Former Editor-in-Chief Ryan Avent writes a weekly column about neighborhood and development issues. Sometimes I imagine that the vicious territoriality residents of this or that place occasionally display when comparing their home enclave to another is a sign of something positive, a rootedness and sense of belonging, maybe, to the neighborhood or city or state one calls home. If that’s the case, then residents of the cities of Baltimore and Washington must be some rooted... more ›

Mindgutter brings us a stunning night-time HDR shot of a building on the UMD campus. Like DCist Heather, I'm a complete astrogeek, so the inclusion of the conjuction of the Moon and Venus is a total bonus. I also like that, if you look closely, you can see a security camera in the cupola. Big Brother -- and the Moon -- is always watching. In the comments on the photo's Flickr page, Mindgutter asks... more ›

On Saturday D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Notron and Mayor Adrian Fenty reached a quick agreement with Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) to remove the hold the senator placed on the District schools takeover plan on Thursday. "We have a handshake agreement. That's what old friends can do," Norton told the Post. Cardin had said he placed the hold as a political maneuver to pressure the District to negotiate on a long-standing disagreement involving the District's plans... more ›

It's Friday, D.C., and if you live in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, you may have suffered a lengthy power outage yesterday after a manhole exploded and injured a Pepco worker in the area. The worker suffered second degree burns but will recover. If you're a bit of a science geek like us, you immediately began Googling something like "How exactly do manholes explode?" after you read the above story, so allow us to save you... more ›

Forgive our light content so far this morning, faithful readers, but we were forced to flee DCist Headquarters about 2 hours ago in search of the welcoming embrace of friends with working electricity and Internet access. Not only is much of the Shaw neighborhood currently experiencing intermittent power outages, but one surge may have permanently damaged this editor's lap top (cue the tiny violins). Only time, or a certified PC technician, will tell. Now happily... more ›

We start off this Monday morning with the very sad news that Star Foster, a co-editor of sister site Phillyist, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday morning. Phillyist will be going dark for a few days out of respect for Foster, who was with the site since its inception. Here at DCist, and across the -ist network, we offer our condolences and thoughts for her friends and family. more ›

Yesterday was the day that D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams took his annual cannonball plunge into a local public swimming pool, marking the start of summer and the last time he will participate in a tradition he started during his first year in office. But much like everything else this election year, Williams managed to turn the cannonball into a matter of politics. According to WJLA, Williams challenged his successor to continue the tradition, forcing... more ›

Good morning, D.C. Seeing as we're in the midst of the annual summer spike in crime, you might be feeling a little vulnerable right now. Well, good news! It turns out that we can at least stop worrying quite so much about terrorist attacks — according to DHS, anyway. In order to justify the recent cuts to anti-terror funding for the District, the agency has begun explaining that we simply aren't that likely to be a target. Doesn't that make you feel better? Sniper Receives Six Life Terms: John Allen Muhammed received six consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole in Manassas Maryland yesterday, the Post reports. Muhammed had previously received a capital sentence in Virginia, where he is now imprisoned on death row. The sniper's prosecution may not yet be over: he could still face trial in Louisiana and Alabama. Post Cuts Its Rolls: Fishbowl reports on the latest news from 15th Street. Apparently the Washington Post is trying to trim its fat in the face of declining circulation. Despite our occasional complaining about the venerable paper, we're sorry to see the cornerstone of D.C. media paring itself down (we wish we could say we aren't part of the problem, but we stopped subscribing when our paper started getting stolen every morning). All told, seventy reporters, photographers and administrators have accepted early retirement offers — head over to Fishbowl for the set of names. You might be surprised to see who is (or isn't) on the list. Stadium Gets Commission's OK: WJLA brings word that the National Capital Planning Commission has approved the first phase of the Nationals' new stadium. Some board members expressed reservations related to the building's potential for blocking views of the Capitol, but the final vote was unanimous. This Day In DCist: One year ago today we focused on organizations that do good and took a second stab at guessing who would jump into the mayoral race. Briefly Noted: Alleged weekend carjackers arrested... BGE rate hike still being argued over... "Ursprache" is winning word at Scripps Spelling Bee... More delays at Wilson Bridge... Water restrictions coming for Howard & Anne Arundel counties... Times thinks yesterday's traffic jam was one of the worst of all time, presumably because it happened near their offices... Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user Burnt Pixel more ›

Signaling an additional layer of complication to the already complicated and fractured immigration debate, the Washington Times is reporting today that some African Americans are joining together with the Minuteman vigilante groups that have been hounding illegal immigrants along the border and in day laborer centers, most locally in Herndon, Virginia. Though seeming like an alliance of strange bedfellows, African Americans in the region and across the nation tend to see immigrants as a threat... more ›

Good morning, Washington, and happy Cinco de Mayo. We understand that with all the recent furor over immigration, some folks might suddenly find themselves adopting an anti-Cinco stance. But to our xenophobic, er, friends we say: remember, this holiday is really about a military victory against the French. Surely that's something that both Minutemen and Mexican immigrants can agree to celebrate. Day Labor Center's Fate Unknown: Immigration opponents in Herndon have been quick to claim... more ›

Good morning, Washington. To those of you who celebrate the holiday, we hope you're having a pleasant Passover, and that last night's second Seder was, uh, salubrious. Okay, we'll stop now. Students Vote For Laxer Pot Penalties: The Post reports on yesterday's U-Md. student election results, which included a large victory for a resolution in favor of making penalties for alcohol and marijuana violations equivalent. The ballot measure was intended to send a message to... more ›

Good morning, D.C.! It's Friday and the weather is beautiful. Shouldn't you be playing outside? Yeah, us too. Well, if you can't sneak away from your computer for some physical activity, you can at least sneakily watch others get theirs: WTOP is reporting that George Mason's afternoon practice is going to be webcast live, beginning at noon. You can tune in courtesy of NCAASports.com and Indianapolis' WISH-TV. Immigration Protest Draws Students To Ballston: The Post... more ›

Good morning, Washington, and happy St. Patrick's Day. One day into the tournament, we hope your NCAA bracket is shaping up well. We know it is for the GW Colonials — they eked out a three-point win over UNC Wilmington in overtime last night. Their next game will be against Duke at 1:10 on Saturday. Maryland Mulls Response To Utility Rate Hikes: Last week we discussed the steep electricity rate increase that will likely face... more ›

It was only a few months back that American University was the center of a local media storm, awash in allegations concerning the spending habits of its president, Benjamin Ladner. Accused of living large on more than $500,000 worth of university funds, Ladner was eventually fired, though not without a generous $3.75 million severance package. Things have quieted down some at the Northwest campus since then, even though a Senate committee has launched an investigation... more ›

Good morning, Washington. Today our thoughts are outside the beltway and with the people in the regions bracing for the wrath of Katrina, which made landfall this morning. Katrina may have been downgraded to a category four hurricane, yet it remains among the most powerful to ever hit the continental U.S. Our friends at Capital Weather have been following the storm closely and have posted a trove of commentary and insight. Our thoughts are with the people in New Orleans and other coastal communities who were unable to flee the storm. One reader wrote to us suggesting we link to the American Red Cross, an organization who we are sure is already preparing to provide assistance in the affected areas. We'll be following events closely today and encourage our readers to leave suggestions for other worthwhile charities in the comments. more ›

Sommer Mathis contributed to these picks FRIDAY: >> DCist likes to stay up late on Sundays and watch Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry". We enjoy the variety of viewpoints it always includes, and really truly, at least one poet each episode knocks our socks right off our collective feet. DCist also likes to stay up late and watch "The Cosby Show" on Nick at Nite. It makes us feel all warm and fuzzy, like we... more ›

In a huge blow to the region’s economy, a federal commission charged with choosing which armed forces bases to close decided Walter Reed Army Medical Center (named after the Civil War doctor and major at right) will likely admit its last patient soon. The closure, which includes the Northwest center as well as office space in Northern Virginia, means 9,000 jobs will go elsewhere. The decision means that those jobs will shift to exurban bases,... more ›