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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Once again, it’s a big day at the courthouse for Mayor Vince Gray. Former Jeff Thompson associate Jeanne Harris is pleading guilty today to charges that she funneled money through straw donors to skirt campaign finance laws. And there could be more coming out: Campaign organizer Scott Bishop says Harris paid him to work for the Gray campaign.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • The post-derecho outages are over, say Pepco and Dominion. [Post]
  • Chick-fil-A food truck appears, along with backlash. [Eater]
  • Prepare for a deluge of ads promoting salt. [WBJ]

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

New New York Ave.: Instead of moving out of the city, the Corcoran should head to New York Ave’s Hecht Warehouse, says John Anderson, creating an arts district in Ivy City.

Atlas Shrugged: The creators of upcoming H Street NE  arcade-themed bar Barcade, at a loss for another name following a cease-and-desist from another Barcade, choose Atlas Arcade instead.

Lotto Lawsuit: Gray is being deposed today in a lawsuit over the city’s lottery contract. Under a judge’s order, Gray can only be asked questions about former city employee Eric Payne, who is bringing the lawsuit, and not the general review of the contract.

Photo of the Day: Man Smoking.

LINKDUMP BELOW!

LOOSE LIPS DAILY POLITICS LINKS, by LL columnist Alan Suderman (tips? lips@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Jeff Thompson associate and politically plugged-in Jeanne Harris to plead guilty today to campaign corruption charges. [Post, Times, Examiner]
  • Mark Plotkin: “I don’t see how the mayor can be happy about this,”  [Fox5]
  • Harris, Scott Bishop, and the Gray shadow campaign [LL]
  • Good government types get more than 30,000 signatures in effort to ban corporate donations. [NBC4]
  • Uber vs. Mary Cheh [DCist]
  • Gray eats at Hank’s Oyster Bar. [Y&H]
  • Kenyan McDuffie asks Gray for new carbarn site in Ward 5. [Examiner]
  • Fire department investigating another pool incident. [Fox5]
  • Major metropolitan police force to have working breathalyzer program, maybe. [Times]

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

  • U Street Music Hall co-owner Will Eastman criticizes a contracted security guard for trying to boot two men who were dancing provocatively at the club this weekend. He says the guard was promptly fired. “If anyone knows the individuals who were approached by the security guard please ask them to contact me so that I can offer them a personal apology. I would DJ and host a free night at U Hall for them and all their friends and DJs in our community. Shirts not allowed.” [Facebook]
  • Because your voyage to Gallery Place isn’t overstimulating enough: more electronic billboards for Verizon Center [Washington Business Journal]
  • Washingtonian declares Doc Martens—which debuted in the 1940s—and Robyn—who has become more influential in the 2000s than she ever was as a teen one-hit wonder in the 1990s—part of a ’90s wave sweeping the D.C. area this summer. Come again? [Washingtonian]
  • Representin’ Arlington in the Fringe Festival [ArlNow]

FOOD LINKS, by Young & Hungry editor Jessica Sidman (tips? hungry@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Twenty-five tips for being a restaurant critic [Washingtonian]
  • Chick-fil-A debuts with 11 employees on hand. [Post]
  • How the D.C. bar scene is like Twilight [Borderstan]
  • Is Ray’s Hell Burger/Ray’s the Steaks heading for CityVista? Can anyone keep track of Michael Landrum? [PoP]
  • Q&A with New York Avenue Beach Bar co-owner Robert Bailey [Eater]
  • Sprinkles cupcake ATM is coming. [Post]
  • Haandi and Sweet Basil in Bethesda to close at the end of August. [Bethesda Mag]