The Weekly Feed: Experimentation Edition
Morning Roundup: Change Edition
Former Blade Staffers Launch 'DC Agenda'
D.C. Insurance Dept. Denies Birth Control Coverage Meddling
Controversy Over Rhee Now to Include Sex, Congress
Good morning, Washington. The Michael Jackson memorial service so thoroughly dominated the national news yesterday that there's precious little else to read about this morning - so thank goodness Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry and his ex-girlfriend Donna Watts-Brighthaupt appear to be intent on drawing out the strange spectacle of their post-romance meltdown for all to see. After news broke in the Post Tuesday afternoon that Barry had paid Watts-Brighthaupt $10,000 in consulting fees (which the City Paper says is really $20,000), Barry's spokesperson, Natalie Williams, called a press conference to address the story. The best defense Williams could offer was this: "It is not unusual, nor is it illegal, for councilmembers to award contracts to supporters or family members who qualify or can provide the services that are required," she said. Pretty weak sauce, but OK. That statement actually came after the bigger story of the press conference, though - that Watts-Brighthaupt actually showed up in person and made a spectacle of herself, attempting to shout down Williams from the podium before eventually getting into her car (and briefly talking with reporters -- see the video for more) and driving off. Yeesh. Remind us never to break up with either of them.
Summer Jobs Program is Running Out of Money: The Examiner crunches the numbers and finds that Mayor Fenty's Summer Jobs Program for District teens is already facing financial problems. The program was budgeted $23 million, but that's only enough to cover paying the 21,000 participants through July 22, meaning the D.C. Council will have to approve another $20 million before the end of its next legislative session. If they don't, the program could end up having to be cut short.
Major Delays Out of Union Station Last Night: Big time switch malfunctions kept untold numbers of rail commuters stuck at Union Station last night, as MARC and VRE trains were held until the problem could be rectified, the Post reports. Delays were upwards of an hour.
Briefly Noted: D.C. Teen unemployment way up ... Two firefighters injured in U Street house fire ... Two men killed, woman in custody after Beltway crash ... Hundreds lined up for free gas giveaway in Alexandria this morning.
This Day in DCist: One year ago, a woman was killed by a garbage truck in Dupont Circle, and we were able to hear the voice of Office of Tax and Revenue embezzler Harriette Walters in an old outgoing voice mail message.
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Not a comment on this article per se, but just a general airing of grievances. The vein in my forehead is going to rupture violently if Red Line delays continue as they have.
Ohhh, Harriett even sounds sexy.
MARION BARRY
Just couldn't let me go, could you? I guess this is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You won't get rid of me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness... and I won't lose you because you're too much fun. We're going to do this forever.
WARD 8 MAN
You'll be in a padded cell, forever.
MARION BARRY
Maybe we can share it. They'll need to double up, the rate this city's inhabitants are losing their minds...
Anyone want to bet on which Councilmember will call for an investigation of Barry's admitted misuse of taxpayer money?
*chirping crickets*
I would expect Marion Barry to do it, after all, he is a moral politician!
Bill Kristol thinks that Barry's plan is risky, but it may pay off big in the long run for his presidential hopes.
Sommer may I ask you to include "while riding her bicycle" to the This Day in DCist: sentence to remind readers of the dangers faced by bicyclists on the streets of the District.
Thank you.
i'd also ask that it be changed to "killed by the driver of a garbage truck." if she'd been shot, we'd likely say she was shot by someone with a gun or so-and-so killed her, not that she was killed by a gun. semantics, i know, but important nonetheless.
Good point, thanks! Sorry I missed that.
Off Topic: Could we get some young, scantily clad, muscle boys with no underwear in the American Apparel ad please??? Seeing those girls over and over is starting to wig me out.
I'm in full agreement with Wizzy on this one.
I'm pretty sure Dov Charney doesn't swing that way.
What's wrong with young scantly clad women with a 'come fuck me' look on their face.
Sorry, I see it more as a "I'm tanked to the gills on roofies and heroin, so if you go fast I'll only give you my case of herpies" look
Look, if it's a toss up between that look and the "you can't afford the lifestyle I'm accustomed to and I can't believe I'm even letting you talk to me" look, which line would you be in?
At least you can treat the herpes with mercury and a blowtorch. Ain't nothing can fix stupid.
*** WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE REMOVE THAT AMERICAN APPAREL AD?? ***
I'm really starting to lean to the dark side. Really. Those girls are really, really hot.
Hey babe! Wanna play Laverne and Shirley? Help. Me. Please.
This "project" Watts-Brighthaupt was hired for sounds like total make-work bullshit, and I'm amazed that Council members have tens of thousands of dollars in their budgets to spend on this kind of unfocused capacity-building for their districts.
That said, I can sympathize with her outburst at the press conference. Barry's spokesperson was only briefly mentioning the contract issue, the majority of her remarks seemed to be focused on questioning Watts-Brighthaupt's mental fitness and honesty. It's bad enough to have a relationship melting down in such a spectularly public fashion ... when your ex- actually has full-time employees who can slag you off to the press and public, it must be infuriating.
Any clue if the fire on U street was responsible for the helicopter flying overhead all night?
I am no expert, but if you look really really close at the photo, I think you can detect some photoshopping. I can tell by the pixels.
And from seeing quite a few shops in your time, no?
Is it normal for there to be press conferences at the Wilson Building at 11 pm? That's an appropriate time for a booty call or other bad ideas while drinking, but a presser?
Bethesdaist,
We are talking about Marion Berry here. This is a guy who thought nothing was out of the ordinary when he was found 'eating powdered donughts' (I'll remember that the next time somebody notices some excess coke on my upper lip) at 3 am near Buzzard Point.
I'd like to know why a great deal of kids in the mayor's summer program sit on my front steps smoking cigarettes for 8 hours a day. Is this what my taxes is paying for?
Is this what my taxes is paying for? Yes, and you're about to get hit with an additional $20 million for it. If you want to have some fun, take pictures of the kids smoking all day and send them to the local news outlets. You can be a Jr. summer iReporter and get those damn kids off of your yard!
But be sure to chase them with a broom yelling, "Scat! Scat! You pesky kids!" That way, when they shoot you in the face, the rest of us can be entertained by image of the comic tableau when it shows up in the paper.
Bob Summersgill reports in the comments at City Desk:
Sounds like we needs some changes to the law.
So, basically, an employer would be free to enter into a relationship with someone after they hire them, but not before? Seems problematic to me.