WMATA's board of directors caused quite a stir last Friday when D.C. representative Tom Downs and head of rail operations Dave Kubicek floated the possibility of rolling back closing time to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings in an effort to save money and gain precious maintenance time. Riders were angry, bars and restaurants got worried --frankly, the only people not disgusted with the prospect are taxi drivers. But this is hardly the first time such an idea has been bandied about -- in fact, it appears to be something that comes up every couple of years, only to be washed away in a sea of heavy opposition. more ›

Well, this would certainly put a crimp into several people's weekend plans. According to dispatches from this morning's Metro board meeting -- during which random bag searches will be discussed by the board for the first time -- there has been talk about ending late-night service on Friday and Saturday nights. more ›

Twitter is absolutely freaking out right now about Conan O'Brien's just announced "The Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour," which will indeed be stopping in Washington, D.C., on June 8 at DAR Constitution Hall. Billed as "a night of music, comedy, hugging, and the occasional awkward silence," we're envisioning a sort of Conan Unplugged extravaganza, with sketches, performances and surely some special celebrity guests. In other words: yes, please. more ›

As Conan O'Brien prepares to tape his final episode of The Tonight Show this evening, news broke in Lisa de Moraes' TV Column last night that on top of getting his old show back, Jay Leno is also coming to D.C. in May to host the White House Correspondents Dinner. more ›

The Washington City Paper's Angela Valdez provides a two-pronged update today to the monstrosity that could be the Late Night Shots reality TV show we told you about earlier this month. more ›

Like half-smokes, go-go and taxation without representation, mumbo sauce is something that's uniquely D.C. And suddenly, it's getting bandied about all over the radio. We're not talking about the group Mambo Sauce, who have their own ode to the District. We're talking about DJ Flexx (of WPGC)'s "Chicken Wings & Fried Rice", a song that is — seriously — entirely about mumbo sauce. You can listen to a partial clip here, or tune your radio... more ›

LAist began the month with a new food series exploring the popular and unknown late night eats around town. If a Top Chef winner opened up a late night spot in Los Angeles, denizens would flock it, yet the LA Times and other media might be wary. Turning to sports, the Dodger season was quite memorable in the way that it imploded and the LA County Sheriff's Department made some games of their own such... more ›

>> D.C. United star striker Luciano Emilio is neck and neck with the Chicago Fire's Cuauhtemoc Blanco for MLS Goal of the Week. Emilio scored his 20th goal of the season with an sensational left-footed volley. Be sure to vote. It's your civic duty. >> It's been exactly five years since the sniper shootings perpetrated by John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo began. [WTOP] >> "D.C. Council leaders will not hold up the... more ›

Hudson to Replace David Greggory We mentioned Hudson back in May, when the first news of the transition in store for David Greggory's Restau Lounge at 21st and M St. NW broke. We get a little more info about this change this week. In the TomChat, we learn that the change will take place sometime next month, and that—contrary to what we've heard before—Chef Greggory Hill will be heading elsewhere. Hill will be replaced by... 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 ›

Metro General Manager John Catoe is considering replacing late night weekend trains with buses -- both as a way to save money and to create more time to complete track and station maintenance tasks. This is very bad news. No one could argue that Metro needs to rethink how it accomplishes maintenance tasks -- the number of weekend track work delays, regular elevator and escalator outages, and out of service trains that need repairs has... more ›

Hey look, someone who writes for Gawker doesn't know where to go out in D.C., and thinks that everyone who lives here works for the government and never changes out of their work clothes! How adorable.Yesterday, I was trying to get home from Miami, but the weather had other plans, and the plane I was on got diverted to Washington, D.C. To Dulles Airport, to be exact, which is way farther outside of the city... more ›

More grist for the mill of discontent among some Adams Morgan residents over the state of 18th Street, right on the heels of D.C. Council action that could limit the number of tavern licenses in the neighborhood. The Washington Business Journal reports that an unholy trifecta of daiquiris, skin and chicken wings is moving in to the space formerly occupied by the controversial after hours spot, Santa Rosa. The new bar, to be named Splash,... more ›

It's time to dig your stakes out from under your beds, Buffy fans. more ›

Written by Vince Wadhwani When Vegetate and Queen of Sheba applied for liquor licenses in September 2005, Shiloh Baptist Church unexpectedly protested, causing both restaurants a lengthy delay which, in the case of Queen of Sheba, is still ongoing almost two years later. For Vegetate, however, the news is brighter, with legislation being passed earlier this year allowing them to serve wine, beer, and cocktails. Many restaurants may have folded up under the pressure of... more ›

Vapiano: Hopefully Better than the Name Sounds DCist swung by the opening dinner last night at Vapiano, now open at 1800 M Street NW. It's a European-based pizza, pasta, and salad bar that claims to be leading a new trend in the restaurant industry deemed “Fresh Casual" (which was strange, given the greeters at the dinner were dressed to the nines). What does that mean? Vapiano explains it as “somewhere between the nicest of fast... more ›

We're always trying to think of ways to offer you, our lovely readers, a shot at some free entertainment, and today we've got another great opportunity for you. We've paired up with Landslide Pictures to host a special preview screening of Civic Duty at the Landmark E Street Cinema on Tuesday, May 1 at 7 p.m.. Here's a brief synopsis of the story: Angry and depressed over losing his job, accountant Terry Allen begins to... more ›

Last May we pointed to a Post article detailing the troubles WMATA was having with Metro's ubiquitous platform lighting. According to the paper, the light-bulbs -- over 25,000 throughout the whole system -- lasted but three months at a time, requiring late night replacing that could involve as many as 13 employees working seven three-hour shifts to cover a large station. At the time, we asked if the expense was really worth it. Given all... more ›

Veteran gossip columnist Michael Musto is in town today promoting his new book, La Dolce Musto, a collection from his columns of the same name (he'll be at Nage Restaurant from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.). The bespectacled provocateur has spent 20 years at the Village Voice chronicling New York City’s gay life, nightlife and sex life, sometimes in terms that would make Candace Bushnell blush. Along with the tales of club kids, politics and sex... more ›

Monday >> This past December, Matthew Ryan released his latest album, From A Late Night High-Rise, a collection of songs inspired by the death of his friend and the sentencing of his brother to 30 years in prison. Tonight you can experience his acoustic contemplations on stage at Iota Club with Tim Easton. 8:30 p.m., $12. >> Do you want to see Silver Spring's Flaming Cooters? Did you ever think you would hear those words... more ›

MONDAY Murder, urban intrigue, and the promiscuous pen of Edgar Allan Poe are the ingredients of Daniel Stashower’s treatise on the evolution of the detective story, The Beautiful Cigar Girl: Mary Rogers, Edgar Allen Poe, and the Invention of Murder. Chapters, 445 11th Street, NW., 1pm. TUESDAY Head on over to the Baird Auditorium at the National Museum of Natural History to hear Andrea Mitchell discuss Talking Back: . . . to Presidents, Dictators, and... more ›

Call us old fashioned, but we like our year-end backward glances to come after we're done furiously ripping open presents and before we pop the champagne for New Year's. Rather than subject you only to what we on the DCist music staff deemed this year's best and brightest (don't worry, we'll do that too), we asked a handful of our favorite local artists what their favorite albums of 2006 were. A lot of great musicians... more ›

Call us slightly obsessed. Yesterday we responded to a recent Pitchfork news piece in which +/- (Plus Minus) lists Ben’s Chili Bowl as one of their favorite hangouts whenever they are performing in D.C., with recommendations of some of our preferred local eateries. We thought even more about the subject and came up with a better idea. Who would be better at recommending pre- and post-show hangouts than local musicians? So we e-mailed a few... more ›

This entry was written by contributor Ben Clark. D.C. shows its love for politics in many ways, but nothing is quite as wonktastic as waiting in line for a citywide premiere of a documentary about Al Franken. Last Friday I made the trek to the only movie theater in the city that still serves beer for the premiere of God Spoke, sponsored by American Family Voices, to enjoy some Coulter- and Hannity-bashing with inebriated fellow... more ›

We're starting the week a little eerie, with this late night photo taken at Saint Patrick's Academy. Flickr user krwaltondc gets the composition just right. EXIF. more ›

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... more ›

Dear DCist Commenters, more ›

Good morning, Washington. You should check out DCMatt's photos of last night's lightning. The flashes prompted me to race home from a happy hour, hoping to escape what seemed like an inevitable deluge — but the downpour never came. And, looking at the forecast, it seems that it's not about to: the weather should continue to be pleasant through the end of the week. VA Loses More Veteran Data: It's happened again. WTOP reports... more ›

Today at the Fringe, it's your last chance to see a pair of shows from Canada, we give you a good reason to see Atlantis Bones, and Star Wars nerds have their day in the sun. It's everything you need to know about Wednesday at the Fringe, and finding it all is just a click away. New Today: Grounded, by Andrew Ullrich We don't know what Grounded is about, and we don't know who Andrew... more ›

On our way to a Nats game at RFK on Saturday, we spied a yellow-shirted cyclist heading down East Capitol Street towards the stadium. But beyond being a normal bike rider heading to a game on a pleasant night, he was on his first assignment as a driver for D.C. Pedicab, a new bicycle cab service that recently kicked off in the District. Their website states: Taking a cue from similar human-powered transportation that has... more ›