If you won't be in D.C. for Barack Obama's inauguration on Jan. 20, you have a chance to at least get a sense of what you'll be missing earlier that month. The Post reported today that the official inaugural rehearsal date has been set for Jan. 11. The inauguration dress rehearsal, which features stand-ins for most of the VIPs, is done every year early in the morning on a Sunday before the inauguration. This year's......

National Journal has been following the minutiae of the Obama transition on their impressively thorough Lost in Transition blog, and it is there that David Herbert reports that District college students are getting the shaft in terms of raking in the big inauguration-related bucks. Like all living, breathing D.C. residents, students at schools like GWU, American, Georgetown and Howard would love to receive a giant pile of Obamamoney by subletting out their dorm rooms around......

Something that we didn't quite fit into this morning's Inauguration roundup: Metro's complete Inaugural plans are now online. Metro management is expecting upwards of 2 million riders on Metrorail and Metrobus. So, understandably, there's a ton of information about WMATA's extensive planning for the weekend: expanded and alternate hours of operation on buses and rails, parking information (it's all free, and some people aren't happy about it), and various closures, stations and otherwise -- for......

Could D.C. possibly handle a Snowpocolypse during the Inauguration ceremony? Mark Segraves explores the possibility and notes that D.C. Public Works has about 80 employees earn Secret Service clearance in case roads need to be cleared. It's probably not as wicked as soldiers with flamethrowers clearing the way for Kennedy's parade in 1961, but hey, whatever. (Rest assured, we've got Davy DCist at the ready -- even if he's still being cranky.) In any case,......

Metro hasn't yet formally announced the sale of a special edition SmarTrip card commemorating the impending inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama, but this image was circulated at this morning's regular Board of Directors meeting, along with details on their production schedule and cost. Metro spokesperson Steven Taubenkibel confirmed that the commemorative SmarTrip cards should be available for sale in early January, while special paper Metro farecards marking the inauguration will be sold somewhat earlier,......

Just how many people will descend on our fair city for the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States? That's the question on everyone's mind this week, and much like all other matters inaugural right now, no one has any friggin' clue what the answer is. Yesterday's lead Metro story from the Post was about how Mayor Adrian Fenty wants to open up the National Mall to spectators, something that's......

You might be able to rent your living quarters for Inauguration weekend at wildly inflated prices -- but you can forget about selling a ticket to the Inauguration ceremony on eBay. So says Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who, according to the Post, contacted eBay, StubHub, and other ticket resale sites last week to inform them that she plans on drafting legislation to criminalize such sales. (And yes, Feinstein's even gotten through to your shifty friend......

This is the first installment of a new weekly real estate column from Mark Wellborn of UrbanTurf, a local blog and newsletter that covers the residential real estate scene in D.C., MD, and VA. A few weeks before the Democratic National Convention came to Denver this past summer, an email popped up in my inbox from an industrious friend in the Colorado city. “I am going to get $3,000 for my place for the week,”......

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has finally put out a press release about how to go about getting tickets to Barack Obama's inauguration on Jan. 20, 2009. Here's what the release says:Tickets to the 56th Inaugural Ceremonies will be provided free of charge and distributed through Members of the 111th Congress. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies does not provide tickets to the public. Members of the public interested in attending the......

Flickr user erin_m noticed the new fencing and signs up around the U.S. Capitol, 118 days before the 2009 inauguration. Indeed, Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) is scheduled to ceremoniously hammer the first stake into the inaugural platform today, the first step in a four-month construction project. Feinstein heads the Senate's inaugural panel. Every four years, the District gets turned upside down by plans for the presidential inauguration. Construction has already begun to repair sidewalks......

The Inaugural Parade has seen more than its fair share of controversy over the last few years. In 2001, a few protesters scuffled with police, resulting in six arrests. In 2005, D.C. police were accused by the ACLU of making false arrests and indiscriminately using pepper spray during the inauguration festivities. This past March, a federal court ruled that the park service had violated the First Amendment by preventing war protesters from getting near the......

Remember those billboards that popped up in the 1980s that counted up the national debt, dollar by dollar? Pretty scary, huh? Well, District voting rights activists want something similar for their cause. Today the D.C. Council held a hearing on legislation that would allow the city to place two large LED billboards -- one outside the John A. Wilson Building and the other outside the new Washington Nationals stadium -- that would display the amount......

If anyone was worried that the crowds wouldn't come back to Eastern Market, fear not -- they're back, and in larger numbers than before. Today's inauguration of the East Hall -- the $1.5 million tent-like temporary structure that will house the displaced vendors until the South Hall is renovated -- saw a steady crowd of shoppers and gawkers alike, including Mayor Adrian Fenty. Meanwhile, across the street the South Hall remained boarded up and......

It's not exactly breaking news, but the City Paper's cover story this week is about the George Washington University and its high tuition, tops in the nation. The somewhat basic article (at least to a GW grad and basketball blogger) talks to a few University officials and a couple of students, but seems a little thin. The article does make a good point (and one that we made months ago) — is it worth it?......

One of only three art schools in the nation that are affiliated with a world-class museum, the Corcoran College of Art + Design is a powerhouse in the "art schools of America" roster, ranking high in the Princeton Review (but receiving a ‘C’ average among current pupils and alumni). Founded in 1890, the school is the District’s only four-year, fully-accredited college of art and design. The Corcoran Gallery of Art has finally dedicated a gallery......

Good morning, Washington. How was your State of the Union viewing experience? We hope that "enjoyable" is the answer — although not so enjoyable that you now have a State of the Union hangover experience (don't you love living in a city where such a thing is a possibility?). Whatever your experience, this morning it seems like some of the week's frantic political energy is draining out of the city, as the shot to the......

Texas is thawing, the Northeast is freezing, and a sort of natural order seems almost restored to the Ist-A-Verse. Almost. Londonist HQ—that is to say, the city of London—was battered by heavy winds, making it a bad time to be a twelve-meter (nearly forty-foot) tall snowman. Still, not everyone decided to keep warmly covered. Meanwhile, back indoors, the Big Brother racism is now causing all kinds of headaches for international diplomats, and Londonist got into......

Marion Barry dances with Council member Carol Schwartz (R At-Large) at Adrian Fenty's inaugural ball Saturday. Thanks to Amy over the Post's Reliable Source for the tip, who also mentioned hearing that in a moment of brilliant editorial planning, Fox 5 News apparently broadcast the YouTube video directly after a story about Barry's latest court appearance.......

Good morning D.C. We hope you enjoy today's slightly more seasonal high of 46 before we return to 70 by the weekend. Channel 9 is also warning that a few (gasp) flurries may make an appearance this evening. Metro Safety Under Scrutiny: Investigators are looking into several aspects of Sunday's Metro train derailment near the Mount Vernon Square station. D.C. Fire officials say they didn't receive information about the accident fast enough, leading to a......

Welcome to the first morning of the Fenty administration, Washington. As we mentioned at the time, Mr. Fenty was officially sworn in yesterday. The Post reports that the ceremony was kept small in order to avoid distracting from funeral observances in President Ford's honor. Very tactful! Good job so far, Mr. Mayor. Fenty's inaugural address will occur today at the Washington Convention Center. Meet Your New First Lady: We're still not quite ready to......

>> 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......

Happy day before Thanksgiving, everyone. The holiday weekend isn't getting off to the most auspicious start here at DCist, since our browser keeps crashing before we get a chance to save our work, thus the lateness of the usual morning roundup. But really we feel worse for those of you about to head out of town today, whether by car, plane, bus or train, everyone seems to be predicting the worst holiday travel day in......

This has been a rough week for your -ist pals, though you wouldn't know it from the great posts all over the network. Plagued with server problems, our tech team (led by the great Neil Epstein) toiled around the clock to solve the glitches as they arose. Seriously, we've said, typed, and thought the phrase "server problems" more in the past week than we have for the last 35 years combined. Why not say it......

Well, people, you had to get through a few weeks without your DCist Classical Music Agenda, and now the agony is over. Yes, there are once again concerts worth your while in Washington, and we are here to tell you where to go. If you are one of those classical fans who has somehow not heard, this year the world celebrates the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, on January 27. As a result, everyone and......

With an eye to reducing what has become endemic crowding on certain lines, WMATA will decide today whether or not to introduce eight-car trains which will run less often that the current six- and four-car configurations, reports WTOP. Under the plan currently being considered, 20 percent of Metro trains would have eight cars by December 2006, with that number increasing to 50 percent by 2008 and paralleling a total phase-out of the itsy-bitsy four-car......

A group trying to bring free wireless internet access to the National Mall is urging people to contact the Smithsonian and encourage them to allow the group to use of the institution's buildings to install six antennae. In the alert the group reports that the Smithonian broke off discussions after nearly a year of negotiations in February, but has been encouraged by a recent report that they may be reconsidering the decision. The plan being......

By now you're probably seen the Post's cover story today on preparations in the region for a potential nuclear attack. The Post concludes Two closely held government reports obtained by The Washington Post -- one by the White House's Homeland Security Council, the other by the Energy Department -- describe in chilling detail the effects of a nuclear detonation, using the scenario of a strike on Washington. They make clear the need for split-second execution......

It wouldn’t be fair to say that Washington, D.C., spent the past week swept up in "State of the Union Fever." After all, with the Inauguration only a few weeks past, there’s something about a SOTU that seems ... so yesterday. It’s been years since a president ascended the congressional pulpit to suggest that the State of our Union was anything other than straight-up applejack goodness for everyone and everybody, and the last one who......

Expanding Tyson's Corner: Wow. There's been a lot of regional planning news lately. First, local leaders met at a local planning gathering equipped with Lego blocks and maps trying to figure out how to accommodate 2 million more people in the area in the next 25 years. Second, the Post reports on how Tyson's Corner Center (where we snagged this image) is seeking to expand, transforming its regional shopping mall cluster into a giant built-up......

First Matt Damon dumps Minnie Driver on Oprah, and now Laura Bush goes on ABC's "Good Morning America" to gossip about daughter Jenna's new flame? The NY Daily News picked up on some comments that the first lady made to GMA host Charlie Gibson, regarding Jenna's new BF Henry Hager. Take heart you good looking, rich, single, male Republicans! Apparently, Hager isn't a "serious" boyfriend, and it seems Jenna's still on the prowl. Despite Hager's......