The barely six-month old Capitol Visitor Center experienced a drainage system failure last night thanks to several days of strong storms, leading to a flooded hallway, the Post reports. The incident is described as not having caused significant damage, but it's not exactly a great sign that storm drain equipment is already failing in the massive (and massively overbudget) $621 million underground facility. The center is open as normal today, as the flooding occurred in an area of the structure that is not part of the visitor tour. more ›

Roll Call's Emily Yehle reports that some drunk guy managed to wander in and out and back in to the Hart Senate Office Building through a parking garage on Monday before finally being stopped by Capitol Police. The incident "appears to be a function of somebody not doing their job." You think? The man, described as having "no malicious intent," was eventually arrested for unlawful entry. Lots of hemming and hawing about human error from officials, and frankly we're surprised this sort of thing doesn't happen more often. One interesting tidbit about the effect of the new Capitol Visitor Center, which was built with the intention of streamlining security procedures: Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer says the new CVC has resulted in "more open doors" and a need for more officers. Earlier today, Terrie S. Rouse, CEO for Visitor Services at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, announced that the center has received one million visitors since it opened in December. more ›

Last week the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center finally opened after six years of delays and bloated budgets, and most folks who work on the Hill were glad to have the thing done with at last. At the time, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) remarked that he was especially excited not to have to smell stinky, sweaty tourists waiting to get inside the Capitol anymore.

"My staff tells me not to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway," said Reid in his remarks. "In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it's true."

You already knew about the new Ciculator route planned for Adams Morgan, which looks set to replace the 25 cent 98 "link" route as early as March. The Examiner reports today that another new Circulator route, this time running from Union Station to the brand new Capitol Visitor Center to Nationals Park, is also in the works. This Circulator route would replace the N22 Metrobus route. Metro's board meets on Thursday, and plans to discuss the proposed routes then. Both new lines, if approved, would begin March 30. more ›

The interminably delayed Capitol Visitor Center took one small step toward becoming a reality yesterday, as the AP reports that the U.S. House of Representatives voted to name the largest room in the new center Emancipation Hall. The room would be named in honor of the slaves who helped build the U.S. Capitol. The House passed the bill 398-6 on Tuesday. The U.S. Senate will now consider the bill, which is unlikely to be defeated... more ›

A frenzy over whether staff-led tours of the U.S. Capitol will continue began earlier this month. At issue is a proposal from the Architect of the Capitol that would require all Capitol tours to be led by professionally certified tour guides once the new Capitol Visitor Center opens in November 2008. Unlike the smaller tours currently led by Congressional staff and interns, visitors would be put into groups of 40, given earphones and shown a... more ›

It's Washington's own version of The Big Dig, but it's much more secluded and (hopefully) isn't filling up with water. It's a multi-million dollar boondoggle that provides plenty of fodder for Congresscritters who wish to howl about federal spending. It's the Capitol Visitor Center, which has been under construction since 2001, and has increased in cost from $265 million at that time to $573 million today—which isn't too bad for a Federal project, right? The... more ›

Capitol Visitor Center Officially a Boondoggle: The WaPo's Michael E. Ruane and Joe Stephens had some fun writing their front page story about the perpetually delayed and massively over budget progress of the new Capitol Visitor Center. With the opening now set for summer 2008 (though the article hints it will be even later than that), the post 9-11 security alterations to the plans have caused progress on the center to slow to a snail's pace and the budget to balloon to about $600 million. The article is chock full of apt comparisons, but we especially appreciate the one made to the District's new baseball stadium. Fun for the whole family. more ›

So the Nats are having a little post-All Star Game slump. In any city, fans would blame the players, the managers, the umpires, anything. Here in Washington, where the beloved Nationals have electrified a baseball-starved populace? It's the fans, like the one at right that Justin DC snapped a pic of at Monday's game against the Colorado Rockies. The bandwagoners, to be exact. Writes the Post: When the bandwagoners first showed up -- yapping on... more ›

This photo was posted to DCist photos by Dave Lantner. Today will be mostly cloudy with a chance of rain due to thunderstorms in the afternoon. Tonight the Doves play the 9:30 Club. more ›

Good morning. It's cool and damp outside, and it's expected to get colder and windier later in the day. CapitalWeather.com points out the National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory, and expects temperatures in the 40s this afternoon. Today is also the last day of the hurricane season. more ›