A month and a half after former Secretary Lawrence M. Small read the writing on the wall and left the Smithsonian Institution with his tail between his legs and an investigation committee on his back, the Smithsonian board of regents has begun its search for his replacement. The Associated Press reports that the search committee, formed yesterday but not fully yet, will include six board members, including Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and one of Chief…

The District’s restrictive gun laws have long been hated by Second Amendment activists everywhere, who have tried pretty much everything, including near-annual congressional legislation, to overturn them. Today might be their day, though — the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has found that the District’s gun restrictions are unconstitutional. In a decision published today, the court wrote that the District’s restrictions on gun ownership, which date back to 1976, unconstitutionally infringe upon…

We’ve been looking forward to the launch of Patrick Gavin and Jeff DuFour’s new daily Beltway column, “Yeas and Nays”, for a few weeks now, largely so we could finally be sure just what sorts of topics the two would be covering under the somewhat inscrutable decscription of “people, power and politics.” C’mon guys, that could be about anything from the current brouhaha at The New Republic to what kind of toilet paper Vice President…

Good morning, Washington — it’s Friday! Rejoice in all that start-of-the-weekend goodness. And note that on this date in 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first earthlings to walk on the moon. In their honor, go check out the Apollo to the Moon exhibit at the Air and Space Museum and see their spacesuits or touch a moon rock. Suitcase Forgotten, Results in Union Station Closure: WTOP notes that last night around 8…

As we detail below, the D.C. Council has taken a step towards making us safer. Well, making us feel safer, at least… Council Passes Anti-Crime Measures: The D.C. Council passed a series of measures aimed at curbing the recent uptick in violent crime, handing D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams a victory while upsetting civil liberties and youth activists, reports the Post. The legislation would move the existing juvenile curfew up to 10 p.m. from midnight, require…

There are few more unpleasant words in the English language than the word “discharge.” In two otherwise harmless syllables, it inspires shudders and involuntary wretching. The D.C. Circuit had occasion to investigate the meaning of this word in a decision handed down today about a bank robbery that occurred in the District. First, a word about the D.C. Circuit. This revered court of appeals has developed a reputation for making some of the most…