Photo by Shaun Barrows

Good morning, Washington. Well it looks like those University of Maryland students got to watch excerpts of porn flick Pirates II: Stagnetti’s Revenge after all, despite the controversy that broke out amid threats by State Sen. Andrew Harris (R-Baltimore County) to block operating funds from the university. After the initial student union screening was canceled, a group of students managed to reschedule a privately paid showing of excerpts in a lecture hall, thus taking the question of whether it was being sponsored and funded by the public school out of the equation. The photo the Post has accompanying its story answers my main question about this whole saga: yes, it does appear as though watching porn in a room full of 200 people is uncomfortable and embarrassing.

Firetruck Donation Linked to Mayor’s Office: The Examiner’s Michael Neibauer just keeps coming back with more details on the ongoing Firetruckgate scandal. It now looks like the mysterious donation of a city firetruck and ambulance to a resort town in the Dominican Republic was cleared by someone in Mayor Fenty’s office. Two lawyers from the mayor’s office contacted the Office of Contracting and Procurement about arranging the donation, according to the OCP’s general counsel. Plus, even more intrigue: Neibauer also cites two sources who have told him that Fenty confidant Sinclair Skinner was in Sosua before the deal was set up.

Nickles Stops Testimony on OCTO, Firetruck: Two D.C. Council probes, one into the Office of the Chief Technology Officer bribery case and another into the aforementioned firetruck controversy, have been effectively foiled by D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles, reports the Post. Nickles directed administration officials from the fire department and the OCTO not to testify before the Council, citing potential interference with ongoing investigations. Phil Mendelson and Mary Cheh, as you might imagine, are not amused.

Briefly Noted: Fort Washington man killed in hit and run … Costs of MetroAccess service have gone up, causing additional Metro shortfall … Tommy Wells proposes deferring property taxes for D.C. businesses hurt by road construction … Ex-D.C. official suing city, alleges improper firing … Suspect sought in burglary, sexual assault in the 1500 block of Marion Street NW.

This Day in DCist: In 2008, Metro was preparing to handle its first rush hour baseball game at Nationals Park, and in 2006, we discussed Metro’s campaign to convince us that we would be held responsible if a terrorist attack occurred on the transit system.