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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Mayor Muriel Bowser is defending her appointment of Corbett Price to Metro’s board of directors as she faces criticism from labor for the pick.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • A choking toddler died as D.C. Fire & EMS apparently failed to dispatch a nearby fire engine. [ABC7]
  • A D.C. official faces a $105,000 judgment in a harassment case. [Loose Lips]
  • The Watergate Hotel prepares to reopen and play up its “scandalous past.” [Housing Complex]
  • Here’s what you can see at D.C.’s newest museum, opening this weekend. [Arts Desk]

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

Title Bout: This 14th Street NW boxing club has been a haven from crime and poverty for decades. But its surroundings have changed.

Screen Favor: Is iPad painting Pop art for the 21st century?

The Holy Rail: H Street NE may not need the streetcar. Benning Road still does.

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

  • Labor strife for the streetcar. [Post]
  • People’s Counsel brass owes $105K in bizarre harassment case. [LL]
  • Ex-union chief for District employees pleads out on shotgun charge. [LL]
  • Mary Cheh mulls new rules to curb the spread of “superbugs.” [WBJ]
  • Choking child dies after ambulance mishap. [Post]
  • Remember that investigation into Vince Gray‘s campaign? He does. [LL]
  • Home healthcare workers want $15 an hour. [Post]
  • Post ed board wants councilmembers to back off on interference in D.C. Jail contract. [Post]
  • The rap against Corizon, the company set to take over the D.C. Jail contract. [Think Progress]
  • More on the police database review. [WAMU]
  • Muriel Bowser, meet Bowser. [Post]

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

  • The deal to rebuild Frager’s Hardware has collapsed. [WBJ]
  • Old Truxton Circle stables slated to become 120 apartments. [UrbanTurf]
  • Silver Line handrails have been catching fire. [NBC4]
  • D.C. and Arlington will try to woo Chinese investors on a dinner cruise. [WBJ]
  • 7-Eleven invades the D.C. area. [Post]
  • Renderings of the 125-apartment building across from the H Street NE Giant. [UrbanTurf]
  • Condos likely at 14th and U site. [SALM]
  • The Secret Service seems to be harassing cyclists in Rock Creek Park. [WashCycle]
  • Today on the market: Rowhouse off H Street NE—-$899,000

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

  • A recap of the D.C. music showcase at SXSW, including the festival’s first-ever go-go show, courtesy of Rare Essence [Arts Desk]
  • Sean Gray of Fan Death Records and Accidental Guest Records talks about venue accessibility and how the D.C. punk scene has given folks with disabilities short shrift. [The Kojo Nnamdi Show]
  • Pop artists turned a critical eye on consumerism and brand names. iPad painting embraces them. [Arts Desk]
  • Silver Spring’s Quarry House Tavern, home of a venerable weekly rockabilly night, was damaged by a fire at the Bombay Gaylord Indian restaurant. [WTOP]
  • Photos of Paperhaus, Prinze George, and Jukebox the Ghost at the SXSW D.C. music show [Verbicide]
  • A kids’ chess club in Philly has named itself after Minor Threat. [DCist]

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

  • Where to eat out for Passover [Eater]
  • Pitmasters Back Alley BBQ makes its cooks sign non-disclosure agreements. [Express]
  • Silver Spring’s Quarry House Tavern and Bombay Gaylord closed following two-alarm fire. [Post]
  • New sushi restaurant opening in Ballston. [ARLnow]
  • Where to watch March Madness in D.C. [Drink DC]
  • Is kelp the new kale? [NPR]