DCentric

Good morning, DCentric readers! Last night, while you were pretending not to watch Glee, we were out searching for links. Enjoy!

District gets winter plan for sheltering the homeless “The homeless will increasingly be placed in apartments and single rooms in the District this winter, under a plan approved Tuesday, with barely a week to go before the city’s cold-weather season officially begins. The plan approved by the Interagency Council on Homelessness, a coalition of D.C. agencies and nonprofit groups, lists 185 units that will be used for families when emergency shelters are full.” (The Washington Post)

High-Heel race won’t be charged for police overtime “The District won’t be able to recoup costs for police overtime spent on closing down streets for the High Heel Race because the annual jaunt around Dupont Circle in which men dress up as women has been labeled a “First Amendment event.” E-mails among police officials obtained by The Washington Examiner show that Mayor Adrian Fenty designated the Halloween-season event as a protected First Amendment event in September 2009.” (Washington Examiner )

A Walk With: Sandra Butler-Truesdale – Housing Complex “As we walked, Butler-Truesdale, always attuned to racial interactions, noticed that loitering black men looked at the pair of us—a white reporter and an older black woman—with suspicion. “You know what they’re thinking?” she asked. “First of all, ‘what is she talking about?’ And ‘is she giving away our secrets?’” (Washington City Paper)

For bedbug exterminators, the term ‘success’ is measured “Although the mattress and box spring have now been sealed in fabric covers (Straker recommends fabric as opposed to vinyl because the fabric ones can’t crack) several bedbugs are crawling around the underside of the box spring. They may have slipped through the crack behind an outlet, or other tiny crevices, Straker says. The exterminators collect the visible bugs, and instruct the tenant to place her bedding in a clothes dryer (for a second time) to ensure any lingerers will be killed.” (tbd.com)

Must Read: Why NPR Matters – James Fallows “In their current anti-NPR initiative, Fox and the Republicans would like to suggest that the main way NPR differs from Fox is that most NPR employees vote Democratic. That is a difference, but the real difference is what they are trying to do. NPR shows are built around gathering and analyzing the news, rather than using it as a springboard for opinions. And while of course the selection of stories and analysts is subjective and can show a bias, in a serious news organization the bias is something to be worked against rather than embraced. NPR, like the New York Times, has an ombudsman. Does Fox? [I think the answer is No.]” (The Atlantic)

Dear PoP – Light Pollution from Howard Univ. Stadium A commenter responds to the complaint: “I understand you being upset with the light pollution, however safety is a concern for some of the students. Being a Howard University Alumni, one thing that people have always had trouble doing is walking from the main campus to their dormitory or around campus so they are very helpful. There are also a lot of hidden areas of the campus so anything that can help the safety of the students is something that I must support.” (Prince Of Pentworth )