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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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The Washington Post editorial board endorsed Muriel Bowser in the upcoming mayoral race, writing that she is a protege of former Mayor Adrian Fenty and has “articulated an agenda that balances the need for continued economic growth with an understanding of the stresses growth can bring.” The editorial board wrote that the ongoing investigation into Mayor Vince Gray‘s 2010 campaign and his refusal to be forthcoming about what happened “strike us as close to disqualifying.”

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • The District will release the findings of its internal investigation into the death of a man who collapsed near a fire station and was refused help by the fire fighters working there. [News4]
  • D.C.’s attorney general says a proposed ballot initiative that would legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana violates federal law and should be kept off the November ballot. [WAMU]
  • The Corcoran Gallery had been publicly seeking a partnership with the University of Maryland since last April. UMD officials say they only learned Wednesday that a partnership was off the table and that the troubled institution would be absorbed by the National Gallery of Art and George Washington University. [Arts Desk]
  • The House of Cards production company warned Maryland that if it doesn’t get more tax credits, it will pack up and film its show in another state. [Post]

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

Judge Not: Our latest cover story looks at why D.C. let a disbarred lawyer serve as a workers’ comp judge, enabling him to issue hundreds of decisions through the Department of Employment Services that now could be overturned.

Community Partnership? At least one upper Northwest ANC commissioner thinks the city should pay homeless people to shovel seniors’ sidewalks and driveways after a snowstorm.

Fact Check: Mayoral hopefuls Vince Orange and Andy Shallal have claimed in public forums that the prison system determines how many cells to build based on third-grade reading scores—-a totally bogus claim.

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

  • Muriel Bowser gets the Post endorsement. [Post, WAMU]
  • Bowser’s rivals call it the “kiss of death.” [LL]
  • AG Irv Nathan says the marijuana legalization referendum’s provision about public housing would break federal law. [Post, Times]
  • Don’t believe everything the mayoral candidates say. [LL]
  • Vincent Orange picks his official campaign song. [LL]
  • Fire department set to release report on Medric Mills‘ death today. [NBC 4]
  • U.S. Attorney Ron Machen busts far-reaching Medicaid schemes, says D.C. Medicaid fraud is at “epidemic” levels. [Post, WTOP, WAMU]
  • Ward 6 competitors score union endorsements. [LL]
  • New Franklin Park designs revealed. [Housing Complex, WAMU]

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

  • A plea to reject Mayor Vince Gray‘s proposal to restrict homeless right to shelter. [Post]
  • Rupert Murdoch is dropping $57 million on a New York mega-apartment. [WSJ]
  • D.C.’s high earners make 13 times as much as the city’s low earners. [UrbanTurf]
  • House of Cards to Maryland: Give us more tax credits or we’ll leave. [Post]
  • Here’s the history of the lions in the show’s opening sequence. [Ghosts of DC]
  • A proposal for making intersections safer for bikers. [Streetsblog]
  • DC Water is not trying to impede Capitol Riverfront cinema. [WBJ]
  • Blame overbearing zoning laws for gentrification. [Atlantic Cities]
  • Will this be D.C.’s pioneering flex housing building? [UrbanTurf]
  • Bike council calls for faster trail construction, more bike parking. [DCist]
  • Today on the market: Columbia Heights 1BR—$279,000

ARTS LINKS, by Ally Schweitzer. (tips? aschweitzer@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • University of Maryland surprised and dismayed by collapse of plans to team up with Corcoran. [Arts Desk]
  • Corcoran’s staff, students, and faculty also surprised by the news. [Arts Desk]
  • Museum leaders say Corcoran dissolution was the best option at hand. [Post]
  • Matthew Hemerlein (Lo-Fang), interviewed. [New York Times]
  • Chris Brown trial date set for April. [AP]
  • Travis Jackson benny rescheduled. [DCist]
  • The Women’s Voices Festival expands. [Post]
  • The American College Dance Festival Association Mid-Atlantic Conference at George Mason University actually looks tremendous. [Post]
  • U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approves a key design feature for the Smithsonian’s in-progress African American History and Culture museum. [AP]
  • More on what MLK library could look like [WBJ]
  • A Library of Congress warehouse in Landover, Md., sells for $31.6 million. [WBJ]
  • Jenn Tisdale vs. Pleasure Curses [BYT]
  • Hey WTOP listeners, did ya hear the crazy news about vinyl being BACK? [WTOP]

FOOD LINKS, by Jessica Sidman. (tips? jsidman@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Daikaya and Casa Luca named among the country’s top 25 restaurants. [GQ]
  • Barista from The Coffee Bar wins an Olympic bronze. [Post]
  • Popular New York noodle spot Xi’an Famous Foods has plans for D.C. [Eater]
  • Take a look at GCDC‘s grilled cheese menu. [Washingtonian]
  • Cheat sheet on Pinstripes in Georgetown [Zagat]
  • Reagan National Airport getting new restaurants in terminal A. [WBJ]
  • Astro Doughnuts, GBD, and Heller’s Bakery among the 101 best doughnut shops in the country. [Grub Street]