Good morning, Washington. It’s news of the weird day today on DCist, as the Post tells the bizarre story of two 2nd-year engineering students from U-Va. who have been charged with the kidnapping of a man in Tysons Corner and demanding $500,000 in ransom. Both the two kidnappers and the victim are Chinese nationals who had been living with host families in Virginia while attending college. Police arrested Guanyu Lu and Baichuan Shu, both 19,…
No matter how you feel about a city known for its hippie culture or holier-than-thou aging baby boomers, you sort of have to love Takoma Park, Md. Commonly referred to as “The People’s Republic of Takoma Park” or “The Berkeley of the East”, the commuter suburb right on the border of the District is not only charmingly beautiful, but the people who live there wear their political proclivities on their collective sleeves so seriously they…
>> “A federal appeals court ruled today that I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Vice President Cheney’s former chief of staff, must report to prison shortly to begin serving his 30-month sentence for lying to federal investigators about his role in leaking a CIA officer’s identity.” [WaPo] UPDATE: Man, we honestly thought that first comment was a joke for a minute! Bush has commuted Libby’s prison sentence. >> Please Add L2 to NextBus, K? Thx [The…
>> Aramark, the ballpark concessionaire at RFK and other stadiums, is eliminating trans fat from its menu, and adding a number of “healthy” options such as veggie hot dogs, pasta salad and fruit cups. In related news, Baseball has been officially declared the least fun sport in America. [Baltimore Business Journal] >> Reigning MLS Defender of the Year and D.C. United backline stalwart Bobby Boswell is holding a launch party for his blog tonight…
A trial that has captivated Washington has come to an end. From CNN: Former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby has been found guilty on four of five counts in his perjury and obstruction of justice trial. Libby, 56, faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a fine of $1 million. The five-count indictment against the former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney alleges perjury, obstruction of justice and making false…
>>The Dow Jones Industrial Average saw its biggest one-day drop in five years today, coming on the heels of today’s other big news about an attempt on Vice President Cheney’s life by a Taliban suicide in Afghanistan. The sell-off began in Asia overnight and continued across Europe, when two exchanges in Shanghai that track the Chinese stock markets both fell nearly 9 percent — that largest drop in a decade. [WaPo] >> As if…
We’ve been looking forward to the launch of Patrick Gavin and Jeff DuFour’s new daily Beltway column, “Yeas and Nays”, for a few weeks now, largely so we could finally be sure just what sorts of topics the two would be covering under the somewhat inscrutable decscription of “people, power and politics.” C’mon guys, that could be about anything from the current brouhaha at The New Republic to what kind of toilet paper Vice President…
For a region that often runs in terror at the mere sight of snow, Washington and its environs managed the weekend’s snow-dump with a relatively calm and mature demeanor. This DCist was shocked to awake yesterday to cleared roadways and open businesses, though power outages were reported in some areas and local airports struggled to get air traffic in and out. Today should proceed regularly — an unfortunate truth for those of us whose employers…
When we were walking up Wisconsin Avenue earlier today, we came across some protesters standing outside Studio Infinity at W Place in Glover Park. Our first thought was, what’s the deal, are the people protesting cruelty to older people? (When this DCist used to live nearby, Glover Park residents often gawked at the large oversized posters in the window of the wellness center showing an older woman on an awkward wooden contraption that always looked…
With The West Wing in the off season, there aren’t any melodramas dedicated to D.C. on the horizon. No big deal really, since we prefer the escapism provided by shows set in more affluent environs like The O.C. It’s really just nostalgia for the days of 90210 coupled with wishes that a club like the Bait Shop existed when we were in high school. We wonder what such excitement would be like in the District….