The rush to get out of D.C. to family Thanksgiving celebrations has already begun, but if you're still reading DCist, you're probably still at work and planning on leaving within the next 72 hours. Whether opening up that military airspace will really make a difference at Washington area airports remains to be seen, but WMATA has announced a special Thanksgiving weekend schedule that could stand to help out many of you trying to take public... more ›

Today tens of thousands of District children return to school, leaving behind the late-morning starts, extended curfews and breaks at the public swimming pool that summer afforded them. And though the year will proceed as it usually does, they will be part of a school system that has seen drastic changes over the last few months. Now under mayoral control and led by new chancellor Michelle Rhee, the District's public schools have entered a new... more ›

In case you missed the news yesterday, the Washington Post has devoted an extraordinary amount of front page column inches to the record breaking temperatures D.C. saw yesterday. At 12:05 p.m. on Wednesday, the temperature hit 102 degrees at Reagan National Airport, according to the National Weather Service, breaking the previous all time high record for Aug. 8, of 101 degrees, set in 1930. The oppressive heat also had a number of other newsworthy... more ›

>> The Red Line has resumed normal service after a suspicious package closed the Dupont Circle, Woodley Park, and Cleveland Park stations for several hours. >> Temperatures hit 102 at Reagan National Airport at 1 p.m., breaking a nearly 80-year-old record by one degree. [WaPo] >> The Adams Morgan Safeway closed briefly Sunday evening due to a bomb scare. [City Desk] >> Damage from the Capitol Lounge/Trover Shop fire is estimated at about $100,000... more ›

Yesterday's snow storm didn't add up to much as expected, but some of the melted snow on the ground froze overnight, causing a number of suburban school districts to alter their schedules today. Lucky bastards. In the end, only 1.3 inches of snow fell at Reagan National Airport, and with sunny days today and tomorrow with highs in 40s, most of that will likely disappear in short order. Better luck next year, snowpocalypse. Jail Time... more ›

A cheery morning to you all, D.C.; it may still hover in the low 30's today, but it'll be nice and sunny outside your window, making your daydreams of warm afternoons that much easier. That heater you have blasting probably helps, and that's a lot more than some D.C. area schoolchildren can say. Four schools remain closed entirely while many others struggle to heat more than just a few classrooms with dilapidated systems. WTOP reports... more ›

Those of us who have lived in Washington since 9/11 well know the various security changes that have occurred at Reagan National Airport over the last five years. When the airport re-opened a month later, aircraft containing more than 156 seats and the awesomely-named "River Visual" approach were banned until mid-2002. Oh, and remember when you couldn't pick anyone up at the curb in a private vehicle? How about that no standing up on the... more ›

Happy Thursday, D.C. Well, if another day of high humidity and the threat of thunderstorms could be "happy"... In good travel-related news, scheduling your restroom trips on flights to and from Reagan National Airport just got easier: the restrictions on leaving your seat within thirty minutes of takeoff or landing have been lifted in the wake of a restructuring of the Department of Homeland Security. Created in response to the 9/11 attacks, the regulations... more ›

A recent survey conducted by America Online found that the average American worker wastes more than two hours a day, costing U.S. companies $759 billion annually in lost productivity. Virginia ranked seventh in the nation, yet no word on how Maryland and the District fared. We here at DCist may just be speculating, but something tells us any increases in wasted time may very well track with increased access to the internet, and may have... more ›

Good morning Washington. Have you ever wondered why the WB advertises its show "Gilmore Girls" on bus shelters? Has anyone actually watched the show? (Apparently it takes place in Connecticut.) Well, A Nameless Yeast snapped this photo of the reflection of the WB ad in an unknown location, somewhere in the city we assume. So Where Would the Plane Have Come Down? One question we had sitting in the back of our mind during... more ›

The work week is half over, and we're now starting down the hump towards another beautiful weekend. Today, however, will be partly cloudy with a chance of rain in the morning with highs again only in the 50s. This photo of Rosslyn is by Tim Fritz. Rosslyn To Get Taller: Notoriously lifeless Rosslyn -- once referred to as a "visual belch of landscape" -- may soon be getting a 39-story building, unless D.C. buffs and... more ›

Enjoy today as temperatures will rise up near 70 degrees. It'd be a great day for a lunchtime walk or extended lunch, if you're so lucky. Perhaps a stroll past the Robert A. Taft memorial on the Senate side of the Capitol grounds, as seen in this DCist photo taken early Tuesday evening. And speaking of weather, Dan Stillman at Capital Weather questions why Reagan National Airport is D.C.'s official weather observation post and... more ›

This photo of Reagan National Airport was taken by blogger John Windmueller at a recent Washington Photo Safari outing. Today will be partly cloudy with highs in the upper 60s. Crackdown at Club U: After a murder last weekend near the popular U Street go-go club, authorities have pulled the club's liquor license. The Post reports on the developments and some of the crimes critics say are connected to the club, including 3 homicides since... more ›

On a recent red-eye flight back to Reagan National, DCist picked up Tom Wolfe's latest novel, "I Am Charlotte Simmons." Ever the reporter, Wolfe's novel aims to do for the college experience what "A Man in Full" did for corporate Atlanta and "The Bonfire of the Vanities" did for '80s New York. DCist was hoping to chat with Wolfe about his work (and his fashion), but we won't be able to make his 12:30 p.m.... more ›

Preparing for Terror: Although there is no concrete intelligence suggesting Nov. 2 will be targeted by terrorists, elections officials are preparing for that possibility. Memos have gone out in Virginia from the top elections official saying that a "delicate balance" must be found that allows the democratic process to continue without scaring voters half to death with a more vigilant security presence. The Post has the rundown of the situation and what different jurisdictions are... more ›

DCist feels bad for our friends who are from the Carolinas, or anyone for that matter who depend on US Airways to fly home to see friends and family. US Airways has filed for bankruptcy for a second time, casting doubts on the abilities of the airline, that counts D.C.'s Reagan National Airport as a hub, to get out of the red and into the black. Reuters is reporting that the nation's No. 7 airline... more ›

If you're pulled out Reagan National Airport security lines for further screening, you'll probably undergo an additional examination. National is a test stie for a Transportation Security Administration program where boarding passes will be examined for explosives residue, the Post reports. If passengers set off the metal detector or if they have been preselected for additional scrutiny, a security screener will rub both sides of the passenger's boarding pass across a small piece of cotton... more ›