President Barack Obama took daughters Malia and Sasha to Kramerbooks yesterday in support of Small Business Saturday. more ›

Remember that scene in Seinfeld when George Costanza showed off his savant-like ability to rattle off the best bathroom anywhere in the city when given an address? Well, chances are Costanza's gift would be wasted in Chantilly, Virginia -- there is but one bathroom based there that matters! more ›

Broken finial or not, when you're the National Cathedral and the President of the United States wants to deliver an address marking the tenth anniversary of one of the worst days in the country's history at your pulpit, you make it work. more ›

Good morning, Washington. As frustrated as some of us find ourselves hiking up a broken Metro escalator in this awful August heat, it’s humbling to see someone do the same with a limp or a cane. A chronic inconvenience for some can be a major obstacle for people with disabilities. The Washington Post takes a look at some of the challenges those who use wheelchairs, canes or other aids experience on our distressed transit system, touching on what Metro has done well, and what it could do better (much of which would help not only the disabled, but all riders). more ›

This afternoon, President Barack Obama rewarded his staff for their hard work during the recent debt ceiling negotiations by treating them to lunch at Spike Mendelsohn's Good Stuff Eatery. more ›

Good morning, Washington. The final Friday of July handed the District its latest heat record to boast (though breaking these records feels less and less noteworthy as the blazing summer rages on). A temperature of 104 was recorded at Reagan National Airport yesterday afternoon which blew past a record of 99 set in 1993, and it looks like July 2011 is going to be the hottest month ever in the District. more ›

Good morning, Washington. I respectfully disrupt your editor-in-chief’s three-day heat lede, relegating the swelter to bring you the latest in political posturing. On Friday night House Speaker John Boehner again walked away from a “grand bargain” on the debt. Obama and Boehner delivered dueling press conferences following the announcement, each putting their own fiery spin on the embarrassing news that talks had failed. more ›

Good morning, Washington. Here’s your roundup of failed debt-reduction talks, D.C. corruption, tsunami waves, sports, lobbying and a vainglorious farewell. more ›

Now that the 2010 midterm elections are two months old, we can say that the 2012 presidential campaigning has officially started. But according to the Chicago Tribune, President Obama may break from precedent and look well outside of the Beltway to find his election HQ. Far far outside; think Chicago. Maybe the President is finally fed up with us wimpy District residents when it comes to a little ice and snow -- particularly after this weekend's hoopla over nothing. more ›

Good morning Washington. Is everyone ready to venture forth for another day of travel? Just close your eyes, bite down hard, rip quickly and get it over with. And if you're choosing to drive back home today, that band aid is going to feel more like a gunshot to the head, as our area is notorious for bottlenecks. For those of us lucky to have gotten our gluttonous fill of turkey in town, sit back and watch our version of the Macy's parade, as visiting relatives flee en masse and far flung transplants return to the district. more ›

If we've learned anything from the Daily Show being in Washington, it's that we need a lot more practice with the whole television taping process. Yesterday, yours truly showed up for the taping about a hour too early, spending the next 240 minutes either enjoying the Harman Center pavement's non-existent ergonomic qualities, standing in a line waiting to be let into a studio or sitting in a seat as a very odd mix of Rihanna, Aerosmith and the Hold Steady blared over theater speakers. In short: television production involves a lot of waiting around -- more so when the President is involved. DCist has several contributors who are already on the Harman scene this morning. DCist's operatives note that a line has already started to form and the red velvet queuing line has already started to go up. (If if total dryness thanks to the building's overhang is something you wish to obtain, best get down there quickly.) According to our sources, security "will apparently be a bear." Can't get there until later? Based on my experience yesterday, there weren't too many people turned away -- of course, President Obama is a little bit bigger of a draw than Senator Ted Kaufman, no disrespect intended to the gentleman from Delaware. more ›

President Barack Obama continued his tour around the country in support of Democratic candidates with a short trip up to Bowie State University in Maryland today. (TBD's Kevin Robillard is live-tweeting, for those who are interested in such things.) But not everyone's feeling the good vibes of the Obama visit: at least two dozen people got sick during the rally. So many people were fainting and feeling dizzy that a triage unit had to be set up in the Bowie State gymnasium. WTOP reports that warmer temperatures could be the cause for the spike in sickness, and Robillard described it as "pretty hot." But seeing as how the ol' digital thermometer tells me that its only 70 degrees in Bowie right now, that seems very strange. So what really made everyone sick? Was it the amazing number of politicians who elbowed their way onto the stage before Obama got a chance to talk? Was it the "boring" intermission? Was it "the devil" who was shouting at Obama during his speech? Did a big group of people stop off for some bad oysters on the way over to the rally? Whatever it is, I'm sure that there are plenty of people just drooling to start making jokes about Democrats and their "fainting" hopes of holding on to their majorities in Washington. more ›

Michelle Rhee kept it diplomatic during her appearance on Meet the Press yesterday morning. But President Barack Obama wasn't so shy in his sit-down on NBC television this morning, in which he took a very firm position on the current status of D.C.'s public schools. more ›

In jeopardy of losing his job come next Tuesday, Mayor Adrian Fenty is pulling out all the stops to win a second term in office. All of them. more ›

It was a happy Friday indeed for District voting rights activists, as President Barack Obama finally offered his public support for the D.C. House Voting Rights Act, urging the House of Representatives to pass the bill, days before it is scheduled to be brought back to the floor. more ›

Your DCist sports editor had a very nice time at the ballpark on Monday, enjoying the return of baseball after a long, hard winter. It was certainly a sight for sore eyes. more ›

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The Nationals are encouraging, nay, begging those of you lucky enough to snag tickets to Monday's Opening Day game against the Phillies to get your behinds to the ballpark on the double Monday morning. Due to the sold-out nature of the festivities -- oh, and this Obama fella that is going to be throwing out the first pitch -- the Nationals are recommending that folks arrive at the grounds "several hours earlier than normal" on Monday. Seeing as how the game is scheduled to begin at 1:05 p.m., this likely means that the ticketed among us should follow our normal Monday morning routine, just replacing "the office" with "Nationals Park." more ›

To his credit, Gibbs deflected a question that he obviously had no certain way to answer with class, telling reporters that he thought the President "would very much enjoy going," and that Obama could "borrow [his] jersey" if he ever decided to take Capitals owner Ted Leonsis up on his open invitation. Granted, if President Obama is just saving up his Caps plans for when the team gets into the playoffs, I suppose it's hard to argue with that. Playoff hockey is kinda the best. more ›

There might be a protracted battle inside the blogotwittersphere about the best name for this massive snow dump, but at least we now know where our fair country's leader stands on the issue. According to the AP, President Obama called the weather a "Snowmageddon" earlier today, after making his way out of the White House to address the Democratic National Committee's winter meeting. (I choose to believe that in private, the Prez truly prefers the super-meta #snobama.) more ›

Talk about holding court. When the POTUS makes an appearance at a Georgetown game, it's tough to decide whether to keep an eye on him or the game. And if you're a big name and also in the building, well then you are obligated to come over for the inevitable photo op. more ›

The Washington Post reports that President Barack Obama will make a rare appearance at a church somewhere in the District this morning, though the White House isn't saying where. This will be only his second appearance at a local house of prayer since the inauguration. Like President George W. Bush before him, President Obama chose to make the nondenominational Evergreen Chapel at Camp David his church home away from home. more ›

A friend of 20-year-old Bethesda resident Collin McKenzie-Gude, who pleaded guilty in September to some serious business, says that McKenzie-Gude really, really doesn't like President Barack Obama. Not Gordon-Brown-casual-insult doesn't like Barack Obama. As in stockpiled-bomb-making-chemicals doesn't like Barack Obama. A seriously deluded Patrick Yevsukov, 18, testified under an immunity deal about plans made between McKenzie-Gude, Yevsukov, and Yevsukov's to assassinate the President. ABC7 has a story on McKenzie-Gude's ongoing sentencing that's almost too crazy to believe, including allegations that he intended to kill some dude selling them guns or something; Yevsukov's mother -- that is a seriously uncool way to treat someone who has agreed to be your lookout; and President Obama. Among crazy-ass schemes involving dads, sons, armor-piercing projectiles, and the woods near Camp David, this one beats the band. These guys couldn't have just joined the Boy Scouts? more ›

It's been a busy couple of weeks at the White House. The Obamas held their first state dinner complete with party crashers. The Commander-in-Chief pardoned his first turkey. The official White House Christmas tree arrived on Friday, and next Thursday, the Obamas are scheduled to light the National Tree on the Ellipse. And, of course, the President has surely been preparing for the announcement his future plans for the war in Afghanistan on Tuesday at West Point. more ›

Ray's Hell Burger. Ben's Chili Bowl. Five Guys. Good Stuff Eatery. And now Pete's Apizza. It is becoming abundantly clear that the first family has a yen for junk food that rivals even former president Clinton's Big Mac attacks. more ›

Both President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have been known to stop by local D.C. schools to visit with area students over the last year, but today was the first day the President visited a school in Maryland, according to the Post. Obama made a surprise to the lunchroom at Viers Mill Elementary School in Silver Spring today. He reportedly spent about 30 to 45 minutes chatting with 3rd and 5th graders at the school about what books they were reading. more ›

Shaq couldn't get in to see the Commander-In-Chief on Monday, but FIFA boss Sepp Blatter sure did. And from the sound of it, Washington's most famous resident turned on the charm, dribbling a ball which Blatter brought with him and kinda-sorta accepting an invitation to attend the upcoming World Cup in South Africa. more ›

In case you didn't believe us when we said yesterday that Alexander Ovechkin was becoming "the guy" in the Washington sports scene, consider this: President Obama had high praise for the Caps star in a speech he delivered at Moscow's New Economic School this morning. more ›

No matter how many news inches or cable spots are dedicated to coverage of President Barack Obama's church attendance, the message just will not reach some people. Some 11 percent of Americans still mistakenly believe that Obama is a Muslim, a number that might seem outrageous to those who live in D.C., where the number of the pew the President occupied is reported on the front page of the Metro section. more ›

Well, we knew this was a possibility, but still, what a disappointment for all the folks who are headed to Monday's Nationals home opener against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Washington Times is reporting that President Obama is going to decline the Nats invite to throw out the first pitch at the stadium of the season, due to his busy schedule. USA Today's sports blog picked up the story too, noting that Obama also had to turn down a chance to toss out the first pitch at a White Sox game while he was in Europe. more ›