Good morning, Washington. The week surrounding the holidays is almost always a certifiably slow news period, so you can bet good money every local media outlet in the country is shamefacedly relieved to be able to find their own angle on the terrifying fatal San Francisco Zoo tiger attack. Sister site SFist has the roundup of Bay Area coverage, and the Examiner steps up to the plate with the D.C. version of the story — the National Zoo is “prepared to finetune safety protocols.” Phew! More scintillating post-Christmas reporting below.

New D.C. Developments Use More Glass: The Post’s Paul Schwartzman takes a look at a handful of new office buildings that have been erected recently in Washington and determines that they are more modern looking than older buildings. The explosion of glass-based building design apparently means the city has become a “cosmopolitan hub.” How nice!

Traffic in Tysons Expected to Worsen: Apparently the early stages of the Dulles Rail expansion will probably create an even worse traffic nightmare around Tysons Corner. You don’t say?! We’re shocked, of course.

Democrats, Republicans Disagree About Virginia: The Washington Times wraps up the morning’s Believe It or Not headlines with the groundbreaking story that Democrats think they have a shot to carry Virginia this election year, while Republicans think the opposite. In all fairness, Virginia’s political affiliations are in flux, but it’s hardly surprising that state leaders from each party might trumpet their relative chances at the polls in 2008.

Briefly Noted: Armed robbers strike four times in Fairfax … Carbon monoxide sickens eight in Northwest home … Funding for needle exchange program in place … Man shot in Northeast overnight.

This Day in DCist: In 2006 we interviewed New Year’s Eve mainstay performer Peaches O’Dell, and in 2004 we got excited about a new Wegmans in Fairfax.

Photo by john.sonderman