Despite the brightly shining sun and lovely breeze currently making its way through downtown Washington, you might want to bring along an umbrella today — CapitalWeather.com is predicting a 60 percent chance of showers and possible thunderstorms later this afternoon. But don’t think of it as an inconvenience. Think of it as a chance to gleefully splash in puddles just like you did when you were young — you know, like the last time we had habeas corpus in the United States. Celebrate the government’s inability to lock you up indefinitely for no reason, D.C.!
Janey Out, Rhee In: As expected, the Washington Post is reporting that Mayor Adrian Fenty has decided to fire D.C. Schools superintendent Clifford B. Janey. The Mayor assumed official control of the school system at midnight last night, and has a press conference scheduled for 9:30 a.m. this morning to announce his decision. It’s expected that Fenty will introduce his choice of Michelle A. Rhee for the new position of schools chancellor. Rhee, 37, runs a nonprofit called the New Teacher Project that recruits and trains teachers to serve in urban districts. Rhee does not have any superintendent experience, and her appointment must be approved by the D.C. Council.
Arrest Tally Higher, But Receives Criticism: The total number of arrests made during Chief Lanier’s weekend arrest blitz now stands at 650, but the Post quotes Kristopher Baumann, chairman of the Fraternal Order of Police Labor Committee, as being critical of the tactic as a mere “PR stunt.” Whether Baumann actually speaks for a majority of MPD officers is up for debate, but the implication in the article is that most D.C. police feel Lanier’s plan is no different from the “crime emergency” plan under Chief Ramsey, which was unpopular among officers because it allowed him to alter their schedules without regard to union rules.
Briefly Noted: D.C. Council member Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7) was robbed at a Southeast gas station Sunday night … District to study base closures in wake of Walter Reed woes … John Allen Muhammad appealing Montgomery County sniper convictions.
This Day in DCist: In 2006 we took a first look at new H Street NE music venue The Red and the Black and lamented not always being able to tell the difference between firecrackers and gunfire in the summer.
Photo by el swifterino
