The Saturday Morning Post
Good morning, D.C. It's a dreary, rainy day, but at least people will be able to get around without many problems, right? Well, not entirely. The Post has some additional info about yesterday's dual-train derailment at the Bethesda Metro station, relaying that repairs on the broken piece of track in question will likely drag on until Monday morning. Delays of 20-30 minutes are expected on the Red Line all weekend. (Murphy's law, I suppose.) Also of note: the two trains involved in the accident were 2000 and 3000 series cars -- not 5000 series cars, which have had quite the spotty history when it comes to derailments. Be sure to plan in some extra time (and an umbrella, for that matter) if you're using the Red Line to heading down to today's Cherry Blossom-related festivities.
Hopping around the news this morning:
>> An interesting story here about how Maryland's lackadaisical driver's license laws have allowed illegal immigrants all over the country to use addresses in the state to obtain identification cards. Maryland is one of only four states -- and the only on the East Coast -- which does not check the immigration status of individuals applying for a driver's license. One consequence of the lazy laws is that many states, and the District, no longer accept Maryland's driver's license as proof of identity for relocating people, citizens or not.
>> Marion Barry is planning to make a $4,250 payment on his considerable tax debt on Monday. In the story, Barry complains that more than two-thirds of his tax payment is interest and fines -- well, Councilman, that's what happens when you only pay your taxes once every nine years or so.
>> Two eighteen-year-old freshmen at Catholic University won a contest for designs to adorn the underside of the dome at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, finishing their design in less than two weeks.