>> Media conglomerate Viacom announced that it will donate $1.5 million in cash and promotions to help build the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall. [NBC4] >> A child described as a 20-month-old black boy was found adandoned in a stroller in Capitol Heights Tuesday morning. [NBC4] >> An improperly disposed cigarette was to blame for the fire that damaged Capitol Lounge and Trover Gift Shop last week. The fire began... more ›

Drumroll please.... Ladies and gentlemen, we are pleased to announce the sixth edition of DCist's perpetually fantastic concert series, Unbuckled! Without further ado, may we present to you the lineup for this summer's show. From Alexandria, VA and newly signed to Sub Pop's Hardly Art label, Le Loup! Coming down to D.C. from Brooklyn, we've got The XYZ Affair! And finally, providing a DJ set in between, our friends and yours, Middle Distance Runner!... more ›

DCist Jeff Beam contributed to this post. Drew McManus, who writes about the orchestra business at the ArtsJournal blog Adaptistration, has dubbed April Take a Friend to the Orchestra month. For the second year now, Drew has lined up names in the classical music world to write pieces on how ordinary people who love classical music can invite a friend who does not regularly go to hear live music to a concert. This year's articles... more ›

Hoyas Bully the Irish Georgetown came into Saturday’s contest with Notre Dame after a successful, if underwhelming non-conference season. After starting the year with high hopes and a top ten ranking, three early losses pushed them off the national radar and out of the rankings. ND, however, was so hot they were smokin’, and riding a 12-game winning streak to a #17 ranking. But after a 66-48 thrashing of the Irish at the Verizon Center,... more ›

DCist is, collectively, having one of those Fridays. You know, one of those Fridays when your boss dumps a bunch of work on your desk and wants it done before you leave for the weekend (the sweet, sweet weekend) and your Internet keeps crapping out so you can't even check your email. The weekend is quickly approaching and we haven't yet had time to scour the best of the city's offerings. But, we think... more ›

In light of this momentous weekend in movie history, we here at DCist would like to take a brief look back at some of the seminal events in moving pictures. Ever since the dawn of the 20th century, the transmission of images on celluloid has captivated people around the world. Silent films, such as Georges Melies' Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon), Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin and Charlie Chaplin's varied oeuvre pioneered many of the elements that are integral to today's big budget extravaganzas -- special effects, tracking shots, jump cuts, and more. With the advent of talking films, both directors and politicians began to see films' value as a tool of propaganda. As World War II dawned, Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will portrayed Adolf Hitler and the German troops in a positive light, while across the ocean, American filmmakers struck back with their own allegory of the struggle between good and evil, the 1942 classic film, Star Wars. more ›

The following is the second in a two part point/counterpart series by DCist Sports regarding Alfsonso Soriano and his future with the Washington Nationals. Today Jeff Beam provides the case for keeping Soriano. Yesterday, Matt Bourque made the case for trading him. First off, lets not deny the obvious: sometime between now and the July trade deadline, the Nats are going to have a serious fire sale. Every player not named Zimmerman, Patterson, and Cordero... more ›

The following is the first in a two part point/counterpart series by DCist Sports regarding Alfsonso Soriano and his future with the Washington Nationals. Today Matthew Bourque argues for trading him. Jeff Beam will provide the case for keeping Soriano tomorrow. When Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals landed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained oblique muscle, baseball lost its most prolific hitter. On Monday, an inconclusive MRI had experts believing that... more ›

This post was written by DCist contributor Jeff Beam. The announcement of a new owner can’t come soon enough for the reeling Nats, who lost 5-0 Wednesday afternoon to the Reds, completing the series sweep and dropping them seven games below .500 (7-14) on the young season. The Nats put themselves in early holes in all three games, and have not led since surrendering a 3-run homer in the 8th against Atlanta on Sunday –... more ›

This entry was written by DCist contributor Jeff Beam. Just another day at the office for the 2006 Nationals. After Monday's much-needed day off, Tuesday was off to the races. By midday, the team had learned that Ryan Drese would be out four to six weeks, but would avoid season-ending surgery. By the late evening, when Gary Majewski was wrapping up a 10-3 victory in Philly, their GM was on the hot seat, and the... more ›

This entry was written by DCist contributor Jeff Beam. This is not how the Nats wanted to start things. After losing five of seven in New York and Houston to start the season, the Nats returned home to RFK for a mid-week tilt with the Mets. After last week’s parade of hit batsmen and subsequent suspensions, tension built between the teams to the point of a warning from the league extending the rest of the... more ›

This entry was written by new DCist contributor Jeff Beam Away from the three ring circus created by Major League Baseball, City Council, and Mayor Williams’ office, the 2006 edition of the Nationals prepares this week to close shop in Viera, Florida and head north for another season along the Anacostia. A number of roster moves via trade, promotion, and shoulder tears have changed the look of the team, so we’ve compiled a season preview... more ›