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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To build or not to build? That is the question before the Shakespeare Theatre Company, which last year announced it would construct its new headquarters in Southwest, in partnership with Alexandria-based developer Erkiletian. Since then, some residents have cried foul over the project’s proposed height and density, citing concerns about overdevelopment. Both sides are now engaged in a standoff that could partly determine the future of Southwest.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • Mayor Muriel Bowser and MPD Chief Cathy Lanier announced Wednesday that the District will offer bigger rewards for gun tips, to help crack down on the city’s rising violent-crime problem. [Loose Lips]
  • Hours later, at a Ward 7 town hall meeting, people expressed anger over D.C.’s crime-response. [WUSA9]
  • Local transportation buzz: Car2Go will expand to Arlington, and Metro is “a mess.” [City Desk, The Hill]
  • Zookeepers at the National Zoo believe that panda Mei Xiang seems to be pregnant. [City Desk]
  • D.C. statehood activists hit the beaches of Ocean City, Md. yesterday to advocate for the cause. [City Desk]

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

  • “Unacceptable”: That’s what Mayor Muriel Bowser called D.C.’s homicide spike last week. How are she and other District officials managing the growing violent-crime issue? Our Loose Lips columnist considers.
  • August is the Cruelest Month: For restaurants, that is. Or so it used to be, owners tell Young & Hungry.
  • Hank’s on the Water(front): D.C. eatery Hank’s Oyster Bar will open at the future Wharf project in 2017.

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

  • Muriel Bowser ups rewards for gun tips as homicide rate spikes. [LL, NBC4]
  • Cathy Lanier says her new deployments aren’t driving crime. [Post]
  • Finalist designs revealed for World War I memorial. [WBJ]
  • Armed robbery suspects arrested. [Post]
  • New task force aims at improving coordination with charter schools. [Post]

ARTS LINKS, by Christina Cauterucci (tips? ccauterucci@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Chuck Brown Memorial Park has been open for a year. Has it won over its neighbors? [Arts Desk]
  • Five designs that could become D.C.’s next World War I memorial [CityLab]
  • These D.C. skateboarding videos were filmed on a betamax in the ’80s. [DCist]
  • An interview with Hyattsville artist (and former Hirshhorn conservator) Clarke Bedford on his steampunk art cars [Theodore Carter]
  • Watch a new video from Young Rapids for “Odd Numbers.” [DC Music Download]

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

  • Eight amazing cocktails to try right now in D.C. [Zagat]
  • DC Summer Restaurant Week extensions [Washingtonian]
  • Tai Shan Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown closes at the end of the month. [Eater]
  • Tom Sietsema gives veggie-heavy fast-casual restaurant Beefsteak two stars. [Post]
  • Big Bear Cafe launches monthly family-style dinner called Wine and Swine. [PoPville]
  • D.C.’s 14 best summer restaurant and bar openings [Thrillist]