Eric Falquero

Washington, D.C., United States

Local journalist serving my community. Co-founder @51stNews. Past professional lives at @wamu885+@DCist and @streetsensedc. Appalachian American and bird nerd.

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Articles

Dollars and nonsense: House Republicans vote to defund D.C. police and schools

1 month ago | 51st.news | Martin Austermuhle |Daniella Ignacio |Eric Falquero

It was only a few years ago that Republicans accused Democrats of wanting to defund the police. But on Tuesday afternoon, House Republicans seemed to do just that in D.C. – and much more.
Cambridge is a great getaway for DC residents

1 month ago | 51st.news | Martin Austermuhle |Daniella Ignacio |Christina Sturdivant Sani |Colleen Grablick |Eric Falquero

As car-free pedestrians and transit riders, my wife and I don’t typically venture beyond everything the Metro touches when it comes to day trips. Occasionally the Amtrak to Baltimore. (Turn to Christina for that inspo!) But a trip the DC Bird Alliance advertised last month piqued our interest and pushed us out of our comfort zone.
Black athletes thrive at D.C.'s first U.S. Figure Skating club

1 month ago | 51st.news | Martin Austermuhle |Eric Falquero |Christina Sturdivant Sani |Colleen Grablick

In her first ice skating class, Sheldonna Harris’s six-year-old daughter mastered every skill. But there was one thing she refused to do, and that was fall. Harris laughed as she reminisced about her now 18-year-old’s beginnings at Fort Dupont Ice Arena: “She just wouldn’t get it, that you have to fall down, it’s one of the skills you have to demonstrate,” Harris said.
Wilson Building Bulletin: D.C.'s busted budget

1 month ago | 51st.news | Daniella Ignacio |Eric Falquero |Christina Sturdivant Sani |Colleen Grablick |Martin Austermuhle

What was already expected to be a challenging budget season in D.C. was further scrambled late last month with two simple words: mild recession. In a quarterly revenue estimate released on February 28, that’s how the city’s independent chief financial officer, Glen Lee, described the likely outcome later this year of President Trump’s slash-and-burn approach to the federal workforce, with D.C. expected to suffer a disproportionate burden because of its high concentration of federal workers.
Your E Street Cinema memories

1 month ago | 51st.news | Martin Austermuhle |Daniella Ignacio |Eric Falquero |Christina Sturdivant Sani

You Street — 5 min read We were all devastated last month when we learned E Street Cinema, D.C.'s downtown hub for independent film, would be closing on March 6. Adding insult to injury, the theater ended up shuttering early, drawing its final curtain on Sunday evening — the same night as the Academy Awards.
11 things to do around D.C. this weekend

1 month ago | 51st.news | Martin Austermuhle |Daniella Ignacio |Eric Falquero |Colleen Grablick

Women are all the rage this weekend with a huge art exhibit, book talks, and a film screening, among other celebrations of luminous ladies. You can also buy some vintage threads, catch an offbeat show, or attend a 1960s-inspired lesson on civil rights. Creatives ClubEvery Thursday evening, D.C. creatives meet up at MLK Library to talk shop, work on projects, and meet potential collaborators. All types of artists and mediums are welcome. Remember to bring your library card.
Your support helps The 51st show up for federal workers

1 month ago | 51st.news | Eric Falquero |Martin Austermuhle |Maddie Poore

This week we’re reflecting on the one-year anniversary of the DCist shutdown. In just 12 months, we’ve built something special: a publication that’s independent, rooted in the community, and driven by the belief that local news should be accountable to the people it serves. We couldn’t have done it without you — and we can’t continue to do it without you. We need 95 new members to join by Friday to meet our goal of 2,500 paying members and keep our fundraising on track for the year.
It's been one year since DCist was shut down

1 month ago | 51st.news | Martin Austermuhle |Eric Falquero

A year ago, I was mid-sentence in a planning meeting for a grant-funded project at WAMU when the other editors on the call became noticeably distracted. It was towards the end of the day on a Thursday: “Guys, I just saw this all-staff email, I’m sorry but I’ve got to go and figure out what this is,” said one. Another hurried to follow suit. I opened the message – these directives stick in my memory: Everyone across the station must report to an all-staff meeting the next morning.
Our people-powered news needs more people

Dec 11, 2024 | 51st.news | George Kevin Jordan |Eric Falquero |Cornelia Poku

Hey There, Eric Falquero here, one of The 51st co-founders and resident numbers guy. I ran partnerships for the WAMU/DCist local newsroom and was one of the 17 workers abruptly fired in February. Before that, I helped lead the Street Sense newsroom for a decade. Building The 51st has been radically different from anywhere else I’ve worked, partially because we’re committed to transparency around how we use our resources and what our finances look like.
Inmigración en la era Trump: Aprende sobre algunos recursos locales para inmigrantes y sus familias

Dec 10, 2024 | eltiempolatino.com | Eric Falquero

El presidente electo Donald J. Trump repitió literalmente miles de afirmaciones falsas o engañosas sobre los inmigrantes durante la campaña electoral, incluidas teorías conspirativas desacreditadas que apoyaban el sentimiento antiinmigrante y promovían la ideología racista. Su lenguaje y sus ideas políticas se volvieron cada vez más extremas con el tiempo, reiterando planes de "deportación masiva" y centrándose en personas a las que llama "el enemigo interno" de Estados Unidos.