Good Morning, Washington. It looks like we survived the full moon, a night of Georgetown-less championship basketball and visit by Yoko Ono. It was worth it to enjoy another day of idyllic weather before it all goes to hell. By Friday the region will be back in the 40’s with cloudy skies. As the National Park Service pleads with visitors not to touch, climb or even taunt the Cherry Blossoms, let’s hope the expensive trees can withstand an Easter-weekend cold snap.
FBI Worked with D.C. Cops to Interrogate Protesters: Today’s Post confirms that a secret FBI intelligence unit worked with D.C. police to detain and question more than 20 anti-war protesters in 2002. For over three years MPD and the FBI have denied any such incident took place. District officials said they had no record of the interrogation and that no FBI officials were present when the demonstrators were arrested for trespassing. A landslide of new documents reveal the government’s involvement in collecting political intelligence in the District. On April 20, 2002, FBI agents in plain clothes targeted the protesters because of their black garments, apparently the definitive anarchist fashion choice. Then, the people were separated and asked about their political and religious views as well as the names of their friends and associates. Some of the interrogations were videotaped — not the best way to keep quasi-legal procedures a secret. The police documents surfaced thanks to a lawsuit brought by the protesters claiming their civil rights were violated.
H2OPb: D.C. teachers may have to amend Chemistry textbooks to reflect the poor state of water in their schools. A new round of tests sampling fountains, sinks and coolers in every public school found that 74% of schools had elevated levels of lead in their water. The problem isn’t new, but the report, along with its bleak news, comes at a critical time for Mayor Fenty, who takes his hankering for a school takeover to the D.C. Council today. One factor in calls for school reform is the dilapidated condition of many facilities, an issue that school Superintendent Clifford Janey has tried to address, while waiting until this February to tell parents about the lead problem.
Briefly Noted: Oprah coming to D.C. next month… Metrobus involved in multi-vehicle crash… Former D.C. cab driver pleads guilty to conspiring with terrorist group…
This Day in DCist: Last year we examined newpapers’ online outposts.
Photo by Flickr user SweetJen34.
