You know it’s too late for your civil liberties when they’ve gone and put the Statue of Freedom in a cage. And you thought all those people worried about the PATRIOT Act were alarmists. If you haven’t glanced at the top of the Capitol lately, take a gander. Over the past week, workers have constructed scaffolding around the Statue of Freedom—the 19 ½ foot bronze sculpture atop the Capitol Dome—not in preparation for her trip…

Written by Jason Linkins MONDAY Vertigo Books and the TransAfrica Forum’s Writers Corner are bringing three great authors together for a special reading event: Kwame Dawes (She’s Gone), Helon Habila (Measuring Time) and Dinaw Mengestu (The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears) come together at the Charles Sumner School, 1201 17th Street NW, 6:30 p.m. TUESDAY It’s a father and daughter fest at Politics and Prose tonight, as John McPhee, author of Uncommon Gardens joins Martha…

A tip from a neighbor has placed Arlington resident Nancy Swift under the eye of the federal government. The school teacher found her home and work visited by groups of federal agents last summer, apparently after a neighbor called authorities to report a tenant of her home, a young Middle Eastern resident, had friends over to visit. The same neighbor also calls authorities when her grass is too long. Now Swift and her former housemate…

D.C. Metro Action tipped us off to tonight’s screening of, Unconstitutional, an ACLU-sponsored documentary. The hour-long film, written, directed and produced by Nonny de la Peña, examines the impact of the Patriot Act on civil liberties and questions whether it goes too far. Tonight’s 6:30 pm. screening at 1200 New York Ave. NW (enter at 12th and H Streets) is free and even includes a light reception prior to the prompt 6:30 start time. The…