Gary Emerling

Unchallenged McDonnell cashes in

Republican gubernatorial candidate Robert F. McDonnell's unchallenged bid for his party's nomination is paying off.

June 2, 2009

Fairfax registrar to join D.C. elections board

A Fairfax County registrar criticized for actions during last year's election season will be joining the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics -- an announcement that comes as the board prepares to consider the controversial issue of same-sex marriage.

May 30, 2009

Crime bill delayed, but Nickles confident

D.C. Attorney General Peter J. Nickles has backed off plans to push sweeping crime legislation through the D.C. Council next week, but said he is still confident the measure will be passed in time to combat the District's traditional spike in summer violence.

May 29, 2009

D.C. dismissing traffic, parking citations

Ticket adjudicators in the District are dismissing about half the parking and traffic citations issued to those who contest them - a rate that suggests widespread problems with issuing tickets in a city that plans to expand its use of cameras and officers to dole out even more fines in the coming months.

May 28, 2009

Gay marriage foes want D.C. voters to decide

Opponents of same-sex marriage in the District say they have filed a petition with the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics requesting that city legislation granting legal recognition to the unions be put to a vote.

May 28, 2009

Narcoterrorists pose risk for D.C. jail

The District of Columbia has approached the Justice Department about security concerns arising from the housing of more than 10 suspected narcoterrorists in its jail - concerns that foreshadow problems the Obama administration might face if it brings Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States for trial.

May 27, 2009

Judge extends former D.C. mayor’s probation

A federal judge on Friday ordered an extension of D.C. Council member Marion Barry's probation for tax offenses but declined to comply with prosecutors' requests that the former mayor be kept under electronic surveillance and home confinement.

May 23, 2009

Bill to define marriage for the District

House lawmakers on Thursday introduced legislation defining marriage in the District as a union between one man and one woman - an attempt to prevent the nation's capital from moving toward greater recognition for same-sex couples.

May 22, 2009

Mendelson won’t rush Fenty crime bill

The chairman of the D.C. Council's public safety committee says he has no plans to dramatically expedite consideration of sprawling anti-crime legislation proposed at the request of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, despite the mayor's call to introduce the measure on an emergency basis next month.

May 18, 2009

Virginia Indian tribes seek U.S. recognition

Six Indian tribes in Virginia have fought for decades to gain federal recognition, funding and grants through congressional legislation.

May 17, 2009

Tangherlini chosen to join Obama’s Treasury

D.C. City Administrator Dan Tangherlini will be nominated to a post in the Obama administration and replaced in city government by the District's current deputy mayor for planning and economic development, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said Friday.

May 16, 2009

D.C. willing to discuss extending voucher plan

City leaders Thursday told a congressional subcommittee that they would be open to discussions about extending the D.C. school voucher program past the point recommended by President Obama.

May 15, 2009

Va.’s Moran brothers divided on detainees

If the relocation of Guantanamo detainees to the United States becomes an issue in the Virginia governor's race, the next Moran family reunion could become an awkward affair.

May 14, 2009

Millions for schools held back

The D.C. Council on Tuesday approved a $5.4 billion budget for fiscal 2010 after shifting nearly $30 million allocated for city schools over the objections of Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee.

May 13, 2009

Wolf: No Gitmo detainees for Virginia

Rep. Frank R. Wolf on Monday reiterated his opposition to jailing and prosecuting Guantanamo Bay detainees in Alexandria, after a fellow Northern Virginia congressman said over the weekend he was open to the idea.

May 12, 2009

Lawyer argues against D.C. checkpoints

Police checkpoints that cordoned off a crime-plagued D.C. neighborhood last year were an "extraordinary" measure that "flies in the face" of prior court rulings and violates the Constitution, a federal appeals court heard Friday.

May 9, 2009

Obama move on abortion funds riles both sides

President Obama called for overturning a decade-old ban on publicly funded abortions in the District as part of his budget proposal Thursday, but did not overturn the national ban on federal funding.

May 8, 2009

Vouchers in D.C. to get reprieve

President Obama's budget proposal is expected to include plans to extend federal funding for a D.C. school-voucher program that permits underprivileged children in the District to attend private schools.

May 7, 2009

D.C. votes to recognize gay marriages

The D.C. Council Tuesday gave final approval to legislation recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions and paved the way for an effort to allow such unions to be performed in the nation's capital - an effort one council member said could prompt "civil war" in the city.

May 6, 2009

D.C. Council passes same-sex marriage bill

The D.C. Council on Tuesday gave final approval to legislation recognizing same-sex marriage in the city, sending the proposal to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and creating a litmus test for a future bill that would permit gay marriages to be performed in the nation's capital.

May 5, 2009