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Video Vault, cult movie rental favorite, to close in April

Another video rental store might have been content to boast a "Horror" section, but Alexandria's Video Vault always catered to far more specialized tastes.

Gay marriages expected to create wedding-related jobs in D.C.

Georgetown residents Christopher Cahill and Richard Marshall consider the $75,000 wedding that they're planning for June to be their own "personal stimulus package" for the District economy. And local businesses are already seeing the dollar signs.

Support for Northrop Grumman tax incentives waning in D.C.

The District's bid to attract the corporate headquarters of Northrop Grumman is unraveling as several D.C. Council members question whether the city should offer the Fortune 100 company a proposed $25 million tax-incentive package.

D.C. law firm Arent Fox names Mark M. Katz new chairman

The Washington law firm Arent Fox said Monday that it has named longtime partner Mark M. Katz as its new chairman, a leadership change that comes as the legal sector copes with an economic downturn that has curtailed business and prompted layoffs.

Washington area housing market is getting competitive again, buyers and brokers report

It's getting competitive out there in the Washington area housing market, according to real estate brokers and buyers. And February market statistics just reported from Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, the local multiple listing service, back up their reports.

Mortgage interest rates down for second week as home loan applications rise

Mortgage interest rates declined for a second consecutive week as the number of home loan applications rose.

Wells Fargo eyes end to Baltimore mortgage lawsuit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co may be moving toward a settlement of Baltimore's lawsuit accusing it of steering minority borrowers to expensive home loans.

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Maryland's strong alcohol lobby likely to quash tax increase

In recent years, Maryland has raised its sales tax, income tax, corporate tax and cigarette tax; added a surcharge called the "millionaires' tax"; and created taxes on electronic bingo, tip jars and even water and septic systems -- the "flush tax."

Hollywood Stock Exchange is a stacked deck in a casino royale

Investors learned this week of Wall Street's latest attraction -- a new "futures" market where anyone from casual moviegoers to Hollywood moguls would be able to wager on the success of upcoming movies.

'Withering' report says Metro needs 3 years to be turned around

Transit expert David L. Gunn gave a blunt assessment of Metro's management, financial and service problems to its board of directors Thursday, predicting that it will take three years to turn the nation's second-busiest transit system around, according to Metro officials and sources.

IRS investigates flurry of threats against its workers and facilities

Threats against Internal Revenue Service workers and facilities continue to pour in after last month's plane crash at agency offices in Austin, according to union officials. The pilot and an IRS employee died in the crash.

Online benefits calculators

Federal retirement: http://www.opm.gov/retire/tools/calculators/ballpark/menu.asp

For McDonnell, rights directive is 'balancing act'

RICHMOND -- By issuing a directive prohibiting discrimination in the state workforce, Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell this week sought middle ground on gay rights, opting for the pragmatic approach that characterized his campaign for office.

NY, NJ jets hit birds, return safely to airports

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Two jetliners crossed paths with flocks of Canada geese shortly after taking off from airports on consecutive days in New York and New Jersey, and the collisions with the large birds forced the pilots to make emergency landings. No one was hurt.

Fed emergency loans decline in past week

WASHINGTON -- Banks borrowed less from the Federal Reserve's emergency lending program over the past week, providing further evidence that the strains caused by the financial crisis are easing.

Mortgage rates remain below 5 percent

WASHINGTON -- Mortgage rates held below the 5 percent threshold for the second straight week, a report said Thursday, weeks before a government program that has been keeping rates low is scheduled to expire.

Politics, shaky economy create no rush to restructure Fannie and Freddie

The federal government has spent the past half year seeking to roll back its emergency efforts at propping up the financial markets -- with the notable exception of its involvement in mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Rise in Washington area unemployment seen as good sign for economy's recovery

Unemployment rates rose in the District, Maryland and Virginia in January, a shift that economists said could be a positive sign for the economy because it suggests that discouraged job-seekers are feeling more optimistic about their prospects and have resumed looking for work.

John Kelly: Complaints about D.C.'s two-hour parking limit

I do not for one minute think that all Americans are guaranteed a parking space. The pursuit of a parking space, yes -- along with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness -- but a meter with some time on it right in front of your destination? No.

Zients fires up troops to change federal government hiring

"Chief performance officer" for the U.S. government is a pretty impressive title, especially when you're the first to have it. But it didn't seem to matter much to at least a few among the non-silent minority of union members who prattled on during Jeffrey Zients's luncheon speech to the National...

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House passes bill to pay Transportation employees for furlough days

If you are among the nearly 2,000 Transportation Department employees who were furloughed last week because Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) temporarily blocked funding for federal highway and transportation projects, help is on the way.

D.C. home sales

These were among sales recorded recently in the District and supplied to The Washington Post by Spatial Systems Associates Inc. and the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue. To find sale and assessment records for homes in the District and elsewhere in the Washington area, visit...

D.C. Council agenda

This is the meeting schedule for the D.C. Council and its committees for the coming week. All meetings are in the Council Chamber of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, unless otherwise noted.

How to . . . repair leather upholstery

Q: I have a leather armchair that received a small jab on the back. How can I repair it?

Montgomery Home Sales for March 11, 2010

These sales data were provided by the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. To find sale and assessment records for homes in other Washington areas, visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate .

Montgomery County crime report

These were among incidents reported by Montgomery County police. For information, call 240-773-5030.

D.C. area congressional votes

Here's how some major bills fared recently in Congress and how local congressional members voted, as provided by Thomas Voting Reports. The District's congressional delegate is not permitted to vote on final passage of legislation. "NV" means "not voting."

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Loudoun Home Sales for March 11, 2010

These sales were provided by the Office of the County Assessor. To find sale and assessment records for homes in other Washington areas, visit www.washingtonpost.com/realestate .

volunteer opportunities

The following organizations need volunteer help for a day, a week or on a regular basis.

Prince George's Home Sales for March 11, 2010

Prince William County home sales

These were among sales recorded recently in Prince William County and supplied to The Washington Post by the Prince William County Real Estate Assessments Office. To find sale and assessment records for homes in Prince William and elsewhere in the Washington area, visit...

Southern Md. Home Sales for March 11, 2010

Howard Home Sales for March 11, 2010

Anne Arundel County home sales

These were among sales recorded recently in Anne Arundel County and supplied to The Washington Post by Spatial Systems Associates, the Maryland Office of Assessments and Taxation and the Maryland Office of Planning. To find sale and assessment records for homes in Anne Arundel and elsewhere in the...

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D.C. Recorder of Deeds moving but fate of murals unclear

When visitors walk into the lobby, they are greeted by the likenesses of Frederick Douglass and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. If they take a right at the statue of a shirtless President Abraham Lincoln, they will be flanked by four murals, one showing Gen. Andrew Jackson on a white horse at th...

Fairfax County home sales

These were among sales recorded recently for Fairfax County and supplied to The Washington Post by the Real Estate Division of the Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration. To find sale and assessment records for homes in Fairfax and elsewhere in the Washington area, visit...

Alexandria and Arlington home sales

These were among sales recorded recently in Alexandria and supplied to The Washington Post by the Alexandria Department of Real Estate Assessments. To find sale and assessment records for homes in Alexandria and elsewhere in the Washington area, visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate .

Reston chamber's incubator fosters entrepreneurial dreams

When they started their business, a lack of capital was a worry for partners Mary Rogers and Rosemary Hartnett.

Thousands rally to support health-care reform in downtown Washington

Amid a sea of brightly colored T-shirts and wave after wave of protest signs, Regina Holliday's homemade banner still stuck out as she marched Tuesday in support of health-care reform.

Local Digest

Fairfax County officials voted Tuesday to advertise a budget proposal that could increase the residential property tax rate as much as 8 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Online benefits calculators for federal workers

Federal retirement: http://www.opm.gov/retire/tools/calculators/ballpark/menu.asp

Shares of bailed out companies surge

WASHINGTON -- Shares of four companies that have received huge infusions of taxpayer cash soared Tuesday after a report that the government would sell its stake in Citigroup Inc. raised hopes that other bailed-out companies would follow.

Bailed-out U.S. financial stocks surge

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The shares of companies bailed out by the U.S. government during the financial crisis surged on Tuesday, fueled by speculation about money-making asset sales, cheap valuations and a recovery.

Delta talking to other carriers about alliances

ATLANTA -- Delta Air Lines Inc., still smarting from its failed bid to lure Japan Airlines into a partnership, is talking to other carriers about expanding its global alliances, a senior executive said Tuesday without giving specifics.

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Pentagon may speed up air tanker award

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Tuesday it might award a multibillion-dollar aerial tanker contract sooner than planned after Northrop Grumman Corp and Europe's EADS pulled out of the competition, leaving Boeing Co as the sole bidder.

Pentagon resists Army's desire to stop development of MEADS missile system

Another battle is brewing at the Pentagon over a costly weapons program that many military leaders do not want but that so far has proven difficult to kill.

Report on Md. police tuition aid cites poor oversight, abuse

Montgomery County awarded more than $600,000 in no-bid payments to nine companies that had ties to county police officers and were part of a controversial tuition-assistance program, Montgomery's inspector general said in a report released Monday.

Va. Senate panel kills bill that would shield business from asbestos lawsuits

RICHMOND -- A Virginia Senate committee on Monday killed a proposal championed by House Speaker William J. Howell that would have helped protect a Fortune 500 company from asbestos lawsuits.

Friendly Sons, Fight for Children get D.C. smoking ban exemption for 2010 events

For decades, Washington power brokers have gathered on Saint Patrick's Day to toast, and in some cases invent their Irishness with Guinness, Kelly green cummerbunds and cigar smoke.

Northrop quits U.S. tanker contest

WASHINGTON/PARIS (Reuters) - Boeing Co came closer to snaring a U.S. aerial refueling aircraft contract worth up to $50 billion as Northrop Grumman Corp withdrew, charging the Air Force's rules favored its rival.

Capital One CEO receives $6.1 million in 2009

NEW YORK -- Capital One Financial Corp. awarded its CEO, Richard Fairbank, a compensation package worth $6.1 million in 2009.

Second Life's virtual money can become real-life cash

Dana Moore sells rain. He sells a lot of it, for about a buck per reusable storm.

With bank credit frozen, small U.S. businesses starting to turn to microlenders

Ryan Fochler's life changed six years ago when he left his job in the computer industry to buy an Arlington County-based dog-walking business with $50,000 in personal savings and a home-equity line of credit. The firm grew quickly, with revenue more than doubling each year. By 2008, Fochler was r...

INSIDER TRANSACTIONS

Laid-off professionals line up for part-time census jobs

For Susan Williams, the road to working as a serial temp for the U.S. Census Bureau ran through law school and a recession that has stalled many a professional career.

A ski bum turns his love of the slopes into a living

Chris Chapman owns an Anne Arundel County business that sounds deceptively simple. It brings him a comfortable six-figure income on more than $1 million in revenue, allows him to employ a handful of relatives and is built around a sport he loves.

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Friends share in D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's good fortune

Before Adrian M. Fenty was elected D.C. mayor in 2006, Sinclair Skinner lived in a worn, two-story brick home on Georgia Avenue NW above his dry cleaning business, a venture that collapsed in financial ruin.

Friends share in D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's good fortune

Maryland's bid to cash in on slots casinos in peril

If everything had gone as planned, Maryland's first slots casino would be opening this spring and four others would be on the way -- with the promise of more than $660 million a year on the horizon for education programs.

Fairfax's affordable housing plan might not change Tysons

Priced out of living in Tysons Corner, many among the 100,000-member workforce have been known to commute from as far as Fredericksburg and Oxon Hill, and even from points in West Virginia.

Color of Money Challenge: Soon-to-be-former inmates ready to rebuild their lives

Stephanie Harris's management and sales skills helped her earn $3,000 for just six or seven hours of work on a "good" day.

2 members of Leesburg environmental panel step down

Two members of Leesburg's Environmental Advisory Commission resigned last week amid increasing questions about their possible financial interests in a solar energy company.

Critics of development seek council seats in Lovettsville

Some Lovettsville homeowners who are frustrated with a major town development project will get a chance to square off against town leaders in May's election.

Loudoun County news in brief

Art in the Foothills, an annual show and sale in Bluemont, is looking for artists to participate in this year's exhibition. The juried art show will take place May 7 to 9 in the Stable at Bluemont Vineyard, on the slopes above Great Country Farms on Foggy Bottom Road.

Prince William County news in brief

Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart expressed concern Tuesday with a Virginia Railway Express proposal to add an express train that would bypass the county.

Billionaire Bubble: Ten players in the local tech scene look back, a decade later, at the frenzied days of the Internet boom and its fateful bust

Ten players from the local technology scene look back at the Internet boom and bust.

D.C. to be first U.S. city to give away free female condoms to fight HIV/AIDS

The District will become the first city in the United States to distribute female condoms free, part of a project that will make 500,000 of them available in beauty salons, convenience stores and high schools in parts of the city with high HIV rates.

Rep. Barney Frank warns of Fannie, Freddie risks

An influential voice on Capitol Hill has unexpectedly called into question the safety of investing in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, raising the specter that investors who have lent money to the two firms or bought their mortgage-backed securities could one day suffer losses.

Ex-official charged in theft from Thomas Jefferson High

A former finance official with one of the Washington area's most prestigious high schools was arrested Friday and charged with stealing $279,000 from student athletics and clubs and using the money to support a gambling habit and pay her mortgage, prosecutors said.

Southeastern U. acquired by another school in D.C.

The Graduate School, a private District institution that specializes in training government workers, announced Friday that it had completed a merger with nearby Southeastern University, which closed last year over accreditation problems.

Treasury restates support for Fannie, Freddie

WASHINGTON -- The Treasury Department was forced Friday to reiterate its financial support for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac after a key lawmaker rattled investors by pointing out that their debt does not enjoy the explicit guarantee of the federal government.

Maine, Alabama shipbuilders end team arrangement

PORTLAND, Maine -- Shipbuilders Bath Iron Works in Maine and Austal USA in Alabama are ending their partnership, allowing each of them to compete on their own for a lucrative contract to build 10 fast and agile warships for the Navy.

Local broadband provider RCN to be bought by private firm

Herndon-based RCN announced Friday that it has agreed to be acquired by a private equity investment firm.

More professionals applying for temporary Census jobs

For Susan Williams, the road to working as a serial temp for the U.S. Census Bureau ran through law school and a recession that has stalled many a professional career.

Post-quake looting challenges Chile's perceptions of social progress

CONCEPCION, CHILE -- In a country considered safe, democratic and increasingly egalitarian, the stores were sacked.

Orbital Sciences to buy General Dynamics' satellite unit

Dulles-based Orbital Sciences said Thursday that it will pay $55 million in cash to buy a satellite subsidiary of Falls Church-based General Dynamics.

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Online benefits calculators

-- Federal retirement: http://www.opm.gov/retire/tools/calculators/ballpark/menu.asp

Ex-executive of Catholic Charities criticizes health-plan change

The former chief operating officer of Catholic Charities has called on the organization to reverse its recent decision to change health benefits for employees' spouses, a move designed to avoid legitimizing same-sex marriage.

Montgomery checks hours of police officers who took classes

More than 100 Montgomery County police officers who took controversial, private firearms classes may have done so while being paid by the county, government officials said Thursday.

Montgomery renters often priced out of homes, report says

For 14 years, Dalila Bounou and her 9-year-old daughter have rented a one-bedroom apartment in Silver Spring that Bounou describes as cramped but safe. But when her monthly rent jumped to $865 in August -- a 7 percent increase -- the payment combined with her electricity bill of up to $300 a mont...

Mortgage rates fall below 5 percent

McLEAN, Va. -- Mortgages rates have dipped below 5 percent again, four weeks before a government program that is helping keep rates low is scheduled to run out.

Airlines adding up losses from February storms

-- The snow from last month's storms along the East Coast has melted in most places, but not where it matters most for airlines - their financial ledgers.

CACI International wins Navy deal worth up $588M

ARLINGTON, Va. -- CACI International Inc., which provides information technology services to the government, said Thursday that it has been awarded a Navy contract worth up to $588 million over five years.

21 District hospital workers fired for being blizzard no-shows

Washington Hospital Center fired eight more employees this week after they failed to show up for work during last month's crippling snowstorms. The hospital announced that it has also rehired three of the 16 workers it had terminated.

U.S. Postal Service to test a repurposed electric vehicle fleet

Whether it was delivering packages via locomotive or launching 3,000 letters inside a guided missile, the U.S. Postal Service has always pushed the envelope when it comes to transportation.

FAA suspends controller, supervisor after boy directs flights from JFK tower

A Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controller and supervisor were placed on administrative leave Wednesday after allowing a child to direct flights at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Feb. 17.

Mikulski calls OPM retirement system 'scandalously wasteful'

Sometimes, it seems that the Office of Personnel Management won't get the federal retirement system fixed until the crawfish whistles on the mountain, as the Russians like to say.

Barry says he can still be effective force on D.C. Council

D.C. Council member Marion Barry popped into a Southeast employment center Wednesday morning and talked with constituents about how to land jobs and other services.

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Montgomery accuses county police officer of fraud

Montgomery County sued one of its police officers Wednesday, alleging that he defrauded the county of $400,800 while running a company that provided firearms training to officers.

D.C. home sales

D.C. Council agenda

How To . . . eliminate the mothball smell in an blanket chest

Q: I bought a blanket chest at auction several years ago. I left it in the garage with the lid propped open slightly for several months to eliminate what I thought was a cigarette-smoke odor. But when I brought it in the house, it smelled overwhelmingly of mothballs. I tried putting baking soda b...

Montgomery County crime report

These were among incidents reported by Montgomery County police. For information, call 240-773-5030.

Loudoun Home Sales for March 4, 2010

These sales were provided by the Office of the County Assessor. To find sale and assessment records for homes in other Washington areas, visit www.washingtonpost.com/realestate .

Loudoun Chamber of Commerce launches series on leadership

To help area business leaders navigate a difficult economic climate, the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce is relying on a nearby resource: area business leaders.

Loudoun County news in brief

The Loudoun County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving is seeking entries for its annual student poster-essay contest. The four categories are: poster design, essay writing, public service announcement video and black-and-white photo. This year's theme is "Underage Drinking=Zero Thinking."

Loudoun County volunteer opportunities

The following organizations need volunteer help for a day, a week or on a regular basis.

Eight steps to a more eco-friendly kitchen

Once upon a time, 30 or 40 years ago, the words "green kitchen" meant that your kitchen looked like the inside of an avocado. Now (thankfully) those words mean something quite different.

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Prince George's home sales

These sales data were provided by the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation. To find sale and assessment records for other homes in the Washington area, visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate .

First Baptist Church of Glenarden hosting financial fast

First Baptist Church of Glenarden is hosting a 21-day financial fast based on "The Power to Prosper: 21 Days to Financial Freedom," a book by Washington Post columnist Michelle Singletary. The financial fast started Tuesday. Participants are asked to read a chapter a day and discuss it during...