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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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Mayor Vince Gray and other elected District officials held a separate Rally for Statehood Saturday before the day’s actual 50th anniversary celebration of the March on Washington, pledging to fight harder for D.C. statehood and a vote in Congress.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • It’s the first day of school in the District, and more than 45,000 students are headed to an area public school. [Post]
  • George Washington University ousted its business school dean over differences regarding financial and operational performance. [Washington Business Journal]
  • Zoo keepers at the National Zoo describe the “five minutes of pure terror” when they wrongly thought the healthy baby panda born Friday was dead. [Washington Post]
  • And on a happier panda note, here are the first pictures of the tiny newborn cub. [National Zoo]

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

Keeping it Real: Vernon Hawkins, the man who helped run Mayor Vince Gray’s shadow campaign, also had a hand in shaping the then-mayoral candidate’s legitimate, on-the-books campaign budget.

Media Circus: The witness lists in the FishbowlDC case were released and, with the likes of Tucker Carlson on them, they’re pretty darn delicious.

Red Alert: There’s a chance portions of the Metro’s Red Line could close for up to six weeks for repairs.

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

  • Confessed shadow campaign operative Vernon Hawkins also had a role in the budget for the legitimate campaign to elect Mayor Vince Gray. [LL]
  • Applications to raze Skyland are filed. [WBJ]
  • But don’t expect bulldozers soon. [Housing Complex]
  • Post ed board backs fire chief Kenneth Ellerbe. [Post]
  • Living wage bill, housing policies are conflicting for Gray, writes Courtland Milloy. [Post]
  • Councilmembers, mayor rally for statehood before March on Washington. [WAMU]
  • Bill Moyers‘ site goes after D.C. inequality. [Moyers & Company]
  • Metro could shut down part of the Red Line for a month and a half. [NBC 4]
  • Judge dismisses cops’ lawsuit over breathalyzers. [Post]
  • ABRA agents bust Adams Morgan bar Shenanigans. [Post]

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

  • The feds could be stuck paying $48 million in rent for a Buzzard Point building they’re not using. [WBJ]
  • Ward 5 residents: Too many charters already, turn Shaed Elementary into a rec center. [GGW]
  • Relative to other cities building new soccer stadiums, D.C.’s getting a pretty average deal. [Post]
  • A profile of Ed Lazere, scourge of city-funded stadiums [Post]
  • A not-so-subtle message for Walmart: Big retailers can pay decent wages and thrive. [Atlantic]
  • Cop cars caught parking in Pennsylvania Avenue bike lanes. [DCist]
  • Grocery Invasion, beware: Online competition is increasing. [Post]
  • A chunk of the Red Line could close for weeks. [NBC4]
  • How can D.C. attract tech companies? By being a nice place to live and work. [GGW]
  • Today on the market: Benning townhouse with an eager seller

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

Links from Young & Hungry columnist Jessica Sidman will return next week. (tips? hungry@washingtoncitypaper.com)