Martin Austermuhle
Last night DCist and about 200 people gathered at the Black Cat for Unbuckled, which featured local musicians Cartel (at left in a photo from DCJohn) and Bicycle Thieves — proof positive that as old and stuffy as DCist writers can be, we can still throw a mean party. A full review will be up later today, with pictures to boot. Until then, we can all revel in the fact that this long weekend will be sunny and temparatures mild — no more oppressive humidity, no more flash monsoons. Tune in later this afternoon for our Fourth of July picks.
House Votes to Repeal D.C. Gun Laws: In an un-surprising move, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 259 to 161 in favor of repealing the District’s restrictive gun laws, the third such legislative attempt since 1999, reports the Post. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Mark Edward Souder (R-Ind.), has been similarly introduced by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Senate and attached as an amendment to a spending bill, increasing its chances of passage. The proposal was recently debated in a Congressional hearing, where D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams and D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey cautioned against overturning the three decade old gun laws.
Federal Government Responsible for Area Growth: According to a study conducted by George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis, the estimated $50 billion in federal government spending in the region has contributed to the Washington area’s rosy economy, notes WTOP. At least 64,000 jobs were created by the federal spending, which has increased by 18 percent since last year, and Fairfax County led the region with $16 billion in federal contracts.
Virginia Man Charged With Bigamy: Smooth talker, romantic, a handy-man. What’s not to love? Well, multiple wives, for one. A Northern Virginia man has been charged with bigamy, a felony, having been accused of keeping two wives — one in Fairfax County, the other in Utah. According to the Post, Ed Hicks, 61, may have had up to five wives, some of whom unknowingly wed an already-married man.
Briefly Noted: Falls Church is leaving its red light cameras on, funding or not … Proposed prostitution-free zones in the District are criticized … Deep Throat parking lot in Rosslyn finally revealed.
Update: By way of clarification, the legislation passed by the House yesterday would not lift the District’s ban on handguns, merely prevent the city from enforcing a part of the law requiring that shotguns and rifles be kept unloaded and locked up.
