Good morning, Washington. We have to admit it — we have a soft spot for cheerleader-related crime. And this is a good one: the AP (via WTOP) reports on the case of Anna Lois Miles, a cheerleading coach who is charged with holding an illegal gambling event to raise money to... wait for it... repay bail money she borrowed from the parents of a girl she coached after being arrested for writing bad checks!... more ›

Most of us can fondly look back on our college days and remember feeling intellectually invigorated and rebellious, hoping to use time between classes to protest against any institution that stepped in our way. Whether sweatshops or affirmative action, there was always something to rage against. Students in a number of District-based universities are carrying on that fine tradition, and in big ways. Early last year a group of Georgetown University students launched a hunger... 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 ›

Is there anything that particularly frustrates you about the District's police force? If so, today WTOP is giving you the chance to throw a hardball at D.C. police chief Charles Ramsey, who will be fielding questions and complaints online and over the phone starting at 10 a.m. DCist only wishes the city's police force were wracked with corruption and instances of police brutality, because in all honesty, clean cops don't exactly make for gripping headlines. "Ramsey a Nice, Honest Guy!" wouldn't really have newspapers flying off the racks. more ›

We will not here revisit all the arguments which we fully considered in deciding whether to risk probable litigation between the university and Dr. Ladner or, instead, to resolve all disputes and avoid altogether the risks, costs and delay inherent in litigation.

Students are angry. Faculty are indignant. Deans are upset. Former trustees are beyond themselves. All told, American University has seen better days. more ›

Last Monday, the Post profiled ousted American University president Benjamin Ladner. Gina Maria Schulz, who served as "Personal Assistant to the First Lady" -- yes, Ladner's wife -- described the man as such: "He was the most ethical man I ever met." Ladner himself has this to say: "I do feel I've done what I've done with intentional integrity." How the Post's reporters didn't break out in hysterics is beyond us, given the emerging news of Ladner's intentionally lavish lifestyle. And today's news brings us more of Ladner's "intentional integrity." After having milked the university of close to $500,000, Ladner yesterday agreed to walk away from the university with a $950,000 settlement, a deferred retirement package of $1 million in life insurance and $1.75 million from retirement accounts, and $20,000 in moving costs, writes The Eagle. He and his wife even get another 90 days in their well-appointed university mansion. Some university deans and faculty are unhappy with the decision, adds WJLA. Farewell, Dr. Ladner, and please let us know where your ethically-driven intentional integrity lands you next. more ›

Intent on teaching students at American University that unethical behavior is well-rewarded, members of the university's Board of Trustees offered ousted president Benjamin Ladner two options -- a severance package worth anywhere from $3 to $4 million, or to be dismissed with cause and without severance. Sources claim he has until midday today to make his decision. The offer -- rumored on the leafy Northwest university campus last Friday -- was reported by the Post on Saturday. more ›

Love them or hate them, blogs allow their authors to reach an audience directly, with little in the way of the traditional editing that can make people and causes sound one-dimensional. more ›

A few weeks back DCist explored downtown Silver Spring, a neatly organized if sterile shopping district populated with the usual suspects -- Chipotle, Starbucks, Potbelly, Borders. We spied what seemed to be a park, full of playful children and couples. We approached. It seemed a little bright to be real grass. A little too well-manicured. Surprised were we to find out the park was nothing more than an expanse of AstroTurf, a carpet of fake grass amidst blocks and blocks of concrete and asphalt. Today the Post informs us that it's actually called SoftLawn, and it's a hit with local residents. Though the faux lawn only cost $96,000 and is a breeze to maintain, DCist is still old-fashioned enough to prefer the real kind. We can, though, only imagine what the National Mall would look like covered in this stuff... more ›

Welcome back to the work week, D.C. While some may have been celebrating the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas yesterday, others were protesting for one cause or another. Students at American University organized to push for president Ben Ladner's dismissal (which came last night), while anti-circumcision activists, at right, took to the streets outside the Washington Convention Center, where the American Academy of Pediatrics was meeting (yes, we will have a full write-up... more ›

Addressing students who had waited patiently for almost 12 hours, members of American University's Board of Trustees tonight stated that troubled president Benjamin Ladner's tenure had come to an end, though questions concerning his severance package remained unanswered. more ›

The group may have been small, but the students who gathered on an otherwise empty quad at American University this morning were resolute in their demands -- embattled president Benjamin Ladner had to go. more ›

Things haven't been going too well for embattled American University president Benjamin Ladner as of late. Beyond being investigated for close to $500,000 in questionable expenses, an independent audit delivered to the Board of Trustees yesterday recommended that he pay the university $115,000 to cover some of the spending and, more seriously, report an additional $350,000 in income to the IRS. more ›

Good morning, Washington. Unlike the promise made on the sign in this photo, Mayor Williams has confirmed our suspicions and formally announced that he will not seek another term. In a statement he made at the Hillcrest Rec Center, Williams said that he would be willing to advise the next mayor, but ruled out seeking any other office. Today's Post has an article discussing what Williams' tenure has meant for D.C. If you'd like... more ›

DCist can finally claim it has reached a journalistic zenith -- in a first, we received a tip from a well-placed source that D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams is set to make an announcement today concerning his political future. While we tried to tease more info out of our source -- is Williams running for re-election, or is he stepping aside? -- the most we can say is that today is the day that will decide the future of the two-term pol and the three candidates seeking to take his place. According to the Post, who also picked up the story, Williams is set to announce at noon at the Hillcrest Recreation Center in Southeast. WTOP already jumped on the news -- they claim Williams won't run again. We're betting the same. more ›

D.C. being the place that it is, big protests such as those that took place this last weekend are a dime a dozen. Complaints of excessive use of force by police officers are just as recurrent, with protestors often charging that overzealous police officers step in to make arrests too quickly and offer few apologies or admissions of wrongdoing thereafter. This weekend seems to have been different in that regard -- WJLA is reporting that the District's Office of Police Complaints, which sent 11 employees out to monitor the protests, did not observe nor report any aggressive police behavior. While this newfound concern for freedom of expression and assembly stems from the shameful 2002 events at Pershing Park, it is at least reassuring to know that expressing dissent nowadays won't provoke a quick billy-club to the head. more ›

Don't get used to those decreasing gas prices just yet -- Hurricane Rita's tear through the Gulf of Mexico and into Texas may well set off another round of jumps that may put Hurricane Katrina's $3 a gallon to shame. News reports find that Rita -- which has already forced refineries in the Galveston, Texas area to shut down -- could push gas prices beyond the $5 mark nationally, meaning that the District, one of the most expensive gas markets in the country, may see even more dramatic rises. And given the additional crowding on Metro that current gas prices have caused, DCist can only think that now is probably a good time to invest in good running shoes, rollerblades, or a bicycle. more ›

First they went after the red-light runners. Then they went after the speeders. Now the District is set to use its increasing stock of city-wide surveillance cameras to crack down on illegal dumping, according to the Washington Times. Four cameras, each costing $6,000, will be deployed around the city to nab illegal dumpers in the act, allowing the District to more often levy fines reaching $25,000 and including the possible confiscation of the dumping offender's... more ›

Good morning, D.C. This picture, posted to DCist photos by m:j:b, is a couple of months old. However, its subject is relevant to today's news, as some people in our region are drawing criticism for how they express their support for the military. Susan Brewer, founder of a charity called America's Heroes of Freedom, has been barred from Walter Reed after complaints that a trip for vets to see the Orioles centered more on... more ›