Last week the City Paper reported on moves to ban the sale of single beers along the up-and-coming H Street stretch in Northeast, part of an attempt to reduce the quality of life crimes, like public urination or disorderly conduct, that seemingly go hand-in-hand with 24-ounce cans of Bud Ice and 40-ounce bottles of Old English Malt Liquor. Of course, the proposal is nothing new — Mt. Pleasant adopted a similar ban in 2001, and…

Maryland Lt. Governor and candidate for the U.S. Senate Michael Steele must be red in the face these days — after calling an association with the Republican Party and President George W. Bush “a scarlet letter” in an anonymous interview with the Post’s Dana Milbank, Steele is now trying to limit the damage of his surprisingly honest comments. “I’m not trying to dis the president,” he was quoted as saying by the Washington Times….

It was a tantalizing prospect. The news that Walter Reed Army Medical Center would close in 2011 had District residents and officials dreaming of the possible uses for the 113 acres of land located between 16th Street and Georgia Avenue in residential Northwest Washington. Getting their hands on the land was always a longshot, however, and news organizations are reporting today that the Feds have lowered the boom on the idea — deciding instead to…

Good morning, Washington. Today will be mild again — with highs in the 60s — but there is a 70 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon, so pack an umbrella. The photo above of the Gallup office door with a reflection of the National Portrait Gallery was taken by Flickr user Katmere. We couldn’t check the headlines over at the Washington Examiner because it appears their website is down. More High Housing…

Councilmember Adrian Fenty continues his “Early, Often, and Crazy Ubiquitous” mayoral campaign strategy today at the Frank D. Reeves Building, where, if all goes according to plan, he will be the first candidate to officially file candidacy papers. According to the latest “Team Fenty” press release, it will all go down today at 2:00 p.m. We’re guessing that Fenty’s campaign is hoping for both a crowd and a handful of television cameras—two of the candidate’s…

Well, to those who have to work on Presidents Day, thank you for keeping Democracy afloat and the capital city running. To those who are sitting home behind your computers, why don’t you venture out and enjoy your city. But if you must stay put, here’s this morning’s roundup of news. With Mayor Undecided on Run, Allies Move to Different Camps: The Post reports this morning that some of Mayor Anthony Williams’ most-trusted political allies…

Maryland Subdivision Goes Up in Flames, Arson to Blame: It appears that arson had a role to play in the fires that destroyed or damaged 30-some homes south of the city in an affluent Charles County subdivision early Monday morning. Since the homes were still under construction, there were no injuries. The FBI says it is looking into the possibility that environmental extremists could have played a role in the torching of the Hunters Brooke…

Even though Mayor Anthony Williams will decided within the next month whether to seek a third term in advance of the 2006 city elections, a number of others have been exploring the possibility of running, even if the bow-tied Williams opts to run again. The Post takes a look at the exploratory efforts, who may run, and why Williams may be vulnerable if he runs again. American University professor James Raskin tells the Post that…

With President Bush set to head north of the border in a state visit to Canada, a Canadian official has been advising Washington on a critical political issue. A Montreal city councilman has been in contact with District Council Chairman Linda Cropp regarding the Montreal Expos-now-Washington Nationals baseball team sending warning that D.C. should beware. The Post quotes a letter sent by Montreal’s Marvin Rotrand: MLB’s honeyed words are only calculated to open the public…