Rude!: Washington Post Metro reporter Dana Hedgpeth is pregnant. There’s no need for congratulatory gestures, just polite ones: As Hedgpeth notes in a column for Dr. Gridlock, Metro passengers are rather astoundingly terrible at giving up their seats for pregnant women—even when their non-pregnant, male friends try to urge them into doing the right thing for society. Hedgpeth says that an informal survey revealed the worst offenders of the stare-through-you-and-refuse-to-acknowledge-you-are-more-deserving-of-this-seat-than-I tactic are young white women and middle-aged white men. -3
Not Bank-Fraud Proof: David Simon‘s best efforts to convince everyone that the charges against Kwame Brown are a bunk effort to disgrace Brown not for his government work, but simply for not being a decent person who pays what he owes, are now irrelevant: Brown pleaded guilty to bank fraud in federal court today. -5
Tweetspat: Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Paul Quander and D.C. Trans Coalition activist—and hyperactive social justice Twitter presence—Jason Terry got into it at Mayor Vince Gray‘s Capitol Pride town-hall event last night. Quander cited Terry’s recent tweets (one of which, prior to the meeting, said, “”What evil should I direct towards our beloved police chief today?”) as justification for, allegedly, shutting a door in his face and assuming Terry wouldn’t cooperate with him—not a good look for Quander, especially at a panel designed to further an open dialogue between city officials and the LGBT community. -3
Hit Me: Starting July 4, the National Building Museum will be open for…mini-golf! While this stressed-out, indictment-riddled city could probably benefit more from turning the National Mall into the National Driving Range, a whackable course in the Building Museum’s atrium isn’t a bad alternative. With the Lego Architecture exhibit in town until Sept. 3, the museum has, apparently, cornered summertime indoor-recess activites. Will the Firehook Bakery there start selling popsicles? +2
Tuesday’s Needle rating: 39 Today’s score: -9 Friday Bonus Points: +2 Today’s Needle rating: 32