>> “More than 50 nonunionized workers rallied against the new Nationals ballpark this morning, angry that more District residents did not receive construction jobs.” [WaPo] >> “I saw firsthand the fragile relationship that exists between Mayor Fenty and the City Council Members. I heard tales of a delayed Comprehensive Annual Financial Review , rising murder rates and a Chief of Police who feels burdened by a system that won’t help her, proposals to close…

The guitarist for the pop-punk band Hawthorne Heights passed away before the group’s show at the 9:30 Club over the weekend. Casey Calvert, 25, was found dead on the band’s tour bus at around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, parked outside the venue in Northwest D.C. A cause of death has yet to be determined, but Calvert’s bandmates have been quick to defend against speculation that drugs were involved. They posted the following message to their…

Good Morning, D.C. Are you one of those people who counts on regular weather patterns to plan your week and travel? Ha! After a week of wintry mix horrors and an odd weekend in the 50’s, temperatures are back in the 30’s today, with winds causing spotty power outages in our area. If you miss the fluffy white stuff, then hold your breath for about 24 hours and enjoy a wet snow front tomorrow. But…

The Washington Post reports what some of you who’ve been out using Metro today may have already heard: six-car train on the Green Line derailed just before 4 p.m. this afternoon near the Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Center stop, injuring 20 people, one of those seriously. The Associated Press has more, describing the 45-minute wait approximately 60 people had before being reached by fire crews and helped out of the tunnel. This from AP:The accident happened…

Amanda Mattos contributed to this post. A recent tip from Dave at Indiefolkforever lead us to a rather unflattering portrait of our fair city. Norfolk & Western, a Portland band that visited D.C. last month, apparently didn’t have a very nice time playing DC9 or visiting the U street/Shaw neighborhood in Northwest D.C. As part of a tour journal posted on Local Cut, the band wrote: Washington DC proved to be a less pleasant experience…

Earlier this week Matthew Yglesias took us to task for referring to a “Mid-City” part of town when discussing a campaign for a new Trader Joe’s near U Street. Matt is actually quite wrong to suggest “shady real estate cabals” are the architects of the term Mid-City, but the fault for his misinformation is likely ours. You see, last winter we ran a post mocking the MidCity Business Association’s moniker, basically accusing them of trying…

We’re positively giddy to announce the winner of week one of our Editors contest. Shawna Behling of Northwest D.C., congratulations! You are the proud owner of two tickets to see Editors on July 27 at the 9:30 Club, a copy of The Back Room, and a pair of Converse All Stars! You’ve still got two more chances to win. Each week, you can enter the contest by sending an email to amanda (at) dcist (dot)…

Written by DCist contributor Andrew Wiseman. Today, Northwest D.C. is the scene of battles over gentrification and parking. In 1864, however, it was the scene of another kind of battle: an invasion by Southern troops. Fort Stevens, hidden on Quackenbos Street NW between 13th and Georgia, is a pretty unremarkable place. A few steps from the Georgia Avenue Thrift Store and a 70 bus stop, it’s basically a strangely-shaped hill (the fort’s earthworks) with a…

Well, now that it’s far beyond those 12 days of Christmas, you think maybe it’s time to dump that Christmas tree? Yes, you could live by the principle that next Christmas is only eleven months away, but if that’s a real spruce you’ve got, it may well be time to part ways with it. And while unceremoniously dumping it on your neighbors lawn and running is the easiest option, there are legal ways to finally…

This review written by DCist Contributor Jim Smalley. Photos by Katie L. Thompson. On Tuesday night, DCist took the opportunity to catch two D.C. hardcore punk bands on the backstage at Black Cat. What ensued was one of the most intense live performances you will find in the District. Opener The A.K.s feature not one, but two throat-shredding vocalists, Alexi Petersen and Noah Foster who equally share airtime. Behind them stand Justin Parker on guitar,…