Politics
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By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
"Anybody snowed in the big blizzard? Like, over two feet, down there in Washington, D.C. ... D.C. completely ground to a halt. ... Absolutely nothing going on. Well, how you can tell the difference?" - David Letterman's jab at the District on Monday night's "Late...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
As residents of Dupont Circle North and South gear up for another monumental snowball fight Wednesday, those who don't want to have their faces blasted with snow chunks do have another option. With 10 to 20 inches of snow expected as part of Snowmageddon Part Deux, Bar Dupont will open an "Ice Bar" outside and will serve drinks and food Wednesday from noon to sunset. Bratwurst and cervelat sausage will be made alongside mulled wine and other spirits. And for those who want to partake in another giant snowball battle: The fight starts at 2 p.m....By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
Washington missed out on a lot of things during the past few days: power, heat, days in the office, aboveground Metro service. ... But there's one item that may have gone overlooked: Playgirl magazine's much-anticipated Levi Johnston centerfold. Yeas & Nays has been scouring the city's magazine stands for the Winter 2010 edition of Playgirl, but at every shop we hear the same story. And we're still waiting. ... A manager at Borders says the store hasn't received any magazine shipments since Thursday because of the snow, and other shops around the District tell us the same. But where is the outrage? It seems that Washingtonians care little about Bristol Palin's baby daddy in the flesh. Maybe it's because most of the photos were leaked online months before, or because...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
'Survivor': D.C. edition Here are some of Kwon's tips for surviving the storm: * Find the biggest-boned person you can and snuggle. * Try to stock up on edible items that won't spoil, like peanut butter, energy bars or bugs. * Seen people on TV make fire by rubbing sticks? Yeah ... doesn't work. Get some matches. * Buy lots and lots of toilet paper. But if you run out, you can make do by sliding bottomless down a snowbank. * Write a letter petitioning the International Olympics Committee to hold the next Winter Olympics in Washington, D.C. * If you get buried under a mountain of snow, don't panic. Panicking will only make it harder to use your iPhone to Tweet bitterly about how all those pointyheads got it wrong on global warming before you lose consciousness....By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
Despite the snow, the show apparently must go on. Though events featuring everyone from Meghan McCain to Rupert Murdoch were canceled Tuesday night, the White House decided to move the latest installment of its "In Performance at the White House" series -- this time featuring Bob Dylan, John Legend, Seal and others -- from Wednesday night to Tuesday night. The concert features music from the civil rights movement in honor of Black History Month and will be televised on PBS stations Thursday....By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
"I think it was a bigger high, oddly enough, when the Saints won, because I kind of knew we were going to win before." - Former Clinton adviser and New Orleans native James Carville on the "Dan Patrick Show" Monday morning, comparing his feelings when the Saints won the Super Bowl over the Colts with the election night of 1992, when Bill Clinton won the...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
It was only a matter of time before the backdoor chatter on the newly minted Massachusetts senator spawned it's own Twitter account. The Twitter account @Nudescottbrown started Tweeting Sunday night. One of its many gems: "People wanted more transparency in government, and that's why I'm disclosing my pecs." When Yeas & Nays reached out to the anonymous Twitter account for details, this was the explanation: "I'm Scott Brown's nude alter ego in DC. I felt there wasn't enough 'coverage,' if you will, of the real Scott Brown in the flesh." And like a good politician, @Nudescottbrown is reaching out to both sides of the aisle by following the accounts of Paul Krugman, James O'Keefe, Snooki and, of course, the real Sen. Scott Brown, D-Mass....By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
We know everybody was holding their breath for this one: Beauty queen Carrie Prejean is off the market. While the rest of the country was paying attention to other (winning) football players, the former Miss California USA chose opposite marriage and got engaged to St. Louis Rams quarterback Kyle Boller. The former Miss USA pageant competitor gained notoriety after she said "we live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage" before she became a cheerleader for marriage between a man and a woman....By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
What else is a laid-off sports reporter to do? Mark Zuckerman, who covered the Washington Nationals baseball team for The Washington Times and got canned with the rest of the paper's sports section, said he hopes to cover spring training after all, and he's asking for donations. "It occurred to me that the only way to cover a team and really serve the readers and give them the quality coverage they are looking for is to be there," the staff writer-turned-freelancer told Yeas & Nays. Zuckerman, who started the blog Nats Insider last week, made the case Monday for why he should head to Florida alongside the team. "You've all made it clear you want comprehensive coverage of the Nats, the kind that's hard to find elsewhere on the web," he wrote. "So I've...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
Sure, broadcast networks "break" news, but they often get a little help from their friends -- or, reports from wire services that have reporters stationed on location as events happen. But for the next week, CNN wants to prove its newsgathering grit by saying no to the Associated Press wire service and relying on its own wires to deliver breaking news. "CNN has made a conscious effort in the last few years to reduce our reliance on outside wire services," CNN representative Christa Robinson said. "Currently CNN.com does not use stories or images from the AP." As part of the test, the network will evaluate the need for an AP subscription, and will look to staff for feedback on how a lack of AP wires affects workflow. CNN already offers an external wire...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
If you're one of the few people who can't get enough of "Real World D.C.," do we have a scoop for you. Artwork from the pimped-out Dupont Circle mansion is still available. Despite the snow, Logan Circle's Gallery Plan b hosted an exhibition during the weekend and showed about 30 pieces of artwork that were used to decorate the house. Only about five sold -- so there's plenty more for the taking. Last June, the folks at Gallery Plan b responded to a Craigslist ad seeking local art for a reality TV show and gave the "Real World"-ers these pieces. After the cast skipped town, the artwork was given back to the gallery and put on display for the weekend. "We've had it here and we figured since it was airing right now, we'd put the exhibit up for two days," gallery director David...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
Before the snowstorm slammed the nation's capital and kept most partygoers indoors, one of our spies caught Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth of "The Apprentice" fame enjoying herself at Georgetown's L2 Lounge on Thursday night. She reportedly was dancing, and also was spotted taking pictures of her chin with her BlackBerry camera....By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
Could the Washington area escape the impending Jon Gosselin media storm set to blow in this April? TMZ reported Sunday that Gosselin may be trying to settle his breach-of-contract dispute with Silver Spring-based Discovery Communications, owner of The Learning Channel, which aired Gosselin's former hit show "Jon & Kate Plus 8." And according to legal expert Greg Grant, co-chairman of the business litigation and employment litigation groups at Shulman Rogers in Potomac, it makes good legal sense for Gosselin to do so. "To an individual, litigation is real money," Grant, who is not involved in the case, explained to Yeas & Nays. "Especially to Jon Gosselin, whose major source of income just got shut down." In December, a Maryland judge...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
Well, we know Ellen DeGeneres kind of has a thing for Wolf Blitzer. She called herself the Wolf Blitzer of daytime, with less facial hair, and gave him a shout-out from the Emmy Awards red carpet. Blitzer got the hint and went on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," where we all got a taste of the dancing Wolf. And although their on-air love has died down, DeGeneres showed us in a pretaped segment with cast members of MTV's "Jersey Shore" on Friday that Blitzer is still on her mind. In a segment called "Know or Go," DeGeneres asked Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, "Who hosts 'The Situation Room' on CNN?" He replied, "I know I should know this," but didn't. While begging for a hint, DeGeneres got impatient, assuming he didn't...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
With her never-ending stream of Twitter posts, her guest appearances on "The View" and her sometimes-controversial column in The Daily Beast, Meghan McCain seems to loves media attention. Yeas & Nays has learned, however, that McCain's publicist has requested no professional reporters -- only student media -- be allowed at her upcoming speech at George Washington University. When asked for an explanation Sunday, McCain's publicist did not respond by press time. There already has been plenty of hype surrounding McCain's speech, which is scheduled for Tuesday. Upon discovering that McCain technically was on campus to be the keynote speaker for "Marriage Equality Week," the university's College Republicans got into a brief public tiff with gay rights group Allied...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
Well, this administration did promise to be one of the most tech-savvy, after all. And now, finally, there's a step-by-step guide to raising a child sent straight to your mobile device. That's right, good old Big Brother is stepping in and educating the nation's uninformed mothers through their cell phones. In a program announced Thursday by the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy called text4baby, expectant mothers can receive snippets to their phone about how to raise a healthy baby in an attempt to prevent premature births. By texting BABY to 511411 (or BEBE for Spanish), ladies can receive three free text messages a week, timed to the due date or baby's date of...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
Does D.C. have another reality show TV chef in the making? Yeas & Nays hears the Food Network is scouting our city this weekend for culinary talent for its show "Chefs vs. City," and Teatro Goldoni's executive chef Enzo Fargione has decided to put his name in the hat. "After 23 years in Washington, for me, I think I know Washington very well and I know where all the best food is," Fargione told Yeas & Nays. Fargione described the show as a mix between "Top Chef" and "The Great Race," where a local chef and his or her sous chef is picked to battle against Food Network chefs Aaron Sanchez and Chris Cosentino. The local chefs get home court advantage. "You need to know the city -- for instance, Washington -- where to buy Asian products, or the organic market, where would...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
Like in a game of musical chairs, senators are scrambling for the prized Kennedy desks -- but in this game, rank matters. While Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., accepted the late Sen. Ted Kennedy's seat Thursday evening, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., one-upped him for the desk. According to Kerry's office, he will inherit Kennedy's desk, the one that once belonged to President John F. Kennedy. Kerry's desk, which once belonged to Sen. Robert Kennedy, will go to Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Brown's newly minted staff did not have a clue whose chair he would fill when Yeas & Nays called. U.S. Senate historian Donald Ritchie, however, broke down the swap. "It's usually the decision of the sergeant-at-arms ... and usually if there is a senator that has a personal connection to the desk...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
In case his approval ratings weren't proof enough, then maybe the overstock on Obama bobbleheads will make the case. The Obama love affair is over. Just a little more than a year ago, Obama gear was hot when tourists were bustling into the capital eager for a taste of the new commander in chief and a T-shirt as a keepsake. But it seems as Obama's luster has dimmed, the market for Obama goods has taken a beating. One sign his brand just isn't selling? The Obama store in Union Station is all boarded up, according to U.S. News & World Report. The question remains as to what took a bigger hit from the economy -- the Obama store or the Obama brand?...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
Seems like he was just here. Hispanic actor Wilmer Valderrama, best known for his character Fez on "That '70s Show," returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to unveil Voto Latino's "Be Counted, Represent!" outreach program and show off one of three new public service announcements made to inspire underrepresented populations to take part in the 2010 census. "We've been pretty creative with our PSAs," the actor, who also directed the spots, told Yeas & Nays. In the spot, Valderrama was joined by Rosario Dawson, Jorge Garcia and other Latino celebrities to act out a conversation among friends. "We were at a party and a conversation started, and all of us represented a different point of view and a different fear and a different answer to that fear," Valderrama continued. Also in...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
Some free advice for the ladies out there: If he wants to nix the fidelity vow, it's probably a sign. Despite her husband's refusal to promise to remain faithful, South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford said in an interview on "20/20" with ABC's Barbara Walters that she married Gov. Mark Sanford on a "leap of faith." "It bothered me to some extent, but ... we were very young, we were in love," Jenny Sanford told Walters. "I questioned it, but I got past it ... along with other doubts that I had." Sanford's book "Staying True," which recounts her "very public betrayal" by the governor's affair with an Argentine woman, hits bookstores Friday. In the interview, Sanford recalled her first instinct to forgive her husband when she learned of the affair and then recounted her anxiety...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
"I was making the simple point that families use vacation dollars, not college tuition money, to have fun. There is no place better to have fun than Vegas, one of our country's great destinations." -- President Obama, in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid after the Nevada lawmaker took exception to the president's comments at his Tuesday town hall meeting that you "don't blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you're trying to save for...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell wasn't the only one who wanted a chance to rebut President Obama's State of the Union -- other conservative activists were eager to pick on him as well. Media Research Center President Brent Bozell, Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins united with six other conservative leaders Tuesday night to respond to Obama's address through a live webcast that was broadcast to more than 28,000 people. "In his budget and SOTU address, President Obama set forth his agenda," Perkins said. "An agenda that discourages and even discriminates against that which should be encouraged: strong families, vibrant religious freedom and effective national...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
He's best known as being the guy who ate McDonald's for every meal, every day for a month for his documentary "Super Size Me," but Morgan Spurlock's first big Washington moment happened because of an episode of "30 Days," his former reality show in which participants lived in someone else's shoes for a month. Spurlock, who just finished filming "Freakonomics," a documentary based on the book by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner that will debut at the Cannes Film Festival this spring, played professor Tuesday night at the Corcoran Gallery of Art,\ taking questions on how he got the idea for his Academy Award-nominated documentary (as a reaction to two women suing McDonald's for its food), reality TV (he loves "Jersey Shore") and what's next on the filmmaker's agenda. During the evening,...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
Get your bookie on the phone: Rod Blagojevich has weighed in on the Super Bowl, and he's betting on the Colts. "The only advantage the Saints have is on special teams, but that's not enough to overcome the advantage the Colts have on both offense and defense," the former Illinois governor (and publicity hound) told SI.com, predicting a 38-31 victory. The folks at Sports Illustrated lumped Blagojevich with Jerry Springer, Usher and CNN's Rick Sanchez as part of their "Celebrity Picks for the Super Bowl" slide show. But just to be clear, Blagojevich's publicist Glenn Selig released this statement: "Rod Blagojevich does not consider himself to be a celebrity." Blagojevich will appear on "Celebrity Apprentice" in March. "But he liked being asked to give Super Bowl predictions. He's...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
"I'm also enjoying all of the e-mails and texts from ex-boyfriends, their family and their friends. Success is the best revenge." -- Miss D.C. Jennifer Corey on her success at the Miss America 2010 pageant this weekend where she was eliminated as a top 10 contestant....By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
He was first known nationally for cracking ACORN with a pimp suit and fur shrug. Now, his telephone technician characters have propelled conservative filmmaker James O'Keefe back into the spotlight for his recent high jinks at the office of Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. But back in 2008, O'Keefe dropped the costumes for a more eccentric bid at his "new age journalism." Like a scene out of "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" O'Keefe and his friend Ben Wetmore attempted to legally marry in the commonwealth of Massachusetts for "insurance purposes." But unlike the 2007 film, the two made it clear to city workers and O'Keefe's hidden cameras that they were not gay, and had girlfriends. They said the marriage was merely for benefits and the two intended to divorce. "I just want to...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
In case it slips your mind how much money today's hottest acts can make while on tour, they'd like to remind you it doesn't pay to be on the radio -- or, at least not yet. Artists like Fergie, Anthony Kiedis (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Drake came together with various other musicians before this year's Grammy Awards to petition in favor of the musicians' right to radio compensation. They signed a statement encouraging Congress to pass the Performance Rights Act. As of now, though satellite radio, Internet radio and cable television compensate musicians to use their songs on air, AM and FM radio do not....By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
The Belgians have their beer; the French, their wine; and the Peruvians: the pisco sour. Ambassador Luis M. Valdivieso welcomed guests into the Peruvian Embassy Monday night to toast his country's favorite beverage in advance of Pisco Sour Day, which is the first Saturday of February each year. "Essentially it is a very soft drink," Valdivieso told Yeas & Nays. "You can drink two, three -- after three it's a little bit dangerous," he added. Valdivieso said the drink was "always" on hand at state functions. "High officials from the U.S. government have tried a couple of drinks of pisco sour and then they want to stay in Peru," the diplomat said. To celebrate, the embassy invited bartenders from D.C. eateries like Cafe Atlantico and Farmers & Fishers to show off...By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri
Sure, his dad brings along some name recognition too, but Rep. Ron Paul's son Rand Paul -- who is running for a U.S. Senate seat in Kentucky -- was ecstatic to hear former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was endorsing his insurgent Senate campaign. "We think it may be the biggest endorsement that a candidate could get in the country this year," Paul told Yeas & Nays, boasting he was "all smiles" when he heard the news Monday. The endorsement wasn't a total shock. Paul's campaign had been putting out feelers to Palin's people for quite some time, but Paul believed one of his grass-roots supporters, who penned a persuasive letter to Palin, may have sealed the deal. "I think showing that even big things sometimes happen through one grass-roots supporter is...To view this site, you need to have Flash Player 8.0 or later installed. Click here to get the latest Flash player.
Local
Another snowball fight planned for Dupont Circle
The Official Dupont Circle Snowball Fight facebook fanpage has over 6,000 fans now, and it looks as if snowed in DC'ers will return for another battle. Full story
Politics
GOP winning war over Miranda rights for terrorists
Even as the administration defends its decision to grant accused Detroit bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab the right to remain silent, the president himself is hinting that things might be done differently in the future. Full story
Local
D.C. region braces for up to 20 more inches of snow
The National Weather Service has the entire D.C. metro area, from Prince William County north, under a winter storm warning for 10 to 20 inches of snow. Forecasters have had their eyes on this storm for days, but the projected snow totals were bumped up late Monday. Full story
