Good morning, Washington, and happy historically insensitive federal holiday to you! If you’re back at work this morning, then we hope you had a great weekend and enjoyed the very first edition of DCist weekend content — be sure to leave us some comments with your reactions and suggestions for what DCist weekends ought to look like. If you’re sleeping in this morning because you have the day off, just do us all a favor and don’t mention it whenever you finally do join us. We wouldn’t want to have to send an angry mob after you and your smug, well-rested attitude.

Khat Crackdown: The Washington Times reports this morning that Mayor Fenty is hoping to stiffen penalties for khat possession in the District. Khat, as you’ll recall, is a coca-like leaf widely used in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, and was the reason behind a May raid of a home in Shaw that resulted in the arrests of nearly three dozen people. Fenty is trying to get the substance classified as a Schedule I drug, which would mean prison time for anyone caught trying to distribute it. The story suggests that many D.C. cab drivers of Ethiopian descent use khat to stay awake while they drive through the night. It also makes some awfully tenuous connections to the drug being linked to funding terrorists.

Desperate Times Call for Car Fires? The Post says that people setting their cars on fire is a trend. Lured by the siren song of insurance fraud and unable to keep up with car payments, there has been a seemingly increasing number of cases of people torching their own vehicles in the metro area. Maybe that explains what’s been happening in this Northeast alley?

Briefly Noted: Abandoned infant found in Takoma Park dies … Police officer injured during northeast motel fire … Fugitive surrenders after seeing his profile in Examiner… Woman fatally shot in Southeast.

Photo by akkleis