Click To Play The 911 phone call placed by At-large Council member David Catania last week -- the one during which he claims he received "badgering treatment," but the 911 office said he was frantic and unintelligible -- has been released by WTOP. Take a listen to the audio. The recording is slightly warbled and Catania was clearly upset, but we can't help but side slightly more with the operator on this one. Responding to......

If you think the Montgomery County 911 system has problems, D.C.'s 911 office isn't likely going to be having an easy time of it this week either. On Saturday the Examiner ran a small story about how D.C. Council member David Catania (I-At large) had to make a 911 call early Friday morning and says he received "textbook badgering treatment" from the operator. Catania placed the 911 call after being awakened by the sounds of......

>> D.C. police will spend $3 million in the 3rd Police District on an anti-gang initiative. [WaPo] >> Montgomery County Del. Jane Lawton, 63, died of an apparent heart attack this morning, collapsing after giving a speech in downtown Washington. Lawton also served as a four-term mayor of Chevy Chase. [Md. Moment] >> If you have an elderly relative living at either Carolyn Boone Lewis Health Care Center in D.C. or Ruxton Health of......

>> Maryland police apprehended the prisoner who stole an officer's gun and escaped from custody from a Laurel hospital. [WTOP] >> Shortly after abandoning his run for the White House, Stephen Colbert ended up in a three-way tie for a seat on the Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District Board in Williamsburg. Sadly, he won't be able to serve if selected by a hat draw (seriously), because he's not a registered voter in the......

Good morning, Washington. Still can't get enough post-Pants Proceeding wrap-up? The Post's Henri E. Cauvin has a nice write-up and a video of the Chung family's press conference for you, conveniently located on A1. Still no word yet on whether Pearson will appeal yesterday's decision, but given the sheer volume of news stories published about this case all over the world, he can be sure whatever he decides to do from now on, people......

In their coverage of the Capital Pride Festival, which kicked off yesterday and will culminate in a parade and street festival this weekend, the Post gives an account of a town hall meeting on GLBT issues last night at Studio Theatre where Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) said he plans to introduce a bill legalizing gay marriage in the District within the next two years. Graham appeared on the panel with several other openly......

Good morning, Washington. We know how it is, the week before a major holiday when you've probably got travel plans -- Friday can't come soon enough. There's only two full work days left to go before you get to walk out that office door and do a little dance of joy, but in the meantime, we'll do our best to distract you from that increasingly nagging feeling that you might soon completely lose your......

Several hundred citizens turned out on Monday evening in support of the effort to quickly rebuild Eastern Market, and to share their feelings on a temporary location for the displaced vendors. Mayor Adrian Fenty, At-large council members David Catania and Phil Mendelson, Ward 6 council member Tommy Wells, city administrator Dan Tangherlini, and District 3 School Board member Lisa Raymond turned out to show their support too, as well as to canvass the opinions of......

Ever since legislation was introduced in the D.C. Council that would mandate vaccinations for the HPV virus, the issue has moved to the forefront of the public health debate around the country. With an increasing number of states considering a mandatory vaccine -- at least 20 to date -- debate has raged between advocates that believe that a vaccine could prevent a serious public health crisis, opponents who claim that it infringes upon the rights......

Hey Washington, are you suddenly feeling cheerier than usual this morning, without knowing for sure why? Well check it out: Congressional Democrats have gone ahead and returned to a rules change that allows nonstate representatives to vote on amendments. The nonstates included in the rule, which was also in place from 1993-1995, are American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Now it's on to getting full voting rights!......

>> Yeah, you. You need to stay late tonight to make up for the crazy amount of time you're about to have off. That's right, those of us who do not work for the Federal Government are currently glaring up a storm at those of you who do, because the word from on high is now official: President Bush has declared January 2 as the official day of mourning for President Ford, which means Federal......

Mayor-Elect Adrian Fenty’s most celebrated quality is his rigor for getting the small things done. Ward 4 supporters tell tales of the Councilman as Blackberry-brandishing musketeer, sweeping in to remedy urgent street repairs and the like. By contrast, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams’ supporters have always heralded his ability to dream big. Details be damned, he’s the guy with the grand vision: a growing, vibrant city; attractive to businesses and middle class residents, and with enough......

>> As exciting as all the congressional politics were yesterday, there was also a whole bunch of local fun going on. The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics has full results of the races, including those for ANC, for your viewing pleasure (in a PDF format). [DCBOEE] >> Hey, who needs political representation when you get to file your taxes a whole extra day later? Something for us to look forward to come April.......

Written by DCist contributor Alex Hogan and Martin Austermuhle D.C. Mayor, City Council: Ok, so the September Democratic primary kinda took the air out of the District's official mayoral election, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go vote. Look for a crushing Democratic sweep, but give a little time and check out what the Statehood Green and Republican candidates, Chris Otten and David Kranich, respectively, have to offer. We'd like to think that someday their......

Written by DCist contributor Christopher Durocher Opponents to Virginia's proposed constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage, including Virginia Delegate Adam Ebbin and D.C. Council-member David Catania (I-At Large), will host a benefit tonight at the Human Rights Campaign's D.C. headquarters. The event is designed to bring together both members of the Virginia community who oppose the marriage ban, as well as District and Maryland residents who support their efforts. The benefit will raise money for......

If you do, or just enjoy hearing them, you may want to attend the Roast of Anthony Williams on October 18th at the Marriott Wardman Park. The event is part of a Southeastern University gala, and for the low price of $250, will feature jokesters like Adrian Fenty, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Councilmembers David Catania and Jack Evans, GWU President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and Broadway actor and D.C. native......

As the clock rolled through midnight, there sat Marion Barry, hunched over in his too-big suit, red Nationals cap pulled low over thick glasses, interrupting the chair. He spoke haltingly, with long pauses, as he made his roundabout point, while Linda Cropp alternately reclined in exasperation and leaned forward over the desk, glaring at him in incredulity. Barry hushed Kwame Brown and David Catania by their first names as they attempted to clarify his statement,......

Council-member David Catania (I-At Large) may have some explaining to do. Yesterday we received a juicy tidbit that might prove that Catania -- a maverick legislator known for his fierce independence and intellectual capacity -- received money from two of Washington's least popular characters. Joshua Micah Marchall of Talking Points Memo fame yesterday wrote that Catania received campaign money from Mitch Wade, former owner of MZM, Inc., a defense and intelligence firm. MZM was closely......

For the first time since 1999, the suddenly hot Washington Redskins are going to the playoffs after a sweet but hard fought new year victory against the Philadelphia Eagles. Eat it, Phillyist! Murders in Washington Area Increase: While the District's murder tally for 2005 dropped for the second year running, homicides in the area rose as Prince George's County and Fairfax County increased their share, writes the Post. The region recorded 466 killings in 2005,......

September 29, 2004 will be remembered as the day that the District got baseball back. December 21, 2004 will be known as the day the D.C. Council narrowly approved the agreement formalizing the return of the Washington Nationals and the city's promise to build them a state-of-the-art, publicly-funded stadium. December 20, 2005 may soon come to be known as the day when Washington lost another baseball team. Of course, that's just a guess. The again,......

Editor's Note: This is the second of two guest writers we invited to comment on the stadium lease, which is set to be voted on tomorrow. First off was Vincent Morris, the mayor's spokesman, speaking in favor of the stadium deal, and now we have Council-member David Catania (I-At Large) opining against it. The Stadium is Bad News for the District By David Catania "If you build it, they will come," infers the voice in......

We often flip through the Washington Times, sometimes for some comic relief, sometimes to see how the conservative newspaper views local news. In perusing its pages today, we came across a column written by Tom Knott, the Times' answer to the Post's well-known and well-liked Metro columnist Marc Fisher. Today Knott -- often known for taking some creative license with his writing -- describes a conflict between a neighborhood bar and residents who want it......

The region's first snow hit yesterday, and, as expected, the morning news was chock full of weather analyses and human interest reports on snowmen and troubled commutes. We suppose it is big news, and we should expect that local newscasters will wax poetic about the "winter wonderland." Of course, the novelty of snow on the ground may soon fade, with residents realizing that we still have four months of this weather remaining. And as much......

It may soon be known as the stadium that could have been. Last week the architects from HOK Sport -- the firm charged with designing a new stadium for the Washington Nationals -- presented their vision to a select group of city officials and journalists, the first step in what has been a year-long process between agreeing to build the stadium and its ground-breaking and construction. The Post described the stadium-to-be as such:The stadium, which......

Good morning, Washington. In general we steer clear from too many photos of the monuments, but we couldn't resist dropping in this gorgeous photo of the Jefferson Memorial at dawn posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user guy_incognito. Today it will remain sunny yet temperatures will drop significantly and highs today will only reach the low 60s. More Stadium Intrigue: In yet another twist in the already complex story of of the new D.C. baseball......

Somewhere Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man are rolling in their graves. Yesterday afternoon the Committee on Health of the D.C. City Council endorsed legislation that would make all District bars and restaurants smoke-free by January 2007, according to WJLA. The bill, written by Council-member David Catania (I-At Large) offers exemptions for outdoor areas, cigar bars, hotel rooms, retail tobacco outlets, research projects on the effects of smoking, and businesses that can demonstrate economic......

After an extended summer recess, the D.C. City Council reconvenes today to do what it does best -- legislate, and, by extension, provide DCist with much needed political fodder. But beyond the daily duties of writing, debating, and passing laws, the City Council may well become a bit of a battleground between those seeking higher political office next year. Announcements have been made, money raised, teams assembled -- the season for political campaigning is......

In what may come to be known as one of the city's most persistent urban headaches, plans for a 2008 opening of a new stadium for the Washington Nationals may well be delayed. According to an article published Sunday in the W. Times, bidders for the team have accepted that the various obstacles city officials have to overcome may doom the Nationals to playing at RFK Stadium until 2009, possibly even 2010. According to one......

In a long-awaited decision that may boost the fortunes of the troubled new baseball stadium for the Washington Nationals in Southeast, the Supreme Court today ruled that local governments may expropriate homes and businesses to accommodate private development. Stemming from a case in which the local government of the city of New London, Conn., exercised their power of eminent domain over an economically-depressed area and replaced homes with a riverfront hotel and office buildings aimed......

Thursdays seem to bring out the populist in many D.C. politicians, and heading into a sure-to-be contested 2005-2006 mayoral race, one can only think that it serves to shore up a candidate's credentials and their base of support. It worked for Juan and Eva Peron, at left, who ruled over Argentina from 1946-1955 with high levels of support from the country's poorest, so why not here? Mayor Williams and the Property Tax: The Post is......