Automakers Race To Get More Electric Cars On The Road

September 08, 2010 - The Tesla Roadster, a battery-powered sportscar, has been on the market since 2008, but more and more automakers have plans for their own electric vehicles. Are American roads ready for battery-powered cars? Erissa Scalera reports.

Police Can Track GPS Without A Warrant

September 08, 2010 - By Meymo Lyons

The same GPS technology that motorists use to get directions can be used by police without a warrant to track the movements of criminal suspects on public streets.

In a case that prompted warnings of Orwellian snooping by the government, the Virginia Court of Appeals unanimously ruled Fairfax County Police did nothing wrong when they planted a GPS device on the bumper of a registered sex offender's work van, without getting a warrant.

Police were investigating a series of sexual assaults in northern Virginia in 2008 when they focused on David L. Foltz Jr., a registered sex offender on probation. They attached a global positioning system device to the van he drove for work and tracked him as he drove around.

After another sexual assault occurred, police checked the GPS log and determined Foltz had been a block or two from the scene at the time of the attack. That prompted officers to follow him in person the next day. They saw Foltz knock a woman to the ground and attempt to sexually assault her. Foltz was arrested, he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

Foltz' appealed, claiming if police could track him by GPS without a warrant, all citizens are subject to the sort of ''Big Brother'' government monitoring that George Orwell wrote about in his novel ''1984.'' The court found no merit in such a dire warning.

Religious Displays Will Continue at Loudoun County Courthouse

September 08, 2010 - By Jonathan Wilson

In Virginia, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors has voted to continue allowing religious holiday displays on the grounds of the county courthouse.

The vote comes after 8 months of debate about tolerance, tradition and free speech.

Last December a citizens committee decided to ban all displays because of concerns about vandalism, damage to the courthouse grounds, and fairness.

But it's become clear that most of the community supported keeping the displays, and today supervisors voted 8 to 1 to do just that.

Sterling District Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio has been a fiery supporter citizens' right to express their faith on the courthouse square.

"This is a very important victory for free speech, for religious freedom -- for people of strong faith about Christmas and their religious belief," Delgaudio said after the vote. "This is a total victory."

Dulles District supervisor Stevens Miller cast the lone no vote -- he says allowing displays at the courthouse endangers citizens' right to an impartial justice system.

"When we start seeing displays, as we have in other places, by the [Ku Klux] Klan, the American Nazi party, as we have in other places -- who knows -- that's gonna prejudice other people's rights," Miller says.

A short walk from the county board room, Leesburg resident Burke Walker strolled past the courthouse lawn, currently free of any displays.

Walker says eliminating the holiday displays should never have been an option.

"It's been there for years -- and it should stay there for years," Walker says. "It's open ground, public property, they should be able to put whatever they want."

Supervisors say the policy of first come, first serve will continue, with ten spots available for holiday displays.

Board Chairman Scott York says in the past, even displays protesting the Loudoun County Government have been allowed.

Maryland Voters Lukewarm On Early Voting

September 08, 2010 - By Matt Laslo

For the first time Maryland voters can cast ballots in person ahead of election day, but the idea is still catching on.

Walking up to Silver Spring's Civic Building, your eyes can't help but be drawn to the rows of political signs just begging for attention. But inside, there are only a few voters.

Steve Adese says for him, early voting has been a godsend.

"It worked for me because I wouldn't have been able to vote in the primary, because of a scheduling conflict, I'll be traveling next week. So it's terrific that they offered it," says Adese.

There are ten early voting centers in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties. Marjorie Roher of Montgomery County's Board of Elections says they've been averaging about a thousand early voters a day since Friday. And she says that despite what seems to be less enthusiasm for early voting here than in the District, she expects higher early turnout in October.

"I think that we're off to a good start and I would think that that number would increase prior to the general election," says Roher.

Voters can cast early ballots until Thursday. Maryland's primary is next Tuesday.

Muslim Group Invites Christians For Dialogue Ahead Of Quran Burning

September 08, 2010 - By Sabri Ben-Achour

Ahead of Saturday's planned Quran burning by a Florida Church, a Muslim community in Silver Spring is inviting Christians to learn a bit more about their holy book.

Naseem Mahdi is Vice President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community based in Silver Spring. He says he wishes the Florida church and other groups knew how much the Quran and the Bible have in common. Both, he says, refer to Jesus as the Messiah, for example.

"We'll be just raising this question that how a good Christian can burn this book that talks of Jesus as the true messiah and Mary as a chaste and righteous woman, and there are so many verses about the goodness they have done," says Mahdi.

He worries that people around the world won't view the burnings as the act of a fringe church in Florida, but as a symbol of the United States as a whole and that, he says, will embolden radicals.

"We feel very sorry about it, sorry in the sense that what some Muslim clerics are saying, that is not Islam, and what this pastor is saying in Florida, that is not Christianity. Ultimately this going to damage true Islam and true Christianity, and also the United States and security and safety," he says.

It will be a small meeting; Mahdi has invited just few church groups, but he hopes it'll make a difference.

Virginia Changes Rules AT DMV For Immigrants

September 08, 2010 - By Kavitha Cardoza

Virginia's Department of Motor Vehicles is no longer accepting a federal document issued to immigrants as proof of residence for obtaining a driver's license.

In a crackdown on illegal immigration, Governor Bob McDonnell ordered DMV to no longer consider Employment Authorization Documents as evidence of an alien's legal presence in the country.

The move comes after a 23-year-old Bolivian national with drunken driving convictions in 2007 and 2008, was involved in an August car crash that killed a nun in Prince William County.

Authorities say Carlos Martinelly Montano had used the form to get a Virginia license, even though he faced deportation proceedings. Police say Montano was drunk at the time of last month's deadly crash.

Gray Calls For Police On Primary Day

September 08, 2010 - By Patrick Madden

With less than a week until the mayoral primary in the District, passions are running high for the campaigns of Mayor Adrian Fenty and top challenger Vincent Gray.

But some of that energy has led one candidate to call for more police on primary day.

After a Labor Day weekend that featured overzealous campaign supporters shouting at each other and reportedly nearly coming to blows outside one early voting center in Northeast, mayoral candidate Vincent Gray says he's going to ask D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier to place officers at each polling precinct during the peak voting hours on September 14th.

"Certainly we are not trying to suppress the vote or have any impact like that, we are trying to ensure that its a pleasant and safe experience for everyone," says Gray.

Gray also says he wouldn't, in his words, be averse to the Justice Department playing some type of monitoring role on election day as well.

Repeated attempts to reach the Fenty campaign for comment were not successful.

Environmental Groups Accuse Fenty Administration Of Stifling Anacostia Rehab

September 08, 2010 - By Patrick Madden

Some environmental groups are accusing the Fenty Administration of holding back the clean-up effort on the Anacostia river.

The environmentalists call them 'toxic hot spots:' six sites along the Anacostia river that are so contaminated, so full of toxins and pollutants that in one spot, for example, two-thirds of the catfish have cancerous lesions.

Three of these sites have been designated 'Superfund' sites, that means federal government has been tapped to lead the clean-up effort.

But the other three haven't, and Brent Bolin with the Anacostia Watershed Society, says the mayor's office has not designated the spots because of pressure from developers.

"Several of the sites are really ripe for redevelopment and so there is a question of whether these sites will be stigmatized by a Superfund listing," says Bolin.

And the Superfund label, Bolin says, would send the value of the project plummeting.

But Christof Tulou, acting director of the District's Department of the Environment, says its sometimes easier and quicker to handle the clean-up effort directly.

"We feel that in direct negotiations with the responsible parties, the district government can get to the nitty gritty and get these things done quicker," says Tulou.

Tulou says a Superfund listing can be a long, drawn out process with a lot of red tape.

But Tulou doesn't entirely disagree with the environmentalists. He says the 'Superfund' label stifles redevelopment, and it's something his department takes into consideration when deciding which toxic spots make the list.

Loudoun Residents Weigh In Before Vote On Religious Displays

September 08, 2010 - By Jonathan Wilson

In Virginia on Wednesday, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors is expected to take a vote on whether they'll continue to allow religious holiday displays on the grounds of the County Courthouse.

On Tuesday night, citizens got another chance to weigh in on the debate. County leaders in Loudoun have gone back and forth on the issue since last December.

That's when a citizens' committee in charge of courthouse grounds policy first decided to ban all holiday displays there.

At the final public hearing before today's expected vote, more than 60 speakers signed up to add their two cents. Most urged supervisors to keep the long tradition of holiday displays at the courthouse alive.

Some, such as John Jaggers, suggested the controversy was just another attack on Christianity.

"The turmoil gives opportunity for people who are anti-Christian bigots, to sit there and slander our faith, because we choose and ask, respectfully, to express it in the public square," says Jaggers.

But the opposing view isn't voiced solely by non-Christians.

Don Prang is a minister at St. James United Church of Christ, in Lovettsville.

He says Christmas displays have little to do with the real meaning of the holiday, and he feels the uproar about the courthouse is just politics.But he also says he knows his view isn't a popular one in Loudoun County.

"Oh, I think I'm probably in the minority here," says Prang. "But, so was Jesus."

Virginia's Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli, has even weighed in on the issue after a request from State Delegate Bob Marshall.

Cuccinelli says Christmas displays are okay, as long other religions are represented, and it's clear that the county itself isn't communicating a religious message. bject id="7323" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" height="394" width="448">

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcwashington.com/video.

Power Breakfast For September 8, 2010

September 08, 2010 - Today, a protest at Georgetown University aimed at former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. He's set to begin a stint as a "distinguished scholar" and a professor at the School of Foreign Service.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

Interview With Sheriff Michael Jackson

September 08, 2010 - In six days, Democratic voters in Maryland's Prince George's County will pick the party's nominee for county executive. Incumbent Jack Johnson can not run again because of term limits. Five Democrats are on the ballot, and with no Republicans running, the winner of the party's primary is all but assured of becoming the next county executive.

WAMU's Matt Bush recently sat down with the top two candidates in the primary. Today, he speaks with Michael Jackson, who is the county's sheriff.

Global Warming Blamed for Extreme Weather Events

September 08, 2010 - By Meymo Lyons

Following Snowmageddon and other giant storms, Environment Maryland is calling for cuts in emissions blamed for global warming it contends will lead to increases in extreme weather events.

As the backdrop, the environmental group chose Baltimore's Fells Point waterfront neighborhood, which was flooded by Hurricane Isabel in 2003.

The new report, entitled Global Warming and Extreme Weather: The Science, the Forecast, and the Impacts on America, details what Environment Maryland says is the latest science linking global warming to hurricanes, coastal storms, extreme precipitation, wildfires and heat waves.

The report says the United States should commit to cutting global warming pollution over the next decade to 35 percent below 2005 levels.

They say it can be done through a variety of methods, including a cap-and-trade system that allows for the trading of pollution reduction credits, a renewable energy standard to promote the use of clean energy, and strong energy efficiency standards.

Latest Virginia Regional News

September 08, 2010 - RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia has submitted to the federal government its draft plan to restore the Chesapeake Bay, estimating that agriculture alone could face costs totaling $800 million to comply. State officials have concerns about the costs, saying it's being developed despite the bad economy.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Gov. McDonnell wants nearly $500 million from selling Virginia's state-owned liquor stores to provide loans and grants for local highway congestion relief projects. He calls for up to 1,000 licenses for private retail stores, about three times the current number of stores.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) The state Department of Corrections says the only woman on the state's death row has declined to choose the method of her scheduled September 23rd execution. Forty-year-old Teresa Lewis of Pittsylvania County would be the first woman executed in Virginia in nearly 100 years and the first in the U.S. since 2005.

LEESBURG, Va. (AP) The Board of Supervisors in Loudoun County has voted to continue a policy that allows people to erect religious and other displays on the grounds of the county courthouse. A county committee had recommended banning such displays because they feared the process would become unwieldy.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Latest D.C. Local News

September 08, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) Prosecutors say a Maryland woman has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud for cashing stolen D.C. and federal treasury checks. Twenty-six-year-old Annternet Howard of Hyattsville, Md., entered the plea yesterday and agreed to pay more than $12,000 in restitution.

WASHINGTON (AP) The inaugural performance of the new White House Dance Series transformed the stately East Room into a stage for some of the world's most talented dancers to strut their stuff. The event yesterday began with an afternoon of workshops for some 90 or so dance students from all over the country.

WASHINGTON (AP) The inaugural performance of the new White House Dance Series transformed the stately East Room into a stage for some of the world's most talented dancers to strut their stuff. First lady Michelle Obama hosted yesterday's event.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Latest Maryland Regional News

September 08, 2010 - BALTIMORE (AP) Environment Maryland says a new report will document how global warming could lead to more extreme weather events. The group releases the new report today in Baltimore's Fells Point waterfront neighborhood, which was flooded by Hurricane Isabel in 2003.

MIDDLE RIVER, Md. (AP) Maryland officials say law enforcement and commercial pilots face more danger from blinding lasers from the ground. Maryland State police and Baltimore city and county police officials are gathering at Martin State Airport today to discuss actions they'll take to identify and prosecute people who target pilots with laser pointers.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) An 18-year-old convicted of assaulting a deputy sheriff who asked him to stop texting in a courtroom has been sentenced to a month in jail. Demonte Jones of Baltimore was sentenced yesterday.

ABERDEEN, Md. (AP) The Army has a new test track in Maryland to help satisfy the need for speed and safety in war-fighting vehicles. The ribbon-cutting ceremony this afternoon at Aberdeen Proving Ground north of Baltimore marks the opening of the Pentagon's first contiguous, flat track for sustained high-speed vehicle testing.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

MarylandReporter.com State Roundup, September 8, 2010

September 08, 2010 - From the MarylandReporter.com website:

CURRIE IN COURT Annie Linskey reports for the Baltimore Sun that Sen. Ulysses Currie, indicted by a federal grand jury on corruption charges, is set to make his first court appearance at a hearing Sept. 17. Marta Mossberg writes in her column for the Frederick News-Post that the indictment of state Sen. Ulysses Currie shows the idea of a level playing field for business and of the conventional wisdom that Democrats are for the poor and downtrodden are both a farce.

GOV'S RACE Former Gov. Bob Ehrlich raised nearly three times as much as Gov. Martin O’Malley in the most recent fundraising period, but still trails in cash on hand, Scott Dance writes for the Baltimore Business Journal. Sarah Breitenbach of the Gazette reports on the new Ehrlich TV commercial and O'Malley's reaction.

UNDERDOG MURPHY Len Lazarick of MarylandReporter.com takes a look at Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Murphy and determines that, despite conventional wisdom, this underdog can hunt.

SLOTS CAMPAIGN The Cordish Cos. group campaigning for passage of a November referendum on slots at Arundel Mills mall began airing television ads touting "thousands of new jobs — jobs that our county needs" and "better schools for our kids,'' Nicole Fuller of the Sun reports.

BAY POLITICS The Chesapeake Bay is getting some unexpected face time from candidates who are usually quiet on green issues, in part because the environment barely registers in polls about what issues are important to voters, Julie Bykowicz blogs for the Sun.

MIKULSKI CHALLENGE They might not have the name recognition of longtime U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, but six candidates from Montgomery County are among a plethora of challengers trying to unseat her, reports Sarah Breitenbach of the Gazette.

2nd DISTRICT Allison Bourg of the Annapolis Capital writes about the 2nd District U.S. House primary race that pits incumbent Dutch Ruppersberger against three Democratic rivals.

EARLY VOTING Towson University hosts an early voting site, Tim Tooten of WBAL-TV reports, and student leaders are hoping that it will engage more students in the election process. Erin Cunningham of the Gazette writes that less than 1 percent of Montgomery's 569,234 eligible voters have taken advantage of early voting.

BERNSTEIN-JESSAMY Jeff Abell of WBFF-TV reports on a debate between Pat Jessamy and Gregg Bernstein at moot court. Danny Jacobs of the Daily Record writes that Jessamy raised more in campaign contributions in the last two weeks of August than she had the rest of the summer, but still continues to lag behind Bernstein. And Deborah Weiner of WBAL-TV profiles Jessamy.

MISLEADING FLIER Miranda Spivack of the Washington Post writes about the misleading campaign flier that is causing a stir in Prince George's County and in state Attorney General Doug Gansler's office. It's been banned by a judge.

CARROLL GA HOPEFULS The Carroll County Times asks candidates for the General Assembly if they support legislation that would allow county nonprofit organizations to host casino gaming nights as fundraisers.

RACIAL INSENSITIVITY? The campaign of Baltimore County exec candidate Kevin Kamenetz is accusing primary rival Joe Bartenfelder, a farmer and fellow councilman, of "racial insensitivity," writes Bryan Sears of Patuxent Publishing.

FIREFIGHTERS FUNDING Firefighters from Baltimore city and Baltimore and Prince George's counties have been pouring money into Montgomery County council races, adding last-minute support to local union brothers who lost out on large raises this year because of Montgomery's budget squeeze, Michael Laris reports for the Washington Post.

BALTCO COUNCIL Nick DiMarco Doug Donovan of Patch.com writes that Towson Democratic County Council candidate Gordon Harden, who has made fiscal responsibility a centerpiece of his campaign in primary race, has been forced to pay $144,000 in back taxes and penalties. Raven Hill blogs about the situation for the Sun. And Arthur Hirsch and Raven Hill of the Sun report that Democratic candidates in three Baltimore County Council races -- including Harden -- have raised about half their money in events held by two lawyers who work for land developers, a phenomenon their opponents say shows special interests have too much influence in local elections.

Water In Baltimore Moves Underground

September 07, 2010 - By Cathy Duchamp

Work is underway in Baltimore to move drinking water underground. It's part of a larger effort to upgrade the city’s aging infrastructure.

It’s a pool of water the size of two football fields. But you’ll probably never see it.

"When this is all done it will look like a grass field here. The reservoir will be buried and non-accessible," says Tim Braden with the Baltimore Department of Public Works. He shows me one of three open-air water storage pools that are being replaced by giant underground tanks.

"Anytime you have an open reservoir you have issues," he says.

Bird poop, pollen and pathogens like Cryptosporidium that can make people sick. The upgrades were mandated by federal drinking water regulations. But Braden says there were other considerations, too.

"We also did it for security reasons. After 9-11 it was a concern. The sheer possibility of somebody dumping something into an open reservoir," he comments.

The cost to replace this storage pool is $37 million. Part of the money comes from federal stimulus funds. Most of it comes from rate increases paid by people across Central Maryland who get their water from Baltimore.

Alexandria Considers Blocking Police Scanners

September 07, 2010 - By Michael Pope

Ever since radios were invented, the public has had access to frequencies used by police. As technology became more complex, public-safety agencies were able to block sensitive channels, like ones for the SWAT team or the vice squad. Now, the Alexandria Police Department is considering a plan that would block all scanner frequencies.

"I would probably say that I'm opposed to it," says Mayor Bill Euille. "But I need to be convinced as to the rationale behind why they want to do it."

Don't expect that debate to play out in public. The mayor didn't even know they were thinking about it. And Police Chief Earl Cook declined to answer questions.

"We are currently working on that policy," says Cook. "And we would be glad to discuss it as soon as we've had a chance to talk through it with the city government and our partners."

The city already refuses to release basic documents such as incident reports, so open-government advocates say shutting down access to radio frequencies would only add to the secrecy surrounding the city's police department.

Interview With Rushern Baker, Candidate For Prince George's County Executive

September 07, 2010 - A week from today, Democratic voters in Maryland's Prince George's County will pick the party's nominee for county executive. Incumbent Jack Johnson can not run again because of term limits. Five Democrats are on the ballot, and with no Republicans running, the winner of the party's primary is all but assured of becoming the next county executive.

WAMU's Matt Bush recently sat down with the top two candidates in the primary. Today, he speaks with Rushern Baker, who previously ran for the post in 2002 and 2006.

VDOT To Close I-495 South At I-66 Overnight For Two Weeks

September 07, 2010 - By Jonathan Wilson

Evening rush hour could extend even longer into the nighttime hours for the next couple of weeks, at least for some drivers.

The High Occupancy Toll or HOT lanes project, continues on the Capital Beltway, and on Wednesday the Virginia Department of Transportation will close off I-495 south at the I-66 interchange from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m.

Drivers will be detoured onto I-66 west, up one exit, where they'll turn around and head back to I-495 south.

VDOT's Megaprojects spokesman Steve Titunik says crews will start closing lanes before 11 p.m.

"We'll take a lane at 9:30, we'll take another at 10:30, we'll take a third, so we pretty much have a lane or two open, going on until 11 o'clock at night," says Titunik.

Drivers should add 15 to 20 minutes to their expected travel times. The work will continue each night for the next two weeks.

The entire HOT lanes project is expected to be complete by the end of 2012.

It's aimed at incentivizing carpools, and allowing scheduled bus lines to use the beltway for the first time.

Veteran Prince William County State Delegate At Height Of His Powers

September 07, 2010 - By Jonathan Wilson

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli plunged into controversy in recent weeks with a couple of major legal opinions, one saying it’s okay for police to question people about their immigration status and another saying the state can more closely regulate abortion clinics.

If you look closely at those opinions, you’ll find a common thread: a guy named Bob Marshall.

In both cases it was a formal request from this Republican member of the House of Delegates from Prince William County that led Cuccinelli to issue his opinions.

The carefully designed political strategy is classic Bob Marshall.

Bob Marshall’s been around for a long time. It’s his 18th year in the House of Delegates. He’s always been socially and fiscally conservative, and he admits he’s always been an outsider.

"I'm not part of the establishment and nobody would mistake me for an establishment Republican," says Marshall. "You'd have to be, really on a different planet for a couple centuries to reach that conclusion."

Bob Gibson, the executive Director of the Sorenson Institute for Political Leadership in Charlottesville, says that’s true. He says Marshall's penchant for tossing out last minute amendments to legislation can be maddening to colleagues on both sides of the political aisle.

"He will draft them on the spur of the moment, when a bill is being debated on the floor of the house, and he'll throw them in, and this will change the debate," says Gibson.

He can do that, Gibson says, because of his peerless grasp of parliamentary procedure, knowledge Marshall says he absorbed as a congressional aide to California Republican Bob Dornan in the 1970s.

"He asked me to go and read the parliamentary manuals of the House of Representatives, and it's about seven or eight feet thick, so I just started at one end, and plowed through to the other," says Marshall. "I used to give him policy grenades to toss onto the floor of the House to use against Tip O'Neill and we succeeded very well."

And it’s working in the House of Delegates, too.

On many issues, Marshall's social and fiscal stance has become state law.

This year's Virginia Healthcare Freedom Act, which paved the way for Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's lawsuit against the Obama administration's health care legislation, was Marshall's brainchild.

Gibson says Marshall and Cuccinelli, who represented neighboring districts when Cuccinelli was a state senator, clearly enjoy working together.

"Oh I think there's a definite connection, I think they have been on the social right in their party for years and have been on the outside and now are finding themselves a little bit more on the inside, and are using it masterfully in terms of getting publicity," observes Gibson.

Marshall also laid the blueprint for Virginia's Commission on Immigration, created three years ago to examine how federal immigration policies come up short.

And Virginia's "one man, one woman" constitutional amendment on marriage, which passed a year before that? Marshall, a devout Catholic, co-wrote that legislation as well.

"My motives come from my faith, but I have to translate it into a secular world. If the motives come from faith, but the policy benefits the common good, I think that's a fine combination," he says.

Kris Amundson, a former Democratic state delegate from Fairfax County, says she and Marshall would feistily debate over some social issues such as abortion, but occasionally surprise colleagues by collaborating.

She says Marshall is a tireless ally, and a tough opponent, but one with little artifice.

"There's no sleight of hand with Bob, you know precisely what he's for. I don't think the majority of Virginians are for many of the things Bob Marshall supports, but they're going to have to demonstrate that," says Amundson.

But Marshall is now operating with a Republican governor, a Republican House of Delegates, and a kindred spirit in the attorney general’s office.

Unless his command of parliamentary and legal procedure starts to slip, his opponents have a very rough road ahead.

July Busiest Month At Dulles In 5 Years

September 07, 2010 - By David Schultz

Almost two and a half million passengers traveled through Dulles in July, the most in any single month since 2005.

Lynn Hampton, head of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, says almost all of that growth has come from international travel.

"Our international flights have been increasing over time," says Hampton. "Our domestic has been very flat."

Kafiall Boletca is manning the South African airways ticket counter here at Dulles.

"All international flights are full, some airlines like AirFrance and Luftansa, they have two flights in a day in this busy season," says Boletca.

July was also a big month for cargo passing through Dulles. It increased by almost 18 percent over the same time last year.

Power Breakfast September 7, 2010

September 07, 2010 - Today marks the launch of a new series on dance, at the White House. The event will honor dance legend Judith Jamison, the long-time artistic director of Alvin Ailey. Septime Webre is artistic director of The Washington Ballet.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

Ocean City Has a Strong Weekend Despite Earl

September 07, 2010 - By Bryan Russo

Labor Day weekend was one to remember in Ocean City as hundreds of thousands of tourists enjoyed the final weekend of summer with close to perfect weather and little to no mention of Hurricane Earl.

Just a week ago, business owners throughout Ocean City were worried that Hurricane Earl was going to scare all the tourists away from the resort’s final summer party.

Yet, that anxiety was all but forgotten by Friday afternoon as Earl merely brushed past the resort, leaving nothing but a blustery day for those who braced for the worst.

Jeff Edwards, owner of J.C.'s Northside Pub said that Earl was a non factor on his labor day business.

"The weekend was fine and we did well. We are a small locals pub in Ocean City and we are favorable to those who come down regardless of the weather," says Edwards.

When the sun peeked out on Saturday, the crowds that Ocean City feared wouldn’t come, came by the thousands and gave businesses the big weekend they had been hoping for.

Terrible Traffic Tuesday

September 07, 2010 - By Sabri Ben-Achour

The day after Labor Day is sometimes known as "Terrible Traffic Tuesday" for it's traffic snarls. Commuters perceptions of their own commutes are getting worse.

Terrible Traffic Tuesday is the day when gridlock comes back from summer vacation. John Townsend is with AAA.

"What makes it so terrible is we have 3 million workers in this area and 1.5 million of them drive alone to work, it's a recipe for gridlock," says Townsend.

Oh, and:

"School kids are going back to school for the first time this year in Virginia," he says.

And don't forget:

"If you live in Virginia coming into D.C., all of the bridges except one crossing the Potomac will have construction."

So, great! And with the population growing, it may explain why 25 percent of commuters say their commute has gotten worse over the past year, according to Commuter Connections. But commuter behavior is changing, more people are carpooling than ten years ago, and more than ever are telecommuting.

Craigslist Pulls Adult Services Section

September 06, 2010 - By Sabri Ben-Achour

Online marketplace Craigslist has shut down its adult services section after being pressured by 18 attorneys general around the country, including Virginia's.

If you go to the Craigslist website today you'll find a black and white "Censored" sign over the link that used to read "Adult Services". The section has been criticized for facilitating prostitution and Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli joined 17 other Attorneys General last month in asking Craigslist to remove it.

They argued that the site failed to weed out ads for prostitution, and pointed to Human Rights groups who say child sex traffickers were taking advantage of the online forum.

Still, Craigslist has so far succeeded in fighting off legal challenges. Last year, a Federal Judge blocked an attempt by South Carolina's attorney general to sue company executives over crimes linked to listings on the site.

Craigslist has declined to provide reporters with any comment on why it decided to pull the adult section.

Labor Day Woes for Some American Workers

September 06, 2010 - By Cathy Carter

Labor Day is the yearly national tribute to the American worker, but rising unemployment numbers could be putting a damper on the holiday.

The nation lost 54,000 jobs in August and the economy is still struggling. This Labor Day nearly one in ten Americans are looking for work.

On the National Mall, people are expressing concern. Steve Johnson of Alexandria, Virginia, says the news of the jobless rate is discouraging.

"With people being underemployed, unemployed, I find it hard for a lot of people to really celebrate the meaning and the value of labor when the economy tells them that they are not valued," Johnson says.

In his weekly radio address, President Obama said the country needs to take further steps to create jobs, but Chris Possinger of the District thinks it's a tough road ahead.

"It has gotten to the point where corporations have much more power than normal workers do and you can do what you can when you're a politician, but when the corporate structure is so ingrained into the Unites States, it's pretty hard to change it," he says.

The President has promised to introduce a package of new measures this week to spur job creation. He'll spend Labor Day in Wisconsin speaking on the economy at the annual Laborfest, organized by the Milwaukee Area Labor Council.

Early Birds Head to the Ballot Box in the District

September 06, 2010 - By Cathy Carter

Thousands of District voters have already cast early ballots in this year's primaries. Elections officials say voters are taking advantage of the Labor Day weekend for early voting in Washington.

Officials opened up four new early voting locations in the District during the weekend and said more than 3,300 voters showed up to cast ballots.

The centers re-open today following a day-off Sunday, and early birds can cast their ballot on this Labor Day, from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The Board of Elections and Ethics executive director said wait times have not exceeded 15 minutes at any location.

D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty is facing a challenge from D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray in the Sept. 14 primary, which will decide who becomes mayor because no Republican is seeking the seat.

UVA iPhone App Offers "Augmented Reality" Feature

September 06, 2010 - The University of Virginia is beginning its new academic year with a new iPhone app. The free program, called the 'The Good Ol' App," offers 22 subapps. You can look up sports scores, search for library books, browse for courses and access the student directory. It will even let you listen to fight songs and cheers.

But the feature UVA is boasting most about allows users wandering around the campus to pull up information about any building they pass. When viewing Newcomb Hall, for instance, they have the option of pinpointing the building on a map and learning about its history and design. The University says it hopes to launch versions to run on other platforms as well.

Rebecca Blatt reports...

Power Breakfast - Monday September 6, 2010

September 06, 2010 - The bag-monster comes to Washington in today's edition of Power Breakfast.

DMVs Open On Labor Day to Ease Backlog After Computer Crash

September 06, 2010 - By Sabri Ben-Achour

It's Labor Day, but in Virginia the Department of Motor Vehicles is keeping some of its offices open.

Fourteen DMVs around the state were open Sunday and are open today till noon. That's to help ease a backlog after a statewide computer crash last week, that left 35,000 to 40,000 people unable to renew their licenses. It also appears to have erased tens of thousands of records and photos.

Governor Bob McDonnell ordered the DMVs open over the holiday weekend so people can come back and renew their licenses or get their photos taken again. Meanwhile, existing licenses' expiration dates have been extended by 20 days, and the governor says local law enforcement have been notified of that. DMVs will be open longer than usual next weekend as well.

Metro Warns Of More Delays On Red Line

September 06, 2010 - By Rebecca Blatt

The five stations closed this holiday weekend on Metro's Red Line are set to reopen on time Tuesday morning. But Metro says when service resumes at the Glenmont, Forest Glen, Silver Spring, Fort Totten and Georgia Avenune-Petworth stations, trains will travel at reduced speed through the area.

Crews will be evaluating the work they did this weekend. A Metro spokesman says the reduced speeds could last the rest of the week.

Metro is boasting about the progress crews made this weekend. They installed 750 new track fasteners, 1,720 crossties and more than 500 feet of new track. An additional 2,400 feet of fiberoptic cable should improve cell phone service through the area as well.

AAA: Travel, Congestion Up Over Holiday Weekend

September 06, 2010 - By Rebecca Blatt

AAA Mid-Atlantic is warning drivers to prepare for holiday travel gridlock this afternoon, as residents return from vacations.

John Townsend, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, says while Hurricane Earl may have prompted some people to postpone travel plans Friday, travelers made up for it on Saturday and Sunday. And that will mean congestion on the roads today as people return home.

"Travel was up this Labor Day -- up almost 10 percent in our area," he says. "And 91 percent of people who travel to holiday destinations 50 miles or more travel by car because of much cheaper gas prices."

AAA is advising drivers to be patient when they confront congestion. And if it's any consolation, traffic during tomorrow's "Terrible Tuesday" return to work and school is expected to be even worse.

Students on Alert After Attacks in College Park

September 06, 2010 - By Jessica Jordan

A third attack involving a University of Maryland-College Park student has Prince George's County police advising students to take serious safety precautions.

Police say four suspects tackled a student and took his wallet around 2 a.m. Saturday near the College Park campus. It's the third attack on students since the semester began.

Corporal Henry Tippett, with Prince George's County Police, says the string of attacks prompted officers to partner with university staff in sending out text alerts with the latest information and safety tips.

"Trying to alert students that if they you are going to be out walking late at night or during late or very early evening hours," he says.

Tippett says officers believe the attacks were "crimes of opportunity," with students just returning to campus for the new school year.

Attacks On University Students Spur Safety Precautions

September 06, 2010 - By Jessica Jordan

A string of assaults and robberies near the University of Maryland College Park campus has prompted Prince George's County police to recommend students take safety precautions, including not going out late at night and walking in pairs.

The recommendations come after three attacks on students in the past two weeks, all close to campus. Senior Maria Saltzman says she plans to avoid public transportation at night.

"I work at the gym and I got off 12:30, so I got someone to drive me home. So if you are going home or leaving work, you kind of try and take precautions," Saltzman says.

Prince George's County Police and university staff are sending out tips in emails and text messages. But Saltzman says she doesn't think students will follow all of the suggestions.

"You cant really tell a college campus to stay inside nobody is gonna do that we want to go out and be social," she says.

Police are calling the attacks 'crimes of opportunity,' with students just returning to campus. The students involved were not seriously injured.

Noise Device Aimed at Warding Off Would Be Troublemakers

September 05, 2010 - By Cathy Carter

The owners of Gallery Place in the District have installed a device intended to irritate one particular group.

You can see it hanging on a wall at the entrance plaza to the Chinatown/Gallery Place Metro. The "mosquito" emits a high pitched noise that is designed to discourage loitering. In this case, it's aimed at congregating teenagers. Patrice Williams of the District, says something had to be done.

"Loitering is a problem and most times it is the teenagers and it's a safety issue," she says.

Business owners say the teenagers are loud and unruly and scaring customers. They hope the device will drive them away, but Nina Miller of Silver Spring, Maryland thinks there's better ways to do that.

"I mean, they have to do something about all the kids that are always hanging around but maybe it would be better if they donate, and put a community center up or something rather than make a deterrent, because kids have to be somewhere," Miller says.

A fight that broke out in Gallery Place last month spilled into the Metro and left several passengers injured. Three teenagers were arrested.

Ahead of Labor Day, Economy Remains Slow To Recover

September 05, 2010 - By Cathy Carter

In June, the Obama Administration announced a plan called Recovery Summer. With the season winding down, it now appears that optimism was a bit premature.

It's Labor Day weekend, and Americans celebrating on the National Mall kicked off the holiday with the news that unemployment numbers rose in August.

The President says his administration will do everything they can to accelerate job creation. Ella Gilbert of the District says people need to be patient.

"It's something that it took us eight years or more to get into to, it's reasonable to give him at least, what, four years to try to get out of it because it's so prolific," Gilbert says.

Steve Aherns of Boise, Idaho says he's not sure a recovery will happen anytime soon.

"I don't know what stimulus would work. We know what's been tried and that's had minimal results," he says.

This week, the President will unveil new proposals to jump-start the economy including extending tax cuts for the middle class, and tax and loan breaks for small business.