Here's the latest word on attempts by the Washington Blade staff to rise from the ashes: The staff met up this morning, after spending time yesterday clearing out their offices with help from friends. A staff member who attended the meeting tells us that they do plan to put out a paper this week.
What's not clear: who's paying for it, whether the staff will be paid, and how the paper will be distributed.
Earlier today, the owner of the weekly Falls Church (Va.) News-Press, Nicholas Benton, confirmed that his corporation had won a bid to obtain the Washington Blade. However, the Blade abruptly shut down yesterday without Benton's prior knowledge.
"Everything was in place, although moving slowly, to make the seamless transition we hoped for. But I remain unaware of what happened, and as a result of Monday's events, the Blade is gone after 40 years of publication, its employees are out of work, and the nation's and region's LGBT community has been stripped of an invaluable institution." Benton said in a press release.
Meanwhile, the staff of the Blade says they're operating as business as usual for as long as they can.
