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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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One in four people are currently on food stamps in D.C., and when a five-year federal boost to the food stamp program expires Friday, these people will likely see a 5 to 8 percent reduction in the benefits they receive.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • Bikers say the “zebras” along Pennsylvania Avenue were improperly installed and still allow for cars to make illegal U-turns. [WTOP]
  • The scaffolding on the Washington Monument will be lit for the last time Sunday as crew begins the three-month process of removing the scaffolding. [News4]
  • Gossip media reporter Betsy Rothstein is out at Fishbowl DC.
  • A juvenile was stabbed at L’Enfant Plaza Metro station last night. [Washington Post]

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

The Gas Menagerie: ICYMI, the latest WCP cover story is a profile of Mia Feuer, a young Brookland artist whose debut museum show includes a functional skating rink she built inside the Corcoran.

D.C. Halloween 101: Going to a Halloween party this weekend? Here are some last-minute costume ideas from Loose Lips.

Head to Head: Ron Charles and Ron Moten share their thoughts on developments in D.C.-area culture.

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

  • Council set to vote on gentler resolution on Pigskins name. [Post]
  • H Street NE streetcar could block delivery trucks. [Housing Complex]
  • Post ed board and Tom Sherwood have questions for Vince Gray, if he wants to answer them. [Post]
  • Gray staffer David Zipper heads to 1776 startup incubator’s for-profit wing. [WBJ, Housing Complex]
  • Despite law, city contractors aren’t paid a living wage. [WAMU]
  • Petula Dvorak looks at homeless children in D.C. General. [Post]
  • Stabbing at L’Enfant Metro station leaves youth in the hospital. [Post]
  • Bikers say Pennsylvania Avenue “zebras” are too far apart. [WTOP]
  • Alleged green paint monument vandal can’t stand trial, judge says. [WTOP]
  • White House protesters could get the boot. [Post]

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

  • D.C.: Much more than just a government town. [Atlantic Cities]
  • Send the streetcar to Silver Spring, not Takoma. [GGW]
  • Hyatt Place hotel headed to E Street SW. [WBJ]
  • Columbia Heights’ Carlos Rosario school may be designated historic. [SALM]
  • Future of CCNV shelter raises concerns. [WJLA]
  • Frontiers house goes from $100,000 to $1 million to $800,000. [UrbanTurf]
  • The Washington Monument will go dark after this weekend. [DCist]
  • Is the $1.3 million New York Avenue bridge art a waste of money? [WJLA]
  • Changes could come to Rhode Island Avenue buses. [RIA Insider]
  • Today on the market: Southwest Waterfront condo

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

  • RIP D.C. jazz musician Frank Wess. [Arts Desk]
  • Listen to Ian MacKaye on NPR’s Ask Me Another. [NPR]
  • Was $1.3 million too much to spend on a decorative structure for the New York Avenue bridge? [WJLA]
  • Green-paint vandal found incompetent to stand trial. [AP]
  • Elton John hits D.C. to fetch his lifetime achievement award from the Rockefeller Foundation. [Post]
  • A map of The Exorcist’s filming locations in Georgetown [Curbed]
  • Local band aims to break ridiculous record. [WAMU]
  • Happy Halloween. It’s Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander as Nicki Minaj. [Twitter]

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

  • Ten delivery and takeout pizzas to try [Washingtonian]
  • Sixteen hours with a restaurant inspector [NoVa Mag]
  • Restaurant industry folks dressed up for Halloween [Eater]
  • Chef Raynold Mendizabal to open whole-animal restaurant and meat market called Urban Butcher. [Post]
  • Where to find “scary” foods like lamb brains and sea cucumber. [Express]
  • Candy sales are flat. The industry blames the weather. [NPR]