Good Morning, Washington. It looks like we survived the full moon, a night of Georgetown-less championship basketball and visit by Yoko Ono. It was worth it to enjoy another day of idyllic weather before it all goes to hell. By Friday the region will be back in the 40’s with cloudy skies. As the National Park Service pleads with visitors not to touch, climb or even taunt the Cherry Blossoms, let’s hope the expensive…

>> If “gorgeous weather” isn’t enough of a reason to get you outside, this weekend’s kick-off for the National Cherry Blossom Festival should get you to shake off that winter gloom. Head over to the National Building Museum tomorrow to kick-off the celebration with Family Day events from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and the opening ceremony from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Lots of hands-on art activities, like oragami and fruit carving, will keep…

When the posters for the Washington Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker hit the streets, accented with cartoon caricatures of George Washington, it was hard not to be skeptical. Would the Capitol dome become a prominent set piece? Would little children running around be designed to symbolize Congress? The possibilities were endless. But the skepticism is unwarranted: Choreographer Septime Webre’s production, featuring everything from 19th century carousels to 20th century cherry blossoms, is wonderfully done -…

Written by DCist contributor Colin Peppard Today we look at the battle for Metro funding in Prince William, Governor Kaine’s big vetoes, the future of MetroAccess, and the power of the cherry blossoms!…

Today’s evening commute could be a wild one as around 180,000 demonstrators are expected to gather on the Mall this afternoon, many after marching through the downtown area from Meridian Hill Park. The National Day of Action for Immigrant Justice is expected to draw large crowds of supporters in cities across the nation (and has already begun to do so — some 300,000 gathered yesterday in Dallas). The march through the city will begin around…

FRIDAY: >> There are few names in modern dance as big as Merce Cunningham. The veteran dancer and choreograhper brings his company to the Kennedy Center tonight and Sat. to perform a few of their paradigmatic pieces, including Fabrications, featuring music by Emanuel Dimas de Melo Pimenta, and Sounddance, with music by David Tudor. These shows are a sure thing. $21 to $50, both shows at 8 p.m. >> Serious ambient and electronic music fans…

Yes, you read correctly — early this morning, there was a small fire on the Orange Line tracks between the East Falls Church and Ballston Metro stations. Trains were stopped for 10 to 15 minutes as firefighters got the fire under control. The Orange Line is now back to running on schedule. No mention, yet, as to what caused the morning pyrotechnics. Montgomery County Police Restricted from Message Board: WJLA is reporting that Montgomery County…

We’ve spent time talking about how great it would be if D.C. was a little more free WiFi-friendly than it is — and thankfully, it soon may be. The Post is reporting this morning that D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams has asked companies to start bidding on a contract to build a free wireless internet network that would cover the majority of the city, including often underserved poorer neighborhoods. The network could become operational in…

News today has it that the U.S. Capitol Police seemed to have forgotten about the First Amendment on Tuesday night, when they arrested anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan and Beverly Young, the wife of a Republican representative, at the State of the Union address for wearing “expressive t-shirts.” Ironically, Young’s shirt was pro-military: “Support the Troops — Defending Our Freedom.” Capitol Police Terrance Gainer issued an apology and dropped the charges against the two. District Claims…

In just a few short weeks, they’ll begin to appear around town. No, we’re not talking about tourists or Cherry Blossoms, but another fixture of D.C.’s steamy summers – interns. Love them or hate them, they’ll descend into congressional offices on Capitol Hill or the Golden Triangle of Nonprofit Power. They’ll make lines at Starbucks, swarm Screen on the Green, and stand on the left side of the escalators. They also just might help you…