Good morning, Washington. On the second day after the 2008 presidential election, we finally begin to understand the important things that have already changed – like the sudden drop-off in the number of campaign-related emails in our inboxes! We’ve heard from Washington residents who at first wondered whether their email accounts might be broken sometime yesterday, before finally realizing it was just that they just were no longer getting the same insane clip of presidential campaign emails anymore. What else have you noticed that’s already changed?

Child Welfare Backlog Getting Smaller: The Post reports that the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency has cut its backlog of investigations open longer than 30 days, down to 752 cases from a record high of about 1,700. In order to comply with a court order to get its caseload under control, the agency must get that number down to 600 by Nov. 15 and 100 by Dec. 31.

Schools Facilities Chief to Handle DPR Construction: The Examiner brings word of Mayor Fenty’s announcement that he’s giving control of the Department of Parks and Recreation’s repair, construction and modernization responsibilities to Allen Lew and his Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization. DPR’s capital management was strongly criticized by the D.C. inspector general. Lew has long had the confidence of the mayor, and this move is similar to the one Fenty made by establishing Lew’s office to handle schools modernization projects so that the chancellor’s office could focus on academics.

Briefly Noted: Alexandria may eliminate traffic control officers … Reston man charged in cabdriver’s death … Children’s National Medical Center sues to remove boy, 12, from life support.

This Day in DCist: One year ago, we heard about a DHS employee who got in trouble for incorporating blackface into his Halloween costume, and two years ago, some cabbies were offering free rides to the polls.

Photo by soleil1016