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

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Cover story: This winter was supposed to be different for D.C.’s homeless families. But then the crisis got even worse. Here’s what went wrong.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • As school options grow, more families deal with grueling commutes to get their kids across town. [City Desk]
  • D.C. and the feds are struggling to determine how many criminal cases were affected by a police database glitch. [Loose Lips]
  • When Wal-Mart comes to town, what does it mean for workers? [WAMU]
  • Mayor Bowser‘s streetcar promises face practical hurdles. [Post]

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

Farms Race: Who gets the first ramps or strawberries of the season? The battle is on.

Crab Fake: Many local restaurants that say their crab is from Maryland are lying.

Angels in the Architecture: Only one artist got to photograph the Washington Monument’s restoration.

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

  • Ex-at-large candidate Courtney Snowden named deputy mayor. [WBJ]
  • What’s behind so many firings in the Executive Office of the Mayor? [LL]
  • District won’t fight gun court case anymore. [Times]
  • Post ed board happy that Karl Racine approved boys’ school. [Post]
  • Muriel Bowser will release her budget this morning. [Times]
  • Bowser faces challenges to expanding streetcar line. [Post]

HOUSING COMPLEX LINKS, by Aaron Wiener (tips? awiener@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • The silly law regulating changes to gas stations should be repealed. [Post]
  • Architect pursues globe-shaped global trade center atop I-395. [WBJ]
  • An April Fools’ imagining of a 10-story pop-up. [UrbanTurf]
  • A D.C. high-school dropout tries to get his GED and escape the streets. [National Journal]
  • Washingtonians can’t agree on what to call that airport in Arlington. [Post]
  • D.C., not a national innovation capital quite yet. [District, Measured]
  • Bicycle collisions jumped 32 percent last year. [WashCycle]
  • Today on the market: Chevy Chase cottage—-$899,000

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

  • We were far too smart for the shenanigans perpetrated by local arts institutions for April Fools’ Day. [Arts Desk]
  • One artist got exclusive rights to take photos of the Washington Monuments restoration from its scaffolding. His breathtaking photos are at the National Building Museum. [Arts Desk]
  • Wale says the WWE “blackballed” him after a shoving match last year. [TMZ]
  • Photos of Twin Shadow and Lolawolf at the Black Cat [D.C. Music Download]
  • Local comedians share the best April Fools’ Day pranks they ever pulled. [Arts Desk]
  • Why All the President’s Men isn’t the most accurate Watergate movie [Washingtonian]
  • An interview with the dude who wears a hot dog costume at every D.C. show Diarrhea Planet plays [DCist]

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