>> Giada De Laurentiis of Food Network's Everyday Italian was in town this weekend filming a bit for her new show, Weekend Getaways. One Flickr photog caught her picking out plump tomatoes at the Dupont farmer's market; did anyone else get a glimpse of the "Cooking With Cleavage" star? >> Oh, Clinton Portis, really? The Redskins player decided to come out in favor of dog fighting to defend embattled Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. This......

Last time we live blogged the House debate on District voting rights, things didn't go too well. We're hoping for a bit of an improvement today. From what we've heard on the Hill, debate kicks off at 10:30 a.m., and the legislation has been split up into two separate parts -- one covering the actual voting seats both D.C. and Utah would receive and the other dealing with the minor increase in annual spending the......

With less than 24 hours until polls open, most District residents are caught in a curious spot. Bombarded with ads from both sides of the Potomac, we're highly aware that a battle for control of Congress is taking place, and yet are powerless to take up arms. With average turnout in non-presidential election years hovering around 40%, we can't help but have a little ire for those in Maryland and Virginia who could weigh in......

MONDAY >> Remember when rap-rock was cool? We try to repress the memories, but some bands just won’t let us forget. San Diego-based P.O.D. is one of those bands. If you’re feeling sentimental, they’ll be at the 9:30 Club, along with Pillar, The Chariot, and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, as part of the Warriors Tour. It’s doubtful that “Warriors” is a slick reference to Walter Hill’s 1979 classic movie, but you never know.......

Good morning, D.C. In addition to scattered showers and thunderstorms, today brings news that the Circulator bus line is nearing its millionth passenger. Not too shabby — although the city's busiest buslines put up those kinds of numbers every month and a half (probably less, given the age of the linked numbers). But officials say that Circulator ridership has been increasing steadily; assuming the service survives the looming Tourmobile legal apocalypse, its planned route around......

Ever wonder what pollster John Zogby is doing now that the elections are over? Zogby, famous for getting it totally wrong during the past presidential election, has enough free time these days to poll real people on who they think will win the presidential race on "The West Wing". Um, has anyone told this guy it's just a TV show? The Zogby website trumpets the following results:Santos Favored over Vinick; Fictional Democrat Would Beat Fictional......

CapitalWeather says the weekend's looking to shape up to be a bit better than the gloominess of today -- not that it matters, because all we're going to see all weekend is the inside of Tysons Corner's shopping malls. FRIDAY: >> Can you believe Better Than Ezra sold out the 9:30 Club tonight? What is this, 1996? Anyway, if you need a musical hit, make your way over to the George Mason Center for the......

For many people, the presidential election was a choice between sticking with an administration during times of trouble or getting rid of the regime that got us into the messes in the first place. Well, America must be feeling lucky today, because as the Cabinet continues to pass through the revolving door of appointment and unemployment, it’s clear that we got to have both. DCers will be burdened with having to remember a host of......

DCist has been hearing some disturbing rumors again. Is Nightline host and news vetern Ted Koppel on his way out? While taking the Metro in to work this morning, we noticed an article in the Express via the LA Times, mentioning the resignation of Nightline executive producer Leroy Sievers. The LA Times quoted the departing producers resignation letter, which hints at some uncertainty surrounding the show's future:The company has made it clear that it is......

Major networks across the board will sacrifice a crucial night of the November sweeps period in the name of civic duty. Election Night coverage starts at 8 p.m. on most broadcast networks and presumably continues on through the wee hours of the morning. Here's your handy-dandy guide to Election Night viewing. ABC News: Peter Jennings anchors Vote 2004 with the help of George Stephanopoulos and Terry Moran. Former Salon.com writer Jake Tapper will have regular......

It seems that with the runup to the elections, there has been so much focus on how the Bush administration has handled the past four years. Adding to the intense focus is PBS's highly acclaimed documentary series Frontline, which presents an in-depth look at the state of the American military establishment tonight at 9 p.m. on WETA. In collaboration with The Washington Post, the documentary, titled "Rumsfeld's War," promises to showcase a battle for control......

- With the Election Day a week away and fears of voting machines failing, channel your “Pre-Election Anxiety Disorder” by visiting some election-inspired exhibits at the National Museum of American History. "Vote! The Machinery of Democracy" examines the evolution of voting techniques and includes the ill-fated butterfly ballot from the 2000 Florida presidential election. Stop by their permanent exhibit "The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden" to pay homage to our fearless leaders of the executive......

In a move that is certainly pissing off Kerry staffers working at 15th and I streets, Virginia's attorney general has told the state board of elections secretary that Ralph Nader's ballot petition signatures must be accepted after being initially denied. On Friday, the elections secretary, Jean Jansen, said that Nader's petitions were invalid because they weren't sorted by Congressional district. The attorney general overruled Jansen and it appears that Nader will be on the ballot......