IN CASE YOU MISSED IT—"Would-Be Burglars Ruin Vincent Gray's Ice Cream Interview," "Council Showdown This Afternoon On Overhead Wires," "Is Metro Safer? Reporters disagree."

Morning All. Your fence jokes are welcome in the comments: Vincent Gray was the victim of an attempted burglary of his Hillcrest home yesterday, telling City Desk's Michael Grass that the would-be perps did not reach any valuables (like keepsakes from his time in Sharon Pratt's administration or first-edition tomes on government process): "They probably heard the alarm and I guess they took off. ... They never got in. I don't know who did this this, but I don't put aside any possibility to tell you the truth." First, thieves rob bikes from Mayor Fenty's home and now this. Leo Alexander should think about upgrading his home security system.

INSURANCE FUND PROBE: The Examiner's Bill Myers files another important story in the growing insurance-fund issue which is now being investigated by the F.B.I. and other lawmen. Myers reports that Fenty and Co. knew about the problems with the fund three years ago: "The Fenty administration was warned three years ago that there were problems in a city workers' compensation fund that is now the center of at least four investigations, The Washington Examiner has learned. Last week, Fenty and his attorney general, Peter Nickles, conceded that workers had been paying for insurance but the city's Office of Risk Management wasn't forwarding the money on to insurance companies. The pair asked Inspector General Charles Willoughby to investigate. Nickles and Fenty claimed at the news conference that they discovered the problem last month. 'So we started, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, since that point in late May to look into this matter,' Nickles said."

Nickles is either wrong or confused or lying. Myers reports: "In April 2007, Willoughby sent a report to Fenty and city leaders. He warned Fenty that Risk Management and its insurance contractor 'lacked procedures to account for claimant's health and/or life insurance benefits.' 'As a result,' Willoughby's report states, 'claimants had no assurance that their health and/or life insurance benefits were properly accounted for or whether their health and/or life insurance coverage was active or lapsed.' The findings were part of a larger probe that found Risk Management was 'at risk for significant fraud, waste and abuse.' Willoughby attributed the insurance problems 'to a lack of policies and effective procedures,' but his audit foreshadowed problems that are now the focus of investigations by the FBI, the D.C. auditor, the finance office's integrity unit and, once again, Willoughby's agency."

AFTER THE JUMP—MARC HELL, Fenty is tardy to Metro memorial ceremony, Health agency misconduct alleged, interesting stats on city employers, homeless now join a waiting list to get into family shelter, and much, much more!

MARC TRAIN HELL: Every Transpo agency wants in on investigating what the hell happened on Monday's MARC train that left 900 passengers hot, bothered, and stranded. WaPo's Katherine Shaver reports: "Ralign Wells, head of the Maryland Transit Administration, said the investigation will seek to determine why the electric locomotive broke down and why its brakes jammed, making it impossible for another locomotive to pull the train back to Union Station relatively quickly. Passengers, including some who reported trouble breathing, used emergency handles to remove the train's windows as outside temperatures hovered at 90 degrees and the train's air conditioning shut down. The Federal Railroad Administration will determine whether the train's crew properly carried out emergency preparedness plans required for passenger trains, spokesman Warren Flatau said. One of the agency's safety specialists happened to be commuting home on the stranded train, 'so we have some firsthand knowledge,' Flatau said. The Prince George's County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department began getting 911 calls from stranded passengers at 7:50 p.m., after train 538 on the Penn Line had come to a stop near New Carrollton at 6:23 p.m., officials said. About 10 people were treated at the scene for heat-related problems, including profuse sweating, nausea and dizziness, said fire department spokesman Mark Brady. Three of those passengers, including one having an asthma attack, were taken to a hospital, Brady said. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) called the incident on the state's commuter rail line 'utterly unacceptable.' MARC needs a better system for getting passengers off broken trains more quickly, O'Malley told reporters after an unrelated event in Baltimore." More coverage via NBC4, WTOP.

Meanwhile, the Examiner's Kytja Weir reports that MARC is trying to reach out to those 900 passengers who had the commute from hell: "Maryland Transit Administrator Ralign T. Wells said he planned to ride the 538 train to talk to its regular riders about what went wrong Monday evening. 'This circumstance was unacceptable, and on behalf of all MTA employees, I apologize for the inconvenience and discomfort you experienced,' Wells wrote in a message to riders."

MORE MARC TROUBLES: NC8 reports MARC suffered another breakdown yesterday due to the heat: "MARC 428 on the Penn Line was departing from Union Station around 4:15 p.m. when there was a problem with the locomotive. About a half an hour later, MARC sent out word that there was a power outage in Washington. The scorching heat has taken its toll on MARC trains and their riders this week. Passenger James Sims told us, 'Right now I'm not sure what the temperature is in here...well above a hundred.' For a second straight day, the transit system literally shutdown under the intense high temperatures. Hundreds of people were once again stranded and confused in the midst of the sweltering heat. 'It's probably 103 in here... I want to get home to my boys,' stated Elizabeth Garvey, a passenger. It's not confirmed, but Amtrak officials tell us it appears the unforgiving heat wave has overwhelmed the electrical traction system this week which supplies power to most Marc Trains."

METRO STILL HAS WORK TO DO: The families of the Metro crash victims marked the one-year anniversary of the tragedy yesterday. WaPo's Ann Scott Tyson reports from the scene that many of the families are disappointed in Metro's response in the crash's aftermath: "Metro 'has never acknowledged: 'We've made a mistake. We're sorry,' ' said Kenneth Hawkins, whose brother, Dennis Hawkins, was killed in the crash. Tawanda Brown, mother of LaVonda "Nikki" King, 23, who died in the crash, accused Metro of shirking its responsibility and failing to resolve the underlying technical issues that contributed to the accident. 'They are responsible for our loved one's death,' Brown said. 'But they aren't even answering the 100 problems identified by the NTSB [National Transportation Safety Board], and we're still getting on the trains.'...Last month, Metro filed a petition in U.S. District Court to dismiss a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit filed by most of the families against the transit agency. On Tuesday, attorneys for the families were in court filing opposition to the petition, Kenneth Hawkins said. Metro's legal stance 'makes this day of remembrance disingenuous to say the least,' Hawkins said. The petition 'demonstrates the cynicism and blatant contempt [Metro] has toward the victims, families, and justice.' The motion to dismiss was 'partial' and 'a routine step in such a lawsuit,' Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein wrote in an e-mail." More coverage via WUSA9, WTOP, NC8. Safety still remains a top concern among Metro riders, NC8 reports in a subsequent piece.

FENTY LATE TO METRO MEMORIAL: Doesn't this guy listen at all to his critics? WaPo's Mike DeBonis reports that the mayor was 45 minutes late to the memorial service, and quickly left after a plaque was unveiled honoring the crash victims: "The ceremony started at 10 a.m. According to Post reporters on the scene, a phalanx of elected officials — including Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) — were seated well before the start. Fenty arrived after 10:45, after almost all of the family members had already spoken. He delivered short remarks, sat down with the rest of the officials on the dais, then left after a memorial plaque was unveiled. He did not stay for the retiring of the colors by a Metro police honor guard." LL advises that you should read DeBonis' full post on this episode.

HOMELESS FAMILIES: There now appears to be a waiting list to get into D.C. General's emergency shelter.

HIRING MISCONDUCT IN D.C. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE FINANCE ALLEGED: WaPo's Tim Craig reports: "Candice Young, who worked as a human resources adviser for the agency from June 2008 until January, said she was forced to alter dozens of documents so that Director Julie Hudman could legally place friends and allies in top-level jobs within the agency. 'I had to lie,' said Young, who resigned in January. 'They said, 'I want this person,' and I would have to go change things, but eventually I said, 'I am not going to do this anymore.' Hudman, who took over the agency in October 2008 after working as an adviser to then-City Administrator Dan Tangherlini, countered in an e-mailed statement that Young's 'allegations are untrue and without merit.' 'Miss Young's claims were investigated by the District's Department of Human Resources Compliance and Investigations Unit and they did not substantiate any of these claims,' Hudman said in the e-mail. 'Although we cannot comment further on personnel matters, we will continue to comply with any additional investigations.' The allegations emerged as part of D.C. Council member Marion Barry's investigation into hiring practices at the agency, which was created in 2008 to oversee Medicaid and other government-sponsored health insurance programs. Barry (D-Ward 8), who sits on the Health Committee, is upset that, according to records obtained by him, only four of the top 20 jobs in the newly created agency are held by African Americans."

OPEN-SOURCE VOTING: BOEE will debut open-source, Internet voting for oversees residents.

FUN STATS: WBJ's Michael Neibauer digs into some awesome stats found in the District's 180-page Comprehensive Annual Financial Report: "All but three of the city's top 14 principal employers in 2008 were education- or health-related. Number one was Howard University, up from number four in 2000. The three non-health or education employers were Fannie Mae (standing firm at number six), The Washington Post Co. (dropping from 8th to 14th) and Admiral Security Services (up from 64th to 15th). The top 14 employed 7.4 percent of all D.C. workers. The number of volumes owned by the D.C. Public Library in 2009, 2.52 million, was its fewest since 2005 and second fewest in a decade. In 2007, the library held 3.03 million volumes — the only time it topped the 3 million mark."

VOUCHERS: WaPo editorial board continues its crusade in support of school voucher program.

NICKLES VS. NICKLES: The Examiner's Bill Myers points out a little irony regarding New Beginnings juvenile facility.

NO MORE SUGAR MILK: WaPo's Mike DeBonis amplifies an earlier story in which the District finally will halt serving students flavored-milk and sugary cereals. LL didn't even known there was a flavored milk option: "And this fall, further changes may be in order. DCPS spokeswoman Jennifer Calloway says the system's 'goal for this upcoming school year is to serve cereals with six grams of sugar or less. We will be taste testing low-sugar cereals, as well as other nutritious breakfast and lunch items, this summer to determine which breakfast options are both healthy and appetizing to serve to our students,' she writes in an e-mail. The changes are part of a first wave of reforms heralding a new awareness of the poor quality of school lunches here. Ed [Bruske], for one, has done yeoman's work via his 'Tales From a D.C. School Kitchen' series at The Slow Cook in showing just how lousy the food we give kids is. DCPS took a big step toward healthier lunches by hiring Jeff Mills, a ex-restaurant chef ex-restaurateur who has pledged to increase the quality of school meals. The heavy lifting is yet to come: It's one thing to take away patently unhealthy choices from schoolkids."

VA VS. WMATA: McDonnell stands by pledge to withhold funds if he doesn't get his way.

STREETCARS: NC8 covers the council debate on overhead wires.

NEW BEGINNINGS: Officials say the incident at the juvenile facility last weekend was not a riot.

JULY 4: Concert lineup includes Gladys Knight and some "American Idol" runner-up.

ROBERT WONE: An account of Day 20 in the conspiracy trial.

MAYOR'S SCHEDULE: No public events are planned.

D.C. COUNCIL'S SCHEDULE:

10 a.m. Committee of the Whole (Hearing)
Bill 18-612; Bill 18-700; Bill 18-719; Bill 18-805; Bill 18-808; Bill 18-811
Location: John A. Wilson Building, Room 500

1 p.m.
Committee on Housing and Workforce Development (Round Table)
The Workforce Investment Council and the District's One Stops
Location: John A. Wilson Building, Room 412

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: "Tampering Charges Tossed, But Conspiracy Case Goes Forward," "Outcast Psychic Eyes Bethesda Comeback," "World Cup Roundup," "Defense Expert Disputes Knife Evidence In Wone Case," "Court Sides With Protesters In DPW Poster Removal Case," "Fatal Shooting In Brentwood"

Good Morning. So just how bad is Mayor Adrian Fenty doing against D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray? He lost the Ward 3 straw poll—the results of which were released late yesterday. If Fenty is to have any hope of keeping his job, he's got to dominate that ward. LL is stunned and thinks maybe this is some kinda joke. But it must be true since there's a Gray campaign press release in my inbox: "According to results released tonight, Gray was named the winner of the Ward Three Democratic Committee Straw Poll with 174 votes to 168 for Fenty. The straw poll was conducted one week ago as the candidates faced each other in a candidates’ forum sponsored by the committee, but ballots were not counted until this evening. The straw poll was open to any registered Democrat living in Ward Three. The Ward Three Democratic Committee also voted tonight on whether to endorse a candidate for Mayor. While no candidate received the required 75% needed for an endorsement, Gray handily beat Fenty among the delegates by a margin of 40-15 (or 64% of the vote to 24%)." More coverage via WaPo.

AFTER THE JUMP—Virginia at war with itself over Metro, Don Peebles rides the fence, bad record keeping found at Adult Protective Services agency, and much, much more!

METRO MESS: WaPo editorial board refers to Virginia's threat to withhold Metro funds as "blackmail." The board writes: "This is not a dispute between Virginia and Metro, or even between Virginia and the other two Metro jurisdictions, Maryland and the District. This is a dispute between Virginia and Northern Virginia. And resolving it would not require redrawing the rules governing Metro's board. As things have stood for years, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, a regional body representing Fairfax and Arlington counties and Alexandria, has named two voting members to the Metro board to match the two voting members named by the District and the state of Maryland. (Maryland's seats have for years been controlled not by suburban governing bodies but from Annapolis, which also provides the state's subsidy.) When Virginia was asked to pony up $50 million a year in funds to match the federal dollars, state officials started pressing the commission to allow them to name one of the two voting members (plus an alternate) for Virginia. The Northern Virginians declined.... State officials point out that they are chipping in about 52 percent of all Virginia dollars going to Metro; the remaining 48 percent comes from Northern Virginia localities. State officials are also right that the Metro board would be well served by having Virginia represented by a full-time transportation expert, not part-time politicians, no matter how conscientious and well-intentioned." Best line: "But Metro is not a political trophy to be squabbled over; it's one of the busiest and most critical transportation systems in the nation. Northern Virginia needs to recognize the state's legitimate interest and contribution, back down and allow Richmond a vote on the Metro board. Richmond should negotiate without holding the system hostage. This internecine skirmish must not be allowed to jeopardize funding for transit in the nation's capital."

IT'S NOVA VS. THE REST OF VA: Meanwhile, the Examiner's Kytja Weir reports that two Virginia Congressmen called the funds threat "budgetary blackmail." Weir writes: "Reps. Gerry Connolly and Jim Moran, both Democrats, wrote a letter to Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell stressing 'serious concerns' about the proposal to give two of the four Virginia board slots to political appointees instead of elected officials from Northern Virginia. They specifically disputed the McDonnell administration's claim that the commonwealth deserved half the positions as it was contributing 52 percent of the overall $249 million in state and local subsidies for the pending $2.1 billion Metro budget, which starts July 1. They argue that Northern Virginia riders' fares and parking fees are not included in those numbers, thus underestimating how much local residents are contributing. Furthermore, Connolly told The Washington Examiner, that the $50 million the state is threatening to withhold comes from revenue paid by Northern Virginia drivers through the 2 percent gas tax. 'I know who pays the bills. It's local taxpayers, not Richmond, not the commonwealth,' Connolly said. 'This is our own money that Virginia is suddenly laying claim to.'"

HOPEFULLY, THE LAST DON PEEBLES LINK EVER: WaPo's Mike DeBonis writes that the developer has finally, sorta, maybe made up his mind on whether to run for mayor:

"The D.C.-born developer, based in Florida for more than a decade now, appeared on Jonetta Rose Barras's WPFW-FM show Thursday morning, promising to answer whether or not he'd challenge Mayor Adrian Fenty — a decision he's been openly pondering since last fall.

Not surprisingly, no hard answer came from Peebles, who has pledged to inject as much as $5 million of his own money into the race and has relished the attendant public attention. But it's clear the public's patience is nearing an end. Barras started by asking Peebles the big question: Will you or won't you?

'I continue to get an outpouring of support asking me to run for mayor,' he started, before launching into an extended monologue on the problems of Washington today — ranging from jobs to fiscal management.

Barras finally pressed him to answer the darn question. Even that didn't get a clear yes or no.

When he had agreed to come on the show, Peebles explained, he intended to announce he'd run for the mayoralty as an independent — that is, in the general election, after Fenty and Vincent Gray had duked it out. But Peebles said that earlier this week he'd learned that his mother-in-law's cancer had significantly worsened.

So, he said, 'at this point right now, I cannot be a candidate for mayor.'

Barras then asked if the 'door is closed' to a mayoral run. Said Peebles, 'You never say never.'"

Peebles has a great back story and can talk passionately on the subject of job creation. But why would anyone vote for this guy after all his indecision? More coverage via WBJ.

SHADY RECORD KEEPING: The Examiner's Alan Suderman reports that paperwork concerning some of the District's most vulnerable residents wasn't kept secure—the IG has found: "Sensitive information of some of the District's must vulnerable residents, including abused and neglected elderly and disabled citizens, was left in a haphazard and unsecured mess at a city office, the D.C. inspector general has found. The District's Adult Protective Services division is tasked with 'investigating reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of frail, elderly and disabled adults,' according to the inspector general's report. But the APS's case files — which include clients' statements, Social Security numbers, health records, and the names of those who reported abuse — were left 'unorganized lying on unattended desks, in open boxes, and in carts waiting to filed' in a storage room," the IG found. And the storage room was often left open and unlocked because it was used by city employees "as a thoroughfare" to reach exits and restrooms. City employees from a different department and who weren't authorized to look at the records had easy access to the files, according to the IG. The report is the third the inspector general has issued in little more than a year that details how a city agency has failed to safeguard city records."

9:30 CLUB VS. LIVE NATION: AP reports: "The owner of Washington's 9:30 Club has filed a lawsuit against Maryland to prevent the state from giving Montgomery County $4 million to build a music venue. The lawsuit was filed this week by the music club's parent company, IMP Inc., and that company's co-owner Seth Hurwitz. It says the county hasn't provided enough information about the project's costs as required by the General Assembly. The county is contributing $4 million to build the venue. A spokesman for the county executive says the county has met the assembly's conditions. The Live Nation venue would be built in downtown Silver Spring and serve about 2,000 standing patrons. Hurwitz has said his company could create a music venue in Silver Spring without public funds."

FENCED IN: WaPo's Ann Marimow updates on Vincent Gray's controversial fence: "The clock is ticking for Council Chairman Vincent Gray to do something about his fence. He has 30 days to relocate or lower the black aluminum fence that surrounds his Hillcrest home, according to a letter dated June 9 from the District's Public Space Committee. Last month, the committee ruled that Gray had not provided sufficient justification to exceed the District's height limit on fences built in the public right of way. The panel, charged with protecting the character of the city's neighborhoods, gave Gray two options to act by July 9: lower his 67-inch fence to the limit of 42 inches or move the fence back to the property line. Rulings by the obscure but powerful committee are final. Gray is consulting with his attorney, but has "not yet made a decision on whether he will move the fence or decrease the height," his campaign spokeswoman Traci Hughes said Thursday."

METRO MESS PART 2: Metro workers will be disciplined over ten-car train.

HOLDOUT HORROR STORY: One landlord who refused millions to sell during downtown's development boom now probably regrets that decision.

REQUIRED FATHER'S DAY READING: WaPo's Petula Dvorak profiles a father who adopted two neglected boys with the help of the Children's Law Center.

GRAY'S HEALTH: The Examiner's Bill Myers reports that Gray had a bit of "a sniffle" this week.

CRUISERS: Three cop cars were hit by an SUV.

EMAIL OF THE WEEK: From Keith Jarrell on campaign sign wars:

"For more than a month I have had a Vince Gray for Mayor sign in my yard. Proudly I might ad, and at my request. This evening after attending a CAC meeting at 4th District I came home only to find a Fenty for Mayor sign in the middle of my front yard, completely unauthorized!

Where does the dirty, over bearing side of Fenty STOP?

I am open to no excuses from the Campaign on this heinous act. If they even begin to suggest that the person that installed the Fenty sign maybe didn't see the Gray sign then I am going to suggest that they get their eyes checked. They would have to have practically walked over the first sign to put up the second one.

I have left a message for the Fenty Campaign manger giving him until 8Am tomorrow morning to have the sign removed.

Keith Jarrell"

MAYOR'S SCHEDULE:

9:30 a.m. Remarks
Ribbon Cutting for Marvin Gaye Park
Location: Marvin Gaye Park
Minnesota Avenue and Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE
(Don't you feel like he's already cut a ribbon at Marvin Gaye Park?)

D.C. COUNCIL SCHEDULE:

11 a.m.
Committee on Aging and Community Affairs (Hearing)
Bill 18-235, the "Veterans License Plates Establishment Act of 2010"
Location: John A. Wilson Building, Room 412

"Families receive 24-hour services, which include shelter, meals, case management, outplacement services and aftercare services....The Family Development Advocate tracks program graduates for a period of 90 days up to one year. Contact is made with graduates, employers and outplacement service providers no less than once each month to identify issues that might otherwise cause loss of employment or the reoccurrence of displacement. The program complements this one on one support with regular workshops, which graduates attend to attain added preparation and support."

Shelter residents have a different take.

In the past week, City Desk has reported several items on D.C. General: overcrowded conditions, indifferent case workers, the death of a newborn, and staff soliticing sex from female residents in return for blankets and juice.

Problems with Families Forward, Inc. should not be new to city officials. In its report on the Banita Jacks case, the Inspector General flagged the group and the facility for poor management in dealing with that troubled family.

From December 2005 to April 2006, the Jacks family stayed at D.C. General under the watch of Families Forward. Among the key findings, the IG noted that the Jacks children were never interviewed "nor were their needs ever assessed." In what should be all too familiar to current shelter residents, the IG also reported the Jacks family did not see a case worker for nearly a month after first moving in.

It took the Families Forward staff nearly a month to have Banita Jacks fill out the basic intake forms. Even after their first meeting with a case worker, the IG noted that the worker completed only the first two pages of a nine page assessment form. Among the topics left blank: "Medical History," "Psychosocial/Family" history, and the case worker's own "subjective observations."

The IG also reported: "Based on interviews with the team and a review of the family's shelter case file, there is no indication that Families Forward made any referrals related to the physical or mental health needs of any family member."

The IG found that Families Forward "failed to conduct a thorough needs assessment." The IG wrote in its final report:

"A thorough assessment of [the parents] could have provided valuable insight into the family's needs and past challenges they faced, and that could have resulted in their being referred for further evaluation, treatment, or services."

The IG recommended:

*The D.C. Department of Human Services should consider proposing to the mayor a strategy for providing physical, mental health, and developmental screenings to all homeless children.

*The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness as well as Families Forward should "review and amend in writing where necessary, the Hypothermia Shelter's intake, needs assessment, and case management processes to ensure that they are consistent not only with Families Forward's contractual obligations to the District, but also the intent...of the District's Homeless Services Reform Act."

Families Forward failed to return calls seeking comment. One worker who answered the phone  replied that he was too busy helping families to answer our questions.

In an interview late this afternoon, Councilmember Tommy Wells, who chairs the Committee on Human Services, says that the conditions at D.C. General are "awful."

Wells says that he plans on holding an oversight hearing on the D.C. General mess. "To any degree that staff added to[residents'] misery, they need to not just be fired but prosecuted for anything they've done wrong."

Wells continues: "If Families Forward is not capable of running a humane shelter then we are going to have to deal with that."

Wells says that, at a minimum, the shelter should be a humane living space.

Does Families Forward meet that definition?

"That's what the oversight hearing is for," Wells says.

*photo courtesy of DC Watch.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT—"Peter Nickles: I Will Not Call You Back," "Video: Is Cleveland Park Dead?" and "The Pershing Park Case: Did A District Official Commit Perjury?"

Morning all. A big thanks to the local politico reporters and Wilson Building staffers who a) Jokingly thought I had become LL; b) Wished me luck in compiling the must-read briefing on local politics; and c) failed to mention the "resident" controversy from yesterday. A few local heavyweights inquired about LL's bike ride to Dewey Beach and wondered if he had made it to the Rusty Rudder safely. I reached LL via e-mail. Here is what he wrote about his trek:

"Uh, well, we left gonzaga HS at 4:30 a.m. then took back roads to just across the severn river in annapolis where we were bused across the bay bridge to where 50 meets 404. it started out looking like it was going to be cloudy and rain all day, but by the time we crossed the bridge the clouds were gone and the sun was shining. so it was really hot. the route kinda sucked. its exactly the same as driving; we rode on the shoulder of these roads the whole time, trucks whizzing pasy, chickenshit in the air, no real scenery of note. but it was for a good cause–autism research–and it was pretty well run, lots of rest stops with powerbars and water and bananas and all that stuff. The first leg I did pretty fast, finishing 35 mi in about two and a half hours. the second leg was somewhat slower—five and a half hours to do 65 mi to Bethany Beach–but i was among the first half of finishers (at 2:15 p.m.) on my junky old bike. so yeah, it was good."

Now on to the news: Councilmember Phil Mendelson has joined colleague Councilmember Mary Cheh in calling for AG Peter Nickles to resign. Cheh spoke out to City Desk last Friday. So what has provoked the councilmembers? The OAG's conduct in a Pershing Park lawsuit in which police evidence has gone missing and/or has been destroyed, among other discovery problems. The U.S. District Court judge in the case has promised painful sanctions, has called on the D.C. Council to investigate the matter, and ordered Nickles to provide a sworn statement explaining his office's conduct. The Examiner's Bill Myers gets Mendo on the record calling for Nickles to go. Nickles offers his usual bulldog-with-rabies react: "It's politics at its worst. They have no idea what's going on." What's going on is available via transcript. News Channel 8's Bruce DePuyt has Cheh and Nickles on the Pershing Park issue. Nickles says he is "troubled" by the missing evidence, and will follow the law. Cheh stands by her comments and says D.C. needs a new attorney general.

LEAD TROUBLES: WaPo is reporting that House investigators have found many more children than previously reported had high levels of lead in their blood during the drinking water crisis from a few years ago. Key graphs: "Local officials could not say Monday whether some children with unsafe lead exposure have gone without intervention to reduce their health risks. The CDC and city health department had reported dangerously high lead levels in 193 children in 2003, the worst year for high concentrations of lead in city tap water. But lab data gathered by congressional investigators this year show that the actual number was 486 children."

AFTER THE JUMP: More public transpo issues, D.C. Police are getting some federal dough, Legal Seafood is fighting to stay inside National Reagan National Airport, WaPo stands up for press freedoms(!) and much, much more.

PUBLIC TRANSPO continues its stretch of bad press. Last night a man was stabbed at Union Station, News Channel 8 reports. It is unclear whether the man was stabbed on a train or on a platform. The man was taken to an area hospital. A female suspect was taken into custody. (Also reporting: WTOP). During rush hour, doors opened on a moving Metro train. Scary. WaPo reports that the incident occurred on an Orange Line train. No injuries were reported and the train was promptly taken out of service. Key graph: "A passenger, who requested anonymity because he is restricted from speaking to the media in his job as a House aide, said that the left panel in the middle door of a middle car came open and that the door closed as soon as the operator hit the brakes."

WJLA is reporting that 27 bus shelters have been busted recently. A DDOT source speculates that this appears to be the work of one person: "Metropolitan police will be handling the investigation. They say the damaged bus shelters are located across the city from Upper Northwest across the Potomac and into Southeast. Clear Channel, the company that began installing the shelters two years ago, said the first damage reports started coming in Sunday and then Monday the number of vandalized shelters passed the two dozen mark."

D.C. cops are getting a bit boost from the feds. Police coffers will see an increase of $12 million from a federal grant. The money will be used to hire an additional 50 officers. News Channel 8 reports this may not necessarily boost the rank and file's numbers: "At the same time the department is getting more officers, the D.C. Council passed a budget calling for a hiring freeze in the department. Over time, it will result in less officers all together. 'Whatever number we ended up at, we're now 50 more than that and that's great news,' said Fenty." NBC4 has a brief on the boost.

An Inspector General's audit has found that the District's financial office has failed to collect $750,000 in motor fuel taxes during the past couple years, the Examiner's Michael Neibauer reports. The news is kinda ironic: "The Office of the Inspector General 'identified uncollected motor fuel tax revenues of about $733,000 for six years,' said the audit, dated July 26. The District's Office of Tax and Revenue, auditors reported, 'has not been aggressively pursuing potential revenues,' as it never followed up with motor fuel importers who didn't pay. The audit was issued July 26, five days before the council voted to increase the gasoline tax from 20 cents to 23.5 cents per gallon."

WaPo is reporting that Legal Seafoods is seeking a court order to stop airport officials from kicking them out of Reagan National Airport's choice Terminal C locale. The chain says it's being pushed out to make way for a steakhouse. Nerdy highlight: "Owner Roger Berkowitz says the problems started last year during lease negotiations with officials from Westfield Concessions Management, the Los Angeles-based company that oversees retail stores and restaurants at National and at Dulles International Airport. He said Westfield encouraged the seafood chain to spend $2.3 million to expand, primarily by taking over the space of a bookstore next door. Berkowitz said he agreed to make the changes but insisted that the seafood chain pocket any construction savings. At the time, he said, construction costs were plummeting due to the weak economy." Of course, there's more.

Gov. Tim Kaine has told families of the Virgina Tech massacre victims that he will not reconvene his investigatory panel. The families had urged him to re-investigate the shootings in light of the shooter's mental health records being found. WaPo reports that more than 60 families and victims had signed a letter urging Kaine to bring the panel back. Key graphs:

"In an e-mail to families sent about noon Monday, Mark Rubin, the governor's counselor, ruled out reconvening the panel.

'While we would not rule out inviting willing members of the Panel to review proposed revisions to the report, we are sensitive that there are families who expressly do not want to reconvene the Panel,' he wrote. 'Our hope is that the current process for revisions will satisfy the need for a thorough report without upsetting families like your own any further.'

But Rubin added that Kaine will accept any factual corrections families wish to make to the report until Aug. 19."

PEGGY COOPER CAFRITZ—one of the District's most impressive politicos—talks about last week's fire that destroyed her home. She tells FOX5: "We'll always find the light, you know. We went through an exercise of looking through the plural of 'phoenix' and we found it, and it's 'phoenixes' and as I told others, that's exactly who my children and I are and will be." WUSA's Bruce Johnson had the exclusive first interview and some news on the fire: "Sources tell 9NEWS NOW that WASA had four reports of low water pressure in the area in the past year. At least two hydrants are clearly marked out of service." Let's hear it for "sources" whoever they are!

WaPo Editorial Board slams the D.C. Council's penchant for closed-door meetings. A must read for....fans of Sherwood, Segraves and any another local reporter who has pounded on those closed doors. Key graph: "THE D.C. COUNCIL was able to shut the public out of its recent budget deliberations because supposedly, it wasn't really taking action. Never mind that all the big decisions were being made behind those closed doors. That such an outrage could occur is the latest example of why the District is viewed as having one of the most worthless open-meetings laws in the country and why that law needs to be changed."

FENTY'S SCHEDULE:

10:45 a.m. Remarks
Demolition at Gage Eckington Elementary School
Location: Site of Former Gage Eckington Elementary School
2025 3rd Street, NW

4:00 p.m. Remarks
Petworth Recreation Center Ribbon Cutting
Location: 801 Taylor Street, NW

7:30 p.m. Remarks
79th Grand Chapter Meeting of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc.
Location: Marriot Wardam Park Hotel
2660 Woodley Road, NW