Morning Roundup: Smoke and Mirrors Edition

Photo by hellomarkers! Good morning, Washington. You settled back into your work routine on Monday, and today, the D.C. Council looks to do the same with its first legislative session of the new year. Among the topics they’ll be taking up this morning? Finally taking a first vote on that latest anti-smoking bill, as the Examiner reports , which ‘establishes civil penalties for minors who buy cigarettes, bars street vendors from selling tobacco products, bans the sale of “blunt wraps” often used to roll marijuana and allows commercial property owners to post signs banning smoking outside their buildings.’ The provision banning smokers from standing within 25-ft. of any building entrance has gained the most attention, but the truth is that even if it passed, there is no actual way to enforce it. And the blunt ban, well, like we’ve argued before, there is no force in the universe that will prevent kids from figuring out some other way to get high . Personally, I’m more intrigued by the idea that street vendors anywhere in D.C. actually sell cigarettes currently. I assume the bill is attempting to address about some rogue hot dog cart operator who wishes he had a full-blown sidewalk newsstand, like you see in other cities. Have you ever actually seen one of these mythical creatures? Terror Plot Against Obama’s Inauguration Examined: In the wake of the underpants dude and other threats to commercial flights heading to the United States over the holidays, The New York Times has gone ahead and posted online its upcoming magazine story about President Barack Obama’s approach to fighting terrorism. In the opening

paragraphs, we learn that the Secret Service had information that caused them to spend 72 hours leading up to last year’s presidential inauguration worried that ‘A group of Somali extremists was reported to be coming across the border from Canada to detonate explosives as the new president took the oath of office.’ Ultimately, the threat was determined to be a false alarm, according to the Times. D.C. Sues AT&T: D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles actually announced he was suing AT&T on New Year’s Eve, but most news outlets are just getting around to the story today. The Washington Post has a story now , as does the Washington Business Journal . The gist is that Nickles is ‘asking the court to rule on whether unused balances that remain on prepaid AT&T calling cards for a period of more than three years should be treated as unclaimed property.’ Should the judge rule in D.C.’s favor, the city could theoretically end up with a nice big check from the communications giant. Briefly Noted: Fifth suspect arrested in death of Arvel Alston … Man who died in Rock Creek crash had told everyone he wasn’t planning to drive anywhere … D.C. oldest resident, Eddye Williams, celebrates 110th birthday … Office vacancies finally shrinking in D.C. area … Post-winter storm potholes forcing emergency repairs . This Day in DCist: In 2009, we wondered if anyone was really renting out their places at exorbitant rates for the inauguration, and in 2007, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty was planning his public school takeover .

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Morning Roundup: Smoke and Mirrors Edition