>> Experts warn of lightning-strike injuries with iPods [AP via CNN.com] >> "The District has awarded a contract for managing its troubled Medicaid transportation program to a St. Louis-area company that the Missouri governor's office called 'scurrilous' after the company paid millions of dollars to resolve a fraud investigation." [WashTimes] >> "In the lingo of anti-smoking zealots, smoke flow from dwelling to dwelling is called “seepage” and for now, it seems, there’s nothing a renter... more ›

The D.C. Council is meeting for the final day of its summer session as we speak, and as we mentioned in this morning's roundup, a confirmation vote for deputy mayor for education Victor Reinoso has been postponed until at least September. But other key Fenty school takeover appointments are expected to be confirmed today, including Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee and Allen Lew, acting director of the new Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization. Yesterday, Lew... more ›

Good Morning, Washington. It looks like we survived the full moon, a night of Georgetown-less championship basketball and visit by Yoko Ono. It was worth it to enjoy another day of idyllic weather before it all goes to hell. By Friday the region will be back in the 40's with cloudy skies. As the National Park Service pleads with visitors not to touch, climb or even taunt the Cherry Blossoms, let's hope the expensive... more ›

No, when rising in the wee hours of the morning to we didn't suffer a sudden wave of nostalgia for bad perms, The Bangles and "Mr. Belvedere". We were confronted by all four networks confirming that temps are hitting eighty degrees today. Awesome. This mild weather was welcome news for the hundreds of Georgetown students who camped out in line to get their hands on one of the 1,000 tickets made available around 9:00... more ›

It's here! As of 8:07 last night, spring has officially sprung. Today's going to be a little chilly, but by the end of the week we'll have almost cracked 70 degrees. Woohoo! Pedestrian Safety Initiative Kicks Off: The Post reports on the pedestrian safety program that regional governments launched yesterday morning from a press event at Thomas Circle. What will this mean for you? Perhaps some new traffic lights, and definitely some additional enforcement... more ›

Have you been dying to get a few minutes to ask D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty questions about his controversial plan to take over the District's public schools? Washingtonpost.com will give you a chance this afternoon at 1 p.m., when they moderate an online chat with the Mayor about his proposal. You can submit your own questions for the Mayor here. We'd really like to know what the Mayor thinks about Colby King's idea to... more ›

Well D.C., if you're reading this it means you're not one of the 3000 or so people in our area currently without power. NBC4 reported the outage in Foggy Bottom last night, although they focused on the problems for four ritzy hotels, rather than the 790 other folks left in the dark. D.C. Superior Court and the D.C. Court of Appeals are also closed today due to the lack of power. Then, there's the massive... more ›

Better late than never, right? That seems to be the philosophy guiding D.C. Schools Superintendent Clifford Janey and School Board President Robert Bobb, who this week kick off a $75 million repair blitz in 70 of the city's 142 schools. Writes the Examiner on the campaign: Systems to be repaired include bathrooms, water fountains and lighting — all issues that have been identified as having the greatest impact on the students’ and teachers’ quality of... more ›

Good morning, Washington. Well, it was great while it lasted. But while it's true that last night's rains may have added to the treacherous icepack, and although WTTG has made a yeoman's effort at convincing us that icy death could plummet onto us from above at any moment, we still can't help but feel like the golden age of this winter's weather paranoia may be drawing to a close. That's Barely $2M Per Seat!:... 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 ›

OK, one more time, can someone explain to us the shrewd scheduling of the Super Bowl for Sunday night every year? We wake up on Monday, still stuffed with unhealthy amounts of sausage and seven layer dip, and more than a little bit hungover. How are we expected to work under these conditions? So we're making this proposal to The Man, right here, right now: make the day after the Super Bowl a holiday.... more ›

Batten down the hatches, Washington. Proving that no good spell of weather goes unpunished, we've now got some major storms headed our way. Two separate storm lines, to be precise, are barreling down on the metro area as we speak, the first having just begun, and the second, more powerful system, expected between noon and 5 p.m. With winds at 30 mph, we'd suggest upgrading your umbrella to something more than cheap and crappy. District... more ›

Fenty Plans Transition: Fresh from his trouncing of rival Linda Cropp, mayor-to-be Adrian Fenty has started planning for an ambitious transition, reports the Post. As part of his move to the Executive Office in the John Wilson Building, Fenty has announced that he will examine city agencies and start enacting programs over the next few months, working cooperatively with D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams to shape the $7 billion 2008 budget. He also reveled in... more ›

And so ends the suspense -- Adrian Fenty is the Post's pick for mayor. Though Fenty has held a comfortable lead in recent weeks, the Post's endorsement was seen as Linda Cropp's final chance in what has become a hard-fought campaign. Today's endorsement is sure to give Fenty the win next Tuesday, with the Post recognizing his "can-do quality" and his "vision of the city that challenges the best in people." And maybe to add... more ›

Yesterday was the day that D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams took his annual cannonball plunge into a local public swimming pool, marking the start of summer and the last time he will participate in a tradition he started during his first year in office. But much like everything else this election year, Williams managed to turn the cannonball into a matter of politics. According to WJLA, Williams challenged his successor to continue the tradition, forcing... more ›

Thanks to our friends over at FreeRide, we've learned that Sue Palka, Fox 5's weathercaster, has some fans. More than just fans, though, she has a fansite. Why? According to the site, "She's smart, she's sassy, and (we bet) she can drink you under the table. Does she get the weather right? Who cares? It's always sunny when Sue's around!" Maybe. But we've always been big fans of Michael Gargiulo and Shawn Yancy. Williams Demands... more ›

According to the Post, D.C. Schools Superintendent Clifford Janey has recommended closing six schools by August and having seven others lease underused space to charter schools. The school board is planning on holding hearings on the closures -- euphemistically referred to a "rightsizing" -- before a final vote on June 28. School officials, facing under-enrollment in 70 of 147 schools, are planning on shedding some one million square feet of space by this fall and an additional two million by Fall 2008. more ›

Bring out your purple plastic beads and get ready for some king cake! Well, we wish. For obvious reasons, the District and surrounding areas are decidedly calmer than, say, Bourbon Street. But we've still got some action going on. If you'd like to experience some good ol’ Mardi Gras flavor, the Post's City Guide lists what's going on today, from galas to Zydeco. Of course, there is always Lulu’s in Foggy Bottom -- they bring Mardi Gras cheer to the District all year long. And now, for some news: more ›

The students may not be in the classroom, but District officials and activists are still working to find ways to address the problem of the city's crumbling schools. Legislation currently working its way through the City Council's Finance and Education Committee's would allow the city to borrow up to $1 billion for much-needed school repairs, an issue that has repeatedly dogged D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams and D.C. Schools Superintendent Clifford Janey and may well become... more ›

Two contenders have already thrown their hats in the ring -- Adrian Fenty (D-Ward 4) and Vincent Orange (D-Ward 5) -- and more may soon follow suit. As the contest for the 2006 mayoral election heats up, less attention will be focused on who's running and more on what they're running on. What issues will dominate the campaigns? What will candidates highlight as the main problems facing District residents, and what will they concentrate their... more ›

Thankfully, Mother Nature seems to have bestowed the region with sunny skies free from the oppressive humidity that we knew all too well earlier this week -- and it's looking to be a beautiful weekend. It may very well be a good time to head outside and explore the natural offerings of the D.C. area, as a picture posted here by dcJohn has made us think. Stadium PLA Revealed: D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams announced the... more ›

It's a regular media circus up at the top of 13th and Clifton streets NW (one block north of U Street proper, still not quite in Columbia Heights) where this DCist lives. Traffic has been blocked off in four directions and twenty-some fire trucks, ambulances, police cruisers and less-familiar official vehicles have been posted throughout the neighborhood because, as the Post reports:School authorities in Washington, D.C., today closed the city's Cardozo Senior High School for... more ›