Good morning, Washington. It’s the last Friday in July, and we can already feel the impending doom and gloom of D.C.’s traditional No News August, a time when the Washington Post publishes lengthy ruminations on humidity and local TV news begins investigating whether your children’s toy water guns are really safe. But as if feeling the need to grant us one last interesting Friday before the new month begins, D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5) is spending his out-of-session time proposing an African American Caucus for the D.C. Council. Acknowledging that it would be an unusual body to have in a predominantly black city, Thomas is mustering very little enthusiasm from his colleagues, who wonder whether there could then also be a women’s caucus or a gay caucus, and say they don’t see how they could leave their white colleagues out of any decision making process.

Lanier Orders 2nd ‘All Hands on Deck’ Weekend: On the heels of a rash of recent shootings, especially in the Anacostia neighborhood, D.C. Police are launching another “All Hands On Deck” weekend, where every MPD officer is required to work a full shift in a show of force. On the previous weekend, June 8-9, police reported making more than 650 arrests.

Branch Library Construction to Begin Next Summer: City officials announced yesterday that construction on four delayed, long-closed D.C. public libraries, the Anacostia, Benning, Tenley-Friendship and Watha T. Daniel-Shaw neighborhood branches, will break ground next summer. The $37 million project is scheduled to be finished by early 2010. After years of delays, only the Benning branch remains controversial, as a group of residents were granted a temporary injunction to halt demolition of the library. They are arguing whether or not it would be more cost effective to renovate and add an addition to the existing building.

Briefly Noted: Many D.C. Schools have broken air conditioners … O’Malley, Fenty and Johnson team up to fight gun violence … Both Gov. Kaine and Gov. O’Malley want federal drought disaster relief for parts of their states suffering from a lack of rainfall … National Children’s Museum moves to Prince George’s County.

This Day in DCist: Last year we wondering why Mr. Seymour Butz was getting such a low salary from the D.C. government, and the year before that we gave the men of D.C. a few tips on where to buy not too expensive suits.

Photo by erin*carly

Filed Under: African American, All Hands, Briefly Noted, children, city, construction, d.c. council, dcist, gay, government, gun, guns, harry thomas, harry thomas jr., harrythomasjr, Jr., library, Many D, manyd, museum, National Children, news, photos, police, politics, prince, Prince George, princegeorge, public libraries, salary, schools, summer, This Day, tv, washington, washington post, Watha T,