Photo by jim_darling.

>> What do you mean, you haven’t read Rend Smith’s excellent cover story on Cathy Lanier and her untouchable approval rating yet? [City Desk]

>> Well, here’s the Washington Post tackling gentrification east of the Anacostia River. Thoughts? [WaPo]

>> Does the National Park Service care about making sure there’s enough pedestrian space along Pennsylvania Avenue? Doesn’t appear so. [Housing Complex]

>> A profile of new Department of Transportation director Terry Bellamy, who walks to work and is “absolutely forward-thinking and progressive,” according to his predecessor Gabe Klein. “The only question is whether he will be allowed to be as innovative as he wants, and whether he will be able to draw in the talent,” said Klein. [WaPo]

>> Of the $14,559 that Kwame Brown didn’t spend on his campaign for Council Chair, ten times as much went to his brother’s firm as did to charity, where it was supposed to go. [Loose Lips]

>> Local political consultant and quote machine Chuck Thies has a new column, the first edition of which is about the D.C. Council’s two Tommys. [Georgetown Dish]

>> The story of Mary Foote Henderson, the so-called Iron-Willed Empress of Meridian Hill. [Streets of Washington]

>> The man who is serenading Metro. [TBD On Foot]

>> You can now pay for parking in any of the District’s 17,000 spaces by phone. [Parkmobile]

>> Mike Madden’s “journalist workout” is downright priceless. [Arts Desk]

>> Metro is prepared to pay $96 million in back-raises to members of the ATU Local 689 without the need to revise its budget; meanwhile, the union’s political and legislative director answered questions posed by riders. [Examiner/GGW]

>> Has Capital Bikeshare been “crippled by its own success” and the incredibly popular Living Social promotion that bolstered its subscriber base? [WaTimes]

>> Tom Sherwood wants to know why there’s nothing named after former mayor Anthony Williams at Nationals Park. (Here’s wishing Mayor Bowtie a happy birthday, by the way.) [@tomsherwood]

>> Some conservative pundits are seriously underselling just how unbelievably hot it was last week. [Grist]

>> Yes, the Washington Post — or at least token representations of the topics the paper covers — will blend. [The Buzz]