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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.

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On Thursday, a smoke incident on Metro tracks led the transit agency to close the Federal Center SW and Capitol South stations to conduct emergency replacements of third-rail insulators. The headache for rush-hour commuters preceded a major announcement expected Friday from Metro leader Paul Wiedefeld on big plans for maintenance.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • The District won’t see a stipend program for at-risk youth after the annual budgeting process. [Post, AP]
  • Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton says she doesn’t want flammable substances moving through D.C. [WAMU]
  • How ex-congressional rep and civil rights leader Walter E. Fauntroy fell into a downward spiral. [Post]
  • A pop-up crab shack will soon take over the former Crane & Turtle space in Petworth. [Young & Hungry]
  • D.C. Public Schools teachers protested on Thursday morning, demanding new contracts. [FOX5, DCist]
  • D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson is poised to tweak Mayor Muriel Bowser’s homeless shelter plan. [NBC4]
  • D.C.’s Department of Health will distribute anti-Zika virus kits at community meetings on Saturday. [Post]

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

  • Rarin’ to Go-Go: Eleven-member band Rare Essence has been keeping go-go alive through four decades.
  • Tipping Point: If the District increases the tipped minimum wage, currently at $2.77, will tips disappear?
  • Todd v. Andrews: Can Ward 4 D.C. councilmember hopeful Leon Andrews unseat Brandon Todd?

LOOSE LIPS LINKS, by Will Sommer (tips? wsommer@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Leon Andrews spends a lot of his own money to maybe lose to Brandon Todd in Ward 4. [LL]
  • Muriel Bowser on The Politics Hour  [WAMU]
  • Teachers protest over their salaries. [Post]
  • Long odds for gambling initiative. [WAMU]
  • What will a minimum wage increase mean for restaurant tips? [Y&H]
  • Eleanor Homes Norton unhappy with ethanol shipments. [WAMU]
  • ABRA kills K Street club’s buzz. [Borderstan]
  • More on $50 million anti-displacement plan for Ward 8. [WAMU]

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

  • For 40 years, Rare Essence has kept D.C.’s home-grown beat alive. It hasn’t always been easy. [WCP]
  • And its new album, Turn It Up, proves the band isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. [Post]
  • D.C.’s comedy scene is growing, but can it rival NYC and L.A.? [Arts Desk]
  • Office of Planning announces 15 city-wide pop-up art projects. [DCist]
  • Art-house movie theater Suns Cinema opens this weekend. [Arts Desk]
  • How Kokayi turned city sounds into a song about gentrification in D.C. [Washingtonian]
  • Listen to Oddisee‘s new album, The Odd Tape. [NPR Music]
  • An interview with Shellée Haynesworth, who painted U Street’s “Black Broadway on U” mural. [Bandwidth]

YOUNG & HUNGRY LINKS, by Jessica Sidman (tips? jsidman@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • The best cheap restaurants around D.C. [Washingtonian]
  • BAB Korean Fusion review: A house divided between old and new. [Post]
  • Man slams Hummer into Silver Diner in Tysons Corner. [WJLA]
  • Tracking margarita prices around D.C. [Eater]
  • K Street bar Sugar fined $19,000, ordered by ABRA to close. [Borderstan]