Results tagged “thesaturdaymorningpost”

Good morning, Washington. The Brookland-CUA Metrorail station was closed for about ninety minutes last night after another person intentionally placed themselves on the tracks in front of an oncoming train. Last night's incident pushes the number of suicides in Metrorail stations this year into double digits. WMATA says that at about 9:18 p.m., a man who had gone on to the tracks was struck by a Red Line train heading in the direction of Shady Grove, dying of his injuries. Trains were single tracking through the station for some time last night, but the area is now clear -- aside from the weekend's planned track work, of course.

Good morning, D.C. Are we finally on the edge of ridding ourselves of this week's miserable weather? Clouds are lingering today, but tomorrow's weather looks like it will do a whole lot to erase the last few days of rain, cold, and the general atmosphere of lethargy. There's plenty of 60s forecasted for our future, Washington. And while the last few days haven't been pleasant, it could always be worse -- at least we're not desperately piling sandbags to prevent a nor'easter from pulling our homes into the Chesapeake.

Happy Halloween, ye fellow denizens of Zombieton, D.C. I suppose that some of you are spending the precious daylight of All Hallow's Eve running around, paralyzed with the realization that your utter lack of costume ingenuity has finally come back to bite you. (Note: we hear the Columbia Heights Target is already out of white sheets, so there goes that idea.)

Good morning, D.C. Well, it looks like Ximena Hartsock (still the best name in the District's public sphere, without a doubt) isn't heading out the door of the District Department of Parks and Recreation quite yet. Mark Segraves reported yesterday afternoon that Hartsock -- who, if you'll recall, was summarily railroaded in a pathetic display of Washingtonian politics at its worst before being officially denied confirmation by the Council -- had her title at DPR changed from "Acting Director" to "Interim Director" by Mayor Adrian Fenty. D.C. attorney general Peter Nickles told Segraves that under the new title, Hartsock will be able to keep her job for 180 days -- though Nickles expects that Fenty will name a new candidate for the position before that. (Hopefully, it's one who meets Marion Barry's high standards.)

Good morning, Washington. So, who's tired of this terrible weather yet? It's too bad for those who are (that is, everyone), so say the fine purveyors of meteorological information at CWG, who dub this weekend's weather as, at once, "woefully wet", "stunning," and "miserable." We're looking at low temperatures which will smash record lows at local airports, in some cases by ten degrees. It's supposed to get warmer next week, but with today being the fourth day in a row we're waking up to just plain uninviting greyness, it's hard to not think that we've just plain skipped over that nice period of autumn weather which we all love.

Good morning, Washington. Fall is rapidly decending on D.C., and that means more police activity on the campuses of area universities. Yesterday, it was George Washington University. It's been a busy 24 hours for security personnel in Foggy Bottom: first, with the apprehension of a man who had been attempting to "touch several females while they were sleeping," and then an ongoing investigation into a random act of violence in a residence hall. Early Friday morning, GW campus police took a man into custody at Thurston Hall on 19th and F Streets NW -- with the assistance of several students who brought the individual to the security desk of the building -- after another student signed the man in, then left him alone to roam the hallways unattended. (Really, dude? Not familiar with the sexual assaults which have plagued area colleges for years, eh?) In any case, kudos to those who stopped the assaulter-to-be.

Good morning, Washington. If you're anything like us, you're still digesting the latest released indictments in the ongoing Ted Loza scandal which hit the interwebs yesterday. City Desk ponders why most of those involved in the kerfuffle are Ethiopian, including Abdul Kamus, whom the City Paper once dubbed the "de facto leader of D.C.'s Ethiopian community." It just keeps getting deeper and deeper, doesn't it?

Morning, Washington. After last weekend brought us some glorious weather, the expert weather prognosticators have busted out the 100% chance of rain prediction, beginning sometime this afternoon. If you're got any chores or plans which involve being outside, we'd recommend you either finish them this morning or plan on packing your sturdiest umbrella. And don't forget, if you're outside and see a large contingent of emergency vehicles -- don't fret! We're getting updates that in addition to a large exercise on 19th Street, other National Preparedness Month trainings are occurring at 12th and F Streets, NW and 4th and D Streets, SW. Expect to hear intermittent sirens in those areas until 3 or 4 p.m.

Good morning, Washington. Scientifically speaking, you've got three more days to enjoy summer, but the beautiful autumn weather isn't waiting for the official change of season to show itself. Today should be an absolutely glorious day to do, well, anything outdoors -- the forecast calls for sunny, clear skies and a high in the mid 70s. It's a near perfect day to check out today's H Street Festival, check out the goods on display at your local farmers market, or just take a stroll and explore a part of the city which you've never seen before.

Good morning, Washington. For those who tire of the regurgitated lines that mainstream media usually spout about blogs not doing their due diligence when it comes to reporting, Howard Kurtz and Paul Duggan's review of yesterday's Coast Guard kerfuffle is a reassuring read. Describing it as an perfect example of the "media echo chamber," Kurtz and Duggan blame the fallout from the entire hubbub on CNN. The network initially reported that "shots" had been fired on a vessel on the Potomac, which then made the rounds to other news organizations like Reuters and Fox News. Of course, whether or not the Coast Guard should have been running scenario training so close to the Pentagon on September 11 is one question; but one would expect CNN to at least call the Coast Guard to confirm that the "shooting" -- which was part of an exercise which the Guard engages in four times a week -- was not planned, before running with a story on a very sensitive day for thousands, if not millions, of people.

Good morning, Washington, and thanks for sticking around. Whether you were just too lazy to make beach plans, are engaging in a little staycationing, or simply forgot that Monday was Labor Day until a couple of days ago, it's one of those weekends that feels like a good time to get something done that you've been meaning to do. For instance: making sure that if you're attending one of the D.C.'s universities, that you're actually validated as a student. Seems like an easy enough task, right? Not so for attendees at Howard University. WJLA reports on protests at the historic campus, where students' frustration over slow financial aid processing, guaranteed housing which is nowhere to be found and "all-around bureaucratic sloth" boiled over at a protest yesterday. The President of the college has said that he will meet with students next week -- hopefully before validation deadlines pass and students who are rightfully enrolled at the school have to vacate.

Good morning, Washington. DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee is the latest to chime in on Mayor Fenty's latest PR nightmare, defusing the matter by stating that "no rules were broken" when Fenty enrolled his children at Lafayette Elementary School. Rhee refused to confirm or deny, though, that Fenty had hopped any sort of waiting list, telling WTOP that "there are various protocols through which families can get their students into out-of-boundary schools, and all those protocols were followed." The Post's report notes that Fenty's children may have been placed in the out-of-boundary school as a result of a recent amendment to the District's Municipal Regulations, which allows Rhee to grant "discretionary transfers" if it is "in the best interests of the student, and...would promote the overall interests of the school system."

I can't think of a better word to describe yesterday's weather than "miserable," but I'm sure that more expletive-laced descriptions would do just as well. For many parts of the region, there was just enough rain to make it annoying to be outside, but not enough to really dim the humidity in the air -- but if you live in Northern Virginia, we certainly hope you're not dumping buckets of water out of your home. Dulles airport received over two inches of rain yesterday. Did we mention that it was also one of the hottest days on record? The worst news of all? Today will be much the same: sticky and wet with the potential for flash floods.

Good morning, Washington. Have you been enjoying the relatively mild weather which has graced us for the last couple of days? Well, soak it all in today, because Sunday will see temps on the brink of triple-digits -- and Monday could actually see the heat break the 100 degree barrier. Oh, and the humidity is also likely to be incredibly oppressive. Today should be relatively pleasant, so be sure to enjoy it before the heat wave strikes.

Happy Saturday, Washington. In what will certainly be music to the ears of those who ride the Red Line everyday, Metro is inching closer to normalcy after the June 22 accident which has snarled trains for these past few weeks. The National Transportation Safety Board has finished their investigation at the site of the crash, which means that Metro can now send their workers to repair the track circuitry. This process will include laying several thousand feet of cable. The work is expected to take 30 days -- but at least this feels like some sort of progress. While we're on the topic, don't forget about Metro's normally scheduled maintenance this weekend, which will affect all lines.

Good morning, D.C. It was a violent night in the metro area last night. Police are currently investigating two shootings in the District -- the first involving an unidentified man who was shot outside the Anacostia Metro station and later, a fatal incident on the 1800 block of M Street NE. No arrests have been made in either case. But gunfire was hardly the end the disturbing news this morning: there's also this frightening story about a woman in Fairfax County who was tied up in the bathroom of her home and stabbed numerous times. If that's not depressing enough for you, more details are coming to the surface about Friday morning's helicopter crash on Interstate 70 which killed four people on their way back from a charity event.

Good morning, D.C. Obviously, the headlines this morning all revolve around the death of the legendary Walter Cronkite, who passed away at the age of 92 yesterday. As the local CBS affiliate, WUSA9 has the most comprehensive web view of the iconic newsman, with a video tribute and a career timeline. FishbowlDC offers up reactions and thoughts from various D.C. journalists -- but one thing is clear: regardless of the issues and opinions that divide us, Cronkite was that rare breed of public figure who could unite this country in times of sadness, jubilation, and the day-to-day. And that's the way it is.

Good morning, D.C. Things really heated up at the Wilson Building yesterday, as we noted in yesterday's Go Home Already, and WTOP's Mark Segraves was a lean, mean, tweetin' machine. Of note, Segraves provided the news that Councilmembers David Catania (I-At-Large) and Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) "stormed out of [Chairman Vincent G]ray['s] press confrence," and that Catania "[said] he 'can't take anymore' as Bar[r]y was defending his actions."

Happy Fourth of July, Washington. As you might imagine, we're all looking forward to celebrating American independence by eating charred food, kicking back with a cold beer near a pool, and, of course, watching things blow up. Due to the incredible effort involved in participating in such strenuous activities, DCist will be operating on a slightly reduced schedule today.

What a week, eh, Washington? It was fitting that it ended with an nearly-Biblical brand of storm, washing away the last few days so we can start fresh again this morning.

Good morning, Washington. Obviously, it was going to be difficult to top headlines about the suspect in Thursday's Columbia Heights shooting working in Jim Graham's office -- but leave it to a different kind of story about guns to do just that. Yesterday, the District made emergency changes to allow nearly 1,000 additional models of handguns to be possessed by citizens of the District. Weapons that are legal in the states of California, Massachusetts, and Maryland are now allowed in the District. The new regulations are available for reading here.

Good morning, Washington. Did you realize that there are 30,000 Iranians in the Washington metropolitan area? Well, there are -- and the Post has a profile of their experiences at the polls yesterday -- many at the Iranian embassy on Wisconsin Avenue, but also in places like Potomac, Manassas and Tysons Corner.

Good morning, D.C. Here's the question of the day: are your neighbors spies? I'm sure some people are asking themselves that very question this morning after reading about Walter Kendall Myers and his wife, Gwendolyn Steingraber Myers, who apparently had been spying for Cuba over the last thirty years from their residence in Northwest. The two septuagenarians, who lived in The Westchester at 4000 Cathedral Ave NW, had the full compliment of crazy spy things: code names, encrypted emails, over 200 confidential State Department documents, a practice of passing covert information via shortwave radio and in local grocery stores, and even a personal meeting with Fidel Castro. Myers, who had worked for the State Department and Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies while spying, blew the whole thing after spilling the beans to an undercover State Department operative posing as a Cuban intelligence officer.

Good morning, Washington. Hopefully you enjoyed your Friday night -- perhaps you took in the scene at Artomatic's opening night, or pulled a Sam Raimi double feature with Send Me To Hell and Evil Dead 2. But whatever you did, here's hoping your evening was better than the one passengers had on United Airlines Flight 7542 to Montreal. Due to poor weather all over the map, the plane was stuck on the tarmac at Dulles for nearly eight hours. Take-off was scheduled for 12:20 p.m., but it wasn't until 6 that passengers were even allowed to deboard and stretch their legs. Ouch.

Welcome to your 2009 Memorial Day weekend, D.C. Apparently, more of you are going to be enjoying what Washington has to offer over the holiday -- whether that's soaking in the rays at the now-open pools, reflecting at monuments and memorials, or simply being stuck in traffic somewhere around the District. If you are planning on traveling outside of the confines of the District -- and based on projections, plenty of you probably are, including about 350,000 cars predicted to use the Bay Bridge -- remember to pack plenty of patience and awareness, and, of course, remember that Memorial Day is also one of the biggest weekends of the year for the highway patrol.

Good morning, D.C. It was an incredibly violent night in the District, as a rash of gunfire rang out in multiple incidents in Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights and other neighborhoods. In the Adams Morgan shooting, the Post reports that two plain-clothes officers and a uniformed lieutenant interrupted an armed robbery near the Marie H. Reed Learning Center between Kalorama and Champlain Streets NW. The perpetrator then opened fire, hitting one officer in the back and the other in the leg. In the exchange, the suspect was killed.

Good morning, D.C. Lots of interesting stuff happening around town today: of course, that includes the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner, so expect the yearly backup around the Washington Hilton north of Dupont Circle this evening. Comedian Wanda Sykes is the entertainment for folks who ponied up for pricey tickets to Obama's first Correspondents' Dinner -- but if attendees are looking forward to dessert, they're out of luck. The BBC is reporting that organizers decided to cut out the cake this year and donate the savings to a homeless shelter. For those of us not dressing up for the Washingtonian version of the prom, C-SPAN has blanket coverage of the gala, which is usually good for a memorable moment or two.

Happy Saturday, D.C. It's a big sports day today. This afternoon, the Nats look to get off the schnide against St. Louis, and later on, D.C. United takes on FC Dallas at RFK. There's also the best excuse to drink mint juleps and eat bourbon-infused food all day: the Kentucky Derby. Obviously, though, there's no bigger sporting event in the District today than Game 1 of the Capitals second-round series with the hated Pittsburgh Penguins, perhaps better dubbed The Epic Battle of Ovechkin and Crosby, Chapter 1. Opening faceoff is at 1:00 p.m. at the Verizon Center. If you're trying to find a spare ticket, Craig's got some options -- some of them actually under a hundred bucks. Of course, you could be like us, find a nice couch and an big HD screen, and spend that coin on a cool beverage or two.

Good morning, D.C. Did anyone experience any delays this morning due to the IMF/World Bank protests? The AP (via WTOP) is reporting that the crowd of protesters -- numbering around 100 -- attempted to block off two intersections earlier this morning, but were quickly cordoned back to the sidewalk by police. Looks like things are moving smoothly so far, but obviously, you'll want to take note of these street closures and parking restrictions which are in effect for most, if not all, of the weekend.

Good morning, D.C. So, who went to see State of Play last night? How was the city represented? (The folks on NBC4's morning news today seemed pretty smug about having a brief cameo. Jim Vance is involved? It's earned my money.) Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments. If you're heading to the cinema today, you'll probably want to walk -- it's going to be incredibly nice outside today -- in fact, the temperature is already sitting at 65 degrees as of ten o'clock this morning.