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

First, Mayor Muriel Bowser delivered a budget to the D.C. Council that virtually everyone agreed sold per-pupil spending short. Then she brushed off the Inspector General’s findings that former Chancellor Kaya Henderson showed favoritism in school placements for Bowser appointees, allowing them to bypass the school lottery that other District families must unhappily navigate. Only after the Post sunk its teeth into the story did the mayor act. Then she went back to the council with changes to the budget, an effort that members viewed as both “political gamesmanship” and too little, too late. Who in the world is advising her?

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • There’s a fee on your D.C. water bill that helps pay for breaks like the one that flooded MacArthur Boulevard yesterday. [NBC4]

  • But some Northeast homeowners recently filed a lawsuit against D.C.’s Water and Sewer Authority for not making repairs after their basements flooded. [WCP’s DocumentCloud]

  • A late-afternoon cold front might come through, and it might rain hard. [Post]

  • Xavier Luckey, 6, was going to his birthday party when a car killed him. [Post]

  • A pro-Purple Line petition is circulating. [GGW]

  • Pop-up stores in old Metro cars at Grosvenor-Strathmore Station. [WAMU]

  • On Kojo, a conversation on the relationship between black leadership and incarcerating black men, nationally and in D.C. [WAMU]

  • Kenneth Parker, 28, was found dead in his cell at D.C. jail yesterday. [Post]

  • He was in jail for shooting a 9-year-old boy during a shootout. [NBC4]

  • Organ transplant survivor overcomes cancer, looks to help others. [WUSA9]

  • A 17-year-old is graduating GMU with a master’s degree in math. [NBC4]

  • Carl Prather Jr., 15, has been missing for nine days. [WUSA9]

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

LOOSE LIPS LINKS, by Jeffrey Anderson (tips? jeff.anderson@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Bowser school budget can’t stop staff cuts. [Post]

  • But council members find money for higher per-pupil spending. [WAMU]

  • A report on the disparity in health outcomes in the District. [D.C. Policy Center]

  • Miss District of Columbia, aka Miss USA, talks healthcare. [NBC4]

  • It’s official: Chaffetzresigns. [DCist]

  • FOX5 clarifies, but does not retract, bogus Seth Rich story. [DCist]

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

  • The Washington Jewish Film Festival begins. Here’s our guide. [WCP]

  • Despite the cold and mud, the Kingman Island Bluegrass and Folk Festival still rocked. [DC Music Download]

  • Can a working actor get famous in one of Shakespeare’s least-famous plays? Ask Ian Merrill Peakes. He’s dying to know. [WCP]

  • MeetLaura Giannarelli, who’s attended all 33 Helen Hayes Awards. [DC Theatre Scene]

  • Star Wars yoga is apparently a thing? [Washingtonian]

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

  • You can’t hate someone if you like their food. [Post]

  • It’s winery season. Here are 11 daylong trips from D.C. [Washingtonian]

  • You can now sip a drink as you ride National Harbor’s Capital Wheel. [WTOP]

  • Explore the farms, wineries, and breweries in MoCo. [Bethesda Mag]

  • The Dacha Beer Garden backlash continues. [FOX 5]

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

  • Mendo still mad about vacant Anacostia houses. [Twitter]

  • D.C. gets closer to guaranteeing legal representation in housing cases. [WAMU]

  • Three councilmembers explain why they want that to become a reality. [Post]

  • Developer plans residential project at an Exxon site in Georgetown. [UrbanTurf]

  • Planners weigh options for replacing the Long Bridge over the Potomac. [GGW]

  • Industry group asks fed regulators to censure creators of anti-Airbnb ad. [Times]

  • What $4,600 a month can rent you in the District. [Curbed DC]

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