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 Tuesday, the D.C. Council unexpectedly did not vote on a permanent ban on cannabis clubs—private social venues where residents could legally consume marijuana. Instead, it approved a task force to study their feasibility over a four-month period. The decision pleased legal-weed advocates: In 2015, all 13 councilmembers had voted to ban the clubs on an emergency basis.
LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:
- The Council also approved legislation that, in part, would pay certain residents not to commit crimes. [AP]
- Police identified the man an officer fatally shot Monday as Peter John, 36, of no fixed address. [NBC4]
- D.C.’s Attorney General has filed a motion to intervene in the battle over the minimum wage. [City Desk]
- Does Ward 4 have a canine-attack problem? Residents there have recently suffered injuries by dogs. [Post]
- 16th Street NW, a major transportation corridor, could soon get a dedicated bus lane for rush hours. [Post]
- The head of the Federal Transit Administration says he could change members of Metro’s board. [WAMU]
- Report: The D.C. region isn’t doing as much as it could to rein in smoking. [WTOP]
RECENT CITY PAPER STORIES TO HELP YOU MAKE SENSE OF YOUR DAY:
- “Books from Birth”: A new program handled by D.C. Public Library will send kids books to their homes.
- Saving Union Arts: Some residents of the Northeast arts collective don’t want it to become a fancy hotel.
- Lobbying Woes: Activists opposed to the Pepco-Exelon merger are questioning a lobbying report by the ex-chair of pro-Mayor Muriel Bowser FreshPAC, saying it shows “a number of inconsistencies.”
LOOSE LIPS LINKS, by Will Sommer (tips? wsommer@washingtoncitypaper.com)
- Vince Gray mulls a return to politics. [Post]
- Council backs off permanent pot club ban. [City Desk, Times, DCist, Post]
- Activists want FreshPAC chairman’s lobbying report investigated. [LL]
- Council passes anti-crime bill that pays people not to commit crimes. [NBC4]
- Artists protest New York Ave. displacement at zoning hearing. [Arts Desk, WAMU]
- Do District trivia with LL on Feb. 24. [Facebook]
ARTS LINKS, by Matt Cohen (tips? mcohen@washingtoncitypaper.com)
- Signature Theatre names librettist John Weidman as winner of its 2016 Sondheim Award. [Post]
- Shake up at Dupont Underground as Braulio Agnese leaves project and Philippa Hughes takes over. [Washingtonian]
- Avenue Q leads the 2016 Helen Hayes Awards nominations. [Arts Desk]
- Are local audiences more subdued than others at shows? WAMU will investigate. [Bandwidth]
- Nearly 100 artists come out in support of Union Arts at zoning hearing. [Arts Desk]
- African American History Museum will open on Sept. 24. [Washingtonian]
YOUNG & HUNGRY LINKS, by Jessica Sidman (tips? jsidman@washingtoncitypaper.com)
- Thomas Foolery to reopen under new owners. [Borderstan]
- Where to find takeout for Super Bowl Sunday [Washingtonian]
- Why can’t restaurants ever open on time? [Post]
- Where to find Taco Tuesday deals [Eater]
- Wahlberg brothers looking to bring burger joint, Wahlburgers, to D.C. [WBJ]
- D.C. Council tables permanent cannabis club ban, approves task force to study them. [City Desk]
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