Just when we were looing hope in the alleged D.C. Madam’s ability to deliver a home-grown sex scandal, two glorious things happened. First, Deputy Secretary of State Randall Tobias, director of U.S. Foreign Assistance and administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, resigned after admitting he was a client. Then, we tore the ribbon off this gift from the front page of Sunday’s Post. Deborah Jeane Palfrey, known to clients as Pamela Martin, and…

One of yesterday’s major stories was the release of a new study indicating that about one-third of adults in Washington, D.C. are functionally illiterate. Wikipedia actually has a decent definition of functional illiteracy: “the inability of an individual to use reading, writing, and computational skills efficiently in everyday life situations.” In other words, a person may be able to read somewhat, but nowhere near well enough to hold down a job. The reality of the…

It’s never been much of a secret that Northern Virginia is heavily populated with Latin American immigrants, primarily of the Central American variety. But now it seems that immigration flows have started pushing further and further into Virginia’s heartland — so much so that the media has reacted. Richmond’s newspaper of record, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, announced yesterday that they are kicking off a weekly Spanish-language version of the paper on May 12. To be called…

When the Minuteman Project set up shop in Herndon late last year, their ongoing crusade to act as a defense of last resort against illegal immigration brought national attention to the very local issue of day laborers. Day laborers — primarily Hispanic, mostly illegal — have long gathered in front of businesses and alongside busy roads, waiting to picked up by employers seeking landscaping or construction work. Their presence had been such that last August…

Every city has its immigrants. Where Los Angeles became famous for its sizeable Mexican population and Miami its influential Cubans, the Washington area has long been known for its Salvadorans. Natives of the tiny Central American country — roughly 105,000 in the Washington area, the second largest concentration nationwide — represent the single largest immigrant group in the District and its surroundings, and have come to form an undeniable part of the region’s social fabric….

The Ides of March are upon us, and we have a possible bioterror attack on our hands. More on that in just a second. First, we turn to the corner of North Capitol and F streets. Last week, we told you about how St. Patrick’s Day port-a-johns outside the Dubliner signaled the first sign of spring. Well, the drinking tent went up this past weekend, as you can see from this DCist photo we…

One of the most gruesome images one can come across is that of a hacked-off limb. To shield your sensitive eyes, we decided to post this photo of a fairly innocent-looking machete. This one isn’t curved like normal ones are, but you get the point. To the friendly local satellite organizations for Central American-based gangs, the wielding of a machete carries with it more gravitas than ever before. The AP, via WTOP, reports that the…

We seemed to miss the buzz about last month’s opneing of the Herndon location of Pollo Campero, the newest outlet of the Central American gastronomic chicken sensation in the Washington area. According to dispatches on eGullet, the line was very long and the Fairfax County cops shut down the line at 8:30 p.m., well before the 11 p.m. closing. Enduring the wait all the while smelling the tasty chicken is apparently all part of the…

So the Amsterdam Falafel Shop has been up and running at 2425 18th St. in Adams Morgan for the past few weeks and though the buzz was low-key at first, foodies around town are starting to give their thumbs up. DCist hasn’t been there yet, but here’s what the eGullet food forum says. It’s the real deal– falafel fried to order, good bread, the huge array of toppings and sauces… Talked to one of the…

Could al Qaeda operatives be trying to tap the resources of Central American gangs in the Washington area? The W.Times says there is evidence indicating that is the case. Adnan G. El Shukrijumah, an al Qaeda operative wanted by U.S. authorities, was spotted in Honduras in July meeting with high-ranking members of the violent Mara Salvatrucha gang, which has ties to the Washington area. More than 3,000 Mara Salvatrucha gang members are thought to be…