Photo by yospyn

Good morning, Washington. We hope you brought your umbrella with you to work, as the scattered showers we’re experiencing already are likely to pop back up later in the day as well. In between, it’ll be slightly cooler than yesterday, but oh so humid, so be prepared to deal with one form of moisture or another all day today.

Metro Moving Quickly on Real-Time Back-Up System: It was just last week that WMATA was defending itself against an urgent NTSB recommendation that the agency put in place a real-time backup train control system by arguing that such a system doesn’t really already exist. But today both the Examiner and the Post have stories about how Metro is already hard at work with an Annapolis company to build just such a system. Metro apparently began consulting with the company, ARINC, within a day or two of the NTSB admonishment, without going through a competitive bidding process — though a Metro spokesperson told the Post that they have not yet worked out terms of an agreement with ARINC. Metro General Manager John Catoe also talked about the process on Wednesday’s “Kojo Nnamdi Show” on WAMU. In related news, the House is expected to take up the Metro funding bill today.

MPD Included in Hiring Freeze: The District froze new hiring last month as the city government tries to get control of an escalating budget shortfall, and that includes the Metropolitan Police Department, the Examiner reports. It wasn’t at first clear whether the MPD was included in the freeze, as typically law enforcement and other emergency services are spared in such decisions, but it turns out the police department has indeed been ordered to halt any new hiring or promotions. The MPD was supposed to have had a force strength of 4,200 officers by the fall, but right now, they only have around 4,000.

Briefly Noted: Kaine calls Virginia legislative session to amend laws on trial testimony … Md. Medical Center to take part in NIH swine flu vaccine study … D.C. area students may be released on Friday from quarantine in China … Deeds starts collecting endorsements.

This Day in DCist: In 2008, political commentator Robert Novak hit a man with his car in downtown D.C.