The interminably delayed Capitol Visitor Center took one small step toward becoming a reality yesterday, as the AP reports that the U.S. House of Representatives voted to name the largest room in the new center Emancipation Hall. The room would be named in honor of the slaves who helped build the U.S. Capitol. The House passed the bill 398-6 on Tuesday. The U.S. Senate will now consider the bill, which is unlikely to be defeated... more ›

The Hill is reporting that the Senate Hart and Dirksen Office Buildings were evacuated due to a fire just after 1 p.m. more ›

>> The ticketing level of Dulles airport was briefly evacuated this afternoon due to a suspicious package. The area has already been given an all-clear, but flight delays are expected to continue throughout tonight. [NBC4] >> Police arrested dozens of anti-war protesters on Captiol Hill this morning, making your morning commute craptastic. [WaPo] >> The U.S. Air Force and the Maryland wing of the Civil Air Patrol are conducting training drills over Washington through Wednesday,... more ›

Morning, Washington. We hope you were out enjoying the fantastic weather, especially since the environment has been front and center in the news this weekend. As you must have heard, our former Vice President turned Global Warming Guru had to shove over the Oscar on his mantle to make space for half of a Nobel Peace Prize. Maybe after the news you were inspired to go check out the 20 amazing houses built on the... more ›

>> Veterinarians at the National Zoo have euthanized Ume, an 8-year-old male cheetah, due a to the animal's ill-health. [AP] >> Little Richard is even more wolf-faced crazy than you ever imagined. [BrightestYoungThings] >> D.C. Sports blogger Jamie Mottram is heading to Yahoo! Sports. [Mr. Irrelevant] >> Queen of Sheba gets a decision ... No, wait. [14th & You] >> The U.S. attorney's investigation into the shooting of 14-year-old DeOnté Rawlings by off-duty police... more ›

As always with the end of summer, there have been slim pickings in the art world, and most galleries are banking on you using Labor Day weekend for one final trek to sunny beaches. We scrounged up a few options for those of you sticking around town, which you may want to consider using as a warm-up for next week, when the fall art season opens with a bang. >> G Fine Art is warming... more ›

Good morning, Washington. Just one day after officials did their best to reassure metro area drivers that our bridges are safe to travel on, the Washington Post has pored over U.S. Department of Transportation statistics that show that a dozen bridges in the District, hundreds more in Maryland, and nearly 1,200 in Virginia are listed as "structurally deficient," -- the same rating as the bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis Wednesday. Still, DDOT says that... more ›

Exciting news this fine morning for the many Washingtonians who draw their paychecks from the USDA — you may still be paid after you die. The Post reports that the The U.S. Department of Agriculture distributed $1.1 billion over seven years to the estates or companies of dead people, though granted, they were actually all farmers instead of government employees. Now we just have to figure out the best way to pretend to be a... more ›

>> What's more fun than gathering your friends to go see your very own art on the wall of a gallery? The Wall Mountables community event kicks off this week, so we hope you've pulled that painting/photo/whatever out of the closet and prepared it for the limelight. The first installation date was last night, but you've still got tonight, 3 to 8 p.m., and tomorrow night, 3 to 6 p.m., to grab a space of... more ›

This morning Mayor Adrian Fenty announced that he would appeal a March ruling that found that the District's handgun law was unconstitutional to the U.S. Supreme Court. His decision sets up the first major battle in decades over whether the Second Amendment confers an individual or collective right to own a handgun. Moreover, it could have a profound effect on gun regulations across the country should the Supreme Court side with the lower court. The... more ›

>> In the early 1970s, Charles Burnett made a film called Killer of Sheep as his MFA thesis film at UCLA, and it became an instant landmark in American cinema. But few people ever got a chance to see it, because the stellar soundtrack included too many classic songs by the likes of Etta James and Dinah Washington to make it affordable to release it into theaters. This week, Washingtonians have a rare chance... more ›

A man died in Seat Pleasant, Md. on Saturday afternoon after he was subdued by officers during a confrontation, handcuffed, and then tasered after he was already restrained. The Post has more details on the story of how Marcus D. Skinner, 22, received two Taser shocks, one from each of two officers on the scene, a Fairmount Heights officer and a Prince George's County officer. Skinner had been combative with the officers even after he... more ›

>> The United States Postal Service increased postage rates today. First class letters now cost $0.41 (first ounce) and $0.17 for each additional ounce. New rates and fees for all classes of mail went up today except Periodicals, which is delayed until July 15. You can apparently find a handy chart of all the new rates in a pdf here, though we're having a little trouble downloading it in Firefox. One more reason to... more ›

The U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has scheduled a hearing to consider legislation that would grant the District a voting seat in the House of Representatives. The hearing, which will be presided over by bill sponsor Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), will take place on Tuesday, May 15 in 342 Dirksen. The hearing -- which we'll try to live-blog, obvs -- should be interesting. Among the Republicans on the committee are a... 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 ›

When architects, developers, and laborers set about transforming the former Columbia Hospital for Women into the massive Columbia Residences complex at the intersection of 25th Street, L Street, and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, they placed the area within a protective cocoon of chain-link fences. Inside the fences, just across L Street from the back door of Marcel's restaurant, went a little-known monument commemorating a joint international agreement to reduce military forces patrolling the Great Lakes. With... more ›

> > Pour one out for Coach Janky Spanky. Clinton Portis will receive surgeries for his bum shoulder and broken hand, which means he's headed to the IR for the rest of the season. It'll be up to Ladell Betts to carry the rock, though, who knows? Maybe the coaches will remember their costly impulse-buy TJ Duckett, mouldering on the bench. [Washington Post] > > The U.S. House of Representatives is filled stem to stern... more ›

Redskins Stumble out of Preseaon The Redskins dropped their fourth and final preseason game last night, losing to the Baltimore Ravens 17-10. The loss sealed the first winless preseason in Joe Gibbs' 24 years as a coach. Though common wisdom dictates the insignificance of the preseason, there should be cause for concern among Redskins fans. The team scored a meager 27 points over the 4 preseason games, their lowest total since 1961. Their first-team... more ›

Last month, Inside Higher Ed had a story you might have missed about a local effort to establish a U.S. Public Service Academy. Two veterans of Teach for America, Shawn Raymond and Chris Myers Asch, have put together a proposal for an elite national university modeled after the U.S. Armed Services academies (West Point, Air Force Academy, etc.), but instead of military service, students would receive a federally-subsidized education in exchange for 5 years of civilian public service. You can download their entire proposal here. more ›

As Monday's opener with the Czech Republic draws nearer, U.S. Men's National Team Coach Bruce Arena had this to say to reporters yesterday: "you can't believe everything you read in the papers". Although Arena was referring to reports that the Czechs would be without the services of their injury-ridden star players, the statement could well serve as a mantra for his squad throughout this month's World Cup. The U.S. has the misfortune of being... more ›

Well, that may be that for proponents of a commuter tax for the District. more ›

Signaling an additional layer of complication to the already complicated and fractured immigration debate, the Washington Times is reporting today that some African Americans are joining together with the Minuteman vigilante groups that have been hounding illegal immigrants along the border and in day laborer centers, most locally in Herndon, Virginia. Though seeming like an alliance of strange bedfellows, African Americans in the region and across the nation tend to see immigrants as a threat... more ›

Welcome back to the work week, D.C. While some may have been celebrating the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas yesterday, others were protesting for one cause or another. Students at American University organized to push for president Ben Ladner's dismissal (which came last night), while anti-circumcision activists, at right, took to the streets outside the Washington Convention Center, where the American Academy of Pediatrics was meeting (yes, we will have a full write-up... more ›

If vintage finds pique your passions, Junction should be your lover of choice this week. The U Street vintage boutique unveils recent designer acquisitions at its bi-annual designer sale starting today. Look for Dior, Yves St. Laurent, Chanel and Valentino mingled with more recent designer items from Marc Jacobs, Michael Stars and Betsey Johnson. more ›

In this oppressive heat, DCist has found it difficult to leave the house even for work, much less shopping. But this evening’s U Street Shopper Social, with area stores boasting savings on everything from designer denim to 19th century farm tables, might be incentive enough for us to leave our artificially-cooled abodes. Plus, there’s free cupcakes! more ›

Good morning, Washington. Today's lead story needs little introduction, but did deserve a good picture, aptly provided by ponto and posted to Flickr. Cat Owner Declared Unfit: A Northern Virginia woman who owned and hid some 488 cats was forbidden from owning animals ever again, reports the Post. Ruth Knueven, 82, still faces five misdemeanor charges related to 222 dead cats she kept in two townhouses in Fairfax County and for defying police orders that... more ›

The U.S. government is soliciting bids for a potential renovation of the Old Post Office building, the Pennsylvania Avenue landmark which has held government offices since 1899. The General Services Administration is soliciting bids from companies interested in "redeveloping the OPO and its annex, the OPO alone or the annex alone," but the press release makes clear renovation by the private sector is anything but certain: "If GSA determines through its review that redevelopment is... more ›

A study of census projections says that by 2030, the District of Columbia will see a large decrease in population. And Mayor Williams says that's just hogwash. The U.S. Census Bureau in its report says that the District's population will drop from 572,000 residents to just more than 433,000 in the next quarter century. more ›

Good morning, Washington, or, should we say, Happy "Martha is Free!" day? Yes, indeed, the domestic diva walked out of a West Virginia federal prison today, yet walks straight into five months of house arrest. All celebration aside, here's the real news of the day ... Cherry Blossoms, One Month and Counting:The U.S. Park Service finally called it -- the cherry blossoms that frame the Tidal Basin will be in full bloom from April 4-9,... more ›

The U.S. Treasury unveiled a new bison nickel today at a ceremony on Capitol Hill with various government leaders and a 2,000 lb buffalo named Cody. The AP reports the new nickel, third in a series of four to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, features a "jazzed-up" profile of Jefferson and the word "liberty" in his own handwriting. The new nickels are available for purchase on the U.S. Mint's website, and the 97 million new coins should find their way into circulation around the country in the next two weeks. more ›