Photo by Karon

Good morning, Washington. If you thought the Bee Menace or the Deer Menace or the ever-present Rat Menace was bad, get a load of the impending Stink Bug Menace. WUSA9 warns us all of this latest, notably smelly threat, reporting that the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is getting ready to make its way inside our homes. And no one is safe. Especially THE CHILDREN. The only thing to be done? Seal up “any cracks around the home with caulk” and use “weather stripping around windows and doors.” We’ll get through this together, D.C.

D.C. Schools Facing More Layoffs: Teachers and staff for the D.C. Public Schools are staring down the business end of another round of layoffs, both the Post and the Examiner report this morning. DCPS announced that it is facing an unexpected $40 million budget shortfall, and that cuts need to be made quickly, by the end of October. The WTU, naturally, is totally pissed about the timing of this, already several weeks into the school year. No specifics are yet available on how many teachers will lose their jobs, and Rhee said the decisions will only be made after consulting with principals and parent groups.

Who Will Be the Next U.S. Attorney for D.C.? Lots of names have been floated around for this job this week, including Anjali Chaturvedi and Michael Bromwich, but the Examiner says the White House is leaning toward veteran trial lawyer Ron Machen. D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton reportedly recommended Machen, but not Channing Phillips, the current interim U.S. Attorney and Eric Holder protégé. Possibly feeling the heat for that snub, Norton tried to distance herself from the decision making process on Wednesday, issuing this statement: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is a presidential position, and the choice and the nomination will be his,” she said.

Briefly Noted: Firefighters rescue residents from an apartment building fire in 5600 block of 13th Street NW … D.C. Council hears testimony on Peggy Cooper Cafritz fire … Durbin says hundreds of D.C. voucher students are unaccounted for … Woodbridge to D.C. commuter ferry plans move forward, but funding questions linger … Montgomery County employees taking yoga classes with public funds.

This Day in DCist: In 2008, we learned that Greenpeace and street artist Mark Jenkins were behind a series of polar bears placed around the city that were mistaken for suspicious packages, and in 2007, the Senate was getting ready to vote on D.C. voting rights legislation.