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 Wednesday! Today in 1981 began the longest professional baseball game in history—33 innings—played between the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings. Bonus fun fact: Hall of famers Cal Ripken and Wade Boggs both played in this record-breaking game.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS: Teen pleads guilty to fatally stabbing his elderly neighbor. [Post] D.C. Council rejected Mayor Vince Gray‘s supplemental budget package. [Examiner] Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser proposing a bill that targets gropers and flashers on Metro. [Examiner] Jeff Thompson‘s ties to politically active businesses exposed. [Times]

YOUR DAILY QUALITY-OF-LIFE MEASUREMENT: On Tuesday, City Paper‘s Needle fell four points. The bad news: Taxation without representation. The good news: People remember the Challenger. Take a look here.

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

The August’s Louver Doors, Saved!: Lydia DePillis writes, “Last week, we checked in with some tenants at the August apartments near Dupont Circle who were upset that Bernstein Management was planning to remove their their quaint-and-yet-useful wood slatted doors as part of a building-wide facelift. Today, Bernstein sent out a letter explaining how the property had changed hands without tenants receiving an offer of sale—as they’re usually supposed to under the District’s tenant purchase law—and promising that “based on the concerns of certain tenants, the new owner has instructed us to leave the louver doors in place at this time.” They’ll get new hardware to keep them closed, rather than swinging out into the hallways, which had proven annoying to some.”

Popaganda! The Dissident Kitsch of North Korean Painter Song Byeok: Contributor Kriston Capps talks to Song Byeok, a former propaganda painter for North Korea who defected and now spends his time doing anti-North Korean pop art. Like a painting of Kim Jong-il‘s head on the body of Marilyn Monroe.

Petworth Goes Parisienne: Chez Billy Now Open On Georgia Ave.: Contributor Sam Hiersteiner wonders what it all means. “A bigger question than how the fare hits palate: how will the Hiltons’ proven formula for success play outside the uber-hip corridors of Dupont Circle and U Street? On the one hand, Chez Billy is likely to be a magnet for business in a neighborhood that has been waiting patiently for someone, anyone, to move it away from hipster backwater and towards nightlife destination.”

Another Metrobus Catches Fire, Prompting Another Recall: WMATA takes 94 buses out of service after a two fires, but Shani Hilton notes: “Taking the 94 buses out of the fleet of 1500 isn’t the most noteworthy part, if you ask us. What’s noteworthy is that this isn’t the first time spontaneous bus fire has prompted a recall of this particular group of buses.” Indeed, the same thing happened two years ago to the same group of buses.

Handicapping Jeopardy! in D.C.: The game show comes to D.C. for “power players” week, and Christopher Heller has the goods: “The big names who will join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar—who, by the way, is totally going to need a custom-made podium—are Anderson Cooper, Thomas Friedman, Chris Matthews, and former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. And that’s not all! Since this ‘Power Players’ thing lasts a whole week, Chuck Todd, Kelly O’Donnell, Dana Perino, Chris Wallace, David Faber, Katty Kay, Clarence Page, and Lizzie O’Leary got invites to represent D.C.’s journo-crowd, while medical concern troll Dr. Mehmet Oz and stand-up comedian Lewis Black round out the list.” Heller also has predictions for who will come out victorious.

Yesterday In Marion Barry Tweets: We’ll leave it to you to decide what the former Mayor-for-Life meant.

NEVER SCARED PHOTO OF THE DAY: Boxer

LINKDUMP AFTER THE JUMP!

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

  • LL is on vacation this week.

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

  • More ugly details in GSA scandal. [Post]
  • The battle is joined over later bar hours. [Post]
  • The sidewalk wars continue. [GGW]
  • The sad state of the Housing Production Trust Fund. [GGW]
  • What NPR will look like. [DCMetrocentric]
  • Anacostia Riverwalk becomes East Bank Trail. [Washcycle]
  • Get your solar thermal rebate. [DCSUN]
  • All the ways to be a Wardman. [Urbanturf]
  • The shrink-down-Hine campaign gets signs. [EMMCA]
  • Yes, Anacostia-as-Williamsburg is a troubling comparison. [DCentric]
  • Property taxes on the rise in MoCo. [WAMU]
  • Today on the market: Viking Range.

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

  • Harry Jaffe suspects the Washington Post missed out on this year’s Pulitzers because it’s getting too aggregate-y. He also has some thoughts on resigned journo Elizabeth Flock. [Washingtonian]
  • Alec Baldwin on arts funding: “I’d spend a billion each on the NEA and NEH.” [Post]
  • A crazy interview with Arias With a Twist co-creator Joey Arias [Brightest Young Things]
  • TBD on pop punk. Can someone just put this sad website out of its misery already? [TBD]
  • Smithsonian Folkways releases 1960 Pete Seeger concert recording [Post]

FOOD LINKS, by Young & Hungry columnist Chris Shott (tips? hungry@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • About that big hand at Rasika West End [Post]
  • José Andrés named one of the 100 most influential people in the world. [Time]
  • A total of 14 new restaurants are coming to 14th Street NW [Dining Bisnow]
  • Feastly’s ramen pop-up at Blind Dog Cafe draws 300 requests for 35 seats.  [Twitter]
  • Five D.C. crawfish spots that don’t suck. [Zagat]
  • Susur Lee‘s Zentan is now part of the Kimpton Hotels empire [PR Web]
  • The Pretzel Bakery opens this month on Capitol Hill [The Hill Is Home]
  • Get ready for next week’s D.C. Beer Hunt [DCist]