Good morning, Washington. With the Christmas holiday looming, things are slowing down in workplaces around the region. Well, most workplaces, anyway — D.C.'s firefighters seem to be keeping plenty busy. Yesterday, of course, there was the fire at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Since then there's been a two alarm fire at the Chinatown Red Roof Inn, and this impressive gathering of firefighters just south of Logan around 6 p.m. last night. Here's hoping their holiday season calms down. More On The D.C. Quarter: The Post follows up yesterday's news with a longer article on the District's inclusion in the Treasury's state quarter program. First, the good news: the city government gets to decide on the design, and Mayor Fenty is promising that the process will involve "maximum resident input" — so it sounds like "No Taxation Without Representation" has a real shot at appearing on U.S. currency. The bad news: state flags aren't allowed in the designs, making the other half of the winning choice from yesterday's poll a no-go. Also, it turns out that we're only getting a quarter because Puerto Rico is. That stings a little, but I suppose we'll take what we can get. Maryland Gives Seventeen Year-Olds The Vote: Well, in the state's primary, anyway. WTOP reports that Maryland's Attorney General has issued an opinion that will ensure citizens can vote in the state's presidential primary on February 12, provided that they will be eighteen by the time of the general election. Both parties had requested such a measure. Briefly Noted: "Capitol Steps" creator passes away... Long-awaited "Stop Snitchin'" sequel nears release in Baltimore... Car crashes into Reston home... Surveillance photos of robbery suspects released... This Day In DCist: One year ago we chatted with Nethers and suggested some last minute gift ideas. Two years ago we checked out some new shopping options. Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user Nivad more ›

The overwhelming consensus so far at today's D.C. Council hearing on the recent theft of what looks to be $30 million-plus from the District's tax coffers? The scandal has damaged the reputation of the city government, and the council members are pissed. While most statements have clung to the nasty tidbits of information we already know (the enormity of the crime, that an auditor's warnings may have been ignored) and palliative cliches, council members provided... more ›

Car-sharing services Zipcar and Flexcar have gained a large customer base in Washington over the last two years, ever since the city agreed to give the companies more spaces to park their vehicles. The extra vehicles have led to more carless city dwellers taking advantage of the competing services' short-term car rentals to get their errands done -- something the city was happy to help facilitate, in the hopes of encouraging more residents to give... more ›

LAist began the month with a new food series exploring the popular and unknown late night eats around town. If a Top Chef winner opened up a late night spot in Los Angeles, denizens would flock it, yet the LA Times and other media might be wary. Turning to sports, the Dodger season was quite memorable in the way that it imploded and the LA County Sheriff's Department made some games of their own such... more ›

Of all the city government's agencies and departments, it's usually the big names that get the lions share of criticism from residents. The schools, the DMV, the public libraries, the Department of Public Works -- it's these that we're all quick to point to as proof of government incompetence. But with the fire that destroyed an entire building in Adams Morgan on Monday, it was the Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) that came under fire... more ›

It's rare that any of the well-read political blogs based here in Washington take on issues that fit within DCist's mandate to stick mainly to local issues, but when they do, boy howdy, they can really make a mess of things for themselves. The American Prospect's Ezra Klein has already issued a mea culpa for a post he put up late last night on his personal blog, which wondered why there aren't more amenities for... more ›

Sitting at your desk, bored, thinking it's high time to find a new job? Mayor Fenty is hosting a Citywide Job Fair at the Washington Convention Center today, and you've still got a few more hours to stop by before it closes up shop at 4 p.m. Head over with a stack of resumes, and apply for D.C. city government jobs like these: >> Paralegal Specialist in the Office of the D.C. Attorney General >>... more ›

Good morning, Washington. Well, it couldn't last forever: this week's temperatures are edging up after all. And while things are still relatively pleasant, tomorrow's high of 98 still sounds unappealing to our recently-spoiled selves. D.C. Goes After Posters: WJLA brings encouraging news for anyone who's been sorry to see a lingering ad for a years-passed protest event: the city government is cracking down those who illegally post notices on traffic and utility boxes. Among... more ›

Via Consumerist, an alleged eye-witness report of staff members of Mayor Adrian Fenty cutting in line to buy iPhones on Friday. And here we thought Council chairman Vincent Gray would win the most entitled public servant of the week award. ...I work in downtown DC and went to the AT&T store on 17th and Pennsylvania around 4:45 to get in line. About 35 people were in front of me, everyone was nice, people from AT&T... more ›

One of those longstanding D.C. arguments may be finally coming to a resolution, and you can feel the excitement in the air this morning, Washington. No, it's not the handgun ban, or taxicab meters, or anything to do with voting rights -- but there sure are a lot of longstanding arguments in this town, now that we mention it. Rather, metro riders should keep their eyes peeled for two railcars that will soon be sporting... more ›

We've got two words for you, D.C.: beer pops. That's right, beer pops. WTOP, along with a number of other local news outlets, has coverage of an innovation being brought to market by an Alexandria restaurant. The folks at Rustico may not be the first to come up with the idea of ale-on-a-stick, but they're the first purveyors of it we know of in the D.C. area, and we salute them for it. Here's... more ›

Former Editor-in-Chief Ryan Avent writes a weekly column about neighborhood and development issues. This week, I (carefully) picked up and began reading The Power Broker, the epic (and massive) Robert Caro biography of infamous New York master builder Robert Moses. Bob Moses, it turns out, was one of the best-trained civil service experts of the age when he first began working for the city. He was, as Caro describes him, a consummate idealist, passionately dedicated... more ›

Former Editor-in-Chief Ryan Avent writes a weekly column about neighborhood and development issues. I got a kick out of New York’s reaction to a report released back in April, showing that carbon emissions in the city had increased by about 8 percent since 1997. The news stories were alarmist and the leaders angry, promising to do whatever it took to reverse the trend and reduce emissions within 25 years. Admirable sentiments, but it made me... more ›

Good morning, D.C. Did you have a good weekend dodging and weaving between all those digestive disease specialists in town? We couldn't help but be impressed by the sea of 20,000 be-purple backpacked conference attendees, and kept hoping we'd meet one or two who could explain to us exactly what Crohn's Disease is anyway. WJLA was kind enough to remind us that Digestive Disease Week will have brought in $32 million to the District when... more ›

The Examiner has a story this morning that accuses the deputy mayor for planning and economic development, Neil Albert, of a potential conflict of interest in lobbying the District to give a $57 million contract to EdBuild, the company he founded in 2005. The school board is scheduled to vote on EdBuild’s contract today. Albert told The Examiner that he sat down with Council Chair Vincent Gray and Deputy Mayor for Education Victor Reinoso, and... more ›

Good news for all you pedestrians out there. As we mentioned on Monday, the good people who run this city have decided they want you to walk more! And the District is going to encourage you to do it with its first Pedestrian Master Plan, which will lay out a series of improvements to everything from sidewalks to streetlights, speed bumps to intersections. The plan is nothing more then a web site right now, along... more ›

The mildest December in recent memory looks to continue on for a little while longer, but don't expect actually enjoyable weather between now and Christmas Day. Instead, overcast skies and drizzly rain are settling in to the metro area, just in time to make the holiday feel slightly less merry (though maybe a little more like that thing called winter we keep hearing about). You still don't need that long underwear you asked Santa for,... more ›

Credit where due: the city government just did something fairly awesome. As the Post and WTOP are reporting, today dc.gov unveiled its new Crime Map application. Following in the footsteps of ChicagoCrime.org (itself the brainchild of the WaPo's own Adrian Holovaty), you can now plot reported incidents of crime throughout the city. You can filter by location, date and the type of criminal activity. It's an extremely compelling way to visualize differences over time and... more ›

It's just over a month until the September 12 primary, and the endorsements are starting to roll in. Non-governmental organizations, newspapers, and big-name individuals are throwing their weight behind specific candidates, hoping to given them the final boost they need before election day. In the first big mayoral endorsement of the campaign season, the Current newspaper group -- which publishes the Georgetown Current, the Dupont Current, the Foggy Bottom Current, and the Northwest Current --... more ›

Former DCist editor Rob Goodspeed is pondering why it will take so long (2008?) to break ground at the old convention center site downtown, as well as what, exactly, the city will really end up doing with the area. His take is that an effort by the city to plan every inch of redevelopment themselves, such as the city's current plan for a $1 billion new main public library and entertainment complex with mixed-use... more ›

You're pretty angry, D.C. Pissy, opinionated and infuriated. Good job. We asked you to provide your best Lewis Black-style rants about life in Washington, and you came through. We heard about sour CVS employees, transit woes and the city government — and of course there was an entry or two about us (we love you guys, too). But in the end there can be only three winners, because that's how many Lewis Black DVDs we... more ›

Residents of the District and their elected leaders have long agonized over the state of D.C. schools, a third rail in Washington city government off of which reform attempts gleefully bounce and into which depressing sums of money disappear. Frustration over the city's subpar performance in public education becomes more difficult to bear, however, when the success of school districts in the city's suburbs are brought to light. This week, the Post's Jay Mathews harnesses... more ›

The parking battle that's been brewing around Logan Circle between double-parking church-goers and neighboring residents appears ready to come to a head. The city government has set this Sunday, April 23, as the date on which parking enforcement is to begin, and area churches are planning to hold a rally in protest on that day at 2 p.m. in Logan Circle. This week's Common Denominator was able to speak with some area ministers and... more ›

And just around the time that we were going to pronounce that D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams' official blog was on life support, he swoops in to save the day with an engaging post longer than most of his other posts combined. While his most recent foray into the world of blogging included a spiritual take on handling the daily stresses of his job, yesterday Williams dug through his mail and offered us an insight into... more ›

Good morning, Washington. Well, as good as it can be -- it's back to work after a day of honoring the presidents. Luckily we have some news for you, including an indictment involving an Oprah scam and Maryland and Virginia trying to figure out just what to do about their roads. And for those of you looking forward to the next big celebration or day off, just remember that St. Patrick's Day is only a... more ›

Most of the District's political news in 2005 revolved around D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams and his plans for the future. Credited with righting the city's financial state, Williams spent the better part of the year dodging the question as to whether or not he would run again -- a move that kept mayoral competitors in maddening suspense and incessantly fueled local rumor mills. In late September -- actually, on the very day a year after... more ›

On Sundays, DCist publishes opinion pieces about life in D.C. The views expressed below are solely those of the author. I have lived on Capitol Hill since 1992, and the only thing that I do not like about living in this city is my so-called voting rights. I wish that the government would take them back. The lines of the federal district were drawn in 1791, but the people who lived here continued to vote... more ›

We won't lie -- we're Post groupies. While we all have our different loves and hates of the newspaper, this DCist is particularly fond of the paper's Metro section. Whether cutting edge reporting (such as the recent series on contracting mishaps in the city government) or incisive analysis, the Post's Metro section tends to be the standard-setter in local news. Of course, the section has its problems, among them sometimes spotty coverage; the focus on... more ›

Today's weather is being described by local weathermen as "blustery." So while it may be sunny and the world outside your office may look inviting, be forewarned -- temperatures will feel cooler than the mid 50s predicted as wind whips across the area. Mayoral Candidates Engage in Lively Debate: The District's five mayoral candidates engaged in lively debate last night at the University of the District of Columbia, defending their records and promoting their... more ›

The Democratic Primary isn't until September 2006, the general election two months after that, but the field of mayoral contenders grew one stronger today. Marie C. Johns, a former Verizon executive, today formally announced her candidacy for the District's top job, currently held by Anthony Williams, who is secretive about his own plans for a possible third term. In announcing her candidacy, Johns vowed to apply her extensive business experience to running the city government,... more ›