The inauguration star-power continues! Aretha Franklin will be headlining a free performance at the Kennedy Center on January 19 at 6 PM.  She’ll be joined by the violin duo Nuttin’ but Stringz and the Let Freedom Ring choir directed by Reverend Nolan Williams, Jr.

The concert is part of the free daily performance series on the Millennium Stage and is presented by the Kennedy Center and Georgetown University. Channel 9 anchor Andrea Roane will be mistress of ceremonies.

Tickets will be distributed on the day of the event beginning at 4 PM in front of the concert hall. One ticket will be given out per person.

>> All Washingtonian.com inauguration coverage

NPR has a sweet story about 100-year-old Lillian Allen of Pittsburgh who's gearing up to travel to Washington for the inauguration.  

In other feel-good news, 10-year-old Avery Jordan scored a pair of inauguration tickets from Oklahoma congressman Tom Cole after he wrote the congressman a letter citing how much Obama has inspired him. "I kept praying and praying and praying," he said.

Latina magazine reports that Columbian singer/dancer Shakira will perform at the inauguration. Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton notes that the Obama camp won't confirm or deny the report. 

>> All Washingtonian.com inauguration coverage

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Photo by Flickr user Lori Greig

Happy Friday, Washington! Going to any of the End of Prohibition Parties tonight? For the full scoop on activities, check out our list. And don't forge to vote in our photo contest runoff—voting ends today at 4 PM.

Be proud, Northern Virginia—you have the rights to the top high school in the nation, according to US News & World Report.  

Now here's a hockey fan who takes it all very, very seriously.  

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether to take up a lawsuit challenging President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship.

Virginia's GOP leader may be in the hot seat after a series and setbacks for the party. 

Bundle up this weekend—while there's a slight chance of snow, mostly it'll be really, really cold. 

Photo by Flickr user NCinDC 

In an effort to accommodate the millions expected to be in town for the inauguration, the entire length of the National Mall will be open to the public for the swearing-in ceremony, the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced today. This is the first time in history that such a measure has been mandated.

JumboTron screens and audio systems will be placed at points throughout the Mall to allow viewing and sound for people far from the live action. Crowds standing near the Lincoln Memorial will be more than two miles from the Capitol building.

In past inaugurations, staging for the inaugural parade has prevented the entire Mall from being open to the public. The grass between Seventh and 14th Streets, Northwest, has usually been off-limits.

The PIC worked with the DC government, National Park Service, and others to make the space available. According to the PIC, the arrangement is part of the its commitment to “make the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama one of the most open and accessible in history.”

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After how many dates do you have to call someone to let them know you’re not interested? Is it okay to not respond at all? 

Max Schwartz: I guess after three or four dates. I think it really matters how many mutual friends you have, and how widely spaced the dates have been. If you’ve been seeing someone for a month or more, they definitely need a call. Under that, you have a bit of a gray area. Sometimes, you can just cut your losses and run. I’m not saying it’s ideal, but it happens. Recently, I’ve been left at the altar a lot more than I’ve been doing it to others, and often it hasn’t involved much in the way of communication, so maybe I’m behind the times.

Access Hollywood broke the news yesterday that she’ll be broadcasting her talk show from the Kennedy Center’s Opera House. The New York Times confirmed that the show will be taped on January 19, and that another DC show, planned for Wednesday, is in the works.

Information on how to get tickets will be posted on Oprah.com next week. We’ll post a link as soon as it’s up.

According to The Thumpin’, a portrait of Rahm Emanuel by newly hired Wall Street Journal reporter Naftali Bendavid, Emanuel has one of the foulest mouths in Washington.

While a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, Bendavid spent months with the Illinois congressman, collecting research on how Emanuel managed to win back the House of Representatives for the Democrats in 2006. In addition to his research, Bendavid received a steady dose of F-bombs that some may consider excessive from a guy who once studied ballet at Sarah Lawrence College.

On occasion, Bendavid writes, Emanuel’s language even in public is so extreme that he has driven diners from restaurants.

Emanuel’s mother, Marsha, told Bendavid she takes the blame for her son’s language, calling it “my fault” because she had never forbidden her son to curse.

But she says she never forced Emanuel to take up dancing, as he has sometimes claimed. Marsha says she told Rahm, “Forgive me—you little s---head, I didn’t force you.”

Bendavid says Emanuel objected to “various aspects” of his book, but “usually his complaint was that I neglected to highlight some alleged stroke of genius on his part.”

Good news if you're planning to brave the crowds near the Capitol on Inauguration Day. The Washington Post is reporting that space on the National Mall between Seventh and 15th streets, Northwest—used in previous inaugurations to stage the parade—will be open to the public. It will free up room for an estimated one million people.  

This morning, we told you lots of juicy details about singer Dionne Warwick's inaugural bash at the Marriott Wardman Park. But now we're hearing news of another superstar coming to down: Oprah. She'll be broadcasting her show from the Opera House at the Kennedy Center during the inauguration week.

Which local bands might march in the inaugural parade? Sources tell the Washington Informer that Howard University, Ballou, Cardozo, and Eastern Senior High School are at the top of the list.

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Photo by Flickr user kimberlyfaye

Happy near-weekend, Washington! There's plenty going on to keep you occupied, and we've put the best events together in our weekend nightlife picks. There's also lots of Friday night bar parties and specials for the anniversary of the end of Prohibition, and fun holiday open house tours going on. What are you going to do this weekend?

Transportation fans, rejoice: Federal regulators have approved the Silver Line on the Metro, an extension of the rail that will go out to Tysons Corner and Dulles.

The Washington Times newspaper is currently only distributed in the Washington region, but could they be planning to go national?  

Prince of Petworth wonders if compact discs have become completely obsolete.

Did you enjoy our "underrated songs of Britney Spears" Listen Up playlist on Tuesday? Then you'll probably be psyched to know that the chanteuse is coming to perform live at the Verizon Center on March 24. 

“I can’t go to work in a robe and flip-flops,” he says. “I have to shower.”

Ceci Connolly, his life partner and veteran health-policy writer for the Post, is certain Roig-Franzia will be dressed and scrubbed as he roams the town “finding yarns,” as he says.

Connolly and Roig-Franzia met and fell in love while covering Hurricane Charley in 2004. They teamed up again to cover Hurricane Katrina. When Roig-Franzia became the Post’s Central America correspondent, Connolly took a leave and moved to be with him in Mexico City.

The legislation quickly drew the ire of civic leaders, who complained that the council did not seek public input.

“I see the potential for why you’d want to do it, in terms of this being a historic election, but to just throw this down on neighborhoods?” said Bryan Weaver, head of the Adams Morgan advisory neighborhood commission. “To have 3 1/2 days of 24-hour service without any input from the community — there’s going to be hell to pay from a lot of neighborhood associations.”

How do you feel about extended last call hours? Take our poll after the jump and sound off in the comments.

The Washington City Paper has the play-by-play of the late-night drinking legislation that came before the DC council last night. The bill, which ultimately passed 9-4, will allow bars to serve alcohol until 5 AM during the inauguration. 

A Loudoun historical society wants Barack Obama to start his processional to Washington in Gettysburg, PA. The Examiner has the story. 

You might find actor Tom Hanks in the Standing-Room Only section of the swearing-in ceremony. Or maybe on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

If you plan to attend the swearing-in, leave your backpacks, signs, umbrellas, and thermoses at home, please.

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Photo by Flickr user Laura Padgett

Say it ain't so—after finally transitioning to meters in cabs, a report is recommending that taxi fares increase, in order "to bring District fares up to the level of those charged in neighboring jurisdictions and other similar-size cities."

Drink up! Bars will stay open until 5 AM during four days around Inauguration. For more coverage, make sure to check out our Inauguration section.

Speaking of bars, get ready for Friday, the 75th anniversary of the repealing of Prohibition. Several bars are holding parties or happy hour specials to celebrate, and we've got the scoop.  

More bad news for the newspaper industry—Cox has shut down its Washington bureau.  

Check back later today for... more Inauguration coverage; the Blogger Beat; a new Buzzed drink recipe; more holiday gift guides; and lots more!

• Starting at 4 AM on Tuesday, January 20, trains will run for 15 hours at rush-hour capacity and will stay open until 2 the next morning. On Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, trains will operate on a Saturday Holiday Service schedule.
• Metrobus will operate on a Saturday schedule on Inauguration Day. Remember: Lots of streets will be closed around the National Mall, so don’t expect bus stops near the Capitol or the Mall to be functional, and expect detours.
• The Green and Yellow lines’ Archives-Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter station will be closed all day on Inauguration Day, as will the Smithsonian station entrance on the Mall.
• Parking at all Metro lots will be free from Saturday, January 17, through Tuesday, January 20, and reserved parking rules will not be in effect.
• All restrooms in Metro stations will be closed on Inauguration Day as a security measure. Expect to see increase security in general: Metro has teamed up with TSA to bolster security in stations during the inauguration. You’ll likely see lots of bomb-sniffing dogs.

Check out Metro’s inauguration page for more information, including how to sign up for e-alerts to stay on top of service changes.

>> All Washingtonian.com Inauguration 2009 coverage

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Editor’s note: In an effort to protect the privacy of our diarists’ dates, our updates are on a slight time delay.

Meet our daters: Mark Drapeau | Dana Neill | Sally Colson Cline | Michael Amesquita | Kate Searby | Max Schwartz | Lucas Wall

It may be chilly outside, but things are starting to warm up for our Dating Diarists. Dana Neil still feels sunny about Florida Guy. And Lucas Wall hopes his new man doesn’t get cold feet. Will the forecast include any sizzle?

Michael Amesquita ventured into uncharted territory when he went to a party with a single mom he’d met at church, “She’s the first person I ever went out with who has kids,” he says, adding that they had a good time: “She’s a strong member of the church, which is really important. She has really good energy. She’s very willing to share. She smiles a lot. She has a good sense of humor. She puts things out there that are important to her. She came in a van and she just said, ‘That’s me. I’m a soccer mom.’ She’s very matter of fact about who she is.” 

And the kiddos? “People asked me if the kid thing scared me off, but not really,” says Amesquita. “I want to have kids eventually. And a few years ago, my mom pointed out that I was getting to the age where women would have kids. Thanks for the subtle hint, Mom. So I’d like to go out with her again.”

Leave your guesses in the comments. The full photo and location will be revealed with next Tuesday’s puzzle. The winner gets bragging rights.

Living in the District is reporting on the plight of street vendors on Inauguration Day, when only 500 one-day vendor permits will be given out. Each vendor can have up to three employees, but all employees must be approved with an FBI background check.

DC councilmember Jim Graham wants Adams Morgan bars to stay open all night long between January 17 and 21. His measure would allow them to serve alcohol until 5 AM and stay open 24 hours a day.

ERACISM is planning a star-studded Inaugural Purple Ball. Celebs expected include Ashley Judd, Ed Harris, and Louis Gossett Jr. 

WTOP's Adam Tuss has "inauguration trepidation"—and for good reason. He writes, "Stop and think about that for a second -- THREE MILLION to FIVE MILLION people. If the mayor is correct on the low end of that estimate, that will be like trying to cram the population of Los Angeles onto the National Mall and surrounding streets, buildings, churches, bars and restaurants." 

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Photo by Flickr user yeowatzup

Tuesday means Todd—don't forget to submit all your food and dining questions to food critic Todd Kliman's chat, today at 11.  

Who's the fairest airport of them all? In the Washington region, apparently that would be Reagan National Airport. The airport topped a survey of fliers when asked what was their favorite DC airport.

Heads up, folks—the National Christmas tree lighting will be this Thursday, and traffic's sure to snarl. If you have tickets, enjoy the ceremony!  

It's not a local issue, but it's one that's taken the DC blogosphere by storm in the past couple of days—what do people think of Slankets? If you don't know what a Slanket is, consider your life all the better for it.

If you pass through Dupont Circle, keep an eye out—armed robberies seem to be on the rise. 

Lots of readers were up in arms when we reported last month that the Omni Shoreham Hotel’s inaugural package included a puppy to take home. Omni’s director of marketing, Paul Sharp, told us that he’d work with local breeders and animal-rescue groups to secure a puppy for VIP guests as part of his hotel’s $440,000 package.

Well, it looks like the Washington Animal Rescue League won’t be among those clamoring to participate. Today, WARL shared a copy of a letter that its executive director sent to Sharp, expressing the group’s “misgivings” about the puppy giveaway.

Here’s what WARL had to say:

Max Stier —How should the Barack Obama administration staff the government? The head of the Partnership for Public Service has lots of ideas about doing it better.

Rochelle Behrens —In her spare time, the Quinn Gillespie associate has launched her own clothing line for professional women.

Phil Kerpen —Where should the Republican Party go from here? Ask the policy director at the new-right think tank Americans for Prosperity.

Neel Kashkari —The bailout czar, a.k.a. the interim assistant secretary of the Treasury for financial stability, is at the center of the world’s economic drama.

Looks like DC will take a huge financial hit for hosting the inauguration. The federal government is chipping in just $15 million, and that's to be spread across all of Washington's major events next year. By comparison, President Bush's 2005 inauguration, which attracted 300,000 visitors, cost more than $17 million.

The Washington Post's parenting blog wonders: Should schools close on Inauguration Day?

Here's the skinny on Kentucky's Bluegrass Ball. Want to know what other parties are happening for the inauguration? Check out our list here.

Thousands of charter buses will be coming to Washington for the inauguration, but exactly where will they park? Who knows, says the Washington Examiner.

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Photo by Flickr user brenbot

Welcome back, and happy December, Washington! Did you have a fun and family-filled Thanksgiving weekend? We certainly hope so. As for this Monday, we're just going to think fondly of our mother's mashed potatoes and pretend the Redskins' loss to the Giants didn't happen. 

Who's that on this week's cover of Time Magazine? Why, it's DC's very own Schools Chancellor, Michelle Rhee. In the interview she reveals that while she's a Democrat, she came close to voting for John McCain because she's "somewhat terrified of what the Democrats are going to do on education."

Zola Wine and Kitchen opens in Penn Quarter today. Are you going to check it out?  

And after six years, the Capitol Visitor Center opens tomorrow.  

Meet our daters: Mark Drapeau | Dana Neill | Sally Colson Cline | Michael Amesquita | Kate Searby | Max Schwartz | Lucas Wall
 

How long will you wait for someone on a date? What is polite protocol when running late for a date?

Mark Drapeau: “I think that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. There are exceptions to every rule, but I generally go with a ‘15 minutes or finishing one drink’ standard.”

Sally Colson Cline: “Ugh, I don’t like lateness. I’ll give her a freebie if she calls or texts to let me know how late she is, but if she doesn’t, I reserve the right to flirt with the barista. The precise amount of late minutes I’ll allot is a complex equation that factors in where I’m waiting, whether or not I have something to read or someone to talk to, how into her I am, if I know she’s taking Metro, and how often she’s late. Let’s say 15 to 30 minutes.”

Will DC college students be joining the ranks of money-raking Washingtonians and renting out their dorm rooms for the inauguration? Not a chance, college officials say.

Obama's inaugural committee will cap donations at $50,000 in hopes of limiting the influence of private money on the government, the New York Times reports. Inaugural committees for previous presidents have accepted single donations of as much as $250,000. 

Last week, military officers interviewed for coveted positions as VIP escorts for the inauguration, says the Washington Post. Apparently, it's a months-long process to pick officers for the job. 

Here's an idea: If you can't get tickets to the actual inauguration, try getting a peek at one of two dress rehearsals for the event. No VIPs will be present, but you can always Photoshop Obama into your pictures later.  

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Photo by Flickr user ktylerconk

Good news if you're traveling today! AAA Mid-Atlantic estimates that (only!) 765,400 people in the Washington area will be traveling for the holiday. That's down 1.5 percent from last year. How's that for a silver lining?

Want a new Thanksgiving dish to add to your repertoire? You could try this yummy sausage, apple, and mushroom stuffing.

Capitol Hill Style has some Turkey Day fashion tips and an outfit that will look cute no matter how much you eat.

Can't get enough of photo contests? After you're done voting in ours, head over to Prince of Petworth and check out his Thanksgiving-themed contest. 

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Leave your guesses in the comments. The full photo and location will be revealed with next Tuesday’s puzzle. The winner gets bragging rights.

PQ Living reports that the Metro station at Archives-Navy Memorial will be closed on Inauguration Day. 

US Airways is adding flights to all three Washington-area airports beginning January 17.  

The Huffington Post reports that Penny Pritzker, John Rogers and William Daley—all Chicago natives—will be among the Obama inauguration co-chairs.

>> All Washingtonian.com Inauguration 2009 coverage 

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Meet our daters: Mark Drapeau | Dana Neill | Sally Colson Cline | Michael Amesquita | Kate Searby | Max Schwartz | Lucas Wall

Editor’s note: In an effort to protect the privacy of our diarists’ dates, our updates are on a slight time delay.

Forget C+C Music Factory—here are the things that make us go hmmm. Are art museums Max Schwartz’s dating kryptonite? Will Kate Searby, a Democrat, find romance with a Republican? Will Mark Drapeau need a dose of Gatorade to survive his dating marathon? And will our other daters blast past their inertia? We break it down in this week’s Dating Diaries update.

Lucas Wall returned from vacation and picked up with a guy he had met online. The two have been on several dates including drinks, dinner, and a few staying-in dates. “There’s some natural chemistry—nothing forced,” says Lucas. “That’s something I haven’t felt with anyone in a while. It makes me anxious. I’m not used to things going so well.”

So how serious is it? “He called after our Saturday-night/Sunday-morning date just to say how much he enjoyed everything,” says Lucas. “In the course of that conversation, he said maybe it’s time to have a little status check. That kind of surprised me. I wasn’t quite sure we needed to have a conversation that early. He’s in a slow-going mode with relationships given his hectic schedule with work and school. That’s fine with me. I think we’re in a similar mindset. It was good to check in, but given how well things are going, I’m not actively seeking out other people, but I wouldn’t turn it away given where we are.”

Lots of water main breaks to report this morning: two in Glover Park, and one just south of the U Street Corridor. WJLA has the scoop on how traffic is being affected.

City Desk reported late last night that on Friday afternoon, a suspected serial robber was released from jail by U.S. Marshals; DC police had no idea. 18-year-old Michael Richardson, still at large, is being tracked by police. 

The Capital Weather Gang is calling for warm temperatures—a high of 53 degrees—on Thanksgiving. Yippee!

This blogger's staying in town for the holiday, and he's looking forward to having Arlington all to himself. Are you sticking around?

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The 18-room Clifton Inn is offering inauguration packages for less than $2,600—a steal compared with the Omni Shoreham’s $440,000 offering. But the Omni and other high-priced Washington hotels have one important thing the Clifton doesn’t: a prime location. Tucked away in Charlottesville, Clifton is two hours from the inaugural action.

To get around that detail, the inn offers to arrange a shuttle to usher its guests to and from downtown DC on January 20—but it’ll cost you. The service, not included in the packages, costs $150 per person for up to 12 people. That could add an extra $1,800 to your budget if you rent the whole shuttle. A private limo can also be arranged for an extra charge. Buyer beware.

Photo by Flickr user dbking 

The Wall Street Journal rounds up some of the celebs slated to be in town for the inauguration. Everyone from Oprah to Melissa Etheridge will be on hand to celebrate. 

The Obama transition team told reporters yesterday that Desirée Rogers, a Chicago businesswoman and Harvard grad, will be the first African-American social secretary in the White House. Rogers, 49, was a major fundraiser for Obama and a friend of Michelle. 

Lawmakers are working with Obama's transition team on a $700 billion economic stimulus bill that the new president could sign on inauguration day. If passed, it would be the biggest program designed to kick-start the economy since the New Deal.  

With lots of Washingtonians renting their homes and apartments to out-of-towners during the inauguration, Mayor Fenty has temporarily suspended rules that require require residents to have basic business licenses to orchestrate short-term rentals. 

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Photo—a finalist in this month's Washingtonian.com photo contest—by Darwin Tiu 

Violent crime rocked Friendship Heights this weekend. 68-year-old psychiatrist Michael Spevak and his 67-year-old wife Virginia were found dead in their home on Saturday night. Police are combing the home and area for clues. The couple's car, a 2005 Toyota Scion, is missing. 

International sex-trafficking organization Fair Fund brings an anti-prostitution message to six DC public schools. 

DC Metrocentric reports on the grand reopening of the American History Museum. He loves the brand-new, five-story atrium.

Metrocurean has the skinny on fresh noodles from the Dupont farmers' market. The pictures alone make our mouths water. Mmmmm...

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It was Georgetown law grad Ruemmler’s powerful four-hour closing argument that was credited with winning convictions of top executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling.

Now, a little more than two years after the verdicts, all three prosecutors are reaping their rewards—and at the same law firm, Latham & Watkins. Catholic U law graduate Fisher became the last of the three to join Latham, where she had worked earlier under her mentor, future Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff.

Every four years, presidential candidates run against Washington and the inside-the-Beltway crowd—yet few presidents have ever won an election on such a simple platform as Barack Obama’s message of “change.” That said, even the “change” candidate recognizes the need to work within Washington, hence his first appointment of established Washington brawler Rahm Emanuel as White House chief of staff. Both President Carter and President Clinton learned the hard way their first year just how much trouble a president can get into if he tries to be too much of a Washington outsider.

One clear message President-elect Obama could send would be to appoint Cabinet officials who have never worked in Washington. Here is one way an outsider Cabinet could shape up:

Happy Friday, Washington! What are you up to this weekend? May we offer some suggestions?  

Whatever your plans are, make sure to bundle up—it's going to be a cold one. And we might see some snow showers tonight!

Are you a huge transportation/political dork? Then you're probably going to want to get your hands on this commemorative SmarTrip card from Metro. It has Obama's face on it, people! 

If you've lived in DC for a while, you've probably seen that giant inflatable rat around town that groups of protestors like to use from time to time. (And if you haven't seen it, trust us, you will eventually.) Well, turns out the rat shows up in Google Earth View.  

Speaking of weird things you see around town, Prince of Petworth captures a photo of this crazy-looking bus.