Stories by Erin Mershon:
April 12, 2011
Several lawmakers credit their parents' jobs with influencing their politics.
April 11, 2011
Talk about a happy meal. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer celebrated the last-minute deal that averted a government shutdown by chowing down on Saturday morning at an oh-so-elegant establishment: McDonalds.
April 6, 2011
Speaker John Boehner might be known for his waterworks, but the Ohio Republican doesnt usually tear up for Democrats.
April 6, 2011
Sen. Jim Webb will host a television special, "Born Fighting," Sunday night on the Smithsonian Channel.
April 5, 2011
Members are known for their quickie autobiographies and ghostwritten campaign books. But novels? Thats a different story.
April 1, 2011
Sens. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) might caucus together on the Senate floor, but they dont always share such camaraderie.
March 28, 2011
Washingtonians hoping to avoid the million people who descend on D.C. during the National Cherry Blossom Festival can take advantage of the lesser-known blossoms around Capitol Hill. Nearly 400 cherry trees pepper the Capitol grounds alone.
March 25, 2011
The Irvine Contemporary art gallery is showcasing Shepard Fairey's work. He's best known for his iconic Hope portrait of President Barack Obama.
March 21, 2011
Its a good thing Steve Schultz isnt the type to get jealous.
March 16, 2011
The American Red Cross provided free lifesaving training Wednesday on Capitol Hill in honor of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
March 14, 2011
Although they are home to outspoken members of both parties, churches on Capitol Hill can provide a forum for bipartisan cooperation and good deeds.
March 11, 2011
The National Gallery of Art recently acquired "Green River Cliffs, Wyoming," a painting by American artist Thomas Moran.
March 8, 2011
Sen. Bernie Sanders is publishing his eight-hour filibuster from last December as a book, The Speech: A Historic Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the Decline of our Middle Class.
March 7, 2011
Capitol Hill may not have the same reputation as Bourbon Street in New Orleans, but everyone in the area is getting ready to laissez les bon temps rouler for Mardi Gras tonight.
March 4, 2011
Usually, its only Hollywood celebrities and pompous night clubbers who dare don sunglasses indoors. One of D.C.s own trendsetters, however, is bringing the style to the halls of Congress.
March 1, 2011
The Atlas Performing Arts Centers second annual Intersections festival bring together an array of art forms and artists differing in race, culture, age and skill level.
Feb. 28, 2011
The National Library Service program celebrates its 80th anniversary this year. More than 320,000 books and 70 current magazines are available, and 113 regional libraries participate in the program, interacting with patrons and facilitating the mailings.
Feb. 25, 2011
Blinky Palermo: Retrospective 1964-1977, a new exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum, traces the evolution of the artists vision through more than 70 of his most famous works, a third of which have never before been shown in the U.S.
Feb. 18, 2011
Former Rep. John Stephen Steve Horn (R-Calif.) passed away peacefully at his home in Long Beach on Thursday. He was 79 and had Alzheimers disease.
Feb. 16, 2011
Venice: Canaletto and his Rivals, opening this weekend at the National Gallery of Art, boasts more than 50 vibrant paintings of the architecture, canals and alleyways of the Italian lagoon city.
Feb. 15, 2011
Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.) gets away from politics with his impressive car collection.
Feb. 14, 2011
The coral reef at the National Museum of Natural History encompasses an estimated 800,000 yards of fiber and more than 520 square feet. It made by more than 800 volunteers as part of an art and environmentalism project called the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef.
Feb. 1, 2011
A former Hill staffer accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the office of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) was found guilty Tuesday.
Jan. 28, 2011
Madame Tussauds in D.C. is preparing to open an interactive exhibit featuring wax figures of every U.S. president, including favorites Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan.
Jan. 24, 2011
The Botanic Garden's newest exhibit whisks its audience to Scotlands most captivating gardens, thanks to 40 large-scale photographs by Allan Pollok-Morris.