Obama, Boehner Give Debt Ceiling Speeches; Walter Reed Closes: Morning Links

Must-reads from around Washington

Written by Kay Steiger | Published on July 26, 2011

Morning, Washington. Last night President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner gave speeches to appeal to the public on each side of the debt ceiling debate. Still, there hasn't yet been a deal on the debt ceiling and the August 2 deadline is approaching.

Walter Reed Closes: Walter Reed Army Medical Center began a week-long set of events to close the institution, which had been open for 102 years. The facility, which first treated World War I soldiers, had fallen into disrepair in recent years and was the subject of a 2007 investigation by Dana Priest for the Washington Post. Hospital staff will merge with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda and a hospital in Fort Belvior, Virginia, the Washington Times reports.

Four Candidates Seek Johnson Seat: Four potential successors are already lined up for the the seat of Leslie Johnson, who will officially leave her post as Prince George's County councilmember this Sunday. Johnson, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges that also brought down her husband, County Executive Jack Johnson, resigned earlier this month. The four candidates who have said they're interested in the gig are Art Turner, Mark Polk, Gerron Levi, and Derrick Davis. More are expected to enter the race, NBC4 reports.

Voters, Councilmembers Call for Thomas's Resignation: Speaking of resignations, Ward 5 DC Councilman Harry Thomas Jr. is facing calls to resign. Last week, Thomas agreed to settle on a lawsuit filed by DC Attorney General Ivan Nathan and pay back the city $300,000 he was accused of stealing. Two councilmembers, At-Large Councilman David Catania and Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh, have said Thomas should step down, and angry callers on the WAMU's Kojo Nnamdi show echoed a similar sentiment. Council Chairman Kwame Brown, under scrutiny for his own potentially unethical and illegal activities, didn't go quite as far as saying that Thomas should resign, Freeman Klopott reports for the Washington Examiner.

Matchbox to Open 14th Street Location: The Washington Business Journal reports that Matchbox, which has been rumored to be opening another location, signed a lease for a new location at 1907 14th Street, Northwest. They plan to open the new location next year. Matchbox's owner, Ted Neal, is also said to be in talks to bring Ted's Bulletin, a Barrack's Row breakfast place, to 14th and S streets, Northwest.

Michelle Obama on Osama Bin Laden: in an interview with the AARP magazine, Michelle Obama talks about what she knew (or didn't know) about Osama bin Laden's capture and death. “I was actually out to dinner with girlfriends, and I didn’t know until I walked in the door. It was later in the evening, and Barack had his suit on, because he was going to the press conference. And I said, ‘What’s going on?’” She also said no—"N-O. Period, dot"—to her own future in politics.

Fairfax County to Use Surplus for Employee Raises: Fairfax County experienced an unexpected revenue bump this year, and plan to use $11.3 million of the the $104 million surplus for a 1.52 percent pay increase for employees. It's the first raise Fairfax employees have seen in several years, Liz Essley at the Examiner reports.

Briefly Noted: MetroAccess riders face tightened rules and higher fares. . . . NFL Players approved a deal that ended the lockout yesterday.

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