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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 state of Maryland will seek a private firm for the construction and operation of the planned Purple Line light rail system. [Post]

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  •  Services continue at the National Cathedral a week after it was vandalized with green paint. [Times]
  • Shavonnte Taylor and her son Amir, last week’s “Metro baby,” have been released from the George Washington University Hospital. [WTOP]

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

A Freind of Snyder: Delaware County Daily Times columnist Chris Freind thinks the Pigskins should keep their more familiar, more racist name. Chris Freind is wrong.

Brand New Beats: Thoughts on new music from DMV rappers Black Indian, Shy Glizzy, and Yung Gleesh.

“One of the Finest Public Servants in Ward 8”: Activist James Bunn died Thursday at the age of 71.

Tell Me More: Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham wants a more detailed explanation regarding the city’s controversial selection of a developer for a property on Florida Avenue NW.

Closing Time: After only two weeks of operation, Tex-Mex restaurant Diego is shutting down to overhaul its menu.

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

  • Mayor Vince Gray won’t talk about alleged meeting with Jeff Thompson. [WAMU]
  • District tech boss: D.C. government websites won’t always be terrible. [Post]
  • Eleanor Holmes Norton wants to reopen South Capitol helipad to the public. [WBJ]
  • Teacher’s union president undecided on extending school days. [WAMU]
  • Park Police have accounted for 98 percent of the guns they lost, including some in D.C. [Post]
  • Suspect arrested in Bloomingdale and Trinidad burglaries. [Post]
  • National Cathedral vandalism suspect sent to a halfway house. [Times]

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

  • Housing vouchers don’t cause crime. [Atlantic Cities]
  • Adams Morgan: the new Georgetown? [UrbanTurf]
  • Rhode Island Avenue NE: the new H Street? [RIA Insider]
  • Akridge has had its eye on a Buzzard Point soccer stadium for a long time. [Post]
  • PUD filed for Randall School, including museum, restaurant, housing. [Hill Rag]
  • Google Maps upgrade loses transit icons. [GGW]
  • Meet the new 965 Florida renderings, same as the old renderings. [WBJ]
  • Today on the market: Tenleytown blast from the past

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

  • Post-retirement, Kennedy Center President Michael Kaiser plans to teach arts management. [Post]
  • The suspected National Cathedral vandal has been released to a halfway house. [Post]
  • …and the cathedral has launched a fundraiser to help pay for vandalism- and earthquake-related damage. [AP via Huffington Post]
  • Contrary to reports, the Smithsonian says it’s not looking to acquire Trayvon Martin‘s hoodie at the moment. [DCist]
  • Dave Grohl spotted hanging out in Shirlington for some reason. [Post]
  • Didn’t D.C. used to be so much cooler?, etc. [Brightest Young Things]
  • Rolling Stone shows some love to U Street Music Hall. [Rolling Stone]
  • California Rep. Mike Thompson joins the Eisenhower Memorial Commission. [AP via WJLA]
  • Connecticut Avenue NW becomes the site of some chalk art downtown today. [Richard Layman]
  • Black Cat seeks to add a third floor and bar. [Arts Desk]

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

  • Cause philanthropub asks public to buy it a new air conditioner. [DCist]
  • New restaurants with happy hour specials [Post]
  • The Source‘s wings named among the best in the country. [Food & Wine]
  • Woodberry Kitchen owner is opening a “farmhouse diner” called Shoo-fly in Baltimore. [Washingtonian]
  • DC State Fair seeks homebrewers for competition. [DC Beer]
  • D.C. spots for your parents’ first visit [Zagat]