The Beasts Of The Big East: Six weeks ago, the Georgetown Hoyas went to Pittsburgh and got absolutely spanked, 72-60, in a game that wasn’t even as close as the final score indicated. Today, in their first Big East tournament game, the Hoyas returned the favor, sending Pitt off to the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 64-52 win at Madison Square Garden. Senior Henry Sims and freshman Otto Porter each scored 20 points. Porter, it’s worth noting, wasn’t picked for the conference’s all-freshman team this year. +3

Hazmat Threats R Us: Local hazardous materials squads got a workout today, in two situations that both turned out harmless. In the District, someone sent white powder to Oyster-Adams School, forcing an evacuation while police examined it before giving the all-clear. In Frederick County, Md., meanwhile, state fire officials were called in to examine a suspicious coconut left at the county courthouse. No word on how the suspiciousness or lack thereof of coconuts is determined. -1

The Local 1 Percent: The annual Forbes list of the richest people on the planet is out, and it turns out there are 14 billionaires in our midst here in the D.C. area. Candy heiress Jacqueline Mars, worth $13.8 billion, was the richest Washington-region person on the list, at number 52. Former Washington City Paper legal adversary Dan Snyder, worth $1.1 billion, was on the list at 1075, the poorest rich Washingtonian to make the cut. +1

Peyton Place: The quarterback of the future for the Washington Redskins may not be Rex Grossman, after all. With Peyton Manning officially no longer an Indianapolis Colt, the NFL world is buzzing with speculation that the future Hall of Famer will soon be wearing burgundy and gold. With the team’s track record of signing established stars in the offseason, we’re sure that would work out just fine. -1

Yesterday’s Needle rating: 67 Today’s score: +4 Today’s Needle rating: 71