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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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What better way to enjoy a short week than by seeing the D.C. Shorts Film Festival, starting Thursday. City Paper‘s gargantuan review package will be rolling out this week.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • Following Bloomingdale floods, Kenyan McDuffie wants a flood relief fund. [Post]
  • Taxi smart meter installations halted. [Times]
  • After a quiet August, court dates coming this fall in D.C. corruption cases. [Examiner]

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

Issa on the Case: There’s a new player wading into the muck of how exactly the D.C. lottery contract was awarded: Rep. Darrell Issa and his House oversight committee. Issa’s committee is “looking at the whole ball of wax,” according to a former Office of the Chief Financial Officer employee.

Tofu Off Menu: The Source has started making several varieties of its own tofu. But many of them are only available if you know how to ask.

The Chair Up There: After Clint Eastwood‘s Republican convention appearance, Chris Klimek considers the meaning of “make my day.”

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

  • Kenyan McDuffie wants the city to prevent flooding in Bloomingdale, LeDroit Park. [Post]
  • Marion Barry in Charlotte to promote statehood, wishes that President Obama had done more to help African-Americans. [Daily Caller]
  • Gray campaign aide and shredder-of-Sulaimon-evidence Thomas Gore due in court today for status hearing. [AP]
  • Smart meter cab installation on hold over contract dispute. [Post]
  • Barry boasts in news release about standing “on the right side of the law” over smart meter kerfuffle. [Times]
  • Department of Environment boss tossed over sewer proposal. [Times]

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

  • Quick! Someone find a reason to be grumpy about this guy, who just wants to make D.C. commuters happy. [Post]
  • Clint Eastwood‘s Republican National Convention speech: Could it have been inspired by opera? [Post]
  • Red Apron Butchery is really into co-opting punk-rock album covers to promote their meat. [Prince of Petworth]
  • Local smooth-jazz musician Marcus Johnson now has a wine. [Post]
  • Ben’s Chili Bowl mural update! [Prince of Petworth]
  • Why we should care about the John Cage Centennial Festival [Post]
  • What would happen to theater if it didn’t have to worry about money? More risk-taking shows, followed by empty theaters. [Gwydion Suilebhan]
  • Photos from the Mansion on O Street’s Razzle Dazzle Yard Sale [Huffington Post D.C.]
  • Allison Stewart calls the new Bob Mould album “his most thunderous, unrelenting and immensely satisfying new album in decades.” [Post]
  • Dave McKenna reviews Rodriguez [Post]

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

  • White House releases beer recipes. [Obama Foodorama]
  • Japanese cocktail bar coming to 600 F St. NW will be called Kiji Club. [Washingtonian]
  • Tagg Romney proclaims love for Dairy Godmother‘s “yogurt.” Everyone freaks out that he doesn’t call it “custard.” [Examiner via HuffPost]
  • Boxed wine in a “high-end fashion purse” [NPR]
  • Awesome Red Apron Butchery posters for “deboned pleasures.” [PoP]
  • Peek inside the Mosaic District development in Merrifield, Va. [WBJ]
  • Pickle it [BYT]