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

As D.C.’s first elected attorney general, Karl Racine burst onto the political scene in 2014. Almost from the start, as if a political origin story had been written for him, he was being discussed as a potential aspirant to the mayor’s office. Racine is engaging and, unlike Muriel Bowser, instantly likeable. Handsome, graying, quick with a quip or an F-bomb, he projects as a genial man’s man whose values are rooted in family, civic engagement, and team sports.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • D.C. sues a Florida-based landlord for neglecting a Columbia Heights building. [WCP]

  • AU offers $1,000 reward for information on hate crime perpetrator(s). [WAMU]

  • AU kicks WAMU reporters covering hate crime protests off campus. [Washingtonian]

  • Student body president speaks on the bananas found hanging in nooses. [NBC4]

  • Mark Levin is accused of fabricating an intelligence career and sexually abusing men. [Post]

  • A man set a woman on fire at hotel on New York Avenue in Northeast. [Post]

  • Teens attacked and stabbed a man at the Potomac Ave. Metro stop. [ABC7]

  • A D.C. elementary school stands up for hugs. [WUSA9]

  • A downpour will likely begin tonight and continue until Friday morning. [Post]

  • Angel Rich, a brilliant D.C. tech entrepreneur (and a black woman), gets the short end of the venture capital stick. [Forbes]

  • Two girls, Dajanay Bowens and Ronique Kinard, have gone missing. [WUSA9, 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 pivots to child care shortages. [WJLA]

  • Poor people have more health problems. [Times]

  • Military veterans describe bad conditions at VA Hospital. [NBC4]

  • Nevermind: GWU RA’s cancel union election. [DCist]

  • Metro’s “safety first” mantra meets claims of poor service. [WAMU]

  • Council has ideas for addressing the rat problem. [FOX5]

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

  • The essence of D.C. experimental jazz legend Brother Ah. [Bandcamp]

  • Near Northeast on how D.C. has shaped their music. [DC Music Download]

  • Your guide to this weekend’s fourth annual Funk Parade. [Express]

  • Watch the music video for Humble Fire’s new single “Taliesin.” [Northern Transmissions]

  • In which the Fyre Festival co-founder once promised D.C. a Ja Rule concert and—shocker!—failed to deliver. [DCist]

  • Listen to the debut EP from D.C. punks Pink Film. [CLRVYNT]

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

  • Why restaurants really want you to drink. [WCP]

  • The Royal hires its most impressive chef to date. [WCP]

  • Tom Sietsema’sspring dining guide has arrived. [Post]

  • Sweetgreen’s new cashless policy is unfair. [Medium]

  • Who makes the best guacamole in D.C.? [DC Refined]

  • Get to know the vendors at Annandale’s food hall. [Washingtonian]

  • Does a James Beard Award actually boost a restaurant’s bottom line? [Eater]

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

  • Capitol Hill residents frustrated with activity in nabe’s homes. [Capitol Hill Corner]

  • Buzzard Point, Southwest: A new frontier of gentrification in the District. [WAMU]

  • More on the cons of D.C.’s rapid rehousing program for the homeless. [WAMU]

  • D.C. home prices have skyrocketed compared to elsewhere. [District Measured]

  • Most homes in D.C. have surpassed their pre-recession peak value. [UrbanTurf]

  • Developers break ground on large mixed-use project in Navy Yard. [Curbed DC]

  • Brookland: a land of single-family homes with a small-town feel in D.C. [Post]

  • The basics of housing supply and demand in the District. [GGW]

  • New column on fair housing issues in the District debuts. [ERC]

  • Micro-hotel with 245-rooms opens in Chinatown. [Bisnow]

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