Lunchline: The backyard chicken movement is real

If you have difficulty viewing this newsletter, click here to view as a Web page. Click here to view in plain text. Thursday, February 23, 2012 After I mentioned my father's special day yesterday (love you too, Ma!), a reader named Holly wrote an incredibly kind letter to me. She told me of her father, whom she lost nine years ago, her "Gentle Giant," and mentioned that she's no longer sad about losing him, but grateful to have had him at all. If you can, give whatever parents you have a call today. You both might enjoy it. Yesterday, President Obama was part of a groundbreaking ceremony for an extremely important building. 44 spoke at a ceremony commemorating the start of construction of the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the Mall with the first lady, and it was a star-studded event, in Washington terms. The significance of this step was not lost on anyone, and even the Smithsonian copped to its own racist past practices and how those have changed, The Post's Jacqueline Trescott explains. When I hear the words "backyard chicken movement," I'm immediately intrigued. And that's exactly what's happening in Arlington, where residents are making a push for the right to raise fowl on their properties. Currently, they have a ban on the practice, like many other area localities. But the Arlington Egg Project is looking to change that. Opponents say that rampant chicken coops will make everything gross. The Post's Maggie Fazeli Fard expertly tells this fantastic story. The effort to bring a high-end casino to Pr. George's County suffered a blow yesterday. When County Executive Rushern Baker III went to Annapolis to present his proposal to two Maryland lawmakers, even elected members of his own jurisdiction balked loudly. State Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George's) vowed to make sure it never happened. Also, an analysis by nonpartisan legislative staff revealed that a venue at National Harbor could sink others already planned. The Post's John Wagner reports. I have a personal affinity for food trucks. I think they embody everything that's great about urban life and frankly, capitalism. But brick-and-mortar restaurant owners have been throwing up roadblocks to the effort since day one. As opposed to trying to compete by selling better, more reasonably priced food, they've resorted to lobbying to kill the competition. Slate's Matt Yglesias breaks down how city governments are passing "dumb" laws to kill the food truck revolution. Alex Ovechkin didn't play last night and the Capitals got hammered on the road. Also, the Wizards lost to another lowly squad after keeping it close, and notched another embarrassing episode. In addition, The Post's Tom Boswell is columnizing about the Nats needing to throw more money at yet another guy. In other news, water is still wet. Not much is changing around these parts, but at least the U-Md. football coach has come to his senses. Oh wait, another backhanded maneuver? Of course. Extra Bites • If you're wondering, yes, someone snapped a photo of Whitney Houston in a casket at her private family viewing. And yes, someone sold it to the National Enquirer. And yes, they ran the photo online. No, I won't link to it and no, that's not journalism. • The Post's Dan Zak went to see the Portlandia live show this week and he hated it. His absolutely brilliant takedown of the performance is epic. • Oh yeah, your cat is making you crazy. Your friends were right. Check out my Facebook fan page, my Twitter feed, or e-mail me at clinton.yates@wpost.com. Get The Washington Post, your way. Want to stay on top of the latest news, features, commentary and more? Here's how: Mobile: Alerts: Social Media: Applications Web site E-mail SMS RSS Feeds Facebook Twitter SEND TO A FRIEND UNSUBSCRIBE NEWSLETTER CENTER GET HELP Washington Post Digital E-mail Customer Care 1150 15th Street NW Washington, D.C. 20071 ©2012 The Washington Post Privacy Policy