Happy Monday, D.C. You might not have won an Oscar last night, but you can still snag an undershirt from a Northern Virginia company that nominees received in their gift bags. Now on to the news you may have missed while dancing to “Naatu Naatu.”

Howard Heads to the NCAA Tournament

Speaking of dancing, the Howard University Bison are heading to the Big Dance—that’s the NCAA Tournament for those of you not versed in college basketball lingo—for the first time since 1992. To put that in context, none of the team’s current players were born the last time Howard played in the tournament. It’s even more special on a local level, as six of the team’s players hail from D.C. or Maryland.

Howard earned its spot in the tournament by defeating Norfolk State in the finals of the MEAC Tournament on March 11. The game stayed close into the final minute, when guard Jelani Williams, a D.C. native, hit two free throws to give Howard the lead. 

Howard enters the tournament as a 16 seed and will face the University of Kansas, the defending champions, in a first-round game on Thursday at 2 p.m.

Destination: Elongation 

Today’s weather doesn’t feel particularly springlike, but as we know, the cherry trees on the Tidal Basin have their own timeline. Over the weekend, the blossoms reached their fourth stage of unfurling: peduncle elongation, when buds begin to open and petals start to appear. Once the trees hit this stage, peak bloom usually follows in a matter of days, so it will likely arrive ahead of the predicted date of March 22–25. 

More springy temperatures are predicted toward the end of the week, so perhaps the blossoms and the weather can finally get their timing in sync.

—Caroline Jones (tips? cjones@washingtoncitypaper.com)

D.C. Is in Danger of Missing 2030 Deadline To Remove Lead Pipes

A D.C. Water program offers free and significantly discounted replacement of lead pipes, but it […]

• To see today’s COVID-19 data, visit our coronavirus tracker.
• A strange love affair between a beauty school owner and her potential investor involves bogus licenses, threats of a lawsuit, and a government investigation. [Post]
• The internal D.C. Police investigation into alleged fabrications by Seventh District officers is still ongoing five months after Chief Robert Contee announced it publicly. As a result, prosecutors have dropped about 90 gun cases. Seven of the defendants in those cases have been rearrested. [Post]
• Police say one person fired several shots Saturday aboard a Green Line train near the Waterfront station following a physical altercation. [NBC Washington]
• On Sunday night, police found two men shot to death in an SUV on 11th Street NE, near Eastern Market. [NBC Washington]

By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)

• D.C. leaders are at a loss over next steps for its long-planned criminal code revision after Congress’ intervention. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson suggested lawmakers may have to wait to see if the 2024 elections improve the political situation for the city before passing any changes, especially since the District is also defending itself against new efforts to overturn a George Floyd-inspired police accountability bill. [Post]
• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and other Republicans are demanding another tour of the D.C. Jail after receiving reports that the Jan. 6 detainees held there are enduring a “unique form of mistreatment due to their politics and beliefs.” Just as a broken clock is right twice a day, Greene is demanding more oversight and reforms at the facility. [DCist]
• Former Ward 8 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Devon Lesesne was sentenced to 10 years in prison following his conviction for causing a fatal crash while driving drunk in Fairfax County. [WTOP]

By Alex Koma (tips? akoma@washingtoncitypaper.com)

• José Andrés has wanted to operate a restaurant in the Old Post Office building for three decades. Finally, with the opening of the Bazaar, his work is paying off and diners are reaping the benefits. [Post]
• Bryant Street Market, a new food hall in Edgewood, is now open; Taqueria Habanero’s outpost inside the market opens later this week. [Eater]
• If you’re seeking something more low key, Taqueria El Cabrito, tucked into a small gas station on the Silver Spring-Wheaton line, serves a “mean taco plate” and a whole head-on fish. [Post]
• As popular locations for food trucks change and downtown offices remain under-occupied, food truck operators are figuring out how to make their businesses work. One operator is resorting to amassing tickets in order to serve customers near the Mall. [Post]

By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)

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• Nancy Yao, president of New York’s Museum of Chinese in America since 2015, will become the inaugural director of the yet-to-be-built Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum. Yao, whose tenure begins in June, will oversee the conception and development of the museum, which includes sourcing the national collection, curating permanent and current exhibitions, and creating educational resources. [Smithsonian]
• “The seeming imperishability of racial injustice in America serves as the smoldering core of this opera’s formidable power,” writes Michael Andor Brodeur. After a three-year delay, the Washington National Opera’s Blue finally comes to the Kennedy Center. [Post]
• The birds are back. Today the zoo’s newly renovated Bird House reopens to the public. [WTOP]

By Sarah Marloff (tips? smarloff@washingtoncitypaper.com)

• Commanders signed defensive tackle Daron Payne to a four-year, $90 million contract, with $60 million guaranteed. [Athletic]
• Howard’s not the only local team heading to the NCAA Tournament. The Maryland men enter as an 8 seed and the Maryland women enter as a 2 seed. [NCAA, ESPN]
• The Wizards’ playoff chances seem to be waning. After a loss to Philadelphia, they’re currently 12th in the Eastern Conference. [Bullets Forever]

By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)

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