In this week’s edition of City Paper, learn about the cash cow that is automatic speed tickets in D.C., and how local wrestler Velveteen Dream is pushing the WWE forward.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • Never mind, Hurricane Florence isn’t really coming to D.C. Expect rain on and off through the weekend or longer, though. (The city has already seen some flooding from non-Florence rain. And guess what? Floods exacerbate the rat problem.)

  • In D.C., traffic tickets top off at $300, double if unpaid after 30 days, and are issued in perverse abundance via automated cameras. In recent years, revenue from automated enforcement has become a cash cow for D.C., with income from red light and speeding camera tickets alone jumping from just over $69 million in 2015 to over $123 million in 2016. Meanwhile traffic fatalities are on a slight but steady rise.  

  • The 120,000-square-foot Entertainment and Sports Arena is set to open on Sept. 22 on the St. Elizabeths Hospital campus in Congress Heights. Mary J. Blige performs there on October 6, Cage the Elephant performs on October 13, and November will see an eSports competition. Mayor Muriel Bowser is pretty excited about the arena.

  • Cardinal Donald Wuerlplans to resign his position when he meets Pope Francis in Rome, the Archdiocese of Washington confirms.

THE BULLETIN:

  • For map lovers: Zillow has a database of more than 17,000 neighborhood boundaries in U.S. cities. City Paper is a bit suspicious, but we’ll let you decide. [Zillow]

  • Missed connection: “Hey, it wasn’t weird or anything. You just caught me off guard, and I wanted to ask for your number but I thought I came off rude. Anyway what was I carrying that made you run up in the first place?”  [craigslist]

  • Savage Love: Dan hands out honest answers to lonely gay men. [WCP]

LOOSE LIPS LINKS, by City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • When it comes to politics, D.C.’s business community can’t get it together. [Post]

  • The bicyclist who gave Trump’s motorcade the finger is now running for the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. [Post]

  • A look at concentrated poverty in greater Washington. [D.C. Policy Center]

YOUNG & HUNGRY LINKS, by Laura Hayes (tips? lhayes@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Move to revoke the Trump Hotel’s liquor license based on character is thwarted for now. [WCP]

  • There’s a replacement restaurant for Scion in Dupont. [WBJ]

  • Why politicians should eat all of their meals in secret hiding. [Grub Street]

ARTS LINKS, by Matt Cohen (tips? mcohen@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Black Cat’s beloved Red Room and Back Stage will cease to be at the end of the year. [Post]

  • Golden State Killer investigator Paul Holes and Mindhunter author John Douglas are headlining BYT’s True Crime festival. [Washingtonian]

  • Death is not the end In L.A. Johnson‘s Future Ghosts exhibition. [WCP]

  • For Des Demonas, rhythm is everything. [Post]

HOUSING COMPLEX LINKS, by Morgan Baskin (tips? mbaskin@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Housing Complex will return next week.

SPORTS LINKS, by Kelyn Soong (tips? ksoong@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • A historic season came to an end for the Washington Mystics. Playing in their first WNBA Finals, the Mystics were swept, 3-0, by the Seattle Storm. But the future looks even more promising. [USA Today]

  • Led by second-year coach Mike London and dual-threat sophomore quarterback Caylin Newton (the younger brother of former NFL MVP Cam Newton), Howard University’s football team is going to be fun to watch. [WCP]

  • If you haven’t heard yet, Juan Soto is very good at baseball. And he’s still about a month away from his 20th birthday. [MLB.com]

HAPPENING TODAY, by Kayla Randall (tips? krandall@washingtoncitypaper.com)

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