Go Home Already: Shouts and Murmurs
Man Stops Traffic at 17th and K to Demand $200 Million
Compromise Uncertain on Same-Sex Marriage Law
Morning Roundup: Second Helpings Edition
Fire at 17th and L NW Forces Evacuations
Good morning, Washington! It's a very big day for D.C. voting rights activists, as S.160 faces the dreaded Senate cloture vote at 11 a.m. Yesterday, only Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) chose to speak about the bill in any way, but any senator may speak on the motion to proceed this morning between 10 and 11. Then we'll have the vote for cloture which, assuming the current vote counts are accurate, will then push the bill forward and debate on the bill itself will begin. "Our present count indicates that we have the 60 votes necessary to invoke cloture and begin the debate on S. 160," D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said in a statement. And here's the WaPo editorial in this morning's paper: "Two years ago, similar legislation fell three votes short of the 60 needed to proceed to debate and consideration. Advocates for D.C. voting rights, buoyed by Democratic congressional gains in November as well as the support of President Obama, are cautiously optimistic." And finally, an ABC News/Washington Post poll shows 58 percent of Americans support the bill.
Contradictory Reports on Harvard Hall Fire Alarms: WJLA follows up on reports that fire alarms did not go off during the Harvard Hall apartment building fire in Adams Morgan, citing the property manager as saying the building's smoke detectors are not connected to the building's fire alarm system. In the Post's story on the fire this morning, which blames the apartment fire on a candle, they found at least one resident who did hear the alarm: "The alarm sounded, one resident said, and 'we all went out' in whatever garments could be found -- coats, nightgowns and 'everything.' 'You got to do what you have to do,' the woman said."
More on Fenty Trip to Dubai: WTOP reports that Fenty did attend the controversial Dubai Tennis Championships, which has drawn controversy due to an Israeli player, Shahar Peer, having been denied a visa to enter the country. The Post's follow up story has this Fenty quote on why he chose Dubai for his vacation: "I always wanted to go. I did set up some meetings. They were very general. . . . It was a fantastic city, very cosmopolitan, like D.C. I even met a few people there who were from Washington."
Briefly Noted: Bill would reimburse $59 Million for local Inauguration security ... Democrat inserted provision endangers DC Opportunity Scholarship program ... Police looking hard at missing woman's ex-boyfriend ... Man stabbed inside Silver Spring restaurant ... Alexandria eyes funding study of new Metro stop.
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I had thought it was pretty common knowledge that in most older buildings you have to actually pull the alarm for it work. I guess not. Perhaps it's a generational thing.
I really don't understand it, but many people just do not care about how these systems work, and then get pissed when they don't work "as expected", even though what they expect is not at all how the system actually functions, as demonstrated in this case.
Anecdotally, in my college dorm, the smoke detectors were not linked to any external alarm, and this was made clear during orientation. Even so, people continually expected police to arrive upon activation of a smoke detector.
What a novel idea... reimbursing DC for Inauguration costs!
the whole cloture thing seems so ridiculous. let the bill go to the floor and debate its merits.
I can't wait for this bill to pass cloture, then acutally become law, only for the Supreme Court to strike it down. Awesome.
Acutally? I'm dumb...
Okay, I'll try posting this here, instead of a 9:30club concert review. More appropriate perhaps?
A Potomac Yards Metro station is essential. The new buildings going up in the area will eventually add up to 30,000 new residents, all of whom will be clogging up Rt. 1 even further if a Metro stop isn't added.
While I understand funding is always an issue, delaying this project will likely only increase the costs. Also, the Yellow line will soon end up like the Orange Line...where you can't fit into a car if you get on more than three stops into the line.
Another concern is that the Potomac Yards Shopping Center parking lot will turn into a commuter lot. There will likely have to be some sort of gated lot, perhaps with free validation if you show a receipt from a store.
What I don't understand, is that I thought they originally had a site marked out for a station? Can't they just use that land? This project should be "shovel ready" (to use the parlance of the times). This day was inevitable, and this just seems like Metro was once again caught with their pants down.
I don't know if a Potomac Yards station is essential. You look at the numbers and that whole area would get far more benefit from the original plan of a dedicated bus lane on Route 1, which would be a placeholder for a light rail/streetcar line connecting Pentagon City to Braddock Road Metro. The latter is far more cost effective than throwing more money at Metro. Once you're on Metro, you're pretty much sealed off from any above ground commerce/foot traffic. A streetcar line on Route 1, you get on or off at will, and you're not at the mercy of Metro's craptacular service.
What damn restaurant was it in Silver Spring? The original article won't say. I'm not in the area often, but if I need to be packing when I want some Pollo Campero, then the media needs to let me know.
And why the hell is that area considered SS and not Wheaton? Stabbings in Silver Spring are newsworthy, but normal in Wheaton? WTF?
~EEE~