WAMU: Local News

Latest D.C. Local News

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) Metro is delaying planned changes to its SmartBenefits program to the relief of many participants. The program allows employers to set aside money for commuting costs on Metro smart cards.

WASHINGTON (AP) The FBI says the former head of the D.C. Taxicab Commission participated in a long-running bribery scheme involving taxi licenses. Causton Toney hasn't been charged with a crime, but the accusation appears in a request for a warrant to search his home.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

BALTIMORE (AP) Jury deliberations have resumed for a second day in Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's trial on theft charges. This morning jurors asked the judge for the legal definition of "misappropriation." The judge said they should look in the jury instructions.

CUMBERLAND, Md. (AP) A former state correctional officer convicted of assaults on inmates has been sentenced to three months in jail. Thirty-six-year-old Jason Weaver, of Cumberland, was convicted of conspiracy to commit assault in September.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) A man accused of bilking more than $3 million from customers in a computer-purchase scheme has agreed to accept liability and negotiate with the state to make restitution. Financing Alternatives founder George Christian's admission of liability came today in Chesapeake Circuit Court in a two-year-old civil case.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) A Charlottesville police officer whose unmarked vehicle hit another car as he responded to a bank robbery faces a traffic charge. Authorities say 25-year-old Officer Kyle Boynton was attempting to exit a shopping center when the accident occurred earlier this week.

ANNANDALE, Va. (AP) A 71-year-old woman has died after being run over by her own car in the driveway of her home. Fairfax County police say the accident happened early this morning. The woman, Emma A. Cabrera of Annandale, was backing out of her driveway.

Congressional Report: Allegations Against Fiance Of D.C. Schools Chancellor

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Manuel Quinones

A newly released Congressional report says D.C. School Chancellor Michelle Rhee was involved in dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct against her fiance, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.

The report, by a Republican Senator and Congressman, concerns the firing of a federal inspector general who was investigating Johnson's actions when he led a Sacramento charter school. Johnson allegedly misused government money and was accused of improper sexual conduct by female students.

A former school employee says Rhee played the role of a fixer, doing damage control after the allegations surfaced. She was a school board member at the time.

A spokeswoman for Rhee says the report rehashes old allegations that have long been dismissed and only mentions the chancellor in one paragraph out of more than sixty pages.

Activists Slam Mismanagement Of Gay And Lesbian Police Unit

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Peter Granitz

Crimes against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people have accounted for at least eighty percent of hate crimes in D.C. this year. Activist Peter Rosenstein says D.C. Police Cheif Cathy Lanier has mismanaged the department's Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit.

"It won a $100,000 award from Harvard. It was a model of community policing. She's basically destroyed that," says Rosenstein.

Rosenstein says only two officers work full-time with the GLLU. At a public safety committee hearing, Lanier said she's had trouble staffing the unit but never planned to nix it.

"Let me go a little further. In 2007 I announced a vacancy in that unit. Citywide with 400 sergeants, I got one applicant. One," says Lanier.

Fifty-seven patrol officers have volunteered to help the unit, but they will still work in their own districts.

Second Day Of Deliberations Ends Without Verdict In Trial Of Baltimore Mayor

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

The jury in the theft trial of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon has been sent home for the weekend without a verdict.

Cathy Duchamp reports from Baltimore Circuit Court...

Adoption Brings Hope In Montgomery County MD

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Sabri Ben-Achour

It's national adoption month, and Maryland's Montgomery County opened its courthouse to the public as 22 children were adopted.

Three-year-old Joshua Williams banged the gavel himself as he and his adoptive mother Dietrice Williams officially became a family.

Twenty two children became brothers, sisters, daughters and sons today in Rockville. Yvonne and Melvin Jacobs adopted little Shayla who is four-years-old, and even littler Dante who is three-years-old. Jacobs couldn't be more proud. "I tell you it's the greatest thing I ever did, these babies to come into my heart are the greatest things that could happen to me," says Jacobs.

Some of the children in the courtroom were abandoned as infants. Others are teenagers who fled abusive homes. "The kids that are in our system have been abused or neglected and they were removed from their parents," says Catherine Robinson, supervisor of Adoption for Montgomery County.

That means it takes a special kind of family to adopt. "Clearly they need to have a lot of patience and love for these children, and fortunately, they do," says Agnes Leshner, head of child welfare services for the county.

There are more than 500 children in foster care in Montgomery County. The county expects 55 will get adopted.

This Week In Congress - November 20, 2009

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Elizabeth Wynne Johnson Capitol News Connection

SCRIPT:

Early on, Republican Senators like John McCain were all stoic resolve and resignation on the health care bill...

McCain: The majority leader is now corralling the final three Democrats...sure he'll get...in order to move forward.

Things would get more complicated by week's end. But before that...

Senator Robert Byrd broke a record on Wednesday. The 92-year old Democrat has a history that is as complex as it is long. As a young man in the South, Byrd once burned crosses with the Ku Klux Klan.

He lived on to support Barack Obama for President.

Byrd: My only regret...[sniffs] is that my dear wife, Irma, is not here to enjoy this moment with me...

After the shooting rampage earlier this month at Fort Hood, Senator Joe Lieberman decided to launch a probe. The administration has its own investigation underway.

Lieberman: But that does not mean that the rest of us, including the Senate Committee on Homeland Security can just sit back and watch.

Lieberman said his committee's inquiry would focus on whether the government could have done more to prevent the massacre. At the hearing on Thursday, ranking Republican Susan Collins of Maine drew parallels between Fort Hood and intelligence failures before the September 11th terror attacks.

Collins: If you look at Maj. Hasan's...there are warning signs galore.

Lieberman's critics, including the White House, let it be known they'd prefer Congress wait. Not the first time Lieberman has irked leading democrats. And certainly not the last.

Speaking of the Senate health care bill...The long-awaited cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office finally came out. Just shy of 850 billion over ten years. Democrats who support the bill say it reduces the deficit by $130 billion over the next decade.

Mukowski: But then you have Republicans stand up and say when you actually take into account $2.5 trillion.

That's Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska.

Mukowski: So the American public is saying, well, which is it? What's real? How much is this costing me?

Good question. According to Democrat Kent Conrad, don't look to Republicans for the answer.

Conrad: When people talk about two trillion, they're just making numbers up [snorts]. Let's use the official number... put out by the non-partisan CBO.

Bickering over budget numbers aside...abortion has become the emotional core of the health care overhaul debate. On the heels of the House vote with its groundswell of support for restrictive new language on federal funding. This week Republican Senators took aim squarely at what they hope may be the majority's Achilles heel.

Johanns: Today in the Senate we don't need 40 Democrats to stand up--we just need one.

The first big vote, the motion to proceed, takes place Saturday night.

Metro Delays SmartBenefits Program Changes

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Natalie Neumann

Metro is delaying planned changes to its SmartBenefits program to the relief of many participants.

The program lets employers set aside money for commuting costs on Metro smart cards. In some cases, employers subsidize the costs, while in others, the employee's own pretax payroll dollars are set aside.

Metro had announced that because of an IRS requirement, money for transit and parking would be kept in separate accounts as of January 1. And it said any unused benefits would be credited back to employers at the end of each month, instead of being rolled over. That change upset many riders who feared they would end up losing money.

Now Metro is asking the IRS for a one-year extension to implement the new rules so that employers can adjust.

Virginia To Receive More Doses Of H1N1 Vaccine

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Bill Redlin

Just over one million doses of the H1N1 vaccine are being allocated to sites in Virginia in the state's effort to vaccinate people against the swine flu.

Virginia health commissioner Dr. Karen Remley says while influenza-related illness has gone down to five percent of visits to emergency rooms, there are many who are ill, and that 27 deaths have now been reported around the commonwealth.

Shipments of the vaccine went out this week to colleges and universities, including the University of Virginia, which held a vaccination clinic Thursday. Remley says influenza cases reported this fall are typically H1N1. Remley says samples taken from patients have not detected the seasonal flu virus yet.

Montgomery County Streets Safer For Pedestrians

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jamila Bey

More than 400 pedestrians are struck by cars annually in Montgomery County, and twelve people this year have been killed. The county has started a campaign to educate walkers how to stay safe.

On the mile and a half stretch, Piney Branch Road between Flower Avenue and the Prince Georges County line, more pedestrians are hit than anywhere else in the county.

Volunteers will be on Piney Branch most days of the week to intercept jaywalkers. Gustavo Andrade organizes the Spanish language effort. "Our plan is to go up to people who are crossing where they're not supposed to and educate them about how to be safer," says Andrade. "So crossing on the crosswalks, especially now that it's getting darker earlier."

Jeff Dunkle is Montgomery County's Pedestrian Safety Coordinator. He says visibility is key. "Why is it that when it's dark out everybody wears dark clothing? It does make things more dangerous for pedestrians on the street when they cannot be seen by drivers," says Dunkle. "Cross where you're supposed to cross and cars will know where you're likely to be and will be able to avoid hitting you."

The safety effort will also crack down on drivers. And as the press conference was underway, attendees witnessed the plan in action.

A car ran a red light and policemen handing out fliers ticketed the driver on the spot.

Alexandria Retailers Prepare For Black Friday

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

With the official start of the Christmas shopping season just one week away, area retailers are divided over how successful it will be.

Some Alexandria retailers say they are expecting their best holiday season ever while others say they're almost ready to close their doors forever. Alexandria Chamber of Commerce President Tina Leone says her organization lost about a third of her membership since the recession began.

Michael Pope reports...

Child Care Costs Skyrocket For Several D.C. Families After Budget Cuts

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Kavitha Cardoza

Outside the Wilson Building in D.C., dozens of little children carried signs that read "I'm three, don't forget about me." They and their parents were protesting cuts in child care subsidies.

The city has cut millions of dollars from the Child Care Subsidy program, which provides vouchers for eligible low income families to offset costs.

Fahim Shabazz says he has a four and five year old who attend St. Philip's Child Care Center in South East D.C. He says his costs jumped from less than 10 dollars a week to more than 110 dollars for each child. And Shabazz says he doesn't know what to do.

"Should the day care bills be paid or should the house bills be paid? Now I say the child care is more important than my bills. I'm looking at being evicted, lights being cut off, not eating any food," Shabazz says.

Parents at the rally say they aren't sure how long they'll be able to keep paying the increased child-care costs.

No Word Yet on Why Fairfax Police Shot and Killed David A. Masters

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

A spokesman for the Fairfax Police Department says investigators aren't ready to say why Fairfax officers shot and killed an unarmed man a week ago.

Fairfax Police say three officers suspected 52-year-old David Alan Masters had stolen items from a nearby business. They say they made two attempts at traffic stops, but Masters drove off. After the second attempt, they say one officer shot him.

After a preliminary investigation, Fairfax Police say Masters did not have gun in his car.

Officer Bud Walker says the department is asking the public for patience.

"We want to know the story as much as they do," Walker says, "but we don't want to put out information prematurely that could compromise the investigation or be inaccurate."

Walker says the Fairfax homicide squad and internal affairs detectives are investigating Masters' death.

Program Aims to Create Better Leaders in Prince William Co.

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

A nonprofit program in Prince William County, Virginia is trying to give the county a bigger voice in the Washington region.

Leadership Prince William is based on programs in Arlington and Fairfax that bring together successful people who want to learn and do more in their communities.

Kathy Ellington, the programs executive director says Prince William faces unique challenges.

"One of the challenges that Prince William faces is just the perception that other people have of Prince William," she says.

Ellington says right now most people know Prince William for the long commute into D.C. rather than its scenery or strong small business community.

Leadership Prince William may help change that, by teaching participants more about important local issues through monthly visits from speakers including Congressman Gerry Connolly.

A few past graduates have gone on to run for local office themselves Steven Witt, a member of this years class is thinking about being the next.

"I've made some great connections through Leadership Prince William on the political side. Hopefully I can do that in the future," he says.

At 30 years old, Witt, a community banker, says he has time.

Despite New Technology, Internet Accessibility Lags for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Sabri Ben-Achour

New technology from Google is making Youtube more accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing, but some leaders of the deaf community say most online multimedia is still inaccessible.

Google recently announced technology that uses speech recognition technology to create captions automatically for Youtube videos. It's starting as a pilot program at several universities including Gallaudet.

Cheryl Heppner is Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons.

"I love it, I'm so excited!"

Video and multimedia are making up more and more of the Internet. Heppner says -- without captions -- that means the Internet is becoming less accessible to the hard of hearing.

The new technology for now applies only to Youtube. Shane Feldman heads the national Association of the Deaf. He hopes the technology will spur TV networks to caption the programs they put on line - he says most don't.

"They're pretty behind right now, so we're not able to watch TV on the internet. That's pretty important," says Feldman, speaking through an interpreter.

According to Google, there are almost as many deaf or hard of hearing internet users as there are French speaking internet users.

Power Breakfast for November 20, 2009

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Yesterday on the Senate floor, Majority Leader Harry Reid set out a schedule to debate the health care bill from 10 o'clock this morning until 11pm tonight.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

On Morning Edition: Sheila Dixon Trial

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Today is day two of jury deliberations in the theft trial of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon.

City hall reporter for the Baltimore Sun, Annie Linksey, has been covering the trial and talks about it with WAMU's Morning Edition Host Matt McCleskey.

The Region's Top Stories With Washington Post Columnist Robert McCartney

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Washington Post columnist Robert McCartney joins WAMU's Morning Edition Host Matt McCleskey to talk about some of the region's top stories...

Latest D.C. Local News

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) A new Newseum exhibit that opens tomorrow will allow visitors in Washington will get the chance to step into ``Meet the Press'' moderator Tim Russert's old NBC office. The office appears as it was in June 2008 when Russert died of a heart attack at age 58.

WASHINGTON (AP) National Park Service park rangers who have worked at the Lincoln Memorial for decades are helping the memorial expand beyond its marble temple. A new interactive Web site has been launched wityh videos, panoramas and oral histories from park rangers.

WASHINGTON (AP) Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered a 45-day review of the circumstances surrounding the Fort Hood, Texas shootings. The review will examine gaps into how the military identifies service members who might be a threat to others.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

BALTIMORE (AP) The jury is deliberating in the theft and misconduct trial of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon. During closing arguments, defense attorney Arnold Weiner drew applause from Dixon supporters and occasional laughter from the crowded gallery as he mocked the state's case as a thin and worthless web of reckless fabrications.

BALTIMORE (AP) The Public Service Commission has approved an application to build a 50-megawatt wind energy farm atop Backbone Mountain near Oakland in Garrett County. The commission approved the application by Synergics Wind Energy yesterday. The project will be built on a three-mile site on the mountain, about 14 miles south of Oakland.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

McLEAN, Va. (AP) The wife of Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana has been charged with drunken driving and hit-and-run after hitting a parked car in northern Virginia. Fairfax County police say 76-year-old Charlene Lugar was stopped yesterday evening after they saw damage to her car and smoke coming from the hood.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) State health officials say they've allocated a total of 1.2 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine to Virginia sites in their overall campaign to vaccinate people against the so-called swine flu. Health officials say 27 deaths from the swine flu have been reported statewide.

CHESTERFIELD, Va. (AP) Police are investigating the death of a hunter whose body was found in a wooded area in Chesterfield County. Authorities say the body of 52-year-old Carl Walls Senior was found early this morning on private property off River Road.

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) A bankruptcy trustee says claims have been filed for 154 people who say they were sickened by a salmonella outbreak traced to a Virginia peanut company. Peanut Corporation of America filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy amid fallout from the outbreak, which left about 700 people sick and was linked to at least nine deaths.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Civil rights organizations are asking Governor Tim Kaine to sign an executive order restoring the rights of nearly 300,000 felons before he leaves office in January. Virginia and Kentucky are the only states that permanently strip felons of their civil rights, such as voting, serving on juries or holding public office.

Gallaudet Uses New Technology, Opening Youtube To Deaf And Hard Of Hearing

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Sabri Ben-Achour

Gallaudet University is trying out new software from Google that will make Youtube videos more accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing.

According to Google, 23 hours of video are uploaded to Youtube every minute. Some of it is educational. Some of it is.. not.

The vastness of online video is not only a sign of how the internet is changing, but also of how that change threatens to leave certain groups behind. That's because the vast majority of content is not captioned.

"The internet used to be text, and maybe some pictures. Well now as it's becoming multimedia and video, you've got a huge impact where it becomes inaccessible again for deaf people," says Cindy King, dean of academic technology at Gallaudet University.

Gallaudet university will be part of a pilot program that Google is launching at 13 academic institutions. It will pair its speech recognition software with Youtube, so it automatically will create captions for videos. It will also create a transcript that Google will include in online searches.

"It was really amazing, another indication for what technology can do to improve quality of life for people who are deaf and hard of hearing," says Robert Davila, president of Gallaudet.

The technology isn't perfect, it makes mistakes on one out of five words. But engineers say they're working to improve it.

Jury Begins Deliberation In Baltimore Mayor's Theft Trial

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt Bush

Jury deliberations are underway in the theft trial of Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon.

Dixon faces charges she spent gift cards on personal shopping that were meant to be given to needy children. Dixon claims she unknowingly used the cards, thinking they were for her.

During closing arguments late this morning, prosecutors alleged Dixon could not have gotten as far in life as she has if she got confused by things like this. Defense attorneys countered such statements show the state has little evidence against Dixon, who also faces allegations she misused cards while president of the city council.

Dixon faces five charges in total but because some are based on different legal theories, she can only be convicted of three.

Environmental Groups Threatening Lawsuit

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Meymo Lyons

Four environmental groups are threatening to sue subsidiaries of Mirant Corp. over coal ash. Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, and Patuxent Riverkeeper informed Mirant that they intend to sue over what they say are violations of the Clean Water Act.

They say the energy company has been illegally discharging pollutants into a creek near Mirant's Brandywine landfill. The groups also say Mirant has failed to submit a required report about how it will eliminate toxic discharges at Brandywine.

In a statement, Mirant Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Misty Allen says the company received the notice but does not comment on pending legal matters.

Rap Group Public Enemy Raises Awareness For Homeless Teens In D.C.

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Patrick Madden

The legendary rap group Public Enemy is in D.C. to raise awareness about homeless youth. The first stop for the band was the Sasha Bruce House, a facility for homeless teens in Northeast D.C. They helped deliver an early Thanksgiving dinner to the 30 or so teens that stay there.

After the dinner, Public Enemy headed to Foggy Bottom in downtown D.C., where they hopped on to the back of a flatbed truck and rocked out. The truck rolled through the streets. They later performed a concert George Washington University.

Proceeds from the night will go to Sasha Bruce.

Washington Times Denies Discrimination Accusation

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Natalie Neumann

The Washington Times is denying a religious discrimination claim by the paper's former opinion editor.

Richard Miniter filed a complaint Tuesday with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Miniter says he was coerced into attending a Unification Church event that included a mass wedding. And he says the Times investigated him after he joked about the church to a co-worker.

The Times was founded by the leader of the Unification Church, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, in 1982.

In a note to readers in today's edition, the Times' acting president and publisher Jonathan Slevin says the paper doesn't discriminate.

Referring to a recent management shake-up that involved the ousting of three top executives and the resignation of the executive editor, Slevin said there would likely be further changes but said the Times will continue to provide "spirited reporting" and "a robust alternative voice."

Slevin assumed his current role last week in the wake of the shake-up.

Teaching Local Clergy The ABCs Of Affordable Housing

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Sheir

Some local clergy members are working to solve what some see as a spiritual crisis in affordable housing.

Angeloyd Fenrick, the founding pastor of Higher Ground Church in Southeast D.C., believes affordable housing, and houses of worship go hand in hand. "If we really believe that God provides for all of our needs, if we're his representative on earth, we ought to be about doing that," says Fenrick.

But the problem, says Fenrick, is most clergy members don't know much about the housing business. That's where David Bowers comes in. His group, Enterprise Community Partners, has helped faith leaders launch the development of nearly 700 units in the D.C. area through a series of workshops. He calls this week's "the ABCs of development."

"Participants really get a flavor for from the time I have an idea to the time we cut the ribbon, and then after that, what do we need to be thinking about," says Bowers.

Fenrick says her church has built 11 units for the working homeless. "And now we'd like to expand the number of units that we have," she explains. "Using these sessions, I've learned about some mistakes I've made and how not to make those mistakes in going forward."

Fenrick's goal is to add 50 new units within the next year.

Conversations...Michael Cottman Speaks With Neuropsychologist Stephanie Johnson

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

As part of our continuing series "Conversations," reporter Michael Cottman speaks with Dr. Stephanie Johnson, a neuropsychologist and founder of the International Dementia Research Foundation, during Alzheimers Awareness Month.

Army Corps Of Engineers Gauges Storm Damage

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Bill Redlin

The Army Corps of Engineers is wrapping up its survey of the beaches in Ocean City, Maryland to determine how much damage the Nor'Easter did last week.

City engineer Terry McGean says a three-person team was expected to finish its work yesterday. McGean says he will probably know by Monday how much sand the beach had lost as a result of the storm that came through the area.

The storm was the remnant of tropical storm Ida. It caused considerable damage in Virginia as it moved up from North Carolina.

In Ocean City, the city had a dredging project planned for 2010. McGean says that will be moved up to replenish the beaches with sand.

Montgomery County Struggles To Meet H1N1 Vaccine Demand

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

Health department directors are still urging people to get the H1N1 vaccine, but responses from residents have varied across the region.

D.C.'s health director Dr. Pierre Vigilance says some of the district's clinics have been packed, while others, especially in the eastern part of the city, have not. "The further east that we've gone, and in ward seven and ward eight particularly, I've noticed that we've not had as much uptake of the vaccine in those areas," says Vigilance.

Mark Hodge, with the health department in Montgomery County, Maryland is facing a different issue. Wednesday morning's appointment-only clinic filled up in 25 minutes. "Every clinic we've done so far we've had to turn people away because we've run out of vaccine," says Hodge.

Hodge says Maryland is relying more heavily on hospitals and private providers. That means Montgomery County's health department has received a smaller percentage of available vaccines than health departments in the district and Virginia have.

But Hodge and Vigilance say there's nothing stopping residents from crossing state or county lines to get H1N1 vaccines.

Third Round Of Budget Cuts In Maryland

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt Bush

Cuts to Maryland's state budget for this fiscal year now top $1 billion. In its third round of reductions since the budget took effect July first, the state's board of public works approved more than $360 million in cuts.

The new round of cuts also eliminates 112 state jobs, including 21 at a facility for emotionally disturbed adolescents in Gaithersburg.

Montgomery County Executive Wants New Building Codes

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt Bush

Montgomery County executive Isiah Leggett is pushing the county council to pass new building codes.

Leggett pushed for a series of changes earlier this year, and the council has only passed a few of them. One building code still being debated would ban commercial vehicles from parking on residential streets.

The council is looking at exempting small tow trucks, which Leggett opposes. Another change would limit permits for unfinished building construction to 18 months. Currently, there isn't a limit.

Recovery In Store For Holiday Travel

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By David Schultz

Last year, more people than usual elected to stay home for the holidays. But this year might be different.

Damion Gardner delivers magazines to the newsstands and bookstores at Reagan National Airport. He says despite the crowds full of stressed-out people, he loves working at the airport during the holiday rush. "It's joyful around here," says Gardner. "You get to see a lot of different cultures coming through in and out the airport."

Travelers who face long waits and delayed flights might not share Damion's enthusiasm. Nationwide, AAA predicts a one percent increase in holiday travelers. AAA spokesperson John Townshend says that's good news given last year's anemic travel season, when the number of travelers plummeted by 25 percent. "Now we see some glimmer of hope, a glint of things returning to normalcy," says Townshend.

AAA mid-Atlantic predicts this year's holiday travel season will be busy in the D.C. region.

D.C. Council Considers Proposal To Reduce Unexcused Absences In Schools

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Kavitha Cardoza

The D.C. council is considering a proposal to reduce the number of unexcused absences students can have before authorities investigate.

Children in D.C. public schools can have 20 total days of unexcused absences within a school year before a referral is made to Child and Family services. At least seven council members support changes to the District's truancy regulations; they want children between the ages of five and 13 to have just 10 unexcused absences within a school year before authorities are contacted.

Council member Tommy Wells says truancy can be an early indicator that a child is having problems. "This is part of the safety net of keeping children safe, holding parents accountable for seeing that their children are not getting into mischief," says Wells.

Wells says in Minnesota, the state was required to intervene after seven unexcused absences and a year later studies showed more than 70 percent had improved school attendance.

Coalition Wants Streetcar Network Across Northern VA

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

A newly formed coalition in Northern Virginia is trying to build momentum for a network of streetcar lines stretching across several counties.

The group held it's first meeting Wednesday night.

Tim Lovain is co-founder of the Northern Virginia Streetcar Coalition. He says the streetcar line planned for Columbia Pike should be just the beginning of a streetcar comeback across Northern Virginia.

"Too often we think jurisdiction by jurisdiction," Lovain says. "This really cries out for a regional response and we'd really like to start especially with extensions from that initial Columbia Pike line."

Lovain and the night's other speakers stressed that though excitement for new transit projects is nearly unprecedented, funding the projects still presents a challenge.

Linda Vitello, who sat in the audience, says she's encouraged by the new coalition.

But she also says the region needs more public transportation as soon as possible, whether its streetcars or something else.

"Streetcars are great, buses are great, metro is great," Vitello says. "Cars are not so great around here."

Arlington and Fairfax Counties have spent $4 million on the planning phase of the Columbia Pike Streetcar line construction funding hasn't been secured.

Power Breakfast for November 19, 2009

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Today the House Foreign Affairs Committee revisits an old question: Is it time to lift the ban on travel to Cuba? Cuban-born Florida Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen says no.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

On Morning Edition: Sheila Dixon Trial

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Closing arguments are expected today in the criminal theft trial of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon. Dixon has been accused of personally using gift cards prosecutors say were intended for charity.

Professor Doug Colbert from the University of Maryland School of Law joins WAMU's Morning Edition Host Matt McCleskey to talk about the trial. He has been watching the proceedings.

Latest D.C. Local News

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are holding a hearing on whether Washington should be able to handle its budget and write laws without oversight by Congress. The city's budget and laws currently have to pass a review by Congress. A House subcommittee holds a hearing today called "Greater Autonomy for the Nation's Capital."

WASHINGTON (AP) The staff of the shuttered Washington Blade plans to publish a revived edition this week, investigating who killed the gay weekly newspaper. The paper was abruptly closed Monday by Atlanta-based Window Media, along with other gay publications in Atlanta and Miami.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) A state panel has approved more than $361 million in spending reductions and reversions recommended by Gov. Martin O'Malley's administration to help meet Maryland's budget shortfall. The cuts were higher than the $300 million in revisions that had been expected.

WHEATON, Md. (AP) Montgomery County police say the death of a man whose body was found in the road early today is a homicide. Police identified the victim as 34-year-old Samuel Dejesus Chacon of New Carrollton.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs will miss Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts because of a knee injury. Ravens coach John Harbaugh says Suggs has a sprained ligament in his right knee.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) First Lady Michelle Obama received a few gardening tips from some children as she toured a northern Virginia elementary school's vegetable garden. Mrs. Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited Hollin Meadows Elementary in Alexandria today to promote the Obama administration's Healthier U.S. Schools initiative.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia health officials are advising against consuming walleye fish caught in Lake Gaston because of mercury contamination. State officials say recent fish-tissue sample results show levels of the toxic metal in walleye exceed the amount considered safe for long-term human consumption.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) An apartment building fire in Richmond sent nine people to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Officials say one woman jumped from a window to escape the flames. She suffered a leg injury.

FERRUM, Va. (AP) A hunter faces manslaughter and other charges after authorities say he fired at college students he mistook for a deer, leaving one dead and another wounded. Authorities say 31-year-old Jason David Cloutier of Ferrum was charged with manslaughter, reckless handling of a firearm and trespassing.

D.C.'s LGBT Community Skeptical About Police Expansion Of Gay And Lesbian Unit

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Sheir

Members of D.C.'s LGBT community are skeptical about the Metropolitan Police Department's plans to expand its gay and lesbian liaison unit.

The GLLU had seven members when it began nine years ago. As MPD Assistant Chief Diane Groomes explained Tuesday at a public meeting, now "there are four officers assigned; however, only two are full duty." So MPD is offering voluntary GLLU training to officers later this month. "And I think with this expansion there will be more outreach," says Groomes, "more availability, you know, more contact for the community."

Still, some members of the community aren't so sure. Like Todd Metrokin, of Gays and Lesbians Opposed to Violence, or GLOV. He says MPD statistics indicate a rise in anti-gay hate crimes.

"So I hope that your reorganization of the MPD is truly going to be able to address this problem," says Metrokin. "I fear that it's not, but I hope for the best."

June Crenshaw, another activist, has fears of her own. "So the Chief's goal is for all of the 4,000-plus officers to be culturally competent in specialty areas, says Crenshaw. "Why is this training optional and not mandatory?"

Groomes says MPD wants to train officers who are especially motivated to tackle LGBT issues. So far, nearly two-dozen officers are interested in taking part. "Maybe more would want to once they learn what it's about, but I think it's good for a start," says Groomes.

The training is scheduled to begin November 30th.

D.C. Same-Sex Marriage Opponents Take Case Back To Superior Court

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

Supporters of a measure to ban same-sex marriage in Washington are taking their case to D.C.'s Superior Court--again.

Lawyers for the Alliance Defense Fund and Stand 4 Marriage D.C. have filed a lawsuit challenging Tuesday's ruling by the city's board of elections and ethics.

The ruling stated that putting a same-sex marriage ban on the a ballot would violate the city's Human Rights Act. The Alliance Defense Fund and Stand 4 Marriage D.C. say the board's reasoning is invalid.

Both the ruling and the court challenge were expected. A Superior Court Judge rejected a similar request from same-sex marriage opponents in June.

D.C. Leader Press Congress For More Autonomy

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Megan Hughes

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and City Council Chair Vincent Gray pressed Congress to give the district more autonomy.

District resident Nikolas Schiller wore colonial garb to today's hearing, a protest that D.C. still has no representation. But Capitol police ordered him to remove his tri-cornered hat.

"The police escorted me out, checked my ID and they let me back in with the understanding I would not put the hat back on," says Schiller.

Currently, the district's budgets and any laws passed by city council have to be reviewed by Congress. Fenty says that creates problems for city schools. "We approve a budget that's not actually passed until more than a month after the school year begins," says Fenty. "Imagine if you had to manage your bank account by spending money you haven't even got yet."

D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton's proposal removes that requirement. Congress would have the option to review D.C. laws.

Holiday Travel Season To Be Robust In D.C. Region

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By David Schultz

For holiday travelers, it's that time of year again, when roads become clogged and airports get frantic.

Susanna Quinn is killing time in a gift shop at Reagan National Airport before her flight departs. She's traveling today, and she'll be traveling again next week with her husband and children. "We have family in Colorado," says Quinn, "And it's nice to get out there and ski before it gets really crowded."

Quinn isn't worried about long lines and delayed flights. Her family is leaving on Monday instead of Thanksgiving Day, which is Thursday. Quinn says it was difficult to get time off from work and school, "but ultimately it's worth it, in terms of having to fight the crowds and definitely paying less airfare."

John Townshend with AAA's mid-Atlantic division says Quinn made a wise choice. "It is going to be crunch city here next week," says Townshend. Townshend predicts a large increase in the number of travelers leaving the D.C. region compared with last year's holiday season, much larger than in the rest of the country. "And I think the reason for that," says Townshend, "is that so many Washingtonians are not really Washingtonians. They're from other parts of the country."

Townshend says Wednesday will be the busiest day for airports, but roads won't get really crowded until late Wednesday or early Thursday.

Dixon Defense Only Calls Four Witnesses

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Meymo Lyons

The defense has rested in Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's theft trial after calling four witness. The defense called two witnesses this morning, Dixon's pastor and a florist who testified about an anonymous delivery from Dixon's former boyfriend, developer Ronald Lipscomb. The testimony was allowed even though counts involving Lipscomb were dismissed and jurors were instructed to disregard testimony that involved him.

Prosecutors say Dixon used gift cards for the needy on personal shopping sprees. The defense says Lipscomb anonymously gave Dixon gift cards for her own use, and she thought a gift card delivery from another developer was from Lipscomb. The mayor is also accused of misusing cards from a charity event.

Virginia's Exports To Cuba On The Rise

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Natalie Neumann

Virginia expects its food exports to Cuba to increase this year.

The state's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says Virginia's exports to Cuba are expected to rise by more than 10 percent this year. The department's preliminary figures show agricultural exports to Cuba, including apples, poultry and soybeans, were worth about $45 million in the first nine months of 2009. That compares with just under $41 million worth of exports in all of 2008. The increase comes at a time when overall U.S. food exports to the communist country are on the decline.

A state delegation including Agriculture Commissioner Todd Haymore recently visted Cuba. Haymore tells the Richmond Times-Dispatch that Cuban representatives told the delegation overall agricultural imports from the U.S. would be down about 37 percent in 2009.

More H1N1 Flu Vaccine Becoming Available Around D.C. Region

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt McCleskey

More doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine are coming to parts the Washington area.

Virginia's Fairfax County is planning a mass vaccination clinic this Saturday at the County Government Center. It will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and the county says it has the capacity to vaccinate up to 12,000 people. Still, due to limited supplies, the vaccine will be available only to people in priority groups including pregnant women, health care workers, those who live with or care for infants younger than six months, children between 6 months and 24 years old, and people with certain medical conditions that put them at higher risk.

Prince William County has scheduled clinics this week at the Manassas Mall from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, and Monday and from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. There's also a clinic from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Gar-Field Senior High School and at various times at county health clinics in Woodbridge and Manassas. All are for people in priority groups.

Maryland's Montgomery County will have 5,000 doses of the vaccine, also for priority groups, this Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Rockville campus of Montgomery College.

Dixon Defense Rests

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Meymo Lyons

The defense has rested in the theft trial of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon.

Prosecutors allege Dixon used gift cards intended for the needy for her personal shopping sprees. The defense took only Tuesday afternoon and part of Wednesday morning to present its case.

Earlier Tuesday, visiting Judge Dennis Sweeney agreed with the defense that the evidence was insufficient to proceed with two charges related to gift cards provided by the mayor's former boyfriend, developer Ronald Lipscomb. He dismissed two of the seven charges the mayor faced.

Prince George's County Cab Drivers On Strike

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Elliott Francis

Cab drivers in Prince George's County, Maryland are on a two-day strike to protest job conditions. They park their cabs outside the county office in Upper Marlboro, and get to work. But instead of shuttling passengers, they're driving home a point.

Attorneys for the drivers say, cab companies are breaking the rules and the county has failed to take action.

The cabbies cite inadequate insurance, a dysfunctional voucher program and the resale of taxi certifications. Strike organizer George Lawson says sub-letting the authorization is illegal.

"On the back of the certificate it says, '...not for leasing' but in fact they're leased in mass to one another between the two or three cab companies."

Tony Jackson lives in the county. He agrees cabbies should demand accountability from owners.

"They're not going to see that the cab drivers have everything that they need and make sure they're protected," Jackson says.

Cab drivers want comprehensive legislative action from the county council.

D.C. Board Of Elections Rules Against Same-Sex Marriage Opponents

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics has decided not to put a same-sex marriage ban on the ballot in the District, but same-sex marriage opponents say they're ready to appeal the decision.

The board says putting the measure on the ballot would violate D.C. law. "There are certain subject matters that cannot be put on the ballot," says Ken Mcghie, the board's general counsel. "One of them is something that would discriminate or authorize discrimination in violation of the city's Human Rights Act."

Stand 4 Marriage D.C., the group that proposed the measure, has ten days to file an appeal with the D.C. Superior Court. Pastor Derek McCoy, a member of the coalition, says the group is prepared to appeal the case all the way to the Supreme Court.

"We believe that one of these courts are going to hear our case and rule favorably," says McCoy. "We are going to be pressing full steam ahead to make forward progress on this issue."

McCoy says the decision is part of a concerted effort by city leaders to silence local residents on the same-sex marriage debate.

Residents In Columbia Heights Say Building Plagued By Gangs

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Patrick Madden

Police in D.C. say the killing of nine-year-old Oscar Fuentes was not gang related. But Police Chief Cathy Lanier says the suspect had ties to MS-13. Residents in the building where the boy was killed say they are terrified by the gangs.

Outside the building where Oscar Fuentes once lived, candles burn from a late-night vigil. City workers are throwing a quick coat of whitewash over the front of the building. They've painted over about two dozen gang graffiti signs. Residents watch from the front steps. Mariah Arias is there with her young daughter. She says the graffiti will be back up in a week.

The police have painted the killing as a robbery attempt gone bad. The mayor blasted the landlord for not replacing the broken front door. But residents at 1433 Columbia Road say the building needs more than a face-lift. They say they've complained to police for years about the gangs. But Chief Lanier says until a gang member commits an actual crime, there is little police can do to get them out of the neighborhood.

Advertising Industry Objects To Moran's Obesity Bill

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Sara Sciammacco

Virginia Congressman Jim Moran has introduced a bill to combat obesity among kids. But some in the advertising industry say it goes too far.

Moran's bill lets the federal government regulate the advertising and marketing of food and beverages to children. Obesity numbers in Virginia aren't as bad as other states, with 23 percent of the population obese. Still, Moran says the problem is national and the government needs to step in.

"Children are very susceptible to commercials that advertise snack food and sugar pop and they are influenced by them and they tell their parents to buy them and their parents, if they don't know any better, do buy them and even sell them through some of the school systems," says Moran.

Under Moran's bill, the government decides which foods and beverages can be labeled as healthy and acceptable to children. It limits exposure of those that are not deemed nutritional. An executive for the Association of National Advertisers says the bill will likely violate the First Amendment.

The Blade Expected to Publish a Revived Edition

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Kavitha Cardoza

The former editor of the Washington Blade says the newspaper will publish a revived edition this week. Kevin Naff is the former editor of the Blade. He says he and his staff are determined to publish a print and online edition this Friday.

The Blade was the oldest newspaper in the country for gays and lesbians and had just celebrated its 40th anniversary. It was abruptly closed Monday by Window Media, along with other gay publications in Atlanta and Miami.

Naff says he can't reveal the new publication's name as yet and says it will be "modest."

"It's not going to be 100 pages of newsprint it might be four pages of something copied at Kinko's but something will be out on the streets and we will grow it from there."

Naff says they will try to find out why two offers from prospective publishers to buy the Blade were not accepted earlier this year.

Power Breakfast For November 18, 2009

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

The gunfire at Fort Hood has just begun to ricochet in Washington.

Today, the leaders of several Senate committees go behind closed doors with Attorney General Eric Holder for another briefing about who knew what, when before the massacre at Fort Hood.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

Latest D.C. Local News

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) D.C.'s Board of Ethics and Elections has ruled that a measure giving voters the option to ban same-sex unions cannot go on the city's ballot. The elections board says putting the measure on the ballot would conflict with the city's Human Rights Act.

WASHINGTON (AP) Police have made an arrest in the case of a nine-year-old boy who was fatally shot when a bullet pierced the door of his northwest Washington home. D.C. police say 26-year-old Josue Pena was arrested in Hyattsville, Maryland, today and charged with first-degree murder.

WASHINGTON (AP) A D.C. Council member says he will subpoena two employees who didn't testify during hearings on a park projects contract that council members have questioned as improper. Council member Harry Thomas Junior wants the employees to explain their part in an arrangement in which millions of dollars were transferred from the parks department to the housing authority via the deputy mayor's office.

WASHINGTON (AP) A teenager has been charged with premeditated first-degree murder for shooting a man last week as he boarded a Metrobus in northeast Washington. Seventeen-year-old Jeffrey Britt appeared in court Saturday on charges he killed 21-year-old George Rawlings.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

BALTIMORE (AP) The judge in Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's theft trial has dismissed two of the seven charges against her. A judge ruled the evidence was insufficient to proceed with charges related to gift cards provided by the mayor's former boyfriend, developer Ronald Lipscomb.

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) The Montgomery County Council has approved a bill that would force chain restaurants to post calorie counts on their menus. The measure was approved today and the regulations would take effect in July 2010.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Gov. Kaine will not stop the execution of a former Army counterintelligence worker from Maryland who is set to die by electrocution for killing a northern Virginia couple. Sixty-year-old Larry Bill Elliott is scheduled to be executed at 9 p.m. today at for the January 2001 shooting deaths of 25-year-old Dana Thrall and 30-year-old Robert Finch.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia lawmakers have learned that state government could experience a budget shortfall of nearly $3 billion in the next two fiscal years. The grim forecast for the next state budget comes on top of $5.6 billion in reductions to the current two-year state budget.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Gov. Kaine is commending the Virginia Board of Education for its efforts to improve education for the state's 1 million-plus students. Kaine met with board members at their monthly meeting today to talk about the panel's work during his term.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) A 570-foot barge that went aground in the surf off of Virginia Beach is making its way back to open waters. Salvage crews began towing the barge with two tugs this morning. They plan to use a third tug at high tide this evening to move the barge even more.

Calorie Counts Could Be On The Menu In Montgomery County

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Natalie Neumann

Calorie counts could be the newest item on some menus in Maryland's Montgomery County. The County Council is expected to pass the bill which would force chain restaurants to post calorie counts on their menus.

Proponents tell the Washington Examiner the rule would give consumers the information they need to make healthy eating choices. But restaurant owners say revising menus will cost them money. And they say it's the wrong time for such a change because many restaurants are struggling in the recession.

Earlier versions of the bill required restaurants with 10 or more locations nationally to post fat, sodium and calorie contents on their menus. The latest version would apply to restaurants with 20 or more facilities nationally and would only require calorie information.

A similar law is in effect in New York City.

Palin's "Going Rogue" Is Not A Best-seller Among D.C. Residents

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Alex Keefe

Sarah Palin's highly anticipated autobiography hit bookstores this morning. Pre-sales have made the book by the former Republican Vice Presidential candidate a bestseller on Amazon.com, but there seems to be less excitement at D.C. bookstores.

Outside a Border's bookstore on a busy street corner in downtown Washington this morning, people weren't exactly lining up to buy Sarah Palin's new book, "Going Rogue." One employee says, despite all the press, only three copies were sold in the first hour.

Debbie Collins, who works in downtown D.C., came out of the bookstore with a breakfast pastry, but without a copy of Palin's book. "She grates my nerves, so I don't like her at all," says Collins.

D.C. resident Gary Winstead, who was doing some Christmas shopping, says "Going Rogue" isn't on his list. "I live with two Republicans," says Winstead. "I'm a Democrat and they will definitely be buying the book. If I want to read it, I'll probably read theirs."

Several Washington bookstores say, with Democrats in control of Congress and the White House, they are not expecting big sales. According to the D.C. Board of Elections, roughly seventy-five percent of D.C. voters are currently registered democrats.

Sir Paul McCartney In Line For Prize

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Bill Redlin

Sir Paul McCartney is returning to Washington next year. The former Beatle is going to receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress. An all-star tribute concert will also be staged in his honor in the spring of 2010, although the library has not announced who will be taking part.

The 67-year-old music legend recently completed a five-week summer tour of the United States, and a stop in Washington was included. James Billington of the Library of Congress says it's hard to think of another performer and composer who has had a more transformative effect than the lad from Liverpool.

Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon won the first two Gershwin prizes. The library houses the manuscripts of the songwriting duet George and Ira Gershwin.

Montgomery County Council Takes Votes On Transportation Issues Today

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Montgomery County Council will make its final recommendations later this morning on three major transportation projects. The council will vote on whether to recommend lower tolls on the Intercounty Connector.

The body will also vote on the expansion of I-270, and whether the Corridor Cities Transit-way should be light rail or buses.

Matt Bush reports...

D.C. Distributes Free Re-Usable Bags

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

The District is handing out more than a hundred thousand re-usable bags... a few weeks before residents have to pay for most plastic and paper ones.

When the so-called "bag bill" becomes law on Jan. 1st, shoppers will be have to pay a five-cent fee for every bag they use at shops and stores. Until then, the city says it will distribute free re-usable bags to seniors and low-income residents.

D.C. Councilman Tommy Wells says the goal of the legislation is to reduce plastic bag trash in the Anacostia River. He expects the city to raise between three and four million dollars in fees. Most of that money will go to cleaning up the river.

Patrick Madden reports...

Virginia Democrat Supports Republican Bill To Boost Nuclear Power

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Eric Niiler

Virginia Democratic Senator Jim Webb has thrown his support behind a Republican bill to boost nuclear power in the U.S. Webb says he doesn't like the Democrat's climate change legislation. He says the cap and trade bill with its pollution credit market is too complex.

Webb is co-sponsoring a plan with a Republican from Tennessee that doubles U.S. nuclear plants with federal loan guarantees. He says building one hundred new reactors is more realistic than running a cap and trade system.

"What we have here is something that is targeted. It's achievable. These are things we know we can do; that's what is so important about it to me. It will increase our ability to resolve carbon dioxide emissions outside of this other bill."

The bill also provides one and a half billion dollars to develop ways of recycling nuclear waste. But critics say the government needs to figure out the waste issue before building more nuclear plants.

Local Non-Profits Urged to Collaborate

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Sheir

Leaders of non-profit groups in the D.C. area are looking to each other to help weather the current economic storm.

As the recession forces non-profits to provide more services with less funds, Chuck Bean of the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington has an idea: "We need something like e-harmony.com, non-profit speed-dating," he says.

In other words, more ways for non-profits to partner up.

Bean is a member of the WAMU 88.5 community council. At an event titled Nonprofit 911: Whats Next, he was among several speakers to applaud recent partnerships, such as N Street Village and Unity Healthcare, and Dance Place and Artspace.

Bean says in this economy, sharing facilities, capital and other resources will help local non-profits tighten their belts without losing their shirts.

Fairfax Co. to Get 415 Biotech Jobs Starting in January

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

In Virginia Governor Tim Kaine says Fairfax County will get 415 new jobs starting in January. This comes after a year that saw the states unemployment rate hit a 17 year high.

Governor Kaine joined local politicians in front of a large crowd inside the Fairfax County Government Center to announce 415 high paying, biotech jobs coming to Fairfax.

They'll come from the Ignite Institute, a new non-profit medical research center closely linked with Inova Health Systems.

Jerry Gordon, president of Fairfax County's Economic Development Authority calls Ignite's $200 million investment in Fairfax an economy changer.

"This is something that is going to create jobs, wealth, tax base, and renown for Fairfax County as this organization gets off the ground," Gordon said.

Also on hand was the governor-elect, Bob McDonnell. He says luring companies like Ignite help the state move away from its current 6.7 percent unemployment rate.

"Obviously, the best thing that we can do for all of our citizens is to find more projects like this to bring to VA to bring jobs and opportunity," McDonnell says.

The state gave the company 25 million dollars in incentive grants.

Power Breakfast for November 17, 2009

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

The Senate hunkers down this week to advance a health care overhaul bill.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

Taxicab Drivers in Prince George's Co. MD on Strike

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Elliott Francis

Taxicab drivers in Prince George's County are on strike. They claim the county is not enforcing certain guidelines that protect their livelihood.

One of the issues driving the work stoppage today and Wednesday is focused on the certificates which allow a vehicle to legally operate as a taxi.

Advancement Project is a legal advocacy group representing the taxi driver's alliance. They claim that of the 785 certificates issued to taxicab companies in the county, approximately two thirds have been sub-leased to other companies, in violation of county's taxicab code.

Aurora Vasquez is senior Attorney for Advancement Project.

"What it means to the individual taxicab driver is that their opportunity to own one of these certificates becomes non-existent...especially when the county doesn't require someone who's misusing the certificate to return it," Vasquez says.

County spokesperson Jim Carrey says the charges are unsupported.

"They've made allegations and we're asked them for specifics, and we're not getting those specifics," Carrey says.

Drivers are also demanding the county enforce rules for comprehensive insurance coverage, and review of the voucher system of payment.

Some D.C. Council Members Want Expanded Insurance Coverage Of Autism

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Kavitha Cardoza

Some council members in D.C. want children with autism to have access to expanded therapies to reduce symptoms and improve their quality of life. Council Tommy Wells says insurance plans cover some but not all therapies. Families that can afford to can spend tens of thousands of dollars, while low income families simply have to go without care. He says expanding coverage for autism also makes financial sense.

"We know that for some youth depending on where they are in the spectrum, they'll actually be able to avoid going into special education. Special education costs at a minimum costs $ 21,000 a year while traditional public schools cost about eight or nine," Wells says.

Insurance companies will have a chance to talk about how this proposal will affect them in the coming months.

Fifteen states have required autism be included in coverage plans. Maryland and Virginia have bills pending in their legislatures.

A School's Turnaround Offers Lessons

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Sabri Ben-Achour

A school district in Richmond, VA says a novel approach to school violence has yielded dramatic results.

17-year old Keion Daniel remembers how his high school years began in Richmond.

"It was crazy. We had a drive-by my freshman year," Daniel says.

Gangs ran amok. Fights, drugs and truancy were a part of daily life for thousands of students, including Daniel, who was suspended 13 times. But not anymore.

"It's been a big change, I'll tell you that," he says.

The change has been dramatic and school-wide. Truancy dropped from 60% to 19%.

How did this happen?

A very special type of mentoring.

"We're using young adults, maybe five or six years older than the young people, who were drug dealers, who were gang members, who were troubled kids," says Robert Woodson.

He helped develop what's called the Violence Free Zone program. It doesn't use social workers who work nine-to-five or drop in just once a week. These mentors are available around the clock, they socialize with the students, relate to them, and gain their trust.

David McCoy is Assistant Police Chief for Richmond he says his truancy officers used to haul kids back to school in droves, but the roots of the problem went unaddressed. Until now.

"We've seen a reduction in truancy, a reduction in suspensions, hopefully an increase in graduates," says McCoy.

Studies in Milwaukee show the same drastic results, the school district voted this year to invest $1.7 million dollars to bring the program to 8 schools there.

On Morning Edition: Sheila Dixon Trial

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

The criminal theft trial of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon continues today. The Democrat has been accused of personally using gift cards prosecutors say were intended for charity. Dixon has pleaded not guilty to seven theft-related charges, and she would lose her office if convicted.

Baltimore Sun Columnist Jean Marbella joins WAMU's Morning Edition Host Matt McCleskey to talk about the trial.

Montgomery County Staffer Alleges Discrimination

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Sabri Ben-Achour

A Montgomery County Council staffer is filing the first ever discrimination complaint against the county under it's new human rights law.

Dana Beyer says she has been unfairly targeted by the Montgomery County Ethics Commission because of her private work to protect transgendered people like herself from discrimination.

"The ethics committee has made a blatant political attack on me because I am the first transgendered staffer in Maryland," says Beyer. Beyer says the ethics commission is investigating her because she was accused of using her job with the county to intimidate activists opposed to a bill protecting transgendered people from discrimination. Beyer says the commission is investigating her private advocacy work.

Beyer is a member of Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg's staff. Beyer says the commission secretly searched her computer illegally without her boss's knowledge, and then leaked the existence of the investigation to her colleagues. The Commission did not return calls by press time.

D.C. Board Of Elections Says No To Same-Sex Marriage Ballot Measure

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics has decided not to let voters decide on a same-sex marriage ban.

Opponents of same-sex marriage, called the Stand 4 Marriage D.C. Coalition, wanted to put a same-sex marriage ban on the ballot in the District.

But the city's elections board says putting the measure to a vote would violate the city's Human Rights Act. "Voting on something, a human rights issue, is not something that can be on a ballot in the District of Columbia," says Ken McGhie the Board of Election's General Counsel.

Pastor Derek McCoy with the Stand 4 Marriage DC Coalition says the decision is part of a concerted effort by city leaders to make sure local residents are silenced on the issue of same-sex marriage.

"We see that this is not one of those issues that the city council is being reflective of its constituents in any means, or that the board of elections is even thinking about the citizens of the District of Columbia," says McCoy.

The coalition has ten days to file an appeal with the D.C. Superior Court.

Latest D.C. Local News

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court is refusing to block Virginia from executing Larry Bill Elliott, who is set to die Tuesday in the state's electric chair. Elliott would be the first person to die of electrocution in the United States this year and in Virginia since 2006.

WASHINGTON (AP) The American Red Cross is selling off decades worth of treasures to save money and help erase a big deficit. The donated items being auctioned off include a 23-inch wax doll with her own Tiffany jewelry, a rare four-faced Cartier clock lamp and nurse uniforms from World War I.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

BALTIMORE (AP) One of the developers who gave Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon holiday gift cards she's accused of stealing has testified against her at her trial. Patrick Turner testified Monday that the cards were intended for city children, not the mayor's personal use.

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) Montgomery County police have identified the man who died after falling off a ladder while trimming a tree branch. Thirty-five-year-old Hector Say Cupil of Germantown died Saturday in Bethesda. Police say Cupil fell about 30 feet to the ground and the chain saw he was using caused an injury to his upper body.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Eighty-five solders from Richmond's 276th Engineer Battalion are arriving back in Virginia after serving in Afghanistan since February. In Afghanistan, the unit cleared patrol routes, provide security and conducted patrols.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) Newport News police say a shooting has left one woman dead and another person in the hospital. The 42-year-old woman and 29-year-old man were shot early Sunday in an apartment complex parking lot.

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) Workers at a Roanoke pet store joined firefighters in safely evacuating 80 puppies, cats and other pets after the pet store filled with dense smoke. Authorities say the pet evacuation took only minutes and no one was hurt.

D.C. Church Enters Green Movement By Blessing Its Solar Panels

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Mana Rabiee

One of the oldest Episcopal churches in Washington entered the modern-day green energy movement by blessing its new solar panels.

In Northwest D.C., the bells of the National Cathedral tolled nearby as worshipers gathered behind the St. Albans rectory for the blessing. Several stories above on the roof, the Reverend Jered Weber-Johnson swung his incense boat at 76 solar panels.

Joelle Novey watched from below. She's Director of the Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, a group of more than 350 congregations in the D.C. area committed to a "religious response" to climate change. "These panels are a blessing because they generate power in harmony with nature," says Novey to the congregation. "It is literally electricity from above. Power from the Heavens."

Parish Rector Scott Benhase first came up with the idea. "We bless things. That's what we do," says Benhase. "In the Anglican tradition, we have a tendency to bless things that come from God's providence and God's grace, and we believe that these are a gift from God."

Jigar Shaah founded the solar services company SunEdison and was the main consultant on the project. He says the panels were provided by private investors. They sell the power to the church at a fixed rate, which makes a six percent rate of return after taxes.

"It's important that that's the case because if we're relying on people to simply donate these services you can imagine that it may not actually scale as fast." The church estimates the panels will save $20,000 over 20 years, money Rector Benhause says will be better served in mission work.

Authorities Inspect Columbia Heights Building Where Boy Is Killed

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Patrick Madden

While police continue to search for the gunman who killed a boy in his apartment in Northwest D.C., authorities are also looking at the safety of the entire building.

Outside the apartment building in Columbia Heights where nine-year-old Oscar Fuentes lived, the white front door hangs loosely off the hinges. The lock is gone, and the entire front of the building is littered with gang graffiti. For Landy Thompson, a local gang outreach coordinator, these are all bad signs.

"You got some MS-13 tags on the building, just the local tags, and it's different people that frequent here, clustered together, so when that happens, a lot of people usually don't get along, it's gonna cause violence," says Thompson. "It's like sending a message. Who's territory it once was, who's territory it is now."

Inside, a team of inspectors from the city's Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs scoured the building top-to-bottom. They found more than a hundred safety violations.

The building's owner, Hermidia Steininger, says she ordered a new front door a few weeks ago. And as for the presence of gangs she says, "don't tell me the police don't know it. I have called police more than 25 times." "Managers have called them. Tenants have called him. Everything stays the same. It cools down a while then it comes up the same thing," says Steininger.

The building is now under 24-hour surveillance.

Washington Blade Shuts Down

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Meymo Lyons

Washington Blade, the oldest newspaper in the country for gays and lesbians, is shutting down.

The announcement of the closure of the Blade, a weekly, and other titles in the Window Media group was made in a posting on Twitter which read: "Washington Blade, like all Window Media publications, is closing today," "thank you for your support."

Window Media is the largest gay and lesbian newspaper publisher in the country. It claims more than 400,000 readers a week for its publications.

Washington Blade was founded in 1969 and recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. It was purchased by Window Media in 2001. Steven Myers, co-president of Window Media in Washington, D.C., declined comment.

Amtrak Predicts Busiest Travel Day

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Meymo Lyons

Amtrak is preparing for what it believes will be its busiest travel day this year.

Amtrak said Monday that it believes the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Nov. 25 will be its busiest travel day. The railroad predicts ridership could be as high as 125,000 passengers that day. On an average Wednesday the railroad carries approximately 74,000 passengers.

Amtrak says it is scheduling extra trains to accommodate additional passengers, but the company is encouraging riders to plan ahead. All Amtrak trains in the northeast will require reservations. A special timetable for Thanksgiving travel in the northeast corridor is now available online at the company's Web site.

Montgomery County Council Committee Wants Lower ICC Tolls

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt Bush

A Montgomery County council committee is recommending cheaper tolls along the Intercounty Connector.

The council's transportation and environment committee recommended tolls that would at least be 10 cents per mile cheaper during rush hour periods. If the state transportation authority's proposed tolls are adopted, a trip on the road's full-length during rush hour periods would cost more than $6. All tolls will also be collected electronically using the EZ-Pass system.

The state does not have to follow the council's recommendation.

New Medical Research Facility To Bring 415 Jobs To Fairfax

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

In Virginia, Governor Tim Kaine visited Fairfax to announce hundreds of high-paying jobs coming the county's way.

The jobs, 415 of them, will come from a new non-profit medical research center called the Ignite Institute. Geneticist Dr. Dietrich Stephan is the company's founder and CEO. He told a crowd of hundreds inside Fairfax County's Government Center that Fairfax, with its well-educated workforce and proximity to the federal government, was really the only place for a facility like Ignite.

Governor Kaine pointed out that Virginia already leads the country in technology jobs per capita, but he says Ignite's decision to come to Fairfax marks a new era.

Governor-Elect McDonnell says he's confident the state's $25 million incentive grant to the Ignite Institute is an excellent investment.

Master Educators Coach And Critique Teachers In D.C. Public Schools

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

From the day she started her job, D.C. Schools' Chancellor Michelle Rhee has made teachers her number one goal getting rid of the bad ones, and making all the others great. She says the most important factor affecting student achievement is the quality of teachers. Last year Rhee used an existing evaluation system to fire dozens of what she said were under-performing teachers, but she was forced to rehire 25 of them.

Now she's turning to a new idea- master teachers. She's hired 30 former successful teachers to coach and evaluate D.C.'s teachers in their subject area. Rhee hopes the coaching will improve the good teachers and that the master teachers' critical eye will help get rid of the bad ones. Their input, along with reports by principals, will account for 40 to 80 percent of a teacher's annual evaluation.

Kavitha Cardoza reports that, not surprisingly, the process has been controversial...

D.C. Man Runs 10 Marathons In 12 Months For Wounded Vets

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Sheir

A man in Washington D.C., is running 10 marathons in 12 months to honor wounded service members. Thirty-one-year-old Doug Eldridge isn't a seasoned marathoner: "I'm just not that guy," he says.

And the first nine marathons haven't been a run in the park. He describes the 8th marathon in Colorado Springs as "horrific. It was like seeing the Death Star explode at mile 16!"

But Eldridge says all the "suffering, hurting, cramping and puking" pales beside what wounded troops experience coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan. He met many a few years back, when his mother was admitted to Walter Reed Army Hospital.

So Eldridge created the 10-12-100 Campaign, to raise $100,000 dollars for the Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit supporting injured veterans like Ryan Kules, who lost an arm and leg in a bomb-blast in Iraq. His first experience with WWP was a ski trip.

"With some assistance I was skiing again," he says. "I may have been knocked down but certainly wasn't out, and was going to be able to lead a productive, eventful life."

The 28-year-old now lives in Bowie, Maryland with his wife and two daughters, and directs WWP's alumni program. 6,000 vets participate, but both he and Doug Eldridge know many more injured vets are out there.

"It's your brother, it's my sister, it's somebody's mom, somebody's dad. This is everybody," Eldridge says.

Eldridge is halfway to reaching his $100,000 goal. But even though he's scheduled to run his tenth and final marathon next month, he says he won't give up 'til his mission is accomplished.

Montgomery County Waits For Decision On Fines

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

The Maryland Board of Education has yet to decide whether it will fine Montgomery County for not adequately fulfilling a school funding formula.

The county fell short in funding its "maintenance of effort" requirement, which essentially makes each county in Maryland spend more each year per student. County council president Phil Andrews believes it would be unfair if the state went through with the fines, which could top 60-million dollars.

The county asked the state for a waiver for the funding requirement last year, citing the economy as the reason it could not fulfill it. It was denied.

Matt Bush reports...

Montgomery County Council To Discuss ICC Tolls

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

A Montgomery County council committee will meet later this morning to discuss tolls on the Intercounty Connector.

The first portion of the ICC is expected to open next year. If the tolls proposed by the state of Maryland are adopted, a one-way trip on the ICC's full length from Gaithersburg to Laurel would be more than six dollars during rush hour. County council president Phil Andrews says tolls that high defeat the purpose of the road...

The county council can only make a recommendation to the state, which does not have to follow it when a final decision is made.

Matt Bush reports...

Former Attorney For D.C. Sniper Set To Write Book

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Elliott Francis

A local attorney who developed a relationship with D.C. sniper John Allen Muhammad is writing a book about him. J. Wyndal Gordon was standby counsel during the 2006 trial in Montgomery County in which Muhammad represented himself. Gordon says it was during that period that Muhammad suggested he write a book about that trial..

Gordon, who says he forged a bond with the convicted killer, claims the book will present Muhammad's story "without the filters and rules of evidence that prevented him from getting things in court."

Muhammad was put to death last week in Virginia for killing Dean Harold Meyers at a Manassas gas station back in October 2002.

Attorney Jonathan Sheldon, who most recently represented Muhammad, called the book "inappropriate."

D.C. Group Releases How-To Manual For Truce Between Rival Gangs

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Mana Rabiee

A group in D.C. that's helped young people leave the world of inner-city violence has published a manual with the A-B-C's of how to negotiate a truce between rival gangs. For 20 years, the Alliance of Concerned Men has helped young people in the DC area pull themselves out of local gangs.

Tyrone Parker founded the Alliance, based in the Columbia heights neighborhood of Northwest D.C.

"It started 15 years ago when we first began to understand we were putting together a road map, a road map for peace," says Parker.

The new guide offers common sense recommendations like brining a mediator to the truce who doesn't carry 'bad blood' for either side.

Nineteen year-old Ivan Cloyd used to hang out in gangs but now mentors younger kids for the Alliance.

"The low point for me was to see a lot of my friends get killed and realizing that I'm a part of something that was destroying my community," Cloyd says.

Parker says a truce is usually formalized with hand shakes among the gang leaders who are then encouraged to spread the peace to other members.

MD Man Turns Plastic Into Oil

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Sabri Ben-Achour

A pile of pulverized plastic flower pots sits on the pavement by the Envion test reactor in Derwood, Maryland.

"In a matter of minutes, you'll see it go through the reactor," says Michael Han, Envion's CEO.

"This is the heating element that breaks down, melts down the plastic."

Han's emission-free reactor converts plastic into oil - jet fuel, gasoline, kerosene. He says it could reduce dependence on foreign oil and keep plastic out of landfills.

Richard Wool is a professor of chemistry at the University of Delaware. He says even if all the world's plastic was converted to fuel, it wouldn't make a dent in the need for oil. Plus, he says, fuel may not be the most efficient use for plastic.

"The best thing you can do for plastics is primary and secondary recycling"

i.e. reusing a milk bottle or using it to make more milk bottles. Making fuel - especially lower cost fuel - may not be economical especially if you have to buy and transport the plastic. But, Wool says, "if this person is getting the material for free and the conversion cost is not too high, it could be a very useful way to eliminate a huge waste stream."

CEO Han says counties are spending money on plastic disposal anyway, and he claims his process is cheaper.

Power Breakfast For November 16, 2009

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Moments after the House passed its version of a health care overhaul bill, reporters sought out any lawmaker willing to parse the significance of two words: Stupak amendment. The restrictive anti-abortion language that was championed and passed with the support of pro-life Democrats.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

Baltimore County Council Considers Tanning Ban

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Natalie Neumann

Baltimore County could become the latest Maryland jurisdiction to prohibit the use of tanning facilities by minors.

Last week, the Howard County Board of Health voted unanimously to ban people under age 18 from using indoor tanning devices. Now the Baltimore County Council will consider a similar ban tonight.

The bill would establish a $500 fine or 90 days in jail for violations. Under the bill minors would be able to use tanning beds only with a written prescription from a physician.

County health officer Dr. Gregory Branch tells the Baltimore Sun a ban on tanning for minors will send a message about how big a health risk tanning is. Branch says tanning beds have a direct link to skin cancer.

U.S. Supreme Court Turns Away Redskins Case

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt McCleskey

The U.S. Supreme Court will not be considering the question of whether the name of the Washington Redskins football team is offensive. A group of Native Americans had petitioned the court to take up the case, but the justices today turned away the appeal.

The plaintiffs have been trying since 1992 to have the name declared invalid. Their suit is based on a law that prohibits trademarks that are disparaging. A panel of the U.S. Patent and Trademark office ruled for the plaintiffs in 1999 and canceled the trademarks, but a federal District Court judge overturned that ruling in part because of the time that had elapsed since the Redskins first trademark was issued in the late 1960s.

Today's ruling doesn't settle the legal question. Another group of younger Native Americans has filed a similar claim. They argue they weren't alive to challenge the trademark when it was first issued.

Thanksgiving Dinner Will Cost Less In Virginia

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt McCleskey

A turkey dinner will cost Virginians a little less this Thanksgiving than in recent years.

The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation conducted the informal price survey of traditional Thanksgiving menu staples including turkey with dressing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, cranberries, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

The group says a typical Thanksgiving meal for ten adults will on average cost just under $44 this year, or about $4.37 per person. That's 3.5 percent less than last year's figure, and reverses a three-year trend of higher prices.

A market analyst with the farm bureau says increased competition among grocery stores is driving prices down.

VRE Runs Limited Fredericksburg-Line Trains

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Meymo Lyons

Virginia Railway Express commuters are likely to experience severe delays Monday as scheduled signal work on the Fredericksburg line will likely push schedules behind by up to an hour.

VRE says it anticipates delays on November 16th because it plans to run a limited schedule of Fredericksburg-line trains. The service is urging passengers to take alternative transportation if they need to get to their destination on time.

Trains 300, 304 and 310 will run in the morning, and trains 303, 307 and 313 will run in the evening. There will be no mid-afternoon train on the Fredericksburg Line.

Seven-Year-Old Inspiration For Comic Book Dies

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Elliott Francis

A first grader from Maryland whose battle with brain cancer inspired a comic book has died.

Dominic Osorio died Friday at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. The seven-year-old was diagnosed with cancer back in 2007 and has been hospitalized for the past two months. Dominic's mother, Nicole Spagna, had created the story featuring a superhero, to help her son through cancer treatments.

Then the owner of a local pizza parlor turned the story into a children's comic book using $9,000 of his money to publish copies of the book. The book, called "The Dominator," has sold more than 1,000 issues since it was published in August. Proceeds from sales benefit children's cancer research.

GW Students Hone Elevator Pitches

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Peter Granitz

A few dozen budding entrepreneurs gave their best elevator pitches to prospective funders at George Washington University today.

For the record, the investors weren't venture capitalists; they were judges in GW's business competition Pith George. Students propose a business model and have three minutes to pitch their plan in an elevator.

Tricia Revel pitched a plan that she says would make recycling programs stronger. She says it was a bit awkward, but was still a success.

"It's funny because you usually ride the elevator with someone and no one is, people don't really talk that way, and they're not asking you questions, and you're not nervous."

Erick Winslow is a professor of behavioral science. He says exercises like these teach rising business leaders to be ready at any time, regardless of where a chance meeting with an investor might take place: "in a restaurant, in a bus, in a cab, on a plane, in an elevator."

Winners won seed money to start their businesses.

Lifeboat From Pirate Drama On Exhibit In Virginia

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt McCleskey

The lifeboat at the center of an international piracy incident off Somalia in April is now in Virginia, where it will be part of an exhibit opening later this month.

Pirates held Captain Richard Phillips of the commercial vessel Maersk Alabama aboard the lifeboat for several days while they attemted to negotiate with U.S. Navy personnel. The drama ended when Navy Seals aboard the U.S.S. Bainbridge shot and killed three of the pirates and freed the captain unharmed.

Now the small orange lifeboat is in Norfolk for an exhibit on piracy at the Nauticus Maritime Museum. The Virginian Pilot reports that Phillips will be in Norfolk next week to serve as marshal of the city's Grand Illumination Parade. During the visit, he'll also meet with crew members of the Bainbridge, which is based in Norfolk.

Metro Police Work Extra Weekend Hours, Despite Ongoing Lawsuit

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Peter Granitz

More D.C. police will patrol parts of ward four this weekend as part of the Metropolitan Police Department's All Hands on Deck program.

Police Chief Cathy Lanier says police of all levels-- cadets, beat cops, detectives, will work this weekend in the fourth police district. A woman was shot and killed during a robbery there last weekend.

Lanier says the increase presence leads to more arrests. "It gives us a chance to get enough personnel out here to do more than just respond to 911 calls," says Lanier. "When we respond to 911 calls, the crime has already occurred."

This is the seventh All Hands on Deck weekend this year, and it's despite an ongoing lawsuit. The police union sued D.C. police because the department prevented workers from taking leave during the mandatory weekends. An arbitor ruled in favor of the union in September, but the district is appealing.

Army Launches Investigation Into Arlington National Cemetary

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Blatt

The Army is launching an investigation into operations at Arlington National Cemetery.

Army Secretary John McHugh has directed the Army's Inspector General to look into accountability of some graves and allegations of poor record keeping.

The announcement comes more than a year after cemetery workers buried cremated remains at a grave site that was already in use. They later moved the cremated remains to another site and remarked the original grave. But a Defense Department statement says there have been questions about whether cemetery workers followed proper procedures in correcting the error.

The new probe also comes after an investigation into an unmarked grave discovered in 2003.

McHugh says the investigation will "help ensure America's confidence in the operation of its most hallowed ground."

Virginia Tax Collections Decline In October

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Blatt

Virginia state tax collections continued a steady decline in October, including revenues that pay for core programs such as public safety and schools. It was the 15th month in a row that general fund receipts declined in Virginia.

Every major source of revenue except for the corporate income tax decreased from last October. Net individual income tax collections were down nearly 14 percent.

The Commonwealth is now four months into the 2010 fiscal year. It is more than 7 percent below what it collected at the same point last year, and well short of the revenue target on which the current state budget is based.

MD Sees Gains In Battle Against Childhood Hunger

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Mana Rabiee

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley says his state has made some progress in its campaign to end childhood hunger.

At a day care center in Annapolis, O'Malley celebrated the one-year anniversary of a program to eradicate childhood hunger in the state by 2015.

The campaign, run by a coalition of public and private organizations, added tens of thousands of children to state and federal food programs in the past year.

Courtney Smith is with Share Our Strength, a national group that fights hunger, and a leading member of Maryland's coalition. "In the hunger community, we like to talk about the importance of surrounding children with access to nutritious healthy food where they live, learn, play and pray," says Smith.

Smith says the coalition has made progress in part because it brought food to children, rather than forcing families to reach out for help first.

Latest D.C. Local News

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) Rescuers have evacuated several shops because of the threat of a building collapse in southeast Washington. Officials say construction work was under way today at a row of buildings in the 100 block of 15th Street SE when the walls started to crack and separate. The saturated ground after recent rains may be a factor.

WASHINGTON (AP) D.C. police will join other local police departments in a federal program that checks the immigration status of those booked into a local jail. Officials announced yesterday that D.C. would join a program that matches inmates' fingerprints against a federal database to identify illegal immigrants before release.

WASHINGTON (AP) D.C. Council members say there's little room for compromise with the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington over a proposed same-sex marriage law. The church says it won't continue offering social services with D.C. money if the marriage bill isn't changed because it would require the church to recognize same-sex couples.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:06:00 -0500

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) Metro plans to plead guilty to charges it released hazardous chemicals into the sewer system in 2003, according to court documents. The charges in federal court in Greenbelt were made public yesterday.

BALTIMORE (AP) A housing official described his relationship with Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon and a former boyfriend's employee testified about buying gift cards at the heart of the theft trial against her. Prosecutors allege she used gift cards intended for the needy during personal shopping sprees.

MCHENRY, Md. (AP) Maryland's only ski resort is teaming up with two Pennsylvania counterparts to expand the appeal of skiing the Allegheny highlands. The Wisp Resort in McHenry says season-ticket buyers will get a free one-day lift ticket at either the Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania, or the Hidden Valley Resort in Hidden Valley, Pennsylvania.

BERLIN (AP) Michael Phelps and Paul Biedermann are playing down their showdown in a World Cup meet this weekend. Phelps says he is not in the best shape, while his German rival is coming off a thigh muscle injury.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:06:00 -0500

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to delay Tuesday's scheduled execution of a Maryland man convicted of killing a northern Virginia couple. Larry Bill Elliott, a former Army counterintelligence worker, was convicted in Virginia in the 2001 shooting deaths of 25-year-old Dana Thrall and 30-year-old Robert Finch.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia State police say they believe a Virginia Tech student missing for nearly a month was hitchhiking after she left a Metallica concert in Charlottesville. Police say they want to hear from anyone who might have loaned a cell phone to a woman fitting the description of 20-year-old Morgan Dana Harrington of Roanoke.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) The Virginia National Guard is on duty to help with floods in the Hampton Roads and Danville areas. About 50 soldiers are on duty operating in the Portsmouth area and approximately 55 are on duty in the Danville area today.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Dominion Power says nearly 130,000 customers in Virginia and North Carolina are still without electricity in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Ida. Most of the outages are in southeast Virginia, where nearly 126,000 customers lacked power as of 1:30 p.m. today.

VA Governor To Tour Hampton Roads Storm Damage

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

Virginia is still in a state of emergency due to flooding and power outages caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida.

Jeff Caldwell, with the state's department of transportation, says more than 200 roads in Virginia are still closed due to high water. He says weather is expected to improve tonight, and tomorrow, new roads may flood as water from this week's rain makes its way down tributaries toward the ocean.

Gov. Tim Kaine, who declared a state of emergency on Thursday, says he'll have a better idea of storm damage by Saturday afternoon. "The flood surges in some parts of Hampton Roads, were significant," says Kaine. "I'll be touring that area tomorrow to get a sense of how significant the damage is."

Kaine says the storm mostly damaged private property rather than state infrastructure.

MD Governor Celebrates Progress In Childhood Hunger

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Mana Rabiee

Maryland's Governor Martin O'Malley is marking the one-year anniversary of his vow to end childhood hunger in his state by 2015.

O'Malley sat his 6-foot-1-inch frame on a miniature plastic chair and nibbled on chicken nuggets in front of a young and captive audience. He was at the Annapolis Child Care Center to highlight the gains made over the past year by a coalition called the Partnership to End Childhood Hunger in Maryland.

"Ending childhood hunger is an issue that transcends politics," says O'Malley. "It's an issue that speaks to who we are and what we want to be, especially in tough times."

Since O'Malley's pledge a year ago, the coalition has added tens of thousands of children to various state and federal food programs--children who qualified for assistance but weren't enrolled.

"There are enough federal dollars available in Maryland to get us to the goal of eradicating childhood hunger by 2015--if only we connect those programs, connect those dollars, to the kids that otherwise are going to go to bed hungry," says O'Malley.

Maryland has more than 150,000 children living below the poverty level.

Ocean City Pounded By Remnants Of Tropical Storm

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

The remnants of Tropical Storm Ida hammered Ocean City, Maryland.

The town's emergency services director Joseph Theobald says flooding has been a major problem in downtown Ocean City, but he says there's been no major damage to the boardwalk or other property.

The weakening storm also packed enough of a punch to severely erode sand dunes on Ocean City's beach front. Theobald says the dunes are there to absorb the brunt of powerful storms, and this one is one of the worst his city has seen in more than a decade.

"It's gonna rank up there over the last 15 years on what's taken place in Ocean City, especially with the flooding issues downtown," says Theobald.

Theobald says sand dunes will be repaired long before next year's vacation season. In summer months, the population of Ocean City rises to nearly 300,000. There are about 8,000 permanent residents.

This Week In Congress - November 13, 2009

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

House Democrats Joe Crowley, Louise Slaughter and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer Late Saturday night about the significance of their votes after a hard-fought vote on sweeping new health care legislation.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

District Joins Illegal Immigrant Tracking Program

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Meymo Lyons

D.C. police will join other local police departments in a federal program that checks the immigration status of every person booked into a local jail.

The District is joining the Secure Communities program, which matches inmates' fingerprints against a federal database to identify illegal immigrants before they are released. The program began in 2008 but is being expanded under the Obama administration to focus on illegal immigrants who commit crimes.

Fairfax County is one of 95 jurisdictions in the program. It differs from a national effort that deputizes local police to question suspects about their immigration status. Montgomery County also provides names of anyone arrested for a violent crime to immigration authorities.

Islamic Education Center In Potomac Under Seizure Order

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Peter Granitz

An Islamic advocacy group says the seizure of a local mosque by the federal government may have violated the First Amendment rights of Muslims in the D.C. Metro area.

Prosecutors filed a forfeiture action against four mosques including the Islamic Education Center in Potomac, Maryland. The government says the center is funded by the Alavi Foundation, an alleged front for the Iranian government.

Ibrahim Hooper with the Council for American Islamic Relations says seizing a place of worship violates the civil rights of practitioners and sends a chilling message. "Already you're seeing headlines: U.S. Government Seizes American Mosques. Now people are going to read those and they're not going to go into the details of this legal argument or that legal argument," says Hooper. "They're going to see that argument and react negatively."

Hooper says the timing couldn't be worse coming in the wake of the shooting at Fort Hood. The center in Potomac would not comment for this story.

Pimlico Race Track, Laurel Park And the Bowie On The Block

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Meymo Lyons

Magna Entertainment Corp. is moving forward with the sale of its Maryland thoroughbred race tracks without an initial bid.

Magna, which filed for bankruptcy protection in March, was scheduled to file a motion Wednesday in federal bankruptcy court in Delaware revealing a so-called stalking horse bidder, which allows the bankrupt company to avoid low bids by setting the bar for the sale process. But now Brian Rosen, an attorney representing the Ontario-based firm, says Magna decided it will bypass the lead bid and proceed to the second round of bidding due December 4th.

An auction for Pimlico Race Track, Laurel Park and the Bowie Training Center is scheduled for January 8th. Potential buyers must agree to keep the Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, in Maryland.

Darwin's Writings Are Celebrated This Month

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Charles Darwin published his influential writings on evolution called "Origin of the Species" 150 years ago this month.

As Lydia Wilson reports, Darwin's letters and journals demonstrate how his career itself evolved...

Power Breakfast for November 13, 2009

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

This morning Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is downtown at the Center for American Progress to talk about White House efforts to overhaul the immigration system. Even as the all-consuming health care debate pushed immigration out of the spotlight, it's also brought it back in.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

Deal Struck For Silver Spring Music Hall

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Natalie Neumann

Montgomery County has signed a deal to bring a Fillmore Music Hall to downtown Silver Spring, Maryland. After construction is completed, the Lee Development Group will give Montgomery County the $3.5 million property on Colesville Road that formerly housed a J.C. Penney store but has been vacant for 18 years.

The state of Maryland and Montgomery County will kick in $4 million each toward the cost of building the music hall which will be owned by the county, but run by Live Nation. County representatives say the facility will add to efforts to make Silver Spring a dynamic music and entertainment center.

The Fillmore Music Hall will be across the street from the AFI and Roundhouse Theaters.

Best Bets In Arts And Culture

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Washington, D.C.'s cultural scene is abuzz over word that a music master will appear at the Embassy of Austria next week and that a revival of a Neil Simon play is coming to Theatre J.

Arts critic Coleen Fay speaks with WAMU's David Furst about the events....

Lack Of Bridge Repairs In Maryland Faulted

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

A public interest group in Maryland says bridges aren't being repaired in the state for political reasons.

A report from the Maryland Public Interest Research Group tracked campaign contributions from "highway" interests, and earmarks for transportation projects. Last year in Maryland, according to Fielding Huspeth of PIRG, there were 16 earmarks for transportation projects. Only one went to bridge repair.

Matt Bush reports...

UVA To Complete President George W. Bush Oral History Project

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Bill Redlin

The Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia is preparing to record an oral history of the presidency of George W. Bush.

The center in Charlottesville and the George W. Bush Foundation announced the project Thursday. About 100 interviews will be done and will include key figures of the Bush White House and Cabinet, as well as members of Congress, foreign leaders and outside political advisers.

Mr. Bush says the project will offer a comprehensive look at what it was like to lead the country during what he describes as extraordinary challenges. The Miller center's Oral History Project has done similar work with Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

D.C. Will Have Wheelchair Accessible Taxicabs In January

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jamila Bey

In January, 20 wheelchair-accessible taxis will start serving passengers who require ramps or lifts in the District.

Bobby Coward has worked since 2000 to bring accessible taxicabs to the city. He says it's high time that he should have the same transportation options as everyone else.

"This is a new service for persons with disabilities that will go to provide and promote full inclusion of people with disabilities in the District of Columbia to show that we are first class citizens as well," says Coward.

Federal funds and a regional transportation board provided $1.2 million to buy the cabs from Kurt Mason's dealership. Mason says the program is more comprehensive than just putting special cars on the road. "We're also doing training, from sensitivity training all the way through [securing] and operation of the vehicle so that everybody is actually certified," says Coward.

Training for the drivers will begin December 1st.

NTSB: February Hearing Won't Slow Metro Crash Investigation

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

The National Transportation Safety Board plans to hold a public hearing regarding the June 22nd Metrorail crash. The hearing is set for February 23rd and 24th. The NTSB says it will focus on Metro's actions to address safety issues, and oversight of the entire Metro system.

Robert Sumwalt, a member of the NTSB who will chair the hearing says it will not be a forum for public comment, but rather a chance for the board to get sworn testimony from witnesses in front of a public audience.

Sumwalt says the NTSB would like to hold the hearing sooner, but a dozen other rail crash investigations make that impossible.

"Our goal is still to be able finish the entire investigation by the anniversary date of the accident," Sumwalt says.

Sumwalt says the hearing may continue into a third day. The June 22nd Red Line crash was the worst in Metro's history. Nine people were killed and dozens were injured.

Three Arrested in Connection with Fairfax Burglaries

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

The Fairfax Police Department says it may have put a stop to burglars targeting the homes of South Asian families. Three people from New York have been charged in connection with a series of burglaries in Fairfax.

Police say the burglars targeted homes of South Asian families and specifically took gold jewelry. A police spokesperson says the arrests came after a U.S. marshal spotted a suspicious vehicle in Centreville on Tuesday.

Fairfax has investigated nearly 20 such cases this year, and Loudoun County has had similar burglaries.Police say the next phase of the investigation is expected to include multiple jurisdictions in at least two states.

Alexandria's Newest Park Named For Gerald Ford

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

For twenty years, Frank Abbruzzese lived across Crown View Drive from a Republican congressman from Michigan named Gerald Ford. After a series of unprecedented events in 1974, he suddenly was living across the street from the president of the United States. Now the neighborhood is home to the city's newest park, which has been named in honor of the late President Gerald Ford. The one-acre park is adjacent to President Ford Lane in the center of Alexandria.

Michael Pope reports...

Celebrity Cook-Off With Chancellor Michelle Rhee And Councilman Jack Evans

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Kavitha Cardoza

Some leaders in the District are digesting the results of the latest beef in city government: a celebrity cook-off that pitted Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee against Ward 2 councilmember Jack Evans. Their teams had to serve up a three course meal and signature drink in 35 minutes.

Rhee cooks a mean lasagna while Evans serves up perfect pancakes. But in this high pressure kitchen cook-off, it wasn't clear if those skills were enough. Until you realized that the reason both weren't worried about having to cook with secret ingredients because they'd brought along their secret weapons- their children-as acting sous chefs.

Rhee's daughter Starr says she'd prepared her mom, "I made her watch the food network with me. I didn't really coach her as much as I should have!"

Evans daughter Christine had prepped her dad, "Always cook your meat very well. And if you want to season your vegetables put a little pepper and salt and a little lemon. Tastes pretty good!"

Both sides chopped, mixed and fried their way for the meal, but in the end Team A won. That was the team Rhee was on, which cooked a shrimp and tofu salad, a steak and asparagus pasta and a mango lassi with melted gummy bears.

How did the experience compare to running D.C. Public Schools?

"There was a lot of pressure like there is in the school district but with running the school district I sort of know what I'm doing more."

Asylum Seekers Caught Up in Anti-Terror Net

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Sabri Ben-Achour

Some people seeking asylum in the D.C. region from persecution abroad are increasingly facing delays and denials in their applications. The Department of Homeland Security says it's trying to find solutions.

When Mohammed Ly was a teenager, his family fled his native Mauritania.

"Anyone black was labeled as un-Mauritanian. My parents were forced out."

Ly stayed. He was beaten and tortured, he applied for asylum in the U.S. -this was almost a decade ago. He moved to Maryland, where he started three small consulting firms, and got married. But he can't get a Green Card, can't bring his family over, and can't travel.

"I am considered a terrorist," he says.

Considered a terrorist, because when he was a teenager, he gave money to a friend, who it turned out was a member of a political group that fought repression of blacks in Mauritania.

The State Department does not view that group as a terrorist organization - it's not on any list. But immigration law is different.

"US immigration law has been defining terrorist activity as any use of armed force in any way that's unlawful," says Anwen Hughes with Human Rights First.

She says that definition is immensely broad.

"For example there are Iraqis caught up in this because they'd risen up against Saddam Hussein."

What's more, Hughes says the definition of "support" is extremely broad - it could mean something as innocuous as putting up flyers.

In the DC region, immigration workers say it's Ethiopians and Colombians who have born the brunt of these expansive definitions.

Brendan Prelogar is Special Advisor for Refugee and Asylum Affairs for the Department of Homeland Security.

"We are acutely aware of the problem."

But he says it's difficult to balance national security and humanitarian concerns.

"We are making progress in fashioning a better course, but it is taking a good deal of time," says Prelogar.

Meanwhile, thousands of asylum seekers have their lives on hold.

Feds Move to Seize Mosque in Maryland

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Patrick Madden

The federal government is taking steps to seize a mosque in Potomac, Maryland. Prosecutors say a Muslim non-profit organization used the Islamic center and three others around the country to secretly funnel money to Iran.

Prosecutors say the owner of the mosque, the Alavi Foundation, is secretly controlled by the Iranian government. They filed a civil complaint filed against the group, seeking the forfeiture of more than half a billion dollars in assets, including 4 mosques and a Manhattan skyscraper.

At the Islamic Education Center on Montrose Road in Potomac there were no signs of forfeiture posted and last night's prayers services were held as scheduled. One worshipper there, who would not give his name, said he was upset by the news and fearful of a backlash against Muslims. The Islamic Education Center rents the property from the Alavi Foundation and is not named in the complaint.

The Region's Top Stories With Washington Post Columnist Robert McCartney

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Washington Post columnist Robert McCartney joins WAMU's Morning Edition Host Matt McCleskey to talk about some of the region's top stories...

Latest D.C. Local News

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington says it won't continue social service programs it runs for the District if the proposed same-sex marriage law isn't changed. The bill states religious organizations wouldn't have to perform or make space available for same-sex weddings, but they must obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians.

WASHINGTON (AP) The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a February public hearing on the summer's fatal Metro train crash. The NTSB has spent months investigating the June 22nd crash that killed nine people and injured dozens. The board has not yet formally declared a cause of the crash.

WASHINGTON (AP) Federal officials are threatening to cut off more than $12 million in funding for the District of Columbia's AIDS program. Officials have written to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty expressing concerns about a recent Washington Post series that found the city paid more than $25 million to nonprofit groups that delivered substandard care or failed to account for their work.

WASHINGTON (AP) The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington says it won't continue social service programs it runs for the District if the proposed same-sex marriage law isn't changed. The bill states religious organizations must obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians.

WASHINGTON (AP) Santa Claus is making an early appearance to open a new exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History on the art and business of commercial holiday displays. The first-time exhibit for the museum opens tomorrow.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

TEMPLE HILLS, Md. (AP) U.S. Park Police have released the name of a man hit and killed by two U.S. Secret Service vehicles. Police say 53-year-old Larry Moore of Temple Hills died after being hit early yesterday on the Suitland Parkway near Naylor Road.

ADELPHI, Md. (AP) The University System of Maryland is defying a legislative call to regulate pornography on campus. The Board of Regents voted against creating a policy yesterday, saying it would be impossible to enforce and would provoke costly free-speech lawsuits.

BALTIMORE (AP) Lawyers are expected to make opening statements today in the trial of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon are expected today. She's accused stealing gift cards donated for needy families.

SYKESVILLE, Md. (AP) Prison inmates will launder some 5,000 bras donated to raise funds for Susan G. Komen For The Cure, a foundation that supports breast cancer awareness and research. The bras will be washed today at the laundry plant at the Central Maryland Correctional Facility in Sykesville.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) Flooding from persistent heavy rain and downed trees have blocked roads and closed schools in western Virginia. Authorities reported secondary roads closed in the Roanoke and New River valleys, in the Lynchburg area and in Rockbridge County.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) The state will be watching retailers for the next month to make sure they are not charging too much for goods and services in the wake of the severe weather. Virginia's anti-price gouging statute went into effect when Gov. Kaine declared a state of emergency yesterday.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Amtrak has suspended service between Richmond and Newport News because of a freight train derailment. Amtrak says tracks are blocked, and service is not expected to resume today. Service between Richmond and Washington, D.C., and points north was not affected.

Wheelchair-Accessible Taxis Come to D.C.

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jamila Bey

Twenty wheelchair-accessible taxicabs will be in service full-time in the District by January.

None of D.C.'s 6,500 taxis can serve passengers who use wheelchairs, and require a ramp or a lift to enter a vehicle. D.C. will get its first four wheelchair-accessible taxicabs next month, but not full-time.

Wendy Klancher is a planner with the Transportation Board. She says the process was hard. "We didn't get the funding secured until 2008," says Klancher. "It's about $1.2 million in funding to get this pilot up and running. We also got delayed because of the bankruptcy of Chrysler and that put us back in securing the minivans. We're excited it's here now, though."

Bobby Coward lives in the district and says he's excited that his trips to the airport won't be as precarious. "If you had a flight and you discover that the elevators aren't working in the Metro system that means you can't get in," says Coward. "Or if you get to the National Airport Metro station and find out that an elevator's not operating, then you can't get out."

Most of the areas surrounding D.C. do have wheelchair-accessible taxi service, and have been able to accommodate some requests for trips in D.C.

The new cab service will be provided by Yellow Paratransit and Liberty- Royal Cab.

NTSB Sets Date For Public Hearing On Metro Crash

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

The National Transportation Safety Board is calling for a public hearing on last June's Metrorail crash.

The NTSB will hold the hearing on February 23rd and 24th to try to gather more information for the crash investigation. The NTSB says topics will include Metro's actions to address safety issues and the oversight of the whole Metro system.

The board doesn't call for hearings in every case it investigates. Hearings can last several days, and investigators can subpoena a wide array of witnesses.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which runs Metro, declined to comment on the NTSB's decision to hold the hearing.

The crash on the red line on June 22nd between the Fort Totten and Takoma stations was the worst in Metro's history. Nine people were killed and dozens were injured.

Virginia Health Officials Say Guillain-Barre Syndrome Million-To-One-Shot

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Michael Pope

Health officials in Virginia are urging people to get the vaccination for swine flu despite growing concerns about side effects.

MSNBC is reporting that a 14-year-old Virginia male contracted Guillain-Barre Syndrome after receiving the vaccination for swine flu. But doctors at the Virginia Department of Health caution that there is no known relationship between the vaccine and the syndrome.

The department has acknowledged that those who receive the H1N1 vaccine have a one in a million chance of developing Guillain-Barre Syndrome. But health officials also say that the risk of developing the disease is ten times less for those who receive the vaccination. And the risk of developing Guillain-Barre is much higher for those who develop swine flu.

The bottom line, according to the Virginia Department of Health, is that the risks of receiving the vaccine statistically outweigh the risks of not receiving it.

Towson University To Prohibit All Smoking On Campus

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt McCleskey

Towson University in Maryland is banning all smoking on campus. Smoking is already banned inside buildings at Towson, but the expanded ban that will go into effect next August will prohibit lighting up anywhere on campus grounds. Administrators say the policy will reduce health risks from smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke and cut health costs associated with smoking.

To prepare, the school's health center will be offering free assessments for smokers who want to quit and free classes on smoking cessation in partnership with the Baltimore County Department of Health. Towson will be the first four-year college in Maryland with a total smoking ban, although last year Montgomery College became the state's first institute of higher education to prohibit smoking.

Report: Chemicals From Everyday Products Causing Intersex Fish

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Patrick Madden

Researchers at a local non-profit say hormone-disrupting chemicals are seeping into the Potomac River and creating a "toxic stew" for fish and other wildlife. Their names are exotic: biphenol, atrazine, estradiol. But these chemicals are found in everyday products: plastic drinking bottles, weed-killers, birth control pills. And, according to the Potomac Conservancy, when these and thousands of other chemicals drain into the Potomac through run-off and treated sewage, the resulting compounds can wreak havoc on a fish's hormonal and sexual development.

A federal study in April found 80 percent of small mouth bass in the Potomac had both male and female characteristics. Potomac Conservancy President Hedrick Belin says these intersex fish are "a canary in the coal mine."

"These new pollutants, they don't set our rivers on fire, they don't wash up on shore, we don't see them or smell them, but this intersex fish development is a clear signal that something is wrong," says Belin.

The report says its not clear what impact these chemicals have on humans. Ninety percent of the area's drinking water comes from the Potomac.

"Smart Buoy" Placed In Severn River In Maryland

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt Bush

A seventh buoy that records information such as weather conditions and water quality levels has been placed in the Chesapeake Bay. The buoy will be located at the mouth of the Severn River near Annapolis.

Black Clergy At Odds Over Swine Flu Vaccine

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By David Schultz

The leaders of some African American churches in the D.C. region are coming together to fight the H1N1 virus, but there's some disagreement when it comes to getting vaccinated.

Reverend Anthony Evans founded the National Black Church Initiative to promote health in African-American communities.

Right now the group is focused on swine flu, and Evans says the vaccination is crucial. But he says there's wide mistrust of the vaccine in the black community, in part because of the Tuskeegee experiments, when doctors conducted unethical medical studies on African Americans. Evans is trying to ease those fears.

"One of our jobs with the National Black Church Initiative is to dispel some of these myths," Evans says, "And to make sure that we act as advocates to work with government officials to make sure that never happens again in our community."

Lanier Twyman is the pastor at Saint Stephen Baptist Church in Temple Hills, Maryland.

He's part of the initiative, but he says he won't get vaccinated. He thinks it hasn't been tested enough.

"I'd like to get some additional information about the vaccine," Twyman says. "I'd like to see some proven methods, tried and true."

Twyman is focusing on other methods to prevent the spread of the swine flu, such as handwashing.

Conversations...Michael Cottman Speaks With John Piltzecker

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

As part of our continuing series "Conversations," reporter Michael Cottman speaks with John Piltzecker, the newly-appointed superintendent of the National Mall & Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C.

Piltzecker discusses his vision for the future of the National Mall.

Maryland University System Rejects Legislative Mandate to Regulate Porn

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Blatt

The University of Maryland Board of Regents has decided not to create a policy regulating pornographic films despite a legislative mandate to do so. The requirement was written into the state budget in the last legislative session.

It followed a controversy over a screening of a pornographic film planned at the University's college park campus. The legislature gave state schools until December first to come up with a formal policy on pornography.

Since then, the system's chancellor, William Kirwan, consulted with school presidents, students, faculty and legal counsel. He eventually recommended that the Board not adopt a policy at all.

A spokesman for the system says the chancellor outlined several reservations -- including concerns about free speech, the administrative burden of implementing a new policy and the threat of litigation. The spokesman says he does not know how individual legislators will react to the decision, but he does believe there already has been dialogue between system and state leaders.

Columbia Pike Streetcar Line Plans: Old Meets New

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

Arlington County is moving closer to finalizing plans for a five mile streetcar line along Columbia Pike and now some say streetcar lines have a place in other parts of Northern Virginia.

The images conjured by the sound of an old streetcar bell may help inspire a streetcar comeback across the country, and in the D.C. region.

But Chris Zimmerman, an Arlington County board member, says whats planned for the Columbia Pike streetcar line has little to do with the past.

"We're not looking to do a heritage trolley," Zimmerman says. "This is a 21st century, modern streetcar."

Zimmerman says the need for more transit options is clear Columbia Pike already has the busiest stretch of bus stops in the state.

Stewart Schwartz with the Coalition for Smarter Growth says streetcars are a magnet for pedestrian friendly development.

"They help you create great walkable urban communities with a mix of shops and offices and other services unlike any other technology," Schwartz says.

Arlington has spent 3 million dollars on the design phase of the streetcar line. Funding for construction is still uncertain.

U.S. Vets Still Want to Serve

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Sheir

A new study suggests most troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan want to keep serving their communities.

Ninety percent of the nearly 800 veterans in the study say they'd like to engage in community service. Retired Colonel Robert Gordon believes its what veterans were born to do.

"Having served in the Army for 26 years, I can tell you its a part of our DNA," he says.

But the study, conducted by public-policy firm Civic Enterprises, says most veterans don't engage in community service. because they aren't asked. While seven in 10 vets report receiving offers of assistance from local organizations, two in 10 say theyve been asked to lend a hand.

Robert Gordon hopes to change that with Mission Serve, an initiative he helped launch this week to expand volunteer opportunities for veterans, thereby "restoring the proud tradition of serving those who serve our nation."

At a kick-off at George Washington University, Gordon was joined by Alma Powell, who chairs Americas Promise Alliance, a children's advocacy coalition co-founded by her husband, Colin Powell. She quoted Thomas Jefferson:

"There is a debt of service due from every man to his country, proportion to the bounties which nature and fortune have measured to him. And that's the spirit that is alive here."

Powell and Gordon hope one day 100% of returning troops will be inspired to serve country and community.

To quote one respondent to the study: "Recognize our usefulness. We are not charity cases. We are an American asset."

Power Breakfast for November 12, 2009

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Today the organization Human Rights First releases a new report on a problem in U.S. immigration laws. The problem is the language used to define terrorist organizations and activity. Human rights attorney Anwen Hughes says it casts a broad net that snares too many people.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

Archdiocese: We'll Pull Service Programs If Same-Sex Marriage Law Isn't Changed

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Natalie Neumann

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is threatening to pull some social service programs it runs for the District if the proposed same-sex marriage law is not changed.

The bill does not require religious organizations to perform same-sex weddings or make space available for them, but does say they would have to obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians.

Opponents told the Washington Post the religious liberty exemption is too narrow.

The archdiocese says among other things, it would have to extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples, and it says that would leave it no choice but to abandon the city contracts.

That could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.

The D.C. Council is expected to debate and vote on the bill next month.

Latest D.C. Local News

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) A proposed same-sex marriage bill has moved forward from a D.C. city council committee. It's expected to be voted on by the full council next month.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:06:00 -0500

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) The Montgomery County Council has endorsed a plan to add reversible high-occupancy toll lanes on parts of Interstate 270. Solo commuters would have to pay to use the lanes endorsed in an informal vote yesterday, but carpools, vans and buses could travel on them for free.

WASHINGTON (AP) A Maryland senator has asked the Pentagon for information on how many troops in war zones have been prescribed antidepressants while they were deployed. Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin sent a letter yesterday to Defense Secretary Robert Gates expressing concern about how antidepressant drugs are being administered troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (AP) The Howard County Board of Health has voted to ban people under age 18 from using indoor tanning devices. The unanimous vote taken yesterday takes effect tomorrow.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:06:00 -0500

JARRATT, Va. (AP) Sniper John Allen Muhammad refused to utter any last words as he was executed in Virginia. The 48-year-old died last night and took to the grave answers about why and how he plotted the killings of 10 people that terrorized the Washington, D.C., area for three weeks in October 2002.

HAMPTON, Va. (AP) A former student who shot and wounded two people at Hampton University will spend 14 years in prison. A Hampton Court judge sentenced 19-year-old Greg Odane Maye yesterday to 14 years in prison and suspended another 53 years.

LEXINGTON, Va. (AP) A funeral is scheduled in Maryland for a Virginia Military Institute student who collapsed after completing a 10-mile march. VMI says a Mass of Christian Burial for John Alexander Evans of Highland, Md., will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Louis Catholic Church in Clarksville, Md.

BRISTOL, Va. (AP) Coal operator Alpha Natural Resources plans to build a new headquarters in Bristol. Gov. Kaine says 69 jobs will be created and 131 jobs will be retained.

Black Churches Fight Spread Of H1N1

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By David Schultz

Reverend Anthony Evans is telling his parishioners to give each other fist bumps rather than handshakes, not because they're cool, but because they spread fewer germs.

Rev. Evans is having a tougher time convincing his congregants to get the H1N1 vaccine. He says ever since the Tuskegee experiments, in which doctors conducted unethical medical studies on African Americans, many of them don't trust the government. "Tuskegee, as you well know, is burned in our memories," says Evans.

In a poll commissioned by the Greater Washington Board of Trade, only one-third of adults in D.C. say they plan to get vaccinated.

Speaking at Saint Stephens Baptist Church in Temple Hills, Md., the head of the Association of Black Cardiologists, Dr. Boisey Barnes, says one-third is unacceptably low. "This is a no-brainer," says Dr. Barnes. "This is the easiest thing to prevent. Just get your flu vaccines."

Evans is leading a nationwide coalition of black churches trying to increase vaccination rates.

First Lady Encourages Veteran Community Service

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Sheir

Mission Serve is a program expanding opportunities for veterans to perform community service. At today's inauguration of the initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama says she believes that's something these men and women are hard-wired to do.

"For many of these folks, service is the air they breathe," says Obama. "And they don't just wanna serve for a certain number of years of deployment. They wanna make their entire life a tour of duty."

Mission Serve is working with more than 50 civilian and military organizations. "Through this initiative, veterans are building homes in New Orleans," Mrs. Obama says "[and] working to reduce the drop-out rate in Boston and Philadelphia and helping their fellow veterans reintegrate into communities all across America."

Mrs. Obama says she wants to remind everyone to be thankful for veterans. "Its up to us not just to recognize our veterans for all they have done for this country," she explains, "but for all they will continue to do. That's what Mission Serve is all about."

Mission Serve is the brainchild of Service Nation, an organization that played a lead role in passing the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which expands federal support for service and volunteer programs.

Film Spreads Word About Solders' Sacrifice

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Stephanie Kaye

An indie film opening this week deals with newly returned veterans and the families of those who are never coming home.

Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson play soldiers in the movie "The Messenger," assigned to a "casualty notification team." Back from duty, the two make their way as if through a minefield, notifying the families of fallen soldiers.

The film is full of tough-guy quips, like "Men don't ask for directions--much less soldiers," to real-life coping techniques. "You never want to park too close. They hear a car park, go to the window, see two soldiers gettin' out...it's just a minute of torture."

Harrelson came to D.C. for an early screening. "We went on a field trip together to Walter Reed and met the soldiers," said Harrelson. Harrelson and director Oren Moverman met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. "What we're trying to do is enter the conversation, not from a political point of view but from a human point of view--and hoping that has some sway in these parts."

Harrelson appreciates his role as both actor and activist, bringing attention to the sacrifices of soldiers and their families in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. "At the end of it, people are thinking about it, people are maybe looking at things a little differently than they did before. That to me is pretty significant."

Veterans At Walter Reed Share Their Stories

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Patrick Madden

For many wounded veterans, the Fisher House at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center is their home away from home. The non-profit organization houses veterans and their families at little or no cost.

H1N1 Latest Illness Shared By Owners And Pets

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Sheir

Word of a cat in Iowa catching H1N1 is now spreading and veterinarians are warning pet owners to be careful.

Lori Price lives in Friendship Heights with her four Greater Swiss Mountain dogs and she adores them. When she heard about a cat in Iowa recently getting H1N1 from its owners, she didn't think about her dogs.

"Frankly, H1N1 has not even entered my mind," says Price. "Maybe it should."

Then again, maybe it shouldn't. The World Health Organization reports most H1N1 infections are human to human.

While WHO hasn't confirmed any canine cases, Ashley Hughes, a veterinarian in Northwest D.C., says the virus could develop the ability to infect dogs. Hughes encourages owners to call the vet if they notice Fido or Rover coughing or sneezing.

Lori Price has her own prescription. "Give 'em big hugs every day," says Hughes.

Unless, of course, you're feeling ill. Then you might want to save the hugs for later.

Prince George's County Charges Bookish Thieves

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Sabri Ben-Achour

Prosecutors in Prince George's County, Maryland say they have charged 12 people with stealing a total of $87,000 worth of books from public libraries. Each of the 12 allegedly checked out about 75 books, the maximum allowed, and then never returned them.

Prosecutors say they sold them at pawnshops and online. Most of the books were textbooks or reference books that cost as much as $250 each. Glenn Ivey is State's Attorney for Prince George's County.

"This is a time people are going to the library to get books frequently because they can't afford to pay for them, and now those books are being taken off the shelves. It's really a violation of the public trust and abuse of public funds for personal gain," Ivey says.

The group of 12 is also suspected of stealing books from Harford Community College and the University of Maryland Baltimore County, which reported $56,000 worth of books disappeared. The defendants face up to 15 years in prison.

No More Teen Tanning In Howard County, Maryland

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By David Schultz

The Howard County Board of Health instituted a "tanning ban" for anyone under the age of 18. A county spokesman says they're the first jurisdiction in the nation to do so.

The board was spurred to act by the World Health Organization, which declared tanning beds to be cancer-causing earlier this year.

Greg Safko, with a Maryland-based Melanoma prevention group, says tanning is as dangerous as smoking. "There's no such thing as a safe cigarette," he says. "There's no such thing as a safe tan."

The owners of tanning salons in Howard County and elsewhere in Maryland are not pleased. Bruce Bereano, a lobbyist with a tanning trade group based in D.C., says salon owners will take Howard County's ban to court. "We really don't desire confrontation," says Bereano, "but we cannot stand by and allow this to happen."

The threat of a lawsuit wasn't enough to stop the nine-member board of health. It passed the underage tanning ban last night unanimously.

The ban goes into effect tomorrow.

VA Congressman Pushes For Teleworking Legislation

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

A Congressman from Northern Virginia says the solution to the region's traffic problems could be eliminating the distinction between home and office for thousands of government workers.

Congressman Gerry Connolly says the biggest obstacles for the movement, now commonly called teleworking, are managers who think working from home means watching soap operas.

"Every study about teleworking shows just the opposite that, in fact, people set aside concentrated periods of time to work. They're more productive. Their morale is higher," Connolly says.

Connolly is cosponsoring the Teleworking Improvement Act which would push federal agencies to have 20 percent of their workforce teleworking by 2015.

Connolly says this would take five percent of cars off local highways, easing congestion and reducing pollution.

A senior adviser at the General Services Administration, the independent agency charged with helping to manage and support federal agencies, Jeff Sawislak, says the effect would be similar to what drivers see in the month of August, when many people go on vacation and traffic runs more smoothly.

"If we could get those people to telework for the rest of the year it would do amazing things for traffic in this area," says Sawislak.

According to Sawislak, 50 percent of General Services Administration employees currently work from home.

Jury Selected For Baltimore Mayor's Trial

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Blatt

A jury of nine women and three men will decide guilt or innocence in Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's theft trial.

The 12 jurors and six alternates were seated Tuesday after a two day selection process.

Dixon's lead attorney says he's "satisfied with the jury." The state prosecutor declined to comment.

Doug Colbert is a professor at the University of Maryland's School of Law. He observed the jury selection and says both sides should be pleased with the panel. "The process resulted in a jury that's diverse and representative of the Baltimore City community," says Colbert. "I find that their ability to listen and to remain alert particularly in the late afternoon hours was impressive."

Dixon is accused of stealing gift cards donated for needy families. Attorneys will deliver opening statements Thursday.

Montgomery Co. Council Backs I-270 HOT Lanes

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Natalie Neumann

The Montgomery County Council has endorsed a plan to add reversible high-occupancy toll lanes on parts of Interstate 270.

The new lanes, endorsed unanimously in an informal vote on Tuesday, would be free for carpools, vans and buses, but solo commuters would have to pay to use them. The proposal would widen the interstate north of Route 124 from three lanes in each direction.

According to the Washington Post, the majority of the council also endorsed a more expensive light rail system over bus rapid-transit for the proposed Corridor Cities Transitway from Shady Grove to Clarksburg.

The council is expected to formally endorse the positions next week.

Power Breakfast for November 11, 2009

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman, Bob Filner (D-CA) can easily rattle off a string of accomplishments Congress has done for Veterans, this Veterans' Day.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

Maryland Advocacy Group Files Suit Against Frederick County Police

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Elliott Francis

A local Latino advocacy group is suing Frederick county police, accusing them of racial profiling.

The complaint was filed in U.S. district court by Casa de Maryland. "We filed suit here in Greenbelt on behalf of Roxana Arianna against the Frederick county commissioners, Sheriff Jenkins, two of the deputies, and some former ICE agents," says John Hayes, lead attorney.

The suit claims two Frederick county deputies interrogated Arianna, who is originally from Salvador, about her immigration status as she ate lunch in a local park in Frederick. Then, they detained and transferred her to federal authorities on suspicion of immigration violation.

It adds, county police violated an agreement which only allows them to question the immigration status of someone arrested for other offenses. Kari O'Brian, an attorney with Casa de Maryland, says Frederick county Sheriff Charles Jenkins bears the responsibility for the action.

"We believe he has a political agenda around immigration that belongs as a federal matter. And local sheriffs have no business getting involved in this," says O'Brian.

Sheriff Jenkins refused comment until he's had the opportunity to the review the complaint.

New Requirement For Pregnancy Centers In Montgomery County

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Stephanie Kaye

Montgomery County wants pregnancy centers that are against abortion to provide a disclaimer for clients.

Some centers bill themselves as places to get information about abortion, then try to counsel women away from the procedure. Abortion rights advocates say these centers provide biased and inaccurate information.

Those who back the disclaimer say it's a matter of consumer protection. The disclaimer would read: information provided by the centers "is not intended to be medical advice." Those against it say the requirement will unfairly single out certain pro-life providers.

A similar measure is under consideration in Baltimore. Montgomery County's hearing is scheduled for Dec. 1.