Photo by ewilfong

Good morning, Washington. Two big annual events are happening today. Tonight is the 26th annual National Night Out, featuring community events and block parties all over the city (plus another All Hands on Deck), and it’s President Barack Obama’s 48th birthday, which will feature, umm … the Senate Democratic Caucus hangin’ at the White House? Bo-ring! It’s a little strange to think that D.C. residents partying with their neighbors and local police officers might end up having more fun tonight than the president will be on his own birthday. Hopefully health care reform doesn’t stop the First Family from at least digging in to some birthday cake.

Off With His Head! The heat keeps on getting hotter for D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles. First one and now two D.C. Council members are calling on the close Fenty associate to resign in the wake of accusations that the AG’s office may have participated in the destruction of evidence in the controversial Pershing Park protest arrests. At-large member Phil Mendelson has joined Ward 3’s Mary Cheh in calling for Nickles to step down, the Examiner reports. Though it’s no real surprise that Mendelson feels this way: “He shouldn’t have been appointed in the first place,” he told the paper.

A Lot More Lead: The Post keeps up their great reporting on the ongoing D.C. lead controversy: “More than twice as many D.C. children as previously reported by federal and local health officials had high levels of lead in their blood amid the city’s drinking water crisis, according to congressional investigators, throwing into doubt assurances by those officials that the lead in tap water did not seriously harm city children.” Read the whole thing.

Briefly Noted: O’Malley endorses light rail for Purple Line … Doors open on moving Metro train … New legal protections in place in D.C. for breastfeeding mothers … Four shot at Oxon Hill apartment … City getting federal grant to hire 50 police officers.

This Day in DCist: In 2008, Robert Novak retired after getting a grave brain tumor diagnosis, and in 2006, we said goodbye to Sleater-Kinney.