🗳 About Ward 8

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Voters in Ward 8 go to the polls in November amid a scandal surrounding Council member Trayon White, who's running for another term.

Why it matters: White's campaign has vowed he will stay in the race while he faces a bribery charge from federal prosecutors and an independent investigation from a special D.C. Council committee.

State of play: Before the bribery charge in August, White was widely expected to win re-election as the Democratic nominee.

• Unless he steps aside, he remains the favorite. An attempt to draft write-in candidates for the election quickly fizzled.
• Some potential contenders are more likely to pounce if he is removed from office and there is a special election.

Republican nominee Nate Derenge is the only name on the ballot challenging White in Ward 8.

• Since White's arrest, Derenge's mantra on social media: "Not a bribe-taker."
• At a recent forum, he was asked if his platform would "propel gentrification or slow it down." He responded: "My plan would increase homeownership," and said that he wants the city to sell public property to residents at a discount.

Meanwhile, White has not commented publicly about his court case. At a brief court appearance this month, the judge set another hearing for November. A trial may not begin until spring or summer 2025.

• Council members voted last week to authorize spending $400,000 for outside law firm Latham & Watkins to delve into ethics allegations surrounding White. The recreation affairs committee he chairs was also dissolved, weakening his power as a lawmaker.

What's ahead: Investigation findings are expected in mid-December, after which the council could go as far as voting to expel White from office.

Zoom out: Three other council members are up for re-election this year. Brooke Pinto (Ward 2), Janeese Lewis George (Ward 4) and Robert White (at-large) are running unopposed.

• In Ward 7, the Democratic nominee, Wendell Felder, is widely favored to fill the seat of retiring Council member Vince Gray.
• A major ballot initiative also aims to bring ranked-choice voting and open primaries to independent voters.

Next Monday, the D.C. Board of Elections plans to begin sending mail ballots to all registered voters.

• Mail ballot drop boxes open on Oct. 11. Election Day is Nov. 5.

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Indian hotspot Daru is spinning off a fiery new sister restaurant, Tapori, on H Street NE this fall.

Why it matters: Industry vets Dante Datta and chef Suresh Sundas cultivated a destination in Daru beloved by national critics and locals alike, so we're eager to see this next venture unfold.

Zoom in: Tapori will specialize in Indian street food and tropical cocktails. It takes over the former Fancy Radish space (600 H St NE), with more room to explore India's regional flavors, create a lively bar scene and shake up "Indian-ish" cocktails.

• "Everything we're doing at Daru, we're turning it up more," Datta tells Axios.

The vibe: Very "tapori," a Hindi word that loosely translates to "rowdy" or "vagabond." The new spot channels a Mumbai subculture popularized by Bollywood in the mid-90s.

• While Daru was hand-built on a tight budget, the team is splurging on one of the best design houses in the city, Edit at Streetsense, for Tapori.
• A large bar, open kitchen and 20-person communal table — mingling encouraged — are set for a party vibe.

Dig in: Chef Sundas is known for playful dishes like Daru's black daal with creamy burrata and bison momo from his native Nepal. At Tapori, he'll dip into street food traditions from all over India, from dosas in Kerala to Mumbai-style chaats and Himalayan bites.

• Expect kebabs, biryanis and lesser-seen specialties like paddu, a fluffy dumpling from fermented rice batter.

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💰 Prince George's County executive Angela Alsobrooks, who is running for U.S. Senate, said she will pay back taxes on two properties, including one in D.C. It comes after a CNN report found she improperly claimed tax breaks. (Washington Post)

🚨 More than 100 people in Columbia Heights are displaced after a gas leak in an apartment building caused an explosion. (NBC4)

A Secret Service agent is expected to survive after accidentally shooting himself while on duty Saturday. He discharged his weapon around 32nd and Fessenden Street Northwest. (WUSA9)

At our latest deepwater development, Anchor, Chevron is pioneering energy production at greater pressures — up to 20,000 psi — with the plan to deliver 300,000 net barrels of oil equivalent per day in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico by 2026.

That's energy in progress.

Heads up: A temporary student loan grace period protecting borrowers with missed or late payments will end later this month.

The big picture: Nearly 10 million borrowers were past due on their payments as of January, per a Government Accountability Office report released last month. That's about $290 billion in outstanding loans.

Zoom in: September 30 marks the end of a one-year on-ramp period, where borrowers who were late or missed payments on federal student loans were not penalized or reported to credit bureaus.

• Starting October 1, borrowers who are late on payments or do not make them can be reported to credit bureaus, which can negatively impact their credit scores for as long as seven years.

Yes, but: Federal student loans have "relatively generous guidelines for late payments," NerdWallet lending expert Kate Wood said.

• If you are late with a federal student loan payment, that won't be reported to the credit bureaus for 90 days, which is longer than the usual 30-day billing cycle, according to Wood.

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At the revived HFStival at Nationals Park on Saturday, about 25,000 fans jammed out to many of the same bands that performed at the old RFK Stadium fest in the 1990s and 2000s.

• "It's like a high school reunion, it has that vibe," 46-year-old attendee Justin Ayala told the Post.

At our latest deepwater development, Anchor, Chevron is pioneering energy production at greater pressures — up to 20,000 psi — with the plan to deliver 300,000 net barrels of oil equivalent per day in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico by 2026.

That's energy in progress.

😀 Anna is excited to see her local Axions at a retreat in Minneapolis.

🌃 Cuneyt is likewise pumped and exploring the Twin Cities.

👑 Mimi is excited to channel her inner Midwest Princess in Minneapolis!

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Today's newsletter was edited by Alexa Mencia.