Martin Austermuhle
While the sun may be shining on Capitol Hill right now (as you can see in this DDOT traffic camera shot from Pennsylvania Avenue and Second Street SE) it won’t be a pretty weekend — so much more reason to head over to the Washington Convention Center tomorrow or Sunday and drop $71 for the Sixth Annual D.C. International Wine & Food Festival. (More details on this and more to come in our weekend picks, including final details on tonight’s DCist happy hour.)
No Go on Panda Lovin’: DCist reported yesterday that D.C. resident pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian were to be given three to four days of privacy by the National Zoo, to encourage activity that may ensure our hearing the patter of little panda paws sometime soon. News has it today that the pandas mating attempts were “out of sync,” the Post reports. And animal care specialists may soon turn to artificial means to succeed where only the San Diego zoo has before been successful: breeding giant panda cubs. DCist wishes both the pandas and the animal care specialists the best of luck.
Ehrlich Just Can’t Catch a Break!: In the continuing saga that has been Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich’s most recent months in office, the Post reports today that conservative state Democrats that usually side with the Republican governor may be turning away due to a developing scandal at the Port of Baltimore. James J. White, a respected port manager, resigned on February 24 amid complaints that Ehrlich’s administration was meddling in port hiring. Certain Ehrlich allies seem nervous with the instability at the $1.5 billion-a-year port — so much so that they have started distancing themselves from him. State Democratic leaders have promised a full investigation into the hiring and firing practices under Ehrlich.
Briefly Noted: Telecom tycoon, tax cheat, and local resident Walter Anderson may be released on bail while waiting to stand trial for failing to pay an estimated $200 million in taxes … WMATA may soon start charging for parking at stations closest to FedEx Field during games, while fans promise to become craftier in dodging paying … The Post’s Marc Fisher swore in a discussion with readers that mercury is harmless enough — after all, he and his classmates used to play with the stuff all the time … Oh yeah, Maryland lost.
