Good morning D.C. Today looks to be the second in a series of cool May days, partly cloudy with temperatures in the low 60s. At least it isn’t as cool as parts of the midwest, where freeze advisories were in effect last night.

It Might be Renamed the Verizon Center: Verizon Communications Inc. finally won its pursuit of buying out Ashburn-based MCI. According to the Post, this merger could result in significant job losses for local MCI employees — not to mention expensive signage replacements in Penn Quarter. Verizon’s chief rival in the buyout, Qwest Communications, offered a higher bid, but MCI’s board felt that Verizon could better take advantage of MCI’s assets.

More Million Dollar Homes in MoCo: Potomac may not be the only bastion of million dollar homes in Montgomery County. WTOP reports that planners predict the median price of homes in the County may top $1 million in the next three years. This rapid price increase will most likely be a serious issue in the next County Executive race in 2006; current executive Doug Duncan is expected to run for Governor.

D.C. School System to be “Fundamentally Redesigned”: Clifford Janey, superintendent of the D.C. public schools, outlined a plan to redesign the the troubled school system with initiatives such as “hiring outside management groups to take over school operations and allowing more latitude in the time it takes a student to graduate,” the W. Times reports. Janey is the fifth D.C. school superintendent in a decade; the D.C. school system is one of the lowest performing urban systems in the country.

Briefly Noted: Elizabeth Smart invited to Correspondent’s Dinner by the moonies? … MoCo Sex Ed class memo not quite right … Cardinal McCarrick wants to retire this summer … DCFud ranks D.C. … Science & Tech powerhouse Thomas Jefferson High School wins National Science Bowl for fourth year in a row …