Photo by Paul Sirajuddin

>> The National Park Service is in talks with the sculptor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial to coordinate correcting a truncated quote that has provoked controversy, reports the Washington Times. The Park Service is working with master sculptor Lei Yixin to amend the “drum major” quote, trying to find a time before the self-imposed January 2013 deadline that Yixin can work on the correction.

>> D.C.’s crooked politicians seem to be shaping the way people vote in national races. According to the Examiner, a George Washington University poll of local small business owners found that the majority said that ethics and corruption are among the top issues on their mind when it comes to voting for a president in two weeks. The poll found that 40 percent of the business owners rated the economy as the top issue, followed by ethics in second place at 12 percent.

>> Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) looks to be strolling to a second term, reports the Post. According to recent polls, he will likely beat Republican and Independent challengers handily on November 6, taking 53 percent of the vote. Republican Dan Bongino is polling at 22 percent, while self-financed independent Rob Sobhani is taking 14 percent. Sobhani has come out of of nowhere, analysts say, gaining name recognition by spending $4.6 million of his own money on TV ads.

Briefly Noted: SUV driver responsible for crash that killed Prince George’s County police officer last week … Metro riders complain of crappy cell phone service … Prince George’s County agrees to pay $3.6 million settle cases of students beaten by police … You too can shoot a black bear in Maryland! … Mayor Vince Gray to present medal of honor to security guard wounded in FRC shooting.

This Day in DCist: On this day in 2011, Gray requested $22 million from feds for National Cathedral repairs and our suburban neighbors had the nerve to say that we are the worst drivers. In 2010, organizers of the “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear” made a big announcement: yes, there would be enough port-a-potties.