By now you've all heard that Murky Coffee's Capitol Hill location has been shuttered after the city seized the coffee shop thanks to owner Nick Cho failing to pay more than $425,000 in sales tax to the city. The building's landlord has since evicted the coffee shop, so it won't be reopening. Today the Post's D.C. Wire blog brings word that the entire contents of the shop are being auctioned off by the D.C. government.......

Which stories did DCist readers think merited the most attention this year? Top 10 Most Commented Posts of 2007 10) D.C. Judge Seeks $67 Million for Lost Pants (105 comments) 9) Columbia Heights Listserve vs. Ross (107 comments) 8) Saving the Single Beer (108 comments) 7) This City Doth Protest Too Much (109 comments) 6) Solo Marines Often Refused Entry to Some D.C. Bars (113 comments) 5) Bars Claim Loss of Business Over Smoking......

You didn't think we could get through the last few days of 2007 without one more Smithsonian scandal, did you? The Post has a lengthy report today on National Museum of the American Indian's retiring director Rick West and the whopping $250,000 of Institution funds he spent on travel and luxuries. Although West can account for some of the travel -- going to visit Indian reservations, meeting donors -- much of it is vaguely characterized......

>> The 1930s-era Hecht's building in Northeast has been bought by a Philadelphia developer who plans to incorporate the historic structure into a new retail hub off New York Avenue. [WaPo] >> D.C.’s State Education Office established new criteria for free- and reduced-price-meal programs in an effort to increase enrollment. [Examiner] >> Construction has begun on Alexandria's 167-acre Potomac Yard development. [Washington Business Journal] >> The death of musician Casey Calvert last month outside......

Living in the Nation's Capital, with so many free events going on year-round, it might seem silly to spend a princely sum of money for the privilege of becoming a Member of a local arts organization. But there are a number of good reasons to think about becoming a member -- maybe you're interested in a particular subject that's only shown at a pay-for museum, maybe you're an artist looking to grab a foothold in......

FRIDAY: >> Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are at the 9:30 Club with Kristeen Young and Partyline, $15, 9 p.m. Also Saturday with Kristeen Young and Ris Paul Ric. >> DC9's Liberation Dance Party hosts Brooklyn's Jaguar Club. $6, 9 p.m. SATURDAY: >> The Historic Sixth and I Synagogue hosts The Eight, D.C.'s part of a "worldwide Hannukah party" featuring the LeeVees, DeLeon and D.C.'s own Black and White JohnsonsJacksons. $12/$18, all ages, 9 p.m.......

A Post business columnist and an independent music non-profit have joined the chorus questioning Live Nation's proposal for a Silver Spring music hall. Last Friday, Steven Pearlstein wrote that while I.M.P. boss Seth Hurwitz has fought against competition for his 9:30 Club before, and his alternative proposal to Live Nation is in his own best interest, "he's put forward a financial proposal attractive enough that county officials cannot ignore it." Under their non-binding letter of......

>> Maryland police apprehended the prisoner who stole an officer's gun and escaped from custody from a Laurel hospital. [WTOP] >> Shortly after abandoning his run for the White House, Stephen Colbert ended up in a three-way tie for a seat on the Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District Board in Williamsburg. Sadly, he won't be able to serve if selected by a hat draw (seriously), because he's not a registered voter in the......

Written by DCist Contributor Josh Kramer The Hatchet — George Washington University >>The big news at GWU this week is that Freshman Sarah Marshak, who reported six swastikas being drawn on her dorm room door's whiteboard, actually drew five of them herself, which she has now said she did to bring attention to the first incident. Marshak, who is Jewish and a former reporter for the Hatchet, was informed she will most likely be expelled.......

Zipcar and Flexcar, D.C.'s two most popular car-sharing companies, announced they are merging Wednesday. Emails to customers of both companies directed them to an announcement on Zipcar's website. "The combined company will provide our members with increased benefits and improve our ability to expand into new markets," said Zipcar CEO Scott Griffith in the statement. The new company will operate under the Zipcar name, and while the pricing plans are still being hammered out, they......

The Washington Business Journal reported yesterday that the Washington Convention Center will be officially renamed to honor D.C.'s first elected mayor, Walter E. Washington. Apparently the D.C. Council approved the name change last year, though we can't recall having heard about it at the time. The idea is a fine one though, and Washington is certainly worthy of having his legacy honored. So what's the problem? As of Nov. 5, the building will officially become......

We had heard rumors that Apple had settled on purchasing 1229 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Georgetown, but the Washington Business Journal confirmed the news on Friday. The building, sold on Sept. 27 to Apple Inc., is currently occupied by French Connection. The manager at French Connection had still not been told about the deal as of the middle of last week. Initial rumors of a Georgetown Apple store had been focused on the space where......

Many neighborhoods in the District tend to go through a rather predictable routine. They start as fringe areas, slowly attract residents and business owners looking for good deals on housing and commercial properties, see an influx of newcomers as word spreads, and soon become the city's next hot destination. And throughout the process the usual conflicts tend to emerge -- between old and new residents, between local and national businesses. Yesterday the rather tranquil Barracks......

It does our geeky hearts good to see the Post paying some attention to Comcast's unpleasant, unhelpful and generally evil behavior. To be specific, they're covering the issue of the bandwidth caps that Comcast customers can find themselves subject to at the cable giant's whim. Every month the network's heaviest users receive warning letters. If they don't curtail their net use (and sometimes even if they do), their account is terminated. Simple enough — except......

Good morning, Washington, and welcome to a world of omnipresent peril. That's what it seems like, anyway, given the constant stream of recalls that we've been facing lately. This morning's additions to the list of things that are trying to kill you and your family: children's cribs and Mattel toys. Oh, and microwave popcorn — but then, that stuff's so delicious that you probably already suspected its deadliness. Firefighter Sex Ring Press Conference: WUSA......

Rockville based chain California Tortilla has reached a milestone. According to Washington Business Journal, the chain has sold 5 million burritos. 5 million! I prefer to say they've sold 5 megaburritos, but whatever floats your boat. The big winner of a year's worth of indigestion, er, delicious goodness, was college student John Baroody of Herndon, Virginia, who purchased number V at the Ashburn Village store. Congratulations, John! I'm sure your feelings at the moment of......

We kid. Kind of. According to the Washington Business Journal, the Uline Ice Arena and the surrounding area may be the next frontier in development in the District. The arena, which is just north of Union Station and hosted the first Beatles concert in the U.S. in 1964, is being looked at by developer Douglas Jemal as the anchor for a new entertainment district along the lines of the popular East End/Verizon Center area. While......

There seems to be no end to the drama playing out at the Smithsonian Institution. The story so far: Former Secretary Lawrence M. Small resigned back in March amidst allegations of gross financial expenditures and poor management decisions. He was replaced by acting Secretary Cristián Samper, and the Board then began an overhaul of the Institution based on a scathing report on the state of museums issued earlier this year. Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating......

More grist for the mill of discontent among some Adams Morgan residents over the state of 18th Street, right on the heels of D.C. Council action that could limit the number of tavern licenses in the neighborhood. The Washington Business Journal reports that an unholy trifecta of daiquiris, skin and chicken wings is moving in to the space formerly occupied by the controversial after hours spot, Santa Rosa. The new bar, to be named Splash,......

One more report was released today letting us know what we already knew: The Washington, D.C. metro area is the richest, most-educated city in the country. Washington Business Journal reports on the Greater Washington Initiative annual report (you can download the whole thing here if you're willing to part with a little bit of personal information). Our region had the highest median household income in 2006 among metro areas, at $74,600, and nearly 46 percent......

We couldn't help but notice these odd signs popping up on the windows of businesses all along the U Street Corridor in the last month. "This Business is Being Monitored by the U Street Sheriff's Department" sounds a bit like a smart-alecky joke. Obviously the District has no sheriff's department at all, let alone one that only serves U Street. So what exactly are these signs? We could imagine a business version of "Beware of......

Former Editor-in-Chief Ryan Avent writes a weekly column about neighborhood and development issues. You have to love the really idiosyncratic corners of a city. The hundred year-old oddities with rich histories and lovely faces that look wholly out of place amid more recent arrivals. The Warehouse Theater is just such a place. Sitting quiet and unassuming on a small stretch of 7th Street NW near the hulking new Washington Convention Center, the Warehouse has been......

We got an email today from the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District announcing a little lunchtime commuter fair for tomorrow. It's a fairly benign event, but one little detail jumped out at us: Workers and visitors in downtown DC’s central business district can navigate Metro’s online trip planner, pick up bus schedules, register their bikes, get information on car sharing, and learn about MARC, VRE and commuter buses during a lunchtime commuter fair at Farragut......

>> Aramark, the ballpark concessionaire at RFK and other stadiums, is eliminating trans fat from its menu, and adding a number of "healthy" options such as veggie hot dogs, pasta salad and fruit cups. In related news, Baseball has been officially declared the least fun sport in America. [Baltimore Business Journal] >> Reigning MLS Defender of the Year and D.C. United backline stalwart Bobby Boswell is holding a launch party for his blog tonight......

What is it about historic D.C. firehouses that spark culinary ambition? A pair of in-the-works restaurants aim to address this burning question. As Express recently reported, a pre-World War II firehouse in the Bloomingdale neighborhood is slated to become an eatery called EC-12, whose name references the old Engine Company 12 that used to occupy the building. Architects are currently working on building plans, after which developers will be able to apply for a building......

Former Editor-in-Chief Ryan Avent writes a weekly column about neighborhood and development issues. Joe Englert wants a parking garage. So it says in the Washington Business Journal, on page four of a six page testament to the change he’s helping spread along H Street NE, once one of the District’s proudest thoroughfares and now in the midst of a facelift. When he hasn’t been opening businesses there himself, it seems he’s been grooming and instructing......

>> Travel + Leisure covers U Street and Logan Circle. Entire neighborhood now plans to move to Northeast. Also, we know it's technically correct, but does anyone actually call the downstairs at Saint-Ex, "Gate 54"? We've never heard anyone say that out loud. Commence bashing Travel + Leisure's coverage, a la The New York Times, in 5, 4, 3 ... >> Ward 4 Candidate Muriel Bowser kicks off her campaign by granting an interview to......

From the Associated Press via WTOP:The top editor of the Washington Business Journal was found dead at his home Monday. John McCalla was 38. A spokeswoman for the D.C. medical examiner says the cause of death would be determined pending further tests. Our readers may remember McCalla best as a perennial nominee in Fishbowl DC's Hottest Media contest. It's a tragic loss for local journalism, and we at DCist express our sympathies to his family,......

UPDATE: We've now gotten word from intrepid boy reporter Kriston Capps that the D.C. Council's Committee on Education, Libraries and Recreation voted to table Bill 16-734, in a motion brought by At-Large Councilmember Carol Schwartz, which carried 3 to 2 with Marion Barry, Schwartz and surprise vote Vincent Gray against Kathy Patterson and Phil Mendelson. What does this mean for the future of Williams' library plan? Hard to say. Tabling a bill is usually a......

D.C. Battles It Out In The Kitchen One of Washington's best food events, the Capital Food Fight, is a little over a week away, and I expect there is wanton smack-talking between the competition's 10 food-fighters. Bebo's Roberto Donna, Mie n Yu's Tim Elliot, Kinkead's Bob Kinkead, last year's winner Ris Lacoste, Jamie Leeds of Hank's Oyster Bar, Taberna del Alabardero's Santi Zabaleta, John Wabeck of Firefly, IndeBleu's Vikram Garg, Anthony Chittum from Notti Bianche,......