John D. Harden
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local government, data journalism, social issues, special districts, city development, economic development
Investigative data reporter @washingtonpost | @ucbsoj lecturer | SQL and R devotee, py-curious
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Articles by John D. Harden
354 fireworks every second: The Fourth of July show by the numbers
354 fireworks every second: The Fourth of July show by the numbers (washingtonpost.com) 354 fireworks every second: The Fourth of July show by the numbers By John D. Harden; Beth Broadwater 2026070219010100 More than 4,250 pounds of fireworks will light the District's sky every minute this weekend during the official fireworks celebration for the nation's 250th birthday, according to a Washington Post analysis of event planning documents and information provided by organizers.
U.S. crime has dropped sharply since the pandemic. Here’s where it stands.
U.S. crime has dropped sharply since the pandemic. Here’s where it stands. (washingtonpost.com) U.S. crime has dropped sharply since the pandemic. Here’s where it stands. By Tim Craig; John D.
These five cities help explain why homicide rates are down across the U.S. Original
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These five cities help explain why homicide rates are down across the U.S. (washingtonpost.com) These five cities help explain why homicide rates are down across the U.S. By Reis Thebault; Katie Mettler; Tim Craig; Kim Bellware; Ben Brasch; John D. Harden; Carson TerBush 2025112011001500 The rate of homicides has plummeted nationwide and, in 2025, is trending toward its lowest level in decades. The steady decline has reversed the surge of slayings seen during the peak of the covid-19 pandemic.
By Reis Thebault Verified, Katie Mettler Verified, Tim Craig Verified, Ben Brasch, John D. Harden Verified, Carson TerBush
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The Washington Post
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Climate change is coming for D.C.’s trees, and the city won’t look the same
Climate change is coming for D.C.’s trees, and the city won’t look the same (washingtonpost.com) Climate change is coming for D.C.’s trees, and the city won’t look the same By John D. Harden; Marissa J. Lang; Dylan Moriarty; Tucker Harris 2025101910005900 The old tree had survived plenty. Branches tangled in power lines. Dogs doing what dogs do. Bikes and scooters and more careening into it. But hotter summers and milder winters had weakened the tree. Its leaves browned early, branches snapped.
There have been 10 mass shootings in 2025
Since 2006, guns have been used in an average of 25 mass killings per year in the United States, killing 2,596 people in all. We use the term “mass killing” to describe events in which four or more people died, not including the perpetrators. These violent episodes have occurred 10 times since the beginning of 2025. Some shooters target strangers in public, firing at children in schools, shoppers in stores, worshipers in sacred spaces.
Fires, stabbing make up the most mass killings without a gun in the U.S.
Guns are by far the most commonly used weapons in mass killings, accounting for 78 percent of the 625 events in which four or more people died since 2006, not including the perpetrators. Shooters killed 10 or more people at one time in 22 of those shootings, according to a database maintained by the Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University. That includes 60 people at a Las Vegas concert, 49 in an Orlando night club and 32 on the Virginia Tech campus.
What we know about mass shooters in the U.S.
Mass shooters come from a variety of races, ages and backgrounds. But nearly all are male. By an overwhelming margin, men are the ones who shoot their romantic partners and family members, shoot indiscriminately in public places and carry out mass killings in conjunction with other crimes like robbery and drug trafficking. Since 2006, only 16 of the 493 deadliest mass shootings in the United States — just three percent — are known or suspected to have been committed by a woman acting alone.
Trump says crime in DC is out of control. Here’s what the data shows
President Donald Trump once again catapulted crime in D.C. into the national conversation this week, putting District police under federal control Monday and deploying the D.C. National Guard to fight crime after surfacing an image of a young federal staffer, beaten and bloodied, in an attempted carjacking. “It has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world.
Trump says crime in D.C. is out of control. Here’s what the data shows.
President Donald Trump once again catapulted crime in D.C. into the national conversation with renewed threats last week of a federal takeover and an image of a young federal staffer, beaten and bloodied, after an attempted carjacking. “It has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World.
Does D.C. have the worst traffic? Not so fast.
Does D.C. have the worst traffic? Not so fast. (washingtonpost.com) Does D.C. have the worst traffic? Not so fast. By Rachel Weiner; John D. Harden 2025072612300000 Federal travel data is often used to rank cities on such metrics as "best for new drivers" and "most dangerous for going out at night." Consumer Affairs, an online review platform, last week declared that the District has the worst traffic in the country.
Across U.S. neighborhoods, this house color is signaling gentrification
If you live in an American city, chances are you have seen this house: Its exterior is gray with monochromatic accents. Maybe there’s a pop of color — a red, blue or yellow door. The landscaping is restrained, all clean lines and neat minimalism. Sleek metal address numbers appear crisp in a modern sans-serif font. Some might call it elegant, others boring. The look itself is purposely unremarkable. Real estate agents and paint companies use words such as “quiet,” “calm” and “neutral” to describe it.
The D.C. region is twice as deadly for pedestrians as a decade ago
Pedestrians are now twice as likely to be killed in the D.C. area as they were a decade ago, even as more local leaders promise safer streets. For the third consecutive year in 2024, the Washington region recorded more than 100 pedestrian deaths. The rise, fueled by an increasing number of people being hit at night and by drunk drivers, parallels national trends that accelerated during the covid-19 pandemic.
Violent crime, including homicide and carjackings, drops in D.C.
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Violent crime in D.C. receded this year, reversing a generational spike in killings and robberies in 2023 that rendered the nation's capital one of America's deadliest cities and thrust it into a presidential election cycle as an avatar for dysfunction. Documented killings and shootings each were down roughly 30 percent, District data shows, part of an across-the-board drop in crime categories that brought D.C. in line with other major urban centers after a year spent as an outlier.
By Peter Hermann Verified, Olivia George Verified, Emily Davies Verified, Keith L. Alexander Verified, John D. Harden Verified
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The Washington Post
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The Post investigated cops accused of sexually abusing kids. Here's what we learned.
What steps can be taken to prevent these crimes? Return to menu After two years of reporting, we know that there is still much to uncover about this entrenched problem. Sex crimes are widely believed to be underreported, and the roughly 1,800 cases we studied only included those in which the investigation ended in arrest and the arrestwas reported in the media or court documents.
FBI raids and crime scene in Oakland reveal political chaos and divide
Edward Escobar of the Coalition for Community Engagement leads a chant during a protest outside City Hall on June 23 in reaction to Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s absence since the FBI raided her home. (Scott Strazzante/AP) By Reis Thebault and John D. Harden July 31, 2024 at 6:00 a.m. EDT OAKLAND, Calif. — Just when things were looking especially dire for the leadership of this proud Bay Area city, they got worse. And worse. First, angry voters pushed a recall of Mayor Sheng Thao.
D.C. hits 100 homicides 41 days later than last year as crime falls
First responders arrive with a stretcher at the scene of a shooting at the Decades nightclub on April 26, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) July 18, 2024 at 12:39 p.m. EDT The fatal shooting oftwo adults in broad daylight Thursday in Southeast Washington pushed D.C. past the 100-homicide mark 41 days later than in 2023, signaling a marked cool-down after a generational spike in violence.
In a D.C. heat island, Kingman Park residents battle scorching temperatures
D.C. entered a scorching heat wave last week, with temperatures hitting 100 degrees for the first time in almost eight years. Thermometers are again expected to hit the high 90s as climate change fuels rising temperatures across the country. In Kingman Park, the heat was especially acute. That’s because this Northeast Washington neighborhood is a “heat island,” an urbanized area with less tree coverage and green space that experiences higher temperatures than surrounding locations.
An officer sexually abused a teen in his police car. How will he be punished?
SOUTH BEND, IND. — She’d been told her words would make a difference, so the teenager stood before the judge and leaned toward the microphone. She tried not to look at the man who was pleading guilty to sexually abusing her. “You were a police officer, and you were in uniform,” she said, reading from the victim impact statement she’d spent weeks writing.
An officer sexually abused a teen in his police car. How will he be punished?
An officer sexually abused a teen in his police car. How will he be punished? SOUTH BEND, IND. — She’d been told her words would make a difference, so the teenager stood before the judge and leaned toward the microphone. She tried not to look at the man who was pleading guilty to sexually abusing her. “You were a police officer, and you were in uniform,” she said, reading from …
A Police Officer Took a 14-Year-Old Girl for a Rape Kit. Then He Assaulted Her, Too.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers have been accused of sexually abusing children over the past two decades, a Post investigation found The 14-year-old did not want to go to the emergency room. Her mother had begged her. Her therapist had gently prodded. And now there was a police officer in her living room. “You really should think about it,” he said. He introduced himself as Officer Rodney Vicknair.
Hate crimes targeting LGBTQ people at schools have sharply risen in recent years
School hate crimes targeting LGBTQ+ people have sharply risen in recent years, climbing fastest in states that have passed laws restricting LGBTQ+ student rights and education, a Washington Post analysis of FBI data finds. In states with restrictive laws, the number of hate crimes on K-12 campuses has more than quadrupled since the onset of a divisive culture war that has often centered on the rights of LGBTQ+ youth.
Hate crimes targeting LGBTQ people at schools have sharply risen in recent years
School hate crimes targeting LGBTQ+ people have sharply risen in recent years, climbing fastest in states that have passed laws restricting LGBTQ+ student rights and education, a Washington Post analysis of FBI data finds. In states with restrictive laws, the number of hate crimes on K-12 campuses has more than quadrupled since the onset of a divisive culture war that has often centered on the rights of LGBTQ+ youth.
2023 fue el año más mortífero de Washington DC en más de dos décadas
La capital de Estados Unidos registró más homicidios en 2023 que en ningún otro año desde 1997, lo que sitúa al Distrito en el quinto puesto entre las mayores ciudades del país. Te puede interesar: Mientras Medicina Legal reportó un aumento en los homicidios, la Policía reiteró que se han reducido Las 274 víctimas confirmadas iban desde bebés a octogenarios.
Methodology and definitions for The Post’s mass killings tracker
As the nation continues to grapple with the violence of mass shootings, The Washington Post has launched an online tracker that will be updated each time a mass killing with a gun occurs. This tracker replaces a previous version that tallied only mass killings with a gun that occurred in public places.
What we know about mass shooters in the U.S.
Mass shooters come from a variety of races, ages and backgrounds. But nearly all are male. By an overwhelming margin, men are the ones who shoot their romantic partners and family members, shoot indiscriminately in public places and carry out mass killings in conjunction with other crimes like robbery and drug trafficking. Since 2006, only 15 of the 464 deadliest mass shootings in the United States — just three percent — are known or suspected to have been committed by a woman acting alone.
Maine mass killing was the deadliest in the U.S. this year
The attack in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday was the deadliest mass killing this year, with at least 18 dead - and is the eighth deadliest attack since 2006. Wednesday night's shootings also made 2023 one of the deadliest years for mass killings with a gun since 2006, according to data compiled by the Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University, and analyzed by The Washington Post. The Post defines a mass killing as four or more dead, not including the assailant.
Maine mass killing was the deadliest in the U.S. this year
Comment Save The attack in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday was the deadliest mass killing this year, with at least 18 dead — and is the eighth deadliest attack since 2006. Wednesday night’s shootings also made 2023 one of the deadliest years for mass killings with a gun since 2006, according to data compiled by the Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University, and analyzed by The Washington Post. The Post defines a mass killing as four or more dead, not including the assailant.
Congressman carjacked in D.C. said assailants pointed guns at him
The scourge of carjacking, long a vexing problem for D.C.-area police and a worrisome threat to residents, again prompted an urgent reaction from authorities Tuesday, this time after police said a Texas congressman was robbed of his SUV at gunpoint a mile from the U.S. Capitol. Carjackings in D.C. are up 106 percent this year compared with the same period in 2022, when the city averaged more than one carjacking per day, according to police data.
Liberals try to reclaim ‘parents’ rights’ from conservatives in education
In the raging culture wars, conservative parents jumped out first with a robust agenda built around the defense of “parents’ rights.” Now, seeking to apply some countervailing pressure, groups are coalescing on the left to resist conservative efforts to remove books from schools, end student LGBTQ clubs and restrict classroom discussions of race and gender.
Liberals groups like 'Stop Moms for Liberty' seek to redefine 'parents' rights'
In the raging culture wars, conservative parents jumped out first with a robust agenda built around the defense of “parents’ rights.” Now, seeking to apply some countervailing pressure, groups are coalescing on the left to resist conservative efforts to remove books from schools, end student LGBTQ clubs and restrict classroom discussions of race and gender.
D.C.-area carjackings have soared. Here's where they're happening.
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Two people - masked and dressed in all black - flung open the doors of the van and jumped out. One pointed a gun at Fleming, who threw his keys and ran, while the other got into the BMW. Both vehicles then sped away. Fleming later walked home to his wife. As a D.C. Council candidate at the time, Fleming often talked about public safety.
By Jasmine Golden Verified, John D. Harden Verified, Keith L. Alexander Verified, Emily Davies Verified
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Midland Reporter-Telegram
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D.C.-area carjackings have soared. Here’s where they’re happening.
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D.C.-area carjackings have soared. Here’s where they’re happening. The number of carjackings in the D.C. region surged during the pandemic, baffling authorities and rattling communities June 6, 2023 at 6:00 a.m. EDT Nate Fleming had pulled up to a gas station in January 2022 when he was carjacked by people who jumped out of a van. (Video: D.C. Police) Nate Fleming had pulled up at a gas station in Northeast Washington on his way home when the red minivan appeared out of the corner of his eye.
By Jasmine Golden Verified, John D. Harden Verified, Keith L. Alexander Verified, Emily Davies Verified
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The Washington Post
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Why are Americans shooting strangers and neighbors? 'It all goes back to fear'
Steve Bridges had just parked his pickup truck at the Texas Boot Factory when he saw a man - White, maybe 55 or 60 - step out of the car
Opinion Today
Americans fault news media for dividing countryDavid Klepper, Associated Press When it comes to the news media and the impact it’s having on democracy and political polarization in the United States, Americans are likelier to say it’s doing more harm than good.
Why are Americans shooting strangers and neighbours? mogaznewsen
Experts blame a cocktail of factors - including a growing sense of danger - for a spate of shootings around homes....
Why are Americans shooting strangers and neighbors? 'It all goes back to fear'
Danielle Paquette, John D. Harden and Scott Clement, The Washington Post April 30, 2023 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Steve Bridges had just parked his pickup truck at the Texas Boot Factory when he saw a man - White, maybe 55 or 60 - step out of the car beside him and slip a gun under his belt. It was a Friday afternoon, three days after two cheerleaders opened the wrong car door in a supermarket parking lot nearby and were shot.
California shootings shared an oddity: Both suspects were senior citizens
A memorial is held at Monterey Park City Hall in Monterey Park, Calif., on Jan. 24, 2023, to honor the victims of a Jan. 21 gun attack at a dance studio in the city. (Philip Cheung/The Washington Post) The gunman who killed 11 people in Monterey Park, Calif., on Saturday and the man suspected of killing seven people in the Half Moon Bay area on Monday are among the oldest suspected mass shooters in U.S. history. Huu Can Tran, the Monterey Park gunman, was 72.
Calif. shootings shared an oddity: Both suspects were senior citizens
The age of the shooters makes them extreme outliers, said Jaclyn Schildkraut, interim executive director of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at the Rockefeller Institute of Government. "In general, elder individuals are more likely to become the victims of crime than to become the perpetrators of crime," Schildkraut said.
Bladensburg tenants strike against rising rents, sewage backups, pests
Angelica Felix walks past the only two washing machines available for the tenants of two buildings in Quincy Village, her apartment complex in Bladensburg, on Dec. 6. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post) Angelica Felix is fed up. The 37-year-old has seen her rent tick up as conditions worsened at the brick apartments in Bladensburg that she has called home for two years. Fast, informative and written just for locals. Get The 7 DMV newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning.
Why Are Americans Fleeing Public Schools?
Why Are Americans Fleeing Public Schools? Parents share why they send their children to private or religious schools, a right protected by Pierce v. Society of Sisters. Read Full Article »
Why are Americans fleeing public schools?
- - - The pandemic transformed the landscape of K-12 education. Some parents withdrew their kids from public school and placed them into private or home schools. Their reasons varied: Many preferred private schools that offered in-person instruction; others distrusted public schools' pandemic precautions. It's not clear whether those trends will stick, and the factors are complex.
Why Are Americans Fleeing Public Schools?
Seven parents on choosing private education for their kids (Photo illustration by Marissa Vonesh; Original image: Comstock Images/Getty Images) Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript. Please enable JavaScript for the best experience. The pandemic transformed the landscape of K-12 education. Some parents withdrew their kids from public school and placed them into private or home schools.
Disabled kids fighting school placements 'almost always lose,' Virginia lawsuit says
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, told the story of a student referred to only as "D.C.," a 19-year-old who suffers from autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and Tourette's syndrome, among other disorders. Attorneys in the case shared the data with The Washington Post. In 2008, according to the suit, Fairfax County Public Schools found D.C. eligible for special education services and placed him in a public school.
After Virginia legalized pot, majority of defendants are still Black
A year after Virginia lawmakers legalized recreational marijuana with hopes of lessening racial disparities in enforcement, police in the state are still more likely to arrest Black people than White people for marijuana-related offenses, a Washington Post analysis found.
After Virginia legalized pot, majority of defendants are still Black
A year after Virginia lawmakers legalized recreational marijuana with hopes of lessening racial disparities in enforcement, police in the state are still more likely to arrest Black people than White people for marijuana-related offenses, a Washington Post analysis found. Fast, informative and written just for locals. Get The 7 DMV newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning.
Prince George's County economy rebounds from pandemic job loss
Placeholder while article actions load After years of leading the state in job growth, Prince George's County was among the hardest-hit localities in the Washington region as the pandemic took root, walloping the same communities suffering from illness and deaths with steep job losses.
What makes Ketanji Brown Jackson’s credentials stand out
By Rachel Hatzipanagos Email During the next three days of confirmation hearings, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who would become the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court in its 233-year-history, is likely to face sharp political and ideological questions from some Republicans. But as many have noted, her credentials are more than solid.
The omicron wave killed patients along glaring racial and class disparities
In the District, Maryland and Virginia, one of the most vaccinated regions in the country, around 7,100 people have died of coronavirus infections since Christmas March 18, 2022 at 7:00 a.m. EDT Maria Rodriguez, 57, originally from Honduras, visits the grave of her husband, 72-year-old Javier Ramirez Reyes, who died of covid-19 in January. Seen in March, she is surrounded by her children and grandchildren. The family lives in Gaithersburg, Md. (Sarah L.
Mask mandates are going away as covid cases persist. What's changed?
Students, socially distanced and masked, listen to the National Anthem, recite the Pledge of Allegiance and say a quick prayer before heading to class on Sept. 14, 2020 in Rockville, Md. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post) Coronavirus case rates are falling fast, prompting officials in parts of D.C., Maryland and Virginia to remove indoor mask mandates even as public health officials warn that the pandemic is not over and another serious variant could emerge.
Governor Youngkin released a new Covid-19 vaccine PSA
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