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A Monday mystery: Why are so few people taking advantage of a $3 rebate on new SmarTrip cards?
LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:
- David Gregory won’t learn his lesson. [City Desk]
- Metro wants to hire 327 more employees. [Examiner]
- Inauguration store opens downtown. [WTOP]
- Council taking another shot at failed bills. [Examiner]
- Fairfax County wants its own license plate. [Post]
- D.C. Councilmembers not into inauguration. [Examiner]
RECENT CITY PAPER STORIES TO HELP YOU MAKE SENSE OF YOUR DAY:
Photo of the Day: Page Three.
Light One Up: Sharing marijuana at a Washington dinner party isn’t complicated, says D.C. society maven Sally Quinn.
Pay Up: Embattled financier Jeff Thompson owes up to $3.8 million to his old health-care firm, according to District officials.
Tops in Tech: Washington is one of the country’s new tech hot spots, according to Forbes.
Red Palace to Red Sauce: Failed H Street NE burlesque bar Red Palace is being replaced by Vendetta, a new Italian restaurant with a “Vespa bar” and bocce.
County Beats: Seventeen-year-old Jay Verze offers rap from Baltimore—-the county, not the city.
LOOSE LIPS, by Loose Lips columnist Alan Suderman. (tips? lips@washingtoncitypaper.com)
- Mary Cheh inquired about possible police escort for her trip from Wilson Building to White House. [Post]
- Colby King tells Jack Evans to wake up earlier. [Post]
- IG busts another CFO parking scofflaw. [Examiner]
- Michelle Rhee is not a cheater. [Post]
- President Barack Obama gives no guarantees about using “Taxation” license plates. [Post]
- Rhee still an educelebrity. [Post]
- David Catania has no plans to reinvestigate alleged test-score cheating. [Post]
- DCPS test scores survive another investigation. [Post]
- Councilmembers not enthusiastic about inaugural balls. [Examiner]
- DCGOP “cementing their reputation as one of the most gay-friendly local GOP committees in the nation.” [Post]
HOUSING COMPLEX, by Housing Complex columnist Aaron Wiener. (tips? awiener@washingtoncitypaper.com )
- Ten real estate projects to watch in 2013 (if you count, say, the Old Post Office and St. Es as one project). [Post]
- CFO warns against proposed Basilica tax exemption. [WBJ]
- A mystery restaurant is coming to the Uniontown space in Anacostia. [DCist]
- The battle over a Connecticut Avenue NW development heats up. [WJLA]
- Metro paid out $1.6 million to settle claims from the 2009 Red Line crash. [Post]
- Memorials that might have been [WBJ]
- The Anacostia Playhouse aims for an early April opening. [Hill Rag]
- A pair of critiques of the New York Times Magazine story on D.C.’s economic strength. [DCist, WBJ]
- Today on the market: Swanky Kalorama condo
ARTS LINKS, by Ally Schweitzer (tips? artsdesk@washingtoncitypaper.com)
- Nelson Pressley: “… the National [Theatre] is a low-budget, skeletal operation that maintains a handful of outreach operations to help justify its not-for-profit status. Rent doesn’t seem to be an issue. Bottom line: When the theater is dark, no one really loses money.” [Post]
- Furniture magnate Mitchell Gold and his former Smithsonian researcher husband Tim Gold have thrown their support behind opening an LGBT museum in Washington [Post]
- Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith helps plan a gun-control rally on the National Mall Jan. 26 [Washingtonian]
- Stevie Wonder, Usher, Alicia Keys, and other pop stars to perform in Washington for the Presidential Inauguration [Post]
- D.C.-born actress Marjuan Canady talks about her Caribbean folklore-inspired play, Callaloo, which opened and closed at the Ellington school last weekend [The Root D.C.]
- “Naked Girls Reading” comes to Little Miss Whiskey’s [Pink Line Project]
- Click through this slideshow if you weren’t already aware that Hollywood is obsessed with Washington politics [Post]
- Killa Cal releases Capital Punishment mixtape. [Examiner.com]
FOOD LINKS, by Jessica Sidman (tips? hungry@washingtoncitypaper.com)
- Why bartenders should stop making up cocktails [Table Matters]
- Substitute beers for the White House Honey Ale [Washingtonian]
- Inaugural Brewers Ball at ChurchKey [DC Beer]
- The food scene makes D.C. one of 46 places to go in 2013 [NYT]
- Memphis Barbecue closes, at least temporarily. [ARLnow]
- Cocktails by president [Post]
- Mi Cuba Cafe opens in Columbia Heights. [PoPville]
The musical performances at the Presidential Inauguration have been announced. Obama favorites James Taylor and Beyoncé will perform “America the Beautiful” and the National Anthem, respectively, while surprising choice Kelly Clarkson will sing “My Country Tis Of Thee.” Poet Richard Blanco will also read at the swearing-in ceremony. [Wall Street Journal, Post]
Start planning alternate routes through downtown this weekend: The BET Honors are at the Warner Theatre and streets around the venue will be closed through Sunday morning. [WJLA]
The Post editors pick their favorite books about D.C., including works by Katherine Graham and George Pelecanos, as well as former Top Chef contestant Carla Hall. [Post]
The musical performances at the Presidential Inauguration have been announced. Obama favorites James Taylor and Beyoncé will perform “America the Beautiful” and the National Anthem, respectively, while surprising choice Kelly Clarkson will sing “My Country Tis Of Thee.” Poet Richard Blanco will also read at the swearing-in ceremony. [Wall Street Journal, Post]
Start planning alternate routes through downtown this weekend: The BET Honors are at the Warner Theatre and streets around the venue will be closed through Sunday morning. [WJLA]
The Post editors pick their favorite books about D.C., including works by Katherine Graham and George Pelecanos, as well as former Top Chef contestant Carla Hall. [Post]