Thanks to reader Stephanie Pendergrass, who snapped these photos of a tree that fell across K Street NW between 20th and 21st at around 3:15 p.m. Stephanie says the tree landed on a van and an SUV, but she didn't see anyone injured. Probably best to expect delays on any bus lines that travel along K Street, including the Circulator, and to plan alternate driving routes for those of you who commute by car. What......

WTOP reports on some of the ideas being floated around to create better cross-town connectivity as part of the White House Area Transportation Study. Ever since Pennsylvania Avenue and E Street were shut down to traffic around the White House after Sept. 11, 2001, getting across many parts of downtown D.C. by automobile at rush hour has been challenging, to say the least. One of the ideas DDOT and the National Capital Planning Commission are......

Happy Almost Holidays, Washington. With both Monday and Tuesday counting as a holiday for the federal government this year, most of D.C. is staring down a nice, long holiday break today. Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, federal holidays are great for a lot of other reasons besides a day off - you don't have to feed parking meters, for instance. But The Examiner reports that that fact isn't stopping people from shoveling coins into......

Though maybe not the prettiest subject in town, we have to admit liking this shot of a beat-up crosswalk signal by rsplatpc, with the detail of the spiderweb, the abuse of random stickers, and probably a sideswipe from a large vehicle. We've been noticing another slew of damaged and crooked crosswalk signs, like we did this spring, including a particularly dangerous damaged signal at Connecticut and K Street outside the Farragut North metro this......

Sure, it's December and we're all preoccupied with holiday cheer and making plans for that one New Year's party that will finally be worth the all the hype. But even though they've suffered some setbacks this year, D.C. voting rights activists are pushing the cause through the holiday season. On Thursday, December 6, the D.C. Council will hold a hearing to consider legislation that would place large electronic billboards outside the John A. Wilson Building......

When the City Museum closed its door in late 2004 after a mere 18 months in existence, the one place to go for a comprehensive history of Washington, D.C. disappeared. But for those of you interested in the city's history, the next few days should be quite satisfying -- it's time for the annual Washington Studies Conference. The conference, now in its 34th year, kicks off tomorrow at The Carnegie Library building (801 K Street,......

Once again Penn Quarter Living is on the ball with a newsworthy neighborhood post. They link to a Downtown Neighborhood Association announcement that Douglas Development has been negotiating with Whole Foods Market to lease them store space on 7th Street between E and D Streets NW. This is the same space that Balducci's was briefly considering before deciding against the move last year. Balducci's retreat from the location was met with a lot of desperate......

In case you're working downtown and wondering what the heck is going on with all those ambulances, turns out firefighters were rescuing a man who had a medical emergency while operating the crane pictured at right at about 150 feet in the air. It's unclear what kind of emergency the man was having, but according to eyes on the ground, at just after 12:30 p.m. rescuers finally had the man down from the crane and......

FRIDAY: >> It may be that we've simply gotten so, so, so many press releases about The Horrors show tonight at the Rock and Roll Hotel, and we've been beaten into submission to mention it. Give the punky-garage rock revivalists a chance for $12 at 8:30 p.m., and let us know if they're worth all the fuss. Seattle's Schoolyard Heroes open, plus locals Scanner Freaks. >> One of the most anticipated new hip hop albums......

Someone mentioned it in comments, but now we have confirmation. Tonya Bell, the woman who has been charged with aggravated assault after getting high on crack cocaine and driving her car at a high speed into a crowded street festival in Anacostia, hitting 40 people, had been employed by a temporary staffing agency that placed her in a position as a receptionist for former mayor and D.C. council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8). A letter......

Say you've got this job. It's a job serving the public, which, as any former retail slave will tell you, is often no picnic. So you kind of want a different job. You go to one of those fancy employment websites on the internet, and they tell you that networking is a much more effective way to find a good job than just blindly sending out résumés. Great, you think. But you're not going to......

UPDATE: DDOT has also postponed the previously scheduled closures of the inbound lanes on the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge this weekend to accommodate the marathon. DDOT has rescheduled the bridge work for next weekend, weather permitting. Nearly 5,000 runners will take to District roads tomorrow to compete in the Wirefly National Marathon. The race is set to start at 6:30 AM at RFK Stadium. As it takes runners through every quadrant of the city,......

Good morning, Washington. February's almost upon us, and the D.C. Board of Education is still here. But for how much longer? Yesterday we mentioned the board's attempt at self-preservation. Today the Post brings word that their counter-proposal may be a tougher sell than they had anticipated: an audit of the city's finances returned generally positive results... except in the school system. Within it auditors found resistance and sloppiness that, if not corrected, could ultimately......

Yesterday, the Post declared support for 1960s-style urbanism dead. No longer, they say, are we to be held hostage by soaring freeways, concrete office blocks, and the utter deadness of the streets and neighborhoods ushered in by the age of the car. Finally, we've learned how vital it is to encourage pedestrian traffic and to take advantage of our waterfront resources; We understand that you cannot design cities around automobile use. Except where the Whitehurst......

WMATA continues its trend of futile campaigns today by announcing it will start warning passengers not to chase fleeing buses. After six pedestrian fatalities in two years, including a 62-year-old man who stumbled and fell underneath the wheel of a bus as he chased it earlier this month, Metro's looking for the bus version of the stern-motherly voice on the trains to keep people from jumping in the closing doors. Also, we think we heard......

Earlier this week Matthew Yglesias took us to task for referring to a "Mid-City" part of town when discussing a campaign for a new Trader Joe's near U Street. Matt is actually quite wrong to suggest "shady real estate cabals" are the architects of the term Mid-City, but the fault for his misinformation is likely ours. You see, last winter we ran a post mocking the MidCity Business Association's moniker, basically accusing them of trying......

Sex-Slave Trafficking Ring Broken Up: We'd always heard rumors that certain massage parlors in the District offered, ummmm, "happy endings" and other such services. Apparently, the rumors were true. Federal officials yesterday arrested 31 people along the east coast involved in a sex-slave trafficking ring that forced Korean women to work as prostitutes in massage parlors and spas, some of which were located in the District. Four men were arrested in the District following raids......

We know, we're totally buying into a PR stunt for the film adaptation of chick lit phenom The Devil Wears Prada by posting this. However, we also know that DCist readers love getting stuff for free. We're torn between our love for you, and our high moral principles. Okay, stop laughing now. Stop. We mean it. Suggesting that we have principles is not that funny. Alright it's a little funny. Without further ado, the people......

Thanks to a reader's tip and an article in today's Examiner, we find that Verizon's first foray into graffiti ads has ended badly -- the telecommunications company is being fined by the District for "illegal advertising on public space." On Monday we were first tipped off to Verizon's graffiti ads. By Wednesday we learned that the District Department of Transportation expressed displeasure with the ads, which were to be found along Connecticut Avenue, Wisconsin Avenue,......

MONDAY: Tony Kushner will discuss the plays of Arthur Miller with Jeffrey Brown at the Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave NW. Topics may or may not include who the baddest Jewish playwright of our time really is, and whether anyone who convinced the likes of Marilyn Monroe to convert has any competition in that category to begin wtih. Tickets are $13 each; two tickets are included with the purchase of a book. 8:15 p.m. WEDNESDAY:......

With an ethics storm brewing on Capitol Hill, politicians on both sides of the aisle are serving up proposals to stem abuses in the system of lobbying for Congressional access and attention. While the final content of a finished reform bill remains very much in doubt, it does seem clear that some restrictions will be made on gifts to lawmakers, privately funded Congressional travel, and the ability of former legislators to walk through the revolving......

Of. course. And on the very day that we don't ride the bus. Yesterday some lucky commuters received undated bus transfers when Metrobus ran out of their standard transfers due to an equipment problem at the company that prints them. The passes can theoretically be used over and over again, so expect a black market in these "emergency transfers" to emerge on craigslist.org in approximately 5 seconds. Warner Grants Clemency to Death Row Inmate: Virginia......

A few months back, DCist readers had the chance to go back and forth on an issue that has since quieted down -- whether the city should knock down the Whitehurst Freeway or not. Opinions differed, with some readers arguing that the freeway -- which parallels the Potomac River above K Street in Georgetown -- is an eye sore that limits development and others noting that it helps direct 42,000 cars a day away from......

Good morning, Washington. We hope you have had an enjoyable Halloween Weekend. As we compile this post the AP is reporting President Bush has a trick or treat this morning, depending on your point of view: his new nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court will be Judge Samuel A. Alito. The good weather will continue, today will be sunny with temperatures in the low 70s. Parks Honored at U.S. Capitol: The body of civil rights......

While local and federal official scramble to adequately respond in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, individual donations are fast approaching $100 million, reports the Post, while communities and organizations have started campaigns to offer cheap or free housing to the thousands left homeless in the hurricane's wake. Below are more local events to benefit the victims and information on how you can help: -- The K Street Lounge (1301 K Street, NW) is hosting a......

An unknown DCist reader posted this photo, taken inside the Hirshhorn Museum, to DCist photos. Today there'll be a few clouds early and sun and highs in the mid 80s later. Looking for something to do tonight? Check out the free screening of Summer Stock at the National Building Museum. Bike Trail Specifics Disputed: The Metropolitan Branch Trail, a planned bike path connecting a new trail in the District with the already existent Capital......

Up and at 'em, Washington. "Early to bed / early to rise / makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise," goes the saying. Well, two area initiatives are in healthier, wealthier positions this morning. First, City Administrator Robert Bobb has confirmed that D.C. will enter negotiations with Deutsche Bank for a stadium financing deal. The proposed package would apparently ease the tax burden placed on city businesses by giving the bank a piece of......

Good morning, D.C. This lovely shot of three converging bridges was posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user commonroman. As you can see, these bridges are in considerably better shape than the Eastern Avenue Bridge. Yesterday morning it was struck by a overly tall backhoe being hauled by a truck. Officials initially warned that repairs would take at least 48 hours, but are now saying the job may be completed more quickly than first......

It is a sad morning for news professionals and news junkies here in the District, as it was reported late last night that ABC "World News Tonight" anchor Peter Jennings has died after a struggle with lung cancer. "Peter has been our colleague, our friend, and our leader in so many ways," ABC News President David Westin said in a statement. "None of us will be the same without him." Weather today will see highs......

Yesterday was a special day for DCist - the new D.C. Circulator bus began operation. After all, what is more exciting than the launch of a new bus line? The new red buses will run along two routes - one between Georgetown and Union Station via K Street, the other between the Convention Center and the Southwest waterfront. One of our readers uploaded some photos of the interior of the new buses to DCist photos.......