Photo by Samer Farha

Good morning, Washington. Woohoo, spring! It’s going to be gorgeous for the next couple days, and then … summer arrives on Saturday? We’re certainly not complaining about such a long stretch of sunshine, but just a couple more days in the upper 60s and 70s might have been nice before it starts getting seriously hot. At least we got all our freaky thunderstorms out of the way during the work week. Start planning your outdoor weekend activities, stat.

Nationals vs. DDOT vs. Metro: The Washington Post’s Lena Sun had a late night last night, first filing a great story about how freshly confirmed DDOT Director Gabe Klein recently sent a letter to the Nationals informing them that the city could no longer afford to pick up the $27,000 per hour tab to pay for Metro to stay open late on nights when games go past midnight. The Nats apparently only got this news shortly after opening day, and while Metro ended up deciding to go ahead and stay open late for the most recent rain delay against the Braves, the entire situation appears to be an open question. Then late last night, Deputy Mayor Neil Albert inserted himself into the debacle, calling Sun to let her know that in his mind, Klein jumped the gun, and the city is actually committed to finding the money to continue to pay for the extended Metro hours. But the most interesting part of the story is this: “Under a 2003 Metro policy, organizations that want Metrorail to open early or close late are required to pay the agency a fee of $27,000 per hour. Such organizations and events include Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Marine Corps Marathon, the Washington Redskins and groups that perform at the Verizon Center.” So why can’t the Nationals pay for this themselves?

MPD Hires PR Firm: The Metropolitan Police Department has been consulting with the Glover Park Group on crafting its public message, reports Theola Labbé-DeBose in the Post. That’s why they’ve been putting out more positive press releases of late, such as almost daily announcements of the number of guns confiscated by the department. Bottom half of the story includes quotes from Washington City Paper’s Jason Cherkis complaining about getting stonewalled by the MPD’s public information office, while WTOP’s Mark Segraves defends police spokesperson Traci Hughes, placing blame on the mayor’s office for most defensive press shop maneuvers.

Briefly Noted: Crash in 3rd Street Tunnel creates huge traffic backup on I-395 … City dedicates affordable housing at R Street apartments …
Leak discovered in WASA’s 25-year-old crosstown tunnel … Bill Clinton to campaign for Terry McAuliffe in Va. … Company apologizes for ‘Natinals’ jersey error … $1.7 million in artwork proposed for Dulles Rail stations.

This Day in DCist: In 2007, we visited the Takoma Park farmer’s market, and in 2008, the Harris Teeter opened in Adams Morgan.