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DC applications for unemployment held up by system error

Some applying for unemployment online have hit a roadblock that emergency legislation was supposed to prevent.

According to NBC Washington, job applicants in D.C. are running into issues with the online application asking them to answer whether they have applied for two jobs before applying for unemployment, a provision that was removed by emergency legislation due to the coronavirus pandemic.

D.C. is working on fixing the issue as many employed by restaurants, bars, retail stores and other employers find themselves out of work as closures hit the D.C. area to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The Department of Employment Services told NBC Washington that the applications are currently being processed by its staff and that the claims system is run by an outside vendor and will take a few days to update.

Additionally, the Department of Employment Services is hosting daily webinars to answer questions regarding unemployment insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There will be a live question and answer session with DOES staff regarding unemployment eligibility and compliance after the webinars.

However, the next session that has space available is not until April 2.

2026 National Book Festival celebrates the enduring power of books

More than 80,000 people registered for tickets to the 26th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival, a celebration of books, authors and storytelling in D.C. on Saturday. The festival featured more than 80 authors, who signed books and participated in lectures and moderated conversations. Among them was D.C. native and debut novelist Bsrat Mezghebe, who had attended the festival as a reader for years and was there for the first time as an author. “I am thrilled. I am honored,” Mezghebe said.
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