WAMU: Local News

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.

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.

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.

Civil-Rights Group Plans Lawsuit Against Frederick Co. Sheriff's Dept.

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

In Maryland, a civil-rights group says it plans a federal lawsuit against the Frederick County Sheriff's Department over alleged immigration enforcement violations. The group called Latino Justice PRLDEF says it will file the $1 million lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt. The organization Casa de Maryland will join them.

Attorney Jose Perez says that two Frederick County deputies interrogated a Salvadoran immigrant about her immigration status while she was eating lunch, and then took her into custody and transferred her to federal immigration authorities.

Perez says the arrest violated an agreement that only allows local police to question the immigration status of people they have arrested for other offenses.

Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins says Latino Justice left out some of the facts surrounding the arrest.

Maryland And D.C. Receive 'F' For Removing Bad Teachers

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Kavitha Cardoza

A report card called Leaders and Laggards, which grades states based on education innovation, gives Virginia top marks for removing ineffective teachers from the classroom while Maryland and D.C. get a failing grade.

The report card doesn't look at academic successes of today. Rather, it focuses on what states are doing to prepare for challenges that lie ahead, saying there cannot be achievement in the long run without innovation.

Maryland is tied with D.C. for an F grade when it comes to removing ineffective teachers. Approximately 75 percent of principals say teacher's unions are a barrier.

Arthur Rothkopf with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce helped write the report. "We're not saying there should be mass firings, but if you can't deal with teachers who are not improving performance of students then it's clear innovation will not take place," says Rothkopof.

Rothkopf says D.C.'s Chancellor Michelle Rhee has not been here long enough for her practices to be reflected in the data. Maryland, Virginia and D.C. all receive a B grade for how they hire and evaluate teachers.

Cardin Pushes Federal Funding For Bay Cleanup

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Sara Sciammacco

Maryland Senator Ben Cardin wants the federal government to push Maryland, Virginia and other states to step up the clean-up of the Chesapeake Bay.

Cardin says state and local governments have failed to make clean-up deadlines for years. His bill gives $1.5 billion in federal grants and sets a deadline of 2025 to restore the Bay. It also offers incentives to farmers who improve water quality.

"We have missed the targets substantially in recent years and there is a need to re-energize a process that would accomplish the goals that are set out based upon good science," Cardin says.

Environmental Protection Agency officials say the main problem is the nitrogen and phosphorous in the water that's coming from urban runoff and farm waste. States that do not meet the clean-up goals will lose federal money and authority to regulate the Bay's restoration.

'Green Fleet' Named Among Best In North America

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Pat Brogan

Montgomery County's 'Green Fleet' is being named as one of the best in the North America.

The county placed second in the 2009 'Government Green Fleet Award.' Fleets were judged on several things, including fuel and emissions as well as policy and planning.

David Dise, the general services director in Montgomery county, says they won despite economic challenges facing local governments and strict environmental requirements.

Brother Of D.C. Sniper Victim Speaks About Muhammad Execution

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Elliott Francis

John Allen Muhammad, the so-called D.C. sniper, is expected to be put to death by lethal injection tonight. Bob Meyers, whose brother Dean was the seventh victim of the sniper attacks, plans to witness the execution.

Meyers remembers seeing the initial television reports of the latest sniper shooting back on the night of October 9th 2002, and the first clue that his brother Dean was the victim.

"I actually saw a glimpse of his black car but it never dawned on me that it was him," says Meyers. Dean was shot and killed at this gas station in Mannassas, Virginia.

Tiffany Brown often pumps gas there, and says she hasn't forgotten the trauma of the sniper attacks. "I feel comfortable here now, but a lot of times I do remember it even when I go to stations where he wasn't at," says Brown.

Myers will attend the execution, but says he will not get satisfaction in the result. "In spite of what has happened, it's still a very traumatic experience," says Myers.

The execution is scheduled for 9 o'clock tonight.

VA Scene Of Sniper Shooting Remembered

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Elliot Francis

John Allan Muhammad, the so-called D.C. sniper, is scheduled to be executed tonight for the murder of Dean Meyers. The gas station in Mannassas where it happened still draws attention.

The station's owner Malik Joseph, says the curiosity about what happened here 7-years ago is still high. "A lot of people ask us the question about which pump is it, and we tell them it was pump number 4," says Joseph.

That's where Dean Meyers was shot and killed on the night of October 9th 2002. Maggie fills up here. She was just 8-years old back then, but her memory of the sniper shooting is clear. "I just remember we couldn't go trick or treating that year; we didn't have recess," says Maggie. "It was an intense time for everyone back then, it was really scary."

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a last minute appeal to stop the execution now scheduled for 9 p.m. tonight.

Jury Selection For Baltimore Mayor's Case Expected

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Blatt

Jury selection is expected to finish up today for Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's theft trial.

Dixon spent more than four hours Monday afternoon standing at the bench. Attorneys and visiting Judge Dennis Sweeney questioned prospective jurors.

Of a pool of 137 potential jurors, 67 were called to the bench, and 36 were qualified as jurors. Two of the qualified jurors had previously indicated to the court that they had formed opinions about the case.

Dixon called the selection process "interesting." That one word was her only public statement of the day.

Dixon is accused of stealing gift cards donated for needy families. She would be thrown out of office if convicted.

"The Wire" Inspires Trans-Atlantic Reporter Exchange

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Stephanie Kaye

U.S. imports to Britain are on the rise--at least, in the form of television. The HBO Series "The Wire" is gaining popularity in the UK. The series deals with the seedy side of Baltimore, from housing projects and drugs to corrupt reporters and politicians.

But how close to real life is "The Wire?" One British reporter wanted to find out.

Mark Hughes covers crime for The Independent newspaper based in London. He spent the last week doing a reality check in Baltimore, while Justin Fenton, crime reporter for the Baltimore Sun, explored the UK. They spoke with WAMU's Stephanie Kaye about their impressions from the reporter exchange.

Their writing, "Crime: A Tale of Two Cities," is in The Baltimore Sun and The Independent.

Afghan-American Pushes For Women's Rights

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Sheir

The founder of an Afghan women's rights organization in Falls Church, Virginia, is using the recent presidential election in her home country to promote her cause.

When Nasrine Gross isn't advocating for Afghan women's rights in Afghanistan, shes doing the same thing in the United States like at a recent panel discussion at the University of Maryland College Park.

For a husband to acknowledge that somebody is his wife is taboo," she says. "They sometimes call them, 'oh, my furniture' or 'the camel'."

Gross explains how, as a volunteer with the Abdullah Abdullah campaign, she was in charge of investigating fraud in eight provinces where, she says, "there were not even 100 women who went to vote, and yet there were hundreds of thousands of votes in their names for President Karzai. I am totally disgusted."

Gross seeks to encourage Afghan women to speak up for themselves. As founder of The Roquia Center in Falls Church, VA, she runs literacy programs in rural Afghanistan. But she'll only take married couples as pupils. She says it promotes peace at home and equality in society.

Power Breakfast For November 10, 2009

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Today two separate hearings shine a spotlight on climate change legislation. While Republicans and Democrats regroup in opposing camps on health care - the push for a climate bill has got a new tri-partisan team behind it.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

Two MD Counties Run Into Education Money Trouble

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Natalie Neumann

Two counties in Maryland could owe the state millions of dollars after a ruling on school funding. Prince George's County schools could owe up to $26.8 million in penalties after Maryland's attorney general found the county failed to comply with state school funding requirements.

Superintendent William Hite tells the Washington Post the county may be vulnerable because aid had increased in some categories. He says that could be devastating to the system.

School officials in Montgomery County have said they could owe $16 million to $64 million.

Both counties are waiting for the state's board of education to decide whether it will issue penalties. Prince George's County has appealed an earlier decision and leaders in Montgomery County have threatened to sue the state.

Virginia Says "Let It Snow"

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Meymo Lyons

Virginia's Department of Transportation says it's ready to keep the state's roads clear of ice and snow this winter, despite deep cutbacks elsewhere in the agency's budget.

VDOT says that it increased snow-removal funding by about $4 million so it can provide adequate manpower, materials and equipment to get the job done. The agency has a $79.6 million snow-removal budget for state-maintained roads this winter. Another $14 million is budgeted for snow and ice removal on roads maintained by the state through interstate contracts.

The department says more than 3,000 crew members will be standing by to handle snow removal. More than 2,300 pieces of equipment, 62,000 tons of sand and 239,000 tons of salt will be available.

Firefighters Evacuate Potomac Giant Supermarket After 14 Fall Ill

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Blatt

A Giant Food grocery store has been evacuated in Potomac, Maryland after 14 people fell ill and complained of a strange odor in the store.

Firefighters and a hazardous materials team were called to the scene on Tuckerman Lane Near Seven Locks Road at about 1:20 this afternoon.

Captain Oscar Garcia is a spokesman for the Montgomery County fire department. He says firefighters are evaluating 14 people who fell ill after smelling what they thought was gasoline throughout the store. He also says one person is being sent to the hospital and more may follow.

It's not clear how many are store employees and how many are customers.

Two smaller shops nearby also were evacuated.

D.C. Pet Owners Worry About Feline H1N1

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Sheir

As the first cat found to have H1N1 recovers in Iowa, pet owners in the D.C. area are wondering how to keep their animals virus-free.

The World Health Organization says the cat isn't the first non-human to get H1N1 from an infected person. "They've confirmed cases in pigs, birds and ferrets. They haven't confirmed anything in dogs yet," says Dr. Ashley Hughes of the Friendship Hospital for Animals in Northwest Washington.

Last week's feline diagnosis sparked a surge of concerned phone calls to the hospital, but Hughes urged people to stay calm "because it's not unexpected that H1N1, like many other flu viruses, can jump species."

As more humans become infected, the WHO expects that transmission of the virus from humans to other animals will occur with greater frequency.

Hughes is quick to note, however, that even though humans can spread H1N1 to pets, the WHO does not "believe animals can give it to people." Hughes encourages pet owners to practice good hygiene like washing hands and covering the mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing.

"And if you're sick," she says, "don't snuggle with your cat. Just like when they're sick they want to go off and be by themselves, you should probably stay off by yourself until you get better."

And if any of your animals exhibit certain symptoms, such as coughing, sneezing, runny nose or eyes, decreased appetite, lethargy or fever, Hughes recommends you call your veterinarian.

Frustrated Commuters Relieve Stress In D.C.

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

In downtown D.C. today, commuters got a chance to relieve stress and release anger over the region's notoriously bad traffic. The people behind the event say there's a more lasting solution to local commuter woes.

Frustrated commuters lined up in front of a car-shaped piÃ±ata outside the Reagan building, and most didn't hesitate to take their hardest swing.

Dozens of people took swings during their lunch breaks in downtown D.C. at an event called The Great Commuter Stress-Out.

Sarah Conway, a contractor working for the Department of Labor, took a few swats. She says her commute is usually the worst part of her day. "It's awful," says Conway. "I-95 North is the pits."

The event was put on by the Telework Exchange, a group that encourages people to let employees work from home. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) took a few swings himself.
Connolly is co-sponsoring the Telework Improvement Act, a bill still making its way through Congress. He says it will help 20 percent of government workers in the D.C. area work from home by 2015.

"Twenty percent of the eligible workforce is eminently doable, and would make a big difference in the national capital region in terms of air pollution and congestion," says Connolly.

Telework proponents say if a fifth of government workers in the area teleworked, five to six percent fewer vehicles would be on local roads.

Latest D.C. Local News

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) Workers at the National Zoo had to euthanize a wild deer that jumped into an enclosure with two female lions that fatally injured the animal. Officials say the deer apparently entered the zoo from nearby Rock Creek Park and then leapt into the lion enclosure.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:06:00 -0500

WHEATON, Md. (AP) Serial sniper John Allen Muhammad's upcoming execution has residents in the Washington area reliving the fear they felt during his three-week killing spree seven years ago. Muhammad is set for lethal injection tomorrow in Virginia for shooting a man at a gas station.

BALTIMORE (AP) Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon is about to go on trial on theft charges. Jury selection is scheduled to begin this morning.

BALTIMORE (AP) The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to release its draft strategy for restoring the Chesapeake Bay today. The federal agency gave bay watershed states its expectations last week of what is needed to restore the nation's largest estuary.

BALTIMORE (AP) One of the victims of the mass shooting at Fort Hood was a military physician assistant who lived in Havre de Grace. Lt. Col. Juanita Warman was 55 years old and leaves behind two daughters and six grandchildren.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:06:00 -0500

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to block Tuesday's planned execution of sniper mastermind John Allen Muhammad. The Court had no comment on its decision in the case of Muhammad, who terrorized the Washington area with a series of shootings seven years ago.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) Prosecutors are recommending to a federal judge in Alexandria that a former Louisiana congressman spend no less than 27 years behind bars for bribe-taking. Jefferson is to be sentenced on Friday after his conviction on bribery, racketeering and other counts.

LEXINGTON, Va. (AP) Virginia Military Institute says it will review its training procedures after the weekend death of a freshman who took part in a 10-mile march. John Alexander Evans collapsed after Saturday's march, but a cause of death hasn't yet been determined.

Supreme Court Denies D.C. Sniper's Last Minute Appeal

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to block tomorrow's scheduled execution of sniper mastermind John Allen Muhammad. The court did not comment Monday on why it refused to consider the appeal.

Muhammad is scheduled to die by injection at a Virginia prison for the slaying of Dean Harold Meyers. Meyers was shot at a gas station during a three-week spree in 2002 across Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Muhammad still has a clemency petition before Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine.

Muhammad's attorney, Jonathan Sheldon, says "Virginia will execute a severely mentally ill man who also suffered from Gulf War Syndrome the day before Veterans Day."

Nearly 100 New Construction Jobs Created In Baltimore

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Cathy Duchamp

Nearly 100 new construction jobs have been created in Baltimore, thanks to federal stimulus money to renovate public housing.

Jean Sherrod lives on a dead end street, a place that looked like it had a dead end future because of abandoned housing. "The guys found houses like that they'd go in there, sell drugs, sleep. It was terrible. That brought our neighborhood down," says Sherrod.

But the Hardwood neighborhood of East Baltimore may be coming up, thanks to federal stimulus money from the department of Housing and Urban Development. A small slice of a $33 million grant will pay to renovate two rundown row houses on Sherrod's street to be used for public housing.

The lion's share of federal money will be spent on improving energy efficiency in public housing across Baltimore.

D.C. Communities Print Their Own Money

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Sheir

Update: We've received word that Larry Chang's favorite coffee shop has started accepting Potomacs. Qualia Coffee on Georgia Avenue (NW) is now the second local business to deal with the local currency.

Larry Chang started making "Potomacs" on his inkjet printer this spring, in denominations of one, five, ten and twenty.

The blue-and-white One Potomac bill, equivalent to 95 U.S. cents, is a little bigger than Monopoly money, with pictures of the U.S. Capitol, the Potomac River, George Washington and Marvin Gaye, one of Chang's favorite D.C. natives. Other bills feature local celebrities Frederick Douglass, Pierre L'Enfant and Harriet Tubman.

"The dollars will always be legal tender and rightly so," Change says. "But a huge portion of the wealth that we generate here leaves the area. We basically just want to hold on to some of that wealth and build our local economy."

And that's the thing. Big-box stores won't take a local currency like the Potomac but local businesses will, once they climb on board. So far, Chang's only signed up one: The Potter's House Bookstore and Cafe on Columbia Road. Chang says most of the 200 Potomacs in circulation are used as souvenirs.

"Some people have bought them just to stick up on their fridge or wall. You know, people have found them very attractive," Chang says.

But pretty pieces of paper are one thing and functional pieces of currency are something else. Or so says Peter Morici, an economist and professor at the University of Maryland.

"There's the issue of what do you do with them," Morici says. "It's okay for a few vendors around town, but most people don't limit their purchases to those few vendors, nor can they. Does Comcast take Potomac Dollars? Does the local tax collector? Never!"

Morici says vendors that do take local currency can face the same issue. "Communities are no longer self-contained. Most businesses have to pay outside their community for the basic raw materials of doing business. They need real dollars to buy the products they sell you."

And they can't do that with a glut of Potomacs in their cash register.

"Choc'late Soldiers" Tells Tale Of African Americans During WWII

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Stephanie Kaye

Ushering in Veterans Day, a new film explores the experiences of African Americans serving in World War II.

"My unit went into the Normandy invasion and we didn't have any bullets in our rifles," says John Wood, who was 17-years-old when he enlisted. "We hadn't been issued any ammunition!"

Wood is one of the veterans featured in "Choc'late Soldiers from the USA ," which is being presented by the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The film's writer/producer, Gregory Cooke, says Jim Crow followed him and others to Britain.

"When you're wearing the uniform of your country and you can't be served in a restaurant, but German prisoners-of-war are being served in the restaurant, that does something to you," says Cooke.

Lonnie Bunch, the museum's director, says soldiers returning from Europe played a major part in the civil rights movement.

"This is a different slice of the military story," says Bunch. "Many of these people came home and said, 'No. I not only fought for victory against Germany and Japan; I fought for victory against racism and discrimination.'"

"Choc'late Soldiers from the USA" airs Tuesday, November 10 at the Hirshhorn Museum on the National Mall. Click here to see a trailer of the documentary.

Stimulus Funds Boost D.C. Charter Schools

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Patrick Madden

Nearly a quarter of the federal stimulus funds marked for the district's public school system is going to charter schools.

Forty-Five different charter schools were allocated money. The grants total more than $12 million. By contrast, the district's traditional public school system is set to receive almost $40 million in stimulus money.

D.C. Prep, a large charter school with three campuses in the district, is receiving almost $400,000. According to Ibby Jeppson of D.C. Prep, the infusion of cash will go to one-time expenditures such as new computers, updated software and LCD projectors.

"I don't want to say wish list kind of things," says Jeppson. "But we are using the money for things that we have wanted for a very long time but we would not normally be spending our money on."

More than a third of the district's students attend charter schools.

Congress Could Investigate D.C.'s HIV Programs

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Peter Granitz

A recent Washington Post investigation discovered millions of dollars misspent by HIV-AIDS care providers in the district. Now, some lawmakers on Capitol Hill hope to investigate.

D.C. delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton fired off a letter blasting Republicans for meddling in local issues saying, that no other Congressional district receives the scrutiny that her's does.

Norton blamed Republicans for the district's high infection rate because of their past opposition to needle exchange programs; the ban was only recently lifted.

Dr. Shannon Hader, who heads the D.C. HIV-AIDS Administration, says the district needs such programs to fight a multi-faceted epidemic.

"Not having the evidence-based, effective practice of needle exchange available to us for a decade absolutely contributed to our not seeing the decline HIV injection users that other urban areas were able to see," says Hader.

Now, an amendment to a federal bill that funds the district would regulate where needle exchange programs could exist. Advocates say it's too restrictive, but supporters of the amendment say it would protect children.

Local Republican party officials haven't decided whether to support or oppose the measure, but they have not opposed needle exchanges in the past.

UN Rep.: D.C. Homeless Activists Not On Same Page

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By David Schultz

Local homeless activists met at a homeless shelter yesterday with Raquel Rolnik, who just finished a U.S. tour studying the issue of affordable housing for the United Nations.

Almost as soon as the round table discussion started, an argument erupted between the activists, many of whom live at the shelter. Shelter staffers had to forcibly remove one man. Another left in protest but later returned.

After the meeting, several homeless people pleaded with Rolnik for help on the sidewalk outside of the shelter, but she couldn't give them any concrete answers.

"I don't have the special mandate to deal with this kind of law enforcement," she told one man.

Eric Sheptock is a homeless activist in D.C. who is also homeless himself. He arranged for Rolnik to come to the shelter.

Sheptock says many of the people in on the discussion thought Rolnik was there to help them with their personal issues.

"As I publicized the issue," Sheptock says, "A lot of people were saying 'Is she going to get you housing, Eric?' Or 'Is she going to get me housing? What's she going to do?'"

Rolnik will issue a report to the United Nations on affordable housing early next year.

VA Dems Vote Against Health Care Reform Bill

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Elliott Francis

A majority of Virginia's congressional representatives voted against the health care legislation, thanks to two Democrats who crossed party lines.

Democrats Glenn Nye and Rick Boucher voted with the state's five Republican representatives in opposing the legislation. The house version of the health care bill passed with a five-vote margin of victory.

The measure would provide health coverage for nearly all Americans and impose new restrictions on the health insurance industry. Republicans, though, say it's too expensive for taxpayers.

Virginia's four other Democrats backed the bill, which is now before the Senate.

D.C. Food Pantry Takes Lesson From Old Testament To Feed Hungry

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Mana Rabiee

The district's largest food pantry is taking a lesson from the Old Testament to feed the hungry.

On the Parker family farm in Colonial Beach, Va., 20 nicely dressed professionals hack away at broccoli plants with kitchen knives.

They're volunteers with a D.C. non-profit called Bread for the City, which partners with local farms for a program called Glean for the City.

Glean for the City collects tens of thousands of pounds fresh fruits and vegetables that would otherwise be thrown out.

Jeffrey Wankel is a volunteer coordinator. "I don't know the scripture, but to sum it up it says that all farmers are obligated to allow the poor and the less fortunate to glean the food from their fields when they're done," says Wankel. "So it's almost a biblical mandate in the Old Testament and that's what farmers should be doing."

Farmer Rod Parker points to neighboring fields with his knife. "Hey, don't skip any rows guys. Get in and fill all these rows," says Parker. He waves the knife around like a machete. "If you brought everybody out here and harvested this field there's a tractor trailer full of produce that's going to be thrown away," says Parker.

Parker would like Glean for the City to take away all of his excess crop but they can only glean a tiny fraction because of limited volunteers and resources.

Power Breakfast for November 9, 2009

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

In his 11 years in the House, never has Congressman Joe Crowley (D-NY) experienced anything like the what happened Saturday night when the House narrowly passed a health care reform bill.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

Jury Selection Begins For Trial Of Baltimore Mayor

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Cathy Duchamp

Jury selection begins today, November 9, in the trial of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, on charges she stole gift cards intended for needy families.

Mayor Dixon is accused of making purchases at Target, Best Buy, Old Navy and other retail stores with gift cards that developers had donated to the city to give out to the poor.

Dixon has denied any wrongdoing. She says she is feeling good heading into trial. "I take one day at a time in life, there's no guarantee in life, everyday you wake up so I take one day at a time," says Dixon.

The trial stems from a state investigation of Baltimore city finances that has dogged Dixon for more than three years.

But many Baltimore residents are taking little note of it. That includes Serena Hamlett who lives in the Harwood neighborhood of East Baltimore. "If it's true I'm sorry it is, if it's not I'm sorry she had to go through what she went through," says Hamlett. "It just goes to show you nobody's above life, nobody's above a bad decision or whatever."

In addition to theft charges, Dixon faces a second trial over claims she lied about gifts she got from a former boyfriend and developer who got tax breaks from the city.

Federal Government Wants To Expand Chesapeake Clean-Up Role

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Patrick Madden

The Environmental Protection Agency has released its draft strategy for restoring the Chesapeake Bay in response to an order issued by President Obama on May 12th.

The EPA says states in the bay watershed have achieved measurable pollution reductions, but that federal agencies are uniquely positioned to usher in a new era of restoration.

The strategy includes expanded regulation of large-scale animal farms and urban-suburban storm water runoff. It also calls for tracking progress every two years.

There is now a 60-day comment period before the development of a final strategy.

Fort Hood Shooter Not Active Member At VA Mosque

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Patrick Madden

The outreach director for the mosque in Virginia where the suspected Fort Hood shooter sometimes attended prayer services says Major Nidal Hasan was not an active member.

New Study Gives D.C. And MD An "F" Grade For Removing Ineffective Teachers

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

By Kavitha Cardoza

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Leaders and Laggards report, which grades states based on education innovation, has given Virginia top marks for removing ineffective teachers from the classroom while Maryland and D.C. got a failing grade.

Both Maryland and D.C. received an "F" grade when it came to removing ineffective teachers.

Approximately 75 percent of principals say teacher's unions are a barrier.

Arthur Rothkopf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce helped write the report. "We're not saying there should be mass firings," says Rothkopf, "but if you can't deal with teachers who are not improving performance of students then it's clear innovation will not take place."

Rothkopf says D.C.'s Chancellor Michelle Rhee has not been here long enough for her practices to be reflected in the data.

Maryland, Virginia and D.C. all received a B grade for how they hire and evaluate teachers.

D.C. Group Launches Website On Historic Designed Landscapes

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

An organization in Washington has created a new way to find out more about public parks, gardens and other historic, designed landscapes in our area and around the country.

The Cultural Landscape Foundation has launched a new searchable, online database called What's Out There. It's a wiki-style website that has information on the history and design of 650 sites around the U.S. so far. Some in the D.C. area include Meridian Hill Park in Washington, the Mt. Vernon Memorial Highway in Virginia, and the planned community of Greenbelt, Maryland.

The group says it's the only online tool for searching information about the nation's designed landscapes. The foundation is asking the public to help expand the database by contributing details on more sites around the country.

Matt McCleskey reports...

University Of Maryland Students Protest Removal Of Diversity Officer

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

In one of the largest demonstrations at the campus since the Vietnam War, several hundred students rallied to support Cordell Black, who oversees the Office of Equity and Diversity.

The university is replacing Black with a part-time administrator to cut costs. The school's state support has dropped by at least ten percent in the recession.

The University Provost says he hopes to allow student input on future cost-cutting measures. In the meantime, spokesperson Milree Williams says the school will continue to promote diversity.

Black is a tenured professor and will remain on the faculty. But he says he is "flabbergasted" at losing the job he has held for nearly 20 years.

Rebecca Sheir reports...

Search Continues For Missing Virginia Tech Student

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Today, it's expected that more than 500 volunteers will continue the search for a missing Virginia Tech student. The three-day search for 20-year-old Morgan Dana Harrington began Friday with about 360 volunteers. Although Virginia State Police say they've followed up on 350 tips so far, no new leads have been discovered this weekend.

Harrington was last seen Oct. 17 after she became separated from her friends at a local rock concert.

The search was organized by Texas-based Laura Recovery Center, named for a girl who was abducted and slain when she was 12. The group hopes to have a 3-square-mile area searched by Sunday evening.

A reward for Harrington's return is at $150,000.

Elliott Francis reports...

Fairfax, Virginia Expands Swine Flu Vaccine Age Limit

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Fairfax County broadly expanded the target population for the swine flu vaccine after lower than expected turnout at its latest flu clinic.

The county had 12,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine available Saturday for children in ages four to nine as well as children ten to eighteen with certain medical conditions. But by noon, turnout at Fairfax County Government Center was so low that health officials opened the vaccine age limits to include all children between three and eighteen.

That's when scores of families left out of the original target population began to stream in. "It's not just going to be up to 18-years-old," says Jeremy Lasich, a county spokesman. "We'll be able to expand the age range every time we get more vaccine."

Lasich says the county plans more clinics on Tuesday and Thursday for the expanded target population.

Mana Rabiee reports...

Virginia Keeps Used Pesticide Containers Out Of Landfills

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

A state recycling program in Virginia has kept nearly 47,000 pounds of plastic out of landfills this year. The program collects pesticide containers that are turned into granulated chips and then remade into new products like fence posts and pallets.

This year's haul means Virginia has recycled more than a million pounds of pesticide containers since the program began. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services reimburses participating localities up to a maximum of about $1,900 to offset the cost of the program, which involves inspecting and storing the containers until they can be recycled.

Fifteen counties and two cities take part in the program, along with 12 licensed dealers and commercial pesticide applicators.

Matt McCleskey reports...

Lessons for Artists During Natural Disaster

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

A new emergency "toolkit" for artists may hold lessons for the public at large. Members of CERF, the Craft Emergency Preparedness Fund created the Studio Protector, relying on lessons learned by artists during Hurricane Katrina, like furniture maker Russell Karkowski. "It's hard to believe it's gonna happen yet it does happen," says Karkowski. "A flood is not water. A flood is a toxic substance usually."

As CERF's Craig Nutt points out, the advice could apply to anyone facing a fire or flood. "Those are things like backing up your portfolio and documents, safeguarding your workspace, insurance, and 'course the all-important digital files," says Nutt.

The "Studio Protector" includes an online reference. The wall guide can be purchased at art supply stores.

Stephanie Kaye reports...

FDA Warns Web Companies Not To Sell Flavored Cigarettes

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

The Food and Drug Administration in Silver Spring, Maryland is accusing more than a dozen web-based companies of violating a new ban on candy, fruit and clove-flavored cigarettes.

The agency says 17-year-old smokers are three times more likely than adult smokers to use flavored cigarettes. And since nearly 90 percent of adult smokers start lighting up as teenagers, the ban will help prevent more than one million young people from starting the habit each year.

The FDA's ban on manufacturing, importing, marketing and distributing flavored cigarettes does not include menthol cigarettes or some flavored tobacco products such as cigars. The agency says it is studying those products.

Rebecca Sheir reports...

Expect Metro Delays This Weekend

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Metro will be doing maintenance throughout the weekend. Expect delays starting at 9:30 tonight on the Orange Line between Cheverly and Stadium-Armory. The maintenance will continue until midnight Sunday.

On the Blue and Yellow Lines, expect up to 30 minute delays between Braddock Road and Van Dorn on the Blue Line and Braddock Road and Huntington on the Yellow Line as crews trim weeds and leaves along the tracks. Single tracking on those lines will occur from 7am until 6pm both days this weekend.

Also, those who park at Franconia-Springfield and Van Dorn are encouraged to park at Huntington instead, to avoid delays. There also will be some rerouting of bus routes.

Rebecca Sheir reports...

Fairfax H1N1 Vaccine Clinic Targets Children Ages 4 To 9

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Fairfax County health department officials are preparing for their second mass H1N1 vaccination clinic. This time though, they're targeting different segments of the population.

The mass vaccination clinic on November 7th at the Government Center will target children from 4 to 9 years of age, as well as children ages 10 to 18 who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for flu related complications.

Health departments across the country have targeted only the most vulnerable populations because of delays in vaccine production and distribution. Until now, Fairfax County has only focused on pregnant women and children under the age of three at their clinics.

"We've targeted the very young children because they are at the greatest risk--now we want to give an opportunity to school age children as well," says Glen Barbour, the health department's spokesperson.

Barbour says the health department expects to give out 12,000 doses of the vaccine on Saturday.

Jonathan Wilson reports...

Latest D.C. Local News

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

WASHINGTON (AP) The Food and Drug Administration is warning several companies it says are still selling banned flavored cigarettes to U.S. consumers online. The agency sent letters to more than a dozen Web-based companies directing them to stop selling the products and asking the companies to describe in writing what action they have taken.

WASHINGTON (AP) The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations has condemned yesterday's shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, though it's not known whether the shooter was Muslim. The group issued a statement condemning the shootings as a "cowardly attack." They say no political or religious ideology could ever justify or excuse such violence.

WASHINGTON (AP) The biological father of one of two girls whose bodies were kept in their adopted mother's freezer in Maryland has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the District of Columbia and the Board of Child Care of the United Methodist Church. Michael Muhammad's lawsuit seeks $75 million in damages.

WASHINGTON (AP) First lady Michelle Obama asked middle-school children about science during a visit to the Energy Department. She visited the department yesterday, praising agency employees for their role in energy security.

Latest Maryland Regional News

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

DUNDALK, Md. (AP) Baltimore County police say two men stabbed a Baltimore city police officer outside a strip club, and one has been arrested. Authorities say 23-year-old Lucas Baumeister has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and is being held without bail.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) Hundreds of University of Maryland students protested at the school's flagship College Park campus against the removal of a popular diversity officer. University officials say they would not reverse the decision regarding Cordell Black but would work with them on other demands.

Latest Virginia Regional News

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

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) A Richmond day care worker has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter and child neglect in connection with the death of toddler who was left alone in a van. Keishawn L. Whitfield is scheduled to be sentenced January 8th in Richmond Circuit Court. He was convicted of the charges today.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) A Crozet man will spend more than seven years in prison for running a Ponzi scheme that bilked more than $5 million from more than 30 investors. John Mark Donnelly was sentenced today in federal court.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Two hotels and a restaurant in Virginia have received AAA's top rating. The travel group gave its Five Diamond Award to The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia and The Inn at Little Washington's restaurant.

Some Virginia Watermen Offer To Sell Licenses

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

One-third of Virginia's watermen have offered to sell their licenses back to the state.

It's part of a buyback program intended to ease pressure on the Chesapeake Bay crab. But only a fraction of the 665 watermen who bid will likely be leaving the water because they far exceed the almost $7 million dollars in federal disaster aid bankrolling the buyback.

Over the next few weeks, officials will sort the bids with an eye on retiring the most productive watermen. Virginia stopped issuing crabbing licenses a decade ago because of a steady decline in the shellfish.

Kavitha Cardoza reports...

Muslim Community Center Reacts To Fort Hood Shooting

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

Nidal Hasan, the alleged gunman in the Fort Hood shootings, had many connections to the D.C. area, and that has left many locals trying to reconcile what they knew of him with what happened--that includes those who gather at a Muslim community center Hasan frequented.

Dr. Asif Qadri, founder and director of the medical clinic at the Silver Spring Muslim Community Center, first got to know Hasan about a year ago. When he found out Hasan was a doctor as well he asked him to volunteer at the clinic. Hasan's work at the military kept him from doing so, but the two became friendly.

"He never talked bad about the war, or Walter Reed, or the military or anything like that," Qadri says. "He was an American guy." Qadri says Hasan seemed grateful for the education he received in the military, and proud to serve.

Imam Mohamed Abdullahi says the same thing. "He used to pray and come and I never see him arguing with anybody," the Imam says. "Sometimes he used to come in his military uniform."

Dr. Qadri says Hasan's motives in the shooting are as much a mystery to the people here as they are to law enforcement, or anyone watching news coverage. But personally, Qadri says he cannot believe Hasan's religious faith was behind the attack. "The only motive personally I can think of, is something medically must've gone wrong. Whatever triggered it,I don't know," he says.

More than 700 people pray at the Silver Spring Muslim Community Center each day.

Jonathan Wilson reports...

This Week In Congress

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

By Elizabeth Wynne Johnson

Monday came and went without a Senate vote to extend unemployment benefits.

On Tuesday, Chairwoman Barbara Boxer gaveled the Senate environment committee to order--more precisely, the Democratic half of the committee. Republicans had decided to boycott the markup of Boxer's climate change bill.

Senator George Voinovich of Ohio led the show of no-faith, saying lawmakers should wait an extra five weeks for a so-called "completed" economic assessment.

"We had the EPA here and they showed us the truth," says Boxer. Boxer points to years of study on the effects of carbon emissions, already yielding thousands of pages of data and countless Congressional hearings.

"When you face a situation where there's an issue that is not real, you have to be honest and say it," says Boxer. "They don't have a real issue."

Captain Boxer vowed to continue the voyage of the U.S.S. Climate Bill Markup, with or without Republicans on board. And indeed the Dems-only committee voted to pass the bill on to its next port in the storm.

Meanwhile, Tuesday came and went without a Senate vote to extend unemployment benefits.

There was, however, an election. The following morning, there was a predictable partisan pattern to the patter. Congressman and GOP leader Eric Cantor said people voted in favor of Republican ideas.

"The vote also represented a rejection of the economic policies being pursued here in Congress and by the White House," says Cantor. "And frankly for a better way."

Democrats like Tom Perriello warned against reading too much into the Party's losses. The GOP has Perriello's seat very much in its sights for the mid-term Congressional elections.

"I don't think this has any implications from next year," says Perriello. "I think people in my district, they appreciate hard work, they appreciate results and that's what we are trying to do and focus on."

In the meantime he's raised more than $700,000 dollars for that campaign. On Wednesday, the Senate actually voted on a bill to extend unemployment benefits. It passed unanimously.

House Democrats, on the other had, remained a long way from unanimity on health care. Henry Cuellar represents a Texas district with one of the highest rates of uninsured residents in the country. More than 30 percent. He's not yet convinced this particular health care bill is the right way to help them.

"You don't just give everything away, you have to make sure you have a system that works well," says Cuellar.

Even as some Dems climb on board, others stand ready to jump ship. Fiscal conservatives like Allen Boyd of Florida have major doubts this trillion-dollar plan will dramatically cut health care costs over the long run.

"If you can't reduce or put something in the bill which bends that cost curve reduces that number or gives some hope of lowering those costs, then I won't support it," says Boyd. "And I don't think we are there yet. I think we have a ways to go."

Leadership announced plans to vote on the bill this Saturday. Could this weekend come and go without a vote on the health care bill? Stay tuned.

House Minority Leader John Boehner unveiled the Republicans' alternative plan: "our approach is a step-by-step approach to make the current system work better."

It would allow private companies sell insurance across state lines. It would not stop companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

Next week, the House will either be home recovering from a health care bill hangover, or members will be continuing the legislative bender for another few days. The Senate convenes Monday to debate spending plans for military construction. A Health subcommittee panel will take up the matter of paid sick days for people with the H1N1 flu virus.

Classmate: Hasan Said Terror Fight A War On Islam

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

WASHINGTON (AP) A classmate of the Fort Hood shooting suspect says Maj. Nidal Hasan was an outspoken opponent of the U.S. war on terror and called it a "war against Islam."

Dr. Val Finnell was a classmate of Hasan's at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. Both attended a master's in public health program in 2007 and 2008.

Finnell says he got to know Hasan in an environmental health class. At the end of the class, students gave presentations. Finnell says other classmates wrote on subjects such as dry cleaning chemicals and mold in homes, but Hasan's topic was whether the war against terror was "a war against Islam." Finnell described Hasan as a "vociferous opponent" of the terror war.

Finnell says Hasan told classmates he was "a Muslim first and an American second."

Suspected Fort Hood Shooter Has Local Ties

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

The suspect in the Fort Hood shooting, Army Major Nidal Hasan, has roots in the Washington area.

Hasan was born in Arlington, Virginia and studied at Virginia Tech. He received his medical degree from the military's Uniformed Services University in Bethesda. For six years before reporting for duty at Fort Hood, the 39-year-old Army major worked in psychiatry at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

He also attended a local mosque, the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Imam Faizul Khan says he knew Hasan for more than 10 years. Khan says they mostly discussed religion and says Hasan was quiet, reserved and never seemed controversial.

Muslim groups say they've received threatening phone calls and e-mails in the wake of the shootings and are urging calm, saying this was the act of one man.

Natalie Neumann reports...

USAP Worries Hate Crimes Go Unreported

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

As co-founder of Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence, Chris Farris tracks certain statistics from the Metropolitan Police Department.

"There was a 15 percent increase in hate crimes against the GLBT community from 2007 to 2008. If you stopped counting at the end of September of this year, there would still be a 33 percent increase in 2009 from 2008," says Farris.

Yet in spite of the rise, "there is consensus within the law enforcement community that hate-related incidents go unreported," says Albert Herring, who works in the U.S. Attorney's Office, the agency that prosecutes hate crimes.

Both Farris and Herring are encouraging anyone with information on hate crimes to call the D.C. Hate Crimes Hotline at 202.727.0500.

Rebecca Sheir reports...

Choc'late Soldiers From The USA

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

During World War II, 140,000 African Americans joined the armed forces and were sent overseas to fight. The story of how they were welcomed by British civilians after facing discrimination at home is captured in a new documentary, 'Choc'late Soldiers from the USA: Race, Sex and Rhythm.'

The film will be screened at the Ring Auditorium of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden on Tuesday, November 10th. The filmmakers will be on hand, along with some of the veterans who served. Click here to watch a trailer of the documentary.

Stephanie Kaye has more on war, segregation... and romance.

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley Wants To Enlist Extra Medical Personnel

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

Gov. Martin O'Malley has signed an executive order to enlist extra medical personnel to administer swine flu vaccinations, if needed.

The order will help boost emergency medical personnel and other licensed medical professionals who volunteer to be part of the state's swine flu response effort to give vaccinations. Now, emergency medical personnel are allowed limited legal authority to vaccinate each other, not the general public.

Kavitha Cardoza reports...

Montgomery County To Fight School Funding Allegation

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

Montgomery County's elected leaders will fight an opinion from the Maryland attorney general that the county did not comply with a state law on school funding requirements.

On Wednesday, attorney general Doug Gansler said Montgomery and Prince George's counties did not properly make the same level of funding for the schools as was provided the year before.

Montgomery County Council president Phil Andrews and county executive Ike Leggett said the county could face penalties, simply because it could not maintain one of the state's highest local contributions to education because of the recession. And the two said they are prepared to sue the state, if necessary.

Andrews says the state could withhold an estimated $30 to $40 million in funding for schools in Montgomery County as a result of the opinion.

Bill Redlin reports...

Students Connect With Space Station

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

Astronauts aboard the International Space station encouraged students in D.C. and Maryland to study math and science to one day take people even further into space.

Six astronauts bobbed on screen in a meeting room at the U.S. Department of Education, as hundreds of rapt students looked on. The students came from D.C.'s Math Science and Technology Public Charter School, and Maryland's Parkland Magnet School for Aerospace Technology. They lined up to ask questions like "how does water technology relate to providing cleaner water on Earth?" and they got some interesting answers.

Traveling five miles a second, astronaut Nicole Stott explained that some space technologies relate directly to Earth's problems: "we are self-sustaining up here with our solar power, recycling our urine and other fluids to provide clean water."

The students also got some orbital encouragement from NASA administrator Charles Bolden, who told them they needed to study math and science to develop better engines to send humanity even further into space.

Lauren Lincoln is a senior at Washington Mathematics Science Technology Public Charter school. Lincoln said she thought one of the most important messages students received was "that you can still be cool but very smart at the same time, that's very important for kids my age now, they think you can't be cool and smart at the same time."

Astronauts regularly show off their coolness to students across the country, as part of their Teaching from Space program.

Sabri Ben-Achour reports...

Alexandria Schools Deal With Third Lost Kindergartener

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

In early October, a Kindergarten student boarded a bus he wasn't supposed to board and ended up wandering the streets alone and crying. Since then, bus drivers have left two other kindergarten students without their parents.

Superintendent Morton Sherman said he has asked bus drivers to sign a document acknowledging they know the policies. He's also created a system that identifies all Kindergarten students with stickers, and he's formed a group of parents and administrators to make other recommendations.

Michael Pope reports...

How Native Americans Lost Their Land

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

November is national American Indian Heritage Month and just yesterday, President Obama met at the Interior Department with native American leaders at the largest such gathering in history.

That history includes the taking of their ancestral lands through what's known as the "Doctrine of Discovery."

Jesse Dukes reports...

Pot Smokers in D.C. Likeliest To Be Arrested

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

Smoking marijuana is more popular per capita in D.C. than other parts of the country and if you do smoke here, you're more likely to get busted.

The Marijuana Policy Project -- which supports the legalization of marijuana used data compiled by the Metropolitan Police Department.

Researcher Jon Gettman says white people are twice as likely to be arrested, and for African-Americans, the odds are even worse.

"Past year marijuana use is reported at 15.7% of the overall population. Past month use is at about 9.7% that's compared to roughly 10% and 6% for the rest of the nation. So the high arrest total in DC reflects the fact that marijuana is very popular."

He says arrests for possession of marijuana have nearly doubled in the District since 1991 and African-Americans are about eight times more likely to be arrested than whites.

"I suspect it has to do with other enforcement priorities- that marijuana arrests happen to be incidental to other policies like street sweeps or deployment of officers to different parts of town based on crime rates. And there also may cultural differences in that it may be that more African Americans are out in public in posession of marijuana than whites are."

The MPD would not comment. A spokesperson hung up on this reporter during one of many calls.

Jamila Bey reports...

People's Counsel in D.C. Not Re-Nominated For Post

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

There will be a new People's Counsel in the District. WAMU has learned the official advocate for utility consumers will not be re-nominated by Mayor Adrian Fenty. Since 1991, Elizabeth Noel has served as the People's Counsel. For six straight terms, she was appointed to represent District residents in disputes with utility companies, push for lower rates, and help educate consumers about energy efficiency.

The Office of the People's Counsel is an independent agency of the D.C. Government. The office also represents D.C. consumers before federal regulatory agencies.

The Mayor's office has not said who they want to replace Noel or why she wasn't re-nominated.

Patrick Madden reports...

Some Charter School Principals Concerned For Students Safety

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

A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2007, almost 15 percent of high school students in the District had missed at least one day of school within the previous month because they felt unsafe in the building or in transit- that's the highest rate in the nation.

Metropolitan Police Department officers patrol regular city schools, but not charter schools. And with more than a third of students now attending charter schools, that difference is starting to stand out.

Kavitha Cardoza reports....

Stimulus Funds To Renovate Pennsylvania Avenue

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

One of the District's most famous roads is getting a facelift: Pennsylvania Avenue. Some call it America's Main Street for the famous residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and for its role in parades, processions, and protests.

For years, District leaders, such as Mayor Adrian Fenty, have wanted to renovate the 7-mile stretch of road and revitalize some of its surrounding neighborhoods. Fenty says an $18 million grant in federal stimulus money coupled with about $12 million in taxpayer funds -- have made it possible to finally begin work on the avenue. The project covers about two miles of Pennsylvania Avenue. Construction could begin as early as this month.

Patrick Madden reports...

Laid Off D.C. Teachers Wait on Judge's Ruling

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

DC Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff says she'll issue a written ruling sometime next week on whether teachers in D.C. who were laid off, should be reinstated to their former positions. At an all day hearing, attorneys for the Washington Teachers Union said the almost 300 teachers and support staff were laid off because of a "manufactured deficit."

George Parker, president of the WTU, says this was not a Reduction in Force or RIF, rather, a "mass discharge" camoflagued as a RIF. "Becasue to do that they could circumvent the union countract that could guarantee teacher's due process rights."

But attorneys for DC Public Schools insist it was a RIF, and that the lay offs happened only because of budgetary pressures. And they say under RIF rules, they don't have to go to arbitration.

Lisa Ruda, the Chief of Staff for DCPS says if these teachers were put back on the rolls, other teachers or support staff would have to be laid off for a balanced budget.

Kavitha Cardoza reports...

Local Muslims React To Shooting At Fort Hood

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

Local Muslims are urging for calm after the shooting at Fort Hood.

As Matt Bush reports, they're also wary of possible retaliatory crimes...

Weekend Planner: Welcoming the Waterfowl

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

Every few weeks we head out into the wilderness with naturalist Mark Garland. This time, we head to the top of the Chesapeake Bay. Speaking with David Furst, Mark focuses on the winged visitors returning after their summers in the Arctic.

GLBT Community Casts Doubt on US Attorney's Office

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

A grassroots group in Washington is working to boost trust between the GLBT community and the agency charged with prosecuting hate crimes.

Chris Farris co-founded Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence, or GLOV, last year, after a friend was attacked in Adams Morgan.

"You could look underneath one of his eyes and see a shoeprint. Someone hated him so much just for being gay they could stomp into his face, and they got away with it," says Farris.

The U.S. Attorney's Office is responsible for prosecuting such hate crimes. So last night Farris invited its members to meet with GLOV supporters, including Rickey Williams

"We rely on you all to hold and capture violent people. And that's just not happening," says Williams.

"It isn't the case that police are arresting people and bringing them to the US Attorneys Office and were just turning them loose out the back door. If we don't have the evidence, we have no choice," says Herring.

Albert Herring, an assistant U.S. Attorney, says a lack of evidence led to last months ruling in the case of Robert Hannah. The 19-year-old was charged in last year's beating death of local gay man Tony Hunter and received a 3-month prison sentence.

Chris Farris says the ruling is a call for the GLBT community and USAO to team up.

"We have to do something out of this that is positive and then begin the roll-up-our-sleeves kind of work that's going to be necessary to reduce these crimes," says Farris.

Rebecca Sheir reports...

Power Breakfast for November 6, 2009

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

Before a health care overhaul bill can make it to the House floor tomorrow - the Rules Committee has the all-important task of cementing the final framework of the debate.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

"Studio Protector" Guide Grows Out Of Disaster

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

Whether it's tornadoes, fires or floods, a new natural disaster "toolkit" is helping artists prepare for emergencies.

In the words of Craig Nutt, "Emergency preparedness is possibly the only topic in the world that is both terrifying and boring."

So he and others with CERF -- the Craft Emergency Relief Fund -- created the "Studio Protector," a wall-hanging kit. It's full of lessons learned by artists who lost their works in Hurricane Katrina. The kit has pull-out pamphlets, a spin-the-wheel disaster chart and emergency phone numbers.

Carol Barton is a paper engineer in Glenn Echo, Maryland. She helped make sure the toolkit would appeal to the artistically inclined. "It's colorful, it's got dramatic imagery on it, disasters hitting! It's really eye-catching."

But it could be useful for NON-artists as well. "This can help you when your computer crashes." CERF's Meg Ostrum knows of what she speaks. Three weeks ago a leaky shower would up flooding two floors of her house. "And becuase I had the Studio Protector, I knew just what to do."

CERF plans to market the kit to art supply stores and city arts organizations.

Stephanie Kaye reports...

Latest D.C. Local News

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) A Washington group has created a new way to learn about the history and designers behind the nation's public parks, gardens and other landscapes. The new "What's Out There" searchable, online database includes 650 sites across the country.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

DUNDALK, Md. (AP) A Baltimore police officer has been released from the hospital after being stabbed in the neck and back outside a strip club. Authorities say the officer was released this afternoon while the suspect he shot remained in serious condition.

BALTIMORE (AP) TracFone Wireless is offering free cell phones and 64 minutes a month of air time to some 400,000 low-income Maryland residents. The year-old program by TracFone affiliate Safelink Wireless has been available to residents of 19 states, including Maryland and Delaware, and Washington, D.C.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Gov. Kaine will return to teaching at the University of Richmond after his four-year term ends in January. He says he's accepted appointment to the University of Richmond's School of Law and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) The Virginia Supreme Court has upheld permits for construction of the Virginia portion of a multistate power line. Dominion Virginia Power and a subsidiary of Pennsylvania-based Allegheny Energy plan to build the 500-kilovolt transmission line between Washington County, Pennsylvania, and Loudoun County.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Attorney General-elect Ken Cuccinelli has named two former attorneys general and a former state Republican Party chairman to his transition team. Republican Richard Cullen served as attorney general in 1997 after Jim Gilmore stepped down to run for governor.

MANASSAS, Va. (AP) Prince William County police have arrested and charged a 15-year-old boy for attacking five women. Police say they arrested the Manassas boy on Tuesday and charged him with three counts of abduction, five counts of malicious wounding, one count of sexual battery and one count of attempted rape. They did not identify the teen.

Quantico At "Threat Condition Alpha''

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:06:00 -0500

QUANTICO, Va. (AP) A spokeswoman says the Marine Corps Base at Quantico, Va., is at "threat condition alpha" after shootings in Fort Hood, Texas, that left 12 people dead and 31 wounded.

First Lt. Joy Crabaugh, Quantico's media officer, says the base is monitoring the situation at Fort Hood, and "pertinent" lines of communication were in place.

Crabaugh said the base is implementing appropriate measures to ensure the safety of the base and its Marine and civilian residents and employees.

Army: 12 dead, 31 Hurt In Attacks At Fort Hood

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:06:00 -0500

By APRIL CASTRO and DEVLIN BARRETT Associated Press Writers

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) An Army officer opened fire Thursday with two handguns at the Fort Hood military base in an attack that left 12 people dead and 31 wounded. Authorities killed the gunman and apprehended two other soldiers in what appears to be the worst mass shooting at a U.S. military base.

There was no immediate word on a motive. The shooting began around 1:30 p.m., said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood. He said all the casualties took place at the base's Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening.

"It's a terrible tragedy. It's stunning," Cone said. A law enforcement official identified the shooting suspect as Army Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan. The official said Hasan, believed to be in his late 30s, was killed after opening fire at the base. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.

A defense official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said Hasan was a mental health professional, an Army psychologist or psychiatrist. Officials say it was not clear what Hasan's religion was, but investigators are trying to determine if Hasan was his birth name or if he may have changed his name and converted to Islam at some point.

A graduation ceremony for soldiers who finished college courses while deployed was going on nearby at the time of the shooting, said Sgt. Rebekah Lampam, a Fort Hood spokeswoman.

Greg Schanepp, U.S. Rep. John Carter's regional director in Texas, was representing Carter at the graduation, said John Stone, a spokesman for Carter, whose district includes the Army post. Schanepp was at the ceremony when a soldier who had been shot in the back came running toward him and alerted him of the shooting, Stone said. The soldier told Schanepp not to go in the direction of the shooter, he said.

The base was locked down after the shootings. The wounded were dispersed among hospitals in central Texas, Cone said. Nine were taken to Scott + White Memorial Hospital in Temple. A hospital spokeswoman says all had been shot and are adults. A Fort Hood spokesman said he could not immediately confirm any identities of the injured.

Lisa Pfund of Random Lake, Wis., says her daughter, 19-year-old Amber Bahr, was shot in the stomach but was in stable condition. "We know nothing, just that she was shot in the belly," Pfund told The Associated Press. She couldn't provide more details and only spoke with emergency personnel.

"I ask that all of you keep these families and these individuals in your prayers today," Texas Gov. Rick Perry said.

The shootings on the Texas military base stirred memories of other recent mass shootings in the United States, including 13 dead at a New York immigrant center in March, 10 killed during a gunman's rampage across Alabama in March and 32 killed in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history at Virginia Tech in 2007.

Around the country, some bases stepped up security precautions, but no others were locked down. "The bottom line for us is that we are increasing security at our gates because the threat hasn't yet been defined, and we're reminding our Marines to be vigilant in their areas of responsibility," said Capt. Rob Dolan, public affairs officer for the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz.

In Washington, President Barack Obama called the shooting "a horrific outburst of violence." He said it's a tragedy to lose a soldier overseas and even more horrifying when they come under fire at an Army base on American soil. "We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident," the commander in chief said. "We are going to stay on this."

Covering 339 square miles, Fort Hood is the largest active duty armored post in the United States. Home to about 52,000 troops as of earlier this year, the sprawling base is located halfway between Austin and Waco.

About a mile from Fort Hood's east gate, Cynthia Thomas, director of Under the Hood Cafe, a coffee house and outreach center, was calling soldiers and friends on the post to make sure they're OK. "It's chaotic," Thomas said, as a SWAT team just drove by. "The phones are jammed. Everybody is calling family members and friends. Soldiers are running around with M-16s."

Fort Hood officially opened on Sept. 18, 1942, and was named in honor of Gen. John Bell Hood. It has been continuously used for armored training and is charged with maintaining readiness for combat missions.

Associated Press Writers Anne Gearan, Lara Jakes, Suzanne Gamboa and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, D.C., Jay Root in Temple, Linda Stewart Ball, Anabelle Garay and Andre Coe in Dallas contributed to this report.

Traffic Signals Still Not Right In Montgomery County

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Traffic lights in Montgomery County, Maryland aren't functioning properly during rush hour for a second straight day. It will be that way tomorrow too.

The timing of the lights is supposed to change during morning and evening rush hour to accommodate heavier traffic. County executive Isiah Leggett said the problems with the computer that sets the timing will take time to repair, which means county workers will have to fix the signals at each intersection manually.

There are close to 800 intersections with signals in Montgomery County. Riders will be able to take the county's Ride On Buses for free again tomorrow because of the increased congestion.

Matt Bush reports...

First Lady Presents Award To D.C. Non-Profits

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

First Lady Michelle Obama has presented two local non-profits with a national award for their work on behalf of inner-city youth and their families.

The Sitar Arts Center and a group called Higher Achievement are being recognized with the 2009 "Coming Up Taller Award."

Obama hosted members of both groups at a White House ceremony. The award is given for outstanding out-of-school and after-school arts and humanities programs.

Young artists with the Sitar Center aren't strangers to the White House, they've performed there before. The center has been in Washington for 10 years, reporting a 40 percent increase in enrollment since 2007.

Brion Tillman-Young, a scholar with "Higher Achievement," ignored the strict White House rules to walk across the stage and say "thank you" to Mrs. Obama. Instead, Tillman-Young sprinted across the stage for a First Lady-style hug.

Each group will receive $10,000 and an invitation to attend a national leadership conference.

Stephanie Kaye reports...

Free Cell Phones Offered

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:06:00 -0500

BALTIMORE (AP) TracFone Wireless Inc. is offering free cell phones and 64 minutes a month of air time to some 400,000 low-income Maryland residents.

The year-old program by TracFone affiliate Safelink Wireless Inc. has been available to residents of 19 states, including Maryland and Delaware, and Washington, D.C.

People wanting to get the free phone and minutes must demonstrate that they get state or federal help, such as energy assistance, food stamps or medical assistance.

TracFone estimates that more than 90,000 residents in Baltimore alone could qualify for the service.

Controversial Suspension Of Star High School Running Back Overturned

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

A controversial suspension for a star Northern Virginia high school football has been overturned.

Broad Run High School's star running back T.J. Peeler was penalized twice during last week's game against Potomac Falls for chest bumping teammates after scoring touchdowns.

Two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties mean an automatic ejection, and Peeler would have missed the next game for the defending state champions as well if the decision had been upheld.

Northern Virginia Football Officials Commissioner Dennis Hall said the chest bump has become the high five for a new generation. "If it's a spontaneous chest bump, that's fine," said Hall. "What you don't want is where three or four of them do hand signals and do a choreographed thing."

Despite the reversal of Peeler's suspension, Hall said he doesn't mind if northern Virginia is getting a reputation for enforcing the rules strictly.

Jonathan Wilson reports...

D.C. Updates H1N1 Vaccine Clinic Schedule

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

D.C.'s department of health has updated its H1N1 vaccine clinic schedule. Click here to get directions to local vaccination clinics.

The D.C. Department of Health announced today that it will adjust its current H1N1 vaccine clinic schedule by reducing the number of free H1N1 vaccine clinic locations for priority groups in the District, and increasing the amount of vaccine available at doctor’s offices and community health centers.

According to the DOH, over 11,000 people have been vaccinated during the past two weeks of H1N1 vaccine clinics. DOH said it continues to have H1N1 vaccine in stock to host clinics for priority groups, but will be reducing the number of weekly clinics from eight to five locations.

In addition to the ongoing free clinics, as more vaccine becomes available, it will be distributed to pediatricians, family physicians and community health centers who have registered to distribute the vaccine. Residents should call their providers to see if they can receive the vaccine by visiting their health care provider allowing them to avoid the lines at the public clinics and know that there will be enough vaccine for them when they arrive at their provider’s office.

The H1N1 vaccine clinics will continue to serve the following priority groups in every ward once a week for the next two weeks:

Pregnant women and youth ages 6 months to 24 years

Adults with underlying health conditions such as asthma and diabetes

Caregivers of children under 6 months

Health care workers

The vaccine is now expected to arrive at pharmacies after the week of November 23. Residents can find additional information on H1N1 here or by calling the Mayor’s citywide call center at 311.

Updated H1N1 Vaccine Clinic Schedule for Priority Groups

Thursday, November 5: 5-9 p.m. Coolidge Senior High School
McKinley Tech Senior High School

Saturday, November 7: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Cardozo Senior High School
Ballou Senior High School
Eliot-Hine Middle School
Kelly Miller Middle School

Thursday, November 12: 5-9 p.m. Cardozo Senior High School Ballou Senior High School

Saturday, November 14: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Eliot-Hine Middle School Kelly Miller Middle School Hardy Middle School

Beginning the week of November 16th, all others can get the H1N1 vaccine from their primary medical doctor. After November 16th, all others can get the vaccination at local vaccination sites. After November 23, non-priority groups can also get vaccinated at local pharmacies.

Group Calls For Changes To Juvenile Justice In D.C.

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

It's meal time at the New Beginnings Youth Center in Laurel, Maryland and barbeque beef is on the menu. There are nearly 60 boys living here. They're D.C.'s most serious juvenile offenders.

Every single one of them is African American.

"I mean, that just defies reason," says Eugene Hamilton, a former judge in D.C. Superior Court, as he stands next to one of the cafeteria tables.

"There are some non-minority children who are committing crimes in the District of Columbia. But for one reason or another they're not arrested, they're not put into the system and so, consequently, none of them end up at New Beginnings."

Hamilton is part of a group making recommendations to the D.C. Council about changing the juvenile justice system. The group says police officers, prosecutors and judges need to be trained differently, to help minorities better navigate the system.

It also wants the city to reevaluate law enforcement inside D.C. public schools.

David Schultz reports...

Traffic Lights In Montgomery County Operating In Non-Rush Hour Mode

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Montgomery County continues to have problems with its traffic signal computer, and traffic lights are operating on regular, non-rush hour timing.

The computer controls the automated system for 750 traffic lights. The problem started yesterday, snarling traffic in some areas and making morning and evening commutes longer than expected.

A spokesperson for the county says technicians worked overnight trying to fix the computer glitch, but says the issues are expected to continue today so drivers can again expect delays.

Traffic engineers are manually adjusting lights in some cases. Pedestrian crossing signals are functioning properly and the county says Ride on buses will be free all day today.

Montgomery County is two years into a six-year, $35-million program to upgrade the computer system . Natalie Neumann reports...

H1N1 Victim's Mother Urges Vaccine Use

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

The parents of a young girl in Baltimore who died of swine flu are urging other parents to vaccinate their children.

Fourteen-year-old Destinee Parker died in late September. She had no underlying medical conditions that her parents or doctors knew about. Her stepmother, Deirdre Parker, said parents should take whatever precautions they can take to protect the lives of their children. Parker said she always gets seasonal flu shots for her children but that the H1N1 virus took the family by surprise.

Health officials in Maryland have confirmed 13 deaths from swine flu. School-based vaccination clinics are underway in Baltimore this week. Five schools for students with disabilities will get the vaccine first.

Meymo Lyons reports...

Opponents Of Gay Marriage In D.C. Cheer Results In Maine

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Opponents of same-sex marriage in D.C. are cheering the results of a ballot measure in Maine. Voters in Maine overturned a law allowing marriage for same-sex couples. Pastor Harry Jackson is fighting to put a similar measure on the ballot in D.C.

"It energizes us because of the vast amount of money that was spent in Maine, the way our opponents mobilized themselves from around the country to fight," said Jackson. "They've been doing the same thing in D.C. but still, that voice of the people was heard and that voice prevailed."

In June, the district's Board of Elections ruled a referendum on same-sex marriage would violate the city's Human Rights Act. The board is expected to rule on a second attempt this month. Some supporters of gay marriage say they are confident the board will reject it.

"Comparing Maine to D.C. is a bit of a stretch because D.C. does have a clear policy that it will not put something on the ballot that would allow discrimination," says Sultan Shakir, a field director with the Human Rights Campaign.

The D.C. Council is expected to vote on a same-sex marriage bill this month.

Patrick Madden reports...

Food Banks: The Frontline Against Hunger

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Local food banks say they are seeing longer lines, brand-new faces, and handing out less food.

Patrick Madden reports...

Proposal Calls For Increasing Child Support Payments In Maryland

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

The last time child support levels were revised in Maryland was in 1988, but now state officials are saying it's time to increase them.

Officials from the department of human resources say the new proposal would bring payments more in line with today's costs.

In the plan the amount that most non-custodial parents pay would go up, while payments for the lowest-income families would decrease slightly. For the most part it would affect families with new cases.

Those who oversee the court-ordered child support collections have tried without success to update the guidelines. But they hope lawmakers will approve it in the upcoming legislative session in Annapolis.

Bill Redlin reports...

"Art Beat" with Stephanie Kaye - Thursday, November 5, 2009

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

(Through November 22) WE WON'T PAY! Keep a firm grip on your seat and watch for flying groceries, as The Hub Theatre unleashes the revolutionary play We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay!, a show so action-packed you have to say it twice. The show runs at ArtSpace in Falls Church through November 22nd. Actors put on the work of Italian playwright Dario Fo with precision timing and panicky wit, as a group of housewives attempt to hide the fruits of their five-finger discounts from their hardworking husbands - a sharp satire on personal responsibility in the face of economic woes.

(November 7) FOUND FOOTAGE The Found Footage Festival comedy show appears at the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse Saturday night at 7:15. Resurrected VHS tapes are dusted off and injected with humor by writers from The Onion and The Late Show. The Arlington festival](http://www.tinyurl.com/FFFArlington) features some local "found footage," including a 1985 home movie from a heavy metal festival in Potomac, Maryland.

(November 6) TODAY'S LADY DAY Singer Dee Dee Bridgewater is Lady Day in A Tribute to Billie Holliday at The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda tomorrow night at 8, breathing new life into the music made famous by Billie Holliday.

Arlington Moves Toward Vaccinating First Graders Against H1N1

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

First-graders in Arlington, Virginia could start getting school-wide H1N1 vaccinations as early as this Friday. That's something that's been on hold as the county health department deals with the vaccine shortage.

Congressman Jim Moran, of Arlington, said he's heard complaints about the vaccine shortage, but he said there's also a shortage of communication that's made getting a shot confusing. "Some parents let me know their particular elementary school didn't have the vaccine and there was one school that had an actual epidemic, and yet they didn't have the vaccine available," said Moran.

Arlington's public health director says the county has the doses needed to start vaccinating in schools as early as Friday. They'll start with first-graders, then move up to higher grades. Consent forms went out in October, and federal health leaders are now explaining to Congress the reason for the delay.

"With 20-20 hindsight, it's clear we should have been more skeptical about the projections being made," said Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Frieden says the H1N1 flu virus spreads quickly among the public, but grows slowly in the lab.

Megan Hughes reports...

Post-It Note Slur Troubles Georgetown Community

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Joseph Graumann, a Georgetown junior and co-chair of the GLBTQ group GU Pride, said he's seen the university transform "from an institution that completely ignored LGBTQ students, to an administration that almost whole-heartedly embraces them."

After a number of anti-gay incidents in 2007, Graumann helped persuade the University to build the LGBTQ Resource Center. So he was especially distressed this week when a slur written on a Post-It note was stuck to the Center's door. "After seeing the good work that they do, it really made me sad, someone shaking the community with a little post-it note," said Graumann.

It was the third in a recent string of incidents involving what the University calls "homophobic language and disrespect." The first two involved physical assault. Still, Graumann says he doesn't want the Resource Center to change a thing. "Any kind of major change would show that they're easily intimidated. By continuing their efforts to advocate for us to the administration, they're doing exactly what they need to be doing in response," said Graumann.

The university says it will step up patrols of the campus and surrounding areas.

Rebecca Sheir reports...

Comptroller: Maryland Tax Amnesty Nets $9.6 Million

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

The office of Maryland's comptroller says the state's tax amnesty program is netting an estimated $9.6 million. The program allows residents to pay back taxes free of penalties and one-half the interest due.

Joseph Shapiro, a spokesman for Comptroller Peter Franchot, says close to 6,500 applications have been accepted and 100 more are being reviewed.

Maryland's last tax amnesty period was in 2001. That effort brought in more than $39 million for the state. Analysts were not expecting the program to bring in that much this year because of the number of people who settled up the last time around.

Shapiro says many participants are on payment plans. That means the state will receive the money during this fiscal year and the first half of the next fiscal year. Five other states, including Virginia, currently are offering tax amnesty.

Rebecca Blatt reports...

EPA Releases New Expectations for Chesapeake Restoration

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

The six Chesapeake Bay watershed states and the District of Columbia are facing a new list of restoration expectations from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA's goal is to have the Bay meet water quality standards by 2025. It is requiring the watershed states to detail exactly what they will do to meet that goal. The agency says it expects progress reports every two years and threatens to impose consequences if states do not make adequate progress.

Beth McGee, is a scientist at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which had sued the EPA over the slow pace of restoration efforts. She says the threat of consequences is critical.

"We can have the most detailed plans in the world but if there is no impetus for the state's to implement them then we will basically be in the same place we've been the last 25 years in Bay restoration," she says.

President Obama has issued an executive order calling for the development of a bay restoration strategy. The EPA is expected to release a draft of that strategy Monday.

Rebecca Blatt reports...

Power Breakfast for November 5, 2009

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Florida Congressman Kendrick Meek takes the witness chair before a House Judiciary subcommittee to talk about the importance of banning a particularly dangerous import: pythons.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

Latest D.C. Local News

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) Metro says several communication services are down in its system. A Metro spokeswoman says an outage to an internal distribution unit has taken the Metro data center computer out of commission since 2:45 a.m. today.

WASHINGTON (AP) Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton is pressing for a change in how local crimes are prosecuted in the District of Columbia. Norton introduced a bill in Congress yesterday that would allow D.C. residents to elect their own district attorney.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

BALTIMORE (AP) The parents of a 14-year-old Baltimore girl who died of swine flu are urging other parents to vaccinate their children. Destinee Parker died in late September. She had no underlying medical conditions that her parents or doctors are aware of.

BALTIMORE (AP) Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon says she's "excited" about the prospect of putting theft charges behind her. Dixon goes on trial next week. he Democratic mayor is accused of stealing gift cards donated for needy families. She has denied all wrongdoing and says "a lot of truth will come out" during court proceedings.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) The Board of Public Works has approved about $24 million in stadium-related projects, including a new scoreboard at M+T Bank Stadium. The new scoreboard will cost about $4 million to replace the one that has been in place since the stadium opened in 1998.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Republicans have defeated another Democratic incumbent in the House of Delegates, increasing their net gain to five seats with one race still undecided. T. Scott Garrett narrowly defeated Democrat Shannon Valentine of Lynchburg in yesterday's election.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia Governor Tim Kaine says Democratic losses in Virginia and New Jersey had more to do with local issues than the first-year performance of President Barack Obama. Exit polling showed support for Obama remained steady despite Virginia's Republican sweep, led by Bob McDonnell's landslide victory over Democrat Creigh Deeds in the governor's race.

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) Sarah Palin's taking her "Going Rogue" book tour to Roanoke. Bypassing the usual promotional route, the former Alaska governor has penciled in Roanoke for the tour but has yet to schedule a date.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) The parents of a Virginia Tech student who went missing in Charlottesville last month are asking the community to help search for her this weekend. Twenty-year-old Morgan Dana Harrington was last seen on a bridge that crosses railroad tracks after she became separated from her friends at a Metallica concert October 17th.

D.C. Activists Respond To Gay Marriage Vote In Maine

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Voters in Maine overturned the state's same-sex marriage law Tuesday, delivering a blow those leading the push for gay marriage here in D.C.

Sultan Shakir, field director for the Human Rights Campaign, says the vote in Maine will not derail the effort to let same-sex couples marry in the District. "Well the initial reaction was disappointment," said Shakir. "I don't think there is ever a reason to slowdown on expanding equality, regardless of what happens in Maine."

Local opponents of gay marriage are calling Tuesday's results a "victory." They have tried to put similar measures on the ballot here in D.C. But their initial effort was blocked by the D.C. Board of Elections for violating the city's Human Rights Act.

Another ruling is expected later this month.

Patrick Madden reports...

Montgomery County Traffic Lights Not Working Properly

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Montgomery County is suffering from a massive computer failure that's affecting it's traffic lights. While the lights are working, the system that coordinates them is not.

According to county spokesperson Esther Bowring, the county has one of the most advanced traffic management systems in the area. Not only are lights programmed for rush hour, there are hundreds of video cameras and a traffic plane that goes up every day to monitor traffic. A team of engineers uses that data in real time to control major intersections from a central computer system.

Not today. The computer seems to be sending signals, but the lights aren't receiving them. Nobody seems to know why.

Bowring said the cameras and traffic plane will still be used, and engineers are being sent out to manually change the timing at key intersections.

Sabri Ben-Achour reports...

18-Year-Old Candidate In Rockville Says He Will Try Again

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

An 18-year-old senior at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland lost his first political campaign last night, but says he will try again.

Waleed Ovase ran for Rockville city council. He was one of ten candidates seeking four positions. His campaign team was mostly made up of friends and classmates at Montgomery High school. Ovase finished ninth. Disappointment quickly gave way to resolve. Ovase says he will run for council again in two years.

Matt Bush reports...

Rate Increase Approved For Dulles Toll Road

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Motorists in Virginia will need a few more quarters to use the Dulles toll road starting in January. The Metropolitan Washington Airport's Authority operates the toll road, and its board of directors approved the rate increase at its monthly meeting today.

The vote means it will cost $1 for two axle vehicles at the main toll plaza and 75 cents on the ramps starting January 1st.

The toll hike is just a first step of a phased increase. By 2012, drivers will have to pay $1.50 at the main toll plaza. There are no increases planned for the ramp areas in 2011 or 2012.

Revenues from the increase will fund maintenance, road improvements, and construction of the Metrorail extension project. The last toll increase came in 2005.

Jonathan Wilson reports...

Greenbelt Elects First Black City Council Member

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

The city of Greenbelt has elected its first ever black city council member. Greenbelt residents cast more than 1,800 votes for Emmett Jordan.

Only incumbent Mayor Judith Davis received more votes. That means Jordan becomes not only the city's first African-American councilman, but also likely its Mayor Pro Tem after the council holds an internal vote on November 9th.

Earlier this year, Greenbelt's city council altered its charter, creating two more seats on the council in an effort to increase voter turnout and diversity among city leaders.

The move came after criticism from the NAACP about the Greenbelt city council's historic lack of minority representation; the city's population is nearly 50 percent black.

Jonathan Wilson reports...

Montgomery County Planning Board Commissioner Passes Away

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Jean Cryor, the commissioner of the Montgomery County Planning Board, has died.

Cryor served as a member of the House of Delegates for 12 years, representing district 15 in Montgomery County before serving more than two years as the county's planning board commissioner.

Cryor died last night. She was 70 and had been battling cancer.

Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson says Cryor brought years of experience and wisdom to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

Cryor spent much of her career in journalism, including time as editor and publisher of the local Gazette Newspapers. She launched the Potomac, Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Poolesville Gazette newspapers.

Natalie Neumann reports...

Young Adults In D.C. "Get Hitched" Later Than Peers

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

It could be their careers, their love of the single-life or something else, but young adults in D.C. are getting married later in life than their peers nationwide.

Thirty-year-old Lindsay Harrison of Northwest D.C. is just now thinking about marriage. "Until a year or so ago, I was all about, always knew I wanted to go to graduate school, get my MBA, wanted to do this, that and the other thing with my career, and it isn't until probably recently that I'm like, ok--is this what I really wanted to do?" said Harrison.

Lindsay is not alone, she's actually part of the norm. A Pew Research Center study shows 30 as the median age for women in the District to get hitched. For men, it's 32. That's four years older than the national average for their respective groups.

Kristin Maiorano reports...

Dulles Toll Road Rate Increase Likely

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

The plan would boost tolls on the Dulles toll road from 75 cents to $1.50 at the main gate, and from 50 cents to 75 cents at the ramps, by 2012. The Metropolitan Airports Authority board, which operates the road, will vote on the proposal.

The board first will consider a report summarizing public comments. Of the more than 200 respondents, three-quarters say they oppose the hikes.

The report also includes rebuttals by the airport authority's administrative staff, who say the new rates align with those of other toll roads of comparable lengths in Virginia and other states.

The airport's authority is using highway tolls, federal money and special tax districts to finance the $5 billion extension of Metro to Dulles International Airport.

Rebecca Sheir reports...

Takoma Park Voters Use New System

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Voters in Takoma Park, Maryland used a voting system that made its debut in a municipal election nationwide.

The Scantegrity system was created by a group of universities, including George Washington and University of Maryland Baltimore County. A voter uses a paper ballot marked with invisible ink, which is exposed with a special marker. That marker reveals a code, which the voter can then use to check online whether their vote was tabulated correctly.

Matt Bush reprts...

Cuccinelli Wins Big, Worries Some Democrats

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

State Senator Ken Cuccinelli represented Fairfax County in the General Assembly, and he was known as one of the most conservative legislators in commonwealth.

He is now the Virginia's Attorney General-elect.

In his victory speech last night, Cuccinelli said he'll use his new position forcefully.

"We're coming into office with a mandate from the people of Virginia to alter the course of change in Virginia," he told supporters in Richmond.

The conservative rhetoric makes some Democrats uneasy. David Bulova is a Democrat from Fairfax County who serves in the House of Delegates. He says Cuccinelli needs to think bipartisan when he takes office.

"With the Attorney General's position, it's important when you get elected that you're not just out there representing the 55 or 60 percent of the people out there who voted for you," Bulova says.

Cuccinelli's Democratic opponent, former state senator Steve Shannon, says he wants to work with Cuccinelli on combating gangs and stopping child predators.

David Schultz reports...

Leaders Say Young People Still Politically Active

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Last year, young Americans showed up in record numbers to vote and even though turnout was lower for Tuesday's elections, several youth leaders say that doesn't mean there is less interest in politics.

Deputy Director of Campus Progress Erica Williams says young people are staying involved in ways that go beyond voting, "Young people have been coordinating rallies across the nation on issues like health care. They've stayed involved, they've they've done photo petitions and lobbied their representatives and elected officials. The activity has continued, it's just a little bit more challenging."

Rock the Vote President Heather Smith says if politicians make sure young people are informed and also registered to vote they'll see the results of those efforts at the polls.

Kristin Maiorano reports...

Local Elections Mixed Bag For N. Va. Democrats

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Democrats won all five open-seat Delegate races: three in Fairfax County, one in Arlington County and another in Prince William County. But Democratic candidates in Northern Virginia failed to unseat any Republican incumbents, including Delegate Dave Albo of Fairfax, one of the Democrats' prime targets.

In addition, there are two Democratic incumbents from Northern Virginia whose seats are in jeopardy. Margi Vanderhye and Dave Marsden each held leads of only a couple hundred votes after all the ballot counting finished late last night.

David Schultz reports...

Nothern Vigrinia Dems Worry McDonnell Win Means Cuts In Funding

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Some Democrats in Northern Virginia say Bob McDonnell will need to reach across the aisle early if he hopes to solve problems important to this area. Transportation has been a focus of Northern Virginia and some voters say Bob McDonnell's focus on the issue propelled his candidacy.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova, a Democrat, fears McDonnell will make Northern Virginia choose between transportation funding and money for education, public safety, and human services. "Those are priorities, as well as transportation," Bulova says. "We cannot sacrifice one for the other."

Congressman Gerry Connolly, who represents part of Northern Virginia, says Democrats will be watching to make sure the new Governor makes good on his campaign promises. Connolly sees an implicit promise to govern as a moderate.

"The Republican candidate got out there -- he moved from the center to the right," Connolly says. "We're going to hold our Republic Governor to that moderate pledge."

Connolly says moderate views on social issues are just as important as moderate economic policies in Northern Virginia.

Jonathan Wilson reports...

Democrat Volunteers In Virginia Urge Party Towards Obama

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Some Democrats in Northern Virginia say closer ties to the White House would have made the difference for their party on election day.

Most of the party volunteers gathered at the Fairfax Democrats election night dinner seemed more philosophical than disappointed about their losses.

June Chason says Virginia Democrats and their gubernatorial candidate -- Creigh Deeds -- should have asked the White House for more help.

"I felt that Deeds could have gone to Obama sooner than he did," Chason says.

For Jim McBride it wasnt about asking for help.

He says Virginia Democrats needed to fully adopt the Presidents agenda and political tactics.

"I think we need to be embracing the President's agenda, and his outreach methods to young people, African-Americans, and other groups of people," McBride says.

Despite misgivings about this election McBride and many other volunteers say they still feel Virginia is fertile ground for the Democratic Party.

Jonathan Wilson reports...

Virginia GOP Celebrates Victory In Farifax

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Virginia Republicans had plenty to celebrate at a party in Falls Church.

They arrived slowly soon after the polls closed, but by 8 pm the hall at the Fairview Park Marriott was full of supporters cheering the news that Republican Bob McDonnell was the projected winner of the governors race.

Some here consider the sweep for Republicans a referendum on the Obama presidency. "We've turned back Obama. That's what it means. We've turned back Obama," says Tony Debeniditis.

Scott Ward, the president of the Republican state leadership committee, says things will be different in Virginia moving forward.

"As much as Democrats want to spin what's going on here, I think the folks in Washington need to take notice that the people in Virginia are tired of the overreach and the 'government knows what's best' mentality coming out of D.C.," said Ward.

Elliott Francis reports...

Republicans In Virginia Hope To Use Election Momentum To Rebuild Party

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Many Republicans in Virginia say they're hoping to re-build their party with the momentum from Tuesdays sweep.

At local victory celebration in Fairfax county Republicans from Virginia like Kevin McCormick were optimistic about the future of party. "I think its a rebirth of the conservative movement in Northern Virginia."

The statewide sweep for Republicans is a shift from the past eight years of Democratic dominance. Craig Filburn, a Republican party goer, says this change is good. "It's a very strong referendum on the people versus the party, I mean you look at New York and New Jersey and what's going on here and its good. I think Republicans are making a strong comeback and I think its significant."

Some here say they're excited about McDonnell's plans for the state's economy and transportation. Most seem genuinely impressed over the lift his win has given to the GOP.

Elliott Francis reports...

Power Breakfast for November 4, 2009

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

A second day of would-be climate bill markup dawns in uncertainty today. Yesterday Republicans made good on their boycott threat - except Senator George Voinovich, who showed up long enough to reaffirm his party's demand for an extra five weeks.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

On Morning Edition: Virginia Election Analysis

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Republicans swept the state wide races in Viginia yesterday. Jeff Schapiro, political reporter and columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch joins WAMU's Morning Edition Host Matt McCleskey to talk about the results...

Metro Communication Systems Down

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Several Metro communications systems were down this morning. Commuters have been unable to use their debit cards to buy rail tickets, the public address system isn't working and on buses fare boxes aren't working so commuters are being allowed to ride free.

Metro Access customers cannot schedule rides. Lisa Farbstein spokesperson for Metro says there was a power outage which shut down a critical data center. She was asked whether this was a security issue, that so many communications systems could be taken down at once.

"I think what it shows is how important communcations are to everybody and in this day and age we tend to take these things for granted. And I think we're getting a reminder today for sure."

Farbstein says technicians are working to fix the problem. Commuters wanting to complain about the inconvenience can't, the customer service number is also out of commission.

Kavitha Cardoza reports...

WAMU Election Coverage

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:06:00 -0500

WAMU will provide hourly on-air coverage of the Virginia elections. You can listen to the audio of all on-air coverage here.

Are you on Twitter? Follow @wamu885news for the latest Virginia elections news.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. today. The Virginia Board of Elections will provide up-to-the-minute election results as they become available.

Click here to get directions to your local polling station.

Click here to see unofficial results of the general election.

Click here to see a map of statewide results of the gubernatorial race, which will be updated precinct by precinct.

Republicans Sweep Virginia

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:06:00 -0500

By Michael Pope

Despite the Republican sweep of statewide races in Virginia, Democrats in Alexandria are celebrating victories in local elections.

Democrats maintained their dominance in Alexandria, winning all of the local races for House of Delegates. Democratic candidates for sheriff and commonwealth's attorney ran without Republican opposition.

Earlier this year, Democrats lost two seats on the Alexandria City Council -- energizing Republicans who thought the momentum might help them unseat incumbent Democrats in the House of Delegates.

Republicans have already started the process of recruiting new candidates to take on the Democrats next year.

University of Maryland Students Hope To Determine College Park Elections

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Local municipal elections will be decided in Maryland at the polls today. Matt Bush reports some students at the University of Maryland are hoping to determine the outcome of at least one race...

7 A.M. Update: WAMU Reporter Patrick Madden Covers Alexandria, Va. Voting

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

8 A.M. Update: WAMU Reporter Patrick Madden Covers Alexandria, Va. Voting

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

9 A.M. Update: WAMU Reporter Patrick Madden Covers Alexandria, Va. Voting

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

10 A.M. Update: WAMU Reporter Patrick Madden Covers Alexandria, Va. Voting

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Noon Update: WAMU Reporter Sabri Ben-Achour Covers Fairfax, Va. Voting

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

2 P.M. Update: WAMU Reporter Sabri Ben-Achour Covers Reston, Va. Voting

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

3 P.M. Update: WAMU Reporter Sabri Ben-Achour Covers Reston, Va. Voting

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

4 P.M. Update: WAMU Reporter Sabri Ben-Achour Covers Va. General Election

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Loudoun County Voters Go To Polls

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Voters in Loudoun County are casting their vote for Governor, but its not yet clear for who.

Unlike the national elections one year ago there have been no lines at Rolling Ridge Elementary School in Sterling, but the stream of voters has been consistent according, to volunteer Rachael Sargent.

"Its been steady. People have been coming in and out regularly," said Sargent. "There hasn't been a dead time at all."

Some pollsters have suggested that Virginia's gubernatorial election could be a referendum on the Obama presidency. However, a recent Washington Post poll indicated 70 percent of Virginia voters said that Obama would not be a factor in their choice for governor.

Angie Scribner, who recently casted her vote, said she agrees. "That has no bearing for me as far as voting for governor," said Scribner.

Also on Virginia's ballot are the races for lieutenant governor and attorney general. In the first, Democrat Jody Wagner is challenging Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, who is seeking a second term. Republican Ken Cuccinelli and Democrat Steve Shannon both Fairfax county legislators hope to be attorney general.

For Scribner, the issues are important but so is party affiliation. "I don't know, transportation is a big one, and job creation," said Scribner. "But I mostly vote party lines for elections like these."

In addition, 69 of Virginia's 100 house seats are being contested. Polls in Virginia close at 7 p.m.

Elliott Francis reports...

Dramatic Difference At Fairfax Polling Spot

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Last year, when Guy Whitney came to the Willston Community Center to cast his vote, Whitney said things looked a lot different than they did this afternoon.

"Nobody's here," said Whitney. "Last year was crazy; parking lot was full, line was out around the corner, it was crazy."

As of this afternoon, the Precinct Chief Mark Hulshart said a little more than 20 percent of registered voters had cast their votes here. Hulshart said last year, the Willston Precinct, traditionally a low turnout area, had surpassed that number by eight in the morning.

Ann Marie Hicks, who was bringing a friend to vote this afternoon, says there was a wait when she voted earlier in the day. "I had to wait about half an hour, which was surprising," said Hicks. "This one we just walked right in at 3 o'clock." Hulshart says last year, because of concern about the crowds, most people did their voting in the morning.

Jonathan Wilson reports...

New Voting Technology Makes Debut In Takoma Park

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

In Maryland, voters are deciding local municipal elections. But in one city in Montgomery County they'll be voting differently.

Voters in Takoma Park are electing a mayor and six city council members. They'll be doing so using voting system that's making its debut in a municipal election. The scantegrity system, developed by a group of universities including George Washington and the University of Maryland-Baltimore Campus, uses paper ballots marked with invisible ink. A voter marks the ballot with a special marker, and receives a code. The voter can then use that code to check online to see if their vote was tabulated correctly.

Anne Sergeant, the chair of Takoma Park's election board, says they picked this system because it uses a paper ballot, something the city has always used. "People vote on a paper ballot, and they can see it, they can feel it, they can hold it, they can feed it into the scanner themselves," said Sergeant. "But then what's behind that paper system is a lot of advanced cryptography."

The initial reaction from voters was mostly positive.

The mayor's race and two city council elections are contested today in Takoma Park.

Matt Bush reports...

Latest D.C. Local News

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) Attorneys for sniper mastermind John Allen Muhammad plan to file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court in an effort to stop next week's execution. Muhammad is scheduled to die by lethal injection November 10th at a Virginia prison.

WASHINGTON (AP) It will be at least two more weeks before speeders face fines in highway work zones in Maryland. More than 900 motorists have received warnings since the state started to use two automated speed cameras in highway work zones last month.

WASHINGTON (AP) It's the season for repairs on all four Metro transit lines in and around the nation's capital. The transit system says subway riders should expect delays of up to 30 minutes on many weeknights after 9:30 p.m. this month as the repairs are being made.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

OCEAN CITY, Md. (AP) A 62-pound golden tilefish that might be a Maryland record nearly jerked an angler out of his boat when the fish bit. Steve Doctor says he was fishing with boat captain Chris Mizurak about 60 miles off the coast of his hometown, Ocean City, near the Baltimore Canyon.

BALTIMORE (AP) Officials at the Port of Baltimore say cruise ship traffic is up this year. Port officials say 60 cruises have sailed so far this year, up from 27 last year. And they say a total of 81 cruises are expected to depart this year, breaking the record of 60 cruises set in 2004. Next year, 92 cruises are scheduled.

CLINTON, Md. (AP) Dan Snyder says his Washington Redskins have "let everyone down." In a rare, in-season interview with reporters, Snyder said at a charity event that the team is embarrassed by its two-and-five start and hopes to turn things around soon.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

FARMVILLE, Va. (AP) An aspiring California rapper has been indicted on capital murder charges in the deaths of four people found bludgeoned to death at a central Virginia home in September. Indictments were returned for 20-year-old Richard "Sam" McCroskey.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginians are heading to the polls to elect a new governor. Also on today's ballot are races for lieutenant governor, attorney general and the House of Delegates. Voting stations opened at 6 a.m. and lines haven't been long and have moved relatively quickly. The polls close at 7 p.m.

TRIANGLE, Va. (AP) Prince William County police have identified two teenagers found fatally shot at a home in Triangle. Police say a father returned to his Oakdale Circle home Monday evening and found his 17-year-old daughter, Desiree M. Patrick, and an 18-year-old man, Quirinius S. Williams of Woodbridge, in a bedroom with gunshot wounds.

Metro Struggling To Fill Budget Gaps

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Metro officials say that to close a budget gap they can cobble together $36 million from sources including stimulus and insurance money. Metro is currently facing a shortfall of more than $20 million.

The shortfall is a result of a drop in ridership, in part because of unemployment, and rising costs, including costs associated with the June train crash that killed nine people.

The budget figures were part of a presentation scheduled for a Metro board committee meeting Thursday. Insurance money could provide $7 million for the budget gap and stimulus funds could provide $20 million.

Meymo Lyons reports...

Frederick Voters Choosing New Mayor, Aldermen

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500

FREDERICK, Md. (AP) Voters in Frederick are going to the polls to choose a new mayor and at least two new aldermen.

The mayoral race Tuesday pits Republican Randy McClement, a downtown delicatessen owner, against Democrat Jason Judd, an economist with the Service Employees International Union.

Judd has made job creation a top priority and says he will ensure that the city's older neighborhoods are not forgotten amid the push for growth through annexation.

McClement aims to create a new city police headquarters. He also wants a downtown hotel and conference center in the city of 59,000.

There are also elections in Greenbelt, Rockville and Annapolis.

Secret Watchers Stake Out State Hospitals

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Be sure to wash up, doctors. Much like secret shoppers, secret watchers will stake out state hospitals in Maryland to watch how often medical practitioners wash their hands.

A new initiative announced in Maryland on Tuesday will create teams at most of the state's hospitals to watch how often medical practitioners wash their hands. Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown says the initiative is not meant to be a "gotcha" to get people in trouble. Rather, the idea is to raise awareness and gather information about which hospital staffs need to do a better job scrubbing up.

The aim is to cut down on health care-acquired infections, which represent an estimated $30 billion in additional health care costs nationally. About $100,000 in federal stimulus money will be used to conduct the program.

Meymo Lyons reports...

Tainted Ground Beef Warning From USDA

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Two deaths and 26 other illnesses may be linked to fresh ground beef that has been recalled because it might be contaminated with E. coli bacteria.

Fairbank Farms, a NY based company, recalled more than 500,000 pounds of fresh ground beef that was distributed in September. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the possibly tainted meat has been sold in various forms from meatloaf and meatball mix to hamburger patties, and under a variety of labels from North Carolina to Maine including Virginia and Maryland.

Some of the ground beef was sold at Trader Joe's, Price Chopper, Lancaster, Wild Harvest, Shaw's, BJ's, Ford Brothers and Giant stores in packages that carried the number "EST. 492" on the label. Those products were packaged Sept. 15-16 and may have been labeled with a sell-by date from Sept. 19 through Sept. 28, meaning they're no longer being sold as fresh product in supermarkets, Fairbank Farms said.

The rest of the ground beef, packaged in wholesale-sized containers under the Fairbank Farms name, was distributed to stores in Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. That meat was likely repackaged for sale and would likely have differing package and sell-by dates.

The USDA is urging customers with concerns to contact the stores where they bought the meat.

Meymo Lyons reports...

"Much Ado About Nothing" In Trinidad

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

If Shakespeare were alive today, which D.C. neighborhood would he call home? One director envisions the Bard in the Northeast Neighborhood of Trinidad.

Stephanie Kaye reports...

Coalition Sets 40-Year Goals For D.C. Region

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Imagine taking Houston, Texas and moving its 2,000,000 residents here. David Robertson of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments says that's how much the National Capital Region will grow by 2050.

"So in areas of transportation congestion, open-space preservation, a number of those, the region is not gonna be the region we all want," said Robertson.

That's why COG assembled a coalition to develop "Greater Washington 2050." The plan includes slashing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent and raising the high-school graduation rate to 90 percent.

"Just as we have come together as a region in the past, for instance when we adopted plans for the Metro system, it's important for us to come to some agreement as to accomplishments we would like to happen within the next 40 years," said Sharon Bulova, chair of Fairfax County's Board of Supervisors, heads the coalition.

After this month's public comment period, COG's Board will ask local governments to sign a compact adopting the plan's goals.

Rebecca Sheir reports...

Note:

Region Forward, a draft report produced by COG's Greater Washington 2050 Coalition, proposes goals, targets, and a compact agreement for the region's jurisdictions to work together to address these and other critical issues. COG members, stakeholders, and the public have until November 30, 2009 to comment on the report.

COG has produced a podcast series to serve as a brief overview of Region Forward. Click hereto listen to the podcasts.

Warning Period Extended to Drivers In MD Workzones

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Maryland has extended the warning period for drivers speeding in work zones with new camera enforcement. The state has given out more than 900 warning notices for drivers speeding in the automated enforcement zones since October 14th.

The work zones include a section of I-95 in Montgomery County; I-695 at Charles Street in Baltimore County, and I-95 near White Marsh.

The warning phase, was supposed to have ended October 31st. But it has been extended for two weeks.

After November 15th, police will issue 40 dollar citations for each violation.

Rebecca Blatt has the details...

Power Breakfast for November 3, 2009

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

The Senate Environment Committee begins mark-up of a climate bill today, with or without Republicans.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

VA, MD Law Allows Deer Killed on Roadway for Food

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

This is breeding season for deer, hazardous for animal and motorist. If you strike and kill some wild animal with your car in Virginia or Maryland, you're allowed to bring it home and consume it. The law says you can keep the carcass, then process and use the meat for food.

"VDOT is responsible for picking up the carcasses and they do that on a daily basis, but we like it when somebody can make use of the meat," says Sgt. Hank Garner with the Virginia Department of Wildlife.

Following the accident you must request an animal kill tag from an investigating officer to keep and transport the carcass.

Motorist Andria George is ambivalent. "Well if it comes down to Bambi or an empty stomach, especially with the time we're going through now, that might be a good thing," says George.

Only the motorist whose vehicle strikes the animal is allowed to keep it.

Elliott Francis reports...

It's Not 2008, But Election Interest Still High In Arlington County

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

As voters head to the polls in Virginia today, there are some signs that the increased political interest from the 2008 election is continuing, at least in Arlington County.

Linda Lindberg, the County's general registrar, said voters have cast more than 4,500 absentee ballots this fall.

That's nothing like last year, when 34,000 people cast absentee ballots in Arlington. But it is a thousand more absentee ballots than the county saw in the 2005 governor's race and Lindberg said the Obama-McCain contest has something to do with that.

"A lot more people became aware that it was an option to them, so that explains that increase," said Lindberg.

Lindberg said there's increased interest in volunteering at the polls as well. Generally the registrar's office has to recruit people to work at precincts during gubernatorial elections.

"We don't have to do any recruiting in Arlington when it's a presidential election year, and there was enough carryover this year that we didn't have to do any recruiting this year as well," said Lindberg.

The county will be using 400 fewer volunteers to work the polls than it did for the 2008 election.

Jonathan Wilson reports...

Arlington Co. Registrar Says It'll Be Tough to Match 2008 Turnout

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Today's election in Virginia may come down to turnout and at least in Arlington County -- it's going to be hard to match what the state saw in the 2008 presidential election.

Linda Lindberg -- general registrar for the county -- says there were plenty of signs that the election of 2008 was going to be different.

"Last year, we added something like 14,000 new registered voters to the rolls in Arlington County," Lindberg says. Arlington County saw an 83 percent voter turnout -- for the presidential contest.

But Lindberg says despite last year's flock of new voters, she doesn't expect a turnout anywhere near 83 percent for today's election.

"From what we're seeing, it seems to be comparable to what we saw four years ago in the governor's race," she says. "In 2005, we had roughly a 50 percent turnout here in Arlington County."

Across the state in the 2005 gubernatorial election, turnout was approximately 45 percent.

Jonathan Wilson reports...

Arlington Co. Registrar Says It'll Be Tough to Match 2008 Turnout

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0500

Today's election in Virginia may come down to turnout and at least in Arlington County -- it's going to be hard to match what the state saw in the 2008 presidential election.

Linda Lindberg -- general registrar for the county -- says there were plenty of signs that the election of 2008 was going to be different.

"Last year, we added something like 14,000 new registered voters to the rolls in Arlington County," Lindberg says. Arlington County saw an 83 percent voter turnout -- for the presidential contest.

But Lindberg says despite last year's flock of new voters, she doesn't expect a turnout anywhere near 83 percent for today's election.

"From what we're seeing, it seems to be comparable to what we saw four years ago in the governor's race," she says. "In 2005, we had roughly a 50 percent turnout here in Arlington County."

Across the state in the 2005 gubernatorial election, turnout was approximately 45 percent.

Jonathan Wilson reports...