Today a select group of the world’s wordiest tweens take the stage at the annual lexicon smackdown known as the National Spelling Bee. Almost 300 students will spend the next two days at the Grand Hyatt on H St. competing in written and oral tests of their spelling skills, culminating in Thursday’s final round, to be aired nationwide on ABC. The Examiner has a profile of one of the circuit’s best-known competitors, facing his…

Say hello to your old friend labor, D.C.– not that these hearty climbers didn’t work hard to scale a rock and capture an oddly captivating shot. Whether you spent the holiday laboring to keep sand out of your bathing suit on the beach or perfectly timing bathroom breaks during a Law and Order marathon at home, we hope you had a nice break. To kick off the roundup with some happy news news, it…

Hey, Washington, how are ya? If you like hot weather and uninterrupted sunshine (and who doesn’t) you’re sure to enjoy this fine Tuesday. If instead you’re not savoring the thought of arriving at work covered in a fine sheen of sweat, think twice about cutting out your walk by hopping in the car. Gas prices hit a new high yesterday, with the cost of a gallon over $3.00. Are there any good deals at…

On Friday, Deborah Jeane Palfrey made her much-hyped prime time television debut on 20/20, chatting with Brian Ross about her D.C. escort business but saying her “gals” didn’t engage in illegal activities. Ross was a bit incredulous that she actually believed no sex was taking place, but Palfrey quickly confirmed that said face was indeed straight, pointing to a contract her escorts signed saying they would be fired if any criminal activity took place. While…

>> Some folks over at Metroblogging DC have taken up the ‘This City Doth Protest Too Much’ banner. Is D.C. really numb to the plethora of protests happening year round, or is it still important for activists to take their message to the streets? >> A reminder that police are still looking for a green SUV with Maryland plates in the hit-and-run death of six-year-old Crysta Spencer on April 23. [stop, blog, and roll]…

Nestled between cherry blossom season and the influx of D.C.’s summer intern and tourist season is a hopeful time, when students turn away from keggers and exams to graduate into the real world — at least in theory. For Washington’s thousands of college seniors, this means job hunting, leaving the friendly confines of campus and the prospect of moving into your parents’ basement. It also means a litany of platitudes, advice and well-wishes from commencement…

A few weeks ago DCist dug into status of dogs in the district. Needless to say, pet owners and non-owners alike had a few things to say about the availability of dog parks and picking up poochs’ poop. Now we hear about the case of Deputy White House Spokesman Dana Perino’s husband, who spent a day in jail for his failure to keep his canine companion on a leash. Back in November, Perino’s husband, British…

With something akin to glee the Post brings us the alternately colorful and shady life story of Deborah Jeane Palfrey’s attorney, Montgomery Blair Sibley this morning. At times, even DCist has wondered how Sibley, who represents the alleged madam in her civil case, could possibly be giving her responsible counsel. Besides allowing his client to give an interview with ABC news, sell off phone records to the highest bidder, tape a five-hour radio interview and…

Last night Fairfax’s Rep. Tom Davis (R) sat down with Stephen Colbert to better know Virginia’s “Fighting” 11th District. While it was great to see another local politician step up to the plate, Davis seemed a little befuddled by Colbert’s style. For example he likes the Doobie Brothers, but has no idea what a “doobie” is, and probably won’t be participating in any program to tag and track Republicans. Whew! Maybe Davis’s performance just…

The weekend’s almost here — with all its school painting, free comic books and tequila toasting — and frankly, it’s hard to spy sunshine through the window and imagine spending the day inside. Commuters who use MARC’s Camden Line (Baltimore-D.C.) have the perfect excuse for blowing off work. For the second day in a row trains are running at least 40 minutes late due to signal problems. It sounds like a major hassle, so…