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.

How did four nerdy outsider musicians build D.C.’s coolest dance-music label? This week’s cover story delves into the cosmic world of Future Times records.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • Gray administration officials are pushing back against At-Large Councilmember David Catania‘s education plan. [Post]
  • Tommy Branch was sentenced to 24 years for severely beating former Capitol Hill resident Thomas Maslin with a baseball bat. [WTOP]
  • Second amendment activists to protest with supersoakers on the National Mall. [DCist]
  • A 70-year-old man died and two firefighters were injured in a Mount Rainier fire. [WJLA]

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

AG Tax: D.C. will have its first attorney general election next year. Unfortunately, no one seems to want the job.

Extra Virgin: Derek Hills explains his one-man Capital Fringe show about being a 27-year-old virgin.

And Then There Were Four: Reta Lewis, a former aide to President Clinton and ex-State Department official, announced her candidacy for D.C. mayor.

Mount Vernon Triangulation: In revamping NoMa, city planners forgot about parks—a mistake that is now costing $50 million to fix. Now it looks like they’re making the same error in Mount Vernon Triangle.

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

  • Gray administration pushes back against David Catania‘s accountability plan for schools. [Post, WAMU]
  • Council panel backs licenses for undocumented immigrants without markings. [Times]
  • Washington Teachers’ Union president Nathan Saunders ousted in election. [Post]
  • Fourth mayoral candidate enters the race. [Post]
  • AAA spokesman gets a workout at zoning hearing. [WTOP, NBC 4, WAMU,Housing Complex]
  • Mary Cheh wants fire chief to resign, Deputy Mayor Paul Quander isn’t convinced [NBC 4, WAMU]
  • The owner of the Sequoia presidential yacht is giving it up. [Post]

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

  • DDOT chief: 2 in 3 chance that streetcars are operational by year’s end. [WAMU]
  • More on weed’s concentration in Ward 5. [Atlantic Cities]
  • D.C.’s hipster clusters. [Yelp]
  • Recommendations for the North Capitol Street bus line. [PlanItMetro]
  • Central Union Mission redevelopment is about to begin. [UrbanTurf]
  • Microish-units coming to Dupont. [WBJ]
  • D.C. Auditor responds to question of ANC audits. [Congress Heights on the Rise]
  • Kaya Henderson objects to David Catania‘s “watered-down version” of charters. [Post]
  • Today on the market: This could be your view

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

  • National Museum of American History plots a sweeping American culture exhibit. [Washington Business Journal]
  • A chat with Trouble Funk‘s Big Tony in advance of the go-go group’s 35th anniversary show [Post]
  • The increasingly juicy Round House Theatre Silver Spring saga continues. [D.C. Theatre Scene]
  • Pitbull loves charter schools! [Post]
  • The public loves the National Gallery of Art! [Huffington Post]
  • Book World tells us what books to read this summer. [Post]

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

  • Where to drink on the fourth of July [Drink DC]
  • Northern Virginia food events and restaurant specials for July 4 [NoVa Mag]
  • How does Jose’s Table at Minibar compare to the most expensive restaurants in the world? [Washingtonian]
  • Michael Landrum hands over ownership of Ray’s the Classics in Silver Spring to two employees. [Post]
  • Where to drink mezcal [Eater]
  • Mediterranean Spot on U Street NW planning to add pizza oven and serve alcohol. [PoPville]
  • Sprinkles offers “gender reveal” cupcakes in honor of royal baby. [Zagat]