With Michael Steele having been elected the Republican Party's chairperson yesterday, the national political battle between Republicans and Democrats has suddenly become much more local. Not only is Steele from Maryland, but he'll be doing battle with Virginia's Tim Kaine, who was recently appointed to serve as the Democratic Party's head.
The Examiner reports that Metro will be seeking $5.2 million from the federal government in order to cover the costs of moving people around during Inauguration weekend. The story notes that Metrorail alone pulled in $3.5 million in fares during the four-day weekend, an absolutely astounding figure (and another excuse for us to trot out Metro's eye-popping official numbers). For anyone that's wished for Metro to operate 24 hours a day, it should be an interesting few months ahead -- as any federal money WMATA gets could be used for the eventual expenses that could arise from the wear and tear of the almost one full day of service experienced on January 20. Translation: if there's track and railcar malfunctions one after another come March, well, just blame the Inauguration.
Big news from across the Anacostia River -- the Washington Business Journal reported late last night that Clark Realty Capital LLC is pulling out of their extensive plans for Poplar Point, which they won the rights to develop a little less than one year ago. The Bethesda based company had won the much-sought-after PUD bidding with a grand $2.5 billion plan, featuring a complex of offices, residences, retail, and hotels -- and, of course, pipe dreams about a new soccer specific stadium for D.C. United -- all centered around keeping the rest of Ward 8 connected via a large walkway over Interstate 295. The Post reports that the deal completely fell apart after Clark clashed with the District over the project's strict deliverable schedule. The city says that they'll pick up some of the pre-development and planning work in an attempt to maintain some semblance of timeliness while they locate a new developer.
The Examiner's Freeman Klopott spotted first lady Michelle Obama leaving Georgia Brown's this afternoon, after having had lunch at the Southern cuisine restaurant with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, Michelle Fenty and Jill Biden. President Barack Obama had previously met up with Mayor Fenty for lunch at Ben's Chili Bowl, but this is the first time we've heard about the city's two first ladies named Michelle sharing a meal since the Obamas arrived in town. Of course, Mrs. Fenty has had a lot on her plate, what with having given birth to daughter Aerin only two months ago.
We're not sure what's more amazing, that the Republican National Committee has chosen a black man as its leader, or that Michael Steele actually got elected to something. Chris Cillizza has the details of the many, many ballots it took before Steele was handed the prize today at the Capital Hilton here in Washington. Steele, a D.C. native, was previously the chairman of the Maryland Republican Party, the GOP nominee in the Maryland Senate race in 2006, and the lieutenant governor of Maryland under Ehrlich.
A water main break near 16th Street and Park Road NW this morning has left some customers in the area without water. Workers responding to the scene also report that water spilling out onto the street has caused icy conditions around the break, thanks to freezing temperatures. A salt truck has been requested. Work crews estimate the break will be repaired by 5 p.m.
We're here for you if you want to talk, Chicagoist. We're all too aware of what it's like to have a disgraced local politician make national news. Heck, we've been dealing with Marion Barry's infamous on-tape crack smoking for almost two decades now. The American people don't soon forget, so be ready for years and years of snickering about former Governor Rod Blagojevich's attempt to sell President Barack Obama's Senate seat. If you want to save yourself some face, just make sure you don't go an re-elect Rod for any other public office for a long, long time. If Barry's repeated run-ins with Johnny Law serve as any example, it just never ends well.
The Clarity Media Group announced today it would be closing the Baltimore Examiner after declining revenues and being unable to find a buyer. Fishbowl details what this means for the Washington branch of the paper with a letter from CEO Ryan McKibben. McKibben first touts the success of D.C.'s recent changes to its subscription and distribution plans, which has led them to make "new, major investments" in the paper. Columns and investigative journalism get the biggest boost, with most of the focus on politics and lobbying news. They also plan to launch a new web site in March, with the addition of three new web editors. In addition to Washington, Clarity Media Group still runs a sister-publication of the Examiner in San Francisco.
What with all the special events and holidays of the last couple of months, Metro riders have had it relatively easy in terms of major weekend track work delays. That all ends in February, when Metro will begin a big track rehabilitation project at the Pentagon station during the President’s Day holiday weekend, along with other maintenance projects. Metro's announcement can be found here. Bottom line info is below, but remember that this advance schedule is subject to change.
No big surprise here, but Metro has sent out a release announcing the election of Ward 1 D.C. Council member Jim Graham as Chairman of WMATA's Board of Directors. Graham will serve a year-long term effective immediately, succeeding Christopher Zimmerman, whose term ended today. Graham has been on the Metro Board since 1999 and previously served as Board Chairman in 2003. Also elected today were Peter Benjamin, representing Maryland, as First Vice Chairman and Catherine Hudgins, representing Virginia, as Second Vice Chairman.
Via WTOP, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies is asking those inauguration ticket-holders who were blocked from entering the Swearing-In ceremony to email a description of your experience to feedback@jccic.senate.gov. Individuals who had blue, silver or purple tickets and were blocked from entering the ceremony due to severe logistical breakdowns have been offered commemorative photos from the committee by way of apology. Ticket-holders who email the committee with a description of what happened will then be sent the promised items. Be sure to include your full name and mailing address.
With this week's congressional subcommittee hearing on legislation that would grant the District a voting seat in the House, we've again started what has become something of a bi-annual tradition for D.C. residents. We complain, Congress goes through the motions on a piece of legislation aimed at correcting a 200-year-old injustice that has left the city's 600,000 residents without a voting member in Congress, we become hopeful, and eventually Congress ends up not doing anything. Rinse and repeat and you've got a day in the life of a disenfranchised D.C. resident. Of course, it's a new day in Washington, and with a solidly Democratic Congress and a sympathetic president, our chances at getting something are better than ever.
The Post says that funding for a $200 million renovation of the National Mall was removed from President Obama's stimulus package Tuesday night during a House Rules Committee session. The move is a blow to D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and to groups like the National Coalition to Save Our Mall, who have been pushing hard for Mall repairs for the last several years. Mall advocates had been hoping the national spotlight on the Mall during Obama's inauguration ceremonies would shore up support for funding restoration work. Visitors to the Mall have long been disappointed to find dead grass, mud and cracked sidewalks around the splendor of the monuments and museums. Photo by mosley.brian
Good morning, Washington. In one of the firmer signs that things in the District of Columbia are finally getting back to normal after the excitement of the inauguration of President Obama, the Washington Post reports this morning that former mayor and current D.C. Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) has failed to file his 2007 tax return. Barry is still on probation for failing to file his 2005 tax return, and avoided serving 18 months in jail two years ago for violating that probation. At the time, federal prosecutors argued that Barry "has not acted like a person who has been given the opportunity of probation, and should not be treated like one," though a judge didn't agree. Barry pleaded guilty in 2005 to misdemeanor charges based on his failure to file returns from 1999 to 2004. The Post says they don't know whether Barry owes any taxes for 2007, and that he did file in 2006.
Local blogger DC Teacher Chic reported today on her blog that D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee will host Q&A sessions for teachers this afternoon (Wednesday, January 28) and tomorrow (Thursday, January 29), from 4-6 p.m. at 825 North Capitol Street, NE, in the 5th Floor Board Room. An open teacher Q&A sounds like a great idea, but good luck to the teachers scrambling to get from their classrooms to DCPS, in this weather, only 45 minutes after school lets out.
So says The New York Times, though no official announcement yet from the Post.
According to reports from Book World employees, the last issue of Book World will appear in its tabloid print version on Feb. 15 but will continue to be published online as a distinct entity. In the printed newspaper, Sunday book content will be split between Outlook, the opinion and commentary section, and Style & Arts.Guess those rumored plans to syndicate Book World to regional newspapers didn't add up?
UPDATE: Politico has video of the President's comments. We've posted them above.
District residents are understandably disturbed by yesterday's lead revelations in the Washington Post, and the D.C. Council has gone ahead and scheduled a hearing to address environmental and health concerns. The Committee on Government Operations and the Environment hearing is set for February 10 at 11 a.m. at the John A. Wilson Building, Room 412. Committee chair Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) will hold the hearing jointly with Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who oversees WASA.
WMATA reported delays on the Red line earlier this morning due to a disruption at the Bethesda station. Metro station announcements said there had been a track malfunction, and that trains were single tracking between Friendship Heights and Medical Center. WAMU and WTOP are both reporting that smoke at the Bethesda station is the cause of the trouble—debris on the tracks was the apparent source of the smoke. Montgomery County officials told WTOP that commuters can exit trains at Bethesda, but no one can board trains there. Expect delays in both directions. Photo by staceyviera
The Metropolitan Police Department sent out an update early this morning on Tuesday's officer-involved shooting at 16th and Kalorama Road NW. The officer in question was an off-duty detective. Police say he was attacked randomly by an apparently mentally disturbed man. The suspect, who was shot once in the abdomen and is in stable condition in a local hospital, has still not been identified. Police are also withholding the name of the detective, but say he is a 20-year veteran assigned to the Narcotics and Special Investigations Division. He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital and released, and has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending an investigation. The suspect has been charged with aggravated assault. The shooting is being investigated by the department’s Force Investigations Team.
Good morning, Washington. Your intrepid correspondent hasn't yet ventured out this morning (admittedly undercutting his claim of intrepidity), but things were looking pretty nasty last night. Conditions seemed to be orienting themselves toward maximum slipperiness, and, in a particularly dire sign, my dashboard weather icon changed from a cartoon of rain to a cartoon of sleet. Perhaps more convincingly, WTOP's list of closings and delays is looking formidable this morning: nearly every area school system is closed today, with the exception of D.C. schools, which are opening two hours late. And it's not even over yet: a winter storm warning is in effect until noon. D.C. Child Welfare Faces Federal Takeover: Word of additional trouble for the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency probably comes as no surprise. The agency has faced steadily mounting problems ever since Banita Jacks' daughters were found dead last year. In fact, the only remarkable thing about today's Post story detailing the agency's latest woes is how far back their origins go. The agency has been working with a court-appointed monitor as a result of a lawsuit filed in 1989. On Monday night they acted to sidestep this arrangement by filing a reform plan without the monitor's approval — a step that everyone seems to agree is inviting additional legal complications. The ultimate result could be a complete federal takeover of the agency or, as the city seems to hope, a return to self-determination for an agency already struggling with many impediments to turning itself around. Icy Conditions Lead to Accidents: Given how laughably alarmed we all get when flakes start falling, it's easy to forget that it really is dangerous out there. Fox 5 rounds up the worst accidents, which include a number of fatalities near Charlottesville and a firetruck that slid off the road in Fairfax. There was a fatal accident on Rt. 15 in Frederick, too, but it's not clear if the snow was to blame: WJLA says it was, while the Washington Times says the weather conditions weren't a factor. Inaugural Program for Students Criticized: Purple ticketholders' problems aside, the inauguration seems to have mostly been a logistical success. Tales of woe continue to trickle out, however, and today's Post has the latest one. Vienna-based Envision EMI's Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference charged as much as $2,900 for students to stay in town and participate in inauguration-related events, but the number of students participating and the size of the celebration seem to have overwhelmed organizers. Parents are understandably upset over what sounds like a predictable series of failures stemming from transit delays and crowding. Briefly Noted: Former city official gets home detention for corruption connected to Jemal prosecution... Loudoun freezes teacher salaries... Montgomery County Council supports building Purple Line as light rail... This Day In DCist: One year ago we noted NoVa's appetite for romance novels. Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user spectreman
So the big, big, big story on the front page of this morning's Washington Post was by Carol Leonnig, who obtained a copy of a forthcoming study that shows that hundreds of District children had dangerously high levels of lead in their blood during the WASA lead crisis earlier this decade.
The study, based on a detailed analysis of thousands of children’s blood tests from 2000 to 2003, contradicts the public assurances issued by federal and D.C. health officials starting in 2004. At the time, although officials acknowledged that the amount of lead in city water were at record-breaking levels, they said repeatedly that they found no measurable impact on the general public’s health.This is seriously scary shit, especially for parents and pregnant women living in older homes in the neighborhoods identified as being the most affected: Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights, the southeastern portion of Capitol Hill, a large swath of Ward 4 along Georgia Avenue, and Northeast Washington's Langdon Park.
Today's first real winter storm of the season landed this morning, and we're staring down some serious ice tonight. But we can be pretty sure of one thing: it's not the worst storm D.C.'s succumbed to on January 27. Today marks the 87th* anniversary of the great Knickerbocker Storm of 1922. The two-day blizzard got its name when D.C.'s Knickerbocker Theater collapsed on the night of the January 28, killing 98 people and injuring 133. It is still the single largest snow storm D.C. has ever had (with an official total of 25 inches and drifts considerably larger than that), and the disaster at the Knickerbocker still ranks among our city's most tragic.
The Washington Nationals made a move in the offseason -- in their broadcast booth. MASN announced that Don Sutton, who had been with the network for two years, has asked to be released for "personal reasons" -- if by personal reasons he means taking a new job with the Atlanta Braves radio team. Sutton's replacement is Rob Dibble, former All-Star pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds. Dibble was one of the Reds' bullpen "Nasty Boys" when the team won the 1990 World Series, and earned a reputation as a hot head, once taking himself out of a game and ripping his jersey off after allowing a Bobby Bonilla homer. Since his retirement in 1996, he has worked for ESPN as a baseball analyst, as a host of The Best Damn Sports Show Period and blogger for Fox, and on XM Radio. Photo by afagen
An update on this morning's fire in the 1000 block of F Street NW, from the Post. Five firefighters who responded to the two-alarm blaze required medical care after the fire was contained: one broke his hand, and four others were treated for medical issues related to exertion, including elevated blood pressure. It also looks like the building in question was the one that housed that D.C.-themed souvenir shop, though the fire began in a vacant part of the building. The souvenir shop sustained heavy water damage. No civilian injuries have been reported. Roads should be cleared for the evening commute.
A reader named Cali wrote in: "Any chance you could figure out what our responsibilities are as renters regarding snow removal in the District? I can't find anything and knowing my landlord he'll make something up." We'll refer any confused renters to our post on this subject from two years ago, which explains D.C. law regarding snow shoveling. It reads, "D.C. law requires residents to remove snow from sidewalks and steps within eight hours of daylight after the snow stops." The key word there is "residents." Rowhouse renters should not expect their landlord to show up with a shovel; you just have to get out there and clear the way. If you live in a big apartment building, you probably pay for a maintenance crew that will take care of this for you, but best to check with your building manager. The current forecast is calling for a second winter weather system to enter the D.C. area between 4-6 p.m. as light snow, and then change to sleet and freezing rain later tonight. Given the possibility that the freezing rain could create a hard shell of ice on top of the snow on the sidewalks, we'd recommend getting out there and taking care of business as soon as you get home from work. Put down a little salt while you're at it.
The Post has a story up about the death of Sharlynn Bobo, the former director of the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency who resigned last year in the wake of the Banita Jacks case. Bobo died on Saturday due to complications related to pancreatic cancer, which she was diagnosed with only in November. She resigned from her position last summer. Her sudden death has shocked her former colleagues. Bobo was a graduate of D.C.'s McKinley High School and attended George Washington University and Howard University.
OK, we had some technical issues loading the web cast there, so apologies, we ended up missing the first 30 minutes of the hearing. (Tip to Mac users: you have to download Real Player for Mac before you can stream the hearing).
You'll remember Gohmert from a memorable performance during floor debate on the bill in 2007, when he opined that D.C.'s residents don't need a representative because the 435 members of the House are already looking out for our best interests. We made him our honorary congressional representative, and readers flooded his office with constituent requests.
Thanks to the tipster who sent in this view from her office window of fire crews working to put out the two-alarm blaze at 11th and F Streets NW. In addition to F Street currently being closed between 9th and 11th streets, we hear that portions of 10th and 11th Streets are blocked by additional fire trucks beyond F Street. Here's the AP report via WTOP.
Voting Rights Hearing Set for 10 a.m. As we told you yesterday, a House subcommittee hearing on the D.C. Voting Rights Act is set for 10 a.m. this morning in 2141 Rayburn, and will include testimony from Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C. National Guard Iraq war veteran Yolanda Lee and former Assistant Attorney General Viet Dinh. Due to the hearing, many of the papers that cover Congress have their own stories about voting rights. Stay tuned to DCist for updates from the hearing.
We may not yet be a state, but we've finally got our own commemorative quarter.
The National Weather Service has now issued both a Winter Weather Advisory and a Winter Storm Watch for the D.C. Metro area. The Winter Weather Advisory is effective from 4 a.m. Tuesday morning to 6 p.m. that evening, during which time 2-3" of snow is currently predicted. The Winter Storm Watch goes into effect after 6 p.m. on Tuesday through to Wed. afternoon. That system will bring everyone's favorite wintry mix to the region, which will be some combination of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain, but that will all depend on temperatures at the time.
It's becoming increasingly clear that the security breakdowns associated with certain ticketholder gates at the Swearing-In ceremony last Tuesday were a lot worse than anybody first realized, but if there's one thing that inaugural officials didn't underestimate, it was the number of port-a-potties the city would need. Thanks to the reported 7,500 portable toilets deployed all over the city for last week's festivities, we never once heard anyone complain that they had trouble finding a pot to piss in (of course, that might have something to do with the freezing temperatures outside helping people decide that holding it was worth it).
We're getting a strong sense of déjà vu here at DCist. Tomorrow a House subcommittee will markup legislation that would grant the District a voting seat in the House of Representatives, reconsidering a measure that narrowly failed in the Senate in 2007. Unlike in years past, though, we've got a sympathetic president and a strongly Democratic Congress, all but assuring that the measure can pass both houses. Washington is preoccupied with two wars and a tanking economy, so the remaining question is just how quickly this will happen. The hearing kicks off at 10 a.m. in 2141 Rayburn and will include testimony from Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C. National Guard Iraq war veteran Yolanda Lee and former Assistant Attorney General Viet Dinh.
WJLA is reporting a police-involved shooting at a mental health group home on 800 block of 7th Street NE.
MCCXXIII, a club whose name I type differently every time I write it, has closed, reports the Going-Out Gurus. Rents just got too high downtown. I wonder if that's true everywhere. Now that President Obama has taken office and started filling jobs with the people who helped him get there Clinton people, Stetson's on U Street has been restored to the glory it enjoyed during its heyday in the 90s. It might feel as though the Bush administration never happened on U Street, but you can be sure that isn't the mood in Georgetown. With Democrats ascendant, who will stay up on the right to drink those late-night shots? When will our young Republicans get back into the swing of things?
This morning's Post features a roundup of Metro's financial talking points for the year ahead: most notably, that Metro -- unlike VRE and many other transit agencies around the country -- has "no plans for new fare and fee hikes" in the coming year. If Metro sticks to that claim, it will mean an almost two-year span between rate raises, no small feat for an agency constantly looking to rectify deficits.
You know, I get a lot of junk mail. But I'm certainly glad that between the Dell catalogs, the Comcast advertisements, and the Valpak coupons, I managed to open up this little nugget of information from WASA: back in December, the water coming from the McMillan water treatment plant had a 14-minute spike in turbidity, which is an indicator that the water supply may contain "disease-causing organisms." Local development blog DCMud has a more detailed explanation of what exactly happened (digging at a large development site near the treatment facility seems to be to blame), and also a scan of the letter, for those who might have missed it. Your fun thought of the day? An addendum attached to the letter from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers states that the spike may have released organisms that could cause "nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches." Yup, that's disgusting. And to think, all this time you were just worried about peanut butter.
Fannie Mae, the national mortgage dealer headquartered in Washington, will be laying off some of its staff as part of a corporate realignment, according to a Washington Business Journal report. Fannie isn't talking numbers, but WTOP's sources say that it will be under 500 jobs. (That's still almost 10% of the organization's total workforce -- no small potatoes.) Fannie last made such sweeping job cuts in March 2007, after an accounting scandal caused the loss of several hundred jobs.
Good morning, D.C. It seems like most of us are really taking the time to enjoy our first post-Inaugural weekend by kicking back and taking it easy. (Even I've got to admit it is slightly calming, the lack of Inauguration-related press releases and materials rolling in this morning.) But there's at least one person who isn't relaxing this morning: Gabe Cohen, an Obama campaign staffer who missed the swearing-in ceremony during PurpleTicketGate, will be leading a viewing party on the Mall today for those who were shut out on Tuesday. Cohen -- and whoever decides to show up at noon today -- will watch a replay of the swearing-in on laptops and iPods to try and reclaim some of their lost experience.
The George Washington University GW Hatchet blog is reporting that sophomore Laura Treanor was found dead in her room in the university's Ivory Tower residence hall this morning. Treanor was the The Hatchet student newspaper's contributing Life editor. Initial reports indicate that the death was not a homicide or a suicide, and that the death is not being investigated as suspicious. Treanor was discovered this morning by a roommate.
OK, so few of us fulfilled those dreams of coming out of inauguration weekend with a few extra thousand dollars in our pockets courtesy of out-of-town visitors that needed a place to stay, but Distict businesses apparently did pretty well for themselves during the January 20 festivities. WJLA is reporting that businesses in the city may have pulled in an additional $1 billion on inauguration day, with some seeing jumps in sales as high as 400 percent. Business is also apparently still brisk due to visitors that have stayed in town. We'd say we should do this all again soon, but we all need a few weeks to recover.
Attention all inaugural ticket holders who are still smarting over harrowing security gate experiences: the Presidential Inaugural Committee really does feel bad. To prove it, they are offering to give you free stuff. Said stuff is said to be copies of the Swearing-In invitation and program, photos of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, and a color print of the ceremony itself. Does this free stuff make up for you feeling super disappointed/having been actually frightened by an angry mob/spending money and time on something that you didn't get to experience? You tell us.
Shortly after his Wednesday night Oath of Office do-over, President Obama motorcaded to the D.C. Armory for the final official inaugural event of an endless weekend.
Nicklas Backstrom is skipping the NHL's Young Stars Game because he wants a day off. The Caps' second leading scorer is sitting out a competition that pits second year players against rookies. Last year, when the Young Stars game featured only rookies, Backstrom competed. This year, many fans and analysts have asked why Backstrom isn't on the Eastern Conference All Star team. While it's nice that the NHL expanded the Young Stars game to include more developing talent, Backstrom deserves to appear on a larger stage.
The Metropolitan Police Department is asking the public for their help in finding a missing teenager. Sharnette Russell, 16, was last seen on Monday, January 19 in the 600 block of Morton Place Street NW. Russell is described as a black female, 4’10", 100 lbs, with black hair, brown eyes and a medium complexion. There is no description available of the clothing she was wearing when she went missing. Anyone with information is asked to call (202) 727-9099 or (202) 576-6768.
WAMU says that he did not, opting instead to display special inauguration-themed plates on the presidential limousine, aka The Beast, during Tuesday's Inaugural Parade. As you can see in the above photo, the plates are blue, and display the numeral '1.'
Good morning, Washington. Large crowds will converge on the National Mall today, resulting in street closures, crowded Metro stations and strained resources. This feeling of déjà vu is brought to you by the annual March for Life, which brings activists who oppose the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision to town for a large march and demonstration. The relevant road closures, which will last until 7 p.m., can be found here. We're just guessing here, but probably this crowd won't be as excited about waiting in long lines outside Ben's Chili Bowl.
Some 15,000 people showed up on a cold day at D.C.'s RFK Stadium Monday to answer President Barack Obama's call to service, in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty encouraged District residents to participate in the massive event, where volunteers helped assemble 75,000 kits containing food and personal items for soldiers serving overseas.
There's been a lot of back and forth of late between The Washington Teachers’ Union and DCPS about a policy commonly called a 90-day plan. Some within the union have accused Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee of using 90-day plans as a means of targeting older teachers for dismissal. The Washington Post's Bill Turque reported that Rhee spokesperson Dena Iverson denies any age discrimination, arguing that the average age of DCPS teachers who Rhee has placed on 90-day probations is similar to the average age of the total teaching corps (Turque puts that age in the mid-40s.)
Update: It looks like the inaugural committee has apologized to the 4,000 ticket-holders that were turned away yesterday. And I didn't mean to downplay the plight of being stuck in a security netherworld with little direction or clarity like many ticket-holders were (they even have a Facebook group!). It's just Don Young...he just...makes me ANGRY!
Last night's first ever Neighborhood Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center ended up being billed by the Presidential Inaugural Committee as the hottest ticket of all of the ten official Inaugural Balls, and from a vantage point in the middle of the packed ballroom, it was easy to see why.
Things were clearly a bit disorganized by the time my friends and I got to the John A. Wilson Building for the D.C. Council-hosted 51st State Ball. We didn't run into the security mess City Desk reported, but there was no signage or schedule posted anywhere, so a lot of people were milling around—it was just not clear where things were happening inside city hall.
Not that it's a surprise that an event in D.C. was well attended this week, but the folks over at Slate had to be pretty thrilled at the turnout for their first ever live recording of one of its podcasts. More than 650 people braved the crowds in the District to get to the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue for the taping on Monday—no easy task given the traffic conditions in the surrounding Chinatown neighborhood. (D.C. Metro police had just begun the massive amount of street closures for the inauguration when the taping was getting started.)
A week ago we pointed out that Pepsi might be too closely exploiting the Obama logo and message for the comfort of their Republican consumers. Well yesterday on the National Mall, they continued to link themselves even more shamelessly to the new president by handing out tote bags with distinctly Obama-esque message ("Hope," "Yes You Can") and cards encouraging people to sign an open letter to America's newest leader by sending a text message to Pepsi. Beyond the wisdom of trying to make itself the drink of all Democrats, it seemed a little tacky for Pepsi to be handing out corporate schwag on what is something of a sacred day for America's democracy. Coca-Cola seems to be playing it safe, on the other hand -- the most they've done is run ads on MLK Day advocating diversity and service.
Good morning, Washington, and welcome to the first day of the Obama presidency. Yesterday didn't go too badly, huh? At the moment it looks as if D.C. hosted close to two million people without so much as a single arrest. If you spent the day out in the cold and away from your computer, you can click here to catch up on our extensive inauguration coverage. As you might expect there isn't a lot of non-inaugural news today, so we'll keep this morning roundup short and sweet. Stay tuned for posts throughout the day examining how the city handled the big event and its aftermath. Va. Politics Heats Up: Yesterday's Washington Post article about the contentious prospects for this session of the Virginia General Assembly — which is confronting not only a budget shortfall but also a potential change in its majority party — is already looking prescient. Today's Post reports that Va. Republicans are claiming that governor and newly-minted DNC chair Tim Kaine has painted an overly optimistic portrait of the state's finances, and that his proposed budget cuts don't go nearly far enough. More immediately, the February special election in Fairfax is looking to be hard fought, too: the Post also discusses that race and the possibility of the county board of supervisors shifting from Democratic to Republican control. Briefly Noted: More than 4,000 ticket holders weren't able to make it past security yesterday due to screening delays... This winter has been unusually rough on area pipes... Public safety initiatives may be among trimmed programs as Md. deals with budget shortfall... As you might imagine, yesterday marked a new Metro ridership record... Still no sightings of convicted murderer who escaped from Maryland prison over the weekend... BREAKING: LARGE CROWDS GENERATE TRASH... This Day in DCist: One year ago we got our hopes up about baby elephants while Jimmy's Tire Shop burned. Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user sdean8
>> "...I had a conversation with my hypothetical granddaughter, who wanted to know what it was like in D.C. the day that the first African-American president took the oath of office. Well, it wasn't bad, I told her, you know, I stayed in, had some coffee, sort of took a nap until 11...and that just didn't cut it." [ATTACKERMAN]
We reported this morning that a woman fell on the tracks on the Red Line to Glenmont at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station around 9:30 a.m. DCist has now learned that the woman narrowly avoided being struck by an oncoming train -- largely due to the quick thinking of Houston Transit Authority employee Eliot Swainson, 46, who was in D.C. serving as a volunteer for Metro. Swainson, who was stationed on the Glenmont platform at the Chinatown stop this morning, was able to direct the woman to safety on the track while a train passed overhead, preventing her from being struck and allowing her to be extricated safely a short time later.
Like many District residents, DCist writers and visitors, I made an extra-early trek down to the National Mall this morning for the swearing-in of President Barack Obama. Arriving in darkness, the U.S. Capitol cut a stark contrast against the dark sky as thousands of people populated the Mall in anticipation of the morning's events.
At about 4:15 p.m., a group of about 20 drummers and musicians were parading down the middle of 13th Street NW in Columbia Heights, playing their instruments and headed south to the African American Civil War Memorial at 10th and U Streets NW. The group brought along a wheeled cart with drums and other instruments on it.
We already had a sense that the crime stats were much lower than usual this weekend, and the Examiner reported today that the long, four-day weekend -- at least up until to this point -- has been quite successful in terms of crime prevention. The U.S. Park Police say they have not made any Inauguration-related arrests as of this morning, and MPD spokesperson Traci Hughes told the paper that for the D.C. police, "it's pretty quiet." Obviously, a full evaluation of the weekend can't be accurately completed without factoring in today's activities and tonight's parties to come, but signs so far point to the significant police preparations panning out (even if they're the officers aren't good with directions).
The 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, entered his motorcade at around 3:30 p.m. EST at the U.S. Capitol, and started traveling at a slow roll down Pennsylvania Ave. toward the White House.
CNN is reporting that a Senator has collapsed at the Congressional Luncheon celebrating the inauguration of President Obama. It may have been Sen. Robert Byrd, but that is not yet confirmed. Other reports suggest that it was Sen. Ted Kennedy. No one seems to be sure which senator it was. We'll update when we know more. Update: NBC says that Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W. Virginia) suffered a medical emergency and was taken to a hospital. But now President Obama is talking about Ted Kennedy having had an emergency. It seems as though maybe both men collapsed ... ? Update II: Politico reports both men were taken out of the luncheon under medical supervision, Byrd because he was having trouble eating, Kennedy after having gone into apparent convulsions. Update III: The Associated Press now says that Kennedy is awake and answering questions at Washington Hospital Center. The AP report also quotes Byrd staffers saying that the West Virginia senator left the luncheon for reasons that were not health-related. Here's what Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) sent out via her Twitter feed at about 3:15 p.m.: "My friend Ted Kennedy just was taken away in an ambulance. Convulsions. Please pray for the Lion of the Senate."
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama escorted former President George Bush and Laura Bush to a Marine Corps helicopter after the swearing in ceremony. The Bushes turned and waved back, and the Obamas, along with Vice President Joseph Biden and Jill Biden, waved to the departing helicopter. The Bushes were flown to Andrews Air Force base and then boarded a plane to Dallas.
By now we've received dozens of tips and reports from readers as they made their way away from the National Mall. Some people told us about how they never made it inside an area where they had tickets—both at the Swearing-In and along the parade route. Others expressed relief at having had an easier time than they expected. There was word of pushing and shoving as crowds trying to leave the National Mall at 14th Street were crushed together. And there was tale of incredible kindness and good spirits as strangers tried to help each other find their way out of the throng.
Written by Sommer Mathis, Jen Chung and Aaron Morrissey
DCist's Amanda Mattos reports from the "orange" ticketholders entrance at the Swearing-In Ceremony, which is near C street at the entrance to the Rayburn HOB. She says she was shuffled into a long, winding line that was supposedly leading to the security entrance, but when she actually reached the gate, there was nobody monitoring the entrance to the security tent, and it seemed like people could have cut to the front of the line without anyone stopping them -- except, as it turned out, the angry mob. A family did try to cut in line, and Amanda says the crowd responded by calling them "Bush"! Apparently shouting "Bush!" is the official insult of Inauguration Day.
We hear that the National Mall east of 14th Street is at capacity.
DCist Weekend Editor Kriston Capps tweets from the Inaugural scene: "Cops saying they're seeing a lot of fake tickets. I am shocked, shocked!" From day one, the Presidential Inaugural Committee has been warning folks not to purchase Inauguration tickets from third-party vendors for precisely this reason. In fact, the entire kerfuffle with the pick-up of Inaugural tickets yesterday was designed to prevent this kind of situation -- but it appears as if some people couldn't resist and may end up losing some serious cash, with some third-party tickets going for several thousand dollars.
A passenger has been struck at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station. DCist has received several reports of stalled trains due to the struck passenger at the already-packed station; Gallery Place Metro is now totally closed. No word on either the person's identity or their condition, but obviously, this will cause some serious delays for those who are currently riding or waiting to board trains on the Red Line. Stay tuned for updates as more details come in.
An anonymous tipster sent in this shot of an ambulance attempting to get through massive crowds at 12th and E Streets, NW.
Yesterday evening, White House press secretary Dana Perino had to make a final announcement regarding outgoing Vice President Dick Cheney: He hurt himself while helping with his move to McLean, Virginia and pulled a back muscle. Yes, Cheney, with his history of heart trouble, was apparently helping with the move. His doctor said he should use a wheelchair for the next few days—which means he'll be attending the Inauguration in a wheelchair. "The vice president is looking forward to being there for tomorrow's historic inaugural activities," Perino said.
President-Elect Barack Obama and Michelle Obama left Blair House about 15 minutes late this morning, and arrived at St. John's Episcopal Church for the Inauguration Day prayer service at about 8:51 a.m. EST.
WUSA is reporting that Metro had served 207,335 riders as of 7 a.m. this morning, an astonishing figure -- and based on the shot from the Greenbelt station which most news outlets are using of lines stretching back into the parking lot, that total will increase very quickly. Also, to no one's surprise, at least seven station parking lots -- at Greenbelt, New Carrollton, Branch Ave., Largo Town Center, Vienna, East Falls Church, and Rhode Island Ave. -- are full as of seven minutes ago. As a reference, Metro's highest weekday ridership mark currently sits at 854,638, which was notched last July. It's safe to say that that record will easily be smashed today, as expected.
UPDATE: FOX 5 notes that as of a few minutes ago, the figure now stands at 409,828 riders.
UPDATE (11:07 a.m.): It's official. The record has been broken. As of 11 a.m. today, 866,681 people rode Metrorail yesterday. It is more than likely though, that that number will be broken today, so stay tuned.
Tipster Mark Alves reports he's been waiting for 30 minutes to exit the Metro Station at L'Enfant Plaza.
Via AlertDC, there is a broken 12 inch water main on 7th Street NW between D Street and Indiana Avenue NW. WASA crews are already on the scene working to repair it -- if you go by there, please let us know what it looks like -- email tips(at)dcist from your smartphone.
Good Inauguration Day morning, Washington!
WJLA reports on the long lines today on Capitol Hill, as people went down to House and Senate offices to pick up their tickets to the Swearing-In ceremony—the tickets each member of Congress had for constituents were barred from being distributed until today. Most people the local news channel spoke to took the crowds, and the wait, in stride, but one tipster told us it all resulted in a big mess at Capitol South Metro station. "Absolute madness," wrote Matthew Savener in an email to tips(at)dcist.com at around 1:15 p.m. "Pile-up at turnstiles got so bad -- approaching dangerous -- that they just opened the gates and let everyone through. Not sure how the fare works on that. The HOBs are swamped. Lines EVERYWHERE on every street. If ticket-holders aren't here yet they are prob screwed."
DCist's photographers have been capturing so many out of the ordinary images of Washington, D.C. over the last couple of days. Take a look at some of the scenes above—these are all sights even jaded Washingtonians aren't used to seeing every day.
Colombian superstar Shakira stopped by Oyster-Adams Bilingual Elementary School this morning as part of the school's celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and President-Elect Obama's call to service. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, having almost as busy a day as the President-Elect's, also attended the event, but stayed in the audience and did not take the stage or offer any words.
The National Weather Service has already lifted the Winter Weather Advisory inside the boundaries of the District, with snowfall inside the city limits lighter than expected (only about .25") and dissipating. Still, every major road was pre-salted this morning, and we're certain City Administrator Dan Tangherlini has marching orders to make sure not a single complaint can be lodged about road conditions between this afternoon and The Big Day. This is also the first time the city has even come close to implementing Mayor Fenty's revised snow removal strategy.
DCist caught up with film director Spike Lee this morning at Pepsi's Refresh the World Symposium at Howard University, where he had lots to say about D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee.
DCist contributor James Calder reports from his morning trek for bagels at Dupont Market on 18th Street this morning: as per his usual routine, James stopped on the way back home at the corner of 18th and T to grab an Express. But as you can see in the above the photo, the box was missing, along with the Washington Post box. A third box had also been spirited away, but he couldn't be sure to which publication it belonged.
Ezra Klein reports, via the Internet Food Association, that last night, Tom Colicchio (he of Top Chef and craftsteak) swooped to the rescue of cookbook author Joan Nathan, performing the Heimlich Maneuver at a much-needed moment. The big save happened at a benefit for D.C. Central Kitchen and Martha's Table, where luminaries of the food world milled about and showed off their skills. Colicchio was modest, Klein reports. "“I just happened to be nearby,” he shrugged. Nathan was more effusive, “He’s so strong!”" I'll try and swallow back my envy of Ezra for being at this event at all (and on the heels of being terribly jealous of Jamie R. Liu's chat with Anthony Bourdain) and just say, good on ya, Tom.
With the controversy surrounding Rev. Rick Warren's inaugural invocation, the LGBT blogosphere lit up when the Presidential Inaugural Committe announced that the openly gay Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson would open Sunday's inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial. But those watching the live event and the subsequent repeat on HBO didn't get to see the invocation. Some who actually attended the event also reported that they couldn't hear the invocation at all. Episcopal Cafe has a transcript of Robinson's invocation.
Good morning, Washington. How do you like your Inaugurapocalypse so far? Would you say, in addition to big crowds and long lines everywhere, like to add a little snow to the mix? We sure hope so! Don't freak too bad, though. The forecast is only calling for a light dusting, most likely this afternoon but possibly starting earlier. It shouldn't even be enough to merit snow plows, but will hopefully be just enough to give the city a few beautiful white accents for Super Inauguration Tuesday. We're keeping our fingers crossed for picturesque, though we'll happily settle for not-having-a-crippling-effect-on-the-city-while-the-whole-world-is-watching.
Can Moby play an acoustic set? His fans can tell the rest of us this morning. At roughly 1:30 a.m., a power outage shut down the 9:30 Club — along with other homes and establishments near 9th and U Streets NW and along Florida Avenue. As of this late hour, the Pepco outage map shows that several hundred customers were affected and that workers are on the case. The outage led one associate on the floor of the 9:30 Club to twitter, "Crowd calling for Obama to fix this energy crisis power outage." You have to feel bad for all those disappointed New York Times readers who only wanted to dance.
The Detroit Free Press kinda buries the lede in this posting about the announced entertainment line-up for the Youth Ball, one of the 10 official balls happening on Tuesday. In addition to Kid Rock and Fall Out Boy, Kanye West has been named a confirmed performer. Sources close to Kanye tell DCist that his decision to travel to D.C. and perform at the Youth Ball was made at the last minute. We had heard just a couple of days ago that the hip-hop star (who was rumored to have been being wooed by D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty to play his invite-only 9:30 Club benefit tonight, which will coincidentally also feature Fall Out Boy) had decided not to attend the inauguration due to logistical issues. But now West and a partial entourage are on their way to Washington, making the Youth Ball an even hotter ticket.
We'll have a thorough review of the We Are One concert, along with a ton of photos, up later, but in the meantime, here's what DCist staffers are reporting about their experience:
If you stayed home this afternoon, it turns out that HBO is indeed airing the We Are One Opening Inaugural Concert LIVE right now. We wonder if the live version will conform to exactly two hours, or if an edited version will air at 7 p.m.
WTOP is reporting that the commander-in-chief-to-be was scouting churches this morning as he attended Sunday services at the interestingly-named 19th Street Baptist Church, which happens to be located at 4606 16th Street in Northwest. Regular attendees of the church began lining up at 8:30 this morning to get in, but predictably, many were turned away as the chapel quickly reached capacity. Obama entered the church through the back, disappointing the many who had gathered along 16th Street to catch a glimpse, much like last night's scene at Union Station.
Owing to "this year's unusually early onset of reproductive activity," the District's two beloved giant pandas were at it again this week. Zoo officials recently noticed that Mei Xiang -- who usually experiences her prime ovulation (and hence, the one really good shot she has at conceiving every year) in March or April -- had increased levels of hormones in her urine. That, combined with "distinctive vocalizations" and other such flirtatious behavior, led experts to initiate the complicated business of panda mating.
Quick, when I say "cable service in the District," what springs to mind? Odds are, you're thinking Comcast's overall ineptitude and Verizon's never-ending quest to get FiOS into D.C.'s living rooms. But while there's little doubt that said topics represent the lion's share of the headlines, Washingtonians may tend to forget that region's less monopolistic cable operators have just as many foibles. According to postings on the Cleveland Park listserv, there are a group of people who certainly didn't miss an issue with one of those smaller operators, RCN: some analog subscribers were experiencing a digital blizzard of white snow on their televisions, well before the notorious February 17 drop dead date.
President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden arrived at Washington's Union Station and emerged from the "Obama Express" at just after 6:40 p.m. this evening. The "whistle stop tour" began earlier today in Philadelphia, then stopped in Biden's home of Wilmington, Delaware, and also in Baltimore for a public event at the War Memorial Plaza.
Well, so much for the bright idea of utilizing local waterways to break through the Inaugural gridlock on Tuesday. According to WTOP, 40 Coast Guard vessels will be stationed south of the Wilson Bridge, in part to patrol the waters for intrepid paddlers who thought that they could beat the congestion by kayaking to the ceremony. There is a water taxi which you can take from Alexandria to Maine Avenue (tickets can be had here), but it is rather pricey. One also wonders: 40 vessels? Is there really that large of a contingency itching to kayak down the Potomac in sub-freezing temperatures?
Good morning, D.C, and welcome to the first day of the long-awaited Inaugural weekend. Of course, a large portion of this morning's headlines are Inauguration-based: whether that's examining the tradition of the "President's Pew" at St. John's Episcopal Church where Obama will take in services before the Inauguration, the Mayor flexing his tow truck muscle, or a profile of the 550 or so street vendors who will be hawking souvenirs and food this weekend.
Written by DCist Contributor Shauna Miller
We just got an update from the USPS on additional postal service disruptions in the D.C. area on Inauguration Day. On top of the zip codes and retail post office locations we already told you about, the 20036 zip code will also experience partial or non-delivery, and the following post office locations will also be closed: 800 K Street NW and 437 L’Enfant Plaza SW. Remember also that there is no mail service on Monday, January 19, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
We warned of it two years ago -- Canada geese would eventually be the death of us. OK, so no one actually died in yesterday's frightening emergency water landing of a U.S. Airways flight in New York City. But still. Those bastard geese once again proved where their allegiances are -- and it's not with us. The District has long had its qualms with Canada geese, a species whose tendency to eat local grasses and poop prolifically has posed a consistent threat to the area's ecosystem. So annoying have the geese become that the National Park Service has periodically killed large groups of them, if only to save local golf courses, parks and the Anacostia River. Not convinced of their impending danger? Read the City Paper's 2006 expose of these feathered menaces.
BusinessWeek is reporting that D.C.'s Chief Technology Officer, Vivek Kundra, is on President-elect Obama's short list for the newly created position of Federal Chief Technology Officer. The choices have been narrowed down to only two: Kundra, and another Indian-born technology executive, Padmasree Warrior, who is the chief technology officer of Cisco Systems. All parties are mum on the selection process. Since taking the District CTO position in 2007, Kundra has developed a reputation for bringing in new technologies to D.C. government, including a partnership with Google and the introduction of cutting edge evaluation tools that have brought more efficiency and openness. Before coming to the District, Kundra was assistant secretary of commerce and technology for Virginia.
With the nation's attention squarely focused on Washington in the coming days, the D.C. Council couldn't have found a better time to make a visible statement about the city's lack of voting rights.
Mike DeBonis at City Desk received a note over the transom with details about the Mayor's on-again inaugural concert, and now it's confirmed. The Mayor is hosting an early party (doors at 7 p.m.) at the 9:30 Club on Sunday night featuring Fall Out Boy, T.I., and Young Jeezy.
As Washington prepares for what will be a long weekend of inaugural celebrating, we can only imagine the shock many out-of-towners arriving today might feel. It won't just be the crowds, nor will it be the 5,000 porto-potties lining much of the Mall. It'll be the weather. Today may well turn out to be the coldest day in a decade in the region according to some, with wind chills bringing the temperature into the single digits. Fortunately, we should see a little warming in the coming days -- or so says that Capital Weather gang -- but nothing to draw us out of the 30s. It's on days like these that we wish we had bought a Slanket or Snuggie -- you know, the blanket with sleeves -- instead of having mercilessly mocked them.
US Airways flight 1549, heading from LaGuardia to Charlotte, crashed into the middle of the Hudson River after taking off at 3:11 p.m. WABC says there were 146 passengers on board the flight, along with 5 crew members. MSNBC is showing images of ferries rescuing passengers from the partially floating fuselage, though so far there is no report on how many passengers have been safely evacuated from the crash scene. The cause of the crash is believed to have been a flock of birds striking the engine; there is no indication of any terrorist act. Stay tuned to Gothamist for the latest updates.
If you don't already follow DCist_Updates on Twitter, click on that link and sign up right now. Normally we use that feed to send out breaking news updates and select links to our most critical or useful content, but during the Inauguration, it's going to be much more. Our entire staff will be fanned out across the city covering all the Inaugural action as it happens, and DCist HQ will be sorting through their news tips and sending them out to followers of DCist_Updates as we get them. If you plan to go down to the National Mall or parade route on Tuesday, or if you're going to stay warm at home and watch the whole thing on TV but still want to know what's going on around the city, the DCist_Updates feed is the place where you'll find the most relevant updates for D.C. area residents.
Longtime reader and photo contributor Jaime Fearer sent us this cameraphone shot of a minivan that caught on fire in an alley next to 1401 17th Street NW, near O Street. Jamie reports that firefighters are on the scene trying to get inside the car and that the fire appears to be contained at this point, though the horn in the minivan was going off at just after 12:15 p.m. 17th Street is temporarily closed right now between Massachusetts Ave. and P Street NW while firefighters work. Parts of O Street may also be closed in the area, so plan accordingly.
With all the legislative back and forth over the District's evolving gun regulations since the Supreme Court deemed the city's handgun ban unconstitutional last summer, it's understandable that we'd all be confused as to how one goes about registering a gun. The Metropolitan Police Department has published a guide that attempts to clear up the process.
The Metropolitan Police Department released the security camera image at right in the hopes the public can help them identify an armed robbery suspect. The robbery took place on January 11 at around 9:30 p.m. in the Dupont neighborhood. The suspect is described as an Hispanic male in his mid-20s, 6’0” - 6’5” in height, and weighing 200-300 lbs. He had short, black hair and a very thin beard that outlines only his jawline. He should be considered armed and dangerous.
As anyone who has ever tried to get to H Street NE without a car knows, the area isn’t terribly accessible. Visitors to the area are often faced with a long walk from Union Station, trying to figure out the X2 bus schedule, or the often difficult task of finding a cab back at the end of the night. But all of that is has now changed.
Good morning, Washington. It's real damn cold out there today—the Capital Weather Gang included a link to Extreme Cold Tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in their morning forecast (Highs in the upper 20s! Wind-chill in the low teens!), so you know it's not just regular winter weather whining on our part to bring up the chill. Are we now close enough to have an accurate prediction for Inauguration Day weather? Not really. Why? Because the dirty secret of weather prediction is that no one know anything for sure until the day before.
There might be some shakeups in the way that the District's government celebrates the inauguration.
Over the holidays, DCPS sent letters to parents notifying them if an “unqualified” teacher was teaching their children, resulting in a series of complaints and bureaucratic messes. For example, parents were asked to log into the DCPS website to get the names of the teachers, but those who logged in found their children’s teachers from the previous academic year. A number of teachers objected, noting that they had been incorrectly listed as “unqualified.” The letters also raised a sticky question: what does “qualified” even mean?
City Desk reports that reporter Mark Segraves was unceremoniously booted from one of the council's administrative meetings yesterday, and by council Chair Vincent Gray no less. Gray claimed that the meeting was closed to press because it dealt with matters of the council's operations, including personnel matters. Segraves countered that several issues from the council's January 6 breakfast meeting—which was open to the press%mdash;were put off and were to be dealt with at yesterday's administrative gathering.
Grim details emerged this afternoon in the death of 13-year-old Alexis "Lexie" Glover, of Manassas. We mentioned briefly this morning that Glover's mother, Alfreedia Leona Gregg-Glover, had been charged with neglect in the death of her daughter, who was developmentally challenged. Well the Post is now reporting that police have evidence that Gregg-Glover placed her daughter's body in a Woodbridge area creek bed before she reported her missing to police. Gregg-Glover has not been charged in her daughter's death, and police have not ruled the death a homicide; she was arrested and charged with felony child neglect and filing a false police report.
WTOP's Mark Segraves has a nice little scoop—apparently President-elect Barack Obama played basketball at the Marie Reed Community Learning Center in Adams Morgan on Sunday. According to his spokesperson, he left the Hay Adams Hotel at 5:15 p.m. and and played basketball for 45 minutes. But wouldn't the center have been closed at that hour? Indeed, but Mayor Adrian Fenty arranged for it to be opened for the president-elect.
You already know about the big names performing at Sunday afternoon's inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial. Beyoncé, Garth Brooks, Bruce Springsteen and U2, to name a few. A local group can also be added to that stellar lineup.
Police Third District Inspector Edward Delgado sent this message out to Columbia Heights residents this morning via the 3D email list:
I find it to be my responsibility to alert you of a new trend (Home Invasion) within the Washington region that could pose a threat to the Columbia Heights Neighborhood. The common method of operation is that someone unexpectedly either knocks or bangs on your door. Upon opening the door to ascertain what the emergency is, they rush in and announce a robbery. I ask that if your front door is not equipped with a peep hole or similar device that you have one installed. If you feel uncomfortable with a person at your door please call 911 and advise them you have someone at your door and that they are trying to get in.Continue reading "Police Warn of Home Invasion Burglaries in Columbia Heights"
Good morning, Washington. Yes, there was another big water main break this morning! An 8-inch main break on 7th Street NW between G and H streets closed that block and is causing traffic problems all around the Verizon Center. WTOP reported that the problem was only discovered when a Metrobus started sliding down the street in the ice ... good grief, did anybody see this? And in case you're worried that D.C.'s crumbling infrastructure could create even bigger problems should something like this happen during the inauguration, calm yourself by remembering that most streets will be shut down already and most D.C. residents will be cowering in their barricaded living rooms, too afraid to venture out into Inauguration Island.
The Washington Business Journal reported today that MASN has signed a multi-year deal with DC 50 which will allow 20 Washington Nationals games to be aired on broadcast and cable each season. DC 50 will also air MASN's pre and post game show, Nats Xtra.
Woo, Inauguration Eve par-tay! Metro announced this afternoon that it will stay open until 2 a.m. on January 19 as well as January 20. Given the number of people who are expected to spend the night inside the District on Monday in order to avoid dealing with bridge and road closures, the night before the 56th Presidential Inauguration is now shaping up to be quite the party night. Metro will open at 5 a.m. on Monday, January 19, and close at 2 a.m. on the eve of the Inauguration. It will open again at 4 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20 and close at 2 a.m. the following morning on Inauguration Day. Late-night service (between midnight and 2 a.m. both days) on all Red Line trains will operate 15 minutes apart, and all Blue, Orange, Yellow and Green Line trains will operate 20 minutes apart.
Remember how Mayor Fenty and Govs. O'Malley and Kaine were begging the feds for more assistance to cover the costs of the 56th Presidential Inauguration? Well today, President Bush stepped up to the plate, at least for Fenty, and formally declared a state of emergency in the District for the inaugural events. From the press release:
The President today declared an emergency exists in the District of Columbia and ordered federal aid to supplement the District's response efforts in support of the 56th Presidential Inauguration. The declaration makes available funding and support for the purposes of ensuring the District of Columbia and the federal government are optimally prepared and postured to respond to the 56th Presidential Inauguration, beginning on January 17 through January 21.
We recently got some unconfirmed but reliable information that U2, and not just Bono, would be playing a concert in D.C. during the inaugural festivities, and today another tipster emailed in to point out this announcement on U2's official web site:
U2 join a stellar line up of artists at The Lincoln Memorial in Washington this Sunday for 'We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration'. Don't miss it. It's open to the public and aired on HBO.Yesterday's Presidential Inaugural Committee announcement said that only Bono would appear at the Sunday afternoon concert (it's scheduled to start at 2 p.m. and is open to the public), but it now looks like the full band will participate. If we hear that U2 plans to play anywhere else during the inauguration, we'll be sure to update.
Federal employees who work in the District of Columbia, Montgomery or Prince George's Counties in Maryland, Arlington or Fairfax Counties in Virginia, or the cities of Alexandria or Falls Church in Virginia, are entitled to take Inauguration Day, January 20, as a holiday. But what about the USPS? The quasi-governmental agency doesn't get to take the day off, but at the same time, Secret Service measures will prevent mail carriers from delivering mail in parts of the city. The Postal Service sent us a breakdown of how it's going to work:
The Postal Service will make every effort to provide retail and delivery service to customers on January 20; however, congestion and road closures in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area may prevent us from providing normal service. Blue collection boxes in the vicinity of Inauguration Day festivities may experience late or next day pick up if vehicular restrictions prohibit access and personnel are unable to retrieve mail from the receptacles.Continue reading "How USPS Service Will Work on Inauguration Day"
Over the weekend we all excitedly talked about President-elect Barack Obama's impromptu visit to District mainstay Ben's Chili Bowl. Goofy as it may seem to outsiders, Obama's choice of a half-smoke before even officially becoming president speaks volumes to his understanding of the symbolic gulf that has existed between Washington and the District.
The Examiner reports today on recent D.C. Council emergency legislation that makes tampering with electronic monitoring ankle bracelets a crime. Under the temporary measure, anyone convicted of interfering with such a device would face six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. The move comes in the wake of news that a 22-year-old man who had been ordered to wear an ankle bracelet managed to disable the device before allegedly killing three men in Trinidad last summer. The suspect shut down his ankle bracelet by merely wrapping tinfoil around it. Doesn't it seem like if it's that simple to tamper with these devices, the threat of an extra six months in jail isn't likely to deter anyone who is intent on committing a crime? A spokesperson for the company that makes the devices told the paper that they have developed alternate technology to make sure authorities can continue to monitor an offender. Hopefully that doesn't involve banning the sale of tinfoil.
You already knew that the Secret Service had ordered the Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter and the Smithsonian Metro stations to be closed on Inauguration Day, Tuesday, January 20, for security reasons. Now comes word that two additional stations, Judiciary Square and Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St Convention Center, will also close for part of the day due to their proximity to locations hosting Inaugural Balls.
Good morning, Washington. Well, we're now seven days away from the inauguration. Hopefully you weren't planning on reading stories about other topics between now and then, because judging by last night's local news telecasts, you won't be seeing many. The latest excitement: could it snow on Inauguration Day? The experts warn that "we won't have a good idea until the end of the week," but emphasize that this doesn't mean anyone should refrain from entering a state of excited panic. Cleveland Park Metro/Connecticut Ave Closed: If there's one thing this week already had plenty of, it's road closures — but what the heck, let's throw on one more. WTOP is reporting that the Cleveland Park Metro station and a nearby stretch of Connecticut Avenue have been closed due to two suspicious construction vehicles. Trains are passing through the station, but no one is being allowed to exit or board there. UPDATE: The station has now reopened and traffic is beginning to move along Connecticut. Parade Crowds to be Capped at 300k: The Post brings more details about how things will work next Tuesday. Apparently the folks working the checkpoints will be counting the people they admit into the parade route and will stop letting anyone in after the first 300,000 or so. Officials aren't sure when that will happen, but say it could be well before the parade's mid-afternoon start time. More Misallocated Money: Yesterday's news of Montgomery County's mathematical mistake — which led to the county receiving $31 million less than it should have — is less unique than it first sounded. Today the Post reports that Fairfax has discovered that the local Target store, while paying its taxes in full, had filled out some paperwork in such a way that $1 million accidentally ended up in Alexandria's coffers instead of Fairfax's. It seems there's nothing like an economic downturn to make local governments aware of where there money is (or is not) coming from. Briefly Noted: MARC tickets for Inauguration Day sold out; VRE selling fast... WASA proposes 10% rate hike... An attempted rape occurred in National Airport on Saturday... Released papers tie another death to Centreville heroin ring... P.G. County reports drop in crime... Teen shot in hand in Columbia Heights... Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user chip py the photo guy
Did you brave Sunday's cold temperatures to take in the official rehearsal of the presidential inauguration ceremonies? A few of our Flickr contributors did, and they grabbed these shots to share with DCist readers.
The rumors were true: the Presidential Inaugural Committee has released the list of confirmed performers for what's being called We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, scheduled to air on HBO on Sunday, January 18 from 7-9 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. There's no set start time for the concert itself yet, just a note that it will be taped on Sunday afternoon. (NB: We've updated this paragraph to clarify the concert schedule).
We've argued that the private home rental market for the inauguration has been seriously overblown. Few D.C. residents we've talked to report having successfully rented out their pads via Craigslist or other online listing service. But more and more, we are hearing that locals will be playing host to friends and/or family who are willing to crash on a couch for a chance to be a part of the historic celebrations. Are you hosting any guests for the inauguration?
Update, 3:30 p.m.: The statehood site is now live, though it's pretty basic.
The AlertDC system, responding about four hours late to the game, is reporting that the water main break at 16th and L Streets NW that throttled downtown traffic this morning is not estimated to be repaired until 6 p.m. at the earliest. That means you should plan on your trek home possibly being as infuriating as the trip to the office was this a.m. DDOT is still advising motorists to avoid 16th and 17th Streets downtown.
We've been getting a steady stream of emails from frustrated readers who arrived at their offices late this morning due to 16th Street NW being closed, at first below M Street, and now we're told as far north as up to R Street. The mess is due to a water main break at 16th and L Streets (part of L is also closed) that's also causing low water pressure for a couple of office buildings at the intersection. We'll update when we have more, but in the meantime, we're hearing it'd be best to avoid 16th, 17th and K and L Streets in the area.
Charles Ramsey can't be too jealous of his former protégé and now D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier. After all, he's got good numbers; she doesn't. In his first year as Philadelphia's Police Commissioner, the District's former top cop saw a 15 percent decline in homicides, handing Mayor Michael Nutter a substantial victory in his pledge to reduce citywide crime. Lanier, on the other hand, had to deal with a second straight year of increases in the District's homicide tally, the first back-to-back jump since 1990-91. Lanier and Ramsey did rely on similarly controversial police tactics to clamp down on crime though, with Lanier resorting to police checkpoints outside of Trindad and Ramsey allowing officers to more aggressively stop, question and frisk Philadelphia residents.
Good morning, Washington. The city has experienced its first full weekend with the Obamas living here, and if we're to use it as any kind of example, the future first family certainly don't seem like they're going to be wallflowers. As you already read, the president-elect had a half-smoke at Ben's with Mayor Fenty, causing quite a stir on the U Street corridor on Saturday afternoon. Then later that night, the entire family made an impromptu visit to see the Lincoln Memorial. Obama, his wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha hung out at the memorial of the president-elect's hero for about 20 minutes. What do you suppose the over/under is on how long it'll take District residents to get bored with Obama-spotting? Three months?
The family at the National Zoo expanded today! Everyone welcome the newest addition to the Great Ape House: this guy! Or girl! Born to 26-year-old mother Mandara and 16-year-old father Baraka, this infant's sex has yet to be determined. It may be a little while before this bunch of wrinkles gets a name.
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By now you've seen the front page Washington Post photo, but here's a few other images of President-elect Barack Obama's visit Saturday to Ben's Chili Bowl with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty. None of us was lucky enough to happen to be inside when the two men showed up at the venerable U Street eatery, but Flickr contributor goldmember was strolling by and caught the crowd gathered outside and the secret service vehicles block traffic.
No one tell James and Tyrone Coleman, District kids aged 13 and 11, about Craigslist. The Coleman brothers, you see, won the Presidential Inauguration Committee's essay contest and will receive two sweet seats near the White House to watch the Inauguration Day parade. WUSA excerpts from their darling essays on community service.
Check it! Flags on the Capitol! Seats on the lawn! Ronnie R has the view that very few of us should expect to see come Tuesday. Think they'd let any of us take a seat for the dress rehearsal?
Bars will close at the usual time of 3 a.m. for the nights of Friday the 16th and Saturday the 17th. On Sunday and Monday, they'll be allowed to stay open an extra hour and close at 3 a.m. And on Tuesday, inauguration day, they'll keep partying until 4 a.m. instead of the usual 2 a.m.A number of establishments that you might not really think of as bars are liable to stay up past closing time, primarily restaurants.
Ten thousand National Guard members will be joining a stepped-up D.C. police presence over the inauguration, the Washington Post's Inauguration Watch reports. And those police officers are going to be cranky: The force has them all working 12-hour shifts across a 6-day week. One police officer told this writer that his shift would start at 4 a.m. and end by 4 p.m. Is the inauguration gonna pay for all that overtime?
are some other priorities that want attention, and in any case, both Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden have said directly that they don't support gay marriage.
WMATA has sent around word of delays of up to a half hour on the Red Line throughout the evening due to a cracked rail that was discovered on the outbound track approaching the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan station. Trains are sharing one track between Woodley Park and Van Ness-UDC, with delays in both directions. The cracked rail was discovered just after 4 p.m. Delays are expected to last through 7 p.m. Metro is recommending looking for an L2 Metrobus. DCist is recommending going to straight to happy hour and not boarding a Red line train until well after 7, and well after several cocktails.
Another classic WMATA video for the collection (see the Peeps/Nationals Park, controversial Pope Benedict bobblehead, and Kung Fu littering videos for a history lesson).
Yep. In news that will shock literally no one, Ticketmaster's allotment of 5,000 inaugural parade tickets sold out in under a minute — this was the image that greeted us at 1:01 p.m. on the dot. Did anyone actually manage to score any? A few are already starting to pop up on Craigslist.
Tickets for the 56th Inaugural Parade go on sale to the public at 1 p.m. today for $25 each through Ticketmaster. There are only 5,000 such tickets for bleacher seats being made available to the public, so expect them to go in the blink of an eye. Each person is limited to four tickets per purchase.
As we wrote on Monday, all of those dreams of thousands of dollars in extra disposable income courtesy of the out-of-state fools who dared come to the District for the inauguration of President Barack Obama have fast been deflated by reality. Today the Post follows up today with an article of its own, detailing how over-ambitious District residents and almost catastrophically high crowd estimates combined to scare away the many country bumpkins we were hoping would make us all just a little richer. That's not to say that some people haven't gotten lucky -- just that it hasn't been that many of us.
WJLA brings our attention to this YouTube video, titled "How the Washington DC Police lock up Black Man" by the person who uploaded it, which shows Metropolitan Police Department officers arresting a 27-year-old man who police say is suspected of breaking into an apartment.
The Smithsonian museums around the National Mall have all been ordered to stay open on January 20 in order to provide potential shelter and bathrooms for the Inauguration Day throngs. Now comes this story about how museum employees plan to manage to be there to open up at 8 a.m. that morning: camp overnight at work. Yes, a number of workers at the National Museum of American History are planning a large slumber party the night before the inauguration, which is pretty cute (and considering the transportation nightmare of the next morning, also pretty smart). Too bad none of them will be returning home by Rolls Royce after a grand adventure investigating the origin of a beautiful statue.
Yesterday Mayor Fenty announced a new Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs program that will put all 4,800 apartment buildings in the District on a mandatory four-year inspection cycle (two years if inspectors find substantial code violations). Before now, DCRA inspections only occurred after tenants reported problems. The program is being touted as a more proactive way to protect residents, particularly low income ones, from slumlords. (Check out Hamil Harris's story in the Post for an amusing anecdote from the presser, which took place at a Southeast apartment building that Fenty was holding up as an inspection success story. Harris reports that city officials appeared "taken by surprise" by a group of residents who interrupted the mayor to point out existing code violations in the building.)
WTOP's Mark Segraves reported yesterday that Sober Ride, the free taxi service provided by the Washington Regional Alcohol Program on major holidays, will not operate on Inauguration Day. Can't say we're too surprised, given the fact that it's usually impossible to take advantage of the service on a Halloween or New Year's Eve, let alone on a day when the city is expecting upwards of 2 million visitors and almost half the city will be closed to vehicular traffic. It's going to be hard enough to find a regular taxi on January 20; we can't imagine anyone was expecting a free ride that day.
Well-located office that can double as living space available immediately. One half-bath, one to three potential bedrooms, no kitchen but a small refrigerator is included. Prime location with fantastic view of Capitol, just floors above a number of eating options and blocks away from a number of restaurants and bars. Orange Line Metro just a block away. No rent, no credit check, no references. You just need to get elected to the House of Representatives.If you're Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Ut.), welcome home.
We had a little snowpocalypse false alarm around 10:15 a.m. this morning in parts of downtown D.C. and Northern Virginia. A dark cloud passed overhead that deposited some big fat flakes, and then promptly moved on, bringing back sunny skies that have probably already melted most of what touched the ground. Flickr contributor Angela Kleis was kind enough to run out and snap a shot of some flakes outside her office in Manassas before they disappeared.
As expected, the U.S. Secret Service, along with regional transportation officials and the MPD, unveiled their plan yesterday to close all Potomac River bridge crossings on Inauguration Day. The announcement also included the above map, which shows plans to close off almost 3.5 square miles of downtown Washington to vehicular traffic starting at 3 p.m. on January 19 until the morning of January 21. You can download PDFs of both the Law Enforcement and Public Safety Public Affairs Subcommittee Joint Transportation Plan and the Secret Service Security Plan at the D.C. government's Getting There web site. Both documents contain extensive information on road closures and restrictions throughout the inaugural celebration period. Maryland and Virginia also have special web sites set up with the latest information. Below the jump, you'll find excerpts from the recent announcements that include lists of road closures and traffic restrictions. Of special note for those of you planning on walking down to the National Mall for the inauguration will be the list of pedestrian access points -- you'll want to pick which way you plan to walk before you set out that morning, or you may find yourself stuck.
Good morning, Washington. With so much focus in local news coverage on the inauguration, it's easy to forget that George Bush is still the president until 11:59 a.m. on January 20, and that his administration is still able to make important decisions. In what will be the final major act by outgoing Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, the Dulles rail project has at last been given the federal approval it needed to proceed without restrictions. Congress still has 60 days to comment on the project, but after that, $900 million in federal grants will be awarded to extend the new Silver line. The earliest anyone will be able to ride Metro to Dulles would be 2015, and given the nature of such a massive undertaking, we have to expect there will be delays. Still, considering the project appeared to be nearly dead a year ago, the Bush administration approval is a huge win for all of the state and local agencies that worked tirelessly to keep the Silver line alive.
If you didn't catch this Examiner report by Michael Neibauer this morning, make sure to take a look. The story intimates that the reporter himself was responsible for halting, at least temporarily, a Columbia Heights real estate deal that could have ended up costing District taxpayers an additional $2 million for no good reason. The vacant 32-unit building at 1483 Newton St. NW is intended to be rehabilitated into affordable housing, but there is a huge discrepancy between the building's assessed value and how much the city had offered to pay for it. Given that, as Jim Graham points out in the story, it's unclear whether the rundown building even has usable walls, Deputy Mayor Neil Albert put a hold on the deal after receiving questions about it from Neibauer.
One of the drawbacks to having a high-profile figure like Michelle Rhee running the city schools is that so much of the education coverage tends to be about Rhee herself, rather than the work her office is (or isn't) doing. In a column last weekend, Colbert I. King argued that "the issue is not whether the chancellor is a polarizing figure with her take-no-prisoners approach, or is a fearless crusader against defenders of the status quo. At issue is whether public education in the District is being improved."
Yesterday, the Presidential Inaugural Committee sent out a release announcing that a deal had been struck with HBO that would allow the pay cable network to broadcast exclusively an event being called the "Opening Celebration for the 56th Presidential Inaugural," a free concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial planned for Sunday, January 18. The release boasted that event will feature "some of the biggest acts in the world of entertainment." Today, WTOP reported they've heard that Bruce Springsteen is expected to headline.
The Examiner's Michael Neibauer reports today that the D.C. Council is considering requiring all license plates issued by the District Department of Motor Vehicles to be the 'Taxation Without Representation' version. Currently, residents may request a license plate from the DMV that bears the city's web site url, “www.dc.gov,” instead of the voting rights slogan.
After a first vote in late December, on Tuesday the D.C. Council gave final approval to a measure that doubles parking meter rates downtown from $1 to $2 an hour, reports WTOP's Mark Segraves. The rate hikes will also hit other parts of town, though less so -- expect to pay a quarter more an hour. District officials expect the hike to raise an additional $2 to $7 million a year, which will be directed to affordable housing programs and restoring the O Street Market.
Good morning, Washington. Ice! Good lord, there's ice! Not much, admittedly — in fact, by this hour there's probably almost none. But still, the weather's been so unpleasant for the last day or so that we find ourselves wishing for evidence that it's transcended mere unpleasantness and moved straight into genuine deadliness. Today's weather is also supposed to be pretty miserable, but the rain should begin letting up toward the end of the afternoon. Kaine Revisits Virginia Smoking Ban: Tim Kaine is taking one more shot at secondhand smoke in Virginia bars and restaurants, WJLA reports. The governor and freshly-minted DNC chair has met with disappointment on similar efforts in the past, but says he's optimistic that changes in the General Assembly make it more viable now. Even if this push fails, a soon-to-be-introduced bill with more modest ambitions — allow communities in Northern Virginia to issue their own smaller-scale bans — may still succeed, according to WTOP. Key Bridge to be Closed for Inauguration: Well, that pretty much does it. WTOP reports that Key Bridge will be closed on the 20th, joining the 14th Street, Memorial and Roosevelt Bridges in being inaccessible to private cars on the day of the inauguration. This means that it will be more or less impossible for a driver to get from Arlington to the District on that day — with the possible exception of Chain Bridge, which officials say will either be closed or so clogged as to be completely useless. Briefly Noted: School bus crash leaves three kids with minor injuries... Freez King, a Frederick landmark, is up for sale... Protest permits granted for inauguration... Montgomery County on track for significant increase in crime... Apartment fire in Arlington sends 15 to hospital... This Day In DCist: One year ago Target was getting ready to open its Columbia Heights store and plans emerged for rebuilding College Park. Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user mindgutter
Former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard! Chalk another scoop up to the Washington Post's transition blog. Turns out that the only overnight guest staying at Blair House between now and Jan. 15 is Howard, who will be in town to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bush on Jan. 13.
Cue the Dr. McDreamy jokes, ladies. The Washington Post is reporting that the neurosurgeon who became a household name as CNN's chief health correspondent plans to accept the position of Surgeon General in soon-to-be-President Obama's administration. More than a pretty face on the tube, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is a former White House fellow, where he acted as a special advisor for health policy to then First Lady Hillary Clinton. The stellar notations on his resume also include his current position as assistant professor of neurosurgery, performing five brain surgeries while embedded with a U.S. Navy unit in Iraq in 2003, and, of course, being named one of People Magazine's Sexiest Men in 2003. Gupta is reported to be hesitating only due to the large pay cut, but is still expected to accept the position in the next few days. So gear up for Gupta sightings, D.C. Just keep in mind the man is married with kids.
Be advised for your evening commute of a serious fire at 2209 14th Street NW, which is a small retail space. Fire officials have closed 14th Street NW between V Street and Florida Ave., along with part of the intersection at 15th St. NW and W St. NW. Avoid this area if possible on your commute home. Don't take a 50-line bus if you can help it. UPDATE: We've heard this space used to be a dollar store, but it was vacated to make way for an expansion of the nearby YMCA.
In case it wasn't clear in Martin's earlier post, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton did in fact introduce the D.C. Voting Rights Bill in the House earlier today, and Sen. Joseph Lieberman and Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah introduced the same legislation in the Senate. The AP has a brief report about the action, and over at City Desk, editor Erik Wemple is doing the hero's work of live-blogging the Senate proceedings via C-SPAN 2. No senator has bothered to come forward to say anything about the voting rights bill so far (since it was introduced by Sen. Lieberman -- you can download his full remarks here), but Robert Byrd did read a lengthy, rambling statement about the history of the U.S. Senate. Opening day Senate proceedings are something of hoot, aren't they?
D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton has made no secret of her desire to see the D.C. voting rights issue move, and move quickly. The Post's Mary Beth Sheridan writes today that Norton will introduce legislation granting both the District and Utah additional seats in the House (the same proposal passed the House in April 2007, though it failed in the Senate in September), while Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Ut.) will present the same measure to the Senate. In Norton's ideal world, all the debates and voting would be wrapped up by February 12, the bicentennial anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birthday.
You have just got to be friggin' kidding me. The Associated Press is reporting that former administrative law judge Roy Pearson has filed a petition with the D.C. Court of Appeals requesting that his $54 million pants lawsuit case be reheard again, this time by a nine-judge panel. Three appellate judges ruled last month that Pearson's lawsuit had no merit. Pearson is now arguing that those judges failed to address all the issues in his appeal, and so is asking the full court to rehear the case. We just don't know if we can take another round of Pearson-related court proceedings. Surely the court can just reject his request at this point and refuse to rehear the case again, right? Pretty please?
Prince George's County police are warning residents after a woman was robbed and sexually assaulted in broad daylight on Sunday afternoon.
Just like November 5 saw a run on post-election editions of the Washington Post and New York Times, Metro says it is doing brisk business with their commemorative Barack Obama inauguration SmarTrip card.
Good morning, D.C. The city is grappling with more than its fair share of commute-relate challenges this week, it seems. As the Examiner rightly notes, President-Elect Barack Obama's presence at the Hay-Adams Hotel is causing all kinds of traffic woes. There was a large apartment fire in Arlington early this morning, which briefly shut down a westbound stretch of U.S. 50. And there's something cold and wet falling out of the sky, increasing the possibility that the threat of ice will cause area residents to drive like complete idiots. Be careful out on those roads, DCist readers.
Al Franken declared victory late Monday in his race against Norm Coleman for a U.S. Senate seat from Minnesota. The Minnesota Canvassing Board certified the recount today, with Franken winning by 225 votes.
WMATA updated its web site late Monday afternoon with a new menu option where customers can find temporary bus detour information. The agency added the option in response to customer concerns about the Metrobus detours associated with Secret Service activity and road closures around the Hay-Adams Hotel, where President-elect Obama and his family are staying until January 15.
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