Breakfast links: Getting what you don’t want

Friendship Heights gets power, not residents

The Akridge-owned site in Friendship Heights has sold to Pepco. Instead of the mixed-use development Akridge was planning, at least some of the site will be a power substation. (WBJ)

Congo gets a protest over front yard

Residents have decided to protest the Congo embassy at 16th and Riggs, which paved its front yard in violation of supposed promises from earlier this year. Appeals to the State Department have not been fruitful. (Examiner)

Issa giveth and taketh away for DC

Rep. Darrel Issa (R-CA) promised to give DC the ability to approve its own budget, but only if it restricts abortion funding. He also apparently didn’t show any DC leaders the bill ahead of time. (Post)

Gray supports globe on freeway idea

That horrendously ugly globe-shaped center on top of I-395? Vince Gray’s all for it. At least, he’s for the concept of Chinese business­people opening a center in DC; he didn’t talk about the design. (City Paper)

Deal makes Silver Line to Dulles likely

Both Virginia and USDOT have agreed to chip in for the Silver Line‘s phase 2 to Dulles and Loudoun. Tolls will rise to about $4 on the Toll Road, but not as much as feared. (Post, Examiner)

Windshield perspective gets creative

An entertaining letter to Dr. Gridlock claims bikes should always yield to cars because it takes gas for the car to start again, whereas getting back to speed is good exercise for the cyclist. (WashCycle)

Bad trail

The Washington Boulevard Trail in Arlington has a very dangerous segment. A reader spotted another crash, and says drivers routinely speed and don’t yield to pedestrians or cyclists. (WashCycle)

Keeping up on corruption

DC Mayor Gray makes his cabinet sign an ethics pledge (All About D.C. Politics)… Sulaimon Brown will appear in traffic court for driving on a suspended license (WAMU)… Apparently Jack Johnson’s wife knew everything about what her husband was doing. (Gazette)

And…

Ray LaHood’s #2, Roy Kienitz, will leave USDOT (Streetsblog) … Prince George’s has ths 5th highest gang membership in the country. (Examiner) … It takes more than a supermarket transform a food desert into a healthy community. (WAMU)