Lunchline: Harry Thomas, Jr. learns his fate

If you have difficulty viewing this newsletter, click here to view as a Web page. Click here to view in plain text. Thursday, May 3, 2012 It seems that Junior Seau, one of the most dynamic personalities and players in NFL history, took his own life yesterday in his home town. Very sad. Here's a video of him working as the Capitals equipment manager. Classic Seau. Former D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr. will learn his fate today for stealing money from the city. Mayor Vincent Gray has offered his support in the face of a bad situation, but let's be real: He took money that was supposed to go to kids to play sports and bought an SUV with it. Personally, I don't have a lot of sympathy for a guy willing to abuse his position like that. Prosecutors asked for nearly four years, but the speculation is that he's more likely to get something closer to two. The people who'll be redesigning the Mall have been selected. The judges say that the new concepts will bring a 21st-century look to America's front yard. Somewhat more interesting are the security challenges that architects will have to deal with in reconstructing the old plazas. Don't expect to see changes anytime soon -- groundbreaking on these projects isn't expected until 2014 at the earliest. J. Michael Welton breaks down the contest winners for The Post. Chuck Brown is not dead. I repeat, the Godfather of Go-Go is still with us. Stop trying to off him on Twitter. An unfortunate rumor went out yesterday stating that he had passed on, which lead to an even bigger flurry of press releases, official responses and backlash about it. The Style Blog reports on the incorrect hearsay that caused a huge headache for Brown's management for the greater part of Wednesday afternoon. This is going to be a big summer for blockbuster movies. Not that every year doesn't try to be, but in 2012 we've got three superhero flicks on deck that are likely to rake in major cash. One of them, "The Avengers," drops tonight. I'm not a huge comic book nerd, but I did like "Iron Man," so I'll probably check it out. Cartoonist James Sturm writes for Slate that he will not, because Marvel comics has never given Jack Kirby the credit he deserves. Last night was an emotional one for D.C. sports. The Caps and the Nats were playing simultaneously, so when Ian Desmond went yard to end the game against the Diamondbacks, it provided a good boost moving into the late stages of the skate at Verizon Center. Alas, that dragged on, and D.C. United blew an early lead before the Capitals eventually fell in three OTs to the Rangers. To review, the good news: The Nats broke their skid. Bad news: The Caps hit the post twice before an overtime loss and DCU got smoked. Extra Bites • Yesterday, Rick Ross and his MMG music partners held the most bizarre news conference I've seen in a while. After a lot of saluting to his comrades, the rapper named Omarion, of all people, as the newest signing to the label. Oh, and Diddy was there, too. • Somebody bought Edvard Munch's "The Scream" for nearly $120 million at an auction. That's just an absurd amount of money to pay for a painting. • Remember my friend Ellie Walton? She's having a screening tonight. I'll be there. • Rampant new iPhone speculation! Hooray! Here's how to get at me. There's Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and you can 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