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Last month, we launched our first collaboration with the Washington Humane Society and highlighted a handful of dogs that needed to find a home. The WHS's goal to "increase adoption, decrease the number of animals in need, and teach responsible pet ownership" is one that we truly believe in, and we're happy to report that two of the dogs we featured in October, Tancho and Nina, found homes!! Nina's new owner saw our photos and knew that she was the right dog for their family. She now lives with a family of five, two young children, two adults and another pit bull who is Nina's new best friend. Sumi, the beautiful and smart Akita mix is still at the shelter waiting to be sprung. Kate was diagnosed with heart worms and has been moved to the Washington Animal Rescue League to recover. She will be up for adoption again once she gets better.

Gotta concur with DCmud's sarcasm in reporting this piece of news concerning an expected ribbon cutting next year for a new Whole Foods at the Shops at Wisconsin Place development, located at the Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights nexus.

While the Bethesda-Chevy Chase corridor may seem like a scripted stage setting for the Whole Foods phenomenon, Chevy Chasers have until now had to drive all the way down to Tenley for their organic Gruyere, or eke by (gasp) on Giant or TJ's foodstuffs.

Ruth Samuelson made a handy little map over at Housing Complex to illustrate the point: this actually makes the third Whole Foods location on Wisconsin Avenue, all clustered relatively close to one another. Surely some other neighborhood, like say, Capitol Hill, could use a spot to buy organic arugula sooner than this one. Then again, my feelings on the "Fetishism of Whole Foods" are well established, so it's probably wise not to get too worked up about it.

DCist had just been wondering when the city was going to get around to raising awareness about the impending 5 cent disposable bag fee, which goes into effect in January 1, 2010, and lo and behold, the “Skip the Bag, Save the River” Education Campaign press release landed in our inbox today.

The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics today rejected an initiative petition on the issue of legalizing same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia. The petition was filed by an anti-same-sex marriage coalition led by Bishop Harry Jackson.

The fatal shooting of 9-year-old Oscar Fuentes inside his Columbia Heights apartment on Saturday night was not gang-related, according to D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier. Lanier, along with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and Ward 1 D.C. Council member Jim Graham, this morning announced the arrest of Josue Pena, 26, in the killing. Pena has been charged with first degree murder.

On Tuesday, the District Department of Transportation released the above images of the city's three streetcars being loaded up for shipping. That's good news, considering D.C. taxpayers have been paying to store the streetcars in the Czech Republic for over four years now. DDOT says these images show the streetcars being loaded onto flatbed trucks in the Czech Republic and then arriving in Hamburg, Germany. They are expected to make it to D.C., by ship, in mid-December.

As expected, D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) today formally announced that he will be seeking re-election in 2010. The announcement was coupled with the launch of his campaign web site.

Dish of the Week: Sweet potato casserole

We've been following the work on the new 15th Street NW contraflow bike lane for a while now, and today the District Department of Transportation and Mayor Fenty hosted a little ceremony to announce its formal completion. But we have to thank IMGoph for tweeting to point out that one of the images DDOT sent around from the ribbon cutting features Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans (D) aboard one of the city's SmartBikes. We're used to seeing the likes of Fenty and famed cycling enthusiast Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) on bikes, but Jack Evans? He looks about as comfortable as a bear on ice skates. Click through to DDOT's Facebook page to scroll through the rest of their images from today's event. DDOT Director Gabe Klein also joined Fenty and Evans for their little ride.

A bar patron's ability to develop a relationship with his bartender will invariably dictate a better imbibing experience, whether it's at a fancy cocktail place or the local dive bar. That is perhaps what makes the name of the much anticipated new bar from brothers Tom and Derek Brown, The Passenger, particularly apt. Going back to a time when travel wasn't about being corralled through metal detectors like cattle, The Passenger, which opens tonight at 5 p.m., is trying to put some first class luxury and leisure in your drinking journey. This is apparent throughout the decor, which features church pews, intricate wrought iron tables, and the building's original floors.

As we come to the end of a week where the District dealt with the death of another child -- this time it was nine-year-old Oscar Fuentes in Columbia Heights -- there doesn't seem to be much to say about a city that while significantly better than it was a decade ago still suffers from stubborn crime and violence. Post Metro columnist Petula Dvorak today proves that point with a column that can be summed up as such -- Columbia Heights has come a long way, but it still has a ways to go. It's not really groundbreaking reading, and it doesn't offer any real solutions. (Thankfully, she carefully toes around the issue of race, avoiding the minefield that is pretty much any discussion on gentrification.) But it does make the case again that Columbia Heights has become a microcosm of the District as a whole, an area that has changed dramatically in some ways while remaining exactly the same in others.

The U.S. Supreme Court today declined to hear an appeal in the case of whether the Washington Redskins' name is offensive, the Associated Press is reporting.

Scores of well-met journeymen and women gathered yesterday in the northeast of the Capital city for an expedition to celebrate the latest in fashion, industry and whimsy. This peregrination saw fashionable fellows and dandizettes tour the city by bi-cycle and fixed-gear machine. A good time was had by all!

In the off chance you aren't friends with Sarah Palin on Facebook, let it be noted that the former Alaska governor/VP candidate/attention starved loon/media juggernaut announced last night that she will indeed be making a stop in the D.C. area on her book tour. This may come as a shock, but it turns out she's not planning on promoting Going Rogue at Politics & Prose. In fact, she won't be at a bookstore at all. Instead, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 5, she'll be out at the BJ's at 13053 Fair Lakes Shopping Center in Fairfax, presumably so she can rub elbows with the "real Americans" who buy in bulk. Mark your calendars!

Here's an interesting bill currently before the D.C. Council, courtesy the Examiner's Michael Neibauer: Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5) and Michael A. Brown (I-At large) have introduced legislation that would establish 50-foot "safety zones" around any District of Columbia transit stop. The idea here is that any crime committed inside one of the "safety zones" would carry additional penalties and even extra jail time, sort of like how if you commit a traffic violation inside a construction zone, the amount of your ticket doubles (in this case, it would be 1.5 times the maximum fine and 50 percent more jail time). The proposed zones would of course encompass all D.C. Metrorail stations, but they would also include every one of the roughly 3,500 bus stops in the city, which, if you picture it, would cover a really substantial portion of the city. Think this is a good idea?

Good morning, Washington. Well, it's been out since yesterday, and we're sure that many of you are already most of the way through your copies, doing your best to grapple with the rallying cry of the utterly braindead masses that, despite their arguably justified prominence in the pantheon of "authentically American" culture, actually represent a grave threat to our society and democracy. I'm speaking, of course, about Left 4 Dead 2. Why, what did you think I was talking about? Ethics Probe Turns to Gray: A note written by city council chairman Vincent Gray asking Comcast for money has caught the attention of the city Office of Campaign Finance, according to the Post. The note asked for $20,000 to help cover lobbying efforts on behalf of D.C. at the Democratic National Convention, and succeeded in securing a $10,000 donation. That obviously exceeds the $5,000 annual cap on donations to a party from a single donor that's imposed by D.C. law. Gray says that he didn't think the donation was a political contribution, but rather a donation to fund lobbying for D.C. voting rights. Pena Arraigned: The alleged killer of 9-year-old Oscar Fuentes appeared before a judge yesterday, and as WJLA reports, that judge ordered him held without bond. Prosecutors say that they have five witnesses putting Pena at the scene of the shooting, and a sixth who saw him going into his uncle's house with a rifle, which was later found there. Pena is due back in court on December 1. Briefly Noted: P.G. cab drivers were on strike yesterday, but it doesn't sound like it was very effective... Five year-old saves mom with 911 call... Virginia's budgetary situation gets even worse... Coincidental Montgomery County sub-roundup: Accusations fly in ethics dust-up centering on transgender protection law; county council seeking lower ICC tolls; restaurants will have to print calorie information on menus starting in July ... This Day In DCist: One year ago GMU got a new mascot, Metro fired a mechanic over a dirty joke, and Davy DCist reacted poorly to news of snow.

With the opening of The Bazaar in Los Angeles and his Made in Spain cooking show on PBS, José Andrés has been busy building a name for himself on the national scene. All of this culminated today in him being named GQ's Chef of the Year. This article highlights tapas selections that you can find at his D.C. restaurants, including Jaleo, Zaytinya, and Minibar. With Blue Ridge chef Barton Seaver's Chef of the Year award from Esquire, D.C. is really coming out on top this year. Now about that Chef of the Year cage match...

While yesterday's article and photo gallery described the civilized side of the proceedings, alex logan has peeled back the veneer of the D.C. Tweed Ride to reveal its sordid underbelly. (EXIF)

With all the cycling-related news in recent weeks – the 15th Street contraflow lane; Mayor Adrian Fenty's police-escorted daytime training rides; Capitol Hill Bikes closing its doors; Tweed – we'd be remiss in not mentioning that the Bicycle Film Festival is coming to the District.

Incredibly sad and surprising news for the LBGT media world, not to mention the local media scene: The Washington Blade has been shut down. The LGBT publication's twitter feed first alerted us to what was going on just a little while ago: "Washington Blade, like all Window Media publications, is closing today. Thank you for your support. (Keep following us for developments.)" Sure enough, even the Blade's web site has been taken down.

A critical consensus has been reached: playing an entire album live is a bit of a bore. The once novel concept has quickly become an unimaginative experience that legitimizes bands trotting out reliable hits without looking desperate (perhaps not always such a bad thing). From an artist's perspective, the album-as-set-list can be a self-mythologizing ego boost reinforcing older work as classic. The fans, for their part, get the songs they want in the order they are accustomed. Old codgers of all stripes will tell you that the album used to 'mean' something that kids today just don't understand. These individuals, fans and artists alike, have been weaned on the hallowed AOR template, a place where deep album cuts and well-known singles are valued equally.

With relations between Mayor Adrian Fenty and the D.C. Council as strained as they are, you'd think the city's chief executive might do what he could to make things just a little bit better. But if a hearing today before the council on the ongoing Department of Parks and Recreation contracting scandal serves as any indication, that doesn't seem to be the case.

When rumors were floated two weeks ago that the District might host an opening stage of the 2011 Giro d'Italia, local cyclists crossed their fingers for what would be one of the few opportunities to see the world's best professional cyclists stateside. Not only did the rumor turn out to be true, but planning for not one, but two stages in the city are underway.

• WTTG/FOX5's Will Thomas got mugged in Georgetown last week, Reliable Source reports. 'No injuries, but "as you can imagine, I'm still a bit shaken up,"' he told them.
• Jim Graham is collecting donations for the family of Oscar Fuentes, says PoP.
• New Columbia Heights breathlessly awaits the opening of the new Chipotle, now slated for on or about Dec. 10.

As we noted in the Morning Roundup, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and Police Chief Cathy Lanier are making their way to the 1400 block of Columbia Rd. NW right now in order to announce that an arrest has been made in the killing of 9-year-old Oscar Fuentes. The Post says the man who was arrested is Josue Pena, 26, who was taken into custody in Hyattsville just before 6 a.m. this morning. No more details on the arrest are available just yet, but check back in after the 10 a.m. press conference.

A man was struck and killed by a Franconia-Springfield-bound Blue line train at the McPherson Square station at around 8:35 p.m. this evening, according to Metro spokesperson Angela Gates. No details are yet available on the identity of the victim. The station is currently closed while police investigate. WMATA has established shuttle bus service between Farragut West and Federal Triangle. Preliminary reports indicate witnesses saw the man place himself on the tracks intentionally. We'll update when we have more details. (UPDATED at 9:27 p.m.) Metro says the McPherson Square station is expected to be open for regular service on Tuesday morning. (UPDATED again at 11:07 p.m.)

From the ashes of the Washington Blade, DC Agenda has risen. The staff of the suddenly shuttered LGBT publication has managed to put together a new web site and "a modest, early iteration" of a print edition, both out today, less than a week after they all lost their jobs. From their introductory message:

The former staff of the Washington Blade remains united and DC Agenda represents our effort at continuing the important mission and work of the Blade. It will grow and evolve to include a much larger and more diverse group of voices. But the core of the Washington Blade’s work remains unchanged. We will cover Congress, the White House, the LGBT rights movement, the D.C. marriage fight, local hate crimes and other political issues important to the LGBT residents of the city.

Continue reading "Former Blade Staffers Launch 'DC Agenda'"

By Sommer Mathis on November 20, 2009 1:45 PM 2 Vote 11 Votes

Meet Walter Carl Abbott, Jr. He's the kind of Lou Dobbs-loving, manly-man Maryland construction worker who blames everything that's wrong in this country on illegal immigrants. In fact, he feels so strongly about illegal immigration that last year, he decided to send an email to Gov. Martin O'Malley about it. Unfortunately for Abbott, the email included this phrase: "If I ever get close enough to you I will [w]rap my hands around your throat and strangle the life from you." Whoops!

Tom already told you about Tim Craig's story in today's Washington Post, which outlines how D.C. Council Chair Vincent Gray used council stationery to solicit a $20,000 contribution from Comcast to help pay for Democratic Party activities at last year's national convention. But potentially even worse news for Gray also came today in the form of this story by Washington Times reporter Jeffrey Anderson, which alleges that some questionable work was performed on Gray's Hillcrest home by developer William C. Smith & Co. – a huge company that has a long list of contracts with the District government, and doesn't usually offer basic home repair services.

Public Enemy came to D.C. Wednesday on a mission–not to fight the power, but rather to use the band's influence to fight youth homelessness in the District and the rest of the country. The evening began at the Sasha Bruce House, where Chuck D, Flavor Flav and the rest of the iconic hip-hop group toured the facility and hosted a pre-Thanksgiving dinner for more than 30 homeless youths.