Take one name off the list of Olympic athletes with ties to the D.C. area. The Associated Press via ESPN.com is reporting that 20-year-old boxer Gary Russell Jr., who was born right here in D.C. and lives in Capitol Heights, Md., collapsed in Beijing while trying to make weight, and will no longer be competing in the Olympic games. more ›

The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing are less than two weeks away, and we're definitely starting to feel some Olympic fever. We know we're just supposed to blindly support anyone representing Team USA No Matter What, but are there any local athletes to whom we can throw a little extra love? (Baltimore doesn't count). A quick perusal of of the USOC athlete roster says, why yes! Keep in mind, a lot of Team USA still hasn't filled out their online profiles, and we weren't about to check each of the ones who didn't, so there could be even more. But here's a few potential hometown heroes for you to keep in mind.
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>> Sometimes you get a craving, and sometimes that craving is for fish somewhat pre-digested in citric acid. MMMMMM! Start your summer right and get your weekend-only ceviche at Taqueria Distrito Federal. [Counter Intelligence] >> United Airlines flight 897, scheduled to leave Dulles for Beijing today, had an engine flame-out soon after it took off at 12:55 p.m. The plane returned to the airport and landed safely The flight had 330 passengers and 19 crew... more ›

Good morning, D.C. Thanks to all of you who came out to the Voting Rights Happy Hour last night. We had a great time meeting everyone and chatting about the future of full voting rights for D.C. Our friends and co-hosts at DC Vote were thrilled to be able to sign up so many new interested members and volunteers for their upcoming Voting Rights March on April 16, so thanks to them for coming out... more ›

Have you ever found yourself sizing up the state of contemporary education and thought to yourself, "Saints be praised that I got out when I did?" You’re sure to feel that way after hearing from David Berliner, author of Collateral Damage: How High-Stakes Testing Corrupts America's Schools. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 7 p.m. more ›

Buck up, D.C. Of course we're all still reeling from the Justin Timberlake-Cameron Diaz split confirmation, but there's plenty to be cheerful about this Friday before a holiday weekend (especially one that's shaping up to at least be mild temperature wise, if rainy). Why, even a few of this morning's headlines seem downright cheery. New Taxi Zone Map in the Works: Even while the new District government is considering making the switch from zones to... more ›

Okay, okay — we know, this is a Nats town now. But it'd be churlish not to congratulate Cal Ripken Jr. on his election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Many Washingtonians regularly made the trek to Camden Yards during his streak, and to them Cal felt as much like a hometown hero as any athlete. So it's good (if unsurprising) to see Ripken receive the nod. And he did it in style: Ripken's name... more ›

Waiting for a bus to NYC at 6th & Eye: more ›

We've known since before he was born that, like all panda cubs born in the U.S., eventually our beloved little Stick 'o Butta would have to return to China. But honestly, stories like this make us a little wary of letting the little guy go. more ›

Damn it. The Post beat us to the punch on a witty title for this story. more ›

All this month, the Kennedy Center is hosting the Festival of China, with a full schedule of concerts, exhibits, and other events. Although many do not really fall under the rubric of our Classical Music Agenda, we are leading off our suggestions for you with Chinese concerts. FESTIVAL OF CHINA: >> There are some interesting dance companies performing at the Kennedy Center this week, beginning with the National Ballet of China, in the Kennedy Center's... more ›

Good morning, Washington. The weather should be fair with temperatures near 60 degrees. more ›

D.C. Mayor Wowed by Beijing: Telling a member of the Post's foreign service in an interview near Tienanmen Square, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams says D.C. has much to learn from the Chinese capital. "It's almost the brashness. You're overwhelmed by the vitality of the place," he said. more ›

There are shocking charges of espionage along the banks of the Potomac. A former State Department official is in a whole host of trouble for making secret trips to Taiwan (something that is sure to irk Beijing because of Foggy Bottom's official One-China policy), but also passing documents to Taiwanese agents in Washington. The Post's front page story indicates that the FBI observed Donald Keyser, "one of the nation's leading experts on China" passing government... more ›