Dec 11, 2007
Morning Roundup: School House Knocks Edition
Good morning, Washington. Are ya ready for some embezzlement scandal news? Of course you are! This morning’s update comes not from the embattled Office of Tax and Revenue, but rather from the D.C. Public Schools front office, as the Examiner reports that Eugene Smith, the former director of internal audits for DCPS, entered a guilty plea yesterday to charges of stealing nearly $50,000 from a charter school account. Smith was fired by the school system…
Nov 20, 2007
Supreme Court Takes D.C. Handgun Case
The Supreme Court has announced that it will take on Heller v. District of Columbia, the D.C. handgun case, and decide whether our city’s ban on handguns violates the Constitution. The Court will likely hear the case sometime in March, with a decision to come later in the session. The case will mark the first time the Court has taken up the meaning of the Second Amendment in almost 70 years, and the decision could…
Nov 13, 2007
And the Supreme Court Verdict Is…
…ummm, nothing yet. According to the Associated Press, the Supreme Court failed to reach a decision on whether or not to hear a case related to the District’s gun laws. Though a verdict from last week’s conference discussion was possible today, it seems that the nine justices haven’t yet decided if they want to take the case, which stems from a March decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District Circuit that ruled…
Nov 02, 2007
Morning Roundup: Having it Both Ways Edition
Good morning, Washington. It’s Friday, and the city is still reacting to yesterday afternoon’s announcement about how our new taxi meters are going to work. We already told you about the $4 flag drop, which many people are already saying is too high, and the fact that taxi roof lights will go on and off automatically to indicate whether a cab has a passenger, which everyone seems to agree is long overdue. One more thing…
Oct 31, 2007
Go Home Already: Trick or Treat Yourself
>> Candey Hardware on 18th and Connecticut is closing its doors for good tonight. [Free Ride] >> Police Chief Cathy Lanier has scheduled another “All Hands on Deck” weekend after four murders took place in D.C.’s Fifth District over the past week. [WJLA] >> Surprise, surprise, the O Street Market development plans are being delayed. [ANC2C02 Forum via 14th & You] >> Va. Sen. John Warner is back in the hospital for a third…
Oct 29, 2007
One More Business Targeted by Jim Graham
You’d think potentially violent criminals would know by now: if you injure someone anywhere near your favorite hang out spot in Ward 1, Council member Jim Graham is going to swoop in and ruin the fun for everyone else. If the possibility of being locked up in the terrifying confines of the D.C. Jail isn’t enough of a deterrent, having all your friends be totally pissed at you for getting the place where they like…
Oct 16, 2007
MPD to be More Respectful of Transgender Inmates
Even if the Employment Non-Discrimination Act will move forward without the transgender segment of the LGBT community, the District’s transgender residents did score a victory yesterday. D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier issued a department general order on how transgender citizens should be treated by MPD officers when placed under arrest. In June, the DC Trans Coalition organized a forum to discuss changes needed from D.C.’s police, fire and emergency medical services with regards to the…
Oct 12, 2007
Morning Roundup: Silver and Gold Edition
Good morning, Washington. Remember that recent weird burglary at Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry’s house — the one that Barry seemingly didn’t want investigated in favor of telling the police they had more important things to do? Well, Harry Jaffe got hold of the police report, and it turns out Barry may have had good reason not to want it looked at it too closely. Apparently the former mayor had a large collection of…
Oct 09, 2007
Who Should Play Chief Lanier on TV?
Last week we pointed out a Hollywood Reporter story that says there’s a FOX television show in development inspired by the life of D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier. Lanier’s life is certainly the stuff of a good drama — being a 39-year-old single mother who dropped out of high school after getting pregnant at 14, only to work her way to the top to become D.C.’s first female police chief, can’t have been easy. Yesterday…
Oct 08, 2007
Go Home Already: Don’t Be a Hero
>> Runners at the Army Ten-miler are saying there wasn’t enough water on the race course. [WTOP] >> Former Mayor Anthony Williams hearts Jenna Bush’s new book. [Capital Comment] >> D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier speaks out to defend the records and reputations of the two officers involved in the killing of DeOnte Rawlings, while his father calls for their arrest. [WaPo and WJLA] >> Columbia Heights day was a bit of a bust….