The Holiday season is in full swing in NYC, with holiday lights in Brooklyn, a giant snow globe in Bryan Park and Chanukah specials for ham. One citizen decided to go vigilante on annoying car alarms, a murder suspect used a fake Asian accent on the stand and a video of a man being beaten up by teenage girls on a subway shocked the city. And we interviewed soon-to-be-leaving-Gawker editor Choire Sicha, who said,... more ›

Written by DCist contributor Morgan Hargrave These days, we are not used to seeing reminders of war in our everyday lives. With a new exhibit that opened this weekend, the Smithsonian American Art Museum takes us back to a time when it would have been hard to forget, even for a moment, that we had soldiers dying overseas. Over the Top is a collection of American posters created during World War I to advertise so-called... more ›

Welcome to Friday, Washington. More reactions to the Metro Board's proposed fare hikes this morning, as The Examiner quotes the chairman of Metro's Riders Advisory Board claiming he'll be switching to driving from Rockville to Rosslyn at least two days a week if the increases go into effect. Do the proposed fare hikes make you think you'll change your commuting habits? Operator Error Blamed in Track Deaths: Another report about a terrible Metro accident from... more ›

Good morning, Washington. Can you feel the excitement in the air? That's right: it's Taxi Decision Day. Will District residents get a shiny new meter system, or have to make our peace with zones for the foreseeable future? Or will we be treated to a metered zone hybrid/abomination? It'll be just a few hours until we find out. Immigration Measures Elicit Passion, Lawsuits: The Post reports on the scene in Prince William County, where... more ›

Good morning, Washington. We have to admit it — we have a soft spot for cheerleader-related crime. And this is a good one: the AP (via WTOP) reports on the case of Anna Lois Miles, a cheerleading coach who is charged with holding an illegal gambling event to raise money to... wait for it... repay bail money she borrowed from the parents of a girl she coached after being arrested for writing bad checks!... more ›

One of the best things about covering hockey is that you get the summer off. Just ask USA Today's Gary Graves, TV Analyst Darren Pang or the anonymous Western Canadian hockey experts on this conference call. All of them are really excited to watch what happens when Alexander Ovechkin plays with newly signed free agent center Michael Nylander. But as Ovechkin kindly told these vacationing reporters when they asked him how he felt about it,... more ›

Jonetta Rose Barras: In a powerfully introspective column, Rose Barras details a recent trip to her destroyed family home in New Orleans. In recounting her visit to the site, Rose Barras writes of the struggles endured by her mother and sister in trying to return and rebuild, drawing comparisons to the District's own troubles. "Truth told, New Orleans looks and feels like Ward 8 circa 1985: few quality retail outlets, high crime, high unemployment, poor... more ›

The Post shares some newly released data from the Census Department. Apparently Washington area residents retire later than all other Americans -- even after controlling for members of the U.S. Senate. The article lays out two separate likely causes why our older workers continue to work, one far less the sunny than the other. The area's high number of white-collar jobs accounts for at least part of its residents slower transition to bird-watching and writing... more ›

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... more ›

Once again, the country is in a tizzy over a conservative Republican senator doing naughty things. According to a Post report, Sen. Larry Craig (R-Id.) was arrested earlier this month in an airport bathroom in Minnesota after he became a little touchy with an undercover police officer. (Similar allegations were made against him here, though they allegedly occurred in a Union Station bathroom.) Our favorite part? That during an interview with police after the... more ›

Londonist are starting to think their city is getting just a little bit too expensive, when even Christian Slater can't afford to go out there. And there's no escaping, as local singer Lily Allen discovered when she was barred entry to the US. The British mapping agency caused further bad karma, by blocking a 3-D representation of London in Google Earth. But the smiles returned to Londonist's faces as they interviewed Baroness von Reichardt,... more ›

Good morning, D.C. Did any of you stay up watching the filibuster, or pre-filibuster, or anti-filibuster, or whatever the heck we're calling it? Yeah, us neither. We did manage to catch a moment of it while en route to the Daily Show, and were greeted with a slightly disheveled-looking legislator gesticulating wildly at a chart of a Humvee. Unfortunately, we have no idea whether the sleepless showdown is likely to produce anything other than entertaining... more ›

Today activists around the country are planning demonstrations supporting immigrantions. You'll recall that last year organizers staged a national boycott to highlight immigrants' contribution to the American economy. In D.C. several demonstrations are slated. The National Immigrant Solidarity Network sponsors a few of the events. WTOP has a fairly exhaustive list: A May Day Asian American rally is planned for noon at Taft Memorial Park, north of the Capitol. A hunger strike and rally at... more ›

In Dante Alighieri's epic poem The Divine Comedy, the poet emerges from Hell with his guide, Virgil, and experiences something akin to a sailor seeing land for the first time in months.We climbed up, he first and I second, so far that through a round opening I saw some of the beautiful things that Heaven bears; and thence we issued forth to see again the stars. It's one of the most powerful moments in the... more ›

Good morning, Washington. We've been hearing some excellent reports from the frontlines of the celebrations in Georgetown last night, after the Hoyas came back from a 10 point deficit to beat the Tar Heels 96-84. Thousands of students filled M Street in their exuberance, chanting "Hoya Saxa" at the top of their lungs. A smaller group apparently ran all the way to the White House, where the Secret Service asked them to keep it down.... more ›

One of yesterday's major stories was the release of a new study indicating that about one-third of adults in Washington, D.C. are functionally illiterate. Wikipedia actually has a decent definition of functional illiteracy: "the inability of an individual to use reading, writing, and computational skills efficiently in everyday life situations." In other words, a person may be able to read somewhat, but nowhere near well enough to hold down a job. The reality of the... more ›

And a glorious Friday to you, Washington. Granted, it's not exactly pleasant out right now, but we're going to boldly agree completely with the National Weather Service about tomorrow: highs in the mid-50s, with plenty of sun (peeking through a few clouds). We'll take it. After the week we've had, we would have taken Antarctica, just as long as we got to sleep in a little and not have to think about work for at... more ›

Good Morning, Washington! Whether you're on the way to an awkward meeting or just learning that Friday is part of the work-week, DCist wishes you a happy Wednesday. That is, unless you're the guy stealing donated gifts. We won't say what we wish on you. Another Urban Re-Vamp Gains Momentum: The D.C. Council has decided to move ahead with plans to redevelop Captial City Market in Northeast. The 24-acre area currently hosts a myriad of... more ›

FRIDAY: >> The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception offers its annual Christmas Concert for Charity tonight. The Basilica's professional choir (featuring our very own DCist Charles!) will perform, followed by the choirs and orchestra of Catholic University. Admission is free, with a free-will donation to benefit the Spanish Catholic Center, a haven for immigrants to the Washington, D.C., area since 1967. The center provides services at locations in Mount Pleasant and... more ›

The Berger Cookie is undoubtedly Baltimore’s greatest contribution to world confectionery. The product of German immigrants to Baltimore in 1835, it’s also easily the single most decadent cookie we’ve ever had. The ultra-soft cookie layer of each Berger “chocolate creme” is dominated by the rich fudge drapery that tops it. In fact, as soon as you back the plastic from the charmingly vintage packaging, the enticing aroma of fudge beckons. In addition to packaging that... more ›

Good morning, Washington. It's still pretty dry out there at the moment, but don't take that as a guarantee: those gloomy skies may be opening up intermittently throughout the day. It's a shame — this time of year, with the city's non-touristy areas relatively empty, it's great to walk through the beautiful summer weather and feel like the city's solely yours. Well, today might not be a great day for that. On the bright side,... more ›

Yesterday was the day that D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams took his annual cannonball plunge into a local public swimming pool, marking the start of summer and the last time he will participate in a tradition he started during his first year in office. But much like everything else this election year, Williams managed to turn the cannonball into a matter of politics. According to WJLA, Williams challenged his successor to continue the tradition, forcing... more ›

Folks that live in the Washington area spend a lot of time explaining to friends and visitors from other parts of the country that there's actually a lot more to the city than the Mall and the handful of Hill dwellers and journos that make up political Washington. We make our case, surprising our guests with trips to actual District neighborhoods and doing things in the city that don't involve backscratching or logrolling, or pork-barrelling... more ›

Ahhh, Thursday. First day of the weekend. And a good day to play hooky and watch Trinidad and Tobago (powered by Howard alum Shaka Hislop) take on England at noon. And the news for the day: Controversy Over Terrorism Funds Continues: Local officials feel they were cheated of valuable federal anti-terrorism funds. Federal officials claim that local requests of funds for anti-terror program were ineffective at best. Who should we believe? The Post is... more ›

City Paper Editor Jumps Ship: This won't do anything for the District's morale. Gawker and WJLA are reporting the Erik Wemple, the City Paper's Editor in Chief, has been hired away by New York's Village Voice. Wemple has manned the helm of the City Paper since January 2002, and has long been known in D.C. for his biting cutdowns of the Post. We'll miss Wemple, but we're sure it'll only be a few months... more ›

Looks like Butterstick has some competition right around the corner -- formerly confined to the indoors, today the National Zoo will unleash their four-and-a-half month old sloth bear cub into natural sunlight, according to WTOP. We see some joint merchandising opportunities arising, like Butterstick and Baby Sloth Bear visors, water bottles, and stuffed animals. Network of Animal Hospitals to Help Detect Bioterrorism: How will you know if a bioterrorism attack is occurring? Look for... more ›

Signaling an additional layer of complication to the already complicated and fractured immigration debate, the Washington Times is reporting today that some African Americans are joining together with the Minuteman vigilante groups that have been hounding illegal immigrants along the border and in day laborer centers, most locally in Herndon, Virginia. Though seeming like an alliance of strange bedfellows, African Americans in the region and across the nation tend to see immigrants as a threat... more ›

Back in January, I wrote this post on demographic trends in the District. The Census Bureau had just released its population estimates for 2005, which showed a drop in population in Washington of about 3,700 from 2004. I looked at Ward-level data and showed that growth in the western part of the city would likely reverse the population loss trend before long. I'm still happy with that piece, though if I had to do it... more ›

Shanghaiist probably knows a little more about China than the Chicago Sun-Times. Giving them the benefit of the doubt on that one. The city does to have a music scene. Don't even front like they don't. They also have Dorito bananas and white guys shopping for wives. What they don't have is any more tolerance for jaywalkers. Bostonist sees Boston and Somerville each whip out their art and face off. A plagiarized novel is the... more ›

Good morning, Washington, and happy Cinco de Mayo. We understand that with all the recent furor over immigration, some folks might suddenly find themselves adopting an anti-Cinco stance. But to our xenophobic, er, friends we say: remember, this holiday is really about a military victory against the French. Surely that's something that both Minutemen and Mexican immigrants can agree to celebrate. Day Labor Center's Fate Unknown: Immigration opponents in Herndon have been quick to claim... more ›