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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. Sign up: To get District Line Daily—or any of our other email newsletters—sent straight to your mailbox, click here.

A new Washington Post poll found that 51 percent of residents think the District’s public schools are performing “not good” or “poor,” with African- Americans and those living in the District for more than 40 years giving the schools the highest ratings.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • A new internal poll found Mayor Vince Gray in “basically a dead heat” with Muriel Bowser in the mayor’s race. Then again, the poll was released by the Bowser campaign. [LL]
  • National Harbor is getting a new 175-foot, $15 million Ferris wheel that will have views of D.C. and the Potomac River. [WAMU]
  • A stretch of 13th Street NW was closed Friday morning after a pedestrian was struck around 5 a.m. [Post]
  • Researchers found 5,893 gas leaks beneath D.C. streets. [WJLA]

RECENT CITY PAPER STORIES TO HELP YOU MAKE SENSE OF YOUR DAY: The Bus Stops Here: ICYMI, photographer Darrow Montgomery traversed the city and, over a year’s time, captured stunning images from some of the area’s 11,490 bus stops.

RIP: D.C. garage-punk drummer and record label founder Travis Jackson was killed in an accident on Suitland Parkway in Southeast.

Education Collective: With tuition prices on the rise, more than a dozen Howard University students are turning to crowdfunding to the pay their tuition.

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

  • Schools chancellor Kaya Henderson gets 46 percent approval in schools poll. [Post]
  • Muriel Bowser‘s campaign puts out poll that says she’s almost tied against Vince Gray. [LL]
  • San Francisco enters the mayoral race. [LL]
  • Hotel workers endorse Gray. [LL, Post]
  • Post misses the question on Height Act. [Housing Complex]
  • Does Capitol Riverfront have too much retail? [Housing Complex]
  • DDOT looks for streetcar operators. [Post]
  • Gun activist Adam Kokesh heads to court for sentencing on gun charges. [WTOP]
  • Albrecht Muth found guilty of killing his wife. [WAMU, Post]
  • National Harbor Ferris wheel could dodge Prince George’s minimum wage law. [Times]

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

  • The Silver Line has already spurred lots of Fairfax development. [PlanItMetro]
  • Deed and transfer taxes likely to decline this year, because 2013 was unusually good. [WBJ]
  • With Howard tuition rising, students turn to crowdfunding. [City Desk]
  • D.C.’s smallest unit just hit the market, for $99,000. [UrbanTurf]
  • Your hunt for a Bikeshare bike just got ever-so-slightly easier. [DCist]
  • A Purple Line sticking point could still be resolved. [Bethesda Now]
  • There are over 5,000 gas leaks under D.C. streets. [WJLA]
  • Today on the market: Dupont 1BR—$399,000

ARTS LINKS, by Ally Schweitzer. (tips? aschweitzer@washingto

  • Windian Records founder and Points drummer Travis Jackson was killed Wednesday night in a collision on Suitland Parkway. [Arts Desk]
  • Ron Moten rallies the go-go scene with a new community group, D.C. M.U.S.I.C. [Post]
  • Is there a Deep Dish reunion on the horizon? [Spin]
  • Because it sits on land awaiting development, Maryland polka hall Blob’s Park plans to close March 30. [WAMU]
  • Go-go and classical music, together at last. [Arts Desk]

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

  • Menu MBK to open piece by piece, beginning Jan. 24. [Zagat]
  • Your favorite restaurant doesn’t love brunch as much as you. [Post]
  • Sneak peek inside the new Barracks Row Medium Rare [Washingtonian]
  • Four Sisters Grill opening in former Fat Shorty’s space in Clarendon. [ARLnow]
  • Top Chef winner/Austin chef Paul Qui’s East Side King popping up at Toki Underground. [Eater]
  • Lupo Verde set to open on 14th Street NW next week. [PoPville]