A morning roundup of news, opinion, and links from City Paper and around the District. Send tips and ideas to citydesk@washingtoncitypaper.com.

A new report on graduation and attendance in D.C. Public Schools, commissioned in the wake of the Ballou High School scandal, contains some uncomfortable truths about academic promotion. More than 10 percent of last year’s DCPS graduates missed most of the school year, but graduated because teachers felt pressured to advance them through the ranks by school administrators. In order to boost the District’s graduation statistics, teachers at Ballou were encouraged to offer extra credit to these chronically absent students.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • Despite the closure of its labor and delivery unit, women are still giving birth at United Medical Center. [Post]

  • Last night’s snow led to school and business closures this morning. [WJLA]

  • As many face deportation with the cancellation of temporary protective status, Salvadorans in D.C. reflect on the ways the city has changed. [CityLab]

  • Here’s how Metro workers fixed the cracked rail that caused Monday’s Red Line derailment. [WTOP]

  • Inspectors had already examined that rail three times this month. [WJLA]

  • Passengers have come to expect major Metro problems over the years. [Post]

  • The Department of Justice supports the Archdiocese of Washington in its fight with Metro over non-secular fundraising ads. [WUSA9]

  • The man who raped woman on a Metro train was found guilty. [WJLA]

  • 122-year-old trolley trestle in Glover-Archbold Park could collapse at any moment. [Post]

RECENT CITY PAPER STORIES TO HELP YOU MAKE SENSE OF YOUR DAY:

LOOSE LIPS LINKS, byCity Paper staff (tips? tips@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Vince Gray wants subpoena power to obtain internal documents and make witnesses testify about United Medical Center. [WBJ]

  • Police announce seizure of an illegal gun at a Southeast middle school on Twitter. [Post]

  • New tax law will bring revenue to D.C. but don’t call it a windfall. [D.C. Policy Center]

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

  • Reminder: Our next Luce Unplugged show at the American Art Museum takes place on Friday, with performances by Time is Fire and Light Beams. [WCP]

  • The Washington National Opera’s American Opera Initiative kicks off this weekend with the world premieres of four short operas. [DC Theatre Scene]

  • Remembering the time The Cranberries played a free show in D.C. in 1995—and a riot broke out. [WTOP]

  • Check out photos from this year’s D.C. Tattoo Expo (and please think twice before going through with that face tattoo). [DC Refined]

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

  • The best meal at Brothers & Sisters inside The LINE Hotel might be breakfast. [WCP]

  • Tadich Grill, a San Francisco import embroiled in a family feud, has closed. [Eater]

  • Critic Ann Limperteats her way through three Wharf restaurants. [Washingtonian]

  • If your office has a refrigerator, you share in the passive-aggressive pain. [Post]

  • The I.V. Doc is in D.C. to cure your hangovers. [DC Refined]

HOUSING COMPLEX LINKS, by Andrew Giambrone (tips? agiambrone@washingtoncitypaper)

  • The net number of D.C. condo sales dropped significantly last year. [UrbanTurf]

  • Preservationists review Kingman Park’s proposed historic designation. [UrbanTurf]

  • Editorial: Historic preservation in D.C. favors neighbors, not good design. [GGW]

  • Petworth business owners advocate for gas station redevelopments. [Petworth News]

  • Construction firms drop lawsuit over Ballou High School renovation. [WBJ]

  • Renaissance hotel on New Hampshire Ave. NW is sold, rebranded as The Wink. [WBJ]

  • French investor buys downtown office building for $165 million. [Bisnow]

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