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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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Good morning from Washington City Paper! It’s Thursday! The dead-tree edition is hitting the streets, so be sure to get your copy. It’s our best one yet.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS: Caps lose. [WTOP] HTJ gets sentenced today. [Examiner] MPD Chief Cathy Lanier‘s salary negotiations may be stalled by an executive salary cap. [Times] Council committee votes down later alcohol sales. [WTOP] D.C.’s most expensive house sold to White House chief information officer. [Post]

YOUR DAILY QUALITY-OF-LIFE MEASUREMENT: On Wednesday, City Paper‘s Needle stayed flat. The bad news: Late night booze stalled. The good news: Chuck Brown isn’t dead! Take a look here.

SIX CITY PAPER STORIES FROM THE LAST 24 HOURS TO HELP YOU MAKE SENSE OF YOUR DAY:

The Almost-Rhee Of UDC: This week’s cover is the sad, hopeful, frustrating tale of D.C.’s state school, the University of the District of Columbia and its head Allan Sessoms. Lydia DePillis tries to figure out where it all went wrong, because went wrong it did. “Every story about UDC’s woes—and there are a lot of them—goes back to three colleges being squashed into one. In 1977, the Washington Technical Institute and Federal City College, both conceived under President John F. Kennedy, merged uneasily with D.C. Teachers College, whose roots went back to 1851. The school was given a brand-new campus and an ample budget. It had competitive sports teams. It had respect. Back then, UDC also had 15,000 students. Today, its four-year college has just over 2,000.”

Who Watches D.C. Politicians?: In his column this week LL wonders at the fact that “dumb luck and political motivations” seem to be the only reasons corrupt D.C. politicians ever get caught doing wrong.

Just Eat It: Contributor Nevin Martell profiles Baylen Linnekin of Keep Food Legal, a libertarian outfit that wants you to eat whatever you want to eat: Shark fin soup, Four Loko, trans fats, and raw milk.

Chuck Brown: Not Dead! “Calm down, Twitter! Despite chatter today to the contrary, Chuck Brown is not dead. An email from the Godfather of Go-Go’s manager didn’t screw around: ‘Just rumors,’ writes Tom Goldfogle.”

Trust Chairwoman: More Than $200,000 in HTJ-Linked Grant Unaccounted For: “On Jan. 20, 2009, Thomas helped organize the 51st State Inaugural Ball at the Wilson Building. The event, despite a $51 ticket price, didn’t raise enough money to cover expenses. Court records filed when Thomas pleaded guilty earlier this year show that Thomas’ aide, Neil Rodgers, exerted ‘significant pressure’ at Thomas’ direction on DPR and the CYITC to complete the transfer of the drug prevention fund money on Feb. 3, 2009. The same day, Rodgers, again at Thomas’ direction, emailed the CYITC asking if he could pick up a check for $110,00. When the CYITC’s former director, Millicent West, balked at Thomas’ suggestion that the trust pay the D.C. Young Democrats, Thomas instead had the trust pay a separate organization, the Youth Technology Institute, which acted as a pass-through for the $110,000, court records show. But as for the remaining $230,000 or so from the drug prevention fund that wasn’t used for the inaugural ball, it’s apparently missing.”

Coffeshoponomics: There are two kinds of coffee shops. The kind that sells booze and the kind that loses money.

AMERICAN WOMAN PHOTO OF THE DAY: Woman In Red

LINKDUMP AFTER THE JUMP!

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

  • Harry Thomas Jr.’s sentencing is this morning. Mayor Gray says his heart goes out to Thomas’ family [Post]
  • UDC’s Allen Sessoms, the almost-Rhee [WCP]
  • Gray’s plan to keep bars open later gets nixed in committee, is far from dead [Post]
  • Ward 5 candidate Delano Hunter explains his unpaid debts [Post]
  • How much is Police Chief Cathy Lanier going to get paid? [Times]
  • Immediate future not bright for development of Poplar Point [WBJ] (How about a catering business?)
  • No new booze sellers on U Street? [HC]

REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT LINKS, by Housing Complex blogger Lydia DePillis (tips? housingcomplex@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Renovation coming for Franklin Square? [GGW]
  • Mall winners announced. [Post]
  • Liquor license density by ward. [Borderstan]
  • Adams Morgan gets re-treed. [The42]
  • Labor may lose out on the Silver Line. [Examiner]
  • Abdo finally moving on 14th and Rhode Island. [Urbanturf]
  • Riverfront getting more residential. [JDLand]
  • Yes, it would be nice to not take your life in your hands while riding along streetcar tracks. [DCist]
  • Today on the market: Cute three bedroom.

ARTS LINKS, by Jonathan L. Fisher (tips? artsdesk@washingtoncitypaper.com)

FOOD LINKS will resume shortly.