the morning line

Body Parts

• Somebody cut off and stole George Washington’s head. A statue of the first president now stands nogginless at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, with a dollar bill proffered as a mocking replacement. Suspects include leftover British royalists, Republicans driven mad by post-election grief, and, of course, adorable scamps from the nearby Columbia campus. [NYP]
• A city doctor is gearing up to do a uterus transplant, the country’s first (Saudi doctors did it once in 2000). Prospective recipients are being vetted right now. The transplant is meant to be temporary and last only through a pregnancy — still an ambitious goal. [NYDN]
• The Democratic majority has its first scandal! Harlem’s own Charlie Rangel is apologizing to Mississippi for a little zinger he unleashed on it yesterday. The exact phrasing, to refresh your memory, was “Who the hell wants to live in Mississippi?” Apparently some people do, and some of those, like Representative Chip Pickering (R-Miss., natch), are issuing angry press releases. [amNY]
• If you see something, say something: A black duffel casually dropped on Bensonhurst’s busy Shore Parkway has revealed an intact human body. The Times story is priceless for the colorful locals’ la-di-da reaction, which includes the phrase “This has always been a popular area for dumping bodies.” [NYT]
• And, let’s just get this over with: The taxi fare hike is kicking in a full month sooner than expected, on November 30. Under new rules, the riders will pay the same rate for slow or stopped traffic as they do when the cab actually, you know, is taking them somewhere. [WNBC]

Body Parts