Local LGBT activists are upset over a document distributed by the Washington Nationals, according to City Desk. The document details the team's Vendor Procurement Program and features Major League Baseball's affirmative action policy, which includes this portion:The Licensee shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment or against any service recipient or applicant for services because of race, color, ethnic status, religion, sex, age, national origin, disable veteran status, Vietnam era veteran status,... more ›

Good morning, Washington. It's only the end of September, but if drug store candy aisles are any indication, many of you are probably already thinking ahead just a little bit to the holiday season. What will you be for Halloween? Will you stay in town for Thanksgiving? What kind of Christmas bonus will you be getting this year? For some D.C. government employees, the answer to that last question is now up in the air.... more ›

Just when we'd started to forget the entire rigamarole about getting the new stadium for the Nationals, we get today's Post article on the lucrative sale of its naming rights. It's not so much that we should be surprised that the stadium may be named after a corporation — it's that the District won't see a penny of the money that the chosen corporation splashes all over the publicly financed $611 million project. Reads the... more ›

The -ists this week had politics on the brain. And what goes better with politics? Partying-- that's two great tastes in one. Oh, and Kevin Federline...can't forget about Kevin Federline. That's three great tastes in one. -Bostonist discussed two big state issues-- what sort of math constitutes a marriage and what kind of alcohol can be sold in most grocery stores. And the politically minded Curt Schilling went on "Jeopardy!". -Chicagoist celebrated the election news... more ›

As Nationals fans, we are but flecks of dust blowing in the wind. A tiny, insignificant bit of marginalia scribbled in the tome of baseball lore. That's what researchers found in a poll released yesterday by AP-AOL Sports. Out of the 2,002 people polled, the 32 percent that claimed to be baseball fans were asked several questions, including "Which Major League Baseball team do you root for during the regular season?" A whopping one percent... more ›

American business titan John D. Rockefeller once quipped, "A friendship founded on business is a good deal better than a business founded on friendship." Following the Post's in-depth look at the negotiations between the District and the Lerner Group over the direction of the new stadium's construction and development in surrounding Anacostia, it seems D.C. might have put too much faith in the Lerners' friendship. more ›

In the latest bit of stadium-related drama, the Washington Post is reporting that the District government is in default of its lease agreement with Major League Baseball, according to a letter sent by MLB's legal team. MLB claims that the District is delinquent in handing over key documents such as the lease of the stadium grounds, proof of land ownership, and monthly project schedules. The letter serves as a written warning, announcing MLB's intention... more ›

You can just about make out the strains of the Carpenters' classic tune "We've Only Just Begun" humming in the air down around the new stadium development in S.E. these days. Wait, no, that song is about falling in love. Whoops. I think we meant something more like "I Hate You" by Slayer. It's so easy to get those two mixed up. Yesterday, at its last meeting before taking their summer recess, the D.C. City... more ›

The Nats did a nice thing for 15,000 of their closest friends on Sunday afternoon. After soundly defeating the Phillies, 6-0, on a day perfectly suited to the game of baseball (75 degrees, cool breeze, sunshine), the team had a Picnic at the Park for season ticket holders. Now I have not purchased season tickets, but I was with a friend who did, and so I went along for the ride. This sort of mass... more ›

More on the church parking issue, you say? Today we find the Washington Times reporting that some Logan Circle residents are fuming at what they see as a concession to the neighborhood's powerful churches, a day after D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams put off enforcement measures and instead appointed a taskforce to study the matter. After close to a year of complaints, city officials promised to start enforcing the city's double-parking laws on Sunday, going... more ›

Washington Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden, already under fire for his questionable off-season personnel moves and his team's underachieving start, added fuel to his own fire today as the club revealed Bowden was arrested on DUI charges last Sunday while in Florida. According to the AP, Bowden released a statement today saying, "I intend to plead not guilty at a future date in a Miami Dade court. I deeply regret any embarrassment that my... 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 ›

An impasse over Nationals broadcasting rights that has been almost two years in the making may soon reach resolution, if only because the powers-that-be are sick of missing games. Pressure on the parties involved is increasing from a number of governmental bodies. This weekend the Maryland Court of Appeals agreed to hear the latest Comcast appeal in a case that pits the cable company against the Orioles and Major League Baseball. The decision to hear the appeal comes after judges agreed to bypass the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, in a move that could cut a year off the expected duration of the legal process. That's still too slow for members of area legislative bodies, it seems, who have begun to take matters into their own hands. more ›

Good morning, Washington. It looks like today's going to be cloudy and cold, with the weekend bringing snow — snow! — at long last. We know, we know: it'll just be godawful slush and freezing rain, and in the unlikely event that it sticks around until Monday, we'll no doubt still have to go to work (we'll just be more cold & damp than usual when we arrive). But it doesn't matter; we still get stupidly excited at the prospect of flurries.

Teens Forced To Rob Banks: The Post reports that yesterday's story about a fourteen year-old bank robber is more complicated than it first seemed. This was apparently the second recent incident in which a teenager was forced to enter a bank and demand money under threat of violence from one or more assailants. The first of these crimes occurred three weeks ago.

MLB May Respond To Stadium Legislation Soon: The Post recounts the horse-trading that went into Tuesday's marathon council session. It all sounds a bit silly to us, with council members alternating between digging in their heels, declaring victory, and explaining that they had no idea what they were voting on. It might not be long before we learn whether that gamesmanship will pay off: Major League Baseball says it may respond to Tuesday's resolution as early as today. The deadline for a response from MLB is March 7.

WMATA Reforms Delayed: The city council isn't the area's only dysfunctional deliberative body. NBC4 reports that yesterday's WMATA board meeting ended prematurely after a dispute erupted about some members' need to depart for a commitment in Richmond. As a result, proposals to extend rail service and cut some bus lines were left on the table.

Va. Legislature Shelves Sex Offender Proposal: Speaking of Richmond, Virginia's state legislature has suddenly made itself look relatively circumspect: the State Senate's Education and Health Committee has decided to temporarily shelve consideration of a measure that would allow for the physical castration of those convicted of sex crimes.

Briefly Noted: Food Cafeteria fight sends boy to hospital... UMBC student charged with murder of MySpace acquaintance... Williams courts fellow mayors from around globe for voting rights support... Former Hagerstown cop charged with making various threats...

Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user ohad*

WMATA Adds Walking Directions to Website: We've wondered it, too -- how exactly does one get to and from certain Metro stations on foot? Lucky for us, WMATA has now added walking directions to the map function on its website, which pop up once the user has created a trip itinerary. This feature will be handy for us who rarely have any idea on how to get where we are going. more ›

While some in City Hall might be donning their Nationals hats and spontaneously busting out in "Take Me Out to the Ballpark," we'd like to offer a dose of caution. Yes, District officials and MLB have finally reached an agreement on a lease agreement for the new stadium, but no, this should not be considered said and done until the D.C. Council approves it. WTOP is reporting that the two sides -- forced into new... more ›

We here at DCist are all about community development, and certainly the knowledge contained in our public libraries is a valuable resource that should be kept well maintained and freely available. Reading is FUNdamental, no? We just wish that for once, a government task force could report back to the mayor without bringing along a nine-digit number. The latest to issue a draft report thusly was the Mayor's task force on D.C.'s public libraries, which... more ›

We are just getting word that D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams is now requesting that the long-awaited vote on the stadium lease -- originally scheduled for tomorrow -- be postponed so "small technical changes" can be made to the agreement. In a brief press release, Williams noted: We continue to work aggressively to get assistance from the federal government, from private developers and from Major League Baseball to put together the best deal possible for the... more ›

IT'S FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE REGAL CINEMA IN BETHESDA. more ›

Major League Baseball officials couldn't rack up enemies faster in the District if they tried. The problem is that they are trying. more ›

It was exactly one year ago today that the long-awaited news came through -- baseball was coming back to the District. Amidst festive supporters singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame," D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams rose to a podium at the now gone City Museum, a red Nationals hat perched upon his head. This was his moment, his legacy, and he was ready to savor it. One year later, the Washington Nationals are games... more ›

Good morning, Washington. Today will be mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. Stadium Planning Process Contentious: What do you get when you mix the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission, Major League Baseball, the fragil egos D.C. government, and a red-hot real estate market in Near Southeast? The answer is a convoluted planning process described by the Post in an article today where the architect has conflicting instructions and city leaders can't seem... more ›

Hoping to diffuse controversy over a special Congressional panel charged with investigating the federal government's shortcomings in the response to Hurricane Katrina, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert has tapped local Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) to be the panel's leader. The panel has been a flashpoint of debate in recent days, with Congressional Democrats claiming it would "whitewash" what have come to be perceived as substantial failures in the federal response to the storm and its aftermath. more ›

It looks like August might be a busy month in D.C. baseball, though not necessarily on the field. more ›

Continuing in what has been a rough few months for baseball, Rafael Palmeiro of the Baltimore Orioles -- the team many District residents called their own prior to the arrival of the Nationals -- was given a 10-day suspension today for steroid use, reports the Post. The O's first baseman, who only two weeks ago celebrated his milestone 3,000 hits and 500+ home-runs, is the tenth player suspended so far this season for failing steroid tests mandated by Major League Baseball, and his suspension brings local relevance to a growing scandal over the use of performance enhancing drugs in professional sports. more ›

We awake this morning knowing that Londoners are slowly recovering from the terrorist attacks that yesterday killed at least 50 and left hundreds more injured. We here at DCist are with them in thought, and can't do enough to thank our peers at Londonist for their continuing reporting. For more reaction from the D.C. blogging community, check out DCBlogs, the source of the above image. As for us, well Washington, brace yourself -- what's... more ›

File this story under the "Petty Politics" category. Via The Stakeholder, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's own blog, we find that Roll Call is reporting that Democratic financier and philanthropist George Soros, at right, has floated the idea of buying the Washington Nationals, recently having joined the ranks of one of the groups that submitted a bid for the team. Congressional Republicans, upon having heard the rumor, slyly implied that action could be taken against... more ›

Hearing on D.C. Gun Laws Tomorrow: The District's three-decade old gun laws, some of the most restrictive in the country, will be the focus of attention at a hearing of the House Government Reform Committee tomorrow. Chaired by Tom Davis (R-Va.), the committee will consider legislation put forth by Rep. Mark Edward Souder (R-Ind.) that would overturn the city's gun laws and restrict the ability of the City Council to impose other controls upon gun ownership. Similar legislation was recently introduced in the Senate by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.). The list of witnesses slated to testify includes a bevy of pro- and anti-gun activists, city officials, and District residents on both sides of the issue. more ›

It was just over two weeks ago that the Washington Nationals, to great fanfare, took the field at RFK Stadium for the first Major League Baseball game in Washington in over three decades. Years of political bickering, backroom negotiating, and hoping were finally put to rest as the team defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in front of a capacity crowd. more ›

A third weekend of beautiful weather may be to much too ask this spring, so be prepared for rain and chillier weather in the days to come. This photo is of the Q Street escalators at the Dupont Circle metrorail station, taken by BrownPau and posted on DCist Photos. more ›