Feb. 9, 2010 Carnival preparations, pancake race, Centralia coal fire, California mudslide, news and features.

Get up close and personal with the famous faces of Hollywood and the world of entertainment, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Beyonce, Jamie Foxx and other celebrities.

Today's best political photos.

This week's gallery features some masters of disguise in the animal world.

This week's events from around the world, including London, China, Philippines, Haiti and more, captured in photographs.

The New Orleans Saints win their first Super Bowl, beating the Indianapolis Colts 31-17.

Pennsylvania congressman John P. Murtha dies after complications from surgery.

As the snow continues to fall, hundreds converge on Dupont Circle for a massive snowball fight.

Trailing 4-1 late in the second period, Washington rallies behind an Alex Ovechkin hat trick and beats the rival Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-4, in overtime for a franchise-best 14th straight victory.

Every year, the people of Ipala, Guatemala, celebrate a decades-old tradition that brings together natives who left for better opportunities in America, and those who stayed behind.

On a day in which a blizzard of historic proportions brought Washington to a standstill, No. 7 Georgetown comes alive at Verizon Center to knock off second-ranked Villanova, 103-90.

A city still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 celebrates its Saints' berth in Super Bowl XLIV.

Indycar's Danica Patrick has gone further than any female racer before her in playing up her gender and sexuality through racy photo shoots and provocative TV ads.

The National Tea Party gathering has wrapped up in Nashville, where 600 delegates gathered.

In the midst of a D.C. blizzard, the Caps power past Atlanta, 5-2, to extend their franchise-record winning streak to 13 games.

Today's highlights in political events from across the country.

Despite their stormy past and a couple years spent apart, Kyriaki Damalas and Vasilios 'Bill' Giannopoulos were able to reconnect and find love again.

For Michael Hayden, being called "two-faced" at the office is a badge of honor. The actor gives us a backstage look as he prepares to play the lead in the Shakespeare Theatre Company's "Henry V" and "Richard II."

Six hundred tea party leaders arrived Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, for the first-ever three-day National Tea Party Convention. Organizers announced the creation of a political action committee called Ensuring Liberty Corp.

How Hollywood has chronicled the woman in white.

Leadership opportunities have come slowly to people with intellectual disabilities. But for a new generation, removing the word "retarded" out of all medical and legal lexicon has turned them into confident "self- advocates."

Celebs and politicians show their green side by sporting attractive -- and reusable -- shopping bags.

In the age of digital music and the relative bargain of a single DJ, wedding singer Kenney Holmes is determined to keep it real.

The new year meant the end of Halo Lounge, one of the city's top gay nightspots. It has been reborn as Mova, so we went back to see what has changed.

It seems creative types are feeling a bit bookish these days. Chalk it up to the big-screen adaptations of Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are" and Cormac McCarthy's "The Road." Or maybe the geek-chic fashion movement has progressed to the worlds of publishing and perfume. Whatever the motivation, this sampling of new products takes Lit 101 to the next level.

On chilly Feb. 2, Groundhog Day, the famous rodent emerges. If he sees his shadow, in front of his Pennsylvania audience, legend says winter will last another six weeks.

The Capitals haven't lost a game since Jan. 12, an 11-game span that sets a new franchise record for consecutive victories. They'll go for No. 12 Thursday against the New York Rangers.

A bonsai needs continual care and the artistic skills of its owner.

Yet another winter storm socked the region with 3-6 inches of snow on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The storm didn't pack the punch of December's near-blizzard, but it was enough to keep many kids home from school and make roads slick.

A giant frog, a dog found on an ice floe, a baby cape penguin, a brown pelican affected by the Texas oil spill, an Amazon kingfisher and more.

Children of early CIA recruits are realizing that decades of intriguing mystery does not end after their loved ones die.

Today's highlights in political events from across the country.

The nominees for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards -- hosted by Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin -- stretch from the mean streets of Iraq to another blue marble in space called Pandora.

Washington loses to Boston, 99-88, after scoring only 10 points in the final period.

After nearly five years at the National Zoo, Washington prepares to bid Tai Shan farewell on Thursday. KidsPost readers sent in goodbye cards featuring their own panda-inspired drawings. Here are a few of our favorites.

A journey along portions of the Anacostia River reveal decades-long failure to improve the ecosystem and water quality.

This week's events from around the world, captured in photographs.

For the first time, the National Gallery of Art looks at the contributions of art collectors Chester and Maud Dale with this exhibition of 83 French and American paintings, including Auguste Renoir's "A Girl With a Watering Can" and Mary Cassatt's "Boating Party."

Beyonce's six awards set a record for most Grammys won by a female artist in a single night but Taylor Swift took home the evening's biggest prize, Album of the Year, at Sunday's Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

Rockers, rappers and pop princesses rule the red carpet with individual style.

On Jan. 29 and 30, Taiwan's Cloud Gate Dance Theatre performed the transporting "Moon Water" to Bach's "Six Suites for Solo Cello" on a water-covered stage at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater.

With a $7 million deficit and roughly $100 million in debt, the state of Michigan has declared a financial emergency in the once bustling city of Pontiac.

Antawn Jamison leads Washington to its second win in a row with a career-high 23 rebounds.

Washington ties franchise record with 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay.

Washington makes it nine straight with a 4-1 victory over the visiting Florida Panthers on Friday night.

A storm that walloped southeastern states makes its way across the Washington region, leaving several inches of snow on the ground.

ABC's "Lost" returns for its sixth and final season on Feb. 2. Before the end begins, we take a look at where we last left some key characters.

For Thierry Chiapello and Sharon Spradling, it took experiencing previous failed relationships, for the pair to discover that real love doesn't require a bunch of fuss.

Even as the recession still reigns, Las Vegas bets the future on CityCenter -- a pricey, game-changing new hotel complex.

After two weeks of near-sleepless nights and exhausting rescue missions in earthquake-stricken Haiti, 114 members of Fairfax County's urban search and rescue team made it back home.

Tai Shan, 4, is the only giant panda born at the zoo to survive beyond infancy, and his departure is breaking the hearts of panda fans across the region.

A trio of female superstars -- Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga -- look to dominate Sunday's 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, which will also feature a star-studded tribute to Michael Jackson.

Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema finds that you can eat extraordinarily well in Mexico City.

Toyota took the extraordinary step of suspending the manufacture and sale of some of its most popular models because of an unresolved mechanical flaw that might cause the accelerator to get perilously stuck in the depressed position. Now, industry analysts say Toyota sacrificed quality for global growth and got burned.

On U Street, the new Patty Boom Boom offers late-night dancing to reggae and dancehall music, plenty of Red Stripe beer, and a cafe serving meat- or veggie-filled Jamaican patties.

President Obama used his first State of the Union address to address the partisanship on Capitol Hill and lay out legislative goals, including a jobs bill, health-care reform and education programs.

The Caps blow open a tied game with three quick goals in the third period to beat the Anaheim Ducks, 5-1, at Verizon Center and equal their best winning streak in 26 years.

In 2008, the Archdiocese of Washington gave up control of seven of its inner-city schools that were struggling financially, turning the facilities into secular charter schools. Dozens of teachers and hundreds of students departed; 1,000 new students signed up. Here's a glimpe of life inside one a year-and-a-half later.

Steve Jobs announced the iPad, the long-awaited tablet device from Apple.

This week's collection of cute and cuddly animal friends includes a chimp who operates a video camera.

Rod Hairston won plenty as girls' basketball coach at Eleanor Roosevelt. The WCAC, however, is a different level.

Despite the lack of a star in the women's competition, American figure skating team enters Vancouver Olympics with high expectations.

Haiti was rocked on Jan. 12 by the largest earthquake ever recorded in the area. The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 and was centered about 10 miles west of Port-au-Prince.

The talent gap between the world champion Lakers and the 14-30 Wizards was on display Tuesday night at Verizon Center.

This week's events from around the world, captured in photographs.

Investigators converge just north of the Rockville Metro, where two workers were killed early Tuesday.

A "Health Heroes" program at Surrattsville High in Clinton, Md., teaches students how to build a healthy lifestyle.

A coordinated attack on Monday, Jan. 25, hit three hotel compounds in the Iraqi capital known for housing foreign journalists, leaving dozens dead and injuring scores of others. The bombings came on the same day as the execution of "Chemical Ali," the notorious cousin of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

About 800 to 900 children living in Haitian orphanages were in the process of being adopted by families in the United States when the earthquake occurred. Many of those adoptions were expedited because of the disaster. That was the case for Christie and Dave Hubner, who ended a three-year adoption process when they picked up their daughter in Orlando on Saturday.

What do you get when you bring 2,200 political, business, academic and media luminaries together for five days? Mostly, a lot of talk. But there's the occasional Davos moment worth writing home about. Here's a look at some from recent years.

An underground train will begin service at Dulles International Airport on Tuesday, Jan. 26.

A plane carrying 90 people caught fire and crashed into the sea minutes after taking off from Beirut early Monday, Jan. 25, setting off a frantic search as debris washed ashore. Dozens of bodies were recovered and more feared dead.

Stars from film and television walk the red carpet and pick up their honors at this year's SAG Awards, held at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium.

Dayton Webber, 11, had his limbs amputated when he was 11 months old. He's now a known presence on the area's youth wrestling circuit.

Georgetown easily defeats Rutgers, 88-63.

The Wizards fall behind early and never climb out of the hole as the Miami Heat roast Washington on Friday night at Verizon Center.

The actress, who played Ophelia opposite Laurence Olivier in "Hamlet" (1948) and a revivalist preacher in "Elmer Gantry" (1960), died at age 80.

Tens of thousands of abortion opponents marched through the cold Friday in the annual March for Life, marking the 37th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.

A siege of storms has led to several deaths statewide and street flooding in urban areas. Travel snarls mounted as major highways were closed by snow and tornado damage, and strong winds grounded flights at several airports.

Under Armour founder Kevin Plank is ready for his sports apparel company to go head-to-head with major players such as Nike, Adidas and Reebok.

In a time when the personal style of so many young starlets blends seamlessly into one generically trendy whole, some designers are looking to Hollywood icons for inspiration.

In the teams' first meeting since last season's playoffs, the Washington Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Penguins for their fifth straight victory.

NBC announces a $45M exit deal with soon-to-be former 'Tonight' host Conan O'Brien. With his last show airing Jan. 22, here's a look back at his nearly eight month run on the show.

Caron Butler's attempted game-winning shot is swatted away with 1.9 seconds left.

When a 7.0 earthquake hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on January 12, it would leave Haitian immigrant and Silver Spring resident William Saint-Hilaire wondering how he'd be able to continue on without his family.

Penguins, manatees, macaques, cranes and polar bears are highlights of this week's gallery.