Good morning, Washington. Everyone agrees the economy is worrisome these days, but NBC4 reminds us that the D.C. job market is largely insulated from such fears, especially in sectors like technology, energy, transportation, health care and finance. The District government wanted to create artificially a similarly rich job market for the city’s teens over the summer, both with the intention of helping them gain some skills and to keep them out of trouble. But so far this summer, Mayor Fenty’s ambitious expansion of the program has been plagued by problems. First, it was the payroll glitches (which have been a problem in years past, too). Then one of the job sites turned out to be having its teens sit all day in a room with nothing to do, and when the city shut them down, they threatened to sue. Now, the Examiner discovers the program is massively over budget, and Mayor Fenty is raiding the city’s rainy day fund in order to make up the difference. The 10-week jobs program was initially supposed to cost $14.5 million, but has ballooned to more than $32 million in the first three weeks alone. As the Mayor has hustled to overcompensate for the program’s payroll problems, there appears to be large amounts of cash bleeding out virtually unaccounted for. Fenty wrote in a letter to CFO Natwar Gandhi that the program’s “expenses are much higher than was foreseen” and he needs another $20.1 million from D.C.’s contingency cash reserve. Where has all the money gone?
Police Release Video in Toddler’s Hit and Run: Prince George’s County police have release a surveillance video that shows the truck believed to be responsible for hitting and killing a 2-year-old boy near College Park on Sunday, and then fleeing the scene. In addition to the video, NBC4 has a devastatingly adorably photo of the little boy who died. Investigators believe the black Ford pickup with half-doors at the back shown in the video will have front-end damage. Even worse — police say the driver probably wouldn’t have been charged had they not fled, since the toddler had run out into the street.
Hippo Out at National Zoo: We’re all still waiting to see if Mei Xiang is about to give birth to another panda cub, but in the meantime, the National Zoo has some other news: the zoo’s Nile Hippopotamus, Happy, will be leaving the zoo soon and is looking for a new home. The Zoo wants to make room to expand its Asian Elephant exhibit, so they will do away with Happy’s home and send him to another zoo. Go by to say goodbye to Happy before it’s too late.
Briefly Noted: Man shot and killed by PG County police in Hyattsville … Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh wins Humane Society award … Montgomery County bank robbery suspect turns himself in … Roach bomb can near flames causes small explosion in Southeast apartment building.
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