Tom Howell Jr.

D.C. Council test drives sedan service rules

D.C. lawmakers gave preliminary approval to a billthat limits taxi regulators' authority over sedan-on-demand companies as long as drivers are transparent about their fares and follow some consumer-protection rules, making the nation's capital the latest American city to tackle 21st-century services that allow passengers to order up a ride with a few keystrokes on their smartphone. Published November 15, 2012

D.C. mandate to report child sex abuse moves ahead

The D.C. Council gave preliminary approval Thursday to a bill that mandates "universal reporting" of sex abuse against children, making the District the latest jurisdiction to re-examine its laws in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State University. Published November 15, 2012

D.C. Mayor Gray seeks to move on after probes

U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. followed a public shaming of the former D.C. Council chairman this week with a vow to "ensure public trust" — a pledge sure to be tested as he resolves his probe into Mayor Vincent C. Gray's 2010 campaign, the last in a trio of investigations that blazed a path this year from city hall to the federal courthouse. Published November 14, 2012

Brown sentenced to a day of custody, 6 months home detention

A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced former D.C. Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown to an afternoon in custody for lying on loan documents, making him the second city lawmaker to lose his liberty in front of the public he was elected to serve. Published November 13, 2012

D.C. flag AWOL at military ceremony

D.C. residents Tomi Rucker and Michael Boyd beamed with pride as their son walked out for his basic-training commencement from the Great Lakes Naval Station in Illinois. Published November 12, 2012

Referendum approach to D.C. budget autonomy hailed

The District's plan to pursue financial freedom from Congress through an amendment to the D.C. charter is being hailed after the prospect of budget autonomy has seemingly gone nowhere in the 18 months since it was proposed by a prominent congressional Republican. Published November 11, 2012

D.C. on its way to health care compliance

President Obama's re-election on Tuesday smoothed the way for states to implement his signature health-care reforms, a challenge the District took on with vigor while other states waited to see if Republican opponent Mitt Romney could deliver on a promise to unravel the controversial law. Published November 8, 2012

Federal government to study height restrictions on D.C. buildings

A powerful member of Congress has authorized a study of the long-standing law that restricts the height of buildings in the District. Published November 8, 2012

Grosso’s victory suggests an affinity for progressives

Stacks of pizza sat untouched, the salad bowls kept their plastic lids and roughly a dozen red-shirted volunteers sat in a circle Tuesday night, gazing at a lone television in search of pleasant news inside their small campaign office on Florida Avenue Northwest. Published November 7, 2012

Grosso upsets incumbent Brown in D.C. Council bid

Upstart challenger David Grosso, a relatively unknown former D.C. Council staffer who started campaigning a year ago, unseated incumbent Michael A. Brown on Tuesday for an at-large seat in the only significant upset in the city's elections. Published November 6, 2012

O’Malley tours Md. polls in support of Obama, ballot questions

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said Tuesday he expects his state to give its electoral votes to President Obama, once again, by a double-digit margin. Published November 6, 2012

Long lines expected at local polls despite early voting

Officials in the D.C. region predict heavy turnout at the polls despite the long lines that marked pre-Election Day voting, as campaigns urge citizens to flock to the ballot box on Tuesday to decide a deadlocked presidential race, heated local contests and controversial ballot questions. Published November 5, 2012

Ethics issue looms over D.C. campaigns

Voters in the District will decide Tuesday whether to reshape the D.C. Council in election contests that serve as a referendum on the makeup of a body that has faced a steady trickle of ethical problems in the past two years. Published November 4, 2012

Gray lowers some D.C. speed camera fines

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray on Friday lowered the fines for all but the most egregious speeders who are nabbed by traffic cameras in the District, pledging to use higher-than-anticipated revenues from the automated enforcement program to hire 100 new police officers. Published November 2, 2012

Catholics want $50K returned by grantee because of ‘Hey Grrl!’ pamphlet

If you run the risk of arrest for drug possession, make sure you "don't keep all of your stash on you." Advice such as this has made a District-based nonprofit the target of outrage from a coalition of 24 Catholic organizations. Published November 1, 2012

Prosecutors want six days in jail for Kwame Brown

Federal prosecutors think former D.C. Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown should serve six days in jail and spend three years on probation for submitting false information on loan applications while he served as a city lawmaker, according to papers filed Thursday in federal court. Published November 1, 2012