Over at Huffington Post, Andrea Batista Schlesinger of the Drum Major Institute has a nice roundup of what she thinks are the best public policy initiatives of 2007. Number six on her list is the D.C. Voting Rights Act, and she has a solid grasp on why congressional representation for the District is so important:Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C's indomitable delegate, can debate with the best of them, but without the D.C. Voting Rights Act, neither......

>> Payday lending reform legislation passes in the D.C. Council, Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry's bizarre change of heart on the matter notwithstanding. [City Desk] >> It's likely that the Texas State Bar is probing the professional conduct of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. [Huffington Post] >> A water main break at Third Street and Constitution Avenue NW this morning caused U.S. District and D.C. Superior courts to be shut down all day, but......

It's back to school time, and that means we're once again recruiting new writers to become part of our growing team of city bloggers. As you know, we aren't able to pay our contributors -- so please don't apply unless you're ready to do it for the love of exploring D.C., engaging in important debates about the direction of the city, or are just the kind of person who's happy enough to see your name......

What a beautiful weekend, eh? Except for a bit of rain on Saturday, the weather was, if I may say so myself without sounding like my grandmother, delightful. We hope you got out during it, as the city played host to a number of activities - the National Book Festival, Crafty Bastards, and a bit outside of town, the continuation of the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Which I went to, mainly to gawk at the......

TUESDAY Tonight, political gadfly and Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington discusses On Becoming Fearless...in Love, Work, and Life. With her kind of money, we’d sleep better at night, too. Olssons Books & Records, 418 7th St. NW., at 12:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY Rahm Emanuel and Bruce Reed hold forth at Politics and Prose tonight, discussing The Plan, which we’re guessing is the long awaited word from Democratic lawmakers that they’ve finally had an idea, and not......