Good morning, Washington. On what’s supposed to be another strangely warm day (speaking of, check of CapitalWeather.com’s snazzy new blog, now at the Post), maybe it’s time to start walking to work. According to the Post, as higher fares kicked in yesterday for Metro, the majority of Metro commuters admitted that they won’t be ditching mass transit for their cars anytime soon. But others explained that they may now be less tolerant of crowded trains and service disruptions. Makes sense, no? Sure, we may not all expect immediate improvements, but something gradual would be nice.

No Pope For You: When Pope Benedict XVI shows up in Washington in mid-April, don’t expect him to mingle with the common-folk — due to heightened security concerns, the pope’s only public showing will be a Mass at the new Nationals Stadium, says the Post. And though the event will hold 45,000 of the faithful, tickets are going fast. So either call the Archdiocese of Washington today or settle for searching around on Craigslist for those who aren’t as high-minded as yourself.

Norton Brings Home Bacon: According to the Examiner’s Harry Jaffe, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton did what few sitting members of Congress have ever done — she directed her $20 million in 2007 earmarks to needy and useful causes. Of the 22 budget set-asides that Jaffe found Norton had sponsored, all went to non-profit organizations that served to educate former prisoners, provide child care for homeless families, and train dentists to spot HIV/AIDS. Jaffe also found that Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Ca.) sent $500,000 to Barracks Row and Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.) gave $131,000 to Eastern Market.

Parents Threaten to Boycott School Meetings: Parents and activists unhappy with Mayor Adrian Fenty’s plan to close 23 public schools have threatened to boycott the 23 open meetings scheduled for January 17 to debate the move. According to the Post, they argue that the separate meetings — one for each school — is meant to dilute opposition to the plan and keep Superintendent Michelle Rhee for directly addressing parents. City officials point out that the proposed format is more efficient that having one really long meeting. Council members Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) and Harry Thomas (D-Ward 5) support the boycott and are planning on offering up the John Wilson Building as the site for the larger single gathering.

West Virginia Bars Seem Nice: For all you smokers who have abandoned D.C. and Maryland bars because of their bans on smoking, maybe it’s time to look a little farther out — according to the Washington Times, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (D) is looking to re-introduce a smoking ban for the commonwealth. While the measure was voted down once already, Kaine’s new proposal would cover any establishment where food is served but would exclude outdoor areas that cannot be enclosed.

Briefly Noted: D.C. Council should be more active in school reform, says report … D.C. not happy with deal between Nats and PG County … Anti-abortion crusader from Prince William County announces run for Senate seat.

On This Day in DCist: On this day in 2007, we shook our heads at a swampy myth about our fair city, and in 2006 we argued why we’d miss Borf.

Picture snapped by miamabanta