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 District’s “sin taxes” on alcohol and cigarettes brought in $42 million last year, up $1.8 million from the year before.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • Man charged with having guns and ammunition near Capitol. [WJLA]
  • Michael Brown‘s exit from D.C. Council race makes it even harder to predict the winner. [Post]
  • Metro police are working on their slow response times. [Examiner]
  • Video shows racial slurs on Metro escalating into a fight. [City Desk]

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

Photos of the Day: Chelsea Light Moving and Marco Fusinato at Black Cat.

Mm, Doughnuts: In just a few days, two restaurant serving fried chicken and doughnuts have opened in D.C.

Michael Bolton: A joking tweet about the movie Office Space earned one George Washington University student a visit from campus police.

Southwest Makeover: New plans could bring another office building to Southwest corner, but Housing Complex columnist Aaron Wiener has concerns about retail.

LOOSE LIPS, by Loose Lips columnist Alan Suderman. (tips? lips@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • DYRS staffer facing criminal charges for allegedly emailing youth records to reporter. [Times]
  • With Michael Brown out of the race, it’s Pat Mara v. Anita Bonds. Or is it … [Post]
  • Grade.dc.gov is a total joke, gives fire department A+ grade based on “three tweets and seven reviews submitted to the Grade D.C. website.” [Examiner]
  • D.C. still struggling with welfare-to-work goals. [Examiner]
  • Jeff Thompson will be out of D.C. Medicaid business by May 1, probably. [Post]
  • What’s the city doing to curb teenage pregnancy? [Post]
  • Ken Ellerbe says he thinks his job security is tied to his job performance. [Kojo]
  • The Jemals think apartments are the future. [Post]
  • Drinkers and smokers contributing to budget surplus. [Examiner]

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

  • Congratulations! You live in America’s most post-industrial metro area. [Atlantic Cities]
  • And 72 percent of you D.C. metropolitans feel safe at night. [DCist]
  • The Jemals, father and son, dive into the apartment market. [Post]
  • Renderings of the Purple Line and Capital Crescent Trail. [WashCycle]
  • Government Printing Office: FBI HQ proposal on our site is news to us. [DCist]
  • Exorbitant hotel opens in Georgetown. [Post]
  • People living around Bloomingdale can get involved in a new small area plan. [bloomingdale]
  • Today on the market: Brightwood Park, getting a tad pricey

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

  • A federal judge will decide who’s the rightful owner of the Renoir purchased for $7 at a Harper’s Ferry flea market in 2009. [WTOP]
  • A school bus riddled with bullet holes comes to D.C. [Post]
  • National Geographic CEO John Fahey will retire in 2014. [Bloomberg]
  • Arena Stage Associate Executive Director Chad Bauman leaves the company for Milwaukee Repertory Theater. [D.C. Theatre Scene]
  • A three-dimensional image of Albert Einstein‘s brain goes on view in Silver Spring, Md. [WJLA]
  • The National Mall gets a 360-year-old Japanese stone lantern. [Huffington Post D.C.]
  • Washington Post editor Steven Levingston tells the story of his play, Oscar, and the often humiliating process of shopping it around. (Bonus: He calls out a bunch of local theater people for not responding to his entreaties.) [Post]
  • Related: How plays like Dirt and Really Really were made. [Post]
  • Everybody loves a good Hindu festival. [Post]

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

  • The 10 best places to get barbecue in the D.C. area [The Plate]
  • Where to drink outside and get a deal [Washingtonian]
  • Apparently, there are people who find food bothersome. [NPR]
  • “Mother of the Eden Center” dies. [Post]
  • Rumorville: Is a second Stoney’s coming to the West End? [PoPville]
  • Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab finalizing lease at 15th and H streets NW [WBJ]
  • The nine biggest court cases about food going on right now [Zagat]
  • D’Vines in Columbia Heights will start to fill growlers in a few weeks. [New Columbia Heights]
  • Little City Gourmet opening April 15 in East Falls Church. [ARLnow]