Welcome to June, Washington. Also welcome to the end, at last, of your short post-holiday work week. We do hope it wasn't too painful. Even if it was, the good news is that it's going to be relatively pleasant, if a touch on the hot and humid side, most of the weekend. So spend some time sitting on your front stoop sipping iced tea. Just remember to slather on the sunblock, and of course, invite... more ›

So, it seems like George Mason may have used up much of the region's supply of NCAA tourney magic in last year's dramatic run. Of the seven regional teams in this year's tournament, only Georgetown survived the first weekend to make the Sweet 16 – stay tuned to DCist for more hoops coverage as the city unites behind the Hoyas. And before you ask: no, I'm not the least bit bitter about having a bracket... more ›

On this, the eighth day of the Fenty administration, the Examiner poses an interesting question about the promised increase in beat-walking cops. The strategy is a hallmark of new Police Chief Cathy Lanier's community policing plan for a safer city. Officials haven't said where they'll be targeting, but the paper lists ten likely areas of increased presence, including Chinatown, Adams Morgan, and Takoma Park. The law enforcement theory behind assigned beats says they're most effective... more ›

Well, D.C. How's your Emergency Tuesday shaping up so far? It looks like there's some more exciting Emergency Legislation on the table for the D.C. City Council this morning. Apart from the pay raises we mentioned yesterday, the council's agenda for the day includes a total of, yes really, 40 emergency bills, including another that would provide for exemptions to the liquor license law that currently prohibits anyone from selling liquor within 400 feet of... more ›

It's cold out there, eh Washington? But apparently not cold enough to stop the notorious Vienna Pants Grabber, who NBC4 is reporting may be branching out from his favorite Metro stop to area apartment complexes. Freaky. Can everyone take good look at those two composite sketches so we can get this jackass off the streets? Thank you. more ›

Montgomery County has long been hailed as a national pioneer in the implementation of inclusionary housing policy, having passed the region’s first zoning ordinance, which has been responsible for the creation of over 12,000 moderately priced dwelling units (MPDU) since the 1970s. The explosive growth at both ends of the Red Line in the past decade prompted the county to take another landmark step this week when the County Council unanimously passed a proposal to... more ›

In regards to the much talked about possible elimination of the current rent ceiling system here in the District, there will be a public roundtable on the issue today at 5:00pm at the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Two weeks ago, the City Council's Committee on Consumer and Regulatory Affairs voted 4 to 1 to overhaul the system. Right now, the cap is based on a particular unit's "rent ceiling", while the... more ›

In a city where property values have risen more than 14 percent over the last year, various District officials and activists have expressed concern over the availability of affordable housing. The D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute noted in a recent report that the shortage of affordable housing widened from 1990 to 2003 due to a 90 percent cut in funding for affordable housing over the same years, thus leading to an increase of the percentage of District residents with unaffordable housing burdens. more ›