Part 3/13:
However, not all media narratives align with this positive outlook. Hammer pointed out that left-leaning outlets and officials continue to deny the surge's impact, citing claims that crime remains a problem. US Attorney Janine Piro, for instance, sharply rebuked a reporter claiming that crime in D.C. was negligible. She highlighted the resources dedicated to crime reduction and argued against cherry-picking data or dismissing recent violent incidents, such as the daylight shooting of Israeli embassy staffers near the National Mall—a stark reminder of how far the city has fallen compared to decades past.