Remember all that hubbub about a shiny, black substance which was found in the Anacostia River in mid-August? Well, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, it was definitely just algae. more ›

First, there was an oil spill in the Anacostia. Then, there wasn't. Now, authorities are saying that there's definitely something which is making the river shine, but they aren't really sure what it is. more ›

The Anacostia River is dirty. We all kind of knew that already, but that assessment has officially been confirmed by U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth. more ›

Often feel wheezy and out of breath after walking outside? You might not be out of shape, it might just be the air. (Or that's what you can tell yourself now.) The American Lung Association issued a report giving D.C. and Arlington F grades for our smog. more ›

A lot of weird stuff often shows up floating the Potomac River. (Our personal favorite? "Intersex" fish, which developed both male and female reproductive organs due to the dumping of several "endocrine disruptors" into the water.) But lobsters? That's a new one. But WTOP's Neal Augenstein reports that a whole bunch of them were seen on the shores of the Potomac down in Woodbridge. more ›

The District Department of the Environment will receive $7.5 million in cleanup funds from CSX Transportation Inc. after the freight corporation agreed to pay to cleanup leaks into a Fort Dupont stream that flows into the Anacostia River. more ›

Ick, ew, gross. Someone has illegally dumped waste from port-a-potties into Four Mile Run Stream near Westover Park in Arlington County. Arlington Alert sent out warnings earlier today telling residents not to fish in or have any contact with the waters – including wading or swimming – until further notice. The Post has a story up about the dumping, and quotes an Arlington parks official describing water near the spill as "blue, crummy and yucky and it smells of the deodorizer and human waste." The stream runs along other Arlington recreation areas like Bon Air, Bluemont, Glencaryln and Shirlington parks, and ends up in the Potomac. Arlington officials are investigating -- this is actually the second such dumping in as many weeks at the same location. more ›

By now, everyone knows that some fish in the filthy Potomac River have developed both male and female reproductive systems. They've been dubbed "intersex" by the media, and we've all had a nervous laugh about how the pollution we've poured into the river is probably to blame for creating the first ever bi-gendered fish. Whoops! How were we to know? more ›

Good morning, Washington. Recent increases in gun-related crime in the city seems to be today's main topic of news, just as the Supreme Court may announce today whether it intends to take another look at D.C.'s handgun ban. D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty has scheduled a press conference this morning to address the District's position on its gun safety law, but in the meantime the Washington Post is questioning the law's effectiveness and just last... more ›

Above you'll see Comet 17/P Holmes making its way across the sky. This photo was taken by philliefan_99, who caught this bright image just outside the city a few days after Holmes made an amazing outburst on October 24 -- and by "amazing" we mean it brightened nearly a million times. Though the comet has been close enough to the Earth to be visible through fairly powerful telescopes since July, it's now visible with... more ›

Imagine this -- the District could have hybrid taxicabs before it even resolves its long-running dispute between meters and the zone system. Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) yesterday introduced legislation that would offer a one-time tax credit to encourage the purchase of hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles for use as taxicabs. The legislation would also establish a set of goals for converting the city's taxicab fleet to hybrid vehicles -- 5 percent by 2009 and... more ›

While SFist cringed at the fatal dose of crime littering the Bay Area, it found solace in Hillary Clinton's San Francisco campaign headquarters opening, which featured loads of exposed mammary glands. In other news, SF Taxi Commission ruled that Satan's cab must keep its (in)famous medallion number, 666; and in an un-fashion-forward frenzy, San Francisco Fashion Week (chortle) bars bloggers from covering and getting smashed at their shows and parties, respectively. Also, they found a... more ›

Metrorail logged its 11th straight year of ridership increases, up 1.1 percent over last year. The 208 million trips people took on Metro this year marked Metro's highest ever annual ridership. This also translates to the highest ever average weekday ridership - more than 702,000 per day - exceeding 700,000 riders a day for the first time ever. more ›

Former Editor-in-Chief Ryan Avent writes a weekly column about neighborhood and development issues. Summer in Washington means the return of many familiar sights, some welcomed, others not as much. It means baseball, but also sticky heat and humidity. It means evenings at barbecues and bars with outdoor seating, but also children roaming the streets with backpacks full of cherry bombs and bottle rockets. It means, for many of us, time off. For others it means... more ›

Just a little over a month ago, DCist Jeff updated our very occasional series, What We're Missing, with a plea for the introduction of municipal bicycles available for rent all over the city, a la the same deal that Paris, France is about to get. Here's what he said: At first, we cringe at the thought of hundreds of street-clogging lost tourists and a cottage industry of bike thefts. With more examination, though, there's a... more ›

Former Editor-in-Chief Ryan Avent writes a weekly column about neighborhood and development issues. I got a kick out of New York’s reaction to a report released back in April, showing that carbon emissions in the city had increased by about 8 percent since 1997. The news stories were alarmist and the leaders angry, promising to do whatever it took to reverse the trend and reduce emissions within 25 years. Admirable sentiments, but it made me... more ›

Oooh! This photo is actually from January, but was just added to the DCist pool yesterday (I have to wonder if philliefan_99 waited until I was back doing Photo of the Day, knowing what a sucker I am for astrophotography). He stood at the base of the Washington Monument to take this shot of Comet McNaught, the brightest comet most of us have seen in our lifetimes. So bright, in fact, that it was able to shine through the smog and light pollution that usually obscures views from city centers (but which contributed to the gorgeous orange sky). It's almost amazing to note this was only a 1/4 second exposure. more ›

Four hundred thousand people drive into D.C. each day for work and for fun, and the fact that none of them pays for the traffic and pollution they create has peeved more than a few city denizens. Asking drivers to cough up a few bucks to access our fair city is not a new idea, with everyone from local residents to the Post's Marc Fisher airing the idea out. Even Mayor Fenty (following the lead... more ›

For Earth Day last year, DCist looked at how our region could green up its transportation system, and help area residents to reduce how much they drive. This year, we take a look at a new service that could change the way you do -- or don't -- drive. Dealing with global warming is one of the biggest challenges our generation faces, and transportation is a major source of the greenhouse gases that are behind... more ›

This weekend, as Washingtonians celebrated Earth Day with Anacostia River cleanups and tree plantings at the National Zoo, the Post highlighted the Capitol Power Plant, a coal-burning blight to Southeast. Thanks to Senators Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the familiar smokestacks continue to burn coal in the heart of the District, a clear violation of the Clean Air Act. In 2000, when officials wanted to stop using the dirtiest of fossil fuels, the... more ›

As if we needed another reason to stay off D.C.-area roads! more ›

Brrrrrrrrrr. We hope you've got some layers on this morning, D.C. It's the coldest day so far this winter, with a predicted high of only 29 degrees. Sure, we were wishing for some proper winter weather for a while, but frankly this may be going just a bit too far. The bitter temperatures won't last too long, though — Saturday's high will be back up toward 50. Small Fire in Metro: We're hearing there was... more ›

Good morning, Washington. Need something to warm your funny bone (or at least your sense of outrage) on this appropriately cold winter morning? Well, look no further that the hijinks of Virginia's legislators. We thought that Virgil Goode's silly attacks on Rep. Keith Ellison were all the entertainment that the commonwealth was likely to offer in the short term. But, as NBC4 reports, state representative Frank Hargrove has come to the rescue, committing two enormous... more ›

The WaPo digs in to a report released by a group called Environment Maryland, part of a coalition of environmentalists, health professionals and religious leaders who want to require California-like emissions standards for all new motor vehicles by 2011. The report highlights EPA figures that show that Baltimore City, plus Montgomery, Baltimore and Prince George's counties, all have dangerously high levels of cancer-causing air pollutants. Despite protestations from entirely dispassionate Maryland automobile dealers that the... more ›

As we speak, there is a highly concentrated mass of ions hurtling towards Earth from the Sun. It may wreak havoc with our communications satellites and other space-based equipment, but that's part of the danger with a solar flare, which are—essentially—sun farts. The upside of Apollo's flatulence is that it and the Earth's magnetosphere are the only ingredients needed for aurora borealis, or the Northern Lights. According to spaceweather.com, "an M2 explosion near sunspot 898... more ›

Next Monday could be a tough day for the country -- immigrant advocates have been pushing a nationwide work boycott to convince Congress of the economic power of the country's million of illegal immigrants. Some local Hispanic leaders have expressed their opposition to the boycott, though, concerned that it may cause a backlash against immigrants and their cause. There are an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States. more ›