Photo by dracisk

At 5:04 a.m. a 3.6 magnitude earthquake struck just north of the District, writes the Post. The quake, which was centered off of I-270 near the Germantown-Gaithersburg area, was felt as far away as D.C. and Arlington County, both of which saw a spike in 911 calls to report the rumbling. (The D.C. GOP tweeted this morning, “Good morning Washingtonians. You felt a mild earthquake this morning.” Had I not read the news first, I’d be somewhat confused. And intrigued.) We haven’t yet had a chance to watch the local news, but we’re betting that NBC4 will, at some point, dispatch Pat Collins to breathlessly report from the epicenter, looking for any evidence of damage or casualties. And yes, at some point today you will be told by a Californian how they’ve dealt with much bigger earthquakes and that they don’t get why people are making such a big deal. Don’t argue. Just smile, roll your eyes, and walk away.

Shooting Linked to Summer Jobs Program: WTOP is reporting that a teenager taking part in the District’s Summer Youth Employment Program was shot in the hand yesterday, adding to the controversy that continues to surround the initiative. Council member Michael Brown (I-At Large) has criticized Mayor Adrian Fenty for focusing on numbers instead of quality, and claimed that not enough supervisors are on hand to prevent incidents like this.

Fenty Gets a Little Help From His Friends: Because Ron Moten alone won’t win Mayor Fenty re-election, he’s hosting a little fundraiser for himself with some kind-of prominent friends. Politico reports that a July 25 fundraiser at Comet Ping Pong is being hosted by Hunter Biden (son of Joe), Nathan Daschle (son of Tom), and David Brock, founder of Media Matters. This isn’t the first time Fenty has relied on the somewhat prominent for campaign funds.

How Much Did Defeating the Soda Tax Cost?: Just over $300,000, finds the Washington Business Journal’s Michael Neibauer, who dug through lobbyist spending reports. The money — $313,305 — was paid by the American Beverage Association to three different lobbying firms. Honestly, for that money they could have at least set up a better website.

Briefly Noted: $200,000 in drugs seized during D.C. bust … MetroAccess driver wanted for rape flees to Qatar … More details on the Fenty/Gray WPFW debate that took place yesterday … Purple Line could cost $40 million more than expected.

This Day in DCist: On this day in 2009, the Watergate Hotel was on the auction block and Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) was again not to blame for his troubles. In 2008, the D.C. Council debated a $75 fine for drivers who park in bike lanes.