1600 Block Marion Street, NW.  July 4th.  © 2011 Matt Dunn

Yes We Can (Continue The War On Drugs): Advocates of D.C.'s new medical marijuana law were relieved to find the zealous new House Republican majority didn't try to block it while writing the next fiscal year's budget this spring. Turns out they were worried about the wrong end of Pennsylvania Avenue. The Department of Justice notified the Drug Enforcement Administration this week that anyone "cultivating, selling, or distributing marijuana, and those who knowingly facilitate such activities, are in violation of the Controlled Substances Act," and that local laws legalizing or decriminalizing weed don't matter. Maybe that's why the District hasn't granted any licenses to sell medical pot yet: Is Mayor Vince Gray worried President Barack Obama will send the narcs after him if he "knowingly facilitates" the distribution centers' activities? -2

Bike to the Fireworks: Taking Capital Bikeshare out to big events can sometimes be a problem; once the available racks in the area fill up, there's nowhere to leave the burly red bike, unless you've hauled your own lock and key along with you (in which case, why not just bring your own bike?). DDOT seems to have realized that—they'll set up "bike corrals" by the Mall on Monday evening so people can leave their Bikeshare rides while watching pyrotechnics, guaranteeing a place to park for anyone who brings a municipal bike by. (Getting all the bikes back around town that night won't be easy, though; officials say there may not be a place to park when you get home again, or a bike for your Tuesday morning commute.) +2

No Such Thing As A Free Ride: The next time you lose your D.C. driver's license, it'll cost a bit more to replace it. New DMV fees for four services took effect today, part of the city's effort to bring in more revenue in the fact of a budget crunch. Duplicate licenses will be $20, up from $7; road and knowledge tests, which used to be free, will cost $10; and commercial driver's licenses, which used to be $13, will cost $20. Cue AAA to decry the District's war on cars, no doubt. -1

Monumental Problem: Riding up to the top of the Washington Monument tends to be one of those things tourists do that locals never quite get around to, figuring they can go any time, so why wait in the line? Besides the line, there's now a new reason to stay away: You might get stuck. D.C. firefighters had to rescue 16 people trapped 490 feet above the ground Thursday night when an elevator stalled; they had to walk down from the top, adding insult to injury. Great way to start the nation's birthday celebration off, isn't it? -1

Yesterday's Needle rating: 43 Today's score: -2 Friday bonus: +2 Fourth of July bonus: +2 Today's Needle rating: 45

That Real Estate Management Firm Sure Plays A Mean Pinball: Most museums in town have powerful financial backers—in the case of the Smithsonian Institution, for instance, the full faith and credit of the U.S. government (which, admittedly, isn't quite as strong a guarantee as it used to be). The National Pinball Museum, on the other hand, doesn't even have much protection in its lease. Which is why Vornado Realty, owners of the Georgetown Park Mall, can kick the museum out with only 60 days' notice. The bad news: A quirky new museum looks like it's now out of business. The good news: About 900 classic pinball machines are likely to be on eBay soon. -2

Nothing Beats Suitcase Meat: When trying to smuggle meat into the country, it's probably best to tell the Customs and Border Protection agents who ask you at the airport if you've got anything to declare that no, you don't. Otherwise, you can wind up like the man caught at Dulles today with 90 pounds of cooked, curried sheep meat, hidden throughout all six of his suitcases. The worst part about getting nabbed? He probably had to pay the airline's extra weight fees for nothing now. +1

Home Is Where The $25 Million Is: Who says the real estate market isn't coming back? The most expensive home for sale in D.C. sold recently, with an asking price of $25 million. The house, Evermay, sits on a 3.5-acre property in Georgetown; it dates to the early 1800s. Of course, since the original asking price was $49 million, maybe this doesn't mean it's time to start dreaming of flipping your Columbia Heights rowhouse as a get-rich-quick scheme quite yet. +1

Happy Holidays?: The list of entertainers slated to appear in D.C. for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July seems like it was put together by throwing darts at the Hollywood phone book. For the Fourth: Steve Martin playing banjo! Josh Groban! Little Richard! For this weekend's Memorial Day parade: Gary Sinise! Pat Sajak! If the Wheel of Fortune isn't your thing, there's always George Clinton playing for free in Rockville. Maybe next year District officials should just offer a free police escort to anyone willing to headline one of the summer holiday spectaculars; at least that would mean we'd probably get Jay-Z. -2

Friday's Needle rating: 62 Today's score: -2 Today's Needle rating: 60

Turn it up and lose yourself in the mesmerizing lawlessness!

Just before the Fourth of July, the organizers of SoberRide managed to scrape together the $31,000 they needed to keep the program running. MillerCoors kicked in $15,000 (which, presumably, it'll make back this weekend, one silver bullet at a time), and GEICO and anti-drunk driving group the Century Council each ponied up $5,000. The Restaurant Association of Washington chipped in $2,000.

Of course, there's no guarantee you won't have to wait several drunken hours for the free ride home. Still—happy birthday, America!

Every Independence Day, the show on the streets gives me giggles and makes me fall in love with my neighborhood all over again.