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NEWS ABOUT: Washington DC

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Whistling Orangutan Surprises Scientists

Her talent may help explain how human speech evolved

(Newser) - An orangutan at Washington's National Zoo has pleased her caretakers with a unique skill—she's taken up whistling. Researchers have previously taught apes to do so, but Bonnie is different in that she started on her own, apparently by mimicking zookeepers, NPR reports. (She also imitates workers sweeping floors and... More »

Big-Mouth Amtrak Rider Announces Firm's Layoffs

(Newser) - A venerable New York law firm is scrambling to do damage control after passengers on an Acela train heard about planned layoffs before the associates targeted for downsizing, Above the Law reports. A Pillsbury Winthrop honcho "was talking so loudly that I think most people in the car were... More »

Rahm Lives in Illegal Apartment

Chief of staff rents basement of DC house zoned as single-family dwelling

(Newser) - The White House isn’t the only new house Rahm Emanuel will have to get used to, Gawker reports. Barack Obama’s chief of staff rents a basement apartment on Capitol Hill from Rep. Rosa DeLauro, but a private investigator has discovered that the house is zoned as a single-family... More »

No Golden Toilets; Liberals Are On the Case

The rules have changed for the über-rich: Brooks

(Newser) - David Brooks is worried about the rich people. Consider poor John Thain. One minute, it was OK to spend $35,000 on a commode, the next it was an embarrassment, Brooks opines in the New York Times. The same shame could befall countless billionaires who don’t realize the rules... More »

Ice Shuts School, Baffles Obama Girls

Chicago natives have played in worse weather, prez says

(Newser) - The ice storm plowing through Washington has many grown-ups wary of stepping outside, but it hasn’t fazed the first daughters, Politico reports. The Midwesterners were unimpressed that their school closed, President Obama said today, noting that Chicago schools never close. “My 7-year-old pointed out that in Chicago you’... More »

After Historic Day, Historic Cleanup

Trash-bin shortage caused tons of litter to pile up

(Newser) - Crews working into the wee hours hauled away at least 130 tons of garbage after America’s largest, and messiest, outdoor bash Tuesday, the Washington Post reports. With trashcans removed for security precautions, inauguration attendees littered the National Mall, leaving it looking like a rendition of Disney's Wall-E. Obama gear,... More »

Lines, Arctic Temps... and a Miracle: Keillor

Writer savors the spirit of goodwill amid throng at inauguration

(Newser) - The lines were "the longest I have ever stood in," and the day was arctic, but there were no complaints to be heard from the jubilant throng in Washington yesterday, Garrison Keillor writes in Salon. "All kinds of people, the slim and sleek, the XXXLs, the heavily... More »

Thousands With Tickets Turned Away From Mall

(Newser) - While some fought to escape the Mall after the inauguration, thousands of frustrated ticketholders were barred from entering to see the swearing in of President Barack Obama, the Washington Post reports. “It is irresponsible to issue all of these tickets and not let the people in,” one Californian... More »

400K Churn Through DC Transit

Woman hits tracks

(Newser) - Passengers swarmed Washington’s subway and bus system today, with Metro reporting more than 409,000 entries into the system as of 9am, pushing the public transit system to its limits, the Washington Post reports. At one point, service on the Red Line was disrupted when a 68-year-old woman fell... More »

Unprecedented Security Watches Over DC

Record staff, supplies needed to counter crowds, threats

(Newser) - It is an almost unimaginably difficult job: as Washington floods with millions of visitors, the Secret Service has to comb through and pick out all potential sources of danger to the new president. This means, as the London Times reports, a record five tons of bulletproof glass, tens of thousands... More »

Aretha: World Will Be Dancing in the Streets

Diva fired up to give Obama R-E-S-P-E-C-T at biggest gig of her life

(Newser) - Aretha Franklin is psyched to sing to the biggest audience of her life in Washington today, she tells the Times of London. When she thinks of Obama she thinks of "jubilation all over the world," the Queen of Soul says. "Dancing in Africa, dancing in London, dancing... More »

Houseguests Descend for DC Slumber Party

Couch space at a premium as friends and family flock to capital

(Newser) - Thousands of homes across the nation’s capital are jam-packed with out-of-town guests who've arrived to witness history, the Los Angeles Times reports. Guest bedrooms, sofas, and dorm room floors have been turned over to friends and family. "Every surface space, every comforter, every drop of hot water is... More »

Heady Times for DC Hookers, Coke Dealers

Both are booming as tourists flock to inauguration

(Newser) - Barack Obama has already done his part to boost the economy—for Washington’s prostitutes and drug dealers, who tell New York they’re experiencing quite the boom in business thanks to inauguration travelers. Some prostitutes came into town specifically for the event and are already “pretty booked up;... More »

Randy Inaugural Crowds Lookin' for Love on Craigslist

Craigslist users offer suites, invitations for kink

(Newser) - Frisky Democrats are angling for more than just ringside seats at tomorrow's inauguration—they're flooding Craigslist in search of a little side action, reports Gawker. One poster first thanks his congresswoman for tickets, then pleads: "I want to make this even better by getting kinky," hopefully in a... More »

'Anything Possible,' Obama Tells Crowd

(AP) - Two days away from the White House, Barack Obama joined a vast throng today at a roaring, rollicking pre-inauguration celebration staged before marble monuments to past heroes. "Anything is possible in America," he said. "Despite the enormity of the task that lies ahead—I stand here today... More »

10 Obscure Inauguration Tidbits

Which president was forgotten at his successor's ceremony?

(Newser) - Ahead of Tuesday’s inauguration, the Chicago Tribune compiles a list of the 10 best little known facts about ceremonies past.
  • George Washington had to borrow money to attend his own inauguration.
  • No, William Henry Harrison’s long-winded, “fatal” speech on a chilly morning in 1841 didn’t kill
... More »

In DC, Rash of Wary Tux Renters Ahead of Inaugural

(Newser) - Uninitiated DC men are scrambling to procure tuxedos for the inauguration, and they, luckily, have a few seasoned resources, the Washington Post reports. While inveterate ball-goers frequent Brooks Brothers and such, a younger class of invitees is flocking to the capital’s rental shops, where veteran tailors calm their jitters.... More »

Fear of Crowds, Cold Deter Inauguration-Goers

Organizers scale back crowd estimations as Obama supporters heed warnings

(Newser) - The biggest gathering in Washington DC's history may be a little smaller than expected, the New York Times reports. Would-be visitors for Inauguration Day are starting to take heed of warning about crowds and cold, and many have decided to celebrate in their hometown instead. Officials still expect a logistical... More »

At Obama Swearing-In, Watchers Will Swear at Cold

Though temps could be in the 30s, officials warn of long exposure

(Newser) - The presidential inauguration is shaping up to be a trying event, what with huge crowds, restrictive security measures, and now, a chilly forecast, USA Today reports. Contingency plans range from the prudent—heated tents for the unwell—to the desperate. Organizers are trying to have "as many tour buses... More »

Inaugural Balls Can Be a Pain

Mystique gives way to sardine-can ballrooms and endless coat-check lines

(Newser) - Inaugural balls aren't the fairytale occasions people imagine, jaded Washington vet Carla Hall writes in the Los Angeles Times. Instead of a sea of couples gliding past the newly sworn-in president on the dance floor, the galas tend to be a bunch of tired people crammed into a ballroom straining... More »

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