…oh wait, they actually just spied on peaceful anti-war and anti-death penalty activists. The Post is reporting today that the Maryland State Police actively infiltrated meetings and demonstrations held by war and death penalty protesters during the administration of Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R). The kicker? “The surveillance continued even though the logs contained no reports of illegal activity and consistently indicated that the activists were not planning violent protests.” And then there’s this:A well-known antiwar…

Oh, hey there, D.C. Yeah, we’re a little grumpy this morning, now that the brilliance of Friday and Saturday’s summer-like weather has turned into a drizzly, chilly late fall Monday morning that makes us just want to stay in bed all day. But please, don’t take our failure to greet you in our usual friendly manner as any kind of slight or disrespect. Especially since, according to the Times, petty disputes are exactly the kinds…

It’s rainy, it’s windy, and every day it gets colder. But it could be worse, Washington — you could be Anthony Mereos. The Silver Spring man is facing a $80,000 fee for illegally clearing trees from land he purchased for $65,000 (he denies cutting the trees down). Mereos had intended to use the land to build a home for his family. But wait! It gets worse: [Mereos’ laywer Shawn] Whittaker said the county is using…

If you’re looking for a change of pace and need an industry that is sure to remain in business for years to come, consider escalator repair. Taking after DeVry and ITT Tech, Metro has kicked off a $1.5 million training lab for escalator repair, writes the Post. The lab will train the next generation of escalator repairmen, who, as we all know from experience, will have no shortage of work anytime soon — on…

Good morning, Washington. Thanks to everyone who came out to Unbuckled last night — we had a great time and hope that you did, too. Particular thanks to Middle Distance Runner, The Vita Ruins and BlueState, all of whom provided great music throughout the night. We hate to ask anything more of you, but if anyone’s got photos that are destined for Flickr, do us a favor and tag them as unbuckled4. Williams Pledges Support…

And so ends the suspense — Adrian Fenty is the Post’s pick for mayor. Though Fenty has held a comfortable lead in recent weeks, the Post’s endorsement was seen as Linda Cropp’s final chance in what has become a hard-fought campaign. Today’s endorsement is sure to give Fenty the win next Tuesday, with the Post recognizing his “can-do quality” and his “vision of the city that challenges the best in people.” And maybe to add…

Sex-Slave Trafficking Ring Broken Up: We’d always heard rumors that certain massage parlors in the District offered, ummmm, “happy endings” and other such services. Apparently, the rumors were true. Federal officials yesterday arrested 31 people along the east coast involved in a sex-slave trafficking ring that forced Korean women to work as prostitutes in massage parlors and spas, some of which were located in the District. Four men were arrested in the District following raids…

Chalk it up to some interesting cropping by the Washington Times photo staff, but a picture published today by the paper of Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich makes him look frighteningly like Big Brother from George Orwell’s classic, 1984. Kinda freaky, isn’t it?…

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…

We’ve all seen the signs around the District — by city law, pedestrians in crosswalks without crossing signals have the right of way. But will we ever get caught zooming through intersections while pedestrians try to cross? According to the Post, we just might. Provoked by the 10 pedestrian deaths so far this year, police have started going undercover to enforce the District’s pedestrian laws, often to the chagrin of city drivers oblivious to…