Bachmann Wins GOP Straw Poll, Pawlenty Drops Out and Perry Steps In; DC SlutWalk Takes Place: Morning Links

Morning, Washington. Don’t forget to grab an umbrella on the way out the door this morning, since Capital Weather Gang says showers are expected to continue through today—albeit not as heavy as the storms that brought on flash flood warnings yesterday.

Bachmann Wins Straw Poll, Pawlenty Drops Out: This weekend the GOP presidential primary race dominated political news. Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann took first place in Saturday’s Iowa straw poll of presidential candidates, with libertarian figurehead Texas Representative Ron Paul coming in second. Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor, took third in the poll—then dropped out of the race on Sunday. Goodbye, T-Paw. Meanwhile, Texas Governor Rick Perry made an announcement this weekend that he’s running for presdient.

DC Slutwalk Takes Place: DC activists joined cities around the world in a protest known as a SlutWalk, which seeks to raise awareness about sexual assault. The provocative title is intended to protest commentary that they say blames victims by discussing what women were wearing when they were sexually assaulted. The Washington Post quoted one protester, Andrea Bredbeck, who addressed the crowed Saturday afternoon, saying, “No matter what your gender, what you wear, you are never responsible for being assaulted.”

Death of Local Columnist Ruled a Homicide: A 91-year-old Washington Times columnist, Viola Herms Drath, was found dead in her Georgetown home Friday morning. Police said Sunday they determined her death has been ruled a homicide and that they are still investigating.

Maryland Begins Sales Tax-Free Week: NBC4 reports that in Maryland this week, shoppers can save themselves from paying the state’s 6 percent sales tax on all items under $100. The sales tax holiday is intended to boost retail sales, which are expected to increase as much as 10 percent this week.

Virginia School District Bans Sherlock Holmes for Anti-Mormon Sentiments: The Ablemarle County School District voted Thursday to ban a Sherlock Holmes book, A Study in Scarlet, from its sixth-grade reading lists because it is “age-inappropriate.” But a Los Angeles Times report says the reason the school board ruled it such was because of the way the book portrays Mormonism. The Atlantic Wire has a good summary of the controversy if you’re unfamiliar with the text.

Historic DC Buildings Face Challenges: Liz Farmer at the Washington Examiner looks at historic buildings in DC and the challenges they face. She examines the Franklin School in Northwest, a unique building that has struggled to find a use since the city’s school system moved its administrative headquarters from it in 1971. “It’s tough to find new uses for unique buildings,” Farmer writes. “But today, ones that are saved may wait years for their revival.”

Briefly Noted: Three people, including a teen and a three-month-old baby, died early Saturday morning when the car drove off the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and struck a tree. . . . DC Police arrested 74 people in a 12-hour operation targeting downtown prostitution. . . . Wednesday is National Thrift Shop Day.

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