Good morning, Washington. It’s not local news, but we’d be remiss if we failed to mention the story that’s at the top of every media outlet’s coverage this morning: Iraqi insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been killed by a precision airstrike. The news comes approximately four years after the military’s first opportunity to attack Zarqawi was inexplicably abandoned. What this means for U.S. security, Iraqi democracy or the midterm elections, we couldn’t guess — but it seems safe to say that this is what folks will be talking about today.

Nats Owners Fight Underground Parking; Emergency Fund Used: The Post reports on the progress of the Nats’ new stadium. It sounds like underground parking is probably out — there simply isn’t enough time or money to complete such a facility, according to the team’s new ownership. And that’s not all: apparently half of the stadium project’s contingency funds are now spoken for, thanks to the site being more contaminated than originally thought.

Chaos At Eastern High Graduation: NBC4 brings word of what sounds like an astoundingly bad high school graduation. Eastern High administrators passed out tickets for far more seats than their auditorium could accomodate. Worse, enforcement of the ticket policy was uneven. Some folks couldn’t get in; others couldn’t get out. Chaos apparently ensued.

Stay Of Execution Revoked: It was only yesterday that Percy Levar Walton won a stay of execution on the grounds that Virginia’s practice of lethal injection may be unconstitutional. However, today’s Post reports that that reprieve has already been cancelled: Virginia won an appeal to have the ruling overturned just hours after it was issued. Walton, who is schizophrenic and mentally retarded according to defense witnesses , is scheduled to die at 9 p.m. tonight. Governor Kaine’s office says that he is reviewing the case.

Briefly Noted: Rabid kittens menace Greenbelt… Potomac river killing fish, but not people… Band of armed jewelry thieves on the loose…

This Day In DCist: A year ago today we preached about pidé, discussed places to get free haircuts, and questioned Mie N Yu’s recent Rammy success.

Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user maxedaperture