This morning, D.C. Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan announced that the city had come to a $6 million settlement with contractors who were renovating the Georgetown Public Library when a fire crippled the building on April 30, 2007. more ›

Yesterday, the Washington City Paper filed an affidavit requesting the dismissal of Dan Snyder's lawsuit against the newspaper and reporter Dave McKenna under a new D.C. law which prohibits "strategic lawsuits against public participation," or SLAPP. more ›

The D.C. Court of Appeals ruled in favor of maintaining the District's existing same-sex marriage legislation this morning. A 5-4 decision was handed down in the city's favor; petitioners had argued that gay marriage should be put to a voter referendum. "We cannot have initiatives on things that would discriminate or violate our human rights," said Councilmember David Catania (Ind.-At-Large) on NewsChannel 8's NewsTalk with Bruce DePuyt. "I would expect that the individuals who sued the city will file a suit and try to take this matter to the Supreme Court for an ultimate resolution," Catania added, while also noting that the city has has approved nearly 1,000 marriage licenses per month since same-sex applications started being accepted back in March. more ›

It is obvious that those of us who live and breathe as citizens of the District of Columbia are used to a measure of issues in government oversight -- for instance, today's news that an auditor's survey of five District government agencies uncovered nearly 700 unpaid fines totaling over $70,000 assessed to government vehicles. Nothing shocking, right? But here's a legitimate question for anyone to ask: just who in the hell is responsible for the out and out financial mess that D.C. Public Schools currently finds themselves in? Someone's got to take a fall for this one, right? more ›

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against the National Park Service that stemmed from the 2008 arrest of a D.C. woman for dancing at the Jefferson Memorial. more ›

Legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in the District is going to pass, and no one is more aware of that fact than its opponents. Seeing that they've got little chance of swinging any votes on the D.C. Council, they've instead announced an offensive that will include pushing Congress to stop the legislation from taking effect and using the courts to enforce the federal Defense of Marriage Act on the city. more ›

WTOP's Adam Tuss reports today that two more lawsuits have been filed in the last week against both WMATA and deceased Metro operator Jeanice McMillan in the wake of the Red Line crash. Attorney Michael Wilson is handling cases for Jason Zimmerman of Silver Spring and David Holland of Burtonsville, both of whom are claiming "mental anguish," as well as injuries to their necks and backs. Zimmerman is seeking $400,000 in damages, Holland $500,000. We're sure that this won't be the end of legal troubles for WMATA (or Ms. McMillan's estate) -- a mere two weeks after the accident, the number of civil filings currently numbers four, including two filed in short order after the deadly crash. Tuss also notes that Metro fully expected the suits, and that the transit agency's "liability reserve" will be able to cover any damages awarded as a result. more ›

...ummm, nothing yet. According to the Associated Press, the Supreme Court failed to reach a decision on whether or not to hear a case related to the District's gun laws. Though a verdict from last week's conference discussion was possible today, it seems that the nine justices haven't yet decided if they want to take the case, which stems from a March decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District Circuit that ruled... more ›

It's that time again, the best comments of the previous week. It was a bountiful week, with World Bank protests, Metro employees chowing down, and new dog park regulations Read on, and register if you haven't! ----- Everybody had something to say about D.C. switching to taxi meters. shawndc: I'm glad Fenty had the balls to stand up to the Taxi commission and move ahead with meters. Let's hope they can get it up and... 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 Friday to you, Washington. Are you getting psyched for the weekend already? No? Did we mention how nice the weather's going to be yet? Predictions are for mostly sunny skies and low humidity levels on Saturday with below-normal high temperatures in the low 80s and overnight lows sinking down to, get this, the low 60s. It's like Christmas in August! District Plagued By Lead Concerns: It's sure starting to feel like we're having... more ›

Good morning, Washington. We're not sure how last night's 2nd Republican debate could have been any more entertaining, so in case you missed it, the Politico has a nice collection of some of the highlights. There's going to be many, many more presidential primary debates over the course of the year, so we thought we'd take some nominations from you on the best bars in town to watch them. Nothing goes better with debating than... more ›

The nicer the weather gets, the busier we get across the Ist-A-Verse. But we like being busy. Here's a peek at what we've been up to since last week! Chicagoist had an interview with Audrey Niffenegger, whose popular book, The Time Traveler's Wife, was based in their fine city. They also had a heated discussion about Rush Limbaugh's controversial Barack Obama parody, talked about whether Uncle Julio's Hacienda is a good place to get... more ›

The House Judiciary Committee today endorsed legislation granting the District a voting seat in the House of Representatives, setting the measure on track for a full vote by the end of the month. Though legal scholars debated the constitutionality of the measure in a hearing before the committee yesterday and a number of amendments were considered today, the legislation easily gained the approval of the Democratic-led committee, 21-13. Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) and Rep. Chris... more ›

Though the region got itself in a tizzy over the record rains of Deluge 2006, there was plenty else that happened. We reported on the RAMMYs, saw a coup d'etat at Politics and Prose, marveled at the Washington Times' new intern blog, and debated whether or not Pierre L'Enfant should go to Congress. We checked out The Roosevelt, discussed Freddy Adu's defection from the District, and found out that heavy rains can cause both... more ›

In a media-heavy city like Washington, one might pay heed to the Chicago Tribune's story from yesterday afternoon announcing that a senior law enforcement official told ABC News, "It's time for you to get some new cell phones, quick," in reference to the government's tracking of calls with whistleblowers and other confidential sources. Makes you wish that Qwest expanded their service to the news media, if not the entire country, right? Williams Endorses Cropp:... more ›

The new stadium for the Washington Nationals often provokes heated debate -- Who will pay for it? What will it look like? Which way will it face? How many women's restrooms will it have? Yes, this last question has been asked. The Washington Times is reporting that John Banzhaf, a public interest law professor at George Washington University famous for suing fast food restaurants and tobacco companies, has written a letter to the City Council warning that the new stadium is lacking in facilities for the ladies, an oversight which could cause long lines and, this being America, lawsuits. Long an advocate for "potty parity," Banzhaf notes that the current plan of one toilet for every 75 women falls short of emerging standards that call for twice as many restrooms for women than for men in stadiums, theaters, and other large venues. The stadium is slated to have one toilet for every 350 men and one urinal for every 100 men. City officials argue that they are well within the standards. more ›

We reported in March that amateur sports enthusiasts could choose between the D.C.-area-based World Adult Kickball Association and a new nonprofit kickball league DCKickball for their summer kickball needs. Little did we imagine the two leagues would be at "war" two months later - or at least according to the City Paper, which vividly describes the tension between the two leagues in an article last week. more ›

Following a national trend towards capping medical-malpractice awards, D.C. doctors have asked the city to limit the jury-awarded sums that they claim have pushed medical liability insurance premiums to unsustainable highs and are forcing them to consider moving out of the District, reports the W. Times. more ›

Final Baseball Vote Set for Today: How many final votes on the baseball deal are there? For baseball owners, their final vote on whether to send the Montreal Expos (to become the Washington Nationals) to Washington is today. While the real deal making has happened over many months and this vote is more of a formality, the cloud of unsettled District Council squabbles over the contentious stadium deal have put a cloud over today's vote, the Post reports. more ›

A human rights group has sued two Somalis who now live in Northern Virginia for committing crimes against humanity. more ›

The National Harbor Project, a $2-billion development planned for south of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge across the Potomac from Alexandria, has received final funding to go ahead with construction. The development will include condos, upscale shopping, and a 1,500-room Gaylord Hotel. more ›