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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On the cover of this week’s Washington City Paper: Jonathan L. Fischer investigates the friendly graffiti messages stenciled on the city’s bike lanes—-and meets the mysterious artist behind them.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • By law, the city is required to give “great weight” to Advisory Neighborhood Commission’s recommendations on certain issues, but when it comes to public land deals, that weight isn’t very great. Here’s a look at why. [Housing Complex]
  • The latest campaign finance reports show Jack Evans and Muriel Bowser leading the pack in terms of money, with Evans being the first candidate to pass the $1 million fundraising mark. [Loose Lips]
  • The District’s food trucks are still adjusting to the city’s new regulations. [Young & Hungry]
  • The first streetcar is scheduled to make an appearance on the H Street NE tracks on Friday for testing, but passengers still won’t be able to ride it for quite some time. [WAMU]
  • American University was put on lockdown Wednesday after a student reported seeing a man with a gun in his holster on a university shuttle bus. The lockdown was lifted just before 8 p.m.; the man in question was an off-duty police officer. [News4]

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

Big Questions: D.C. voters love ballot questions, so why doesn’t the D.C. Council?

Tacos and Punches: The son of Bandolero’s owners has been charged with felony assault for allegedly punching one of the restaurant’s food runners in the face.

One Track Mind: Take a listen to the latest track from Columbia Heights’ Nitemoves, which just released its second soft-edged electronica album, Themes.

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

  • Vincent Orange, Muriel Bowser, and Jack Evans voted to close the LLC loophole, but their campaigns are benefiting from it. [WAMU]
  • Evans breaks $1 million in fundraising. [LL]
  • Tommy Wells goes shopping on his minimum wage budget. [WAMU, LL]
  • Jonetta Rose Barras considers Andy Shallal. [Post]
  • How much weight should go into “great weight”? [Housing Complex]
  • Post ed board weighs in on teachers union debate: “Shame on those who pandered to the noise.” [Post]
  • Reports show D.C. students moving between schools. [WAMU]
  • Everybody loves ballot questions, except the D.C. Council. [LL]
  • Hospital nurses vote to unionize. [Post]
  • The streetcar is here, sort of. [WAMU]
  • Mystery stenciler hits D.C. bike lanes for good.[WCP]
  • Food trucks respond to new vending rules. [Young & Hungry]
  • The D.C. health exchange won’t release its numbers. [WBJ]
  • Equipment on police cruisers auto-scans license plates. [WAMU]
  • Someone’s trashing Blade boxes. [Blade]

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

  • The story behind those mysterious bike-lane stencils, revealed! [WCP]
  • Developer buys big Southwest building, aims to preserve affordable housing. [Post]
  • Metro is cheaper than driving, says…AAA? [PlanItMetro]
  • Fourteen-lane bowling alley could open early next year in Georgetown. [Post]
  • Streetcar testing set to start this weekend on H Street NE. [NBC4]
  • Residents forced to line up outside in the cold for social services in Anacostia. [CHOTR]
  • GSA unsure whether outsourcing real estate leasing saved it any money. [WBJ]
  • Blast from the past: a trippy old Columbia Heights promo website. [New Columbia Heights, innercity.org]
  • A panoramic 1oo-year-old view of D.C. [Ghosts of DC]
  • Today on the market: Swanky Dupont condos—$985,000 and up

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

  • The former H Street Playhouse to become a CrossFit gym. [WBJ]
  • Members of Congress present a bipartisan bill that would look into establishing a National Women’s History Museum. [Post]
  • Port City Brewing is brewin’ up more Borracho beer. [Post]
  • Local blues player Chris Polk has died. [In a Blue Mood]
  • Anne Midgette mulls the significance of the Kennedy Center’s new president. [Post]
  • God help us, there is another U.S. Royalty song out there. [Interview]
  • RIP, Philippa Hughes‘ cat, Louie. [Art Is Fear]

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

  • Where to eat late at night in D.C. [Thrillist]
  • Chef Geoff Tracy settles lawsuit over downtown D.C. leasing dispute [WBJ]
  • Where to eat at Reagan National Airport [Eater]
  • Why Momofuku‘s David Chang wants to buy the Pigskins [Post]
  • Kinkead’s alum named new chef at BlackSalt.[Zagat]
  • Richard Gere spotted dining at Rasika. [Washingtonian]
  • Moroni & Brothers Pizza closes (temporarily?) on Georgia Ave. NW [PoPville]