From this week's cover story, see more.

Union Station.  © 2011 Matt Dunn

The Metro system, once a reliable point of pride for D.C.'s boosters, has had a rough few years: Safety problems, escalator outages, and rising prices have made the subway a regular subject of local griping. At times, it can be hard to keep up with the torrent of unflattering Metro-related scoops. As a public service, [...]

Life for Metrorail customers seems be getting quite savage these days. If the cell phone snatchings and in-car fighting wasn't bad enough, the subway seems to be in the throes of a public masturbation boom.
The most recent complaint about this issue comes, via Hollaback DC, from a woman who was catching the Red Line from [...]

The Ice of the Inner Loop: Take one part rush hour, one part severe cold snap, one part aging infrastructure, mix gently, and what do you get? Chaos. A water main burst near Central Avenue early this morning, leaving several lanes of the Beltway under water—which, in the delightful Arctic cold that descended on the [...]

While I’m not sure if there’s standard operating procedure for what should happen after two trains collide in the Union Station railyard, there’s certainly some things that train personnel shouldn’t do when dealing with anxious and agitated passengers caught up in the delays. Although the morning train collision was minor—7 were hurt, however—the effects were [...]

Adios, Plácido: Local opera company seeks new artistic director and general director. Tenor singing voice, fluency in Spanish a plus; must not enjoy long walks on the beach, at least not if the beach is in Los Angeles. For that's where Plácido Domingo has fled Washington National Opera for, after 14 years in D.C., the [...]

In a city where national history plays out in the oddest of places, it's worth noting that the nasty men's room on Union Station's Amtrak concourse is under renovation. Why? That's the venue where then-U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, an Idaho Republican, was accused of engaging in oral sex with another man in 2004.
While blogger Mike [...]

Power to the People: Frustrated by the frequent power outages that have plagued Howard Kurtz's home (and possibly yours, too)? Pepco has finally found a solution—spend $256 million trimming tree limbs. And voilà: a reliable supply of electricity. After, uh, a five-year wait to implement the plan. Potentially faster solution—go solar. -2
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: Labor [...]

A potentially grisly scene unfolded this afternoon at Union Station. DC Fire and EMS spokesperson Pete Piringer says a few moments ago a woman was atop the parking garage "threatening to jump." Frozen Tropics has been keeping track of the crisis via Twitter posts, and it appears things have been resolved:
LizGlover
She stepped away [...]

What does a U.S. representative do when a D.C. cabbie doesn't follow his specific, and also illegal, instructions for their drive around town? Ride-and-ditch like any wholesome American!

Various news outlets, including WJLA-TV, are reporting Metro's closure of Union Station this afternoon after an apparent altercation, possibly involving a handgun, on the red line.
DC Fire & EMS reports via Twitter of at least one injured party. Meanwhile, We Love DC 's Dave Stroup tweets live from the scene. "[R]eports are two gangs fighting on train, shooting erupted," Stroup noted [...]

The most hated man in Washington is glumly going golfing. That's right, folks, Sidney Crosby and the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, your Washington Capitals' fiercest rivals, were finished off rather handily last night by those pesky Montreal Canadiens. 
Caps fans upset about the team's early exit from this year's playoffs can at least take solace in the dejected look [...]

In light of the overcrowded mess going on at D.C. General's emergency shelter for families, I thought I should call Robert Egger. As founder and president of DC Central Kitchen, Egger is unmatched as this city's most forward-thinking authority on homeless issues.
Years ago, Egger had approached city officials about moving away from sheltering homeless individuals [...]