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Live from the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear!

City Desk — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 14:00:51 +0000

Today is the day ! Keep this post open for live updates from Washington City Paper staffers at the rally on the Mall. Also, follow us on Twitter at @wcp for more.

10:00 am:

It's a sunny day in the District — seems like a fine time for an ironic protest. We'll be bringing you live coverage here all day, or at least until the cell phone networks conk out. (And when that does happen, we'll make our way to the press area for the WiFi. And the free booze.)

Reports on Twitter seem to indicate that a ton of people are already on the Mall. Which doesn't seem very sane; nothing starts until noon. See you down there soon...

—City Desk

10:55 am:

There is a woman wearing a sheep costume in the Georgia Avenue Metro stop. That is all.

—City Desk

11:01 am:

If you're planning to board the Green Line south of Petworth... Don't.

—City Desk

11:20 am:

Cops not feeling the love at 7th and Constitution. 'Get out of the street! If you're in the street, get back on the sidewalk!'
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

—City Desk

11:33 am:

Rallygoers who slept in — I'm one of them — are out of luck. On 16th Street by Columbia Heights, buses are too full too stop. Metro's not even an option at this point. And so we're walking. See you in an hour, HuffPo-transported legions!

—City Desk

11:33 am:

Pre-rally crowds are flowing out of the Archives station, where they're bumping into...D.C. voting rights activists. "D.C. can't vote, that's insane," says one of the guys seeking petition signatures. They're wearing hippo outfits. Is this good for the cause? I can't tell. Other people nearby have sign that read "God Hates Figs" and "Give Fear a Chance." A group of pretend activ=
ists just sidled up alongside, with signs advertising a brewery. Which is just to say the vibe is somewhat less than 100 percent moral seriousness. On the other hand, they're handing out posters, some of which will presumably wind up on TV. You take your branding opportunities where you can get em, I guess.

—City Desk

11:38 am:

The folly of not working with WABA to set up bike racks is quickly becoming apparent–bikes are locked to every tree, post, and bench from the capitol to like 14th street. And there are literally too many people to maneuver in between the with one.

—City Desk

11:57 am:

Lots of confused-looking journalists looking for the mall's vaunted wireless. (Including this one.)

—City Desk

12:02 pm:

Dear lord. Almost got doored by a porta potty. It's dangerous out here.

—City Desk

12:07 pm:

My journey with the 16th Street death march continues. The line for coffee at the 16th and K Starbucks is massive, but I don't see any would-be fake protesters going next door for coffee at Burger King. It's a watery brew, but desperate times!

—City Desk

12:14 pm:

I'm seeing a lot of red bull and venti coffee cups in this crowd. Looks like there were a lot of rough nights.

—City Desk

12:32 pm:

Took me 30 minutes to get out of the Metro, and another hour (and counting) to meet up with various colleagues. I have to admit I didn't think there'd be anywhere near this many people. Is there a college-educated white person who lives on the East Coast who hasn't descended on the District today?

—City Desk

12:48 pm:

Code Pink found a way to fit themselves in: Alice in Wonderland-themed brigade chanting 'we're not crazy, war's insane.' It's a bit of a hard dance, right, for an actual cause: How to get your point across without spoiling the apolitical party?

—City Desk

12:49 pm:

The MythBusters must have read our memo about how to laugh here; they just got the entire crowd to laugh politely. (But not genuinely?)

—City Desk

12:59 pm:

Band in Captain America suits pounding Bud Lights. This will not end well.

—City Desk

1:39 pm:

Lots of people leaving south of the mall. Maybe enough will vacate that i'll actually be able to see the last part of the show.

—City Desk

1:48 pm:

The National Gallery of Art is pretty packed — although most of the people here, a volunteer tells me, are looking for bathrooms or food. A faux protester chatted up the volunteer at the info desk. "This is going to be a rally people talk about for years," he said. The volunteer — with a big white beard, benevolent eyes — bit his lip and smiled.

—City Desk

2:14 pm:

I got bored, I went home, and now I'm putting on my satirical music critic hat. Kid Rock is right that it's ironic that he's the guy singing the serious song. This is the one situation in my life, ever, that I've wanted to hear "Bawitdaba."

—City Desk

3:36 pm:

I'm now set up at the National Press Club for Jon Stewart's post-rally press conference, which would probably be more interesting if any cable news bigwigs showed up to listen to him deplore them. Chances are... they won't.

—City Desk

3:59 pm:

Christiane Amanpour is here at the Jon Stewart press conference. No other big-time TV types to get lambasted. Fox News: Never around when you need it.

—City Desk

5:12 pm:

The rally had a lot of the signs and signifiers of a social movement — people gathering, chanting, waving signs — but the content was basically that of... a corporate TV production. Which, of course, was what it was.

But there did seem to be a bit of a gap between the utterly apolitical content on the stage and the political energy in the crowd. So I asked Stewart and Colbert afterwards a basic question: "Do you guys think people should vote?"

They couldn't bring themselves to say yes. Stewart said: "I think people should do what moves them, and that's not my place to make that choice for them."

Which is fine; the march was just entertainment. But it did kind of give the impression that it wanted you to think it was something else.

—City Desk

VIDEO Snowpocalypse 2010: Taking Stock at the Safeway

City Desk — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:40:02 +0000

If you said there'd be hell to pay at the Safeway in Adams Morgan, you were right! There isn't a bagel to be found in the place. It's a maelstrom, people—looting and other acts of outrage...rolls of toilet paper flying, kitty litter strewn athwart aisle 7, sausage casings used to garrote innocent children...we'll let the footage speak for itself.

Washington City Paper‘s 10 New Year’s Resolutions: Nos. 9 and 10

City Desk — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 20:05:52 +0000

And our final two resolutions for 2010:

9. Make more videos. City Paper's silver screen reenactment of the scuffle between Post Style section staffers Henry Allen and Manuel Roig-Franzia was, inarguably, one of the high points of amateur theater in 2009. What a loss it would be if we did not disseminate our thespian talents more widely in 2010. We would like the thank the Academy for its support.

10. Come up with new, innovative revenue streams in the name of continued self-preservation. Our best idea so far—though we are open to others—involves a full-court press to convince Fenty we are fraternity brothers. Kappa Alpha Psi membership comes with perks! We could use $86 million over here, you know.

Washington City Paper‘s 10 New Year’s Resolutions: Nos. 7 and 8

City Desk — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:05:50 +0000

7. Ignore Metro and transportation issues, no matter how many more accidents and track-suicides there are. Why tinker with a long-running and successful strategy?

8. Become the 200,001st sap on the Redskins' ticket waiting list. Dan Snyder claimed this year that the list was "200,000" names long, yet for Sunday's home game against top rival Dallas, he was selling tickets at the box office to anybody who wanted them. (There must have been some mix-up.) Anyway, we're still willing to wait: Vinny's gone, so it's gonna be all roses and Lombardis from here on out. Right?

Washington City Paper‘s 10 New Year’s Resolutions: Nos. 5 and 6

City Desk — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:05:00 +0000

5. Attend couples' counseling with Peter Nickles. The attorney general, quite simply, does not like us very much. The District's top lawyer—the man who called Councilmember Mary Cheh an "angry woman"—seems kind of angry himself, if you ask us. He won't speak to certain members of our staff (i.e., Jason Cherkis), whom he recently dubbed, during a personal visit to his office, "not a reporter." And that hurts our feelings. But let the record show: We are committed to trying to work it out.

6. Following the lead of the Washington Post, link less. The effectiveness of this strategy came through for the daily during the Great Snowball (Gun)Fight of 2009, at which an off-duty D.C. cop got out of his Hummer and drew his weapon for no reason other than his vehicle had been hit with snowballs. Rather than link to existing video and photos that clearly showed what happened, the Post ran an inaccurate and incomplete story quoting a load of bullshit from police. Because, you see, to link is to lose. If only we here at City Paper could be so Web savvy.

Stay tuned to City Desk for the rest.

Washington City Paper‘s 10 New Year’s Resolutions: Nos. 3 and 4

City Desk — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:05:18 +0000

3. Find a new picture of Cathy Lanier for our stepped-up coverage of Pershing Park (see Resolution No. 2). The ol' smiling-Lanier-with-her-head-and-arms-sticking-out-of-the-car-window photo has gotten quite a bit of rotation on our blogs of late (and even before that). The repeated use yields the impression that we don't have a deep archive of Lanier shots from various crime scenes, press conferences, etc. Accurate impression, but anyway.

4. Lay off Marion Barry. Writing about the former mayor and documented tax dodger is just too easy. So nothing more on earmarks, and certainly no more covers featuring pictures of him with ex-girlfriends with whom he attended, say, the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Stay tuned to City Desk for the rest.

Overused photo by Darrow Montgomery

Washington City Paper’s 10 New Year’s Resolutions: Nos. 1 and 2

City Desk — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:05:31 +0000

Successful individuals ring in the New Year with a set of resolutions that lay out upgrades to behavior and personality. Successful organizations must do the same, and that's where Washington City Paper's 2010 New Year's resolutions come in. Though we did some good things in 2009—including the feat of continuing to exist—there's so much more we have to do in our pursuit of perfection.

Here we go, in no particular order of priority:

1. Lose weight. We know, you have no faith in us here—you think we're just saying that. But listen up: We have an exercise role model in this city! We have at our disposal a man who's been designated one of the world's 25 fittest! We have Adrian Fenty! So look for us out there mimicking his training schedule, running early-morning intervals and pedaling around Hains Point at lunchtime. There is one caveat: The mayor's swim-bike-run regimen quite possibly has him losing his mind. But if our own cardiovascular obsession means zero percent body fat and a stunning physique, that seems like a small concession to us.

2. Step up coverage of Pershing Park. The events of Sept. 27, 2002, have gone underreported in the local media, and City Paper is a big part of the problem. If you don't know what a "running resume" is by now, then we haven't done our job. As the remaining civil case in the Pershing Park debacle continues to heat up, we promise not just four or five weekly updates on the matter, but rather nine to 15. In the additional posts, we will interview lawyers on what filings are coming up, what fonts they prefer to use in their exhibits, and the thickness of the paper they use to notify city attorneys of their demands. Finally, we are working up a multimedia presentation on hogtying.

Stay tuned to City Desk for the rest.

Tonight: The City Paper Tweetup at the Big Hunt

City Desk — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:10:06 +0000

What happens when you get 140 characters from the D.C. area in a room together? [Tweets gone wild, that's what! Lots of hot tweets! -Ed.]

Our @wcp twitter account has surpassed 2,500 followers, and those of you who care way too much about twitter are psyched.

To celebrate this little milestone, we want you to come to the Big Hunt in Dupont Circle to get. Wild. The event starts at 6 p.m. at The Big Hunt, 1345 Connecticut Ave. NW.

@TheSexist, @MikeRiggs, @wamitchell, @nikkididit, @Jon_Fischer, and a bunch of our staff [and friends! -ed.] will be there. The date coincides with one night of the "12 Bars of Christmas" promotion from our illustrious sales team, and that means $6 Clipper City Heavy Seas.

Spread the word! Let @wcp know if you can make it! (Or leave a comment below with your @username in the name field.) [Even if you don't feel like telling us in advance–like, if you want to surprise us–go ahead and come down! -Ed.]

Special Double Bonus: We have free stuff to give away! The first 20 people to give @MikeRiggs [that's me! -Ed.] a hug at the tweetup will be given 2 free passes to Landmark Theaters. Bonanza!

DCist Turns Five

City Desk — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:03:40 +0000

Congratulations to everyone at DCist, which celebrated its fifth anniversary last night with a hilarious cake.

Photo by woodley wonderworks / CC BY 2.0

Farewell, G Fine Art

City Desk — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:52:38 +0000

This is not a eulogy. Just because G Fine Art, the anchor gallery of the 1515 arts building on 14th Street, will be shutting its doors at the end of its current show, it doesn't mean that its influential director, Annie Gawlak, will disappear forever. But even though G Fine Art has a little more than a week left, its artists are already speaking in the past tense. Of the five stages of grief, it seems that they've already fast-tracked it to acceptance.

That may be because G Fine Art's closing, in a struggling economy, did not come as a surprise.

"I felt it coming ever since this Fall–not necessarily with her gallery, but in general. I felt the economy shifting," says artist Ryan Hackett. "Nobody is in a good financial place, and artwork sells the most when the economy is booming. Rent is a tough thing in D.C. I know just from my experience having [art] spaces that I could not afford one right now."

He adds that "Annie's been really a successful gallery in D.C. and that's the scariest place to be in a time like this, because she's spent a lot of time building up a business. She's showing a lot of artists in museums, and when the economy hits the extra money to collect art, it's not there."

Hackett had a solo exhibition at G Fine Art last September. He said that he has benefited greatly from Gawlak's reputation as an incubator of young talent. "Everyone that has worked with her has loved it," he says. "She only worked to support and help my work flourish rather than control it to make it something it was not. I could have made things that were more commercial, but she was more concerned with the work and the integrity behind it."

Past tense. Was.

But Gawlak, who can no longer afford the higher rent in the building, is seeking a new, smaller space in time for next month's show, "El Museo Del Ghetto," featuring Jefferson Pinder and Jose Ruiz. But until a space is secured, the gallery is homeless–and that's how some of its artists feel, too.

"It's like moving out of your parents' home," says artist Chan Chao, who has shown at the gallery several times. "It's a personal loss... it was great to have a presence in the city and to be represented by one of the best galleries in the city. It's nice to have a home."

Gawlak was the head of the household: nurturer, educator, matriarch and friend. "She's a mother figure that really gets contemporary art. She sees what I'm trying to accomplish as an artist," Chao says.

Gawlak declined to speak to the City Paper, stating in an e-mail that "It only hurts the art world to speak of closings." And indeed, this closing has left the local art scene shaken. A Washington Post article speculated that the gallery may not be the first to fold.

"Reality checks can be depressing, especially when art spaces close," writes artist Maggie Michael in an e-mail. Michael has shown with the gallery since 2002. "I am hopeful that this may be a relocation version of closing, or a new form of space seeking or sharing. Many cities and communities are experiencing these shifts, closings and transitions, and good things can come of it."

"Maybe it will be a reinvention of the way that someone can run a business in the Washington area. There's always room for that," Hackett says. "The landscape will change like it always has."

By Maura Judkis.

Banita Jacks Guilty; Convicted of Four Counts of Felony Murder

City Desk — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:46:57 +0000

HAPPENING NOW: Judge Frederick H. Weisberg has found Banita Jacks guilty of the murder of her four daughters. The Post reports:

Weisberg convicted Jacks on four counts of felony murder in the girls' deaths. Weisberg also found Jacks guilty of first-degree premeditated murder in the deaths of the three youngest girls but acquitted her on the premeditated murder of her oldest daughter. She also was found guilty on lesser charges, including child cruelty.

No word yet on what happened with yesterday's last-minute insanity appeal. More forthcoming.

Tonight at AFI: 28 Days Later

City Desk — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:04:21 +0000

AFI'd out after Silverdocs? Let Cillian Murphy resuscitate your interest. His work in the British zombie film 28 Days Later, which kicked off the Unholy Zombie Cinema Revival, is cutting edge even by George Romero's indeterminable standards. City Lights contributor Matt Siblo digs a little deeper in his pick for tonight, arguing that the movie's zombies "managed to provide a chilling and timely rumination on a post-9/11 society—while scaring the living crap out of you."

Do yourself a favor–read the entire 28 Days Later pick and watch some film clips. Then go see the movie.

Video of the Red Line Metro Crash Scene

City Desk — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:43:47 +0000

NBC 4 Washington has the live video.

Red Line Trains Collide Near Fort Totten: Deadliest Crash In Metro History

City Desk — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:33:46 +0000

Comes this dispatch, via Dr. Gridlock:

A Red Line Metrorail train derailed at 5:10 p.m. approaching Fort Totten in the Shady Grove-bound side. Trains are turning back at Brookland and Takoma....Metro says that shuttle bus service has been requested to bridge the gap between Takoma and Brookland.

There are reports of injuries. Developing.

UPDATE, 5:35 P.M.: This seems quite a bit worse than a minor derailment. WJLA-TV reports:

Metro confirms two trains have collided on the Red Line between the Takoma and Fort Totten stations. It happened close to the Fort Totten station, a Metro spokesperson said.

D.C. Fire and EMS spokesman Alan Etter said one train was on top of the other train.

This is "developing into a mass casualty event," Etter said. "We're expecting a number of injuries. We're not aware of any fatalities at this point."

Update, 5:46 p.m.: ABC News/News Channel 8 is reporting one fatality. Reporter Brad Bell saw the fatality being taken from the accident scene. At least nine people injured. The fatality appears to be a male. Many passengers still stuck inside metro cars. Fire Department spokesman Alan Etter confirms one dead on WTOP.

Here is the official Metro alert:

"Metro reports that 2 train collided and one train is on top of the other train. Metro reports massive injuries at this time. The green line and the red line are affected. Further information to follow."

It looks like the accident ocurred just beyond the Fort Totten stop.

5:54 p.m. Update WTOP is reporting that the derailment took place between Fort Totten and Takoma Park:

"The six-car train was heading toward Shady Grove when it derailed and then collided with another train around 5 p.m. Monday near the Maryland-D.C. border."

Metro Official: Passengers still being evacuated from trains.

6:02 p.m. Update: NBC4 reports the collusion occurred above ground, many more injuries:

"Officials have confirmed one fatality. There are numerous other injuries. Passengers trapped in the trains have been using tools to cut themselves from the wreckage.

A witness told Bensen that it appeared that one train car looked like it was on top of another train car.

Trains are not traveling between the Brookland and Fort Totten stations. Shuttle service is being established, but Metro spokeswoman Cathy Asato advised riders to completely avoid the Red Line this afternoon and evening.

Trains are operating between Glenmont and Brookland and between Shady Grove and Brookland stations and from Glenmont to Takoma Metrorail stations for the remainder of the day."

6:06 p.m. Update: Two confirmed dead.

6:11 p.m. Update News Channel 8 reporter re: Witness: One car sheared another car in half. Now with Metro Official: At 5:05 p.m. two trains collided, not sure if dead is Metro employee, rescue workers still getting people off trains. Fire Department has to cut through train to get passengers out.

Front car sheered off.

6:18 p.m. Update: Washington Hospital Center may get most of the victims.

ABC/News Channel 8 reports:

"ABC 7's Brad Bell reports seeing several people with what appear to be broken limbs. He also has seen ambulances lined up."

Witness: Nine serious injuries–internal injuries. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin and D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier on the scene. Many people were able to walk off the tracks.

6:28 p.m. Update: TV news channel 8 reporting rescues may have been completed. Rescue workers now working on passengers. Civilians working on passengers, performing first aid. Good point: Mass Transit in need of funds.

6:30 p.m. Update: Two students appeared to have broken legs.

6:40 p.m. Update: Another picture, this one from channel 9 via Twitter:

6:41 Update: MOCO ambulances and emergency vehicles are coming on the scene.

6:43 p.m. Update: WCP is reporting from the scene.

6:45 p.m. Update: From WJLA: People are still on the train. A bad sign: Medical Examiner is coming on the scene. Doors of train jammed requiring emergency personnel.

6:46 p.m. Update: Via twitter: One resident reports getting a warning regarding Metro Trains just before crash:

"Got a DC alert at 4:42 about mechanical issues and trains sharing a track. Crash didn't happen yet. Foreshadow?"

Correction: It was at 4:39 p.m. between Tenleytown and Van Ness. It was for mechanical problems.

6:56 p.m. Update: U.S. Park Police helicopter used to evacuate victim. One of the two dead was a driver on one of the trains from NBC-4.

Mayor Fenty to hold press conference at 7 p.m.

7:03 p.m. Update: WMATA has issued a press release:

"Two six-car Red Line trains collided at 5 p.m. today, Monday, June 22, resulting in two fatalities, including a female train operator. There were also several injuries, many serious, according preliminary reports.

Metro officials advise that people avoid the Red Line the remainder of the day. Trains are operating between Glenmont and Silver Spring Metrorail stations and between Shady Grove and Rhode Island Avenue Metrorail stations for the remainder of the day. (Please note that this is a change in locations.)

Shuttle buses are operating between Silver Spring and Rhode Island Avenue Metrorail stations to help customers get around the incident.

Emergency officials remain at the scene.

'We are extremely saddened that there are fatalities as a result of this accident, which has touched our Metro family. We hope to have more details about the casualties later today. Our safety officials are investigating, and will continue to investigate until we determine why this happened and what must be done to ensure it never happens again,' Metro General Manager John Catoe said."

7:06 Update: Fenty press conference moved to 7:15 p.m.

7:08 Update: More than a 100 injured re: NBC-4. A bus with 24 "walking wounded" en route to George Washington University Hospital.

7:09 Update: Fenty press conference begins: "We are cooperating fully with WMATA," Fenty states. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin about to speak. "A little bit after 5 o'clock we responded," Rubin says. Called in fire departments from surrounding counties. Treated 70 patients including two with life-threatening injuries.

Four dead. Including one female train operator. This is the deadliest accident in Metro history. There was a previous crash in 2005 which caused scores of injuries. Two metro workers were killed in a 2006 crash. Wiki has a good rundown of previous accidents.

You can follow the liveblog of the press conference.

Officials still searching train for casualties.

7:19 Update: Fenty tries to end press conference. Official: If you are trying to find a loved one please call: 202-727-9099. Do not go to the scene.

7:24 p.m. Update: Chief Rubin says this was a three-alarm emergency that involved 200 rescue workers.

7:30 p.m. Update: Our own Mike DeBonis is reporting that the train that got hit had been stopped for 10 minutes. We will have a full report from our man on the scene soon.

7:32 p.m. Update: David Corn is taking some pictures of the crash:

Here is another from Corn:

7:37 p.m. Update: WMATA updates its press release:

"Two six-car Red Line trains collided at 5 p.m. today, Monday, June 22, resulting in four fatalities, including a female train operator. There were also several injuries, many serious, according preliminary reports.

Metro officials advise that people avoid the Red Line the remainder of the day. Trains are operating between Glenmont and Silver Spring Metrorail stations and between Shady Grove and Rhode Island Avenue Metrorail stations for the remainder of the day. (Please note that this is a change in locations.)

Shuttle buses are operating between Silver Spring and Rhode Island Avenue Metrorail stations to help customers get around the incident.

Emergency officials remain at the scene. Metro officials are also working with the National Transportation Safety Board."

7:40 p.m. Update: From DeBonis: Reporters have been moved off the scene. They've been moved 100 yards from crash site.

7:45 p.m. Update: Scores of rescue workers lined up along 2nd Street: NBC-4. Read WTOP's story here. WJLA updates its story as well. WMATA updates its press release.

7:58 p.m. Update: Two traumas are at G.W. The bulk of the victims are there via NBC-4.

Unofficial count of dead now 7–WUSA. Then there's this unconfirmed account via Twitter.

8:07 p.m. Update:From the Washington Post's report updated roughly 15 minutes ago:

"No details were available about the cause of the crash, the third time in the last 15 years involving the collision of two Metro trains. The last was in November 2004, when a Red Line train rolled backwards down a steep stretch of track, and smashed into another train at the Woodley Park station. Twenty people were injured in that crash.

'There will obviously be a very thorough investigation into what caused this derailment,' Metro spokeswoman Farbstein said of today's crash. She said there were 'many serious injuries' and that passengers were being taken to hospitals. 'Our hearts are with the families of those who have passed,' she said"

8:12 p.m. Update: WJLA reporting six dead:

"A Metro train slammed into the back of a stopped train on the Red Line during the height of rush hour Monday afternoon, killing six people and injuring more than 60 others in the deadliest crash in the transit agency's 33-year history. ABC 7 News confirmed there were at least six fatalities in the crash, including a train operator. Officials have only cofirmed four."

8:17 p.m. Update Fire Department via Twitter reports transporting 42 injured.

8:27 p.m. Update: Fenty is back before the cameras. He confirms six dead. But he cautions that is a "working number."

Rubin hails heroic efforts of D.C. fire fighters. Two fire fighters sustained minor injuries. Lanier says a "reunification center" has been set up. Call 311 if you are looking for a loved one. We are reporting out the press conference in full.

8:36 p.m. Update: WaPo finally updates its story to include the six dead.

8:56 p.m. Update: New number to call if you are looking for loved ones: 202-737-4404.

9:05 p.m. Update: Councilmember Jim Graham: Car "leapfrogged" other car. Lack of info regarding crash is due to the state of the cars. 76 injured.

9:07 p.m. Update: DeBonis reads through old NTSB reports regarding previous Metro crashes—issues of the car construction could be at play here.

9:12 p.m. Update: Check out our pictures from the crash site.

10:32 p.m. Update: This from unsuckdcmetro: "Just got a tweet from WMATA. "disruption cleared" FAIL #wmata"

11:30 p.m. Update: Darrow Montgomery posts some photos that capture the aftermath of the crash; Lanier, etc. look stressed out.

11:35 p.m Update: NBC-4 reporting that rescue workers are still looking for people in the twisted wreckage.

11: 45 p.m. Nine confirmed dead.

—By Mike DeBonis and Jason Cherkis

*photo courtesy of Channel 9 News, WNBC-4

Fuego/Frio: “This Could Be 1880, For All I Know!”

City Desk — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:30:00 +0000

A timeless episode, in which Erik sifts through a deep pile to give props to the Post's Ready to Rent advertorial supplement ("a humdinger of a publication") and to Asian Fortune ("you can't beat this magazine, folks") for its snazzy, bloggy layout and its treatment of evergreen stories. The black sheep? None other than the InTowner, which Erik upbraids for flacking for a brokerage firm.

Inspirational quote: "Good on Asian Fortune for dealing with an ages-old issue here...this could be 1880 for all I know!"