Good morning, Washington. We imagine you were probably up late last night, frantically refreshing your browser to check on the latest chapter of the Post’s totally-non-ghoulish Chandra Levy series. In case you somehow missed it, though, today’s installment — part four of twelve! — puts the Levys in Washington and a U.S. congressman under suspicion. Tomorrow: facing an implacable federal marshal, a desperate Gary Condit leaps from a hydroelectric dam’s drainage system and into the unknown. Stay tuned!

Emergency Gun Legislation Approved: The AP (via WTOP) reports that the city council has passed the new firearm legislation that we discussed on Monday. The law will allow District residents to begin applying for gun licenses this week. It’s still just emergency legislation, though, and will only remain in effect for ninety days; the council will be writing permanent legislation in September. The new law is among the nation’s strictest gun statutes and has prompted to NRA to predict that it will be challenged in court.

Montgomery Mandates Contracts For Domestic Workers: Montgomery County has become the first municipality in the nation to require written contracts between domestic workers and their employers, according to the Washington Times. Prompted in part by a 2006 GWU study that implied that many such workers in the county were exploited, the new law will provide live-in workers with formal agreements and guarantees related to living conditions, like separate rooms and access to laundry and kitchen facilities. The legislation will still allow workers to waive their right to a contract if they want to, and does not apply to some classes of workers like nurses and au pairs.

Briefly Noted: Part of Riggs Rd., University Blvd. closed due to water main break… Sen. Warner gets pacemaker adjustment… Two fatal shootings last night… Arrest made in Old Town Alexandria shooting… D.C. Council approves legislation to toughen penalties for animal abuse… Maryland buses going green…

This Day In DCist: One year ago D.C. was getting set up for failure: Tony Thompson earned his title shot and Mayor Fenty announced that he would take the handgun ban to the Supreme Court.

Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user christaki