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 Reginald Stanley and Rocky Galloway are all smiles after exchanging vows at the Human Rights Campaign office near Dupont Circle Tuesday. Galloway and Stanley became the second same-sex couple legally married in Washington, D.C.: Photo by Juan Pawiroredjo

Demonstrators were noticeably absent Tuesday, as the first same-sex marriages in the history of the District of Columbia took place following months of controversy and legal wrangling.

American University Professor Jane Hall moderates a panel discussion on climate change with Assistant Professor Matthew Nisbet, American University School of Communication, Juliet Eilperin, environmental reporter, The Washington Post and Kate Sheppard, energy and environmental politics reporter, Mother Jones, Wednesday.: Photo by William W. Cummings, American Observer

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Matt Porterfield on the set of Putty Hill.: Photo by Andy Cook

Putty Hill, an independent film shot in Baltimore, directed by Baltimore-native Matt Porterfield and featuring non-professional actors from Baltimore, will make its world premiere Thursday: in Berlin.

Porterfield’s second feature, shot in August 2009 in only 12 days on a shoe-string budget, will premiere as part of the International Forum for New Cinema at the 60th annual Berlinale -- one of the largest film festivals in the world.

As snow shovels flew off the shelves and food aisles stood empty at local markets, last week D.C. braced for the storm people were calling "snowmaggedon."

There were those, however, who did venture out. Some shoveled snow, while others emergency shopped. At Dupont Circle, people were out for a different reason — to play.

The U.S. House of RepresentativesAfter spending his first year in office focusing on health care reform, President Barack Obama seemed to signal during his State of the Union speech that jobs will be the buzzword from the White House for the new year.

Early on, the president addressed the increasing frustration among voters regarding the current state of the economy.

While International Red Cross and other organizations have begun to offer help to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, a group of more than 130 programmers in Washington D.C. have started working on their own form of relief - and it comes in code form.

Among them was Paul Goodman who decided to spend his Saturday helping the relief effort in Haiti by donating his time and expertise to developing mapping software for relief agencies.

In today's recession, many Americans worry about losing their jobs while simultaneously trying to tighten their budgets.  While all may seem like doom and gloom, some industries are thriving in spite of the sluggish economy.

 
A combination of government and city officials held an event at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station to detail the ways they have and will continue to prevent crime in the D.C. metropolitan area as a part of Crime Prevention Month in the District.  

Bodybuilders, bartenders, burlesque shows, boating fanatics and haunted mansions reveal "another Washington" in this issue of the Observer. As our writers take you off the beaten path, you'll hear about the forgotten history of Walter Pierce Park, solar-powered houses and — in the third in our continuing series exploring stories from stops along the Metro — the changing identity of Chinatown.