There is new talk of tinkering with D.C.’s Height Act, the federal rule that limits most D.C. buildings to about 13 stories.

Why it matters: Depending on whom you ask, that 113-year-old rule protects the sanctity of monumental Washington — or imposes a boxy, banal skyline.

⚡️ Driving the news: The topic is back on officials' minds after Mayor Muriel Bowser proposed raising the height limit in some corridors from 130 feet to 160 feet. The urgency comes with her goal to reimagine downtown by attracting 15,000 new residents by 2028.

• Former D.C. planning director Ellen McCarthy wrote a paper this month tying the issue to local self-governance, arguing that the lack of statehood curbs the city’s ability to plan for itself.

What they’re saying: “It is difficult to imagine any city or state in the Union agreeing to let Congress impose a limitation on the buildings constructed within its boundaries,” McCarthy, a Georgetown University professor, wrote for the think tank Statehood Research DC.

• One example: In Friendship Heights, buildings on the Maryland side can reach 180 feet. But across the street in D.C., “no matter how well-designed, no building can be taller than 130 feet,” McCarthy writes.

The other side: D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, a key voice in the debate, says it's a “really bad idea to change the Height Act.”

• In 2013, Mendelson — to the surprise of home rule advocates — lobbied Congress against giving local D.C. leaders more power over building heights.
• “I met an architect from Paris, which has a similar height requirement, who agreed that the height of the city is a defining characteristic,” Mendelson tells Axios. “We’re the nation’s capital and there’s no reason we shouldn’t be on par with a city like Paris.”

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton spokesperson Sharon Nichols tells Axios that “decisions about the Height Act should be left to local D.C. leaders without federal involvement.”

💭 Cuneyt’s thought bubble: Congress would need to act on the Height Act. D.C. is unlikely to gain any home rule victories in the next two years with Republicans in control of the House.

• On the other hand, this issue could actually garner the sympathies of the GOP House, if they act on their business-friendly sensibilities to raise the Height Act and back the mayor and real estate sector.

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1. Advocacy Manager, Criminal Justice at Arnold Ventures.
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Usher in the Year of the Rabbit with one of these free events – happening this weekend and next.

MGM National Harbor celebration | Today through March 20

• Explore the new conservatory display with thousands of flowers, massive lanterns, and silk rose koi fish.
• Visit this Sunday at 6pm to see a traditional lion dance take place throughout the property.

The National Museum of Asian Art celebration | Tomorrow 12pm-4pm

• See a lion dance, try crafts, and watch a cooking demonstration.

The Chinese Lunar New Year Parade | Sunday at 2pm | Chinatown, starting on I and 6th streets.

• Watch a variety of performers parade through town, followed by a firecracker show.

Smithsonian American Art Museum celebration | Jan. 28, 11:30am-3pm

• Learn about different Lunar New Year traditions and try your hand at an art scavenger hunt. Also, the Courtyard Café will offer a special menu.

Tysons Corner Center celebration | Jan 28, 1pm-3pm

• Watch Chinese, Korean, and Indonesian dancers, enjoy a Mongolian fashion show, and see a magic show.

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The ACLU of Maryland filed a lawsuit against the state for alleged improper oversight of psychotropic drugs administered to children in the foster system.

• More than 34% of children in the system are given these drugs, which include stimulants and mood stabilizers, but nearly 75% of those children do not have a documented diagnosis, the lawsuit says.
• The lawsuit is seeking damages for three unnamed children that the ACLU says were harmed by the drug use, as well as changes to the state’s monitoring system of these drugs. (DCist)

Egg prices rose 65% last year, and local restaurants — including Cracked Eggery and Bread Furst — are feeling the strain, causing some to raise their prices. (Eater DC)

The Gallery Place Regal Theater will close next month as Regal's parent company closes 39 of its theaters across the country as part of bankruptcy proceedings. (DCist)

The family of a six-year-old in Virginia accused of shooting his teacher earlier this month says he has an “acute disability.”

• The comments were made in the family’s first public statement since the shooting. Teacher Abigail Zwerner was shot in the chest. (Washington Post)

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is sending legislation to state lawmakers which would make it mandatory for schools to notify parents and students of merit awards, amid an investigation by the state attorney general into more than a dozen Northern Virginia schools failing to do so. (WUSA9)

An acclaimed West African artist has given President Lincoln’s Cottage a makeover with 214 objects from Africa and local thrift stores. The new exhibit in Petworth is on display until Feb. 15. (Washingtonian)

Metrobar is celebrating Dry January with a non-alcoholic menu that will satisfy all tastes and doesn't hold back on the complex flavors.

Best sips: Chase winter away with a virgin Mai Tai that blends orgeat (almond) syrup and Earl Grey tea. Or sip a spicy margarita flavored with chili peppers.

If you love sweets, you'll love the Shirley Horn — a twist on a Shirley Temple with fig-balsamic grenadine and orange juice.

• The menu also includes a non-alcoholic IPA from Flying Dog and a citrusy non-alcoholic wine.

Worth noting: These cocktails cost $11, just a couple of dollars less than their alcoholic counterparts.

That might seem steep for a booze-free drink, but a good mocktail requires a lot of ingredients and work to give sober patrons the same experience as other patrons, local bartenders told DCist.