On Monday at about 5 p.m. two Red Line trains crashed into each other near the Fort Totten station, resulting in the deadliest crash in Metro’s 33 year history.  Nine people died, including Jeanice McMillan, the operator of one of the trains, Ana Fernandez, a mother of six, and Retired Major General David Wherely, Jr. who led the D.C. National Guard and his wife Ann.  Although investigations are ongoing, it’s looking like the accident was probably caused by a malfunction of the computerized control system.

D.C.’s Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi announced that his office is projecting a $340 million budget shortfall over the next two years due to the recession.  In light of the dire news, Mayor Adrian Fenty (D) discretely ordered 40 government agencies—including the police department—to cut more than $35 million from their budgets.  It probably doesn’t help that the city can’t find thousands of dollars it collected in fines from misdemeanor cases..

On Thursday, June 18th, a gunman opened fire outside the Columbia Heights Metro station, shooting and injuring two.  This week it was revealed that the gunman was actually working as an intern for a D.C. Councilmember, Jim Graham (D—Ward 1).  Graham himself took the young man, Devyn Black, to the police station to turn himself in.

After the jump: taxi fare increases, how Twitter can help you get fired from your D.C. government job and more!
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13/13 12/13 D.C. Council members support gay marriage!

The D.C. Council’s final vote on recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states (first voted on in early April) went remarkably smoothly, passing 13-0… until Ward 8 Councilmember and former “Mayor-for-life” Marion Barry (D) realized what he was voting on. The confused Councilmember, who had pledged to Christian groups that he would vote against recognizing same-sex marriage, then requested a reconsideration of the bill.

The ensuing debate, which City Paper’s Mike Debonis chronicled, was rather personal since two Councilmembers, David Catania (I—At Large) and Jim Graham (D—Ward 1) are gay. Catania said “[Barry's] position is bigoted” and Graham said he respects Barry’s civil rights record but “We part ways today on this issue” and that “There is not enough love in this world today.”

While Catania, Graham and their allies couldn’t convince Barry to change his position, the vote ultimately came down to a resounding 12-1 in favor. Not unanimous, true, but still a nice victory for the gay rights movement.

Photo from Flickr user bobster855, used under a Creative Commons license.

This morning, we told you about the kerfuffle surrounding the Apple store planned for Georgetown. Having already sunk a cool $13 million already into the site of its future store, Apple isn’t likely to have wandering eyes, according to ANC commisioner Aaron Golds (COL `11).

But Georgetown’s competition has already starting to flirt with Apple as D.C. media broadcast signs of our marital troubles. DCist reports:

Rumors are floating around that the computer manufacturer’s iconic store might end up elsewhere in the District.

The Examiner’s Harry Jaffe wrote on Friday that frustrated city officials looking to land the city’s first Apple store might actually be helping find a location somewhere other than Georgetown.

Included in those city officials is Ward 1’s Councilman, Jim Graham. Georgetown had better watch out—it’s hard to resist a man in a bowtie. Here at Vox, we’re going to assuage our worries that Apple will head to Ward 1 by giving Graham’s and Jaffe’s statement the Monday Madlib treatment, after the jump.

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