December 2015: Inside Metro—Where Do We Go From Here?

Cover Story

Where Do We Go From Here?

Beset by mechanical woes, financial blunders, and a dysfunctional culture, Metro faces a profound crisis. An inside report on how things got this bad—and what to expect next. By Luke Mullins and Michael J. Gaynor.

Features

We followed the man who cares for the zoo’s most popular animals for a day. Photograph by Louie Palu.

The Rabbi Who Preyed

When Barry Freundel was arrested for voyeurism, the news shocked Jewish Washington. But a reconstruction of Freundel’s crimes—and the stories of his victims—shows it was even worse than anyone thought. By Harry Jaffe.

How to Get Away With (Female) Murders

The story of how Investigation Discovery—the channel that broadcasts Wives With Knives and Momsters— became a ratings juggernaut with women. By Britt Peterson.

The Verdict Is In

Our 2015 list of top Washington lawyers. By Marisa M. Kashino.

Heavy Gifting

Holiday finds for everyone on your list. By Sarah Zlotnick, Caroline Cunningham, Hillary Kelly.

Panda Keeper Cam

A day in the life of the man who cares for the zoo’s most obsessed-over animals. Photos by Louie Palu. Text by Emily Codik.

In This Issue

We took one last look inside the Washington Post’s newsroom before they move to their new location. Photograph by Dan Chung.

Capital Comment

A landlord asks tenants to narc on the neighbors…Pottersville, DC…The District police department’s new bikes…Washington’s weird weather: a history.

Behind the Scenes

The soon-to-be-razed Washington Post newsroom.

Where & When

The performances, exhibits, and other things worth your time this month.

Mr. Multi-Modal: Gabe Klein, who brought Bikeshare to town, is looking for new ways to disrupt transportation. Photograph by Jeff Elkins.

IQ

Interview Former DC transportation czar Gabe Klein on why government needs a start-up mentality.
Washington Read An anarchist dog walker on gentrification.
Media Jeff Bezos’s war to win the Post web traffic.
Field Notes The Washingtonian guide to the social set.

Our food critics review new restaurants in the area, such as Bad Saint (dish pictured above), Succotash, and Smokehouse Live. Photograph by Scott Suchman.

Taste

Thrilling Filipino flavors at Bad Saint, Korean cooking meets the Deep South at Succotash, national-class smoked meats in Leesburg, readers’ favorites, the best dishes that our critics ate this year, and more.

We found 9 destinations that you can get to by lunchtime. Photograph by Imagebroker/Alamy.

Life

Be There By Lunch Nine nonstop flights that will put you on the beach by midday.
Doing Good Top-rated local nonprofits and how your donation can help.

Developer Martin Ditto builds condos for other hot neighborhoods in DC. Here’s a look at his own home project. Photograph by Andrew Propp.

Home

Home Tour Developer Martin Ditto’s most personal project.
Neighborhood Guide The best of Vienna and McLean.
Pets Dogs who bring comfort to area schools and hospitals.
First Person I never gave away Mom’s handmade gifts—except one.