It’s going to be a perfectly lovely day, maybe a little on the warm side even, with just a slim chance of showers later this afternoon. We should all, no doubt, have a little spring in our steps. And luckily for us we can, seeing as how we don’t usually comment on the goings on up on the Hill. If we did, we might be forced to face some ugly realities this morning. We might, for example, be tempted to ask all of our readers to do us a favor if you run into any of the 253 members of the House who voted to leave the door open for torture yesterday, and ask them how they slept last night. Or better yet, lead them to the Vienna Metro stop and let things unfold as they may. So thank goodness we do tend to stick to local politics. And have a nice day!

D.C. Air Quality Better, But Still Bad: The Washington region’s air quality still hasn’t improved enough to meet the smog standards the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will begin enforcing in 2009, even though the number of “dangerously smoggy” days has declined by 40 percent over the last three years. As Councilmember Phil Mendelson points out to the Post, considering how much the region has grown in that time, it’s pretty encouraging that we’re actually polluting less. Still, wouldn’t it be nice if the air we breath was even less deadly than it is right now?

D.C. Attorney General Spagnoletti Steps Down: We’re guessing we can be prepared for a lot more of these sorts of announcements over the next few months, as Williams administration starts to pack up its bags and make room for Fentytown. Robert J. Spagnoletti, D.C.’s Attorney General, has announced he will leave his post to join the law firm of Schertler & Onorato, according to the Post. Spagnoletti’s tenure will be known for his efforts to clean house in the Office of the Attorney General, often taking actions which angered employee’s unions, such as firing senior employees.

Briefly Noted: Mfume endorses Cardin, sort of … Racial slurs now only issue in Va. Senate race … Even D.C.’s Republicans voted for Fenty … New Southern Ave. bridge opens … One dead, four injured in G.W. Parkway crash.

This Day in DCist: In 2005 we interviewed Robbers on High Street and looked deep into the hearts and minds of collar poppers. In 2004 we were waiting patiently for the Nats announcement and warned you to keep your voice down during your WMATA commute.

Photo by Flickr user The Ardvaark.

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