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.
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