Photo by andertho Obama has decided on his VP pick: he's just still not telling who it is. The presidential candidate was in Virginia today and met privately with Gov. Tim Kaine, presumably either to tell him that he's the guy, or that he's, um, not the guy. Attention shorties! Metro is introducing nylon handgrips on some of its rail cars, aimed at helping the vertically challenged have something to grab on to. [WTOP]Apparently......

Photo by nantekoto Jin-Hae Jo, a 21-year-old North Korean defector who was on a hunger strike and protesting in front of the Chinese Embassy in D.C. since August 3, fell into a coma on Saturday afternoon. Jo was protesting the Chinese government’s policy on repatriation of North Korean refugees. [Pulitzer Center]There are still 68 D.C. public school teachers who don't know where they'll be teaching this year. School starts on Monday, and originally all......

Teddy Roosevelt (albeit shorter than he was some hundred years ago) strolls around his old stomping ground. Photo by philliefan99. More questions about the policing in Prince George's County: Police say that officer Steven Jackson shot and killed Manuel de Jesus Espina, 43, when Espina forcibly tried to grab Jackson's handgun; eyewitnesses say that Jackson relentlessly beat Espina with his baton before shooting him in the chest while he lay bloodied on the floor.......

Photo by miamabanta W Magazine has a poorly researched, hacky story about how Republican staffers who go to the Gryphon Room "dominate" D.C. social life and "hipster" Democrats hang out at Local 16. Since when do they let hipsters in to Local 16? [W]More awesome generalizations! A survey of bartenders says that Democrats are better tippers, while Republicans drink more. [Washington Business Journal]Some Metrobus drivers are getting more comfortable seats and bright orange seat......

Photo by furcafe The missing Arlington grandmother and grandson have been found. Lanfen Li and her grandson Jeffrey got lost for about eight and a half hours after Li, a recent Chinese immigrant, took a wrong turn while taking Jeffrey for a walk. [NBC4] Today was payday again for the city's youth summer jobs program. Mayor Fenty announced that 3,000 fewer people were on the payroll this time, which saved the city more than......

Photo by spiggycat A member of local band Junior League may have been deported from China for participating in a pro-Tibet demonstration. [Brightest Young Things]Maryland State Police have charged a Gaithersburg man with making threats against Gov. Martin O'Malley, Hillary Clinton and other elected officials. [AP via WTOP]Sales and prices of existing homes in D.C., Maryland and Virginia are falling faster than the national average, according to the National Association of Realtors. [Washington Business......

Photo by DwarfMcDougal There's a new blog devoted to electing someone, anyone to the Ward 8 D.C. Council seat who is not Marion Barry (via Greater Greater Washington). [The Barry Stops Here!]The DCUSA complex in Columbia Heights has had some trouble with its fire alarms. [Prince of Petworth]Lots of folks covered the Ward 2 D.C. Council debate.Mayor Fenty is scheduled to address reporters tomorrow regarding the serious problems surrounding the city's summer youth jobs......

Photo by urbanbohemian D.C. residents who celebrated when the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its Heller verdict now have both a lobbying group and a company that wants to sell you hands-on gun training. [WashTimes & Washington Business Journal]DDOT may put in contraflow bike lines on New Hampshire Ave. as early as next year -- meaning tickets like these would be a thing of the past. [Greater Greater Washington]Missed this one yesterday: apparently Mayor......

Photo by rsplatpc Three D.C. police officers and pedestrian were injured Tuesday night while police were responding to reports of a large, unruly crowd in the 4400 block of Ponds Street NE. A police cruiser swerved to avoid striking a pedestrian and instead struck a trash bin. Two officers and pedestrian were injured by the bin, and a third officer was injured trying to arrest a combative prisoner. None of the injuries were life......

Photo by mukulr Looks like the police who stormed into the home of Berwyn Heights, Md. Mayor Cheye Calvo and shot his two dogs didn't have the proper warrant for their drug raid. [WaPo]Don't forget to check out some of tonight's National Night Out events. [Frozen Tropics]Commonwealth, the new "gastropub" from Jamie Leeds in Columbia Heights, is set to open Wednesday. [Petworth News]Help out a family with a terrible cockroach infestation by donating mattresses......

Photo by maxedaperture A 2-year-old boy was struck and killed last night in a hit-and-run collision on Route 1 in College Park. [WaPo]Bloomingdale residents are falling all over themselves over news that a tavern has applied for a license to operate in the neighborhood. [bloomingdale (for now)]Arlington County officials are considering extending parking meter hours and raising meter prices in commercial corridors. [Examiner] An office building at 13th and L Streets NW was evacuated......

Is this the face of a pregnant panda? Photo by RoxandaBear U.S. marshals are looking for Jermaine Woods, 25, believed to be the last remaining high-ranking member of the Clifton Terrace University, or CTU crew, which operated in the area around 14th and Girard Streets NW. [Examiner]"Scientists say they've put exercise in a pill"? Hurrah! Off to cancel that gym membership! [L.A. Times]Luke Russert is joining NBC News to cover youth issues during the......

Photo by blueiris2006 Hey look, that poll that AOL does every year about how badly we're all "addicted to email" says that D.C. residents are less "addicted" this year than they were last year. Whatever than means. Have we still not gotten to a point where email is normal? Isn't this just a poll of how many people are workaholics? [AOL.com]Eek. A Bethesda teen who turned himself in today after police found a cache......

Photo by Bill Jones Jr. Mark Whitaker has been named to replace Tim Russert as head of NBC News' Washington Bureau. [AP]Funniest Twitter comment from the Los Angeles earthquake earlier today: "I am totally serious. My Ob/Gyn was IN my vagina and an earthquake started rattling the room!" [LAist]D.C. police are investigating a suspicious death of a 12-year-old girl found dead on Hawaii Ave. in Northeast. [NBC4]"You know, even my boyfriend needs permission to......

Photo by Pianoman75 Mayor Fenty fractured his foot playing football on the beach while he was on vacation. [WTOP]The D.C. Fire and EMS department is looking into allegations that two D.C. ambulance crews went missing for hours while they were supposed to be saving lives. [WJLA]Strong contender for most effed up crime of the summer: A 25-year-old Fairfax-area man is accused of sexually assaulting a 1-year-old baby girl at a party to celebrate the......

This afternoon, Ricardo Walters -- Harriette’s nephew -- was the first person to be sentenced in the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue scandal. Walters, who was responsible for depositing forged checks which totalled about $1.2 million, will spend the next 6 ½ years in prison. [AP via WTOP] A new college football bowl game, and the first D.C. will ever host -- aptly titled the Congressional Bowl -- will pit the ninth-placed ACC......

One more guilty plea in the Office of Tax and Revenue embezzlement case -- this brings the total to eight. Will accused mastermind Harriette Walters be forced to change her plea to guilty soon amid the mounds of evidence against her? [WaPo]An Alexandria salon is offering some fishy pedicures. Literally. You stick your feet in a tub full of fish that suck the dead skin cells off of your feet. Gross, or awesome? [Associated Press]The......

Adherents of the Falun Gong spiritual discipline protested in Washington today against the 2008 Olympic Games set to be held in Beijing, China. Falun Gong members say they are persecuted by the Chinese government and want President Bush to agree not to attend the opening ceremonies next month. Photo by Bullneck. Two D.C. men bet each other on the outcome of last year's baseball season, and the loser had to spend the last week......

Huzzah! It's safe to eat tomatoes again! [AP via WaPo] Not satisfied with Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, and McDonald's for your mass-produced caffeine buzz? Well, you’re in luck – the D.C.-area Subway franchisee has gotten permission to open a set of “Subway cafés,” featuring breakfast, coffee and wi-fi. [Advertising Age] Maryland House majority leader and Montgomery County legislator Kumar Barve pleaded guilty to a DUI charge this afternoon in Rockville. [AP via WTOP] “I didn’t......

Photo by j6 photo. In case you missed it, office windows at the corner of Vermont and L Streets NW have transformed into canvases for 8-bit-themed Post-It art. [WaPo] Outgoing why.i.hate.dc blogger Rusty finally cops to loving something about D.C. – NBC4 anchorman Jim Vance: “The earring, the delivery, the way his upper body doesn’t move as much as it sways. I love me some Vance.” [Capital Comment Blog] Dahlak, at 1771 U Street, kicks......

In terms of headlines you just hate to read, “Forecast: Typical D.C. Summer Weather Returns” has got to be pretty high on the list. [Capital Weather Gang] D.C. is the only area in the country where the percentage of obese adults actually declined in 2008. Granted, it only went down by 0.1 percent, but hey, it’s a start. Take that, Congressionally represented states! [Calorie Lab via Neatorama] Top Chef alumnus Spike Mendelsohn chews the......

Photo of neighbors on Georgia Avenue NW by Aziz Y. Blogger and local journalist Brian Beutler was shot three times in a mugging while walking towards Adams Morgan early this morning; latest word is that he's now out of surgery and with his family. Brian has many friends on the DCist staff, and we give him our best wishes for a speedy recovery. [Talking Points Memo]D.C. will once again be testing the readiness of......

>> Three "bottle bombs" were detonated at Friendly High School in Ft. Washington, Md. No injuries have been reported and three students have been arrested. The school was on lockdown but students were then let back into class. [AP via WTOP] >> A fifth person has been charged in Sean Taylor's murder. [AP via NBC4] >> Ben Stiller & Co. will be invading our streets to film the sequel, Night at the Museum II:......

>> Well, it's obvious: we’re off to a really nice start for the weekend. Unfortunately, we're scheduled to be crudely interrupted by a cloudy, rainy Sunday yet again. [Capital Weather Gang] >> “One woman said the fancy new street lamps outside her apartment window are so bright that a recent dinner guest donned sunglasses before tucking into his pasta.” [WaPo] >> The Washington Post Company (which also owns Newsweek and Kaplan educational properties) saw......

>> The Capital Area Food Bank raised funds to double their capacity; construction will begin on the new site this summer. [WaPo] >> The Cop Shop will be the place to get all your gifts for the "future crime-fighters" in your life. [PQ Living] >> Allegations of "inappropriate conduct with a teenage girl" by the founder of a one of the contract firms Chancellor Michelle Rhee is considering for DCPS restructuring might force her......

>> Happy National Cubicle Day! We hope you got outside your designated three and a half walls today, if only to bask in the cool breeze of a rainy day. [Pop Candy] >> You may want to check your bank account for extra funds this evening – the IRS began direct-depositing economic stimulus payments today, a few days ahead of schedule. (Paper checks won’t begin distribution until May 9.) [AP via WTOP] >> Cordoroy......

>> In case you hadn't noticed, it's starting to get pretty chilly out there. [Capital Weather] >> The D.C. attorney who wrote the 15,000-word gun ban brief was fired, just as the city prepares to defend its position to the U.S. Supreme Court. [NBC4] >> Examiner gets sassy on Seattle fans leading up to this weekend's playoff game. >> After the final 2007 crime count, Chief Lanier looks ahead to 2008. [Examiner] >> Viridian......

Up until last year, the D.C. Council's weekly breakfast meetings were closed to the press and the public. The meetings, which then council Chair Linda Cropp claimed were merely social in nature, were thought of by local reporters as the place where city politicos hammered out sensitive deals -- and did so away from the prying eyes of the District's residents. Even though that has now changed, we've never really gotten much of a sense......

If you managed to stay inside basking in the glow of fluorescent lights and humming computers, congrats. Our informal survey of the city's green spaces indicates that most Washingtonians didn't share your stamina and came up with some excuse to get outside. Whether you were "taking the dog to the vet," "coming down with a touch of the flu" or just dealing with the House's voting malarkey, we now proudly offer "Go Home Already:......

When the afternoon's labor hangs about your neck like so many albatross carcasses, their limp beaks slicked with the sweat of eight hours' worth of futility, when the sun hangs low in the air like a thug-strewn rock on its downward trajectory into the skull of an unsuspecting bicyclist, when the administrative assistant two cubes down sashays off to happy hour, leaving you sick with the thoughts that such a treasured sixty-minute span might ne'er......