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Happy new edition of City Paper day. In print this week: The perennial mistrust of city police; the perennial fear that Barry Farm won’t ever see a renovation; and the perennial effort to stay relevant in a city that’s always changing.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • As of July 17, the homicide rate in D.C. is up 46 percent from this time last year, with 83 murders recorded thus far. In response to the uptick in homicides, MPD Chief Peter Newsham said that he deployed 25 percent more cops to the streets in Wards 7 and 8. But even with more cops in the area, the violence continues. And while many people don’t feel safe in their neighborhoods, they also don’t trust the police to help keep them safe. Some, in fact, feel like they’re in even more danger when officers arrive on the scene.

  • American University was on lockdown yesterday afternoon after a report of an armed person near campus. Some people reportedly barricaded themselves inside professors’ offices for hours. Campus police issued an all-clear just before 5 p.m.

  • Acclaimed D.C. restaurateur Ari Gejdensonreportedly declined to act on a string of specific, credible, and consistent reports that a longtime friend and manager sexually harassed and inappropriately fondled female employees. In the Post, Maura Judkis examines the claims against Gejdenson and manager Saji Rragami, and puts them in the context of the restaurant industry’s broader reckoning with sexual harassment.

  • George Pointer was born into slavery around 1773. He bought his freedom by 19, and by 23, he was an engineer for area canals. With boats he either owned or captained, he transported stone from nearby quarries to young D.C., likely contributing to the construction of the White House and Capitol. The ruins of his cottage still stand along the C&O Canal, yet D.C. has done little to remember him.

THE BULLETIN:

  • Missed Uber connection: “We shared an Uber pool from Columbia Heights on Tues, July 17. You said you grew up in DC, went to GW, spoke French, and teach at a school now. Also talked about our affinity for Wu Tang.” [craigslist]

LOOSE LIPS LINKS, by Morgan Baskin (tips? mbaskin@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Did Jack Evans accept cash from a friend and political ally? [District Dig]

  • Traci Hughes releases her first campaign video for At-Large Councilmember. [Twitter]

  • David Grossoreleased the recommendations of an education working group today on how to improve the quality of schooling in D.C. [Grosso]

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

  • Luke Stewart talks to Downbeat about his multifaceted musical persona. [Downbeat]

  • Meet the multitalented Billie Krishawn, who is headlining two of the Capital Fringe festival’s buzziest shows. [DCist]

  • On the art of designing escape rooms. [DCist]

  • Makeba Clay, The Phillips Collection’s first chief diversity officer, wants to make the famed museum more inclusive. [Washingtonian]

  • The tragic and the trite mix in Wolf Trap Opera’s new Roméo et Juliette. [WCP]

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

  • Start thinking weekend beach eats. [Washingtonian]

  • Red Bear Brewing inches closer to opening. [PoPville]

  • How Donald Trump’s trade war could impact what’s on your plate. [Eater]

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

  • The public eye turned, at least for a moment, to Barry Farm during a roundtable At-Large Councilmember Anita Bondshosted last Thursday. [WCP]

  • A Kenyan McDuffie staffer expressed discontent with transparency over the cost of a homeless shelter in Ward 5. [Twitter]

  • A handful of people have died and nearly 200 became sick after reportedly taking the synthetic drug K2. Many of these cases involved homeless residents of the shelter at 2nd and D Streets NW. [Fox5]

  • How long it takes to save for a down payment in D.C. [Curbed]

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

  • The last time Charlie Brotman was at the MLB All-Star Game in D.C., he was announcing it. On Tuesday night, the 90-year-old D.C. native was back, but this time just as a fan, soaking in the game until the very end. [WCP]

  • Venus Williams is an international icon. But to hundreds of young tennis players in Southeast, D.C., she’s a reflection of them. [WCP]

  • Is Bryce Harper leaving D.C. after the season? That’s the question on Nationals fans’ minds. Manager Dave Martinez told 106.7 The Fan on Tuesday that Harper is “a kid that was in the league at 19, he’s going to be a free agent, never talks about being a free agent, wants to play in Washington. …He’s told me that numerous times.” [Post]

HAPPENING TODAY

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