Located in Ft. Meade, a few blocks from the curtain-walled NSA headquarters, the National Cryptologic Museum is housed in a former Colony 7 Motor Inn that dates back to the 1960s. The motel was a bit too close for comfort for the NSA, so the agency bought it in 1987 and turned it into a museum in 1993. Now, instead of dinner theatre, the old motel hosts a kitschy array of exhibits on cryptology that serve as the national intelligence community's only public museum. more ›

Two senators, two holds on District legislation -- sounds like business as usual up on Capitol Hill, doesn't it? The Post brings news that Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) became the second Democratic senator to put a hold on the legislation that would formalize Mayor Adrian Fenty's bid for increased control over the city's troubled public schools. Two weeks ago, Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) used the same tactic to force the District to negotiate over the... more ›

With all the bad news surrounding Metro recently, it is sometimes tough to remember how much we rely on it. The D.C area has the third highest transit ridership in the country, behind San Francisco and New York, and more than a third of District residents commute on Metro. Possible fare increases, tragic accidents, late, crowded trains, and other gripes are legitimate, but all transit systems have problems. When it comes down to it, Metro... more ›

As if we needed more rain and clouds in the forecast, today the District gets...more rain and clouds. There seems to be at least some hope of sunshine for the weekend, at least. more ›

Today's evening commute could be a wild one as around 180,000 demonstrators are expected to gather on the Mall this afternoon, many after marching through the downtown area from Meridian Hill Park. The National Day of Action for Immigrant Justice is expected to draw large crowds of supporters in cities across the nation (and has already begun to do so -- some 300,000 gathered yesterday in Dallas). The march through the city will begin around... more ›

In a huge blow to the region’s economy, a federal commission charged with choosing which armed forces bases to close decided Walter Reed Army Medical Center (named after the Civil War doctor and major at right) will likely admit its last patient soon. The closure, which includes the Northwest center as well as office space in Northern Virginia, means 9,000 jobs will go elsewhere. The decision means that those jobs will shift to exurban bases,... more ›