The Obama family showed up at So Others Might Eat's soup kitchen on Monday, as part of their contribution to the MLK Day of Service. The Washington Times provides a little color:
"We got a lot of struggle in this neighborhood," a man shouted to Mr. Obama as he entered the facility, in a hardscrabble section of the city just north of Capitol Hill.more ›
Good morning, Washington. Well, this is it: the holidays are finally, tragically over. You're once again sitting at your desk. And now we begin the slow, terrible death march toward spring, with only brief, inadequate celebrations of Presidents' and MLK Day to sustain us. Stay strong, D.C. — we'll get through this.
Can You Hear Me Now? Hello? Hello?: The ball dropped, the phones came out and... nothing. "Y2K8 Bug" doesn't sound very catchy, but that seems to be what Verizon Wireless customers experienced in the first few hours of 2008, as WTOP reports. A software glitch affected some calls and text messages until around 4 a.m. on New Year's Day.
Virginia Considers Mining Uranium: Walter Coles' family farm in Pittsylvania County sits atop what is thought to be the largest deposit of uranium on the East coast — enough to power the nation's reactors for two years. But up until now he hasn't been able to do anything about it: as the Post explains, uranium mining has been banned in Virginia since 1982. Now Coles is undertaking a lobbying effort to have that changed. Although the landowner claims that he's avoided selling the land so that he can ensure the mining process proceeds safely and with a maximum benefit to the community, critics say that Coles is motivated solely by money and that uranium mining can't be conducted safely in Virginia's moist environment.
String of Stabbings in Virginia: The Post reports on three separate incidents that occurred yesterday and overnight in Northern Virginia. A man was found stabbed in Falls Church; another in Reston; and three people sustained knife injuries after a man was barred from a party in Franconia. The Falls Church incident resulted in the victim's death. Police say the incidents aren't related.
Briefly Noted: Maryland property assessments rising despite falling home prices... Third Democrat considers running for Tom Davis' seat... Union Station was briefly evacuated yesterday due to a french fry fire, lower level will remain closed today... Arlington chairman pledges to support affordable housing, pursue smoking/trans-fat ban and keep county pro-immigrant...
This Day In DCist: One year ago Mayor Fenty was taking office, Washington was paying its respects to Gerald Ford, and the Post was cozying up to local bloggers.
Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user Oblivious Dude
Good morning to all of you Washingtonians who, despite being forced to come in today, are honoring Dr. King today through peaceful resistance to actual work. Rather than confronting authority violently, you can make your dissatisfaction known through idleness and websurfing. We'll be right here with you. Then, outside work, maybe do something a little more meaningful to celebrate MLK Day. Guilty of Wrongful Deeds: D.C. police may have ended a rash of brazen break-ins...
MLK Day Parade Canceled: The AP, via the Post, reports that the 27th annual Martin Luther King Day parade in Ward 8 has been canceled because of the cold temperatures. Apparently, the health of Ward 8's councilmember, former Mayor Marion Barry, had been speculated to have been partly to blame for the cancellation, enough so that the AP in the second paragraph flatly said that is wasn't to blame. (But perhaps we're just reading too...
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
