Welcome back to the work week, D.C. While some may have been celebrating the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas yesterday, others were protesting for one cause or another. Students at American University organized to push for president Ben Ladner’s dismissal (which came last night), while anti-circumcision activists, at right, took to the streets outside the Washington Convention Center, where the American Academy of Pediatrics was meeting (yes, we will have a full write-up later today). All told, it was an eventful end to a soggy weekend.

Ladner Out: In case you haven’t already heard (what rock have you been under?), American University president Benjamin Ladner was pink-slipped yesterday. We can’t say we feel too bad, though — a generous severance package may still be coming his way.

Montgomery County Considers Affordable Housing: The Montgomery County Council is set to vote on a resolution today that would require that 10 percent of all new developments near Metro stations be set aside for middle class families, notes the Post. The program would cover families with incomes of $50,000 to $100,000 — in most cases, county employees not eligible for an existing affordable housing program but also not able to buy a house. Roughly 25 percent of the county’s teachers and 75 percent of the county’s firefighters live in other counties.

Roy Rogers Making Area Comeback: There could be 100 new Roy Rogers restaurants in the District and Baltimore by 2010, should all go to plan for the Plamondon brothers, writes WTOP. James and Peter Plamondon, whose father founded the fast-food chain in the 1960’s, have planned the expansion based on the success of their new Gaithersburg location, which opened last year.

Fairfax County Ranks as Nation’s Richest: Newly-branded and always expensive Fairfax County (oops, should we say fxVA?) can now give itself a good pat on the back — it’s the wealthiest of the nation’s large counties, reports Fox 5. The U.S. Census Bureau has announced that Fairfax County’s median income of $88,000 in 2004 outpaced the national median of $52,000 for counties of 250,000 residents or more, moving the county up four spots from the year prior. Mad props from the DCist family, fxVA.

Briefly Noted: Man sets wife on fire in phone store … University of Maryland professor wins Nobel Prize … D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams supports GWU plans for old hospital site … More snakeheads in Potomac … Lincoln Monument security plan put on hold, again … Williams proposes $11.25 living wage.