The interminably delayed Capitol Visitor Center took one small step toward becoming a reality yesterday, as the AP reports that the U.S. House of Representatives voted to name the largest room in the new center Emancipation Hall. The room would be named in honor of the slaves who helped build the U.S. Capitol. The House passed the bill 398-6 on Tuesday. The U.S. Senate will now consider the bill, which is unlikely to be defeated…

The Hill is reporting that the Senate Hart and Dirksen Office Buildings were evacuated due to a fire just after 1 p.m. There are at least four fire trucks and an ambulance at the scene as hundreds of aides left the buildings. Senate staffers told The Hill that this was not a planned drill, though it is unclear why fire and rescue personnel were called. “Evacuating hart & dirksen due to confirmed fire & audible…

>> The ticketing level of Dulles airport was briefly evacuated this afternoon due to a suspicious package. The area has already been given an all-clear, but flight delays are expected to continue throughout tonight. [NBC4] >> Police arrested dozens of anti-war protesters on Captiol Hill this morning, making your morning commute craptastic. [WaPo] >> The U.S. Air Force and the Maryland wing of the Civil Air Patrol are conducting training drills over Washington through Wednesday,…

Morning, Washington. We hope you were out enjoying the fantastic weather, especially since the environment has been front and center in the news this weekend. As you must have heard, our former Vice President turned Global Warming Guru had to shove over the Oscar on his mantle to make space for half of a Nobel Peace Prize. Maybe after the news you were inspired to go check out the 20 amazing houses built on the…

>> Veterinarians at the National Zoo have euthanized Ume, an 8-year-old male cheetah, due a to the animal’s ill-health. [AP] >> Little Richard is even more wolf-faced crazy than you ever imagined. [BrightestYoungThings] >> D.C. Sports blogger Jamie Mottram is heading to Yahoo! Sports. [Mr. Irrelevant] >> Queen of Sheba gets a decision … No, wait. [14th & You] >> The U.S. attorney’s investigation into the shooting of 14-year-old DeOnté Rawlings by off-duty police…

As always with the end of summer, there have been slim pickings in the art world, and most galleries are banking on you using Labor Day weekend for one final trek to sunny beaches. We scrounged up a few options for those of you sticking around town, which you may want to consider using as a warm-up for next week, when the fall art season opens with a bang. >> G Fine Art is warming…

Good morning, Washington. Just one day after officials did their best to reassure metro area drivers that our bridges are safe to travel on, the Washington Post has pored over U.S. Department of Transportation statistics that show that a dozen bridges in the District, hundreds more in Maryland, and nearly 1,200 in Virginia are listed as “structurally deficient,” — the same rating as the bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis Wednesday. Still, DDOT says that…

Exciting news this fine morning for the many Washingtonians who draw their paychecks from the USDA — you may still be paid after you die. The Post reports that the The U.S. Department of Agriculture distributed $1.1 billion over seven years to the estates or companies of dead people, though granted, they were actually all farmers instead of government employees. Now we just have to figure out the best way to pretend to be a…

>> What’s more fun than gathering your friends to go see your very own art on the wall of a gallery? The Wall Mountables community event kicks off this week, so we hope you’ve pulled that painting/photo/whatever out of the closet and prepared it for the limelight. The first installation date was last night, but you’ve still got tonight, 3 to 8 p.m., and tomorrow night, 3 to 6 p.m., to grab a space of…

This morning Mayor Adrian Fenty announced that he would appeal a March ruling that found that the District’s handgun law was unconstitutional to the U.S. Supreme Court. His decision sets up the first major battle in decades over whether the Second Amendment confers an individual or collective right to own a handgun. Moreover, it could have a profound effect on gun regulations across the country should the Supreme Court side with the lower court. The…