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 roads are garbage! That’s the word from a group of civil engineers who say that all but 1 percent of the city’s roads are “mediocre” or “poor.”

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • Washington Examiner lays off 87, will stop publishing daily. [City Desk, City Desk]
  • …To the delight of fugitives. [Examiner]
  • Two shot in attempted burglary yesterday. [Times]
  • Are 2014 mayoral candidates too nice? [Examiner]
  • Robbers pull off with big heist at Pentagon City Rolex store. [Post]
  • Fifteen percent of Metrobuses don’t have app-enabled location trackers. [Examiner]

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

Photo of the Day: Man Blowing Smoke.

Back to School: Instead of trading its newly valuable land for a cash windfall, Howard University is building new dorms.

Do It Live: Shaw’s Mandalay won’t have a menu.

Pay Up: Will the D.C. Council force Walmart to pay its workers a living wage? We’ll find out today.

Artisphere Trouble: Years and years of the Rosslyn Artisphere’s woes.

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

  • Report finds three ambulances were improperly out of service when D.C. cop had to be transported to hospital by a Prince George’s County ambulance. [Fox5]
  • Are Muriel Bowser and Tommy Wells too nice? [Examiner]
  • David Catania asks Wells if he’s wearing “male spanx.” [NBC4]
  • Matthew Frumin owes a $288 tax debt from 13 years ago. [Post]
  • Paul Zukerberg calls D.C. a “plantation.” [Post]
  • Nextbus is a joke! [Post]
  • No trash incinerator study coming. [Post]

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

  • Eisenhower Memorial debate gets heated [New York Times]
  • “Inside the Beltway” would be a pretty big, not-all-that-dense city. [GGW]
  • Barry Farm rec center breaks ground tomorrow. [ow.ly]
  • A D.C. minimum-wage earner has to work 132-hour weeks to afford an average two-bed apartment. [DCist]
  • New plans for a condo building at 14th and W NW [UrbanTurf]
  • Cherry blossom peak now expected between April 3 and 6 [WJLA]
  • The National Urban League is moving to Shaw’s Progression Place. [WBJ]
  • Renderings of NoMa’s big 2M apartment building [UrbanTurf]
  • The D.C. region likes Ohio State, Indiana, Duke, and UNC/Michigan in the NCAA tourney. [Facebook]
  • Today on the market: Compact Georgetown rowhouse

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

  • A report from Tuesday’s congressional hearing on the Eisenhower Memorial quotes Rep. Rush D. Holt (D-N.J.): “…the only thing that’s worse than art designed by a committee is art designed by a congressional committee.” [Post]
  • Peak cherry-tree bloom date pushed back to early April. [WTOP]
  • Why you should check out Monday nights at Bohemian Caverns. [Post]
  • Andrew Noz pens a Shy Glizzy miniprofile for Fader. [Fader]
  • E.D. Sedgwick announces West Coast tour dates. [Dischord]
  • Better know a DIY art space. [Pink Line Project]

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

  • A guide to coffee brewing methods in D.C. [Eater]
  • Carolina Kitchen owner plans to open a burger joint and restaurant on H Street NE [WBJ]
  • Extra Virgin closes in Shirlington [ARLnow]
  • La Tagliatella to take Extra Virgin’s place [NoVa Mag]
  • Five places to try in Annapolis [Girl Meets Food]
  • Taste testing new fast food items [Zagat]
  • Sol Mexican Grill coming soon to H Street NE [Frozen Tropics]
  • Where to watch March Madness [Dining in DC]
  • Get a sneak peek at Logan Circle’s Black Whiskey at film screening there Friday [Post]
  • Five things to look for at Look [Washingtonian]