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 Monday! Today in 1865, Robert E. Lee surrendered at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia, ending the Civil War.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS: WMATA says it may need to raise fares less than previously thought. [WAMU] DCPS and teachers aren’t too happy with one another right now. [Examiner] All hail the reborn Howard Theatre, says Deborah Simmons. [Times] Mt. Vernon Triangle, one of the last downtown-adjacent holdouts, is finally getting urbanized. [Post]

YOUR DAILY QUALITY-OF-LIFE MEASUREMENT: On Friday, City Paper‘s Needle ticked up 2 points. The bad news: DCRA and MPD bust local second-hand shops for not having the right licenses. The good news: An Asian restauranteur offers advice to Asian restauranteurs. Take a look here.

SIX CITY PAPER STORIES FROM THE LAST 72 HOURS TO HELP YOU MAKE SENSE OF YOUR DAY:

Jeff Thompson’s Masseur Among “Suspicious” Money Order Donors: Yep. “Thompson’s longtime masseur, Richard Evans and his company, New Columbia Solutions, have donated $10,500 to several D.C. politicians since 2006, with the donations aligning almost exactly with other donations from Thompson’s network of donors. Some money order donations from Evans are part of a batch of donations to Councilmember Vincent Orange that Orange himself has called ‘suspicious.’ The fact that several Thompson-related money orders share similar handwriting, serial numbers, and points of purchase have raised questions about whether straw donors were used to circumvent campaign finance giving limits.”

Wait, Have I Seen That Building Before?: Lydia DePillis takes stock of some up-and-coming copy cat architecture designs. Floating facades, irregular windows prove popular.

Why Is The District Busting Record Stores And Vintage Shops?: A number of second-hand stores were busted by DCRA for operating under a general business license and not the more onerous second-hand business license—which requires businesses to jump through several regulatory hoops to ensure that they’re not fencing stolen goods. The problem? The owners all say they were never told they needed the more specific license, and are now being slapped with costly fines.

Biddle Says There’s No Racial Divide in D.C.: LL says “What?!” Commenters, unsurprisingly, also have lots to say.

Booze Debate Leads to Earlier Bedtime for Late-Night Burger Joint Black & Orange: Score one for curmudgeonly neighbors: “A rep for Black & Orange now tells Y&H that negotiations with neighbors who are protesting the restaurant’s liquor license are a big part of the reason for reneging on its advertised “Always Till 5 AM” slogan. Basically, in order to get timely approval to sell beer and open its planned outdoor patio, the colorfully themed burger joint has to compromise on its late-night schedule.”

Listen: Rah Digga Fires Back At Fat Trel: Contributor Marcus J. Moore notes that rapper Rah Digga has fired back at Fat Trel’s for his comments about her: “Perhaps this is Rah’s way of getting back under the spotlight? Or maybe she’s genuinely pissed about Trel’s comments. Either way, Digga doesn’t cut cards: ‘Fat Trel can kiss my, global rap ass/He barely out of D.C./Tried to look ’em up, he ain’t even got a Wiki.'”

IT’S TOO LOUD PHOTO OF THE DAY: Child Covering Ear

LINKDUMP AFTER THE JUMP!

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

  • Gray admin says it didn’t know the full story of Leon Swain‘s undercover work before kicking him to the curb [Post]
  • Gray’s spending plan to face skeptical D.C. Council [Examiner]
  • Marion Barry is all about Marion Barry, explains Jonetta Rose Barras [Examiner]
  • Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton releases tax returns [DCist]
  • A sample of some of Barry’s more infamous quotes [DCist]
  • Public schools librarians worried about their future [WAMU]
  • Some guy wants H Street shop owners to stop protecting their businesses  [Post]
  • Our guy didn’t win, so let’s revamp elections [Post]

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

  • Do you really need a roll-down gate on H Street? [Post]
  • How do you get someone to give up their Plexiglass? [DCentric]
  • Is there anything redeeming in Brutalism? [NYT]
  • More Metro riders = lower fares? [Post]
  • National Women’s History Museum, investigated. [HuffPo]
  • The kids don’t want to drive so much. [Better!]
  • The state of the District bike lanes. [D.ish]
  • Occupy merger talks are underway. [DCist]
  • The great streetcar race of 2012. [TBD]
  • Walmarts behind schedule. [Post]
  • MoCo’s a lot less valuable than it used to be. [Examiner]
  • Nothing like a good city model. [AtlanticCities]
  • Finalists come up with solutions for Mall design. [AP]
  • Should a record store be treated like a pawn shop? [ArtsDesk]
  • Make Gehry rework the Eisenhower memorial! No, break ground already! [Post, Post]
  • Today on the market: Live in the Cathedral.

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

  • The National Women’s History Museum remains unbuilt—but its fundraising efforts and management look mighty suspicious. [HuffPo]
  • The next installment of National Harbor gallery Art Whino’s “G40″—a punishingly democratic exhibit of street art—won’t take place in D.C. but Richmond. [Style Blog]
  • Wale hangs out with Curren$y and a chamber ensemble in a private jet hangar. [Pitchfork]
  • How’d D.C. theater get to this moment? Ari Roth…thanks Reagan? (And Zelda Fichandler) [HowlRound]

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

  • Taylor Gourmet is opening another storefront in Dupont Circle. [Eater]
  • Kokeb Ethiopian opens on Georgia Avenue NW. [Prince of Petworth]
  • Here’s how the Pleasant Pops guys raised money for their new shop. [Post]
  • Is New Belgium Brewing opening a retail store on 14th Street NW? [Borderstan]
  • Tickets are now on sale for “Sound Bites” benefiting D.C. Central Kitchen [DC Fud]
  • The pretzel bread doesn’t suck at District Commons. [DC City Blog]
  • The H Street farmers market has a new location. Maybe. [Frozen Tropics]
  • Dining will soon account for 40 percent of retail at Union Station. [Post]
  • Look cool ordering wine. [Thrillist]