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

Four historic Anacostia homes have been vacant so long they look nearly ready to collapse. Yet they remain the subjects of a baffling disagreement between D.C.’s Department of Housing and Community Development and the D.C. Council.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • Legal battle for inauguration-day protest space intensifies amid increasing demand. [AP]

  • Fifty stood out in the cold overnight to wait in line for affordable housing. [NBC4, ABC7]

  • In the Pizzagate gunman’s hometown, residents claim a progressive community. [Post]

  • How some commuters paid $64.35 in tolls on 495 and 95 Tuesday night. [GGW]

  • FBI will get one big building rather that 12 locations across greater Washington. [WBJ]

  • MGM National Harbor opens tonight, but the casino market is saturated. [Post]

  • Huck Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird will remain on school book shelves in Accomack County after all. [Times]

  • D.C. traffic fatalities remain constant one year into “Vision Zero” program. [WAMU]

  • After a Metrobus ran over and killed this man, his family is suing for $25 million. [WTOP]

  • A Metrobus and a vehicle collided last night, injuring 10. [Post]

  • The Nationals traded three players for Adam Eaton. What? [Post]

  • Southeast siblings have been missing for nearly three weeks. [WUSA]

  • An Arctic chill is on the way. [WTOP]

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

LOOSE LIPS LINKS, by Liz Garrigan (tips? lgarrigan@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Whistleblower suit: DGS firings were political retaliation by mayor’s office. [WAMU, Post]

  • More on those controversial LED billboards. [Times]

  • “Grumpy old man” CM Jack Evans calls Phil Mendelson “Fidel Castro.” [Twitter]

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

  • After incidents in Oakland and at Comet Ping Pong, it’s clear artists need support, protection, and most importantly, money. [WCP]

  • Read an interview with rising Maryland R&B duo April & Vista. [DC Music Download]

  • Coup Sauvage & The Snips release new single, announce new album on Sister Polygon Records. [Spark Mag]

  • PJ Harvey announces tour to support new album (featuring songs about D.C.), but is skipping D.C. [Washingtonian]

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

  • Chefs Robert Wiedmaier and David Guas to open restaurants in face-lifted hotel off Scott Circle. [WBJ]

  • Hospitality industry thinks about security post Comet Ping Pong. [Post]

  • Ethiopians in D.C. build community through food. [Eater]

  • DGS Delicatessen owners opening Hill Prince on H Street NE. [Washingtonian]

  • Bardo green lighted to open beer garden in Navy Yard. [PoPville]

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

  • Neighbors kick, scream over Ladybird project in AU Park. [Greater Greater Washington]

  • District officials kick off $720 million McMillan project despite pending court case. [WTOP, WBJ]

  • A timeline of the McMillan Sand Filtration site and its planned development. [Curbed DC]

  • Three million square feet of new development planned behind Union Station. [UrbanTurf]

  • Tracking the Jewish diaspora of greater Washington, D.C. [Greater Greater Washington]

  • Increasing rents in the District: an anomaly in the data or here to stay for a while? [Post]

  • D.C. Zoning Commission approves campus plan for Georgetown U. [Georgetown Dish]

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