Photo by blightylad1
>> Feel like the region is crowded now? Well, it’s only going to get more crowded—some 6.9 million people could live in and around Washington by 2040, reports the Examiner. The majority of the growth is expected in the suburbs, with Fairfax County leading the way with 288,000 new residents over the next three decades. By 2040, D.C.’s population is expected to rise to 771,200 people.
>> Are foxes the new canary in the coal mine? It seems like, reports the Post. A recent incident where a woman in Mt. Pleasant was bit by a rabid fox highlights the fact that foxes and other wildlife are finding their way back into the city. Is that a bad thing? No, because it serves as a evidence of a city that’s cleaner and greener than before. Some animal advocates see their presence differently: warmer winters and more suburban sprawl might be driving the critters into the city.
>> No matter how many people say that the Washington football team’s name is offensive, the team’s general manager says it won’t change, reports WTOP. Bruce Allen was in Richmond yesterday for the groundbreaking on a new training facility, and he flatly told reporters that the name would stay. “It’s ludicrous to think in any way that we’re trying to upset anyone,” he was quoted as saying.
Briefly Noted: D.C. Mayor Vince Gray proposes two percent bump in school funding … Police catch man accused of breaking into Georgetown University-area homes … Fairfax official complains that Metro is playing favorites when it comes to relocating FBI HQ … D.C.’s first medical marijuana dispensary to open in April.
This Day in DCist: On this day in 2012, Metro was deemed to be cool (but not Pyongyang cool) and José Andrés said that traditional-minded folks can’t handle tapas. In 2011, some people were really upset about Adams Mill Bar & Grill closing and Safeway said that it might start checking receipts at all of its stores.
Martin Austermuhle