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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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It’s official: William Howard Taft is the Nationals’ fifth racing president. But, judging from pictures taken at Saturday’s NatsFest, he’s not actually fat.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • Winter weather means a slow start. [Post]
  • Human Rights Watch report on MPD is Tommy Wells‘ big moment. [Examiner]
  • Drug case that sparked debate over law enforcement use of GPS tracking returns to court. [Times]
  • Prosecutors not ready to pursue case against D.C. contracting official arrested for drunk driving. [Loose Lips]
  • Undocumented immigrants in Virginia getting fewer lawyers, which makes them more likely to be deported. [Post]
  • Attorney general won’t rule on boathouse kerfuffle. [Housing Complex]

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

Photos of the Day: Page Three Photos.

Komi Dethroned: Washingtonian‘s new list of the area’s top restaurants is out, and four-time champ Komi has lost the top spot.

Rough Night: In a YouTube sensation, one young man tries to fight a DCFEMS SUV, stumbles through traffic, and begs for a job.

Ubiquitous on Youtube: Greenbelt rappers SwagHeemHoops won’t stop putting up new videos on YouTube.

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

  • New education committee boss David Catania: “I want to engender an outrage in the city about the level of truancy and educational failure.” [Post]
  • Tommy Wells says he’s not going to pull punches investigating MPD. [Examiner]
  • Jim Graham is being scapegoated, say lawyers working for Graham. [Post]
  • Q&A with Cathy Lanier [CSPAN]
  • District officials deny Donald Trump‘s request not to pay taxes on Old Post Office Pavilion. [Post]
  • Mary Cheh is on Mugshots.com [Post]
  • Vince Gray and other city pols march for stricter gun laws. [Reuters]
  • Officials says summer jobs program getting better. [Examiner]
  • Green roofs absorb rain, provide insulation. [WAMU]

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

  • After much expense and conflict, Skyland may finally be cruising toward completion. [Post]
  • D.C. is the country’s second-best city for job seekers. [Forbes]
  • How parents saved Garrison Elementary [UrbanTurf]
  • D.C. is spending $350k to convince people it’s sexy. [Post]
  • Howard Town Center will feature grocer, clothing store, bank. [Borderstan]
  • M Street NW bike lane still months away. [The Hoya]
  • Metro’s expansion plan has its shortcomings. [Georgetown Metropolitan]
  • But Metro’s board likes it. [Post]
  • Today on the market: Southwest Waterfront condo

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

  • The Make-Up, Deathfix, and The Evens scheduled to play Coachella 2013 [Coachella]
  • Five shot at D.C. Soundstage nightclub on Benning Road NE [Post]
  • New ad campaign tries to make D.C. look sexually adventurous [Post]
  • In concert with the Corcoran’s “Pump Me Up” exhibit, 9:30 Club will host a punk and go-go mash-up Feb. 24 [Post]
  • Comedian Todd Glass loves the D.C. Improv [Huffington Post D.C.]
  • Playwright Jacqueline Lawton kicks off her series, “Women Artistic Directors of D.C.” [Jacqueline Lawton]
  • Finally, a place you can wear that tophat: the best highbrow events of 2013 [DCist]
  • A guide to suburban galleries in the D.C. area [Post]
  • The Washington Post‘s Spring Arts Preview is here (pssst… look out for ours Feb. 7) [Post]

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

  • Is D.C. snow safe to eat? [City Desk]
  • The fast lane life and tragic death of restaurateur Joey Belcher [Post]
  • Five unusual yet romantic Valentine’s Day meals [Washingtonian]
  • Meshelle Armstrong reflects on one year at Society Fair. [Eater]
  • Ten wood-fire pizza joints in Northern Virginia [NoVa Mag]
  • Inside Thaaja “Indian food bar” in NoMa [Thrillist]