United States
Darrow Montgomery Depending on your viewpoint, a bar is either at its best or worst at last call. These spaces reveal their true selves in the minutes before a manager flicks on the lights and recites Semisonic lyrics, reminding patrons "you don't have to go home but you can't stay here."
There's no such thing as a lost cause to Constance Donovan. In her five years as the congressionally-mandated participant and plan sponsor advocate at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, she's been a lifeline for flustered pension holders and employers at a federal agency she's characterized as often effective but prone to being opaque, defensive, and adversarial.
Northern Virginia's local scene felt the spark of the nationwide chicken sandwich hype. Had Colonel Sanders shown some moxie, 2019 could have been the year he made brigadier general. Instead, that slacker huckster missed out on the perfect storm of administration-led trade wars, commercial farming crises (African swine fever is no joke), and culinary one-upmanship that filled restaurant menus-and countless salivating maws-with a panoply of piquant chicken sandwiches.
Compared to the band's theatrical concerts, which feature spectacular decapitations and crowd-drenching eviscerations, plans for the satirical heavy metal band GWAR's upcoming Richmond restaurant sound much more sane. For instance, patrons of the bar in the historic Jackson Ward district will apparently not have to endure torrents of fake blood (or other bodily fluids) just to get through the door.
Helping employees save for the future is an unrealistic goal for cannabis companies hamstrung by tax law provisions and retirement industry fears that reach back to the federal government's "war on drugs."
Milk Bar aficionados are undoubtedly familiar with crack pie, cereal milk-flavored soft serve and many of the New York City-based bakery's over-the-top layer cakes. But a certain blast from the past - which recently resurfaced at the bakery's CityCenterDC location - seems worthy of immediate attention: salted pretzel cake.
SEMINOLE, Fla. - What happens when a member of Congress dies in office? There is no standard set procedure and the internecine melee that followed the death of Rep. C.W. Bill Young, perhaps best illustrated by the exhaustive search for a handful of pictures and one Pentagon-approved memento, has ruined decades-old friendships and frayed family bonds seemingly beyond repair.
Making the rounds at the Benjamin Bar & Lounge on Election Night 2016, chronicling the scene from inside Trump International Hotel.
Whistleblower accuses IRS of shady business dealings
Work, Work, Work
Time for Perks of Work, our weekly recap of intriguing data, surveys, and trends about the 21 st century workplace. Patiently climbing the corporate ladder? Do you religiously Slack with work pals about dream benefits packages? Check this space every Friday to keep up with the latest water-cooler talk.
Headline-grabbing media deals such as McClatchy Co.'s looming bankruptcy and Gannett's cost savings-centric reorg (including widespread layoffs) are unlikely to exhaust the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, former administration aides say. If anything, seasoned professionals said, the 45-year-old pension insurer could draw from lessons learned while intervening elsewhere-including billions of dollars devoted to sustaining commercial airlines, coal mining operations, and steel mills-to...
Time for Perks of Work, our weekly recap of intriguing data, surveys, and trends about the 21 st century workplace. Working on climbing the corporate ladder? Do you religiously Slack with work pals about dream benefits packages? Check this space every Friday to keep up with the latest water-cooler talk.
Time for Perks of Work, our weekly recap of intriguing data, surveys, and trends about the 21 st century workplace. Working on climbing the corporate ladder? Do you religiously Slack with work pals about dream benefits packages? Check this space every Friday to keep up with the latest water-cooler talk.
Parsing the nitty-gritty of employee benefits is what binge listening was made for. Because who doesn't appreciate policy discussions sprinkled with insider jokes? Over a half-dozen industry professionals have accepted this particular challenge over the past 20 months, spawning a crop of work-related podcasts designed to turn typically dry shoptalk into easily digestible material.
Time for Perks of Work, our weekly recap of intriguing data, surveys, and trends about the 21 st century workplace. Working on climbing the corporate ladder? Do you religiously Slack with work pals about dream benefits packages? Check this space every Friday to keep up with the latest water-cooler talk.
Time for Perks of Work, our weekly recap of intriguing data, surveys, and trends about the 21 st century workplace. Working on climbing the corporate ladder? Do you religiously Slack with work pals about dream benefits packages? Check this space every Friday to keep up with the latest water-cooler talk.
Overwhelmed workers are throwing away billions of dollars in unused vacation time. And unlimited leave, the trendy tech sector recruiting tool that's crept into other industries, has yet to prove it's the silver bullet to escaping the daily grind.
Time for Perks of Work, our weekly recap of intriguing data, surveys, and trends about the 21 st century workplace. Working on climbing the corporate ladder? Do you religiously Slack with work pals about dream benefits packages? Check this space every Friday to keep up with the latest water-cooler talk.
Dining
Warren Rojas Welcome to Spice Route, in which food writer Warren Rojas connects diners to the most fiery and flavorful dishes in area restaurants. Location: Zenebech, 2420 18th St. NW; (202) 667-4700; zenebechdc.com Vision: Raw. Fried. Zapped with spiced butter.
Warren Rojas Welcome to Spice Route, in which food writer Warren Rojas connects diners to the most fiery and flavorful dishes in area restaurants. Matchbox, multiple locations; Location: matchboxrestaurants.com Vision: Modern pizza lovers who are also heat seekers have it pretty good.
Warren Rojas Welcome to Spice Route, in which food writer Warren Rojas connects diners to the most fiery and flavorful dishes in area restaurants. Location: Bub and Pop's, 1815 M St.
Warren Rojas Welcome to Spice Route, in which writer Warren Rojas connects diners to the most fiery and flavorful dishes in area restaurants. Location : China Chilcano, 418 7th St. NW; (202) 783-0941; chinachilcano.com Vision : Washingtonians have been privy to Peruvian hospitality for decades, savoring frothy pisco sours at subterranean haven El Chalan and countless insanely juicy birds at the rotisserie chicken joints that dot the local landscape.
Warren Rojas Welcome to Spice Route, in which food writer Warren Rojas connects diners to the most fiery and flavorful dishes in area restaurants. Location: Kin Da, 6923 Laurel Ave., Takoma Park, Md.; (240) 582-5122; kindatakoma.com Vision: Four-year-old neighborhood eatery Kin Da plies faithful patrons with an array of raw seafood and zesty noodle dishes.
Welcome to Spice Route, in which food writer Warren Rojas connects diners to the most fiery and flavorful dishes in area restaurants. Location: Dino's Grotto, 1914 9th St. NW; (202) 686-2966; dinosgrotto.com Vision: Chef and restaurateur Dean Gold fancied himself a trailblazer when he decided to embellish crispy fried soft-soft shell crabs with multiple heat sources at his neighborhood eatery.
Warren Rojas In Spice Route, writer Warren Rojas connects diners with the area's most fiery and flavorful dishes. Location: Mama Chang, 3251 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax; (703) 268-5556; mamachangva.com Vision : Providing diners with thrilling meals is the modus operandi of the Chang family.
Warren Rojas Welcome to Spice Route, in which food writer Warren Rojas connects diners to the most fiery and flavorful dishes in area restaurants. Location : Taqueria Habanero, 3710 14th St. NW; 8145 Baltimore Ave., College Park; habanerodc.com Vision : Around these parts, the phrase "Mexican street food" tends to conjure images of flame-licked elote blanketed with mayo and mountains of cotija cheese.
Similar to a bar crawl—a day hopping from bar to bar for shots and shots—we’ve curated, instead, a day dedicated to tacos.
Welcome to Spice Route, in which food writer Warren Rojas connects diners to the most fiery and flavorful dishes in area restaurants. Location: RT's, 3804 Mt Vernon Ave., Alexandria.; (703) 684-6010; rtsrestaurant.net Vision: It's always Mardi Gras inside RT's, Del Ray's resident New Orleans kitchen. But that's not what founder Ralph T.
Asad Sheikh Welcome to Spice Route, a recurring column in which food writer Warren Rojas connects diners to the most fiery and flavorful dishes featured in area restaurants. Location: Bombay Street Food, 1413 Park Road NW; (202) 758-2415; bombaystreetfood.us Vision: After surveying the D.C.
The Dish: Burrito 'The King' Price: $32 Where To Get It: Poca Madre, 777 I St. NW; (202) 838-5300; pocamadredc.com What It Is: This regal roll-up marries surf and turf for the Michelin star set.
She may have started the bakery in New York, but Northern Virginia native Christina Tosi has saved the very best of Milk Bar for the new flagship store she's unveiling Saturday, June 2 in Logan Circle. The latest Milk Bar location - Tosi's 14th to date - is the biggest and most accommodating outpost in her growing family of sweets shops.
The secret about the multi-cultural offerings at bustling Asian restaurant Kaliwa is that they are just the first wave of flavors co-founder Cathal Armstrong and his seasoned culinary team want to share with D.C. diners. The critically acclaimed Wharf newcomer currently features two dozen dishes split between the three countries showcased within: Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines.
The best table at the new Lupo Verde opening this week in Palisades isn't in either of the stylish dining rooms on the top two floors. It's tucked inside the grab-and-go market down below.
Six months after opening D.C.'s dining Sensation of the Year, founder Ryan Ratino continues to savor sending out jaw-dropping dishes each night at Bresca. But he's fairly certain he could really blow people's minds in an even more intimate setting.
The hardest thing about dining at Spoken English is second guessing every order as another tantalizing dish whizzes by. The standing-room-only eatery tucked inside the new Line hotel is the second restaurant its chef Erik Bruner-Yang has opened in Adams Morgan. The first was Brothers and Sisters, the wildly popular all-day restaurant spread just across the lobby at Line.
Sliding into one of the four seats right on top of the frenetic kitchen at Eater DC's editor's choice for Game Changer of the Year remains the most exciting way to experience most of what modern Asian eatery Chiko has to offer.
Highly anticipated Wharf eatery Kaliwa begins serving its version of Southeast Asian cooking March 28 and Eater has a few tips about where to start at the stylish waterfront restaurant. The are two dozen Filipino, Thai, and Korean dishes featured on the opening menu. A visit on March 27 to the debut D.C.
Why stop at weaving imported Valrhona chocolate into bon bons and cakes when the beloved treat can punch up cocktails, French fries, and seafood as well? Pastry chef turned restaurateur Santosh Tiptur has made a career out of weaving chocolate into everyday dining. He got the ball rolling a decade ago at Co Co. Sala and continues the tradition at the Conche.
While he is delighted to see how dramatically the local dining scene has blossomed over the past few years, award-winning chef Michael Rafidi says something very important is still missing in D.C.: inventive vegetable dishes. And the Maryland native, fresh off his win as Eater DC's editor's choice for Chef of the Year, isn't letting himself off the hook for the perceived deficiency.
Opening weekend is finally here for the ambitious Wharf complex, and a few of the restaurants taking up residence along the mile-long renovation are doing what they can to join in the festivities.
It's been less than three months since RAMMY award-winning chef Ryan Ratino cooked his last meal at now-shuttered Ripple. Within weeks he'll be calling the shots at Bresca, the new restaurant he's hurriedly assembled with the help of friends, coworkers, and industry professionals who want to see him succeed.
This fall, local diners will finally get to step foot inside the completed Wharf complex, a three-year, $2.5-billion overhaul of D.C.'s southwest waterfront. The new development will unleash nearly two dozen new restaurants, bars, and clubs on the local dining scene.
Eater has previously shared the renderings of brand builder Mike Isabella's monster Tysons Corner dining hub, Isabella Eatery. Today Isabella passes on many more details about the multitude of restaurants in store, along with a new timeline for their openings.
Whereas James Beard Award-winning restaurateur Spike Gjerde typically maintains a laser-like focus on all things Chesapeake Bay, he and his restaurant team are shining a light on a more local attraction - Baltimore's Inner Harbor - with new waterfront, wood-fired eatery, Sandlot.
When he goes out for pizza, Philly restaurateur Marc Vetri tends to gloss right over any elaborate arrangements, training his gaze instead on the minimalist side of the menu.
Assuming you did it right, your mouth should have had a lot of fun these past 12 months. From high-end eats to experimental tipples, our burgeoning foodshed turned some heads in 2016, and there's more deliciousness on the way in 2017.
A slew of restorative soups for those in need of comfort amidst all the holiday feasting.
The latest edition of "Still Standing"
Come this Thursday, countless turkeys will be devoured from coast to coast. Some people opt to limit their big turkey intake of the year to Thanksgiving Day (and days after for leftovers). But fowl fanatics can rejoice - the D.C. area is a nesting ground for turkey meals all year long.
Grabbing a bite along Columbia Pike has always been about pushing boundaries. This part of Arlington has long played host to cuisines from the all around the globe, boasting restaurants determined to share authentic tastes of Thailand, Ethiopia, Honduras, and beyond.
Sure, it sounds like a summer thing. But while it's unlikely to spot seasonal slush peddlers such as new food truck on the block Pacific Twist or Bethesda Row fixture Clayboy's again before next summer, other visionaries have taken to slinging artfully-crafted mounds of crazy refreshing ice scrapings year round.
Hear the story of this Arlington mainstay in this edition of Still Standing
Peru is muy caliente right now. Virtually every travel magazine features dispatches urging one to rush to Lima ASAP to feast upon the gastronomic delights being spun out by global tastemaker Gastón Acurio.
Restaurateur Mark Craig has encouraged visitors to make themselves at home at his expansive hospitality holdings for years now.
Four decades later, it's still 'Game on!' at Theismann's.
Capitol Hill denizen Rob Weland is making himself right at home with Garrison (524 Eighth St. SE).
Gen. Corman, "Apocalypse Now" It is the end of an era. Restaurant Associates, a paragon of institutional food service, is leaving the House side of the Capitol complex. House administrators, facing the end of Restaurant Associates' contract, changed course, opting for new blood .
Having successfully carved out a space for culinary artists to tinker with our collective taste buds, the mad scientists at Union Kitchen have moved onto the next phase of epicurean domination: market-ing. Union Kitchen Grocery, a combination retailer and eatery, took up residence at 538 Third St. NE in early May.
The surrounding area may look like urban development ushered in via H-bomb. And the ripped-to-shreds roadways running parallel to the place have probably warded off more foot traffic than a predatory sinkhole. But those daring enough to dodge lumbering construction vehicles and navigate suspect parking conditions don't seem to mind the added hassle once they've dropped anchor at Cantina Marina.
As if lining its display case with glistening slabs of crimson tuna and pearly white scallops wasn't enough of an irresistible lure, the tastemakers calling the shots at The District Fishwife are not afraid to reel in folks with the intoxicating aromas of beer-battered, deep-fried, finger-licking-good seafood.
Back when Mr. Henry's put down roots on Capitol Hill, congressman turned commander in chief Lyndon B. Johnson was still calling the shots in the Oval Office, the only Washington Senators anyone cared about were the ballplayers who took the field at RFK Stadium and relations with Cuba were far less relaxed than they appear to be today.
While dazzling patrons with mind-blowingly fresh ingredients is certainly part of his master plan, dining impresario Michael Stember is currently most obsessed with making his traveling food show self-sustainable. The world-class athlete (a record-setting track and field star, Stember represented the United States at multiple Pan American Games and the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney) hasn't given up running around since founding Upstream Foods .
The long-awaited return of baseball season (The Nationals' home opener is Friday afternoon against the Atlanta Braves) means restaurants can once again slip their Nats-related promotions back into the rotation. Tortilla Coast has wasted no time resurrecting its "Strasburger," a double-decker meal deal erected in honor of D.C. hurler Stephen Strasburg.
David E. Bonior cast his last vote in the House of Representatives more than a decade ago.But the Michigan Democrat remains a player in Washington thanks to a family-run catalog of neighborhood restaurants that's poised to widen with the debut of Aqua 301.
Drinking
Charlie Palmer Steak alum Nadine Brown is back helping customers pick the very best wines possible. But this time, she's doing it alongside her chef husband Dan Fisher at Eat Good Food Group's (EGFG) suburban food hall, Society Fair. Brown left the glitzy Capitol Hill steakhouse last fall after working there for over a decade.
High Side co-founder Jinson Chan has applied everything he's learned from two decades spent as an electrical engineer and defense contractor into designing the most sophisticated beer bar in the area.
After weeks of secretly serving customers gourmet marshmallows and beet soda-spiked drinks, the crew at new Shaw cocktail lab Nocturne is ready to have everyone join in the boozy fun beginning Thursday, October 26. The District counterpart (1932 Ninth Street NW) to Alexandria speakeasy Captain Gregory's resides an elevator ride down from the new Sugar Shack shop that opened in D.C.
Back in the day, bartending was considered a part-time gig, the go-to drink-maker was Mr. Boston, and the only thing accompanying any given long pour was ice-and we're not talking hand-shaved cubes fashioned from artisanal water.
Mark Osborne is not one to taste defeat. Back in 2014, the co-founder of Purcellville's Adroit Theory Brewing Company had his heart set on producing a double stout, but wound up with a major headache instead: The end product was much too sweet.
The District is currently awash in myriad macro brews and regional expressions-AKA the shitty beers Momofuku CCDC founder David Chang famously can't stop (won't stop?) guzzling. And he's not alone. Local tastemakers occasionally still wrap their well-trained lips around old favorites. Here's what they love, and what they don't.
Gender politics and gun control issues are still critically important to congressional vet Pia Carusone. It just so happens that her bread and butter has shifted from how the sausage is made on Capitol Hill to quenching the insatiable thirst for adult beverages. The one-time chief of staff to former Arizona Democratic Rep.
No matter their standing in the latest polls, every White House hopeful is virtually guaranteed to soak up some attention at D.C.'s historic Off the Record bar. The fabled watering hole, which is just a hop, skip and a jump (stumble?)
By all accounts, fledgling bar Wicked Bloom Social Club has started off with a bang - a rollout facilitated in no small part by a certain mind-blowing menu item. "I honestly didn't think it was going to be the only thing people would want to talk about.
"By the end of the day, we'll all be drinking buddies," DC Brew Tour Guide Max Moline pledged as he pulled away from the curb and began inundating those of us who'd signed on for a mid-day swing through the various beer-making operations that have bubbled up across the area with trivia about barley- and hops-related beverages.
Stanton & Greene, the three-story, 180-seat restaurant expected to replace the Pour House/Top of the Hill construct that shuttered last April, is an experiment in upscale boozing.
Unlike trendier drinking establishments that have wholly embraced gimmickry as a shortcut to success, the powers that be behind The Pursuit Wine Bar at 1421 H St. NE appear inclined to grow their following one incredibly satisfied patron at a time. There are no eye roll-inducing passwords to memorize.
"That's moonshine in there! Perhaps I better be careful with that one," said a suddenly wide-awake patron, shattering the silence of a relatively sleepy afternoon of imbibing after taking his first sip of a corn whiskey-infused cider beverage dreamt up by the beer-loving brain trust behind Star and Shamrock.
Although its family of painstakingly renovated restaurants technically fit the definition of a chain, each Rà Rá property is custom-tailored to the community the lively pub is to serve. Which is why when it came time for the cross-Atlantic crew to flesh out the sprawling, two-level space they'd carved out for themselves in Georgetown (3125 M St.
Call us crazy, but it sounds, at least to us, like imbibing scribe David Wondrich would prefer to see Congress folks close down local bars like it was their job."In recent decades, though, give or take a Vito Fossella, you don't hear much about woozy high times in the nation's capital," he eulogizes in the June/July issue of Esquire.
In this corner there's Mickey D's, the fast food kingpin that's ruined many a Lenten fast by dangling its signature, limited-time-only "Shamrock Shake" in front of sweets-seekers for more than four decades.
The next time you raise a tangy, refreshing gin Rickey to your lips, be sure to toast Michael Lowe and John Uselton for bringing the most D.C. of beverages full circle.
In a culture where work-related happy hours and cocktail reception invites pile up faster than constituent letters at the mail-screening center, it’s important for Congressional newcomers — particularly fresh-faced interns — to figure out not only their poison of choice, but where they feel most comfortable enjoying it.
Noshtalgia
Paying homage to the defining treat of one's youth can be tricky - particularly when competing against a chain restaurant that's convinced the public that what it dishes out is the real thing. All of which makes entrepreneurial chef Tom Madrecki that much more determined to share his version of Chicago-style pizza with pie lovers in the nation's capital.
One of the most rewarding things about helping you, the loyal Noshtalgia reader, reconnect with cherished comfort foods (other than finding them or the most readily accessible analog possible, of course) is learning just how integral said memory-making-meals are to their respective communities.
Thank you, Chris Pogue (wherever you may now be), for dispatching this food sleuth on one of the most delectable assignments to date. The one-time House aide - confidence is medium he's since moved on, given that recent attempts to connect via email bounced back as "undeliverable" - pled his case to Noshtalgia a while ago, and actually provided a wealth of potential targets to consider.
There's nothing worse than disappointing a good friend. Unless, of course, said letdownee happens to also be an award-winning dining critic who has faithfully entrusted an overly ambitious, fellow food sleuth with sniffing out a long lost taste of home that's eluded his well-traveled palate for ages.
Dry those tears, Sen. Rand Paul.For while you may not have used the regular channels fellow Hill denizens Dave Gustafson, Sara Bondioli or Shana Teehan utilized to have me hunt me down their favorite foodstuffs, this dining sleuth picked up on your online bellyaching about the dearth of burgoo stew in Congress all the same.
This column typically functions by having you, my devoted readers, send me out in search of that which your taste buds simply can't live without, but today I'm taking the initiative. And this public service announcement is all about setting the record straight regarding that most mouth-watering of Midwestern bar fare: the Juicy Lucy.
"Have you ever tried these before? I like them - A LOT," the apple-cheeked gas station attendant volunteered as I dumped an assortment of shrink-wrapped pepperoni rolls onto the counter before her.
"Toasted ravioli (meat), deep-fried Twinkies," read the terribly succinct response to our open call for hard-to-find regional foodstuffs. The request came from a former Hill staffer and CQ Roll Call colleague - one who seemingly lives and dies by whatever bubbles up to the surface of a Fry Daddy.
"Find me authentic kolache!" Shana Teehan, spokeswoman for Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, pleaded while we discussed my idea for a new, semi-regular food feature about reuniting displaced congressional staffers with the foods they miss most. Teehan feasted on kolache, a Czech-born pastry, during her early years in Texas.
Pols
Nurse cum three-term lawmaker Karen Bass has launched an online petition to have Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's head examined. "We deserve to have the greatest understanding of Mr. Trump's mental health status before we head to the polls on November 4th, 2016," the California Democrat writes in her #DiagnoseTrump campaign .
John Noonan, a former national security adviser to 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and 2016 GOP contender Jeb Bush, Wednesday, broke down the many reasons current party standard-bearer Donald Trump should not be allowed anywhere near the nuclear arsenal. MSNBC's Joe Scarborough revealed that Trump had thrice asked during a high-level policy briefing several months ago why the U.S.
Armchair pundits Tuesday went to war with Donald Trump after the Republican presidential nominee proudly displayed a newly acquired military decoration typically awarded to soldiers wounded or killed while engaging enemy forces. "I've always wanted to get the real Purple Heart.
When you wake up and see #ImWithHerNow trending after all the BS the DNC pulled pic.twitter.com/B9vz9IJ8nT - They (@PurpleMstery) July 29, 2016 The Twitterverse stormed right into an attempted addendum to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign speech, clouding the #ImWithHerNow trend with insults and ire.
Much has been made about the fact that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has remained in the public eye for a quarter century. Many of her closest allies - and a few of her fiercest antagonists - have followed similarly storied paths through modern political history.
ANNANDALE, Va. - Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine rolled out the welcome mat for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during a rally in Northern Virginia, regaling supporters with her list of qualifications in not one, but two languages. "Are we ready for Hillary?"
Seth Conrad Rich, a 27-year-old who worked for the Democratic National Committee, died of multiple gunshot wounds in the 2100 block of Flagler Place NW. According to police reports, officers from the Fifth District patrolling the Bloomingdale neighborhood heard gunshots at around 4:20 a.m. Sunday and shortly thereafter encountered a "conscious and breathing" Rich.
Texas Rep. Ted Poe Thursday called for the removal of the California judge involved in the case of a Stanford student convicted of rape, arguing that there's been a miscarriage. The judge, Aaron Persky, last week sentenced 20-year-old Brock Turner to serve six months in jail and three months of probation for sexually assaulting an unidentified woman last January.
Gary Johnson, the former Republican governor of New Mexico turned Libertarian Party nominee for president, has no qualms about possibly costing either of the major parties the White House this fall.
While House Speaker Paul D. Ryan still has questions about the FBI investigation that found presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton mishandled sensitive information during her time as secretary of state, one thing is crystal clear to him: Clinton's carelessness undermines her ability to lead.
House hopeful Clay Higgins wants everyone to know that if elected this fall, he'll do his duty and serve the 3rd District of Louisiana. But he doesn't have to like it. "I'm not running for office. I'm descending - descending into the belly of the beast, the leviathan of biblical proportions that has become our federal government," he told supporters at his campaign kickoff.
Onetime Republican lawmaker Larry Pressler attempted to shake up the establishment in 2014, plotting a return to Capitol Hill nearly 20 years after leaving office. Only this time, he decided to try his luck as an independent candidate. Pressler's comeback bid didn't take. (Republican Mike Rounds claimed the seat vacated by retiring South Dakota Democrat Tim Johnson.)
Solving our country's myriad problems is too great a burden for any one person, Republican or Democrat, to shoulder alone. That's why South Carolina Republican Bob Inglis is teaming up with a results-seeker from the other side of the aisle, along with a socially conscious rocker, to try and change the world - while we've still got one.
"Victimized" is not how former Rep. Ron Barber has chosen to carry on his advocacy-oriented career. "Energized" would be a much better characterization of his life after Congress. "This chasm that's developed between the two parties does not help the country," the former lawmaker said of the current state of congressional affairs.
The man establishment Republicans held up as their standard bearer in 2012 and the political outsider disaffected voters have increasingly rallied around in this year's presidential contest went at it on Thursday in a public spat over the soul of the party.
If the filmmaker putting the finishing touches on a biopic about former Sen. Harris L. Wofford had waited for the lifelong activist to hang it up before rolling tape, the forthcoming documentary might never have gotten made.
Veteran Peace Corps volunteer Steve Driehaus has rededicated himself to fulfilling President John F. Kennedy's vision of bringing the world together via international service - a goodwill mission he worries is being seriously undermined by all the vitriol spewed by the presidential contenders.
Mankind being completely alone in the universe makes far less sense to former Rep. Lynn Woolsey than contemplating the possibility that someone (something?) else might be cruising around the infinite vastness surrounding our home planet.
On the one hand, former Rep. Charlie Gonzalez is delighted his generation has helped usher in an era in which gay marriage - he presided over one such union just a few months back - is now the law of the land. Too bad some of his contemporaries, he maintains, also orchestrated the devolution of politics into bloodsport.
A college dropout who learned the hard way that cutting ties with Congress is sometimes easier said than done, former Rep. Elton Gallegly is currently contemplating how to best prepare the next generation of public servants. "How many people really know what public service is?"
Rather than engineering the outcome of political contests scheduled to play out in Iowa and New Hampshire over the next few months, or plotting a campaign for a congressional contender, former House Republican aide Kurt Bardella intends to spend 2016 courting what he perceives to be a terribly underserved constituency: fellow country music fans.
It's easy to imagine that during his tenure on Capitol Hill, former Rep. George Radanovich would have spent many an evening confined to a dimly lit reception room, nursing a so-so glass of wine while mingling with armchair politicians and Washington insiders. Turns out, he'd much rather get his hands dirty.
State Sen. Napoleon Harris, a former National Football League linebacker, on Tuesday announced his entry into the crowded Democratic primary to run against Republican Sen. Mark S. Kirk of Illinois.
His Sept. 25 decision to relinquish command of the increasingly unruly House of Representatives left many of those who learned the ways of Washington beneath the wing of retiring Speaker John A. Boehner utterly speechless. Sorrow, though, wasn't the predominant emotion.
She's still a few weeks shy of her 25 th birthday and only three years into her congressional career. But Iowa Republican Steve King has given House staffer Sarah Stevens the ultimate vote of confidence: naming her chief of staff.
Republican aide Amy Harris has found a new home at the National Association of Home Builders' BUILD-PAC . But she'll remain forever grateful for the highly instructive time she spent learning the ropes of the legislative branch. "I have been very fortunate to work with some incredible members.
It sounds like departing congressional staffer Amie Woeber has, following a decade of government service, finally come to terms with the idea of decamping from the Hill. Quitting all the chaos, however, may require intensive therapy. The House Republican aide is leaving the Capitol's confines to take a job as Washington government relations manager at PayPal.
He may (again) be done punching a clock under the Dome. But boomerang staffer Shane Skelton remains in awe of what he's seen and done while working in the legislative branch. The one-time GOP aide - who first got his feet wet interning for Rep.
He's seen plenty of people - including his fair share of celebrities - come and go during his decade-plus tenure on Capitol Hill. But House Republican aide James Brandell wouldn't trade his time in Congress for anything. Brandell has served as chief of staff to retiring Rep.
ARLINGTON, Va. - After stringing a hotel ballroom full of supporters along for over four-and-a-half hours - and, himself, being kept in the dark about his professional future by nebulous return results - Sen. Mark Warner made an executive decision to call the still-undecided race in his favor.
Keeping the party on message is what GOP communications guru Doug Heye has always been paid to do. Thinking things through and behaving graciously are the highly prized extras colleagues say he brought to the negotiating table.
Perhaps no one was more excited to have the first Metro car roll out of Northern Virginia's brand-spanking-new Wiehle-Reston East Station than Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. "From the first day I announced running for public life in 1995, I committed myself to making that my No.
Not having an official vote undoubtedly makes it tougher for D.C. shadow Sen. Paul Strauss to stand out as much as he'd like around Capitol Hill. He appears to have no such trouble on the West Coast, a powerbase the local pol has been cultivating for over a decade in the hopes of getting Hollywood to back D.C.
On Capitol Hill, name recognition is the ultimate cachet. Just ask the anonymous members who diligently toil away only to be written off by reporters as "backbenchers," members of the "rank and file" or the quietly maneuvering "Obscure Caucus ."
During Thursday's grand opening here in D.C., Capriotti's - a sandwich shop that got under way nearly four decades ago in Wilmington, Del. - got a visit from a very special fan: sub-dispatcher-in-chief Joseph R. Biden Jr.The Delaware Democrat strode into the new location (1800 M St.
Analyzing Rep. Bill Thomas' rise to power as head of the House taxwriting panel.
Issues
Republicans unable to countenance Donald Trump as the next commander in chief are increasingly lining up behind Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, saying they are putting patriotism above party. The roster of sudden converts ranges from retiring pols opposed to enabling a first-time candidate "deeply flawed in endless ways" to public officials who have championed conservative values since the early 1980s.
The cyberattack that cost Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz her job is just the latest example of foreign interests meddling in U.S. politics.
Florida Republican Rep. Dennis A. Ross wants the Office of Compliance to take a hard look at how Stephen T. Ayers, the architect of the Capitol, has handled a health scare precipitated by the detection of lead-contaminated drinking water in the Cannon House Office Building last month.
At least a half-dozen House staffers showed up Wednesday for the free blood testing being offered to those worried about lead-contaminated drinking water on Capitol Hill. The architect of the Capitol arranged for the emergency screenings after days of releasing dribs and drabs of nebulous information about the health scare related to elevated lead levels in the drinking water at the Cannon building.
Congressional Republicans are up in arms about the sit-ins , protests and floor fights that Democrats and like-minded activists have employed to spur action on tougher gun control laws. While a floor vote remains a long shot , the vitriol keeps flying.
Dena Battle, the onetime House staffer turned tax lobbyist, is taking on an entirely new role as co-founder and president of the fundraising-centric Kidney Cancer Research Alliance, or KCCure.
Florida Republican Rep. Dennis A. Ross issued an ultimatum Thursday insisting that House administrators formally respond to a request for clarification about health hazards congressional staffers may be facing as a result of having possibly ingested tainted drinking water since last fall.
With the C-SPAN cameras shut off by House Republican leaders, demonstrating Democrats took to stumping on social media throughout Wednesday's sit-in.
Add rock stars - including socially conscious guitarist Tom Morello - to the list of those opposed to the politically charged Trans-Pacific Partnership treaty Congress has yet to ratify.
A man who was shot after pulling a pellet gun at the Capitol Visitor Center in March will undergo psychiatric evaluation before his court case proceeds, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. During the second hearing in as many weeks, attorney A.J. Kramer proposed Larry Dawson, 66, spend time in a federal medical center in Butner, N.C.
Mainstream Republicans are hunting for a third-party candidate to run against presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump in the general election, a last-ditch effort that could cost Trump votes, but could also pull them away from Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
What do award-winning, antihero creator Vince Gilligan and D.C. shadow Sen. Paul Strauss have in common? The vision to call in all-around "fixer" Jonathan Banks to help drive home their respective messages. Banks, who played the cool-as-ice cleanup man on binge-worthy " Breaking Bad " and its ongoing prequel " Better Call Saul ," most recently popped up alongside Strauss in a political ad.
Members of Congress didn't seem to get a heads-up about Wednesday's shutdown of the D.C. Metro rail system for an emergency safety inspection, with some learning about it as they went to vote late Tuesday.
A lifetime after the slogan "We can do it!" became the memory "We did do it!", thirty "Rosie the Riveters" were feted and finally thanked for their service in Washington this week.
D.C. officials on Thursday cleared a homeless encampment under the H Street overpass, shoving tents and bags full of belongings into city garbage trucks as late morning commuters made their way through the busy corridor. One homeless man, Henry Palmer, shouted into the street toward passersby and city officials as the tent he had called home was folded up and placed into black garbage bags.
President Barack Obama is inviting several senators and House members to join a historic visit to Cuba later this month, a White House official told Roll Call on Monday. Details on which lawmakers are being invited and their travel schedules were not immediately available.
What's a political ad-maker to do in an environment where voters can easily avoid any campaign spot that comes their way? I Agree To See aims to find those who seek out political content voluntarily and make sure they do indeed see it.
Immigration watchdogs say the significant uptick in the number of unaccompanied minors and families apprehended along the Southwest border late last year underscores how dire the situation has become in Central America. "This is not regular migration.
It's been more than three decades since Steve Komarow, news director and vice president at CQ News, was thrust into the national spotlight when he negotiated with a political activist threatening to blow up the Washington Monument. It's a situation he is positive would play out much differently in the post-9/11 world.
Frustrated House Republicans kept floating trial balloon speaker candidates Thursday in the wake of Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's about-face on climbing the GOP ladder, including several who might serve as an "interim" speaker. The problem is, no one seems to agree on how this "caretaker" leader would function.
Pray at the Pump founder Rocky Twyman is hopeful Louisiana Republican John Fleming will not only follow through on a recent pledge to push for nationwide faith healing, but will augment that effort by embracing other humbling practices.
Updated 12:58 p.m. | Restaurateur Teddy Folkman is imploring fellow pet owners to hound the DC Department of Parks and Recreation about taking better care of a dilapidated dog park. On Facebook, the Capitol Hill resident and man behind Granville Moore's urged animal lovers to weigh in on the issue by pinging government officials with a simple message: "Please clean up Kingsman Dog Park.
Just-arrived House restaurants handler Sodexo appears to have already rubbed at least one congressional diner the wrong way due to a concern about food-handling practices. The French-born hospitality conglomerate Monday formally assumed control of all House dining operations, replacing outgoing food-service vendor Restaurant Associates.
Dietary allegiances were tested on Capitol Hill Wednesday, as the meat lobby and vegetarian-friendly toque Todd Gray squared off in a culinary tug of war for control of the hearts and minds - and mouths - of the legislative branch.
Stephen Bassett, executive director of Paradigm Research Group and founder of the Extraterrestrial Phenomena Political Action Committee (X-PPAC), has devoted the past 18 years to overcoming the "truth embargo" about government involvement in alien affairs. He's now ready for Congress to officially weigh in.
After two years of having to search far afield for inspirational minority leaders to honor, the Republican National Committee scored a hat trick Wednesday by celebrating the arrival in Washington of freshly elected Reps. Mia Love of Utah and Will Hurd of Texas, along with Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.
It turns out that huddling with food-conscious Washingtonians and raising millions of dollars for local charities was merely an appetizer for "Sips & Suppers " co-founders José Andrés, Joan Nathan and Alice Waters. Their next objective: getting the well-fed masses up from their respective tables and into the streets to clamor for change in school-lunch policies.
Amanda Moniz is thrilled whenever the opportunity arises to showcase her twin loves: baking and history. And she's been delighted to discover, via the experimental courses she's developed in conjunction with Hill Center, that others hunger to do so as well.
When last we checked in with Rep. Tim Ryan, the contemplative pol was still laying the groundwork for a stress relief initiative he hoped fellow lawmakers and staffers would rally around.A year after floating his mindfulness plan, the Ohio Democrat can now point to semi-regular staff meetings and a weekly, members-only powwow as proof that he's not the only one in Congress desperate to shut out all the mind-numbing noise reverberating throughout the Capitol.
For her latest incursion into the dizzying world of food politics, award-winning author and public health advocate Marion Nestle didn't so much have to choose her words wisely as draw from the flood of animated commentary already flowing through the daily news cycle.
Carmine's has signed on a pedicab driver who's seen his tourist business "castastrophically depleted" because of the government shutdown.
Millennials are supposed to be lazy, indecisive parasites who rarely stray from the family nest - unless it's to suck down an iced mocha-choca-latted calorie bomb from Starbucks while sponging free Wi-Fi.
Forget the smell test. Diners today can barely trust their own eyes when it comes to divining what type of seafood is poised to pass their lips. The issue, tagged "seafood fraud" by industry watchdogs, touches on a range of interrelated concerns from food security to basic economics.
After 30-plus years of being at the forefront of American - nay, global - dining, one could forgive world-renowned toque and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck for slowing down a bit.
Cheflebrity Andrew Zimmern has made a career out of playfully prodding local diners to embrace dining gems hidden in plain sight. But Washingtonians have serious work to do, and it involves fighting a Darwinian menace with our forks. The first time the Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods America" rolled into town, Zimmern stuck to Embassy Row.
The confluence of Tax Day and redistricting has prompted Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) to bare all for his potential constituents: He's published his 2011 tax returns.An aide to Sherman, a non-practicing tax attorney and certified public accountant, asserted that the Congressman took the fiscal leap of faith in the name of transparency and accountability.
Shoddy record keeping exposes financially distressed inventors' tax information.
Commercial tax preparation services fail to produce an accurate return.
Private debt collection plan raises serious questions.
Exploring how antitax activist Grover Norquist came to call the shots on Capitol HIll.
Culture
Jennifer Carroll, the celebrity chef who worked with restaurateur Mike Isabella to grow a pop-up seafood spot into a soon-to-be trio of distinctly styled eateries, is done cooking at the original Requin in Mosaic District effective immediately. "I will not be there tonight," the Le Bernardin alum tells Eater of her decision to split with burgeoning brand Mike Isabella Concepts.
In the decade since he rocketed to reality cooking stardom, chef Rock Harper has run high-profile local restaurants, spearheaded short-lived solo projects (RIP, Fat Shorty's), shared life experiences with aspiring culinary professionals, and lent a helping hand to charitable organizations. Some might take a well-deserved break after all that.
Tinsel Town Sunday is scheduled to heap praise on the actors, directors, cinematographers and best boys (sweet title) that worked in concert to make this year's crop of Oscar nominees stand out from every other film that fought for moviegoers' hard earned dollars over the past year.
Although he admittedly did not know "much" about thought-controlling extraterrestrials or '80s earworms such as The Cars' "You Might Think," David McCallum wasn't opposed to having Hollywood pick his brain about life on Capitol Hill.
The show has been off the air for more than a decade. Yet fans of the Emmy award-winning drama, "The West Wing" - including Clinton administration aide John Podesta - can't stop talking about the Washington that producer Aaron Sorkin effectively tattooed onto the collective consciousness.
Vicious name-calling. Dog-whistle politicking. Unbridled innuendo. There's been very little to celebrate as this grueling presidential nominating contest barrels towards potentially chaotic party conventions slated to happen later this summer.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is getting political this campaign year, orchestrating a multimedia presentation designed to connect the dots between music and the most pressing social issues of the past few decades.
Artist Spencer Tunick wants to brighten everyone's day during the upcoming Republican National Convention in Cleveland. His contribution: recruiting 100 nude women to illuminate the cityscape with their natural beauty.
Some people might be satisfied to share the stage with the folk-rocking Avett Brothers from night to night. Bassist Bob Crawford has other aspirations. He wants to become a rock star among political podcasters. Crawford is hoping to realize that lifelong dream with help from friend and scholar Benjamin Sawyer, his partner in a new discussion series, " The Road to Now ."
Playing a power-hungry pol with a predisposition for sacrificing anything (or anyone) to sate his oversized ego is all fine and good on the small screen. But "House of Cards" star Kevin Spacey doesn't enjoy watching the presidential vetting process spiral out of control in real life.
Staff said Rep. Tim Walz is psyched to reconnect Thursday with one-time aide Tane Danger when he finally hooks up with The Theater for Public Policy. Danger told HOH that while still in college he briefly interned for the Minnesota Democrat.
SAN DIEGO - Cartoon Network "Regular Show" writer Patrick Baker once dreamed of running for higher office. He realizes, though, that his reframing of history in "The Presidential Dickerbook" - a satirical examination of the most egregious actions of our all-too-flawed commanders in chief - makes that unlikely.
SAN DIEGO - What's a 19-year-old political neophyte to do after getting propelled into the Oval Office by a viral video-obsessed electorate? The short answer is anything and everything satirist Mark Russell can throw at her in his reboot of the civic-minded comic, "Prez."
SAN DIEGO - Donkeys and elephants had their shot at uniting the country. Filmmaker Anthony C. Ferrante believes the Great White will succeed where all others have failed. The writer and director of the Syfy channel's deliberately absurd "Sharknado" franchise is excited to rain terror on the nation's capital in " Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!
Speaking at the Comic-Con International event in San Diego, Calif., on July 11, Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., told the story of a Ku Klux Klan member who beat him in 1961 and returned years later to his Capitol Hill office to ask for forgiveness."He said, 'Mr. Lewis I'm one of the members of the Klan who beat you, and beat your seat mate.
The Georgia Democrat returned to the pop culture smorgasbord on July 11 to promote the second installment of his illustrated biography, "March." Lewis co-wrote the ongoing series of graphic novels, which chronicle the life-threatening situations he often found himself in throughout the civil rights era, with right-hand man Andrew Aydin.
Dressing as one's favorite fictional character is part of the allure of attending Comic-Con International. Come Saturday, Rep. John Lewis intends to get into the spirit of things by giving dedicated cosplayers a peek at what real heroes wear into battle.
Dustin Harrison-Atlas has a long, hard summer ahead of him. The ambitious documentarian has given himself just a few more months to condense nearly two years of filming with headstrong D.C. chefs - including unprecedented access to the evolution of nationally acclaimed dining destination Rose's Luxury - into a 90-minute feature about the mad genius required to make it in the hospitality game.
By day, former Senate aide Kenya Wiley occupied herself with the gravely important business of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. During off hours, she nurtured her true passion: studying the evolution of style.
A.J. Jacobs wants you all, all of you, to come to New York for the Global Family Reunion.
Democratic staffer-turned-graphic artist Andrew Aydin graduated to full-fledged superhero over the weekend, swooping in to extract "Black-ish" actress Tracee Ellis Ross from a ridiculously sticky situation.
Entrepreneur Sylvia Noster has made it her mission to make celebrating the Constitution more fashionable. A career fashion designer, the now 57-year-old patriot decided to pursue a self-styled brand of luxury goods after experiencing a revelation about what living in the land of the free truly means to her.
Quiz show junkie and Capitol Hill staffer Will Anderson raked in more than $23,000 in winnings and garnered comparisons to defending Super Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson for engineering an astonishing, come-from-behind victory during his three-day run on "Jeopardy!"
The second act of Georgia Democrat John Lewis' animated history lesson, "March: Book Two," portrays some of the grittiest times this nation has ever faced. Lewis - along with co-author and legislative aide Andrew Aydin, and graphic artist Nate Powell - hop right back into the seemingly hopeless situation of attempting to redirect society one incredibly brave step at a time.
While the rest of us spent the August recess basking in the unseasonably cool temperatures that made summer in D.C. somewhat livable, Sens. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., sneaked away to an uninhabited island in the South Pacific to find some common ground for a TV special dubbed, "Rival Survival."
Some lawmakers enjoy being able to drop out of sight during recess. Others, such as critically acclaimed graphic novelist/Rep. John Lewis, find it much harder to disentangle from the swirling celebrity life.
Standing up against nuclear weapons testing seems like a common-sense thing today. But the world was a very different place when renowned artist and test ban advocate Karipbek Kuyukov began down that very road nearly a quarter-century ago.
TV scriptwriter and social media maven Nina Bargiel is completely mystified by what our elected leaders are up to these days. Still, she's hoping to crack the code by utilizing what appears to be a near universal translator for modern politics: "Mean Girls."
"This one's for you," said Carolyn Porco, leader of the imaging team monitoring the Saturn-circling Cassini spacecraft and friend of the late Carl Sagan, as she unveiled the mesmerizing new snapshot of Saturn she dedicated to the pioneering stargazer.A rare scientific love fest on Capitol Hill, the Tuesday gathering of academics and entertainers at the Library of Congress was spearheaded by subversive cartoonist and trash-talking teddy bear creator Seth MacFarlane.
In an effort to spice up a routine flight home from D.C., Rep Trey Radel invited the Twitterati to chat about just about anything - "anything BUT politics or policy," he pleaded - sparking a lively exchange in which the Florida Republican laid bare where he treats his mouth to food and drink.His tastes, at least here in D.C., run the gamut from gourmet burgers to bookish retreats.
Restaurateur Spike Mendelsohn is not just throwing his support behind D.C. Councilmember Tommy Wells for the next mayoral race, he's helping the Capitol Hill personality stage a so-long-to-summer bash Sunday at the Capitol Skyline Hotel."The Last Hoorah of Summer" shindig is scheduled to run from 2-7 p.m.
A good number of the Comic-Con faithful have signed on to be there Saturday morning (10-11 a.m.) when Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., takes center stage to discuss, "March," the graphic novel about his convention-shattering contributions to the civil rights movement.HOH will be on hand to document the momentous occasion.
Skip Greer, current front man for pioneering punk rockers the Dead Kennedys, told HOH that before breezing into town last week for a show at the Rock N Roll Hotel, he simply felt too far removed from the machinations of the nation's capital.His solution: gorging on Netflix's zeitgeisty congressional train wreck, "House of Cards."
Entertainer/activist David Arquette didn't care how chilly Inauguration Day was. He'd packed his coonskin cap, after all.While President Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration seemed "more exciting" - "it was his first term and he was the first black president," Arquette said - the Virginia native still found plenty to embrace this time.
D.C. native and pundit Ben Stein is no stranger to the ways of Washington.The now-columnist cut his teeth in the communications game by helping craft the messaging operations of Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald R. Ford. But his fascination with politics can be traced back even further.
Entertainer George Takei has met plenty of impressive people during his storied career, which spans stints from his star-making portrayal of Hikaru Sulu on "Star Trek" to guest runs on "The Simpsons." But in the pantheon of stars, perhaps none shone so bright or so true as the late Sen.
Newsweek is once again coming under attack from within, with female reporters following in the footsteps of pioneering predecessors who made it possible for women to rise through the ranks of the newsroom.
Rambunctious rocker Andrew W.K. has decided he will not be party to all the disinformation being spread about him by the State Department, detailing the origin of his now-ill fated trip in an interview with HOH.As we reported yesterday, the "Party King" suffered a major buzz kill after D.C.
Athlete. Actor. Authority Figure. Author. Debate coach? Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Hollywood action star who successfully transitioned into politics by becoming governor of California, discussed on Tuesday night not only his own carefully documented personal and political shortcomings, but also those of the presiding political parties during a book signing organized by Washington Post Live at the Hamilton.
Love him or hate him, there was a time when you could not ignore the indomitable G. Gordon Liddy. These days, supporters are bummed he might actually be going away for good.The one-time "fixer" for President Richard Nixon became a household name following his part in the infamous Watergate break-in.
This just in: Black is white. Night is day. Johnny Rotten's a peacenik, while Morrissey's full of rage.We know, we know. HOH is only supposed to dish dirt about political types grandstanding on this side of the pond.
Texas businessman Robert "Beto" O'Rourke, who bested Rep. Silvestre Reyes in last week's Texas Democratic primary, isn't just a political rock star.
President Abraham Lincoln might be getting the Hollywood treatment this summer, but back in 2007, actor/producer David Arquette opened the door for ax-wielding ex-presidents hell-bent on carving up undesirables with his campy slasher flick "The Tripper."At its heart, the film is a classic morality tale. Capitalism vs. conservancy. Man vs.
At tonight's White House Correspondents' Association dinner, D.C.'s media elite will mix and mingle with everyone from President Barack Obama to multiple Kardashians.And while there's a slew of pre-ceptions, after-parties and table-hopping to be done, the festivities began in earnest Friday night at a number of high-profile affairs.
Hollywood crossed paths with Capitol Hill on Thursday night as the stars and creators of HBO's "Game Change" attended a media-saturated sneak preview at D.C.'s Newseum.The movie, which debuts 9 p.m. Saturday, trains all its attention on the polarizing race run by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and then-Alaska Gov.
Scandal
Long overdue Belgian restaurant Florentijn now appears to have hit a major roadblock in its path to opening at the Wharf. A summons posted outside the multi-faceted eatery former Belgian Embassy chef turned aspiring restaurateur Jan Van Haute had been trying to pull together since last fall suggests he may no longer be welcome at the restaurant-packed Southwest waterfront.
Manhattan restaurateur Alessandro Borgognone first courted controversy by signing on to install his debut D.C. restaurant, Nakazawa, inside Trump International Hotel, the only building other than the White House that polarizing President Donald Trump bothers to enter inside the District. He then dug the hole deeper by dismissing the local dining scene.
Walter E. Fauntroy, a prominent figure of the civil rights era and the first delegate to represent the District of Columbia in Congress, was arrested in Virginia on Monday over outstanding warrants after spending years abroad as a fugitive. U.S.
Vance McAllister's congressional career came and went quickly, but that doesn't mean he has entirely left public life behind. The Louisiana Republican won a Nov. 16, 2013, special election to fill the vacancy created when GOP Rep. Rodney Alexander decamped from D.C. to lead the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs.
Former Rep. Artur Davis says there's a very simple reason the Alabama Democratic Party won't bend on letting him back into the fold: Power broker Joe Reed wants to clear a path for his son, Montgomery County Probate Judge Steven L. Reed, to run for mayor in 2019.
Should a desperation move to crowbar his way into local politics fail next week, former Rep. Artur Davis may attempt to drag Democrat leaders before the state Supreme Court. "If I'm successful, we'll be taking our case to voters in District 1," Davis told the Montgomery Advertiser .
John Patrick Yob, a campaign strategist working on Kentucky Republican Rand Paul's presidential bid, announced Friday via social media that he was punched in the face by Rich Beeson, deputy campaign manager for Sen. Marco Rubio, and that he was formally pressing charges.
Capitol Police are aces when it comes to keeping lawmakers and the rest of the congressional community free from harm. But a recent incident regarding sensitive equipment again left behind in restrooms portends that perhaps a refresher course on securing personal belongings maybe didn't fully take.
Former Sen. Scott P. Brown appears to be on his way to fattening his wallet with some supplemental income - all thanks to a drug cocktail his son-in-law, Keith Weiser, brought to his attention. The one-time lawmaker on June 25 signaled a career change when he blabbed about his secret weapon in the battle against bulge on social media.
Contrary to what social media users might think, former lawmaker Scott Brown hasn't been conned by any Nigerian princes. And he no longer has any need to curry favor with Big Pharma. So what would motivate the border-hopping Senate hopeful to throw his weight behind dietary supplements?
The history books show that the Heard on the Hill column we all know (and love?) officially came into existence on Jan. 17, 1988. But thumbing through 60-some years of Roll Call's brand of reporting illustrates that founder Sid Yudain always appreciated the quirky side of Hill life.
Rep. Aaron Schock's penchant for seeking out the spotlight appears to finally have burned him. The embattled four-term lawmaker Tuesday tendered his resignation after a stream of embarrassing coverage threatened to propel him from mere media fascination to potential object of investigation.
A staffer who worked for the late Rep. C.W. Bill Young Jr., R-Fla., says her colleague, a one-time case assistant who was subsequently promoted to constituent service representative after Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla., took control of the seat, surreptitiously copied Young's star-studded contact list.
Friday can't possibly come soon enough for embattled House staffer Benjamin Cole. The spokesman for Illinois Republican Aaron Schock is having what's got to be his worst week in Washington, a parade of public humiliations that began with the discovery of his boss' unusual taste in office décor.
One lucky porn pusher will be able to exploit a whole new traffic stream this summer - just as soon as Rep. Blake Farenthold relinquishes control of blow-me.org. The Texas Republican had the prescience of mind to snatch up the salacious sounding domain back during his cyber-speculating days, laying claim to the sodomitic-sounding site in 1999.
Rep. Stephen Fincher is getting blasted from all sides following the departure of a communications aide forced to eat crow over the holiday weekend after lambasting the teenage daughters of President Barack Obama. Congressional spokeswoman Elizabeth Lauten tendered her resignation Monday, after her digital broadside against Sasha and Malia Obama sparked a virtual riot across social media.
It seems that no one, or anything, is immune from the seething rage Elizabeth Lauten fomented by launching a personal attack against Sasha and Malia Obama. The one-time spokeswoman for Rep. Stephen Fincher, R-Tenn., had to fall on her sword Monday after her widely publicized rant about teenage behavior sparked a rhetorical war that cut across racial, political and gender divides.
Current and former Eric Cantor staff poured into the Tune Inn - spending $6,500 - to commiserate over their boss' primary loss.
Reddit, the online hub known for its no-holds-barred "Ask Me Anything " discussions has been consumed by the SHOCKING! (shocking?) revelation that some elected official, somewhere may have slipped a paramour a few bucks to keep quiet about their extracurricular activities. "Relative of mine slept with a notable politician and was paid to keep quiet.
Ex-congressional aide Marc Litchman is coloring in his campaign themes by leveling a new line of attack against cash-strapped incumbent, Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif. The one-time district director for ex-Rep. Howard L. Berman, D-Calif. - the same lawmaker Sherman overcame last cycle in a bare-knuckle brawl of a redistricting fight - has plastered a none-too-flattering, Shepard Fairey-like depiction of his opponent all over social media .
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - "Hi! Would you like an American-made keychain?" an aide with the Alliance for American Manufacturing asks while dangling a shiny, red- white- and blue-lettered bottle opener to the CPAC faithful.
Newly minted Sen. John Walsh is no stranger to academia, having bounced between three repositories of higher learning before securing a Master of Arts from the U.S. Army War College. But if one were to believe the incongruous résumés available online, the source of his undergraduate degree is more puzzling than textbook.
Updated 5:44 p.m. | Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., is scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Wednesday on a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance, a court date stemming from a three-week old arrest involving cocaine.In a statement, the freshman lawmaker said: "I'm profoundly sorry to let down my family, particularly my wife and son, and the people of Southwest Florida.
House staffer Jeff Leieritz assures HOH that, contrary to what San Diego CityBeat says, he did not deliberately set out to ruin Lena Lewis - spokeswoman for embattled San Diego Mayor Bob Filner - when the pair posed for a now-infamous snapshot in Las Vegas.Leieritz, who when we last caught up with him was accused of making waves at home by playing house with his fiancée, explained that he was in Las Vegas the weekend of Aug.
You gotta admire ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner's moxie.The New York Democrat is refusing to bow out of his improbable bid to claim the keys to Gracie Mansion - a vanity project that appears to have all but been destroyed after another round of embarrassing sexting stories.
A well-in-his-cups intern sparked a pseudo manhunt on Capitol Hill today, as staff from the office of a House Republican tried to contain a stumbling, bumbling aide apparently dead set on getting some face time with his dream guy, ex-GOP vice presidential pick and current House Budget Chairman Paul D.
Domestic squabbling spilled into the halls of Congress this week, after one House staffer, perturbed at his roommate, attempted to draw co-workers into the fray by airing their dirty laundry in a nasty email.The caustic communication hit Capitol Hill inboxes around 3:45 p.m.
Who says bipartisanship is dead?A House Republican staffer recently gave helping a left-leaning pal the old college try, blasting out the following SOS on a congressional email group:
We've spent all weekend trying to wrap our head around why anyone, particularly a public official, would knowingly siphon work-related funds to satisfy personal fetishes.To be fair, former Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr., D-Ill., has copped to being exhausted/bipolar/depressed since dropping from view last summer.
Someone in the office of Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.) apparently mistook Annapolis' genteel waterfront for Panama City Beach. Palazzo had invited friends and family to Annapolis, Md., for a tailgate party leading up to the Southern Mississippi-Navy football game during the Columbus Day weekend.
Food
"It could be 30 minutes or two hours. What do you want to do?" a young woman alerted the fellow food lover on the other end of the phone about the chance of sneaking in that night at Eater DC's editor's choice for Restaurant of the Year, Himitsu.
Struggling to find that perfect little something for a friend, relative or significant other? Allow Eater DC to alleviate any shopping-related stress with this inaugural holiday gift guide. These local treasures are specific to the DMV yet still varied enough to appeal to everyone on this year's "nice" list.
The hardest part of producing Rasika: Flavors of India , the new cookbook out tomorrow from renowned restaurateur Ashok Bajaj, James Beard Award-winning chef Vikram Sunderam, and co-author David Hagedorn, may have been conceiving to do so at all.
Aaron McCloud, the one-time violin virtuoso who wound up mastering the culinary arts instead, died Sunday following a prolonged battle with cancer and, most recently, pneumonia. He was 38. This past October McCloud married Linda Szewczyk, a special events manager at Occidental Grill & Seafood; the two previously worked together at Cedar (she handled marketing and events while McCloud ran the kitchen).
The D.C. restaurant community Monday was rocked by news that Michael Birchenall, an industry insider who lovingly covered the local dining scene for several decades, died at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Northern Virginia. He was 68. His wife, Acquaetta Williams, told the Washington Post that Birchenall suffered from liver failure and other complications stemming from a lung transplant he underwent in late 2013.
​ Add to everyone's enjoyment by plying family and friends -- and perhaps yourself -- with holiday goodies from around the area.
Never mind Periscope. Mountains of fresh, hot pizza turned out to be the Democrats' secret weapon in the war to wait out House GOP leaders on the gun control front.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn took to social media Wednesday to plug an old pal's restaurant, a homespun establishment specializing in comfort food and tantalizing sweets. The Tennessee Republican told HOH she originally met Gingham Café owner Niesha Wolfe shortly after arriving in Congress. The then-newly minted lawmaker said she bumped into Wolfe at a chamber of commerce meeting.
Just because he no longer makes the rounds on the competitive barbecue circuit does not mean Rep. Dennis A. Ross is done raking favorite foods - or like-minded colleagues - over the coals. "Every weekend I'll be doing something," the Florida Republican told HOH of his penchant for firing up his wood-pellet fed smokers, he's got two, whenever time permits.
A "surprise" visit Thursday from President Barack Obama has helped put an employee-owned, Charm City café on the political map. Per a White House pool report, the First Belly rolled into town with Maryland Democrat Barbara A. Mikulski in tow and took the opportunity to chat up three local women about the administration's paid sick-leave trial balloon.
Neighborhood dive Billy Goat Tavern has decided to get in on all the kinda-sorta-filibuster fun by dishing out a green eggs and ham special commemorating Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz's recent dramatic reading of Dr. Seuss.The politically inspired repast includes mint-colored eggs, hash browns, grilled ham and your choice of toast (white or wheat) for $4.75.
Rep. Mark Pocan loves Danish kringle, and he wants you to know about it.
Apart from her immediate family - and, perhaps, the hog castrators of the world - no one appears to be prouder of Iowa Republican Joni Ernst than those she used to break bake bread with. Hence the reason Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, rushed to congratulate the one-time breakfast-rush worker and senator-elect in a splashy ad in the Des Moines Register.
Rep. Jim Langevin took to the streets Wednesday to become better acquainted with the mobile hospitality scene back home. Brought my appetite to @KennedyPlazaPVD to check out some of the great food trucks parked here for lunch on weekdays #RIFoodWeek- Jim Langevin (@jimlangevin) September 24, 2014
NORTH HAVEN, Maine - Should she ever tire of battling opposing lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Rep. Chellie Pingree could always kick back and indulge in one of her favorite pastimes: shaking cocktails for the pleasure seekers who pour into her farm-to-table restaurant each summer.
"We've got some fresh peppers in here. They're not hot," Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas, mischievously goads his congressional aides after pouring out the baggie full of mixed chilies he religiously totes around in his coat pocket. Sam Lombardo, a much-too-trusting summer intern, takes the bait, hurling a pea-sized ornamental pepper down the hatch.
"She came out of the house today with her hands full of food," Sean Bartlett, a spokesman for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, said of an early morning car ride during which his boss attempted to ply her staff with bites of banana-packed this and cinnamon-spiked that.
Just thinking about the landmark restaurants the James Beard Foundation will formally crown as "America's Classics" this May has lawmakers who have dined at the treasured eateries licking their lips with anticipation.
Rep. Beto O'Rourke is a brave man. And not just because he's open to rolling around town on public transportation, which he did late last week. Nope.
An innocent plug for Global Entrepreneurship Week by Sen. Jerry Moran made us a do a double take when we noticed the not-so-local business he was flogging:
"Is everybody getting their hands on some meat?" Chris Johnson asks the wine- and beer-sipping participants huddled into Union Kitchen's frenetic cold prep area for his debut charcuterie -making class. The Cured DC founder is currently operating out of Union Kitchen's communal "food incubator" while establishing a toehold in the local dining scene (Glen's Garden Market, Mockingbird Hill and the Rappahannock Oyster Bar all serve his stuff).
(Or why I was at the gym at 5:13 Wednesday morning and expect to assiduously count calories for the remainder of this week.)It's hard to believe the Republican National Convention has been over for almost a week.
Veteran pizzaiolo Peter Taylor has religiously studied the art of pie-making the world over, poking his head into blazing brick ovens throughout Europe, the Americas and the Far East. His unvarnished assessment: It's all still a work in progress. "I don't think any one culture has it right," he told Roll Call.
Sports
The Washington Redskins were facing another make-or-break situation Sunday as they traveled to MetLife Stadium to square off against the then-undefeated New York Giants. We ventured into the Lions' Den Hogs' Pen, at Hail & Hog, the Redskins-themed eatery that sprung up in Ashburn earlier this year, and found all eyes were on the desperate-for-a-win team hoping to save itself from yet another round of "rebuilding" talk.
Sen. Jeff Flake is heading to the outfield, and he's pretty happy about it.
Once upon a time, Alexis Flake, daughter of Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, met a somewhat mysterious stranger under the dazzling lights of Nationals Park. Four years, and three Democrat victories in a row later, Alexis's home team stands poised to grow by one pending the arrival of a little one later this summer.
We're still weeks away from knowing if #ThisTown could serve as the backdrop for a fabled "Beltway Series." But now that the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles have earned their way into postseason play , local bars are gearing up for a very exciting weekend.
As if engineering new ways to kinda-sorta green light foreign wars without getting booted out of office in a few weeks weren't stressful enough, elected officials must once again - thanks to wildly inappropriate behavior by marquee athletes - contend with age-old accusations about everything that's wrong with Capitol Hill.
They may not be much for winning on any given Sunday. But man, oh man, do the Washington Redskins know how to keep things interesting. Tweet @SenatorReid to show your #RedskinsPride and tell him what the team means to you.
House Democrats just barely edged out their GOP counterparts Tuesday to clinch the 2nd Annual Capital Soccer Classic, a friendly contest that featured few score changes during regulation play but threatened to become a nail-biter toward the end. The charity match, co-sponsored by the U.S.
Frivolity
Hill staffers may not get paid if Congress fails to fund the government past 11:59:59 p.m. on Friday, January 19, but they needn't worry about going a single day without a cup of the Senate's historic navy bean soup thanks to Beacon Bar & Grill.
Is Yuengling a "shitty" beer, as City Paper contributor Warren Rojas alleged in last week's paper? Reader Edward C. Moore, writing in with an elaborately calligraphed letter, disagrees. Penning his feelings from a seat by the beer tap at Capitol Hill's Mr. Henry's restaurant, Moore alleges that City Paper has libeled a "reasonably priced" lager to favor trendier beers.
It's exhausting, incessantly trolling those with opposing political views across the social media sphere. Sometimes, even culture warriors need to take a little time off from humiliating pols hoping to survive a "Washington Journal" segment unscathed. Game developers are all about burning off that unbridled hostility virtually, conjuring up digital diversions that allow the frustrated masses to take matters into their own hands.
Is there a greater conspiracy theorist than an elected official obsessed with staying in office? Political comedian Andrew Heaton thinks not. The "Cap South" vet and former House aide tries to get inside the head of a three-term congressman with a serious chip on his shoulder in the NSFW series chronicling the mental devolution of candidate Buck Schwartzmore.
The fact that presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump publicly dumped on him in the media hasn't deterred embattled entrepreneur Martin Shkreli from endorsing him.I haven't been called by the Trump camp. I support him vs. Hillary. He should find a VP candidate who is seasoned in politics, an ugly game.- Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) May 27, 2016 "I support him vs.
House staffers marveled at the unbearable likeness of beings that paraded across their TV screens as Rep. Pete Olson took to the floor Thursday to rail against the administration's proposed nuclear agreement with Iran.
The sea of humanity sweltering in front of the Capitol Wednesday appeared to HOH to be less interested in getting an earful from pols -- who popped by to rile up the crowd and then quickly retreated to air conditioned offices -- than in being heard, once and for all, themselves.
The threat of possibly having to return to Washington next week kicked a number of House GOP aides into fight mode Tuesday, stirring up a series of angry emails denouncing leaders for endangering the anticipated August recess.
Dear presidential backbenchers: Why wait to have your own feud with rhetorical bomb-thrower Donald Trump when Time has a fully automated name caller primed and ready to propel you into the discussions of the day?
Playboy scoured the Internet (OK, just Reddit) in search of rock-solid sex tips and apparently came away with a deeper appreciation for public broadcasting. Per Hugh Hefner's pet project, the best way to up your carnal knowledge is to tune in regularly to floor proceedings.
Political leaders have famously compared the infinitely frustrating chore of having to steer a majority of their members toward any given goal as being tantamount to herding cats. Too bad they didn't have kitten-flinging, relationship builder Benny Johnson in their corners.
We're not ready to plunge into a Whovian wormhole and declare that the Capitol Hill Fox has been around for centuries. But stunning new evidence could send others spiraling.The Architect of the Capitol's unearthing of a faded photo of a man cradling a fox in front of the Capitol back in 1919 is just the latest piece of the mind-scrambling puzzle that is the CHF.
Not only were there a plethora of Capitol Hill Fox sightings over the weekend, but our crowd-pleasing pal even sprang into action.
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) apparently never tires of needling President Barack Obama. He even used the occasion of redesigning his website to toss up this snarky "404 error" message:HOH has repeatedly inquired about the origin and debut of the cleverly conceived Web diss, but Boehner's flacks have remained tight-lipped about the mystery coder.
Democratic leaders are pleased as punch that former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey wants back on the team. And so are we.Not for partisan reasons. But because we're absolutely dying to know what the closet crooner plans to belt out should his current re-election bid bear fruit.
