Photo by CBlanchard

Happy D.C. Emancipation Day! More on that in a bit, but are you ready to break some more records? We’re looking at temperatures to settle in the mid-80s today, but they wouldn’t have to rise much more to break a 2002 record of 92 degrees. We’ve surpasses just about every weather-related record so far this year, so let’s go ahead and make it one more.

Virginia Tech Solemnly Remembers Shooting Five Years Ago: Today is the fifth anniversary of the Virginia Tech shooting that left 27 students and five faculty members dead, writes the Post. Students will observe the day with vigils at the university, including a ceremonial candle that will burn throughout the day to commemorate those killed.

Suburban Commuters to be Hit Hard by Metro Fare Hikes: Once Metro fares go up in July, suburban commuters might be the ones most feeling the pinch. According to the Examiner, commuters who park at a station and jump on the train could pay up to $1.75 more per round trip, substantially above the average 5.7 percent fare increase the rest of us would see. While some worry that this might encourage commuters to simply drive to work, Metro officials stress that a cap on the highest fare means that those traveling the furthest distance are actually paying a little less per mile that those traveling shorter distances.

D.C. Office Leasing Market Cools Down: For years, D.C. office space was some of the most expensive of its kind in the country. But the office leasing market in D.C. saw a marked decline in the first quarter of the year, reports the Post, dropping a surprising 65 percent. The reason? Much as with many other things related to D.C., it’s the federal government. Political gridlock on Capitol Hill and the likely spending cuts have made government agencies scale down their leasing of local office space.

Briefly Noted: D.C. debating scaling back on how much standardized tests count towards teacher evaluations … Roger Clemens back in town, but not for a visit to any monuments … This is what working at LivingSocial is like … George Huguely sentencing date to be set today.

This Day in DCist: On this day in 2010, D.C. real estate magnate Don Peebles was considering a mayoral run and Comet Ping Pong ran the risk of losing its liquor license. In 2009, Councilmember Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) again avoided jail time.