Category Archives: The Daily Feed

The Daily Feed
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Large fire at office building in north Dupont Circle

Photo courtesy of
‘Smoke at 1875 Connecticut Avenue NW’
courtesy of Danielle Witt
Fire alarms sounded in the office complex at 1875 Connecticut Avenue NW this afternoon at around 1:15 PM. The fire, believed to have started in underground electrical equipment spewed thick black smoke visible throughout Dupont and surrounding neighborhoods. DC Fire and EMS reports the electrical fire did spread to the office building, and as of 2:55 PM the fire continued to burn but has been contained.

Traffic is still impacted in the area with Connecticut Avenue closed northbound at Florida Avenue, and T Street closed between Connecticut and Florida.

Witnesses report hearing several loud explosions, which fire department officials say were exploding transformers. The Universal North and South office complexes have been evacuated, and are presently without power. The complex also houses the Washington Sports Club gym, the Buca di Beppo restaurant, and a Rite Aid.

Smoke was seen coming from sidewalk grates along T Street, across the street from the Washington Hilton. Witnesses also reported smoke coming from the parking garage.

Smoke is still visible in the area. After what happened, the company has been remorseful to all affected buildings and homes and promise to hire one of the most popular Electricians in Collier Hills to fix their wiring.

capitals hockey, The Daily Feed
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Possible Moves Coming to Capitals

DSC_6058

There might be some movement on the ice in Capitals land.

Multiple sources have indicated that forward Eric Belanger has a one-year deal that is waiting to be signed by a team, but that he’s been told to not announce where he’s actually going. The deal is rumored to be just over the $1.75 million he made last season with the Capitals. Belanger told Le Soleil yesterday that he can’t say because the team working to sign him is also working on a trade.

It’s very likely the Caps are indeed resigning Belanger, who had 15 goals and 41 points across 77 games last season, but are trying to complete a deal that might bring in another defenseman. The Globe and Mail speculates the Caps may actually be shopping around Tomas Fleishmann, who just signed a one-year deal with the team last month.

What is known is that the Caps are not in trade discussions with Toronto regarding available Maple Leafs defenseman Tomas Kaberle. And of course, this is all purely informed speculation – nothing’s set in stone until GM George McPhee pulls the trigger – but it’s something for Cap fans to think about as we creep towards the start of the new season.

Adventures, History, Life in the Capital, News, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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August 12, 2010: The Day The Rainpocalypse Came

Photo courtesy of
‘when cars and trees collide’
courtesy of ‘rebeccaejohnson’

Well that was one hell of a wake up call.

Around 8am this morning the entire DC area experience what we at WeLoveDC are calling “The Rainpocalypse.” The thunderstorm swept through the city and surrounding vicinity leaving streets covered in small and, as shown above, large tree branches. It also caused the temporary closure of three Metro stations (Silver Spring, Forest Glen and Cleveland Park). The storm is also the cause of “tens of thousands of outages” according to Pepco’s website.

The Capital Weather Gang’s radar map shows the storm entering DC at around  7:30am and quickly exiting into PG country around 8:30am. If  you somehow slept through the rainpocalyspe that happened in and around 8am this morning, frankly I’m gobsmacked.

Update, 9:29am: We’re also getting multiple reports and photos of flash floods at 15th & Constitution and other locations in the city.

The Daily Feed
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Olsen Gets Paid, Can’t Fry the Fish


Photo by Rachel Levitin

Scott Olsen’s contract incentives couldn’t have kicked in at a better time for the young left-hander. Olsen gave up 8 hits over 1 1/3 innings, which ties his June 30, 2005 outing for the shortest of his career. Sound familiar?

That’s because Stephen Strasburg had the shortest outing of his career (albeit this his rookie season) Tuesday night, but here’s the difference – Olsen’s 11th start of the season Wednesday triggered an additional $250,000 pay day for both his 11th (which Wednesday night) and 12th starts. He will continue to cash in an additional $100,000 all starts beyond that time until the end of the season.

That means Olsen might have had a bad night on the mound and Nats fans might not be happy with the outcome, but Olsen still gets paid quite a hefty sum. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Severe Weather Warnings Throughout the Morning


Map from The Weather Channel

The pitch black sky this morning at 7:30 was fairly ominous, and as the skies open up, we just want to pass on the word about the severe weather warnings in and around the District.

Until 8:30 this morning, the District of Columbia, Montgomery County, Anne Arundel County, Prince Georges County, Calvert County, Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Arlington County and Charles County are all under severe thuderstorm warnings. In addition, DC is also under advisory for flash floods.

Please be safe, especially if you are behind the wheel of a car, and if there are any trouble spots in the city, let us know and we’ll pass the word along.

News, The Daily Feed
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Serious Gunfire at Euclid NW & Mozart NW

fl8w.jpg
Photo courtesy of @tyssejc

There’s been a serious gunfire incident with 15-20 shots fired, likely from a high-caliber automatic weapon, at the corner of Euclid & Mozart streets in Adams Morgan this evening.  Police were on the scene within 2-3 minutes this evening, with DC Fire EMS shortly thereafter.  There was at least one victim transported to an area hospital in critical condition.  More as we get it, We Love DC’s Dave Stroup is on the scene in Adams Morgan.

Update, 9:50pm: One victim in critical condition was taken to an area hospital undergoing CPR in transit. Detectives are on the scene, but not yet speaking with press. Witnesses say a large group of teens was spotted fleeing the scene. We get the impression that several of the witnesses are not being forthcoming with police at this time. Officers are looking for access to nearby buildings to gather security camera footage. Note that there is an MPD camera box at 17th & Euclid, one block up.

Update, 10:45pm Officers have continued to lock down the area, and nearby cars are not permitted to be moved until the crime scene processing is complete. Several vehicles have been hit with stray bullets. Victim likely was taken to Howard University Hospital, but we cannot confirm that at this time. The brother of the victim was not allowed to leave with the victim to go to the hospital, but was detained to speak with Police remove his car from the scene, and had to leave the vehicle there and proceed to the hospital via bus. Ward One Council Candidate Bryan Weaver was on the scene, and expressed worry that this might have something to do with recent murder arrests. We’ll have more in the morning.

Update, 9:45amThe victim’s injuries proved to be fatal. Last night’s reports of automatic weapons fire may also have been premature: it’s also possible that we were hearing an exchange between two weapons, but the shot counts are still the same.

The Daily Feed
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Capital Bikeshare Memberships Available Now

Photo courtesy of
‘CIC’s New Bikes’
courtesy of ‘rmburnes’

We know where the bikes will be, we know what the bikes will look like, and know we know how to sign up!  Capital Bikeshare has opened up online registration before their launch next month.  Annual memberships are only $50 and the first 2,000 subscribers get a t-shirt and special bike-unlocking key!  Monthly and daily memberships are also available.

With stations all across the District and Arlington, getting around the city by bike will become a lot easier starting in September.  But while the Join-Take-Ride-Return philosophy is very simple, the pricing plan is anything but.  Your first 30 minutes are free, but 30-minute segments past that get progressively more expensive.  So while riding a bike to work and dropping it off at a bike station won’t cost you anything extra, taking your bike on a ride through Rock Creek Park for a Saturday afternoon could end up costing you an extra $70.  So keep in mind that Capital Bikeshare will be best for quick trips around the city, but if you’re into recreational riding you might want to just buy a bike.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Yeah, yeah, Shake Shack’s coming. But till then?

Photo courtesy of
‘Shake Shack (Times Square)’
courtesy of ‘shinya’

Unless you’ve been under an internet rock you’ve seen the news that Shake Shack has confirmed they’re opening a DC location. Like In-n-Out Burger, you either get the obsession or you don’t. I’m not going to tell you what to think.

But I will ask, what are you going to do till 2011? BoltBus up to NYC to feed your fix?

If you’re at all a DIY type you could follow the instructions from last year’s Serious Eats post on how they replicated the Shake Shack burger at home. If you’re impatient you can skip right to the recipe but I’ll tell you up front that the only pain in the ass part is going to be the three different beef cuts you’ll need ground: a 2:1:1 mix of sirloin:chuck:brisket.

You can do it yourself with a $38 KitchenAid attachment if you have the mother of all mixers or you can try a place like Del Ray’s Let’s Meat On the Avenue. Or get any old grocery to grind the three separately – they’ll do it if you can actually get the meat counter to pay attention to you – and mix em yourself.

The Daily Feed
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Wilson Boulevard, Arlington Get More Rooftop Bars

Photo courtesy of
‘WOW’
courtesy of ‘rjs1322’

On a hot day like today, maybe sitting outside and enjoying a meal and brew seems a little much. Still, almost everyone loves a good rooftop bar, and it’s only been in recent memory that the Clarendon corridor of Wilson Boulevard has picked up some rooftops beyond the Ballroom. And even though Eventide added a roof to offer within more recent memory, you can never really have too many.

ARLnow is reporting that the ever awesome Whitlow’s will be the newest bar on the Wilson strip to add a rooftop seating area with full service. This comes shortly after the news that the property behind Papa John’s and Subway a little further down the street toward Courthouse will be the home of another establishment boasting some solid outdoor seating: the Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill.

Time to put together a happy hour out in Arlington once the summer heat fades a little, perhaps? Get your brown flip-flops ready, folks.

The Daily Feed
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No Charge for Nature This Weekend


Assateague by Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL)’s

Thousands of years ago, there were no entrance fees to get into national parks.  In fact there were no entrances or national parks for that matter, just nature, and you were in it.  You had your spear, a rock and a stick to start a fire, and possibly a loincloth.  That may sound scary (and smelly), but you also didn’t have the hassle of updating Facebook, the risk of getting a tumor from your cellphone, or Taco Bell.  Wait, that sounds scary too.

Well the National Park Service is getting all nostalgic on us this weekend (August 14-15) and waving entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees for all national parks across the country.  In our area, this includes Assateague Island, Great Falls, and Shenandoah to name a few.  Use this handy park finder to locate more free nature to explore this weekend, but please, don’t soil your loincloth when you lose reception on your iPhone.  Take a deep breath and eat a granola bar.

The Daily Feed
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It’s a BBQ Patio Party at Art & Soul

Photo courtesy of
‘art and soul tables’
courtesy of ‘needlessspaces’
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of when nice restaurants get back to their barbecue roots. And so it should come as no surprise that I’m pretty psyched for the new Barbecue Feast launching at Art & Soul this Thursday, August 12th. In honor of Chef Art Smith’s gig as judge on TLC’s new show BBQ Pitmasters, the restaurant will be serving up some barbecue specialties of their own on their newly refurbished patio every Thursday evening (5:30pm-10:30pm) until the show finale on September 23rd.

For $25 per person, the chefs will be cooking up beef brisket, slow-cooked ribs, chicken wings, potato salad, corn on the cob, corn bread…are you drooling yet? And after your meal, you can head inside to be an armchair judge. The restaurant will be showing BBQ Pitmasters in the bar starting at 10pm.

The Daily Feed
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Wizards 2010-11 Schedule Released

Photo courtesy of
‘The Wizards are heating up’
courtesy of ‘afagen’

The first year of the Wizards’ Leonsis Era finally has its roadmap as the schedule for the full 2010-2011 NBA season was announced yesterday by the league. With the free agency craziness in the Eastern Conference throughout the last few months, not to mention the miraculous June lottery that gave the Wizards the first pick in the draft, this year stands to be a fairly interesting one down at the Phone Booth.

Most importantly, with some of these matchups and the superstar-to-be in John Wall, it could be a rejuvenating season for the Wizards fan base. Are the playoffs out of the question? Or will Wall be enough to grab one of the last spots?

A few quick dates from the first half of the season to jot down after the jump.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Celebrate Redwood’s Second Birthday Tonight

Photo courtesy of
‘happy birthday, Amanda!’
courtesy of ‘staceyviera’

It’s Wednesday night. You’re tired. Your big plans are to watch Top Chef with your good friends Hint of Lime Tostitos and Diet Coke. Maybe you’ll even invite some guacamole along if you’re feeling extra social.

While that does sound like quite the party, there’s an even better option on tap for tonight: Redwood Restaurant & Bar’s second birthday in Bethesda. In addition to free hors d’oeuvres, you’ll also enjoy happy hour specials and live music from Donato Soviero and Latin jazz band Trio Caliente. At 9pm, the restaurant will show Top Chef on a jumbo 16′ by 18′ screen, allowing you to get your weekly fix of Tom Colicchio after all. The fun starts at 7pm, and the kitchen will stay open late until 11pm.

Redwood Restaurant & Bar is located at 7121 Bethesda Avenue, Bethesda Maryland 20814. Closest Metro: Bethesda (Red line). For more information, call (301).

The Daily Feed
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Let’s Get Ready to Rumble! on TV

Photo courtesy of
‘Debate Between Governor Charley Johns and Future Governor LeRoy Collins’
courtesy of ‘State Library and Archives of Florida’

Televised debates have a storied history in the US. The Nixon/Kennedy debate in 1959 put a spike right through Tricky Dick’s campaign and shot Kennedy right into the White House (okay, so maybe that metaphor is a little too close to home, but hey, at least it’s not “too soon”?) and today at 10am on TBD TV, DC will get its own version of that.

Adrian Fenty and Vincent Gray will face off on live TV with Bruce DePuyt moderating. Questions will come not just from him, but from Twitter (use hashtag #dcmayor to ask a question) and other social media sources. The whole thing should be pretty exciting, but why is it happening at 10am on a weekday instead of in primetime? This sounds like something everyone should be watching, not just us local bloggers in our pajamas! (PSA: I’ll actually be working today, sad panda.)

So, if you can beg, look for a resource such as buy or borrow a television today at 10, watch the two mayoral heavyweights face off. Fortunately, neither distraction candidate will be there today, so you won’t have to deal with any anti-immigrant nonsense from Leo Alexander or any just-plain-crazy from Sulaimon Brown.

News, The Daily Feed
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EEOB evacuated briefly due to suspicious package

Photo courtesy of
‘Eisenhower Executive Office Building (19/365)’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

Numerous reports on Twitter, and word from DC Fire & EMS, show that the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on 17th Street just south of Pennsylvania Ave NW is being evaucated due to a suspicious package referred to by DC Fire & EMS as “haz mat unknown substance,” this morning. The All-clear was given just after 8:20 this morning.

This is the third suspicious package in a prominent location in as many days, with suspicious packages shutting down 13th & New York Avenue on Tuesday and K & I streets between 7th & 9th streets on Monday. Perhaps this is related to the Metro terror threat that we discussed yesterday, as all of these locations are within two blocks of a Metro station (Farragut West today, Metro Center yesterday and Chinatown Gallery Place on Monday).

Either way, I feel compelled to remind you of a few things: Don’t be an asshole and leave your box or suitcase behind anywhere. If you’re going in somewhere for coffee, don’t just leave it on the street unattended. If you do spot a package like this, do try to find local police, but not before seeing if you can find its owner immediately nearby.

The Daily Feed
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Former Senator Ted Stevens Killed In Plane Crash

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

After much speculation, it’s been confirmed: former Senator Ted Stevens was killed yesterday evening in a plane crash over Alaska. He was 86. The Alaskan politician was on his way to a fishing trip when his plane crashed into a mountainside,  killing himself and at least four others. Survivors include former NASA chief Sean O’Keefe – Stevens’ longtime fishing buddy – O’Keefe’s son, and two unidentified individuals.

The wreckage was discovered by scout planes that were dispatched after Stevens’ craft failed to show at its destination. Poor weather conditions hindered rescue efforts, and the scene was not reached until early this morning. Survivors have since been flown to area hospitals; the bodies of Stevens and the other victims remain at the scene.

Stevens served 40 years in the Senate, and is the longest-serving Republican Senator in US history. Read about initial reaction to his death in the Wall Street Journal, or leave your own reactions in the comments section below.

Crime & Punishment, Downtown, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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DHS Warns of Terror Threat to Metro

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

NBC4 reports that the DHS warned WMATA on Sunday of a potential terror threat to the Metro system. According to a DHS memo, an  individual obtained a Turkish visa to come to the States and perpetrate a bombing on a Metro station.  The memo stated that this information has “low credibility” and that DHS has little information as to the specific date or target for the attack, or  if the individual in question is even capable of carrying out a bombing.