Remember that airline commercial that asks "Want to get away?" for those embarrassing moments in life. In the internet age, there is no getting away when somebody comes up with a truly dumb, ridiculous or just plain bad idea.
Racism in the House?
1|Congresswoman under investigation cries racism
The details: Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Calif., under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for using her staff for political purposes, suggested that the committee singled her out because she's black, implying that they're ignoring violations by white males in the House.
Terror scare
2|Explosion at post office
The details: Police evacuated a West Virginia post office after a package exploded, blowing white powder into the air. Initial tests indicate that the powder was not a chemical hazard such as anthrax.
Violent protests
3|Occupy Oakland riots
The details: Protesters associated with Occupy Oakland rioted, breaking windows and throwing firebombs in the city. Early reports indicate that Occupy Oakland leadership participated in the violence. The protests have prompted some businesses to leave the city.
New tax hike
4|Democrats push for transaction tax
The details: Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, called for a financial transaction tax on Wall Street companies, a proposal almost included in the Dodd-Frank bill, but ultimately excluded for lack of support.
Broken pledge
5|Obama takes lobbyist money
The Details: President Obama has bragged about not accepting money from registered lobbyists, but new reports show he accepts campaign donations from lobbyist firm executives, who often raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for his campaign.
Bottomless pit
6|Metro needs billions more
The details: Metro says it will need $13.3 billion just to maintain and repair its aging infrastructure and install safety upgrades. That's nearly $2 billion more than the transit agency estimated it needed by 2020 - and doesn't include the $6.5 Dulles Rail project.
Hot potato
7|Tysons upgrades still unfunded
The details: Fairfax County and the Virginia Department of Transportation both admit they have no way to pay for the $1.6 billion in infrastructure upgrades required for high-density Tysons Corner development fueled by the new Silver Line Metro extension.
Delays
8|Dulles Rail behind schedule
The details: Metro officials admit that Dulles Rail will likely open at least three months late and attract a million fewer riders than predicted. But the contractor, Dulles Transit Partners, warns the grand opening of Phase I could be delayed six months.
Accidents
9|Car crashes cost
The details: Vehicle crashes cost the Washington region $7.4 billion annually, almost twice the $4 billion in lost productivity due to traffic delays, according to a AAA-Mid Atlantic study. In 2009, 350 people died and 42,566 more were injured in local vehicle collisions.
Wrongful death
10|Murder victim's family sues
The details: Neil Godleski's family is suing D.C. for wrongful death. The Catholic University student was gunned down in Sherman Circle last year as he bicycled home from his restaurant job, allegedly by a Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services ward.
