MLK Memorial Opens

But maybe memorials shouldn't be artistic, Blake Gopnik writes

(NEWSER) - Take a look at the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial unveiled today, and one thing is immediately obvious: The famous black activist is white. To be precise, he’s more pinkish and “blush-colored,” carved from stone bearing “a striking resemblance to pale, freckled skin,” writes Blake Gopnik at the Daily Beast . And that’s not the memorial’s only fault: It’s too small, it was carved by a Chinese artist , and as such, “its Communist roots show clearly” in that it “isn’t so much monumental as overbearing and ponderous.” More»

Fed commission calls 28-foot sculpture too much like totalitarian art

(NEWSER) - A federal arts panel is demanding changes to a colossal statue of Martin Luther King Jr. planned for the heart of Washington because commissioners think King looks too "confrontational," almost like a dictator, reports the Washington Post. The 28-foot-tall statue is to be the centerpiece of a 4-acre King memorial scheduled to be finished next year, but the panel has the clout to hold things up. More»

'Overused' lawn set for major renovations

(NEWSER) - The National Mall is getting a serious facelift: Soon, we'll be going skating, watching outdoor theater, and exploring vibrant gardens in America's so-called "front yard." The $700 million project will mark a big change from the "overused" grass currently between the Lincoln Memorial and Capitol Building, says an architect. In an effort championed by Laura Bush, the Trust for the National Mall has picked three winning designs for different areas of the park. The first portion of the renovations is set to be finished by 2016. More»

...it would kill at least 45K, study finds

(NEWSER) - This is good news, we guess: The US government has determined that, should terrorists blow up a 10-kiloton nuclear device just north of the White House, it would not destroy Washington, DC. Of course, the study found that the blast would devastate the area, crumbling buildings and killing most everyone in a half-mile radius. But it wouldn't be "the end of the world," says the founding director of the Institute for Homeland Security. "It's not a Cold War scenario." Outside the blast zone, which would stretch from the White House's south lawn to FBI headquarters in this case, the explosion would be pretty survivable, the FEMA study found. More»

Eric Cantor, Mitch McConnell top the list

(NEWSER) - Who are the real power brokers in Washington? GQ names the top 50 in its biennial list of the most powerful people in DC—although, the magazine notes, "People with the last names Obama and Biden not included." The top five:

• Eric Cantor: The House majority leader is definitely the Democrats' least favorite Republican; you can thank him for Washington's hyper-partisanship and inability to compromise. GQ notes that he is widely expected to follow—or even push aside—John Boehner as speaker of the House.
• Mitch McConnell: "Even Cantor has to go through this guy eventually," thanks to his position as Senate minority leader.