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Sophie Kaplan

skaplan@washingtontimes.com

Sophie Kaplan was a metro reporter for The Washington Times.

Articles by Sophie Kaplan

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks at a news conference in Washington on Saturday, March 7, 2020, to announce the first presumptive positive case of the COVID-19 coronavirus. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Muriel Bowser, D.C. mayor, declares health emergency amid virus threat

Local officials struggled again Wednesday to get ahead of the rolling coronavirus crisis, with new cases reported, schools, entertainment venues and other groups curtailing or canceling activities, and the fate of the District's signature Cherry Blossom Festival now in serious question.

March 11, 2020
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is shown in this March 7, 2020 news conference.  (Associated Press)  **FILE**

D.C. colleges go online, SEC teleworks in face of coronavirus outbreak

As the number of COVID-19 cases in Maryland, Virginia and the District continued to mount, government officials, employers, schools -- and even the storied Gridiron Club -- were ducking and covering Tuesday in an effort to slow the spread and limit the toll of the epidemic.

March 10, 2020
Veterans Jamicka Edwards (left) and Elis Salamone from The Mission Continues' women's leadership fellowship program repaint the outdoor space at Calvary Women's Services on Thursday in the District. (Sophie Kaplan/The Washington Times)

D.C. facility for homeless women refurbished by female veterans

The Mission Continues, an organization that matches former members of the U.S. armed services with leadership and service opportunities across the country, brought about 100 enthusiastic women veterans, including Ms. Edwards, to Calvary in Anacostia to refurbish the facility.

March 5, 2020
At-large Council member Anita Bonds, speaks during the 2015 District of Columbia Inauguration ceremony at the Convention Center in Washington, Friday, Jan. 2, 2015. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) ** FILE **

D.C. Council aims to remove barriers for housing vouchers

D.C. Council held a hearing Thursday on bills that would give housing voucher recipients money for rental application fees and prohibit landlords from denying rental applications from people who pay in part with vouchers.

February 20, 2020
Metro transit police enter the metro at Foggy Bottom on the one year anniversary of the Charlottesville "Unite the Right" rally, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) **FILE**

D.C. Council questions Metro police’s use of force against minors, arrest game

D.C. Council members on Wednesday questioned Metro Transit Police Chief Ronald Pavlik Jr. about his department's use-of-force policies after officers last week handcuffed a 13-year-old at a station and the agency confirmed that some officers had competed to see who could make the most arrests and issue the most citations.

February 19, 2020
Police car lights. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

Greenbelt police investigate dating app robberies

The Greenbelt Police Department is advising people not to meet strangers from dating apps following a string of armed robberies in which victims were lured by the applications.

February 17, 2020
A restaurant sign alerts customers that it's "now cashless," Thursday Jan. 23, 2020, in New York. Lawmakers in New York City were voting Thursday on a measure to require stores and restaurants to accept cash. Critics of the cash-free business model say it discriminates against people who don't have bank accounts or who prefer to use cash. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

D.C. Council mulls bill that would ban cashless businesses

The D.C. Council on Thursday considered legislation that would ban cashless, brick-and-mortar businesses in an effort to make the city less vulnerable to cyberattacks and more friendly to residents without banking or credit cards.

February 13, 2020