Breakfast links: Middle class drowns in mortgages
Underwater in Prince George’s
Despite living in one of the wealthiest majority-black counties in the country, many Prince George’s homeowners owe more on their homes than they’re worth. Recovery from the housing crash has come more slowly for black middle class neighborhoods. (NPR)
DC’s broken policing
DC’s “criminal justice system is broken” says outgoing Police Chief Cathy Lanier. She says it’s impossible to police when the rest of the system continues to put repeat offenders back on the street, but prosecutors say they have to follow a process. (Post)
More reliable, less punctual
Metro and Metrobus service has been more reliable this year, but only 82% of trains are on-time. Metro blamed SafeTrack and other track work for the delays in its latest report card. (WAMU)
Minimum wage not enough
Disparate minimum wages across the region mean that a lot of folks can’t make ends meet. Someone making the minimum wage in Fairfax would have to work 137 hours per week to afford the average apartment. (Post)
DC’s coolest playground
A playground in Shaw once had real old airplanes, a tank, a tugboat, a train locomotive, and streetcars. But DC couldn’t maintain it and the vehicles were eventually removed. Now it’s just a regular playground. (Post)
Manspreading is not a new phenomenon
Subway posters from all the way back in 1947 show that “manspreading” has always been a problem on trains. Check out these vintage PSAs on subway etiquette from around the world. (Hyperallergic)
Smarter bridges
A new bridge in Germany will include sensors that track wear and tear on the bridge. Experts will to use the data to discover damage and order repairs faster. (Readwrite)