Breakfast links: DC’s homeless families may get apartments for emergency shelter

Wanted: 2 or 3 bedroom apartments for homeless families in DC

DC is looking to rent move in-ready apartments near Metro stations to use as emergency shelter for homeless families. The city recently approved building several new shelters and closing the one at DC General.  (Nena Perry-Brown / UrbanTurf)

Uber claps back at Maryland for disqualifying drivers

Are Maryland's new regulations blocking thousands of potential Uber drivers unfair? Those drivers can't work for Uber in Maryland, but qualify to work in DC or Virginia. Many of them were rejected due to old criminal offenses, some as old as 15 years.  (Martin Di Caro / WAMU)

Free WiFi coming to 24 more Metro stations

There will be free WiFi at 30 Metro stations by the end of the year, including every Red Line station. Metro is expanding the program after an initial pilot program brought free internet to 6 stations last year. Wiedefeld pledged to cover the entire system by the end of 2018.  (Faiz Siddiqui / Post)

Montgomery County gets in on free WiFi for buses

Montgomery County is testing free WiFi for passengers on its Ride On bus fleet. If the program is successful, the county would be the first in the area to offer WiFi on public buses. The technology and updates to implement WiFi costs $2,300 per bus.  (Luz Lazo / Post)

Baileys Crossroads has languished since streetcar plans were scrapped

After Fairfax County dropped plans for a streetcar in 2014, Baileys Crossroads has struggled to bring in revitalizing elements. Now, squatters have moved in to houses that are part of an idle project.  (Antonio Olivo / Post)

Is paid parking on the Mall going to burden families?

Drivers will have to start paying $2 an hour to park on the Mall soon, a new fee that will add costs to workers who live outside DC and visitors who see DC as a relatively inexpensive outing, says one blogger.  (Frederick Kunkle / Post)

A forgotten safety device caused a minor Metro derailment

A Metro employee left a wheel chock attached to a train being moved and caused a minor derailment in a railyard. Wheel chocks keep train wheels from moving. Last year, the Federal Transit Administration chastised Metro for not using chocks consistently.  (Martine Powers / Post)

What does the Trump era mean for DC’s economy?

Under President Obama, federal employment swelled and millennials moved to DC en masse. That could change under Trump, whose “skinny budget” will likely stagnate area growth.  (Michelle Jamrisko / Bloomberg)

Robots are getting better at making pre-fab homes

Though pre-fabricated homes have been around for decades, the robots that create them have gotten more advanced in recent years. They can even help make multi-family buildings now!  (Nena Perry-Brown / UrbanTurf)