Welcome back to work, Washington. We know many of our regular readers are off celebrating Independence Day already, taking vacation time for a few days to make this upcoming middle-of-the-week holiday less of an inconvenience. For those of you still at your desks, we salute your dedication to the American work ethic. For those of you who’ll be heading to the airport some time this week, we were going to beg to be stuffed in your suitcases, but now we’re not so sure. Washington’s three area airports began randomly inspecting vehicles yesterday after two men drove a jeep containing propane gas into the entrance of the main terminal at Scotland’s Glasgow Airport.

Metro’s Look Set to Change in the Fall: Metro General Manager John Catoe’s plan to replace Metro’s carpeting with vinyl floors, change station lighting schemes and expand advertising on rail cars and in stations will be put into effect in the fall, when riders reportedly will first begin to notice the transition. Catoe says he’s aware some of the changes will be controversial, says he wants to focus the agency’s limited resources toward moving people to and from work and away from some of its more costly features.

D.C. Residents Can Block Access to Credit Info: A new law took effect Sunday that is aimed at preventing identity theft allows District of Columbia residents to place a security freeze on their reports. For consumers who use that option, loan agencies must get their explicit permission before running checks on them. D.C. police say there has been a 52 percent increase in reported cases of identity theft this year.

Briefly Noted: Schools Chancellor nominee Michelle Rhee goes before the D.C. Council for confirmation today … Southeast woman dead from stray bullet … Rockville train death investigated as suicide … Area’s first flex-fuel station opens in Georgetown … Stray backpack shuts down Georgetown over weekend.

Photo by ellievanhoutte