News

Because he believes in limited government, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced a bill that would prohibit District women from seeking abortions more than 20 weeks after a pregnancy begins. more ›

For as much as some of our commenters gripe, there's a reason DCist and other news organizations keep tabs on the Twitter accounts of our elected officials here. Mayor Vince Gray and most members of the D.C. Council are fond of the micro-blogging service, and they use it well. more ›

Word from the Washington Convention Center today is that a D.C. Council retreat -- awkwardly timed to coincide with Valentine's Day -- featured yet another shouting match and expletives hurled between Councilmembers David Catania (I-At Large) and Marion Barry (D-Ward 8). more ›

A popular program that allows D.C. public school students to receive tuition for private school education has had its funding cut under President Obama's 2013 budget. more ›

The world knows full well that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, in his own words, "think[s] grandiose thoughts," but do we really want to hear his ideations for the most amorous day of the year? The Republican presidential candidate was asked how he plans to spend Valentine's Day. more ›

Should Peyton Manning become a Washington Redskin? Mayor Vince Gray doesn't think so. more ›

LivingSocial, the rapidly growing deal-of-the-day company based in Washington, is opening a physical location at 918 F Street where it will start hosting many of the food and retail events it sells on its website. more ›

Videos of the interrogation of convicted Lululemon killer Brittany Norwood have been released, and they show her lying about the circumstances that led to the brutal death of co-worker Jayna Murray. more ›

The Washington region ranks third nationally in terms of the use of public transit. It's no wonder why -- we've got the worst traffic in the country. more ›

In today's roundup: Bad texts made for bad prosecution, White House budget shortchanges Metro, and charter schools are on the rise. Oh, yeah, it's Valentine's Day. more ›

In today's Go Home Already: the Post gets the Gray Lady treatment, Capital Bikeshare hits 1.5 million rides and you'd be surprised how young some suspended students are. more ›

Associate Justice Stephen Breyer was robbed while on vacation in the Caribbean. Crime against the Supreme Court justices isn't without precedent, though. more ›

President Obama's sudden support for a measure that would allow the District to spend its own money (and thus avoid future threats of a shutdown) is a big deal, but some D.C. voting rights advocates are stressing that his actions have to speak louder than his words. more ›

Earlier today, a new protest group showed up at Freedom Plaza in downtown Washington. They brought signs and tents, and they're here to stay through early March. Occupy Occupy D.C. is the work of the National Center for Public Policy Research, a right-wing think tank. more ›

At last week's Conservative Political Action Conference, one couldn't walk five feet through Marriott Wardman Park Hotel without hearing some columnist, elected official or ordinary attendee inveigh against organized labor. The hotel's largely union staff put up with it by showing their pride. more ›

The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics today gave the OK to two recall petitions, one targeted at Mayor Vince Gray and the other at D.C. Council Chair Kwame Brown. more ›

If you didn't have anything better to do Saturday, perhaps you were on Capitol Hill running around in your skivvies, for Cupid's Undie Run, a barely-clad benefit to raise money to fight neurofibromatosis. Photographer Kevin Carroll was there. more ›

Four people were arrested this morning after hanging a "Tibet Will Be Free" banner off of the Memorial Bridge. more ›

President Obama has included language in his 2013 federal budget that would allow the District to spend its own money when and how it wants. more ›

Plenty of people may have been happy when Interior Secretary Ken Salazar agreed to change a controversial quote on the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, but the man in charge of the foundation that raised the money to build it certainly isn't one. more ›

Good morning, Washington. In the news today: 1,800 residents gathered for Mayor Gray's One City Summit, Metro is spending $51 million on outside contractors and Internet gambling's future in D.C. remains uncertain. more ›

Plenty happened this week, including a local Andrew Breitbart flip-out, Marion Barry playing football analyst, Virginia searching for a new state song and some funky looking new street signs. more ›

Whet your appetite en route to Sunday dinner with a couple of tasty news bites featuring the economics of family, fashion week and the Grammys. more ›

Police are investigating after a man's body was found dead Sunday morning just off the National Mall near the bank of the Potomac River. more ›

The Sunday Morning Post featuring Whitney Houston, snow, Trump and more. more ›

Curated content featuring the big moments of the Conservative Political Action Conference 2012. more ›

Afternoon snack featuring D.C. themed valentines, animals who think they're people, fashion week and more. more ›

The Saturday morning post featuring the D.C. employee code of ethics, smartphone robberies on the rise, snow shoveling laws and other news of the day. more ›

About 6:15 p.m. Friday night, Occupy D.C. protesters returned to the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel to protest this weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference. Upon hearing they were outside, conservative blog mogul Andrew Breitbart stepped outside and unleashed his fury at the demonstrators, calling them "freaks and animals" at the top of his lungs. more ›

In today's Go Home Already: President Obama samples DC Brau, a congressman wants the Eisenhower Memorial put on hold and Baked & Wired provides the most cupcake for your buck. more ›

Occupy D.C. and the movement in general has been big news around the city and the world. You could debate its impact, and there are definitely a lot of people that strongly believe in it and others that decry it, but maybe something else will come of it. Like the plot for a lame romantic comedy. more ›

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced today that the process to change a paraphrased quote on the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial to reflect a complete statement by the civil rights leader will take about a year. more ›

Metro announced today that it would hold six public hearings on a menu of fare hikes that would see the cost of just entering the system during peak hours rise from $1.95 to $2.10 and the maximum cost for a trip jump from $5.00 to $5.75. more ›

Several hundred protesters descended on the gates of the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel earlier this afternoon to voice their displeasure with the Conservative Political Action Conference going on inside. more ›

The decorative street lights that have hung over Adams Morgan for the last decade are coming down as part of a broader makeover of the nightlife destination. more ›

No, you're not going crazy -- the District is getting some new street signs. But what gives with one that popped up on New Hampshire Avenue this week? more ›

Most everyone has a smart phone these days, and plenty of people aren't discrete about using them out in the open. But for D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier, every smart phone user is a potential victim, and today she joined Mayor Vince Gray in warning of a citywide uptick in robberies and thefts of phones and other electronic gadgets. more ›

After the first day of the Conservative Political Action Conference, hundreds of bloggers got together to celebrate their rising power in right-wing politics and talk about just how much they loathe the mainstream media. more ›

Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey is angry that the Nats would actually want Nats fans in the stands for their three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies. more ›

It's time for your weekly warnings of Metro track work, and if you're a Blue Line user, consider yourself lucky. According to WMATA, every line but the Blue will be undergoing some sort of work from 10 p.m. tonight until the system closes on Sunday. more ›

After months of out-of-the-ring sparring over the result of their last bout, D.C. native Lamont Peterson and Amir Khan will battle it out again on May 19 in Las Vegas. more ›

Though it has always been accepted as common law, yesterday the Virginia House of Delegates passed a measure that officially grants civil immunity to those who use deadly force against intruders, reports the Washington Times. more ›

Good morning, Washington. In the news today: an initiative in D.C. that would ban corporate contributions to campaigns moves forward, Maryland starts debate over same-sex marriage and Virginia allows adoption agencies to deny placements based on moral beliefs. more ›

In today's go home already: Cops testify in U. Va. lacrosse murder case, more on the turmoil at D.C. Fire Department and Maryland gets nearly $1 billion in foreclosure settlement. more ›

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli turned on nearly all his boilerplate bromides in accepting the "Defender of the Constitution" Award today at the Conservative Political Action Conference. He touched on most of his signature issues, but not the rats. Rats. more ›

While at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, we dropped in on a dating seminar for single Republicans. The mostly male audience left a bit disappointed. more ›

A senior official in D.C. Fire and Emergency Services was suspended this week for comments he made on Twitter and Facebook, reports the Washington Times. more ›

Do you feel like drivers in D.C. can't parallel park? There might be a reason for that. more ›

Albrecht Muth has always been an odd character, and a judge ruled today that he wasn't capable of representing himself in his upcoming trial for the murder of wife Viola Drath last year. more ›

The Occupy D.C. protester who allegedly hurled a bottle of Coca-Cola into the face of a U.S. Park Police officer at last weekend's massive clearing out of McPherson Square was released today to a halfway house pending his next court date. more ›

There's been an abundance of messages this week on the Yahoo! Group for residents of the HIll East neighborhood with complaints about startlingly high bills from the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority. more ›

Are you annoyed because the District salted its roads for what ended up being some rain? Yeah, well Mayor Vince Gray has a message for you. more ›

After four months, Emily Miller finally got her gun. But the Washington Times scribe and D.C. resident isn't content just basking in her newfound status as a gun owner -- she wants to make the process easier for everyone else. more ›

Despite a unanimous vote in support of a five-cent bag fee in the Prince George's County Council this week, a Maryland State House committee voted the proposal down yesterday. more ›

In April 2011, Antonio Davis was arrested during a protest on Capitol Hill. Almost a year later, he faces trial because the doctor-recommended marijuana he uses to mitigate the pain from AIDS registered on a court-mandated drug test. more ›

The D.C. Taxicab Commission announced yesterday that it would restore a baggage-handling surcharge that it had originally removed from a fare increase proposal that will likely take effect in the coming months. more ›

In today's Morning Roundup: The Post has an affecting look at the struggles of battered immigrant women, the City Paper looks at how Counter Culture coffee became so common, and Montgomery County leaders channel a certain 80s rocker. more ›

In today's Go Home Already: Harvard takes on Cameroon, a Chicago-based camera retailer takes Penn Camera locations and yes, that rat summit is actually happening. more ›

The TSA is going to make going through airport security checkpoints a bit breezier, but only for flyers willing to be pre-screened, and then only those on certain flights on certain airlines. Yeah, airport security is still complicated. more ›

The New Hampshire House of Representatives today voted down a resolution that would have made the Granite State the first state to officially endorse the prospect of granting full statehood to the District of Columbia. more ›

Disgraced former Ward 5 councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr. stole over $350,000 from the District, and it doesn't look like the city will be getting that back anytime soon. more ›

District officials elaborated more on the allegations this week that as many as many as 150 current and former city employees allegedly drew unemployment insurance payments at the same time they earned their regular salaries. more ›

In just more evidence that the turmoil in U.S. newsrooms is far from over, Washington Post Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli wrote in an email today that the newspaper would offer voluntary buyouts to newsroom employees. more ›

With snow expected to start falling and the District sure to empty out ahead of the afternoon rush, the D.C. Department of Transportation wants you to know which roads are safe to drive on. more ›

A Mercedes-Benz with a license plate voicing support for Occupy D.C.? We'd like to know more about the owner. more ›

Mayor Vince Gray said at a press conference today that in building the District's trade relationship with China, the continuous building boom in the world's second-largest economy could use the knowledge of D.C.'s tech sector. more ›

That there's criticism of speed cameras in the District isn't new. And with new cameras catching speeders across the city, new complaints are coming quick. more ›

With snow expected today and officials nervous of what it could do to the evening commute, the Office of Personnel Management announced this morning that federal workers could take unscheduled leave or work from home. more ›

The District is a step closer to being able to more flexibly schedule it's own elections, but it's still a mighty big step. more ›

Mayor Vince Gray played the sunny optimist last night in delivering his second State of the District address. In a 54-minute speech before a packed house at Sixth and I Historic Synagogue, the mayor portrayed the District as an island of economic stability and growth. more ›

What a difference a couple of weeks makes. Since we last checked, D.C. United's roster has taken shape and the team is closer to a deal that will keep it at RK Stadium through the 2012 season. more ›

The lack of snow this winter may be depressing for those of us who like winter sports or snow days, but local governments certainly aren't shedding a tear. more ›

Good morning, Washington. In the news today: the region's foreign-born population surges, the Prince George's County Council approves a five-cent bag fee and Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) won't ever give up the dream of getting the Redskins back. more ›

In today's Go Home Already: More fighting at the D.C. Council today, Sharpton does an ad for same-sex marriage in Maryland, and Brett Haber gets it right about the Super Bowl. more ›

The Embassy of Ecuador, located in a historic building just off of Meridian Hill Park, recently relocated to an office in Georgetown while work can be done to repair damage that occurred in during the August 2011 earthquake. more ›

Prince George's County police this afternoon released the identities of the victims of two nearby homicides Monday night. more ›

Seriously, sometimes it's just beyond ridiculous the way the Smithsonian National Zoo toys with our emotions. Like with this pair of red pandas. more ›

He may have some goofy politics, but Donald Trump is still a real estate mogul at heart. And today he landed a big local property to redevelop: the Old Post Office located at 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. more ›

A new report from the Urban Institute says that while the D.C. area weathered the late-2000s recession "relatively well," the region still endures a stubbornly high unemployment rate and a poverty rate of about 8 percent. more ›

This afternoon the D.C. Council overwhelmingly voted to repeal the District's first-in-the-nation Internet gambling program. more ›

Something else D.C. is pretty good at? Setting scientific education standards for our public school students. The District tied with California to top a national survey of science curricula. more ›

While we may get up to an inch of snow tomorrow, today the D.C. Council voted to table a proposed law that would force more residents to shovel their walks. more ›

The deaths of two young men whose bodies were discovered last night in New Carrollton have been ruled homicides, Prince George's County Police said. more ›

This week U.S. News and World Report offered its judgment on the 21 best places to take a vacation in the U.S., and the District took second place behind San Francisco. more ›

The Golden Triangle Business Improvement District is soliciting entries for its annual bike rack design competition. Winner gets a cash stipend; more importantly, the we get a snazzy new place to park our bikes. more ›

After initial reports that an Occupy D.C. demonstrator threw a brick at a U.S. Park Police officer during Saturday's crackdown on the protest movement's camp at McPherson Square, court documents released Monday said it was in fact a bottle of Coca-Cola. more ›

In today's Morning Roundup: Working on a dump truck, tiny houses in Northeast D.C. and a third arrest in the murder of Lenny Harris. more ›

In today's Go Home Already: the Examiner gets a buggy redesign, it's Meat-Free Week and Virginians get closer to being able to buy more guns each month. more ›

A bill that would allow the District more flexibility in scheduling its elections may finally move forward in Congress. more ›

I almost didn't believe it this morning when TBD's Ryan Kearney, rounding up the post-Super Bowl front pages of local newspapers, spotted this clunker of a subhead in the Examiner. An attempted slight toward Giants fans, or just lazy copyediting? more ›

Double dipping at a party might get you some nasty looks, but doing it when you work for the District's government will get you fired and prosecuted. more ›

Yesterday afternoon some 60 protesters gathered in a newly barren McPherson Square to discuss how a movement that so closely linked its message to its tactics could transition in a post-camping world. No longer was a presence enough to remind the one percent that the 99 percent was watching; from this point on, Occupy D.C. has to make its point without actually occupying. more ›

Despite hinting that it would settle for anything from College Park to Baltimore as an alternative to its aging digs at RFK Stadium, D.C. United looks poised to remain in the District for the 2012 season. more ›

Police on Friday identified released the identity of a transgender person who was fatally stabbed last week near a Metrobus stop on East Capitol Street NE and also released video from a nearby traffic camera depicting an individual who is being described as a "person of interest." more ›

The Nats might stink as a baseball team, but the four presidents that serve as their official team mascots are pretty universally loved. Soon you'll be able to try out for your chance to be one of them. more ›

As the world watched the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl last night, Councilmember Marion Barry (D-Ward 8), took to Twitter to reminisce about the Redskins' salad days and lament their current woes. more ›

It was on this day two years ago that the District dug itself out of 18 inches of snow. Today, well, it's bone dry and seasonably chilly. more ›

Compared to the clearing out of McPherson Square on Saturday, the enforcement of no-camping rules by the National Park Service in Freedom Plaza on Sunday was a slow burn. more ›

Good morning, Washington. In the news today: a member of the DCist staff cheers the victorious Giants, Georgetown group seeks more crime cameras and Sulaimon Brown heads back to court. more ›

Afternoon snack featuring Liz Phair on Lana Del Rey, new stats about Facebook use and other tasty news bites. more ›

Beyond the significant news in Occupy D.C. this week, we celebrated our own local Groundhog Day, debated the pronunciation of McPherson and awwed at some pictures of wolf cubs. more ›

The lawyer who has represented Occupy D.C. in federal court in previous appeals for the protest group to stay at McPherson Square said he'll "be filing some paperwork" in the wake of U.S. Park Police making an exhaustive sweep of the park to enforce the ban on camping there. more ›

DCist photographer James Calder was on hand yesterday when U.S. Park Police and Occupy D.C. protesters clashed as police tried to clear part of McPherson Square to check tents for camping material. The pictures he captured are evidence of the tension, emotion and confusion that reigned during the day. more ›

A day after a U.S. Park Police raid on the Occupy D.C. encampment in McPherson Square, inspections and clean-up continued into Sunday morning. more ›

It's Super Bowl Sunday so get your fix of non-football news early. Featuring McPherson Square road closings, D.C. Public Schools teaching tolerance, Romney's sense of humor and other news of the day. more ›

On a day in which U.S. Park Police methodically inspected the Occupy D.C. encampment in McPherson Square for violations of no-camping rules, tension could often be felt between police and protesters. But for D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the day evolved better than could have been expected. more ›

Eight people from Occupy D.C. were arrested and scores of tents removed as U.S. Park Police spent the day enforcing the ban on camping in McPherson Square in what was by far the largest show of force yet agains the four-month-old protest. more ›

Afternoon snack featuring Bjork as music teacher, the slow death of Occupy and other midday news bites. more ›

Wake up sleepy heads, news is already breaking this Saturday morning and we were up early to make sure you’d be able to read it with your morning coffee. Featuring Occupy, food trucks, hunger strikes and other news of the day. more ›

Early this morning U.S. Park Police moved into the Occupy D.C. encampment in McPherson Square and removed the "Tent of Dreams," a tarp that had hung from the statue of Gen. James McPherson since Monday. They also set up barricades and told protesters that they would be searching tents for any evidence of camping, such as bedding. more ›

In today's Go Home Already: a loophole in the D.C. ethics bill, police in Maryland are asked to stop saying "10-4" and restaurants fire back at new rules for food trucks. more ›

In relating the tragic story of a transgender woman who was stabbed and killed last night, we dropped the ball on some basic terms. more ›

A Ward 5 ANC wasn't particularly impressed with four applicants for medical marijuana cultivation center licenses yesterday, and even Montel Williams' emotional pleas seemed to change their minds. more ›

One of the Occupy D.C. "sleep strikers" we met with earlier this week has gone to bed. The other, now in his fifth day without any rest, says he's trying to stay awake for a couple more days. Is he crazy? Not yet. more ›

Branding has been a buzzword in the last few decades: you want people to think of something on your terms, not theirs. Perhaps the folks from Occupy D.C. could take a few pointers. more ›

A transgender person who was stabbed last night at a Metrobus stop last night has died, WTOP reports. The death of the victim, who has not been identified, brings to memory the spate of violence last year against transgender people. more ›

Roseanne Barr wants to be the next U.S. president. So do a lot of other fringe candidates, from one guy with a boot hat to another who bases his campaign platform on the 1611 King James Bible. We review but a small sampling of them. more ›

Another weekend means another round of sometimes difficult-to-navigate Metrorail service advisories. Once again, sections of the Blue and Orange lines are going quiet for more track work and—in this instance—sludge removal. more ›

Mayor Vince Gray is running around Lower Manhattan today visiting all three major credit-rating agencies, lobbying for an increase in the District's municipal bond ratings, which have been unchanged since 2009. more ›

As part of a Valentine's Day promotion, the National Zoo wants you to know the many different ways that animal show their love for each other. more ›

A Virginia Senate committee voted down a provision yesterday that would have forbidden any abortions after 20 weeks, the point at which pro-life organization say that fetuses can feel pain. more ›

Good morning, Washington. In the news today: that $240 million D.C. budget surplus isn't going anywhere, Occupy D.C. loses a court case and Red Line commuters face three more years of frustration. more ›

In today's Go Home Already, another arrest in the Lenny Harris case, Metrorail showing its age, and wind energy off Virginia. more ›

David Rubenstein, the billionaire venture capitalist and philanthropist, unveiled at the National Archives this morning his copy of the Magna Carta, the 13th-century English document that set the groundwork for our system of common law. more ›

Prince George's County is considering imposing its own five-cent fee on plastic bags. more ›

Uber, the upscale app-based livery service, has had a tumultuous go of it since launching in Washington late last year. In an article today, Fortune takes a look at the simmering feud between the company's founder, Travis Kalanick, and the D.C. Taxicab Commission. more ›

Potomac Phil may have been a stuffed groundhog, but PETA doesn't think that the annual Groundhog Day celebration is anything to take lightly. more ›

The bitch set him up -- with an iPhone. more ›

Police in the District are still looking for suspects in the tragic death of an infant girl that was left outside a home in Northeast on a freezing winter night in mid-January. more ›

Two members of Occupy D.C. are in the fourth day of a "sleep strike" in protest of the National Park Service's enforcement on the ban on camping in McPherson Square. They've been awake since Monday. A doctor who specializes in sleep disorders says it's a very bad idea. more ›

Hey, who's that good-government guy? You know, the one who ran for the Councilmember Jim Graham's Ward 1 seat in 2010 and then again in that special election for an at-large spot on the D.C. Council? Starts with a B or something. more ›

When it comes to financing their campaigns, incumbents in D.C. are pulling further and further away from their challengers. more ›

On the same day that something happened in a small town in Pennsylvania, Potomac Phil emerged from his mid-winter slumber for long enough to tell anxious D.C. residents what they didn't want to hear -- we've got six more weeks of winter coming. more ›

When it comes to an issue as controversial as same-sex marriage can be, adults can have some pretty set opinions. But Sarah Crank, a home-schooled 14-year-old from Bowie, took the chance this week to let a Maryland Senate committee know what she thought about the state's renewed push for marriage equality. more ›

Good morning DCist, it's Groundhog Day, not that it matters since it's kind of springtime already. In today's roundup, embassies fight over LEED status, Maryland union leader fights for immigrants' rights and more. more ›

In today's Go Home Already: Pat Collins gets on Facebook, Bob McDonnell asks the questions and LivingSocial loses money. more ›

The next Tim Tebow could come out of Virginia, and legislators in the Old Dominion want to make sure that he doesn't miss the chance to play football. more ›

The man who yesterday tried to cut down Occupy D.C.'s "Tent of Dreams" comes forward. He's a veteran of anti-Vietnam protests, but he's got little patience for the income-inequality movement of today. more ›

For anyone just waiting to sign those petitions to get a recall of Mayor Vince Gray and D.C. Council Chair Kwame Brown on the ballot, you'll have to wait two more weeks to do so. more ›

WAMU insists that McPherson Square be pronounced Mc-fur-son. We delve way too deeply into why that's a mistake. more ›

If you don't often drive through or near Rock Creek Park on your daily commute, the fact that Broad Branch Road reopened to traffic today might not be a big deal. But for those that do, it's a huge deal. more ›

It's pretty ridiculous just how cute the National Zoo's new brood of maned wolf pups is. Enjoy. more ›

Four months ago today, what is now known as the Occupy D.C. encampment in McPherson Square was born. more ›

The T Street Station Post Office is moving up the block, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton announced in a press release yesterday. The mail depot, she said, will be relocating to the Franklin D. Reeves Center at 14th and U streets. more ›

It seems that Internet gambling in the District is going back to the drawing board. more ›

Good morning, Washington. It's going to be another day of temperatures approaching the 60s -- Dulles hit 66 yesterday, breaking a record dating back to 1993 -- so enjoy it while it lasts. It's starting to look like the rest of the month might be a little more like a proper winter, leaving our mid-winter January spring behind. more ›