July 4 Weekend Traffic Predictions; Maryland Crabs Could Be in Shorter Supply: Morning Links

July 4 Traffic Might Be Ever So Slightly Less Terrible, But Probably Not: If it's the Tuesday before a holiday weekend, AAA must be ready with its usual prediction for how many cars might be on the road. The Washington Times' Meredith Somers writes it up as "Holiday travel likely to be down," and notes that high gas prices are expected to convince about 1.8 percent of us in the DC area that a car trip out of town won't be worth it this year. But will a difference of less than 2 percent really matter to drivers stuck on I-95 on Friday night? Nah. AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesman Lon Anderson warns that “even though we’re seeing a decline, roads are going to be swamped.”

Wag More Dogs Seeks Appeal: For those of you following the ongoing saga of Arlington's Wag More Dogs dog grooming business and the mural (or is it an advertisement?) that the county forced the business to cover up, ARLNow reports that Wag More owner Kim Houghton has now filed her case with the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. A US District Court Judge dismissed Houghton's lawsuit against Arlington County back in February. The federal appeals court must now decide whether it will hear her case, which alleges that Arlington's sign laws are unconstitutional.

Crab Season Stress: Nothing says summer in the Mid-Atlantic like a table full of steamed Maryland crabs. But the Baltimore Sun reports that the upcoming holiday season is expected to put a strain on the local crab supply, thanks to a peak in demand for the tasty crustaceans. Prices could go up, or some restaurants might resort to serving non-Maryland crabs, a decision that could lead to yet more crabbiness: A new Maryland law requiring accurate labeling for "local" foodstuffs went into effect on Monday.

Mayor Gray Delivers Long Speech About Lots of Stuff: Desperately trying to salvage his flailing administration, DC Mayor Vince Gray delivered a more than 5,000 word speech on Monday that was about . . . well it depends on who you ask. The Post, the Examiner, and the Times all have write-ups that emphasize different parts of the talk, which laid out a broad list of goals for economic development and job creation. Among the key topics: development plans along the riverfront near Nationals Park, a new Ballou High School, and the future of Ward 8.

Briefly Noted: For a short time Monday there were reports that rapper R. Kelly was looking for an apartment in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, but it turns out that's not true.

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