Good morning, Washington. Well, this is it: the holidays are finally, tragically over. You're once again sitting at your desk. And now we begin the slow, terrible death march toward spring, with only brief, inadequate celebrations of Presidents' and MLK Day to sustain us. Stay strong, D.C. — we'll get through this. Can You Hear Me Now? Hello? Hello?: The ball dropped, the phones came out and... nothing. "Y2K8 Bug" doesn't sound very catchy,......

Welcome back, Washington. We hope those of you who celebrate Christmas had a holly and/or jolly one, and that your stock of material possessions has been satisfactorily increased. As you might expect, not too terribly much happened while you've been away. Davis Mulls Eighth Term: Sure, it was published yesterday, but we imagine many of you may have missed the Post's analysis of whether Tom Davis will seek another term as congressman for Northern......

Good morning, Washington. With the Christmas holiday looming, things are slowing down in workplaces around the region. Well, most workplaces, anyway — D.C.'s firefighters seem to be keeping plenty busy. Yesterday, of course, there was the fire at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Since then there's been a two alarm fire at the Chinatown Red Roof Inn, and this impressive gathering of firefighters just south of Logan around 6 p.m. last night. Here's hoping......

Good morning, Washington. It turns out that House Pages don't need lecherous congressmen's help to make scandalous headlines: two have just gotten busted for inappropriate behavior in a House elevator. They've been dismissed, bringing the year's total fired pages to five — two others were caught shoplifting, and one was booted for fighting. Needless to say, it looks like the program — the oversight of which has been in turmoil — will be getting......

Are you ready, D.C.?! That's right: it's the first snowfall of the season. We talked about it yesterday, and the outlook remains pretty much the same. Both Capital Weather and our local TV weatherpeople agree that we'll get about an inch of unusually fluffy snow, with most of it falling by early afternoon. City Starts Looking For More Theft: Watch out, D.C. government ne'er-do-wells: Dan Tangherlini is on your trail. NBC4 reports that the......

Good morning, Washington. Given that A Charlie Brown Christmas was on TV last night, this story seems especially rough. Apparently some folks stole $1500 worth of Christmas trees from the Boy Scouts that were selling them. Remember kids: leave your clearly marked tree receipt out for Santa if you want your presents delivered promptly and with a minimum of additional paperwork. Latest On Taylor Murder Investigation, Funeral: The Post reports on the few details......

Still in the office, D.C.? Yeah, us too. We hope you're only sticking around because you don't need to travel this holiday season. If so, enjoy the empty halls, bask in the quiet, and call it a day early. If not — well, good luck on the roads and at the airport. It sounds like they're going to be predictably nasty. There Seems To Be Some Sort of Holiday Occurring: And consequently you can......

Good morning, Washington. Not too upset about the coming Metro fare hike, are we? WJLA is reporting that only four people showed up to last night's hearing on the measure. Of course, the meeting was held way out in Reston and was only the first of six opportunities that Metro riders will have to voice their opinion on the price increase. Maybe you're just biding your time. Tax Scandal Grows Even Bigger: This is......

Good morning, Washington. Make it to the polls yesterday? If so, we hope you did so before the sun went down — it got cold in a hurry last night, as the area rapidly moved from warmer-than-usual temps to colder-than-usual ones. CapitalWeather is saying that the weekend should be warmer, at least. Election 2007: The results are in, and it looks like it was a good night for Virginia's Democrats. The Dems picked up......

Good morning, Washington. Have a good Halloween? We have to admit, this year's midweek scheduling kind of put a damper on the holiday's opportunities for costumed revelry. It didn't stop us from eating a ridiculous amount of candy, though. Naturally, we feel that the children are to blame: if more kids had stopped by we wouldn't be stuck with this glut of chocolate and dearth of willpower. Perhaps this is why our childhood neighbors......

Good morning, Washington. It looks like California's still on fire, and likely to remain so. Most versions of the aforelinked AP story include the phrase "firefighters all but concede defeat," and the Post is calling the resulting evacuation the largest in modern history. It all sounds pretty grim. Good luck, West Coast. Yet More Stadium Parking Controversy: The Post reports on the latest in a seemingly neverending series of deliberations over parking at the......

Good morning, Washington. Can you feel the excitement in the air? That's right: it's Taxi Decision Day. Will District residents get a shiny new meter system, or have to make our peace with zones for the foreseeable future? Or will we be treated to a metered zone hybrid/abomination? It'll be just a few hours until we find out. Immigration Measures Elicit Passion, Lawsuits: The Post reports on the scene in Prince William County, where......

Morning, Washington. We hope you were out enjoying the fantastic weather, especially since the environment has been front and center in the news this weekend. As you must have heard, our former Vice President turned Global Warming Guru had to shove over the Oscar on his mantle to make space for half of a Nobel Peace Prize. Maybe after the news you were inspired to go check out the 20 amazing houses built on the......

Good morning, Washington. We have to admit it — we have a soft spot for cheerleader-related crime. And this is a good one: the AP (via WTOP) reports on the case of Anna Lois Miles, a cheerleading coach who is charged with holding an illegal gambling event to raise money to... wait for it... repay bail money she borrowed from the parents of a girl she coached after being arrested for writing bad checks!......

Good morning, Washington. Feeling alright? We just thought we'd ask — there are two heart-trouble-related stories in the news today, and it's gotten us a little superstitious. First, Senator John Warner is in the hospital undergoing procedures to correct an atrial fibrillation that manifested itself yesterday morning (it sounds like he'll be fine). Second, Etan Thomas missed the first day of Wizards training camp due to a newly-detected cardiac irregularity. There's no word yet......

Good morning, Washington. It's almost October, but in many ways it still seems like summer. For one thing, it'll be ninety degrees today. For another, there's news of Michael Vick's worsening legal situation. Yesterday Virginia indicted him and three others on dogfighting charges. Of course, we all knew that was coming sooner or later — less expected was word that a Canadian bank is suing Vick for defaulting on a $2.3 million loan. Potential......

Good morning, D.C., and welcome to another day without congressional representation — it seems we'll have plenty more of them thanks to yesterday's legislative disappointment. You can find the Post's post-mortem here. There's not too much new information in it, but there are words of consolation from Senate minority leader/arch-villain Mitch McConnell: "If the residents of the District are to get a member for themselves, they have a remedy: amend the Constitution." Thanks for......

Good morning, Washington. Does your commute include the Wilson Bridge? If so, enjoy this morning's trip — it's the last speedy one you're likely to have this week. As Fox 5 details, some of the traffic around the bridge will be redirected beginning at 10 a.m. this morning. But the worst will be saved for overnight on Friday, when traffic will be reduced to a single lane. Hateful Vandalism Galore: What the hell is going......

Good morning, Washington, and welcome to a world of omnipresent peril. That's what it seems like, anyway, given the constant stream of recalls that we've been facing lately. This morning's additions to the list of things that are trying to kill you and your family: children's cribs and Mattel toys. Oh, and microwave popcorn — but then, that stuff's so delicious that you probably already suspected its deadliness. Firefighter Sex Ring Press Conference: WUSA......

Good morning, Washington. Yesterday we started the Morning Roundup by noting the early stages of what seems likely to be the end of Sen. Larry Craig's political career. Today we have cheerier news: the resumption of another senator's work. Sen. Tim Johnson is back on the job after suffering a brain hemorrhage eight months ago. D.C. Has A Budget Surplus: NBC4 has the goods. Apparently the city collected about $100 million more in tax......

Good morning, Washington. Just one more day! By tomorrow we'll be free of this dreary, occasionally drizzly mess — or so CapitalWeather assures us. Here's hoping they're right. Although the cooler temperatures have been pleasant, we've had enough of this gray mid-winter preview. MPD Officers' Trial Begins: The Post reports on the start of Milagros Morales' and Erick Brown's trial. The two police detectives are accused of manipulating witnesses into implicating Jerome Jones in the......

Good morning, Washington. Well, it couldn't last forever: this week's temperatures are edging up after all. And while things are still relatively pleasant, tomorrow's high of 98 still sounds unappealing to our recently-spoiled selves. D.C. Goes After Posters: WJLA brings encouraging news for anyone who's been sorry to see a lingering ad for a years-passed protest event: the city government is cracking down those who illegally post notices on traffic and utility boxes. Among......

Good morning, Washington, and welcome to a world with a new home run record. That's right: Barry Bonds hit his 756th career homer last night against our very own Washington Nationals. We're sure there are some mixed feelings among the Nats today about being immortalized in a video clip that'll likely be replayed for decades to come. Four Shot During National Night Out: Last night was the National Night Out, a crime-prevention event where citizens......

Well, it's August, D.C. Temperatures will be peaking, news will be slowing, and the non-workaholics among us will be fleeing the city for less sweltering vacation spots. We're not saying you ought to panic, exactly, but there are definite signs that Summer '07 may not be endless after all. Better get going on all that relaxing you had planned. PG County Cop Indicted For Murder: Seven months ago two Marlo employees made a delivery......

Good morning, Washington. Have you gotten your last meal at A.V. Ristorante yet? If not, you'd better hurry — today's Post has a fond reminiscence about the place, noting that its last meal will be served on Saturday evening. It's admittedly not the finest Italian food in the city, but there's something weird and distinctive about A.V. We'll be sorry to see it go. It's Hot And Dry Out There: It sounds like we could......

Good morning, D.C. Did any of you stay up watching the filibuster, or pre-filibuster, or anti-filibuster, or whatever the heck we're calling it? Yeah, us neither. We did manage to catch a moment of it while en route to the Daily Show, and were greeted with a slightly disheveled-looking legislator gesticulating wildly at a chart of a Humvee. Unfortunately, we have no idea whether the sleepless showdown is likely to produce anything other than entertaining......

Good morning, D.C. First, some good news: today's high temperature will be a mere 93 degrees. Bring a sweater! Next, some bad news: AccuWeather puts today's "Thunderstorm Probability" at a robust 100%. Hmm. Finally, some great news: Unbuckled is tonight! Bring your sodden, sweaty selves — it'll make the experience that much more authentically Washingtonian. Prince William Co. Approves Anti-Illegal Immigrant Measures: WJLA reports on a new measure unanimously passed by the Prince William......

Maybe we just have a short memory, but yesterday was the first day of the summer that felt oppressively awful in that distinctly D.C.-ish way. Apparently we weren't the only ones — NBC4 says that a bunch of kids from the National Student Leadership Council who were visiting Capitol Hill became sick from the heat, requiring treatment in a Senate office building (they're all fine). Today promises to be two degrees hotter. Md. Teacher Sentenced......

We've got two words for you, D.C.: beer pops. That's right, beer pops. WTOP, along with a number of other local news outlets, has coverage of an innovation being brought to market by an Alexandria restaurant. The folks at Rustico may not be the first to come up with the idea of ale-on-a-stick, but they're the first purveyors of it we know of in the D.C. area, and we salute them for it. Here's......

Good morning, Washington. You know, it didn't seem like that much of a storm. But apparently last night's brief thunder and lightning wrought more than their fair share of havoc: lightning struck a shopping center in Maryland, badly damaging it. In fact, WJLA had footage of the shopping center's laundromat last night — it had been completely obliterated. We had no idea! Still, it at least appears that the power system wasn't too badly affected:......