Results tagged “presidentelectbarackobama”

                     

Written by Sommer Mathis, Jen Chung and Aaron Morrissey

The Detroit Free Press kinda buries the lede in this posting about the announced entertainment line-up for the Youth Ball, one of the 10 official balls happening on Tuesday. In addition to Kid Rock and Fall Out Boy, Kanye West has been named a confirmed performer. Sources close to Kanye tell DCist that his decision to travel to D.C. and perform at the Youth Ball was made at the last minute. We had heard just a couple of days ago that the hip-hop star (who was rumored to have been being wooed by D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty to play his invite-only 9:30 Club benefit tonight, which will coincidentally also feature Fall Out Boy) had decided not to attend the inauguration due to logistical issues. But now West and a partial entourage are on their way to Washington, making the Youth Ball an even hotter ticket.

              

Take a look at how DCist's Flickr contributors have captured what Washington, D.C. looks like this weekend, with two days left until Inauguration Day. Add your inauguration-related Flickr photos to our pool by tagging them with "dcist" and "inauguration."

     

One hundred and fifty artists present their vision for worker's rights, the green economy, the reform of health care, and celebrate the upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama in Manifest Hope. The exhibit contains brilliant artwork laden with hope and high expectations in a strong showing of eclectic work based on the three themes.

President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden arrived at Washington's Union Station and emerged from the "Obama Express" at just after 6:40 p.m. this evening. The "whistle stop tour" began earlier today in Philadelphia, then stopped in Biden's home of Wilmington, Delaware, and also in Baltimore for a public event at the War Memorial Plaza.

BusinessWeek is reporting that D.C.'s Chief Technology Officer, Vivek Kundra, is on President-elect Obama's short list for the newly created position of Federal Chief Technology Officer. The choices have been narrowed down to only two: Kundra, and another Indian-born technology executive, Padmasree Warrior, who is the chief technology officer of Cisco Systems. All parties are mum on the selection process. Since taking the District CTO position in 2007, Kundra has developed a reputation for bringing in new technologies to D.C. government, including a partnership with Google and the introduction of cutting edge evaluation tools that have brought more efficiency and openness. Before coming to the District, Kundra was assistant secretary of commerce and technology for Virginia.

When I was in Denver for the Democratic National Convention last August, I wondered if the anti-Coca-cola policies of the Pepsi Center wouldn't lead the then-Obama campaign to alienate a large segment of the population: Coke drinkers. But with Pepsi's latest ad campaign popping up all over Washington, in Metro stations, the sides of Metro buses, and even outside Union Station in advance of Obama's inauguration on Tuesday, the tables have turned.

Over the weekend we all excitedly talked about President-elect Barack Obama's impromptu visit to District mainstay Ben's Chili Bowl. Goofy as it may seem to outsiders, Obama's choice of a half-smoke before even officially becoming president speaks volumes to his understanding of the symbolic gulf that has existed between Washington and the District.

The rumors were true: the Presidential Inaugural Committee has released the list of confirmed performers for what's being called We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, scheduled to air on HBO on Sunday, January 18 from 7-9 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. There's no set start time for the concert itself yet, just a note that it will be taped on Sunday afternoon. (NB: We've updated this paragraph to clarify the concert schedule).

   

By now you've seen the front page Washington Post photo, but here's a few other images of President-elect Barack Obama's visit Saturday to Ben's Chili Bowl with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty. None of us was lucky enough to happen to be inside when the two men showed up at the venerable U Street eatery, but Flickr contributor goldmember was strolling by and caught the crowd gathered outside and the secret service vehicles block traffic.

Yep. In news that will shock literally no one, Ticketmaster's allotment of 5,000 inaugural parade tickets sold out in under a minute — this was the image that greeted us at 1:01 p.m. on the dot. Did anyone actually manage to score any? A few are already starting to pop up on Craigslist.

Tickets for the 56th Inaugural Parade go on sale to the public at 1 p.m. today for $25 each through Ticketmaster. There are only 5,000 such tickets for bleacher seats being made available to the public, so expect them to go in the blink of an eye. Each person is limited to four tickets per purchase.

• This morning both the Post and the Examiner had stories about how hardly any charter buses have requested to park in Metro's lots. As a result, Metro has decided to open up thousands of spaces for private cars at all but one Metro station parking lot on January 20. Previously, the transit agency had only planned to offer public parking at a handful of its lots, reserving the rest of its spaces for charter buses.
• The additional parking is really good news, because it's looking like no one will be able to drive into the District from Virginia on Inauguration Day. On the heels of this morning's news that the Key Bridge will be closed to traffic, the Post reports that they're waiting on an expected announcement from the U.S. Secret Service on plans to close every single Potomac bridge crossing to private vehicles on January 20. Drivers will still be able to reach the city from Maryland via the Sousa, Whitney Young and Benning Road bridges over the Anacostia, and from New York Avenue, but given that it will also be virtually impossible to park inside the city, officials are discouraging everyone from attempting the drive.

Yesterday, the Presidential Inaugural Committee sent out a release announcing that a deal had been struck with HBO that would allow the pay cable network to broadcast exclusively an event being called the "Opening Celebration for the 56th Presidential Inaugural," a free concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial planned for Sunday, January 18. The release boasted that event will feature "some of the biggest acts in the world of entertainment." Today, WTOP reported they've heard that Bruce Springsteen is expected to headline.

Former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard! Chalk another scoop up to the Washington Post's transition blog. Turns out that the only overnight guest staying at Blair House between now and Jan. 15 is Howard, who will be in town to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bush on Jan. 13.

Cue the Dr. McDreamy jokes, ladies. The Washington Post is reporting that the neurosurgeon who became a household name as CNN's chief health correspondent plans to accept the position of Surgeon General in soon-to-be-President Obama's administration. More than a pretty face on the tube, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is a former White House fellow, where he acted as a special advisor for health policy to then First Lady Hillary Clinton. The stellar notations on his resume also include his current position as assistant professor of neurosurgery, performing five brain surgeries while embedded with a U.S. Navy unit in Iraq in 2003, and, of course, being named one of People Magazine's Sexiest Men in 2003. Gupta is reported to be hesitating only due to the large pay cut, but is still expected to accept the position in the next few days. So gear up for Gupta sightings, D.C. Just keep in mind the man is married with kids.

Just like November 5 saw a run on post-election editions of the Washington Post and New York Times, Metro says it is doing brisk business with their commemorative Barack Obama inauguration SmarTrip card.

WMATA updated its web site late Monday afternoon with a new menu option where customers can find temporary bus detour information. The agency added the option in response to customer concerns about the Metrobus detours associated with Secret Service activity and road closures around the Hay-Adams Hotel, where President-elect Obama and his family are staying until January 15.

You've been asking, so here's the answers so far. Yes, many Metrobus lines are being rerouted around the street closures announced over the weekend for the area surrounding the Hay-Adams Hotel, where the Obama family is living until January 15. Metro spokesperson Steven Taubenkibel pointed us to the Bus alert notice on WMATA's web site noting that the following routes are on detour around the street closures "until further notice": all of the 30 buses, plus routes 42, 11Y, G8, P17 and P19, L2, W13, S2 and S4, and X2 and X3.

The Obama Transition Office released a few photos of the Obama family getting ready for the girls' first day at school in D.C. this morning. You can see the photoset on Flickr. The images depict the Obamas in their suite at the Hay-Adams Hotel this morning before leaving to take Sasha and Malia to Sidwell Friends. The AP reported that Michelle Obama accompanied the girls to school this morning — Sasha is attending the Bethesda, Md., elementary-school campus, where she is in second grade. Malia is at the middle school campus in the District, where she's in fifth grade.

Both the AP and the Post picked up the Presidential Inaugural Committee's decision to hold an essay contest to award parade viewing stand tickets to over 100 D.C. students. The contest, which asks students to write 500-word essays responding to the question, "How can I contribute to my neighborhood through community service?", is open to any public or private middle school or high school student in the District. Since the contest is aimed at minors, the PIC is asking parents to submit their child's essay for them, which can't help but make us wonder how many of these essays will basically be written by the parents instead of the kids. Selected entrants get three free parade tickets -- so parents, click here to get started on your (ahem) child's application. Essays are due by 11:59 p.m. on January 11.

First Lady-to-be Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia arrived in D.C. last night, a day earlier than expected, in order to have some additional time to settle in to the Hay-Adams Hotel before the girls start school on Monday. Reporters and onlookers have been camped outside the hotel since Saturday, but the Obama women managed to enter the hotel through the alley last night without anyone capturing images of them. The Post reports that President-elect Barack Obama is expected to arrive this afternoon.

They're heeeere! Well, almost. The District Department of Transportation put out a press release at the end of the day Friday alerting the public to parking restrictions and street closures around the Hay-Adams Hotel, which is where the Obama family will be living beginning this weekend until January 15. The restrictions go into effect overnight tonight, so it's safe to assume the Obamas will arrive sometime early tomorrow morning.

Fox 5 reminds us that the deadline to apply to be a volunteer at one of the many presidential inauguration festivities, celebrations and ceremonies is tonight at midnight. The Presidential Inauguration Committee needs as many as 18,000 volunteers for the several days surrounding Jan. 20, though be warned that 60,000 people have reportedly already signed up for the spots. Still, the volunteer application form makes it pretty plain that the PIC favors those folks who live in the area and won't have transportation issues, are familiar with the city, and have previous volunteer experience -- all prerequisites we're sure DCist readers have in spades. Just make sure to fill out the form by midnight, and keep your fingers crossed that you'll be one of those selected. You won't get to pick your assignment, but you will get a meal, a commemorative volunteer credential, and a red hat.

   

Reader Matt Ashburn sent in these captures of workers installing special street lamp globes adorned with golden eagles along Pennsylvania Ave. The eagles are being placed in time for the inaugural parade on Jan. 20.

Vice President-Elect Joe Biden is a well-known train geek, so we have to assume he was involved in the decision for him and President-Elect Barack Obama to arrive in Washington on Jan. 17 via Amtrak. Sure, the Lincoln-loving Obama says he's replicating his presidential hero's journey to Washington by starting out in Philadelphia and stopping in Baltimore on his way, but Biden made the fact that he rides the train between D.C. and Wilmington almost every day one of his talking points during the campaign, so the symbolism works for both of them rather nicely.

At-large D.C. Council member Kwame Brown (D) has just started a new blog dedicated to issues surrounding the presidential inauguration. His first (and so far, only) post concerns the D.C. Council's decision to keep bars and restaurants open 24 hours and allow liquor sales until 5 a.m., and asks the question: "Do you think DC should reverse the legislation or keep the law as it stands?" Sounds like Kwame Brown is definitely one of the Council members who Phil Mendelson referred to in a recent interview with WTOP as having "second thoughts" about the emergency legislation.

One of the things no one has really brought up yet in terms of the massive crowd estimates being bandied about for Barack Obama's inauguration is that the date of the presidential inauguration is more often than not one of the coldest days of the year in Washington. Well the Washington Business Journal reported today that Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton is asking the federal and local government as well as private and nonprofit organizations to open up more buildings to house crowds on Jan. 20, a step that would become vital if temperatures are extremely low that day. The article tiptoes around it, but Norton is also clearly largely concerned that there could be 4 million people walking through the District with no place to pee.

Just to stick a fork in the overdone bird that is the Donofrio v. Wells, Secretary of State of New Jersey case, which brought seemingly countless cuckoos out of the woodwork and into our comment threads, SCOTUSblog brings confirmation that the high court has indeed allowed the Obama citizenship case to die a quiet death.

In a brief order, the Court, as expected, turned aside a New Jersey voter’s plea for the Court to determine if President-elect Barack Obama was qualified to run for the White House — that is whether he was a “natural born citizen.” The stay application came in the case of Donofrio v. Wells, Secretary of State of New Jersey (08A407). This marked the second time in recent weeks for the Court to turn aside such a challenge; the first came on Nov. 3, in Berg v. Obama (08A391). The Court, in neither instance, gave reasons for turning down the applications. In neither case did the Court seek a reponse, thus indicating it had little interest in either or had found them to be completely without merit.

by DCist contributor Dave Weigel