarters: "Our Special Operations Division is on scene assisting."
Click on the link for the full story
An armed man was seen making threats at the gate of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters in McLean, Virginia, leading to a large police presence, including the Fairfax County Police Bomb Squad.
A CIA spokesperson told Newsweek in an email statement Wednesday: "There is an ongoing incident that law enforcement is currently responding to outside CIA Headquarters. Additional details will be made available as appropriate."
On Wednesday morning, officials told Washington, D.C.'s WJLA that a man pulled out a handgun and pointed it at CIA headquarters. A livestream from the news station showed the authorities at the scene, including armored vehicles.
The Fairfax Police Department said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that it was dealing with a "barricade incident" at the CIA headquarters: "Our Special Operations Division is on scene assisting."
Click on the link for the full story
Dominion to pause cuts after felling thousands of trees on W&OD Trail
An effort by Dominion Energy to cut down a four-mile swath of thousands of trees along a stretch of the historic Washington and Old Dominion Trail has alarmed Northern Virginia officials, who recently asked the energy company to pause the cuts and return to its usual practice of only pruning and removing trees that pose a clear risk to transmission lines that tower above.
The 45-mile-long, 100-foot-wide W&OD Trail stretches from Shirlington to Purcellville; but Dominion has an easement on a 33-mile portion of the trail that allows it to maintain control of the transmission lines. Most years, that work includes regular trimming and pruning to prevent interference, said Paul Gilbert, executive director of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, better known as NOVA Parks.
But officials in Northern Virginia and frequent users of the trail say they were stunned in November when Dominion, as part of an effort to restring power lines along a four-mile stretch of the trail in Fairfax, from Vienna to Dunn Loring, included the complete removal of thousands of trees that spanned the entire 100-foot-wide boundary.
Officials say this culling of trees is much more aggressive than Dominion’s usual maintenance on the W&OD Trail, which includes only cutting and pruning trees that threaten its power lines. They also say there was little warning offered to the surrounding community about the extent of Dominion’s work: An Oct. 24 notice from Dominion sent to some Fairfax residents about the four-mile power line project, reviewed by The Washington Post, discusses the removal of “some shrubs and trees.”
“They did not indicate in any way that they were going to take out literally every tree, from one edge of the property to the other,” Gilbert said of Dominion’s work. “There’s a few little scraggly trees here or there left, but 99 percent of them have been removed in this area.”
East Falls Church resident Michael Bevan said the affected area of the trail is in plain view of his usual bike path. But over the course of weeks, Bevan said he observed the removal of trees “that had nothing to do with power lines” — a change from previous years.
Click on the link for the full article
An effort by Dominion Energy to cut down a four-mile swath of thousands of trees along a stretch of the historic Washington and Old Dominion Trail has alarmed Northern Virginia officials, who recently asked the energy company to pause the cuts and return to its usual practice of only pruning and removing trees that pose a clear risk to transmission lines that tower above.
The 45-mile-long, 100-foot-wide W&OD Trail stretches from Shirlington to Purcellville; but Dominion has an easement on a 33-mile portion of the trail that allows it to maintain control of the transmission lines. Most years, that work includes regular trimming and pruning to prevent interference, said Paul Gilbert, executive director of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, better known as NOVA Parks.
But officials in Northern Virginia and frequent users of the trail say they were stunned in November when Dominion, as part of an effort to restring power lines along a four-mile stretch of the trail in Fairfax, from Vienna to Dunn Loring, included the complete removal of thousands of trees that spanned the entire 100-foot-wide boundary.
Officials say this culling of trees is much more aggressive than Dominion’s usual maintenance on the W&OD Trail, which includes only cutting and pruning trees that threaten its power lines. They also say there was little warning offered to the surrounding community about the extent of Dominion’s work: An Oct. 24 notice from Dominion sent to some Fairfax residents about the four-mile power line project, reviewed by The Washington Post, discusses the removal of “some shrubs and trees.”
“They did not indicate in any way that they were going to take out literally every tree, from one edge of the property to the other,” Gilbert said of Dominion’s work. “There’s a few little scraggly trees here or there left, but 99 percent of them have been removed in this area.”
East Falls Church resident Michael Bevan said the affected area of the trail is in plain view of his usual bike path. But over the course of weeks, Bevan said he observed the removal of trees “that had nothing to do with power lines” — a change from previous years.
Click on the link for the full article
Earle-Sears to face Spanberger in Virginia governor’s race, after GOP primary win
Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears will be the Republican nominee in November’s race for governor after winning her party’s nomination Saturday.
Earle-Sears clinched the nomination after former state Sen. Amanda Chase and former Del. Dave LaRock failed to get enough signatures to make the ballot.
Earle-Sears is the first Black woman to get the nomination.
“We’ve made great progress over the past four years, but the fight for our Commonwealth is far from over,” Earle-Sears posted on X Saturday. “I’m ready to lead that fight and build a safer, stronger, more prosperous Virginia for every family.”She will face former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the only Democrat running for the commonwealth’s top job.
No matter who wins the general election, Virginia is set to elect a woman as governor for the first time this fall.
Virginia is one of two states, along with New Jersey, that conducts statewide races, including its governor’s contest, in the year following a presidential election and will likely draw attention from politicos across the U.S.
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PleaseBlitz
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I hope so, I can't see the knuckle draggers voting for a black chick. We can't save the country, lets at least save our own state. Being the bellwether screwed us last time, we'll benefit this time.
Kristi Noem’s Bag, With Security Badge and $3,000, Is Stolen
A handbag belonging to the homeland security secretary Kristi Noem containing her passport, department security badge and $3,000 in cash was stolen on Sunday night at a restaurant in Washington, the department confirmed.
Ms. Noem also confirmed the theft at the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday morning.
The department did not give specifics, but said it could confirm the details of a CNN article, which said that Ms. Noem’s bag also contained her driver’s license, medication, apartment keys and blank checks.
Click on the link for the full article
Who the hell carries around $3,000 in cash with them? Maybe she was doing a drug deal.
A handbag belonging to the homeland security secretary Kristi Noem containing her passport, department security badge and $3,000 in cash was stolen on Sunday night at a restaurant in Washington, the department confirmed.
Ms. Noem also confirmed the theft at the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday morning.
The department did not give specifics, but said it could confirm the details of a CNN article, which said that Ms. Noem’s bag also contained her driver’s license, medication, apartment keys and blank checks.
Click on the link for the full article
Who the hell carries around $3,000 in cash with them? Maybe she was doing a drug deal.
Study shows nearly half of renters in DC struggle to pay
A recent analysis by the DC Fiscal Policy Institute shows 44.7% of all renters in D.C. are “rent burdened,” meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent. The statistics come from a one-year estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Rent burdening is even higher among people of color.
“Over 50% of Black renters in the District are facing rent burden,” co-author Mychal Cohn said. “Over 40% of Hispanic renters are rent burdened.”
Among white, non-Hispanic renters, the figure is 35.8%, according to policy institute’s analysis of five-year microdata files from the American Community Survey.
It’s perhaps more alarming that among low-income renters whose incomes are at or below $32,500 per year, 85.2% are rent burdened, and those renters are predominately Black.
While high housing prices affect every part of D.C., renters in Wards 7 and 8, which are predominantly Black, 53.8% and 57.1% of tenants, respectively, pay more than 30% of their incomes in rent.
The study also indicates even those with full-time jobs often can’t afford D.C. rent. More than one-third of renters who have full-time jobs working 40 hours a week are rent burdened, according to the analysis.
Click on the link for the full article
A recent analysis by the DC Fiscal Policy Institute shows 44.7% of all renters in D.C. are “rent burdened,” meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent. The statistics come from a one-year estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Rent burdening is even higher among people of color.
“Over 50% of Black renters in the District are facing rent burden,” co-author Mychal Cohn said. “Over 40% of Hispanic renters are rent burdened.”
Among white, non-Hispanic renters, the figure is 35.8%, according to policy institute’s analysis of five-year microdata files from the American Community Survey.
It’s perhaps more alarming that among low-income renters whose incomes are at or below $32,500 per year, 85.2% are rent burdened, and those renters are predominately Black.
While high housing prices affect every part of D.C., renters in Wards 7 and 8, which are predominantly Black, 53.8% and 57.1% of tenants, respectively, pay more than 30% of their incomes in rent.
The study also indicates even those with full-time jobs often can’t afford D.C. rent. More than one-third of renters who have full-time jobs working 40 hours a week are rent burdened, according to the analysis.
Click on the link for the full article
Montgomery County residents could see their income taxes go up
At his State of the County speech on Thursday night, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich referred to “tough choices ahead,” including how the Maryland county will find ways to fund everything from education to environmental programs.
As part of his funding strategy, Elrich proposed changing the way he wants to fund the school system. Instead of raising the county’s property tax rate, he explained during a briefing with reporters Wednesday, that he’s proposed boosting the income tax rate in the county.
“The state has changed the law to let counties raise their income tax from 3.2 to 3.3%, and I’m proposing we go that route instead,” Elrich said. “It’s more progressive and allows us to eliminate the property tax increase altogether.”
His original proposal would have raised the property tax by 3.5%.
The Montgomery County school board approved a $3.6 billion operating budget, saying in its letter to Elrich and the county council that it includes “corrective measures” that would help to improve math and literacy rates, support campus safety and achieve other priorities.
In Wednesday’s briefing with reporters, Erlich said his plan to increase the county’s income tax helps “fully fund” the school system’s budget request and avoid cuts to other county priorities.
Click on the link for the full article
At his State of the County speech on Thursday night, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich referred to “tough choices ahead,” including how the Maryland county will find ways to fund everything from education to environmental programs.
As part of his funding strategy, Elrich proposed changing the way he wants to fund the school system. Instead of raising the county’s property tax rate, he explained during a briefing with reporters Wednesday, that he’s proposed boosting the income tax rate in the county.
“The state has changed the law to let counties raise their income tax from 3.2 to 3.3%, and I’m proposing we go that route instead,” Elrich said. “It’s more progressive and allows us to eliminate the property tax increase altogether.”
His original proposal would have raised the property tax by 3.5%.
The Montgomery County school board approved a $3.6 billion operating budget, saying in its letter to Elrich and the county council that it includes “corrective measures” that would help to improve math and literacy rates, support campus safety and achieve other priorities.
In Wednesday’s briefing with reporters, Erlich said his plan to increase the county’s income tax helps “fully fund” the school system’s budget request and avoid cuts to other county priorities.
Click on the link for the full article