If ABC gets their way, DC might soon be home to yet another television production.  The proposed pilot? St. Elmo's Fire-The Hour-Long Dramedy.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Joel Shumaker, who directed the 1985 Brat Pack classic, Jamie Tarses, former head of ABC's entertainment division, and actor Topher Grace have plans to modernize the story of six Georgetown grads struggling after graduation on the mean streets of Washington.  The city has obviously changed in the 24 years since the movie was released, which could make the transition from film to television more awkward than it already is. But The Tombs, the bar that inspired the movie, is still one of Georgetown's most popular watering holes, so who knows, the concept could work.

But is an update necessary?

Read More "Is “St. Elmo’s Fire” Still Burning?”" »

Good Morning, City Desk readers!  It's the second week in August, which usually means that most people are on vacation and not doing anything news-worthy.  But when he was elected, President Obama promised change and he has followed through on that.  Congressional town meetings, once sedate opportunities for schmoozing with your elected officials, have suddenly become centers of lunacy, where anyone will get up and scream their opinions at members of Congress.  Let's take a closer look at two of yesterday's meetings:

• Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) held a town-hall meeting in Hillsboro, MO yesterday.  Or rather, she tried to hold a town-hall meeting and was met with so much anger about health care reform that she took to disciplining the audience.  Video of her questioning the audience's rudeness is here, but McCaskill also tweeted her feelings about this great day in America.
• At another town-hall meeting in New Hampshire, President Obama spent time addressing the concerns of citizens who are wary of the new health care plan.  Unfortunately, this guy couldn't be assuaged, so he decided to show up with a (legal) gun strapped to his leg. Chris Matthews is ready to tear William Kostric a new one but apparently the gun was more for show than actual use and according to Kostric, no one from New Hampshire was alarmed. Read More "Our Morning Roundup: Angry Townsfolk Edition" »

Good Morning, City Desk Readers!  The big news today is presidential, of course, but poor Barack Obama got usurped on his birthday by America's other First Black President.  Bill Clinton is receiving all the accolades today after his trip to North Korea, where he met with President Kim Jung Il and helped negotiate the pardoning and release of the two Current TV reporters who were captured near the Chinese border in March.

• While President Clinton's trip was described as a private humanitarian mission before he left for Pyongyang, the Washington Post is reporting that both Clintons played an integral role in planning the trip.  The State Department was reportedly negotiating with the North Koreans for weeks and Bill only left the U.S. after repeated assurances that Laura Ling and Euna Lee would be released.  Regardless, it's good news for embedded journalists.

• In worse news for journalists, MSNBC is now admitting that they erred by not revealing that former Newsweek reporter Richard Wolffe is now working as a strategist for the public affairs firm Public Strategies, Inc. Since his book Renegade, detailing the rise of Barack Obama's presidential campaign, hit the best-seller lists, MSNBC has been showing off Wolffe like a prize, having him fill in for Keith Olbermann on Countdown as recently as last Friday. However, his close ties to the Obama administration (like those private meetings with David Axelrod) and his work at Public Strategies have resulted in major conflicts of interest.  Luckily, he's already got his next Obama book all lined up. Read More "Our Morning Roundup: Save the Journalists Edition" »

As the last month of summer begins, it's time to step outside your air-conditioned oasis and take some time to appreciate your neighborhood.  Or as this practice is referred to around the country, National Night Out, the one evening a year in which law enforcement, citizens, business owners and local officials come together to heighten crime awareness and build community morale.  But more than that, NNO is a time when neighbors can come together and celebrate while enjoying free giveaways from local businesses.  Crime prevention and free snacks?  It's a win-win situation!  Check out some of the best neighborhood activities scheduled for this evening after the jump. Read More "Happening Tonight: National Night Out" »

Good Morning, City Desk readers!  While City Paper is busy commemorating Sexist Day here at the office, all sorts of newsy events are happening all over the city, so here it is.

• Alexandria Police Chief David P. Baker announced his retirement yesterday afternoon, ending a 40-year career in law enforcement.  This comes in the aftermath of his arrest on DUI charges Saturday night, following an accident that sent another driver to the hospital.  The best part about retiring now is that Baker gets to retain his full benefits, regardless of the outcome of today's court hearing in Arlington.

• Sonia Sotomayor is one step closer to joining the Supreme Court.  The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-6 to endorse the candidate, sending her nomination to a full Senate vote next week.  She's expected to be confirmed with little struggle, but as usual, party affiliations are limiting unanimous support. Read More "Our Morning Roundup: Hung Up Edition" »

Another day, another Red Line delay.  This time, it's due to a train striking a man as it pulled into Van Ness/UDC  station around 12:30 this afternoon.  According to Metro's press release,

"A six-car Red Line train headed toward Shady Grove was pulling into the station around 12:30 p.m. when witnesses report the man intentionally placed himself on the tracks.   Emergency crews responded to the scene and removed the man from underneath the first rail car of the train. The man was transported to a local hospital."

Single-tracking is in affect between Friendship Heights and Cleveland Park so expect to wait for trains.  Nothing like a delayed Metro to kick off the weekend rush-hour!

Now that every TV camera in the nation has turned it's lonely lens to Washington, it is only fitting that a bus tour has been arranged to guide tourists past the filming locations of every notable DC movie or TV show.  On Location Tours, Inc., the New York-based company behind the Sex and the City and Gossip Girl tours of Manhattan, leads bus tours every Saturday morning.  But where do they take you? Read More "DC Movie Tours: What’s There to See?" »

Tonight is packed with all sorts of viewing parties and movie screenings so if you're lacking plans, pick some from the following list.

• In honor of Chef Art Smith's appearance on Top Chef Masters tonight, his Art and Soul restaurant is hosting a viewing party in the ArtBar from 8-11 pm.  Complimentary hor d'oeuvers representing classic Smith dishes are promised but who knows how long they'll last. (Art and Soul, 415 New Jersey Ave. NW)

• The penultimate movie of NoMa Summer Screen 2009 will play at 7 pm.  Tonight's feature is Scratch, a 2001 documentary about the birth of hip-hop DJing and turntablism, with interviews from the Beastie Boys and Jurassic 5.  (NoMa Summer Screen, L Street between 2nd and 3rd NE) Read More "What’s Happening Tonight" »

Good morning, City Desk readers!  Remember those lovely events and people we tried to forget about in the past few years, among them press secretaries, judicial nominations, and transit accidents?  They're all back to rear their ugly heads this morning, so let's commence with the news rundown.

• Yesterday afternoon, City Desk posted the latest WaPo article about the Metro crash, which basically announced that circuits on four of the five lines have failed to detect the presence of trains.  The 6 pm newscasts featured commentary from a variety of concerned commuters and so to quell their concerns, Metro GM John Catoe and Councilman Jim Graham held a press conference announcing that the Post got the story wrong.  The system is safe, says Catoe, and the article is a gross misstatement of facts.  Watch WUSA's interview with Catoe - he could be a dreidel with the way he's spinning this new information.

Swine flu, social networks, and the Secret Service after the jump.  Plus, a new alternative to saving the Nats! Read More "Our Morning Roundup: Just When We Forgot Edition" »

Major intersections downtown might be crowded today with people dancing to their iPods in large groups.  Why?  To show their solidarity for the Iranian elections, of course.  In all seriousness though, the Georgetown chapter of Project Nur is planning a series of flash mobs that will take place throughout the city as a way of demonstrating their support of the Iranian people.

According to the craigslist event, this will not be a traditional protest with signs and banners.  Rather, participants have received emails telling them where and when to show up and what to do.  They'll either stand still or have a silent dance party, when a large group gathers to dance to tunes from their portable music devices.  And of course they'll be wearing green.

We Love DC has posted the locations of the different flash mobs.  Each one will last 1-2 hours at 5 locations throughout Northwest.  They are expected to assemble quickly so keep an eye out for mobs of emerald-clad activists this afternoon.

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor would like you to know that she was misunderstood when she said that a wise Latina woman would come to a better decision than a white man.  Yes, she's been repeating this line since the soundbite came out almost six weeks ago, but it seems to be the main focus of her confirmation hearings.  "Objectivity" was the word of the day, as Sotomayor faced tough questioning from the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Shock of all shocks, the voice of reason came from South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who announced that unless something went terribly wrong, the judge would most likely be confirmed by the Democratic majority.

But enough about rule-makers.  All the rule-breakers, in DC and beyond, are after the jump. Read More "Our Morning Roundup: Law and Order Edition" »

Still lamenting the fact that you missed some Silverdocs screenings last month and don't know when you'll get the chance to see them again?  Have no fear.  POV, the PBS series dedicated to documentaries with a point of view, is showing several programs that previously played in Silver Spring throughout the summer and into the fall. Read More "Silverdocs Movies Getting Wide Release" »

So on Wednesday morning, the lovely people at WMATA issued a press release stating that the Takoma station will continue to close at 10 p.m. every night until July 19th.  They amended the statement with another one this morning, stating that tonight, the station will stay open until 3 a.m., the normal closing time on weekends, making travel slightly easier for a day.  It's understandable that the NTSB needs as much time as possible to investigate the June 22 crash.  What makes less sense is the announcement for an overhaul of the Red Line that was planned prior to the crash.  Because what is being fixed, according to The Washington Post, does not seem immediately necessary, especially if it's going to cause even more delays on system's busiest line. Read More "Seeing Red on the Red Line…Still" »

With the economy still showing limited signs of recovery, people are feeling less inclined to spend money on activities that aren't necessary.  The Writer's Center in Bethesda feels that money should by no means limit the access an individual has to resources that will help them cultivate their talents, and with that, they have announced their new initiative: The Undiscovered Voices Fellowship.

Anyone with an interest in writing and an annual income of less than $25,000 is welcome to apply for the fellowship, which will allow the winner to attend up to eight workshops at the center, between September 2009 and June 2010, for no charge.  All the applicants need to submit is a cover letter stating that they meet the eligibility requirements, two references, and a work sample in one genre.  Samples should be limited to 8 pages of poetry, 10 pages of fiction or nonfiction, or 15 pages of a script or screenplay. Read More "Writer’s Center Wants Undiscovered Voices" »

Michael Jackson's memorial service monopolized every media outlet yesterday and seems to be the only national news event worth covering this morning.  It was poignant, it was tasteful, but what does it have to do with Washington?  Everything, according to Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), who spoke at the service yesterday and announced House Resolution 600. Oh yes, here comes the Michael Jackson tribute resolution, and it is lengthy.  They praise him for his humanitarian efforts and then proceed to list every kind thing he did.  For example, "in 1994, Michael donated $500,000 to Elizabeth Taylor's AIDS Foundation."  Good to know.

Apparently, watching the funeral online was an important part of yesterday's Congressional schedule.  Politico posts this message from the head of the House's tech operations.

"The Michael Jackson event is causing even more inbound Internet BW usage.
We are monitoring both Internet connections and they are maxed out at 155 Mbps inbound."

More District news, plus Obamas in Russia after the jump. Read More "Our Morning Roundup: Busted Edition" »