Good morning, Washington. If you are lucky enough to work for the government or elsewhere that follows the federal work calendar, many of you have today off in observance of Veterans Day. At Arlington Cemetery a free public wreath-laying ceremony and ceremony at the Memorial Amphitheater are planned for 11:00 a.m. If you are chained behind a desk we plan to provide the usual distractions. For more information about what’s operating on a normal schedule and what’s not and other observances in the area, WTOP has this excellent list of what is happening today.

Virginia Attorney General Race Still Close: With ballots still being counted, the race for Attorney General in Virginia is down to a razor-thin margin, with Republican Robert McDonnell leading Democrat R. Creigh Deeds by just 947 votes out of 1.9 million cast, the Post reports. Both camps are making transition plans and it is thought that a full recount will be likely.

Dalai Lama Swings Through: The Dalai Lama answered questions about D.C. voting rights and wooed the crowd with a quirky sense of humour at an event at a public charter school yesterday, the Examiner reports. The Dalai Lama is in town for a series of events that includes a speech at the MCI Center Sunday. Tickets still available range in price from $40 to $100.

Cell Phone Bank Robber: A bank robber who conducts her heists apparently on the phone is wanted in connection with four robberies of area banks, the Post reports. Officials are unsure of the thief is actually talking to an accomplice, using the phone for a prop, or just multi-tasking in today’s busy world. We have seen signs at various shops declaring “if you’re talking on your phone you’re not talking to us,” but we suppose that rule may be hard to follow for an armed thief.

Briefly Noted: WMATA to fix bus signs … Former mayor Marion Barry backs “gasification” … fish given a boost to swim upstream …

Flickr user Katmere uploaded this photo to DCist photos.