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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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Happy Friday, readers. If you like snow, wait for the afternoon. Until then, it’s just sludge and ice.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • Ambitious new Metro plan would be hard to fund. [Examiner]
  • Top contracting official charged with drunk driving after he’s found with white Zinfandel. [LL]
  • Jim Graham backs down from attempt to get seat on CYITC board. [Examiner]
  • MPD accused of botching sex-crime investigations and mistreating victims. [City Desk]
  • And their defense isn’t that convincing. [City Desk]
  • Council wants an investigation. [Examiner]

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

Photo of the Day: Three Heads.

Another Closing: Penn Quarter’s 901 Restaurant and Bar is no more.

Don’t Rock the Boat: Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton is concerned the National Park Service will botch its handling of embattled Jack’s Boathouse.

Killa Cal Kills It: Killa Cal‘s new mixtape has lots of hip-hop, but its finest moment is go-go.

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

  • Jim Graham blinks first, withdraws bid to be on CYITC board. [Post]
  • Tommy Wells calls for hearing on MPD’s response to sex crimes. [Examiner]
  • Wells calls report on sex crimes “troubling,” undermines public confidence in MPD. [Fox5]
  • Cathy Lanier says new report on sex crimes doesn’t reflect current culture at MPD. [NBC4]
  • Meet at-large candidate John Settles. [Post]
  • Jonetta: Sometimes a truant kid is not the parent’s fault. [Examiner]
  • Senate introduces statehood bill. [Post]
  • Credit card readers in taxicabs? Maybe later. [Post]

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

  • Cabs won’t all be accepting credit credit cards by the end of March after all. [Post]
  • Fundrise is likely to get involved in R.L. Christian Library redevelopment on H Street NE. [WBJ]
  • Reservation 13 draws only one interested developer. [Post]
  • But that’s still better than Georgetown’s West Heating Plant. [UrbanTurf]
  • Why driverless cars might start out in poor countries. [Slate]
  • How to choose a D.C. school. [GGW]
  • An argument against Alexandria’s planned bike registration enforcement. [WashCycle]
  • Today on the market: Far Northeast getaway

ARTS LINKS, by Caroline Jones (tips? artsdesk@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Watch the trailer for Urban Lines: Fish Where You Are, a new documentary about fly fishing in the Potomac. [PoPville]
  • Local artists respond to the Newtown massacre at Charles Krause/Reporting Fine Art, a gallery operated by a former journalist who survived being shot in Guyana in 1978. [Post]
  • Moody’s Investor Service says Smithsonian’s fiscal future looks bleak. [Washington Business Journal]
  • What happens when two noted modern dance choreographers join forces? Check out this preview of Jodi Melnick and David Neumann’s upcoming performance at the American Dance Institute and judge for yourself. [Pink Line Project]

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

  • Cold weather, hot comfort food [Washingtonian]
  • Where to find fried pickles [Eater]
  • “Old Bay” vodka at Hank’s Oyster Bar on the Hill [Post]
  • Landlord/tenant dispute at El Rinconcito Deportivo in Columbia Heights [PoPville]
  • A look at Energy Kitchen [BYT]
  • Lyon Hall brunch gets a B. [Bitches Who Brunch]
  • How to properly eat brie [NoVa Mag]