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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 Upper Northwest flower thief isn’t the only menace to Washington’s gardens. D.C. police commander Andy Solberg tells the Post that he won’t plant his own flowers until after Mother’s Day, worried that a delinquent son will turn them into a gift for mom.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • Cuts ahead in D.C. public schools budget. [Post]
  • Mayor Vince Gray announces plans to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses. [City Desk]
  • Dulles passenger accused of smuggling chickens. [Examiner]
  • Charter advocates want more money for schools. [Examiner]
  • The case of the governor’s protein powder continues in Virginia. [Examiner]

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

Photo of the Day: Page Three Photo.

Mayor-for-Scandal: Marion Barry—-or whoever tweets for him—-is really enjoying ABC’s Scandal.

Phantom LL: What has become of Loose Lips?

Settling Down: The operator of an Asian fusion food truck is taking over a Georgetown restaurant.

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

  • A look inside a power couple’s life in Wesley Heights. [Post]
  • Undocumented immigrants may get licenses, but they won’t look like other licenses. [City Desk]
  • Behold, a one-room house. [UrbanTurf]
  • Who’s blocking the L Street bike lane? Probably a delivery vehicle. [GGW]
  • In case you didn’t get the memo: Columbia Heights=Bushwick, H Street=Williamsburg, Adams Morgan=West Village. [The Morning News]
  • New Jersey Avenue NW church to become apartment building. [UrbanTurf]
  • MLK Library is more pleasant than it once was. [GGW]
  • Past is prologue: Shaw, getting pricey now, was once much more expensive than Dupont. [Ghosts of DC]
  • Today on the market: Did we mention the kitchen?

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

  • Volkswagen donates $10 million to the Trust for the National Mall. [AP via WJLA]
  • A new documentary tells the story of D.C.’s shrinking Chinatown. [WAMU]
  • Sequestration-related cuts to the Smithsonian and area parks might have a short- and long-term impact on local tourism. [Post]
  • Scuttled Georgia Avenue jazz club Enterprise soon to become Bravo Lounge? [PoPville]
  • The Washington Monument’s scaffolding project approaches completion. [Washingtonian]
  • Local band The Hall Monitors gets to play its Jewels cover with a member of The Jewels. [Post]
  • Vote on which book gets selected for this year’s DC Reads program. The choice may be difficult. [Post]

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

  • Is grocery home delivery greener than going to the store? [NPR]
  • Worthy alternatives to hot new restaurants [Eater]
  • The most popular Mexican takeout spots [HuffPost]
  • Five new trends in Mexican cooking [Zagat]
  • Signs of spring at Curious Grape [NoVa Mag]
  • The best tacos in town [Express]
  • Where to take mom for Mother’s Day [Washingtonian]