At least 20 arrests were reported Wednesday in connection with an Occupy-related march in Washington D.C.

Urszula Masny-Latos of the Massachusetts Chapter of National Lawyers Guild wrote at 5 p.m. that at least four people from Occupy Boston were among those arrested. Another source said that at least two are known to be associated with Direct Action, the working group within Occupy Boston that organized demonstrations and acts of civil disobedience.

Dozens of Occupy Boston denizens went down to Washington to attend the “Take Back The Capitol” march organized by labor unions.

The view from very, very close (Morgan Lawrence for Blast Magazine)

Blast intern Morgan Lawrence is following the Foo Fighters from Washington, to New York, to Newark and back home to Boston. This is part one of her four-part series.

WASHINGTON — My journey started with a 6 a.m. flight, which meant I got to the airport sometime around 5 in the morning, rubbing sleep from my eyes. I suppose it’s some kind of karmic balance that when I checked in I had a surprise upgrade waiting for me, meaning I got to skip the somehow tremendously long security line at Boston Logan.

One of my favorite parts of travel is getting surprise upgrades. Not because of the material perks, but because it places me with the middle-aged business men oozing drier starch, aftershave and inflated self-importance. I sit among them, band t-shirt and pink-hair and iPod on, drinking my complimentary coffee and orange juice and stowing the portion-sized Sun Chips in my bag for later. I stick out like a sore thumb – a comically pampered sore thumb.

Gratefully, my paranoia about getting lost between the Metro and the venue was unfounded: the Metro stop literally let out two escalator rides below the venue. I walked out onto the street and spotted a “box office” sign immediately, scanning the sidewalk for the crowd that I was sure would be waiting- it was almost 9 a.m., after all. I kept scanning – no one. Within a moment I met two girls who looked about my age, eying me with the same kind of hope mixed with suspicion that, I’m sure, was in my own gaze as well. As we all three walked slowly toward the arena door and met in the middle, I noticed that one of them had a Foo Fighters shirt on; clearly we’re there for the same reason. And, by the looks of it, we were first.

The line time passed more quickly and pleasantly than any line I’ve been in in recent memory. Every person I met was friendly and talkative, and, most importantly, clearly as dedicated to seeing this band as I was. Only two of the first 20 or so people in line were actually from Washington, DC itself, the rest having come from as far as states away. More interesting still was that while this was my first show on the tour, I was in the minority: most saw this show as the end of their own mini-tours, or had at least been to other shows not long ago in the area. As the evening wore on, they helped us fend off people who “mistook” the front of the line for the back (read: trying to take our hard-earned spots). They were even nice enough to let me put my bag in their hotel room for the day when we found out that, despite the fact that surely I wasn’t the only one relying on a backpack to carry all of my necessary possessions, bags were not permitted into the venue.

I will say this, though — regardless of how mild the line, or how organized the lining up process (which, let’s be honest, is never really organized at all; that is purely a relative and optimistic term), the last hour to ninety minutes are the worst. Or, actually, that is not worthy of a relative term – they’re just bad, really. Anxiety heightens, as does paranoia – the free time you had before, accompanied with the appropriate I-have-all-the-time-in-the-world mentality, suddenly evaporates, and even a walk to a trashcan halfway down the block becomes dangerous because what if something happens while you’re gone? It’s totally illogical. It is essentially considered a feat if anything in the music world starts on time. Early is practically unthinkable. But the worry is there just the same.

I suppose this goes to the optimism of the concert-goer: the thought that someone with connections will realize that you’re cold and tired and near-hypothermic, soaked to the bone in a nun costume made of very thin material (uhm…never mind) and that you just want to be closer to seeing your favorite band. And, knowing that, they will wave their magic wand and let you inside.

Yeah. That never happens.

I think the truth is probably closer to one of my favorite quotes, by Mr. Oscar Wilde: The basis of optimism is sheer terror. After x amount of hours in line (where x > anything socially acceptable, often, and generally ? the length of a normal day’s work shift), a spot in line becomes less something you luck into and more something earned. As someone for whom x is always an amount that, in the end, causes passersby to confuse me with a homeless person taking refuge outside a venue, I understand this feeling all too well. Losing a spot in line through someone else’s greed or rudeness is a massive breach of etiquette on their part, and is not taken lightly, but it can sometimes be repaired with enough force. But losing it to your own folly and bad timing is unforgivable, and irreparable to boot. No one wants to risk that, even with something that isn’t a risk at all. In this case, I saw a man run to a bathroom around the corner from the line an hour before doors were set to open, come back to see that nothing at all had happened, and still take it upon himself to jog to a trash can maybe 10 yards down the street. It was as if he was convinced we would sprint through the doors as soon as he was gone, all (at least) 100 of us, leaving him behind as he threw away his paper coffee cup – sucker!

As I said before, though, very little goes earlier than according to plan in the music world, except maybe a really shitty set from an opening band that they decide to pull early. This was no exception, although I do give credit to the staff for, at least, opening the doors damn near close to right on time. It’s November, after all, which means that as the sun went down all extremities began to lose feeling and an unbreakable impatience began to settle over us all like a frost.

This is why, when doors opened, we all shot into the venue like horses out of the gate. Many of us tried to be compliant with security to speed things up but, nervous, fumbled, and only served to make things more difficult.

This is why we ran down he stairs to the wristband table an tapped our feet nervously as our tickets were checked, willing the employees to go as quickly as possible so that someone with a faster ticket scanner could somehow come up from behind and put our hours of waiting to nothing.

This is why we felt kind of stupid when they stopped us in a smaller anteroom before letting us in, as we watched in semi-terror as a larger and larger line formed behind us and up the stairs. We begged the employee guarding said door to let us in gradually, lest a stampede break out and we frontrunners be trampled, so close yet so far.

This is why we ran again when that door was opened, switching to an extremely “brisk walk” under the direction of security but then running again when the free barricade spaces were in view, just the same.

I consider my right side corner barricade spot to be one of the best vantage points in the house, if not the best. It’s positioned so that you are as close as possible while still having head-turned access to the miniature catwalk that is an outcrop of the main stage itself (which Dave Grohl tends to frequent during a number of songs). The same can be said of the corner on the left side, of course, but I’ve been partial to the right (where center isn’t possible) since my Green Day days began. Right side always meant being closer to the bassist, Mike Dirnt – who, in addition to being extremely talented, is unquestionably in the running for World’s Nicest and Most Charming Man. In the Foos’ case, this means access to one Pat Smear, who, as I knew from personal experience at Lollapalooza in August, is also in competition for that award. Or maybe they both should just win it?

First up on the band roster was The Joy Formidable, a group of guitarist/singer, bassist, and a drummer who looks scarily like Russell Brand. Guitarist Ritzy Bryant, wonderfully enthusiastic in the powerful kind of way usually dominated by testosterone-overloaded male performers, took it upon herself to catch people off-guard by making wide-eyed eye contact mid-lyric. Thankfully, I am not so easily phased – I’m of the opinion that such artist-crowd interaction is essential, and I was more than happy to nod my head and clap and grin right back. I love live music in just about all of its forms, and hell if wanting to see the Foos desperately was going to keep me from enjoying myself in the moment. I mean, come on, I’d spent the last 8 hours on a sidewalk. Live music to me sounded like the best “time kill” ever.

And, really, The Joy Formidable are good. They are. And, while I was already partial to their last song, “Whirring”(I know, I know, being partial to their only single is beyond pathetic. But what can you do?) , the end of it all left me turning to the guy behind me and exclaiming “Now that is how you send a set!” Already a track that blends instruments and pedal effects together in a fierce melody, backdrop to the Bryan’s sharp, otherwise bright vocals, this live performance took that technique and ran with it far and fast. The muted roar became a full-on cacophony. Bryan held her guitar up to the face of the amp, resulting in a healthy amount of feedback, while shredding mercilessly on the neck before giving up completely and throwing it (explaining the healthy amount of duct tape that could be seen on the instrument’s front and sides). From there she seized a mallet and smashed away at a rather large gong, the presence on stage of which was finally explained. When the storm finally passed, she and her bandmates simply walked offstage. The flowery “thank-you-we’re-so-glad-to-be-here”s had already been said, leaving them to depart with expressions fixed on their faces as harsh and unforgiving as their song had proven to be. If nothing else, their set felt overwhelmingly genuine – the spectacle didn’t feel like pandering, but more their answer to the unspoken question of “How the hell do we handle arenas this big?!”.

Next up was Social Distorion, who hold an indelible place in rock history and are cited as an influence of innumerable bands as a result. Based on those facts alone, as a hardcore music geek, I would have been excited to see them. As it stands, though, they hold an important place in the formation of my own music taste, as several of their songs were in healthy rotation on my town’s only Alternative (read: good) station during my formative years of musical exploration … which is why I was so disappointed in the way the audio dropped out during the set. On the right side, we were hit full force with the sounds of rhythm guitar, bass, drums, and some lead guitar during solos, but unless you were literally watching singer/guitarist Mike Ness’ mouth move, you would have no idea he was singing at all. No amount of panache – which Mike Ness has plenty of, by the way – can make up for that kind of oversight, which really was a shame.

Above all, ending the set with ‘Ring of Fire” was a wonderful choice, as nothing gets one’s spirits up like a good crowd sing-along. And this crowd was happy to oblige. This, and the knowledge that this set change was the only thing standing between us and the Foo Fighters, led to an unquestionable lightening of the mood between us all. Even the security/bouncers’ slightly-surly commentary of “Two down, one to go” couldn’t bring us down.

And rightfully so. I don’t know what it was about the huge cube-like light fixtures that descended over the stage right before the band walked on, but it left me with a mounting sense of excitement and anticipation of something big that had me saying, simply, “Oh shit!”. And then all too suddenly we were in the thick of it, with Dave screaming my favorite line: “These are my famous last words!”

I’ve always said “What a way to open an album!” about that line, and about that track (“Bridge Burning”, off “Wasting Light”) in general. Now I can safely say “What a way to open a show!” Dave Grohl seemed to think so, too. Going back to my previous music-nomad experience, Billie Joe Armstrong, when excited, will goad the crowd into Simon-says session of “hey oh!”. Apparently, when Dave Grohl is excited, he does the same – but without the whole “using words” thing. Instead he lets out a signature roar that demands we follow suit, filling the stadium with the kind of raw power and energy that I so love about their music, even on the record. And then….

How does one even begin to describe this show? I’ve heard every song they performed innumerable times, but each one was packed with so much life and power that it was impossible not to freak out like they’d just busted out a rarity from ’95.

More importantly, though, watching the Foo Fighters play live, even the hits they’ve played for every show since the tracks were written, one thing becomes clear: these men love playing their instruments, and they are really fucking good at it. As a drummer, and as a fan of drummers, I’m constantly rooting for the drummer to get the spotlight, to really fucking steal the show. And while Dave Grohl clearly loved to dart around the stage like a kid who’s had one too many Pixie Stix, shredding off a new mini-solo or blues digression or even some interlude that sounds oddly like free-form jazz, he couldn’t overshadow Mr. Taylor Hawkins. And he very clearly had no desire too, either. For every time you thought Dave, as the lead, was taking over a song, Taylor would fire back with something truly mind-boggling on the drums that left even Dave standing by admiringly, grinning like a fool. They would segue off after or even during one off their hits and do something completely different, showing off and just enjoying playing with each other, the 19,000 other people in the room be damned.

Their onstage rapport also deserves a mention. Usually, obviously, it’s Dave, who rotates between the effortless charm of a cool guy who just happens to be a kick-your-ass rock musician and the comportment of a teenager after chugging a few Rock Star energy drinks. Case and point: band introductions. “Don’t ever move to DC, Pat – too many people here love you,” he cautioned, after a particularly loud and prolonged round of applause went up for Mr. Smear. He called Taylor “The man who needs no introduction”, but looked mock-offended when he was cut off by the roar of the crowd. Taylor waved in various directions in response, smiling like a 12-year-old kid who just did particularly well in a piano recital but doesn’t quite know why. He proceeded to introduce Dave as “the man who really needs no introduction”, to which Dave cheekily responded “Then why are you giving me one?”

Dave and Chris Shiflett, lead guitarist, at one point got in a full-on shred-off. Dave stood below us all on a constructed runway and Chris still onstage, walking – no, strolling – to and fro, mock- put off by Dave’s show and firing a mini-solo right back at him at every turn. As much as we were celebrating the music that these men had put out and its effect on all of us, it was clear that we were just as much celebrating these men as musicians – and, even, music itself. This became all too clear when Dave stepped up to the microphone and told the kids in the audience, the next generation of musicians, that if they wanted to start a band to close their computers and go buy a guitar instead. Music, real music, was what this was all about.

It made sense, then, that Dave sauntered back out to the raised platform and played “Wheels” – a song he jokingly referred to as being only popular in Germany. In almost the same breath, though, he demanded that we all yell the chorus with him, bribing us with a promised “4-hour show” at DC’s small venue, the 9:30 Club (apparently a theme of Dave’s on this tour).

He further used his vantage point, speaking to thousands of residents of his hometown, as an opportunity to bemoan the desecration of his “beloved Springfield Mall” (comparing its current state to something out of the apocalyptic film “28 Days Later”) but reasoned that he was glad things had changed since he’d lived there – he had changed, too. He noted wryly, though, that he expected every review of the show to immediately bring up the past, to which he gave an emphatic “Fuck 20 years ago!”.

This portion of the show was a totally unique and very cool concert experience, for a number of reasons. For one, as I said before, I’m a sucker for a good group singalong, especially when the “group” is 18,999 of your closest friends. But, second, the majority of the house lights were on, and this meant that nearly every damn person in the stands was visible. And, because Dave was the center of attention (the rest of the band was off on a beer break), the entire pit was now turned to face the back of the arena. From where I stood, 10 feet from the stage, a huge portion of the stands were visible. It was a fishbowl effect, in a way, or a concert setup in reverse. It was what it must feel like (in a limited way, of course) to stand on that stage and see so very many faces singing back at you. It was awesome.

I could easily bitch about Dave’s penchant for choosing 1 of 4, at least, different locations to stand and sing, in only 1 of which I could actually see his face – but I really can’t. First, it’s like he said, addressing the people in the nosebleeds at the very back of the arena – the “shitty seats” – “They’re not so shitty now, are they?”. I really respect the fact that he spreads his presence around as much as he can, even if those people didn’t wait nearly as long as I did to see him up close .Second, I really do think that this, if unintentionally, reinforced why we were there. We weren’t there to gawk at Dave’s handsome face for 2.5 hours, as wonderful (and warranted) as that would be. No, we were there to enjoy the music and to be a community. And I think this – all of us belting out the chorus to “Best of You” and “Times Like These”, just before the rest of the band triumphantly reemerged to bring it home – accomplished that in a way that nothing else could.

Of course, this wasn’t the real encore – not yet. As I said, the rest of the band rejoined the leading man, taking the main stage. Soon after, Dave brought out who else but DC native Bob Mould to join for “Dear Rosemary”, a truly gorgeous version of the track on the record to which he contributed. We also got Story Time with Dave, where he told us about his first broken heart at age 12. To that unfortunate girl who so wounded him he dedicated the next song, Tom Petty’s “Breakdown”, which was actually fantastic – and this is coming from someone who is more than critical of covers, especially those by artists I respect (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, obviously, falling into that category, because I have ears, damn it!).

They wrapped it all up with “Everlong”, which was simply too wonderful for words. The lines “And I wonder/If anything could ever feel this real forever/if anything could ever be this good again” seemed to hit full force as I stood there, feeling nothing but purely, totally happy.

I made sure to get my tour t-shirt as I left, feeling pretty much like nothing could stop me (save the absolute impossibility of getting a cab after a concert in Washington, DC on a Saturday night…but that’s another story). 1 down, 3 to go.

A bullet hit a White House window early Tuesday morning, but was stopped by the building’s ballistic glass, according to the U.S. Secret Service.

The Secret Service said a second bullet was found on the White House grounds. No one was injured.

Authorities did not specify the type of bullet. The discovery came after reports by witnesses hearing gunfire near the White House on Friday.

President Barack Obama was not home at the time.

Investigators believe the bullets were not fired intentionally at the White House, but may have the been the byproduct of street crime in Washington.

THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. Congress has now approved a compromise to reduce the deficit and avert a default that would have devastated our economy. It was a long and contentious debate. And I want to thank the American people for keeping up the pressure on their elected officials to put politics aside and work together for the good of the country.

This compromise guarantees more than $2 trillion in deficit reduction. It’s an important first step to ensuring that as a nation we live within our means. Yet it also allows us to keep making key investments in things like education and research that lead to new jobs, and assures that we’re not cutting too abruptly while the economy is still fragile.

This is, however, just the first step. This compromise requires that both parties work together on a larger plan to cut the deficit, which is important for the long-term health of our economy. And since you can’t close the deficit with just spending cuts, we’ll need a balanced approach where everything is on the table. Yes, that means making some adjustments to protect health care programs like Medicare so they’re there for future generations. It also means reforming our tax code so that the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations pay their fair share. And it means getting rid of taxpayer subsidies to oil and gas companies, and tax loopholes that help billionaires pay a lower tax rate than teachers and nurses.

I’ve said it before; I will say it again: We can’t balance the budget on the backs of the very people who have borne the biggest brunt of this recession. We can’t make it tougher for young people to go to college, or ask seniors to pay more for health care, or ask scientists to give up on promising medical research because we couldn’t close a tax shelter for the most fortunate among us. Everyone is going to have to chip in. It’s only fair. That’s the principle I’ll be fighting for during the next phase of this process.

And in the coming months, I’ll continue also to fight for what the American people care most about: new jobs, higher wages and faster economic growth. While Washington has been absorbed in this debate about deficits, people across the country are asking what we can do to help the father looking for work. What are we going to do for the single mom who’s seen her hours cut back at the hospital? What are we going to do to make it easier for businesses to put up that “now hiring” sign?

That’s part of the reason that people are so frustrated with what’s been going on in this town. In the last few months, the economy has already had to absorb an earthquake in Japan, the economic headwinds coming from Europe, the Arab Spring and the [rise] in oil prices — all of which have been very challenging for the recovery. But these are things we couldn’t control. Our economy didn’t need Washington to come along with a manufactured crisis to make things worse. That was in our hands. It’s pretty likely that the uncertainty surrounding the raising of the debt ceiling — for both businesses and consumers — has been unsettling, and just one more impediment to the full recovery that we need. And it was something that we could have avoided entirely.

So, voters may have chosen divided government, but they sure didn’t vote for dysfunctional government. They want us to solve problems. They want us to get this economy growing and adding jobs. And while deficit reduction is part of that agenda, it is not the whole agenda. Growing the economy isn’t just about cutting spending; it’s not about rolling back regulations that protect our air and our water and keep our people safe. That’s not how we’re going to get past this recession. We’re going to have to do more than that.

And that’s why, when Congress gets back from recess, I will urge them to immediately take some steps — bipartisan, common-sense steps — that will make a difference; that will create a climate where businesses can hire, where folks have more money in their pockets to spend, where people who are out of work can find good jobs.

We need to begin by extending tax cuts for middle-class families so that you have more money in your paychecks next year. If you’ve got more money in your paycheck, you’re more likely to spend it. And that means small businesses and medium-sized businesses and large businesses will all have more customers. That means they’ll be in a better position to hire.

And while we’re at it, we need to make sure that millions of workers who are still pounding the pavement looking for jobs to support their families are not denied needed unemployment benefits.

Through patent reform, we can cut the red tape that stops too many inventors and entrepreneurs from quickly turning new ideas into thriving businesses — which holds our whole economy back. And I want Congress to pass a set of trade deals — deals we’ve already negotiated — that would help displaced workers looking for new jobs and would allow our businesses to sell more products in countries in Asia and South America, products that are stamped with the words “Made in America.”

We also need to give more opportunities to all those construction workers out there who lost their jobs when the housing boom went bust. We could put them to work right now, by giving loans to private companies that want to repair our roads and our bridges and our airports, rebuilding our infrastructure. We have workers who need jobs and a country that needs rebuilding; an infrastructure bank would help us put them together.

And while we’re on the topic of infrastructure, there’s another stalemate in Congress right now involving our aviation industry which has stalled airport construction projects all around the country and put the jobs of tens of thousands of construction workers and others at risk -– because of politics. It’s another Washington-inflicted wound on America, and Congress needs to break that impasse now –- hopefully before the Senate adjourns -– so these folks can get back to work.

So these are some things that we could be doing right now. There’s no reason for Congress not to send me those bills so I can sign them into law right away as soon as they get back from recess. Both parties share power in Washington, and both parties need to take responsibility for improving this economy. It’s not a Democratic responsibility or a Republican responsibility; it is our collective responsibility as Americans. And I’ll be discussing additional ideas in the weeks ahead to help companies hire, invest and expand.

So, we’ve seen in the past few days that Washington has the ability to focus when there’s a timer ticking down, and when there’s a looming disaster. It shouldn’t take the risk of default -– the risk of economic catastrophe -– to get folks in this town to work together and do their jobs. Because there’s already a quiet crisis going on in the lives of a lot of families, in a lot of communities, all across the country. They’re looking for work, and they have been for a while; or they’re making do with fewer hours or fewer customers; or they’re just trying to make ends meet. That ought to compel Washington to cooperate. That ought to compel Washington to compromise, and it ought to compel Washington to act. That ought to be enough to get all of us in this town to do the jobs we were sent here to do. We’ve got to do everything in our power to grow this economy and put America back to work. That’s what I intend to do, and I’m looking forward to working with Congress to make it happen.

Thanks very much, everybody.

Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann has been ridiculed for alleging that President Obama’s trip to India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan is costing $200 million a day or roughly the same cost of waging war in Afghanistan. It has long been the White House’s official policy not to talk about what it costs for a president to travel, but Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications, participated in a podcast from the White House to address some other questions about President Obama’s trip to Asia.

Blast asked him to describe the “logistical challenges of the President spending a few days on the other side of the globe” and here’s how he answered:

Well, it’s an interesting question. There’s an extraordinary amount of work that goes into planning and executing any presidential trip. You have the advance teams that go out and look at the different sites that the president will be visiting. You have the embassy or your consulate on the ground that is coordinating those stops. And you, of course, have our staff here at the White House and the State Department working to plan the president’s trip.

That’s the balance we try to strike. A good and successful trip is one that allows us to do a lot of official business, but also to reach out beyond the halls of government to again engage with peoples from different countries.

The response was edited for length.

WASHINGTON — The Rally to Restore Sanity was chaotic.

I love a good march for any issue I’m passionate about, but this march and/or rally was quite a bit different. For one, there were enormous crowds — more enormous than usual. I spent an hour on the Metro before I finally emerged at Archives and started walking toward the Mall.

I learned three things from the Rally. First, always bring a tall man with broad shoulders — I got a great view sitting on them. Second, don’t go to a march if you’re claustrophobic. A girl next to us freaked out and next thing you know, she passed out, and it took the medical people a while to push their way through the crowds. The last thing I learned at the rally is that sometimes it’s OK to stay at home and watch it on TV.

If you go to the rally, can’t hear anything, and get stuck in a huge crowd of people, you’re pretty much guaranteed to miss the entire thing — which I did.

So, I don’t have any deep thoughts about the rally, having missed it, but I did get some great shots and I had an awesome time. I’m sure it’ll be up on YouTube.

Photos by Maggie Winters as well

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert hosted the “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear” in Washington D.C. in the National Mall on Saturday.

The rally was a satiric response to conservative commentator Glenn Beck’s rally here on September 11.

Stewart and Colbert built their stage on the opposite end of the Mall from the Lincoln Memorial steps, where conservative commentator Glenn Beck led his religiously-charged “Restoring Honor” rally.

(Photos credit/WireImage)

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert hosted “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear” at the National Mall in Washington Saturday. The event was for a joint rally that crowded streets, taxed the transit system and flooded the Mall.

The two comedians’ skewering of the media, Democrats and Republicans has been lauded as a great way to appeal to a large segment of the population, especially young voters, frustrated by politicians and the murky political process that takes place in Congress.

Washington post reports, that Stewart said, “The only place we don’t is here or on cable TV. If we amplify everything, we hear nothing.”

Interestingly, Stewart and Colbert built their stage on the opposite end of the Mall from the Lincoln Memorial steps, where conservative commentator Glenn Beck led a similarly vast and homogeneous crowd two months ago. That rally, with its religious theme of “Restoring Honor,” had conservative political undertones and prompted Saturday’s satiric response.

Also, the two rallies represented two distinct television audiences and self-identifying political constituencies.

Yusuf Islam and Ozzy Osbourne even performed a few songs onstage.

An American woman detained in Iran arrived back to the U.S. after more than a year.

Sarah Shourd touched down in Washington D.C. early this morning from Dubai, according to Shourd’s media spokeswoman, Samantha Topping.

Shourd then made her way to New York and held a press conference this afternoon. Shourd thanked the Iranian government and religious leaders for her release from Iran’s notorious Evin Prison.

“It is my deepest hope that the world will not let this humanitarian gesture … go unrecognized,” she said, reading from a prepared statement.

She also called on the government to release two fellow detained Americans, Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, both of whom are still locked up in Evin.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told ABC’s “This Week” that his powers to release prisoners are limited, and that Fattal and Bauer would have to make their case in Iranian courts.

Shourd, Bauer and Fattal were arrested in in 2009 after they supposedly crossed an unmarked Iran-Iraq border while hiking in Kurdistan. The three were accused of espionage, and Shourd was held in solitary confinement.

Earlier this year Roxana Saberi, another woman accused of espionage by the Iranian government, was also released after almost a year. She wrote a book, called Between Two Worlds, documenting the conditions and circumstances surrounded her imprisonment.

Saberi told CNN that Shourd’s days in solitary confinement could have felt like her own; endless, fearful, uncertain and consumed with an anger toward God and those who held her in captivity.

PHOENIX — Attention all Twilight fans! Make sure that you make it to “Twilight Night” at Desert Ridge Marketplace in Phoenix tonight at 6pm. Get a chance to celebrate the imminent release of “Twilight: Eclipse” (releasing next Wednesday — don’t act like you don’t have it circled on your calendar).

The event, which is being hosted by Summit Entertainment, will include screenings of both “Twilight” and “Twilight: New Moon” and clips from “Twilight: Eclipse” on a giant outdoor screen as well as a guest appearance by Justin Chon, who plays Eric Yorkie in the films.

Fans will get a chance to play games, take photos in front of a Forks, Washington backdrop and on a red carpet as well as enter for a chance to win tickets to a screening of “Eclipse.” Not a bad deal, considering the entire event is free!

The event officially begins at 6pm, but bracelets, which guarantee chairs at the screenings, will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis, so make sure to get there early.

Microsoft held an invite-only gaming press event in Washington State today and it was absolutely packed with hard-hitting news.

Here’s a breakdown of everything important.

Halo: Reach‘s multiplayer beta will launch May 3, 2010 for those with a copy of Halo 3: ODST.

Dead Rising 2 will release August 31.

Alan Wake will hit shelves May 18 and those who pre-order the title will receive the “Bright Falls Bonus Pack, which includes exclusive content like Avatar gear, an Xbox LIVE theme, and a "making of" video.”

Final Fantasy XIII is getting an Xbox 360-themed bundle. It will include a 250GB hard drive, a standard edition copy of the game, exclusive downloadable content and two wireless controllers. It’ll go on sale for $399 March 9, when the game releases.

Microsoft’s Game Room, as well as Perfect Dark XBLA will arrive this March.

Lost Planet 2 will arrive May 18.

And Fable III will release, as we already knew, sometime this Holiday season. More to come about the third Fable installment. Check back!

Source: Major Nelson

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. “" For many in search of the perfect Fourth of July holiday weekend, they make their way to Loudoun County, Virginia. Considered a part of the Washington D.C. metroplex, but removed enough not to be “city” Loudoun County is a poignant representation of our country’s beginnings and is the perfect weekend getaway for anyone who can appreciate a historical flair or at least a great glass of wine, a home-cooked meal and some good company.

In the first few years of this century, Loudoun County grew in population by 71 percent, growing in popularity due to its proximity to D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia, and for its unique charm. The residents of the county fight hard for its preservation and its identity as a mark on the Civil War Tour Map. The stone walls surrounding many of the plantations and farms still exist from the time of slavery, testaments to the lasting legacy of the darker corners of our nation’s history.

The sense of immersion in the history of the area is overwhelming, and one can feel a deep-seated nostalgia creeping in; the feeling of getting away to a secret place in simpler times, where the food tastes better, and the European-rooted charm and antiquity are palpable. Take a leisurely drive along roads that curve and bend like snakes, through the valleys of the fabled Shenandoah, and one can see placards which name the infamous locations of many of the Civil War’s fiercest battles. Loudoun County became an important stop on the Confederate Army’s route way to try to cut the heart out of the Union’s plans to take control of the South.

Its history, in fact, is unmatched by most weekend getaway locales “" the journey through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area, a 175-mile corridor between Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia, places Loudoun County at the heart of it all. Because of the wealth of natural resources in the area, it was a popular spot for Union raids. Highways are still named after John Mosby, the leader of “Mosby’s Rangers” a group of cavalrymen who eventually carried the surrender orders to Appomattox Court House.

The Civil War wasn’t the only war in which Loudoun County played an integral part. The American Revolution, as well as the War of 1812, had their hand in shaping the local towns. John Mosby, Jackie Kennedy, George C. Marshall, and F. Scott Fitzgerald add to this history, as they often visited and vacationed here. Most of the old general stores are still in working order; the over-commercialization that has gripped the rest of the country has been slow to take hold here.

There is a strong agricultural presence, which allows the vistas to stretch into the horizon gracefully from the two-lane highways that stretch throughout the county. Hills that roll along lazily under big, white, puffy clouds, and the grain that waves in the wind “" it really is no doubt that when our forefathers wrote “America the Beautiful” they must have had Virginia in mind. But Loudoun County boasts far more than landscape to keep you occupied when visiting.

Loudoun County is a surprisingly sophisticated blend. Any sport related to horses is a popular pastime in the area, and you can often catch a fox hunt, polo game, or horse race and show in the right season. Many of the world’s jockeys are trained in the area, and national horse trials are held in the Morven Park International Equestrian Center. Olympic riders are trained there, the Kennedys rode there, and many Derby winners were trained and groomed there.

There is a kindness to the people, some would say typical of the South, that comes from this anchor in farming and equestrianism, as well as a commitment to protect and fight for their land. When you work hard, you get to play hard, and it’s easy to relax here after the race is over. Loudoun County boasts an amazing number of wineries for its square mileage; some host guests and provide outdoor cinema nights in the summer. There are four main clusters of boutique wineries spread throughout the county. Some have spas or bed and breakfasts, and the warmer months are filled with food, wine, and beer festivals.

Another way to experience some of the local flavor is to visit one of the many gourmet establishments peppered throughout the area. The Red Fox Inn holds the title of “America’s oldest continually operating Inn and Restaurant” having been open since the early 1700s, with an addition of 35 rooms and an expansive wine cellar in the late 1700s. Another popular stop is the French Hound, a cute eatery where passionate husband and wife duo John-Gustin and Marny Birkitt operate as chef and sommelier. Down the road is a local pub that is restaurant by day, music and pool hall by night “" The Red Horse Tavern. There is a little bit of everything to appease those mid-getaway cravings, and not only is the food amazing, it’s often grown close to home, prepared based on what is in season, and the staff well-informed and friendly, knowing most of the locals by name.

Virginia is for lovers, as the saying goes, and those that love excellent wine, great food, entertainment of yesteryear, and a historic charm will be reminded of the spirit that has carried us all forward to become the nation we are now. Visiting Loudoun County is a lesson in humility; the beauty of its land and the community of its people are awe-inspiring. Thanks to its location at the heart of many wars, the good soil, and some first-rate patriots, there are sights to see, gastronomical adventures to be had, and friends to be made.

An 88-year-old white supremacist shot and killed African-American security guard Stephen Tyrone Johns at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. Wednesday, just before being shot by return fire from two other guards.

Law enforcement sources, who initially refused to name the shooter yesterday, identified the man as James W. von Brunn, an elderly Maryland man with a long history of white supremacist ties. He is still at hospital in “critical condition.”

Von Brunn is, according to a website he maintains called “The Holy Western Empire,” a World War II veteran who served with the U.S. Navy. He’s billed his website as “a new, hard-hitting expose of the Jew conspiracy to destroy the white gene pool.”

Von Brunn has a daunting criminal record. In 1981, armed with two guns, a knife and a mock bomb, he entered the Federal Reserve’s Washington headquarters in an attempt to kidnap officials. He was subsequently arrested on attempted kidnapping, assault, second-degree burglary and weapons charges.

Von Brunn said he tried to commit the crime because he was upset with high interest rates and the state of the economy, which was at that time in a recession. He blamed the Jews for the issue.

After a trial von Brunn was sentenced to six years in prison, a sentence he blamed on a “Negro jury” and a “Jew judge.”

He is also a known Holocaust denier. Von Brunn committed Wednesday’s shooting on the day the museum was set to stage a play about Anne Frank, just two days before what would have been her 80th birthday. He’s said he thinks “The Diary of Anne Frank” was a hoax.

He now faces first-degree murder charges and, if convicted, could face the death penalty.

“There was blood everywhere”

On Wednesday, the shooter, armed with a rifle, walked into the museum around 12:50 p.m. and shot a guard near the security checkpoints and metal detectors.

CNN reports the guard opened the door for the 88-year-old, after which von Brunn pulled out his rifle and shot Officer Johns.

Police Sgt. David Schlosser told reporters two other guards acted quickly and open fired on the assailant, striking him with a bullet.

The Washington Post reports a third person sustained minor injuries in the event.

A young woman interviewed by CNN said she heard five shots and saw the guard lying face down on the ground bleeding. She told the reporter that guards demanded the gunman “drop the weapon.” When he didn’t respond, the two guards began shooting.

“There was blood everywhere,” she said.

Another witness told the Post that he was in line for tickets with his wife and two grandchildren when the shots were fired. He then heard someone yell “hit the deck!” and his family immediately ducked for cover.

They were then evacuated along with a “couple thousand” others, including students on a school trip. All the students are reportedly unharmed.

Surprise attack

Joseph Persichini, assistant director of the Bureau’s Washington field office, said the FBI had no prior knowledge of the attack.

“Preliminary indication is that this incident involved a lone suspect. At this time, we have no additional intelligence information to indicate threats to area landmarks but will monitor the situation closely,” he added.

The Post reports bomb sniffing dogs were deployed to some of the more than 100 locations listed in a notebook found in the gunman’s car.

However, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty said the attack was an “isolated incident.”

The Israeli embassy issued a statement expressing their sadness over the attack.

President Obama has also expressed grief. “This outrageous act reminds us that we must remain vigilant against anti-Semitism and prejudice in all its forms,” he said.

In a statement posted on its website, the Holocaust Museum said Officer Johns “died heroically in the line of duty.” The museum will close Thursday to honor Officer Johns.

Professor says she’s not surprised by shooting

Maki Haberfield, a Hebrew University of Jerusalem alumni and professor of criminal justice at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, says she isn’t surprised this event took place in the nation’s capital.

“If one looks at the proliferation of the right wing militias in this country and their mantras that they, quite openly, place on the web, it is not surprising that we just witnessed this event,” she said Wednesday just hours after the shooting.

Haberfield believes websites that openly display anti-American and racially charged hate should be moderated.

“It should be prevented. There is a freedom of speech but not a freedom of hate speech that incites violent acts. Hate speech is and should be an exception to the freedom of speech,” she said.

She also suggested the U.S. government dedicate more resources to battling homegrown terrorism and train local law enforcement to deal with immediate threats that federal officials wouldn’t be able to handle in a timely manner.

“Local law enforcement is better positioned to identify the homegrown threat,” she said. “[The U.S. should] allocate funds for local law enforcement to have more training and awareness towards home grown groups…[and] start looking at the various modalities of the white neo-Nazis.”

In the past some have argued that security guards at museums should not carry guns since they protect what is, essentially, an educational facility. Haberfield however thinks in places of high sensitivity, like the Holocaust Museum, guards should carry weapons to protect what, for many neo-Nazis, is a symbolic target.

Haberfield also evaluated the emotions of the two guards who shot von Brunn. She praised their quick thinking and good judgement.

“Fear, fear and more fear. People assume that armed individuals, be it police officers or private security, experience high pressured situations in a different way than an average person – it is not true, they are just better equipped to respond in a desired manner but the emotions are the same,” she added.

WASHINGTON — Well another president has come and gone, and we stand basking in the glow of America’s great Historical Renaissance. Cue the ghosts of FDR, Lincoln and Kennedy.

It’s Showtime.

Millions of people witnessed President Barack Obama’s inauguration, but I went to our nation’s capital for a different reason.

Nestled in Virginia-for-lovers, and on the coast, you are greeted by sweeping blue skies and marshmallow clouds mirrored in the famous pond in front of the Capitol Building, we saw so many people wading through post-inauguration. Whilst I believe perhaps a few more of our politicians should maybe take a trip down to this massive pond, take a peak in and get a grip on reality.

I don’t, however, suggest to anyone to wade in said pond, no need to leave Washington as slimy as so many others have entered.

The weather is generally pleasant,‚  with lots of sunshine, so put on your walking shoes and load your iPod with victory songs. We’re going marchin’ on Washington.

The National Mall is a Mecca of people-watching, as Washingtonians flock to jog off the latest pork belly bill, and these folks are in good shape. With the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial shining like beacons at each end, either side of The Mall is flanked by the Smithsonian Museums, which could take you days to explore in its entirety. ‚ 

One of the newest buildings in the Smithsonian Institute is the National Museum of the Native American which is a merit in American architecture. In fact, all of the Smithsonian buildings are amazingly designed, and are a part of the art that they house.‚  Even if years of American History and global art didn’t rest in peace safely behind these well designed walls, there is plenty of eye candy just taking a stroll up and down the Mall.

My first trip to Washington was in Middle School. Spending my young life in Catholic school, a light in the dark was a class expedition. I was enamored then, as I am now. The entire city is well kept, a much needed escape from the grimy horizon-less New York City I call home, and each lawn, monument, tourist attraction and White House is perfectly manicured, and represents a variety of native flora and fauna.‚ 

The birds and squirrels that reside within the district’s boundaries must have been laid off by Disney — they are so accustomed to human interaction that they often come up and look at you as if to have a conversation on the state of affairs. If only they could speak English; the tales I’m sure they would tell.

The National Mall is a Mecca of people-watching, as Washingtonians flock to jog off the latest pork belly bill, and these folks are in good shape

Aside from the obvious Mall walk,‚ D.C. has several not-so-off-the-beaten-path areas that are filled with as much charm as David Hasselhoff in his glory days.‚  Penn’s Quarter has become the center of arts and theater, with a brand new arena the NHL’s Capitols call home. Typical of any melting pot city lies a bustling Chinatown. Forget about opium dens and dark alleys, D.C.’s Chinatown is clean, neat and tourist-friendly. It’s also an easy ride on the Metro.

An homage to superheroes everywhere, the Metro is well lit, clean, and sculptural eye candy, worthy of any Gotham or Metropolis. Union Station is a standard on any D.C. tour. Reminiscent of Grand Central Station in New York City, Union Station is chock-full of 5-star restaurant and food court alike, with shops to whittle away time waiting for your train.

If you’re looking for the Fifth Avenue of D.C. then hop on the Metro over to Georgetown. Home of Georgetown University, this area of the district is vibrant and young, with pizza to make New York blush. Most of the 200 year-old row houses have been restored to their “Young Republic” heyday.

Only 68.3 square miles, D.C. is less than lacking in life, even though the majority of what is projected seems old and crotchety. D.C. is the center of the new American Renaissance, and deservedly so.

President Obama. It feels nice to write that phrase without the word “elect.”

For those who watched history today, you saw the overwhelming support with which Obama was presented at National Mall in Washington D.C. He told the crowd he was humbled, and really, there is no other emotion he could have felt when he stepped out onto that podium and looked out at the crowd of nearly two million adoring supporters, all there not to see him recite a simple, yet groundbreaking oath.

Obama’s inaugural toast was fantastic, but the best thing I think he said was this: “To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West “" know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.” People will judge you by what you build, not what you destroy. Just a longer way to see “peace shall overcome.”

He spoke of laying the groundwork for a productive and happy tomorrow, one where future generations don’t inherit the same worries we face today, to make sure they are able to harness the freedom that is rightfully theirs and to keep its flame lit as it passes from generation to generation.

That freedom, after so many years of apathetic government and economic powers who cheated and lied us into this situation, is at great risk. But I don’t think many doubt that with this man, and his family and the helm of the most powerful nation in the world, all will be restored, in due time.

The most historical event I have ever witnessed, possibly the most historical I will ever witness. President Obama, an inspirational figure ranking alongside the likes of Lincoln, even before he stepped into the Oval Office.

Just a day after Martin Luther King Day, he was inaugurated. I’ve seen footage of the day King gave his historical speech, and I without a doubt can say the emotion and pride within the people that were not only in Washington, but watching all around the world, matched the spirit held by those in attendance some 45 years ago.

Before President Bush went into this helicopter, he mouthed to Mrs. Obama something along these lines: you’ll have the time of your life, I promise you. We hope, for at least the next four years, we all do.

What a day.

As the government prepares an economic bailout that could cust as much as $700 billion, one group calculates that American taxpayers and families will be left with the tab — despite what both candidates are saying about lowering taxes.

WashingtonWatch.com‚ says American taxpayers could be hit with $2,000 and families with $6,500 in extra costs from the bailout

“It is possible that the federal government will not expend all of those $700 billion, or even make some money back later,” said WashingtonWatch.com’s Jim Harper, “but I agree with those who call that possibility laughable.”

The blog cites the Resolution Trust Corporation, tasked with cleaning up the Savings and Loan mess years ago. The estimated cost of that crisis was $50 billion, but taxpayers ended up paying $124 billion before all was said and done.

“The bailout is plainly a sop to the financial services companies whose profits were privatized and whose losses will now be socialized,” said Harper. “Proponents say that it’s needed to prevent further financial catastrophe. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says that reforms will follow. It’s up to you whom you agree with and whom you believe.”

The draft legislation would raise the public debt limit to $11.3 trillion dollars. That’s $116,000 per family, or $37,000 per person, in governmental debt.