This is the chamber where the nine justices hear all sorts of cases from around the country. I wasn't allowed to take photos so I found this one on the court Web site so you can see what it looks like.
As you probably know, there is an upcoming vacancy on the Court due to the retirement of Justice John Paul Stevens. President Barack Obama has nominated Elana Kagan for the spot. She still needs to go through Senate confirmation hearings and get the approval of the Senate. But if she does, she will work here! She would be the fourth woman to serve on the high court.
Back outside the court, there were a ton of tourists and school groups! I met a nice lady who recognized me. She even knew my name! Here she is holding me up so you can see me among all the tourists.
Right next to the Supreme Court is the Library of Congress. Did you know that you can get an I.D. card for this library? I didn't get one because I don't have a Social Security number. But if you come to Washington, D.C., that would be a GREAT souvenir!
The cool thing about the Library of Congress is that it houses many important documents, like historic drafts of the Declaration of Independence, George Washington's copy of the Constitution, and the map that first used the word "America" for the New World. It also has on permanent display the Gutenberg Bible, which is the first major book printed with a printing press.
After visiting the Supreme Court and Library of Congress, I headed to the USA TODAY office, where my host works. And guess what? There was a press conference taking place across the street that I got to watch!
You can't see what is going on from where I am, but below is a close-up photo. The man in the black hat is Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian Fenty! How about that? It's only my second day in D.C. and I've already seen the MAYOR!
By the way, do you know what the "D.C." in Washington, D.C., stands for? It stands for the District of Columbia. That is the official name for this city, which is the capital of the United States. Technically, the District of Columbia is not a state and it's not located in any state either. It's completely seperate! The reason is that back when the U.S. was founded, it was thought that it would be unfair for one state to be home to the nation's capital.
As a result, things are a bit different here than they are in any of the states. There is no governor -- just the mayor. And there is no legislature -- just the city council. Also, D.C. doesn't have any U.S. senators or U.S. representatives in Congress either! The District does have one delegate, but she can't vote. Many people think that is unfair and they are trying to get a law passed to change that.
Anyway, I had such a fun day! I can't wait to find out what is in store for me tomorrow!
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