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, which means there’s a new print edition coming out today. It’s the best one yet.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS: Md. priest defends decision to deny communion from lesbian woman at her mother’s funeral. [WTOP] Ward 7 incumbent Yvette Alexander has an “easy rapport” with the ward’s senior population. [Post] Jury finds Virginia Tech negligent in 2007 shootings. [WAMU] D.C. region in danger of another recession if federal spending drops. [Examiner] Defunct Jeff Thompson firm still donating to politicians. [Times] Stink bugs! [WTOP]

YOUR DAILY QUALITY-OF-LIFE MEASUREMENT: On Wednesday, City Paper‘s Needle fell six points. The bad news: Everything. Take a look here.

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

Just Following Money Orders: We’ve been talking about super-donor Jeff Thompson all week, but if you’re just tuning in or haven’t followed the saga, Loose Lips’ Alan Suderman explains a) what happened and b) what it means for the federal investigation that’s swept up nearly every councilmember, loads of people affiliated with Thompson, and various campaigns. Read it.

Walmart Developer Bundles Donations For Yvette Alexander: Speaking of D.C. Council candidates and donors, Housing Complex’s Lydia DePillis takes notice of who’s helping to fill the Ward 7 incumbent’s war chest: Alexander’s “latest filing report shows 12 checks for $500 each from a Baltimore address belonging to the A&R Companies, which is building the Capitol Gateway shopping center that will host one of the ward’s two Walmarts. The $6,000 total comes to more than a third of Alexander’s haul this reporting period.”

Windian Records’ New Anniversary Poster: Remember yesterday, when we asked if this show poster was racist? Windian Records decided to change the art for their upcoming concert.

Steak Holder: Young & Hungry’s column this week is about the return of Ray’s The Steaks, the east-of-the-river steakhouse that closed for several months and recently reopened…without much change. So now what? First up, owner Michael Landrum has got to turn a profit.

Metro Execs Make A Lot Of Money: Let’s put it this way. Each year, WMATA General Manager Richard Sarles‘ salary could pay for 218,750 one-way Metro rides, at the $1.60 non-rush-hour base fare.

Can Wards 6 and 7 Play Nice On Reservation 13? DePillis writes about the latest fight over what to do with the parcel of land that Mayor Vince Gray wants to turn into a Redskins training facility: “Last summer, the redistricting debate ripped through D.C.’s neighborhoods, creating an especially ugly dynamic between Capitol Hillites and the east-of-the-river wards that had shrunk in population and needed to annex some of Ward 6. The biggest sticking point: What would happen to Reservation 13, the big piece of waterfront property long slated for mixed-use development, when it ‘belonged’ to a councilmember whose main constituency lived on the other side of the bridge?”

BEST EVER PHOTO OF THE DAY: This Week’s Page Three Photo

BE THERE OR BE SQUARE: City Paper will be sponsoring a series of D.C. Council candidate debates this month.

At-Large: Tuesday, March 20, 8:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW (guest moderator: NBC4’s Tom Sherwood)

Ward 7: Monday, March 26, Ray’s the Steaks East River (time and guest moderator TBD).

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

• Couniclmembers scrambling to find all those checks tied to Jeff Thompson. (Also, what’s up with Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser not admitting she’s gotten a subpoena?) [Post, Times]
• More shenanigans with Thompson-tied companies who were giving big to local pols [Times]
• Lots of crossover between suspicious Thompson-related donors to Councilmember Vincent Orange and givers to Mayor Vince Gray’s campaign [WAMU]
• Orange handling Thompson situation in worst way possible [Dish]
• Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh wants to limit money order donations to $25 [Post]
• Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander says passing legislation is not a priority [Post]
• Mayor Vince Gray and the D.C. Council not seeing eye-to-eye on special election funding [Examiner]
• Homeless families in hotels, D.C. General shelter at all-time high. [DCFPI]
• Pepco sorta like Jeff Thompson [DC Watch]
• Can Wards 6 & 7 play nice on Res 13? [HC]

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

• Fuller: Party’s over, folks. [Examiner]
• Selling Loudoun county. [WBJ]
• How big companies ought to build offices. [Switchboard]
• A history of playgrounds. [AtlanticCities]
• Senate knows what’s up on transportation. [NextAmericanCity]
• Why is it so hard to walk around Rhode Island Row? [RIAInsider]
• Homeless families in hotels, D.C. General shelter at all-time high. [DCFPI]
• Words of caution on 11th Street Bridge Park. [BeyondDC]
• National Cathedral needs some divine assistance. [HuffPost]
• Throw the book at pedestrian safety offenders? [Examiner]
• Ward 7 candidates know nothing about biggest change to D.C. land use since 1950s. [Post]
• Today on the market: Marvelous renovated rowhouse.

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

• Jay Bulger, a Washington native, wins the top documentary prize at South by Southwest for his film about drummer Ginger Baker. [The Style Blog]
• Smithsonian American Art Museum releases a trailer for its sure-to-be-blockbuster exhibit “The Art of Video Games” [Eye Level]
• The Making of the Listen Local First mobile music venue [Ben Droz]
• Curator Laura Roulet discusses the upcoming public-art project 5×5 [Pink Line Project]

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

• An early look at Boqueria, opening tonight [Washingtonian]
• Fiola gets three stars. [Post]
• The evolution (and various incarnations) of the “Strasburger” [DCist]
• Here’s what D.C. Central Kitchen is doing for the District’s food deserts. [Eatocracy]
• Take a look at what chef Johnny Spero is cooking for the upcoming SŪNA pop-up. [We Love DC]
• Another liquor license brouhaha is brewing at Shaw’s All Souls Bar. [Blade]
• Take a peek inside Mike Isabella‘s home kitchen. [Post]
• Sou’wester may have the most beautiful patio in D.C. [Don Rockwell]
• Police are offering $1,000 for information about Sunday’s shooting at IHOP. [Fox 5]