Memorial Day Traffic Predictions; National Zoo Researcher Charged With Poisoning Cats: Morning Links

Mixed Messages on Memorial Day Weekend Traffic: With the first big holiday weekend of the summer just ahead, it's time once again for AAA and other vehicle-minded groups to play "guess how long we'll have to sit in traffic to get to the beach." As usual, though, no one has a clear answer. Gas prices are sky high, as we all know, but that won't deter drivers in the Mid-Atlantic region, according to the Washington Times. Indeed, WAMU says, this weekend should see a record number of drivers on the road. Or maybe not! The Gazette offers a different take, predicting that traffic in Maryland could actually be lighter than previous years. So which is it? If you're planning on driving out of the city this weekend, you'll likely just have to wait and see. If you're sticking around town, however, don't forget about the four Metro stations that will be closed all weekend.

DC May Have Missed Out on Millions: With the DC Council set to vote on next year's extremely tight budget, city politicians are likely falling asleep at night to dreams of locating a secret stash of funds. Voila! The Examiner and the Post both detail an investigation into whether "the city failed to collect more than $100 million in taxes from commercial real estate transactions." The allegations come from a group of lawyers who initially approached the city with an offer to search for the alleged missing money, for a fee. The District is now looking in to the matter.

Zoo Researcher Charged with Attempted Animal Cruelty: In case you missed NBC4's story yesterday, it seems National Zoo researcher Nico Dauphine may have a serious problem with cats. She's been accused of leaving poison out in her Columbia Heights neighborhood in an effort to kill off the local feral cat population. Why would an animal researcher try to kill adorable kittehs? An academic paper penned by Dauphine titled "Apocalypse Meow: Free-ranging cats and the Destruction of American Wildlife" offers more than a smidge of insight.

Bedbugs Incident at United Medical Center: United Medical Center reported an incidence of bedbugs recently, but WUSA9 reports that hospital officials believe the outbreak was contained to a patient's clothing, and did not spread inside the facility.

Fairfax County to Charge More for High School Parking: Fairfax County teens who drive to school every day may soon have to pay a lot more to park. That's according to the Fairfax Times, which reports that School Board member Jim Raney has proposed raising the annual fee from $200 to $250. Car driving teens of Fairfax, raise your hand if you or your parents are likely to bat a single eyelash at this price increase. Anyone? Anyone?

National Pinball Museum Likely to Close: Just six months after opening, Georgetown's National Pinball Museum is looking for a new home, the Associated Press reports. Landlord Vornado Realty Trust would reportedly like to lease the space to someone else.

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