A day after protesters at the Occupy D.C. encampment at McPherson Square dropped a massive tarp over the statue of Gen. James McPherson in protest of a planned enforcement of anti-camping regulations, the U.S. Park Police have asked occupiers to remove it. more ›

Whether you want to call it "iGaming," "Internet gambling" or "non-traditional games," the District's first-of-its-kind online gambling program faced withering criticism from members of the D.C. Council at a hearing yesterday. more ›

A D.C. Council hearing on Internet gambling today has attracted 117 public witnesses. While that's a lot, it's not as many as have showed up to speak on other controversial issues. more ›

A member of Congress is holding a hearing to determine why the Occupy D.C. encampment at McPherson Square has been allowed to stay as long as it has. more ›

What should our parks look like in the future? The National Capital Planning Commission is holding a panel tonight on potential ideas to resuscitate the National Mall. more ›

No, taxicab fares aren't likely to double, but whether or not they increase at all was the topic of a lengthy hearing today. more ›

Should taxicab fare increase help fund service improvements, or should improvements be a condition of eventual increases? That's what the D.C. Taxicab Commission will start debating tomorrow. more ›

Can you legislate a culture shift, using the law to change the way drivers perceive cyclists? That was was one of the questions that a D.C. Council committee pondered yesterday. more ›

After what has been a rocky year for Mayor Vince Gray and various members of the D.C. Council, city legislators are sitting down today to start the work of sorting out how to improve the District's ethics-related laws and enforcement mechanisms. more ›

Chief Cathy Lanier's on the war path. In addition to threatening to fire several police officers involved in a recent incident in Columbia Heights, Lanier has handed Commander Hilton Burton -- who sharply criticized Lanier during a Council hearing on the Charlie Sheen police escort fiasco -- a demotion. more ›

Maurice Dews, who stands accused of three counts of arson, including one fire which led to the injury of several firefighters on April 8, will appear in court tomorrow morning after being ruled competent to stand trial. more ›

It should have been clear from the outset that it wasn't going to be any normal D.C. Council hearing. The star witness, after all, refused to take off the sunglasses he was wearing. more ›

UPDATE: Oh, it looks like it's back up. Go, go, go, local political wonks! more ›

Earlier today, we suggested that someone from the Council's subpoena-serving office get down to Moultrie Courthouse, where Sulaimon Brown was to testify this afternoon. Turns out that wasn't necessary: Brown voluntarily said he'd testify during the hearing, reports Mike DeBonis. He'll appear June 6. more ›

The District's redistricting plan, which was rolled out yesterday, received the initial endorsement of the D.C. Council subcommittee that drafted it, despite protests from a number of councilmembers about how new ward boundaries are being drawn and repeated calls for respect amidst a process that has proved predictably rancorous. more ›

Seeing as how congressional Republicans have tidied up the federal budget and put the country back on sound fiscal footing, it seems like they're more than happy to lend their services to the District's own local budget. more ›

Might you soon be paying a ten percent tax on your truck-procured pile of poutine? It sounds like a compromise between food trucks and restaurant owners including such a tax might be in the works. more ›

Sulaimon Brown apparently made an appearance inside the Wilson Building this afternoon, told reporters that he wasn't going to testify, then left as staffers for Councilmember Mary Cheh scattered to try and serve him with a subpoena. So, yeah, that happened. more ›

Today's lengthy Council hearing on hirings made by the Gray administration is still going, as I type. But this morning, Brandon Webb was the first to take the microphone -- and that's when things got sloppy. more ›

We've now passed the hour mark on Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh's oversight hearing on the hiring policies of Mayor Vince Gray and his administration. But so far, the most notable news is who isn't testifying at the hearing: Sulaimon Brown, former Gray Chief of Staff Gerri Mason Hall, Gray campaign chair Lorraine Green and campaign consultant and alleged bag man Howard Brooks, who weren't even on the hearing's witness list. more ›

A brief addendum to yesterday's post about the promising future of locally-produced commercial beers: DC Brau and the D.C. Council are currently working on the "Brewery Manufacturer's Tasting Permit Amendment Act of 2011," which would grant breweries the same rights as grocery and liquor stores. more ›

For those of you concerned that the recent storms inside the highest reaches of the District's government would have a palpable effect on the city's already-strained relationship with Congress, well, your fears have been realized. Today, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform officially launched a probe into allegations made by Sulaimon Brown that people affiliated with Mayor Vince Gray gave him cash and offered him a job during last year's mayoral campaign. more ›

Based on reports from a hearing held this afternoon, DC9 -- thanks in part to a large security upgrade -- has been deemed to have resolved a "threat of imminent danger," clearing the way for the club to reopen. DC9 will be permitted to reopen as early as December 15 provided it meets certain conditions, such as providing employees with security training and ensuring DC9 co-owner Joe Englert doesn't employ the five men initially charged in the death of Ali Ahmed Mohammed at any of his D.C. establishments until at least January 19. more ›

Given the crime he stands accused of, this doesn't come as a big surprise: the AP is reporting that accused U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum shooter James von Brunn has been ordered held without bail today in federal court. This is the first time von Brunn has been able to appear in court in person, as he was still recovering from the gunshot wounds he received from one of the museum guards on June 10. The alleged gunman reportedly decided to say a few words at the short arraignment hearing. Among them: "I'm a United States citizen, and as a U.S. naval officer I swore to protect my country. I take my vows very seriously." James von Brunn has been charged with first-degree murder and related hate crime and gun violations in the death of security guard Stephen T. Johns. more ›

Today's Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on the D.C. Voting Rights Act is couched within the committee's regular business meeting, but Chairman Joe Lieberman is speaking about the bill right now. You can stream the hearing live here. Lieberman was one of the bill's main sponsors in the Senate last time around, so he's making some predictably pro-voting rights remarks about the historic injustice of the status of the District. Earlier, Lieberman acknowledged Mayor Adrian Fenty as being present, along with someone who is apparently dressed up in some sort of colonial era costume— they were off camera, but we're going to speculate wildly that it might be DC Vote's Eli Zigas, who is better known for dressing as Abe Lincoln. more ›

District residents are understandably disturbed by yesterday's lead revelations in the Washington Post, and the D.C. Council has gone ahead and scheduled a hearing to address environmental and health concerns. The Committee on Government Operations and the Environment hearing is set for February 10 at 11 a.m. at the John A. Wilson Building, Room 412. Committee chair Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) will hold the hearing jointly with Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who oversees WASA. more ›

OK, we had some technical issues loading the web cast there, so apologies, we ended up missing the first 30 minutes of the hearing. (Tip to Mac users: you have to download Real Player for Mac before you can stream the hearing). more ›

You'll remember Gohmert from a memorable performance during floor debate on the bill in 2007, when he opined that D.C.'s residents don't need a representative because the 435 members of the House are already looking out for our best interests. We made him our honorary congressional representative, and readers flooded his office with constituent requests. more ›

We're getting a strong sense of déjà vu here at DCist. Tomorrow a House subcommittee will markup legislation that would grant the District a voting seat in the House of Representatives, reconsidering a measure that narrowly failed in the Senate in 2007. Unlike in years past, though, we've got a sympathetic president and a strongly Democratic Congress, all but assuring that the measure can pass both houses. Washington is preoccupied with two wars and a tanking economy, so the remaining question is just how quickly this will happen. The hearing kicks off at 10 a.m. in 2141 Rayburn and will include testimony from Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C. National Guard Iraq war veteran Yolanda Lee and former Assistant Attorney General Viet Dinh. more ›