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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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Incumbent and Mayor Muriel Bowser-ally Brandon Todd could face a difficult reelection: On Wednesday, seven candidates who ran against him in last year’s special election to replace Bowser as Ward 4 Councilmember came out in support of one of his opponents, Leon Andrews. In the special election, Todd earned less than half the vote.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • House Republicans pilloried Metro leaders about safety and money yesterday. [City Desk, WAMU, NBC4]
  • A new report finds the D.C. area could add about 170,000 jobs in the next decade across sectors. [WAMU]
  • D.C.’s private ambulances have responded within 10 minutes 75 percent of the time since starting. [NBC4]
  • Capital Bikeshare will only cost $5 a year for residents who use certain social services. [City Desk, DCist]
  • Hotel Hive in Foggy Bottom will be the District’s first “micro-hotel” when it soon opens. [Washingtonian]
  • D.C.’s Attorney General is investigating major retailers’ “on-call” scheduling practices. [City Desk, DCist]
  • Armed robbers at a hotel allegedly stole $30,000 from a man who says he wanted to buy a car. [Borderstan]

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

  • McPherson Square: Most of the serious safety defects Metro found during the shutdown were at one station.
  • EquityEats: The D.C.-based crowdfunding platform is allowing its investors to turn their equity into credit.
  • Punks v. NIMBYS: Neighbors complained about noise from the Damaged City Fest in Columbia Heights.

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

  • Turns out Republicans aren’t thrilled about public transit. [City Desk, DCist, Times, Post]
  • Ward 4 special election candidates back a challenger for Brandon Todd. [LL]
  • One man’s journey through the housing system. [District Dig]
  • Karl Racine wants scheduling investigation. [City Desk, DCist]
  • Pepco customers will start seeing merger credits on their bills. [WBJ]

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

  • Want to know which local film festivals are right for you? Take this quiz! [Express]
  • How All Songs Considered‘s Bob Boilen went from the Tiny Desk to a musical tastemaker. [Post]
  • Watch a new music video from D.C. expat Benjy Ferree. [Bandwidth]
  • Punks versus NIMBYs. [Arts Desk]
  • The first annual 202 Comedy Festival kicked off yesterday. [DCist]
  • After 21 years, local actor Dawn Ursula is enjoying a season of firsts. [Post]
  • Coming soon to Farragut Square Park: free outdoor concerts. [Washingtonian]
  • Once again, Paperhaus reinvents itself. [DC Music Download]
  • Meet The Harry Bells, the most boisterous band in D.C. [Bandwidth]

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

  • The Chesapeake Bay blue crab population is up 35 percent. [DCist]
  • Eric Ziebold’s Métier, slated to open April 26, will cost $200 per person. [Post]
  • Five new D.C.-area brunches to try this weekend [Zagat]
  • Details on the Tasty Dug-Out, now open inside Ray’s Hell Burger [Washingtonian]
  • The talent behind the chefs [Arlington Magazine]
  • Searching for döner, shawarma, and gyro in D.C.—and learning the difference [Eater]