Over in academia, it's finals time, but the receSs improv team over at George Washington University isn't compromising their weekend, which will mark the group's final show of 2007, over it. On their unofficial blog, The Colonialist, they're offering up reasons why their peers shouldn't either. In the past, receSs alums have gone on to pursue real-life comic gigs, including TJ Miller (now on the ABC show "Carpoolers"), Herschel Bleefeld (who landed a role in......

The Associated Press is reporting that a dark cherry red Peterbilt tanker truck hauling gasoline was stolen at gunpoint this morning in Baltimore. ABC News follows up with word that police believe it to be a straight-up robbery and not connected to terrorism in any way, but that the Joint Terrorism Task Forces from Washington and Baltimore are assisting local Police in the investigation as a precaution. The suspect was last seen driving the truck......

As it gets closer to Halloween for LAist, a contributer recollects her tale of staring down the serial killer, Richard Ramirez, otherwise known as the Night Stalker. Must think happy thoughts -- okay, free organic chocolate chip cookies for Los Angeles -- now that's a happy thought. Other happy Los Angeles thoughts include an interview with Jack Kehler of The Big Lebowski (he was the Dude's landlord), a beautiful and magical photographic moment in Venice......

>> Right there is the Laura Sessions Stepp Credo: Laura doesn't "get it" so the "social culture" is broken. [DCeiver] >> Don't miss the ABC News coverage of the 5-year anniversary of the D.C.-area sniper shooting spree. What do you think of Lee Boyd Malvo's apology? [ABC News] >> Oh c'mon, don't you get it? Kids can say they're going to "The Library" and not be lying! It's totally hilarious. [Free Ride] >> Regarding......

Seattlest watches as a S.L.U.T. is born and Seattle Flickr users go nuts over a local art installation. A restaurant critic demands a Diner's Bill of Rights over a gnat next to her drink, and, in lieu of a Portlandist, Seattlest debates with itself over the identity of the Northwest's crown jewel. Seattlest also joins the guys from Fantagraphics for an ill-fated gun party in the woods. LAist saw national headlines soar this week with......

>> President Bush is set to announce plans to reduce the American troop presence in Iraq by around 30,000 by next summer -- which is the same, pre-surge level it was about nine months ago. [AP via WTOP] >> D.C. firefighters put out a fire in the parking garage at Union Station this morning. [AP via WTOP] >> The 2007 American League of Lobbyists Hoops for Hope Charity Game is tonight at GW's Smith Center,......

>> ABC 7 reporter Kris Van Cleave is interested in your trash. [City Desk] >> D.C. paramedics treated 12 city employees who were overcome by exhaust fumes this morning. [WaPo] >> An ornate gold medal depicting an eagle, commissioned by George Washington and later presented to the Marquis de Lafayette, is to be sold at auction later this year. [AP] >> Metro General Manager John Catoe: ""The amount of the (fare) increase is something......

Yesterday's legislative action in the D.C. Council, typical of end-of-session days, was jam-packed with votes. Here's a few more you may have missed: >> The Council moved ahead on a bill that restricts interest rates levied by the so-called payday loan industry, an issue we've looked at before. The bill passed on an initial reading, and if implemented would place a 24 percent annual percentage rate cap on interest charged by lenders. The Examiner notes......

For the past few weeks, we’ve been hearing rumblings between the Virginia ABC and Rustico’s head chef, Frank Morales, over his new concoction: beer popsicles. As of this past Tuesday, it appears the VABC may be getting what it wants, at least for a few days. According to Morales, Rustico has temporarily halted sale of its Brew Pops due to both a cease and desist order from the VABC and mechanical problems with the restaurant's......

By DCist contributor W. Jacarl Melton “Tell the truth, James Brown was old ‘Til Eric and Rakim came out with ‘I Got Soul’. Rap brings back old R&B; And if we would not, people could’ve forgot.” —Stetsasonic’s “Talkin’ All That Jazz” That quote captures how RAMP went from 1970s R&B/soul/funk jazz obscurity to having one of the most sought-after albums in the history of hip-hop sampling. If you’re not familiar with the group, you’re more......

We've got two words for you, D.C.: beer pops. That's right, beer pops. WTOP, along with a number of other local news outlets, has coverage of an innovation being brought to market by an Alexandria restaurant. The folks at Rustico may not be the first to come up with the idea of ale-on-a-stick, but they're the first purveyors of it we know of in the D.C. area, and we salute them for it. Here's......

A scant 21 days remain until my favorite day of the entire year, the NBA draft. And while Cleveland and San Antonio start the NBA finals tonight (9:00 p.m. on ABC), the rest of the league, including the Washington Wizards, are firmly entrenched in the off season. What's in store for Team Zero? Let's take a look. The Wizards have roughly $38 million in guaranteed salaries committed to the core of the team next......

Evan O'Dorney, a 13-year-old from Danville, Calif., became the 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion last night. His winning word was "serrefine" -- a noun describing small forceps used for approximating the edges of a wound -- which he successfully spelled after a long, tense final showdown with Nate Gartke of Spruce Grove, Alberta. Gartke had hoped to become the first Canadian to win the bee. If anyone out there watched the last few rounds......

Today a select group of the world's wordiest tweens take the stage at the annual lexicon smackdown known as the National Spelling Bee. Almost 300 students will spend the next two days at the Grand Hyatt on H St. competing in written and oral tests of their spelling skills, culminating in Thursday's final round, to be aired nationwide on ABC. The Examiner has a profile of one of the circuit's best-known competitors, facing his......

It's hard to believe it's been six years since congressional intern Chandra Levy disappeared. This week marks five years since her body was finally discovered in Rock Creek Park, almost 13 months after she vanished without a trace. No one has ever been charged with her murder. Today Susan Levy, Chandra's mother, is in town to meet with MPD Chief Cathy Lanier to urge her to continue investigating Chandra's death. Levy's case generated national headlines......

We hope everyone brought his or her umbrella to work today, and we hope that it's one of those doesn't-turn-inside-out-in-the-wind ones, because we're about to receive a severe lashing from thunderstorms this afternoon. If this radar shot, and the National Weather Services' severe thunderstorm warning (on until 8 p.m. tonight) are any indicator—which they are—we'll be in for a dazzling lightshow starting anywhere from now until 7 p.m. Since the warm weather we've been......

On Friday, Deborah Jeane Palfrey made her much-hyped prime time television debut on 20/20, chatting with Brian Ross about her D.C. escort business but saying her "gals" didn't engage in illegal activities. Ross was a bit incredulous that she actually believed no sex was taking place, but Palfrey quickly confirmed that said face was indeed straight, pointing to a contract her escorts signed saying they would be fired if any criminal activity took place. While......

With something akin to glee the Post brings us the alternately colorful and shady life story of Deborah Jeane Palfrey's attorney, Montgomery Blair Sibley this morning. At times, even DCist has wondered how Sibley, who represents the alleged madam in her civil case, could possibly be giving her responsible counsel. Besides allowing his client to give an interview with ABC news, sell off phone records to the highest bidder, tape a five-hour radio interview and......

It's only 36 hours until Deborah Jeane Palfrey makes her national television debut on ABC's 20/20, and we're once again torn between hope and disappointment. You'll remember our yawns at the leak identifying Harlan "Shock and Awe" Ullman as a former client of Palfrey's escort service, Pamela Martin and Associates. The alleged madam then kicked up her media blitz by releasing a page of phone records and promising that her high profile customer list included......

In Deborah Jeane Palfrey's continuing campaign to get the media to stop focusing on the titillating details of her escort business and instead investigate the myriad injustices being brought upon her by the government, she's decided to release a page from her 46 lbs. of phone records. In an announcement today Palfrey, aka Miz Julia, aka Pamela Martin, said she's decided to sell records from her 13-year-long run providing "legal" sexual services to the men......

Yesterday, alleged madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey asked the media to "put aside the titillation of the 'Who's Who' list -- at least in part -- and instead investigate the disturbing genesis, the confounding evolution and the equally alarming continuation of this matter." In response, the entire press corps found a litter of adorable puppies and reported live throughout the night. Well, not exactly. ABC News, which obtained Palfrey's client list and an exclusive interview, discussed......

Just when we were looing hope in the alleged D.C. Madam's ability to deliver a home-grown sex scandal, two glorious things happened. First, Deputy Secretary of State Randall Tobias, director of U.S. Foreign Assistance and administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, resigned after admitting he was a client. Then, we tore the ribbon off this gift from the front page of Sunday's Post. Deborah Jeane Palfrey, known to clients as Pamela Martin, and......

We have to admit, our burning desire for a real-life Washington sex scandal probably causes us to pay too much attention to Deborah Jeane Palfrey. She, of course, is the owner of Pamela Martin & Associates, alleged to provide prostitutes to the D.C. area for some 13 years. But even our interest in Madam Palfrey doesn't extend to listening to a five hour radio interview. Despite giving an "exclusive" interview with ABC earlier this month,......

Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the alleged Washington madam, has filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking that her racketeering and money laundering case be stayed until she gets adequate council counsel. Palfrey's civil attorney, Montgomery Blair Sibley, says she's asked for a new public defender in her criminal case, but as of yet hasn't been provided with a new lawyer. You'll remember that earlier this month Palfrey, who says she provided "legal sexual and......

This morning our local ABC affiliate, WJLA, decided to stop showing the disturbing images sent to NBC News by Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung Hui. The package of still photos and videos was sent by Cho in the hours between the first and second shootings and show him wielding the murder weapons and delivering obscenity-laced diatribes. Since the footage was released on Wednesday, it has flooded TV screens, prompting some viewers and victims' family......

>> In wake of yesterday's tragedy, Virginia Tech has canceled most of its spring sports events. [ABC 7] >> Two Secret Service officers have been injured in an accidental shooting outside the White House, inside the southwest gate security booth. Secret Service spokeswoman Kim Bruce said one officer was injured in the leg and the other received a shrapnel wound in his face. It's not clear how the accidental shooting took place. The Secret Service......

I'm sure anyone that watched Washington's 101-68 drubbing at the hand of the Chicago Bulls yesterday will agree that the less said, the better. What you need to know in a nutshell: Antonio Daniels sat out the game with a bad back, giving Donnell Taylor his second career start. Chicago took a 12-0 lead in the first four minutes, which was about as close as the Wizards got for the rest of the game.......

Well Washington, it's been a fun week, but this Friday the 13th leaves us a little jittery. To combat any bad mojo, we decided to start the day on a bright note are share a snapshot of DCist headquarters, or at least a reasonable facsimile therein. Reader Lara Marks-Finder sent us this yummy scene in response to the Post's Peep diorama contest. She also accurately depicts the inner workings of D.C.'s other top-notch blogs.......

Alleged "D.C. Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey has given an exclusive interview to ABC News' Brian Ross. So, does this mean we have to actually watch 20/20? Yeah. We we guess that's what it means. Via ABC News.com: Palfrey has claimed that her service's clients were "upscale" and "came from the more refined walks of life." In March, she made headlines by briefly offering to sell the phone records of her company, Pamela Martin and Associates,......

In front of a hostile crowd at Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara, D.C. United achieved a dream start in the 36th minute. Unfortunately for United, the MLS drought on Mexican soil was not to be extinguished as Chivas drew even before the half and eventual netted the game winner in the second half, earning a trip to the CONCACAF Champion's Cup Finals on 3-2 aggregate. From early on in the first half, United played more aggressively......