The United States Park Police, DDOT and MPD have released the following road closure advisories for Saturday's Veterans Day Parade. All closures should be re-opened by 5 p.m. Saturday. Roads closed at 6 a.m.: * Jefferson Drive from 14th Street to 4th Street, SW * Madison Drive from 4th Street to 15th Street, NW * Seventh Street from Independence Avenue to Constitution Avenue, NW Roads closed at 10:30 a.m.: * Lincoln Memorial Circle to Henry......

MONDAY You know, kids. If you are, for whatever reason, uncomfortable saying the Pledge of Allegiance in class, just cross your fingers or something, or say “the Sun God Ra” instead of “The United States of America.” Or just suck it up and deal, it’s not like the Pledge really has binding legal power. Or just take Joel Westheimer’s advice. He wrote a book about this stuff: Pledging Allegiance: The Politics of Patriotism in America's......

MONDAY Marla Ruzicka, who was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq, was a dedicated peace activist who not only labored intensely for the victims of war, but sought to flip the peace movement’s entire paradigm by waging peace within the system, a move that set her apart from her colleagues, but also got results, including landmark legislation for the innocent victims of war and the respect of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.......

For citizens with a literary bent, this week’s major highlight is the Hyman S. and Freda Bernstein Jewish Literary Festival, running all week long, mainly at the Jewish Community Center at 1529 16th Street, NW. Highlights include Peter Beinart and Rebecca Goldstein, plenty of panel discussions, a poetry reading, and an appearance by Madeleine Albright, who makes some time while planning her forthcoming libel suit against ABC. A full schedule of this week’s Festival highlights......

MONDAY >> Who can forget T.C. Boyle's memorable turn in the movie Kinsey? Most of you, probably. Well, look: if you're an enthusiast of short stories, stop by Olsson's in Arlington this evening to meet T.C. Boyle, whose recent collection, Tooth and Claw, travels to the four corners of the globe to reveal men and women on the edge of primal fear, weird nature, and the threat of untimely death. 2111 Wilson Boulevard, 7 p.m.......

FRIDAY: >> Put on your robe and wizard hat...Harry Potter's coming to town! The sixth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, will be released tonight at midnight, and don't think we don't know. Watch this space for more info on tons of crazy HP events going on around town. For one, Politics and Prose will be hosting a party in their parking lot with magicians, a costume contest with prizes, and......