Area Lawmakers Fight Hold On Federal Transit Bill

July 30, 2010 - Some members of the D.C. area's congressional delegation say they're furious that a senator is blocking a bipartisan bill designed to improve safety of transit systems, including Metro.

David Schultz has more on that story...

Montgomery Co. Executive Pens Letter Asking For Answers From Pepco

July 30, 2010 - By Jonathan Wilson

In Maryland, Montgomery County's chief executive says he wants to know why Pepco's response to the widespread outages caused by last weekend's storm took so long.

In a letter to Pepco's CEO, Montgomery County executive Ike Leggett says there's "little acceptable explanation" as to why it took until Tuesday, two days after the storm, before Pepco was able to bring in sufficient numbers of outside contractors to help with power restoration.

"You did not have outages up and down the East Coast. Therefore the assets of all of those neighboring jurisdictions, from Virginia, all the way to New York, were readily available," he says.

Leggett wants to review all of Pepco's emergency response practices.

He says he'll create a citizen work group to explore options for improving what he calls the "poor service" after the storm.

Pepco is holding a 4 p.m. news conference on Friday at its headquarters to address some of the questions raised in Leggett's letter.

Nurses Consider Strike At Washington Hospital Center

July 30, 2010 - By Sanaz Meshkinpour

Nurses at Washington Hospital Center are voting on whether to hold a 24-hour strike to protest the dismissal of nurses during last winter's major snowstorm.

After February's blizzard, the hospital fired 18 nurses for failing to get to work in the snow; others were disciplined.

"We believe it's illegal," says Stephen Frum of Nurses United.

Frum says the actions violated a hospital policy of not disciplining employees who are absent during a snow emergency. He says the hospital changed that policy unilaterally.

"They didn't give us notice that they were planning on changing it," says Frum. "Didn't give us an opportunity to discuss it prior to its implementation."

Half of the nurses who were fired were later reinstated. Dr. Janice Orlowski, a hospital administrator, says the ones who were dismissed were guilty of gross misconduct. She says the hospital made every effort to help them get to work, and they could have made it.

"Unfortunately we're dealing with a very small number who quite frankly we felt refused to do their job," says Orlowski.

Nurses United will announce the results of the strike vote Monday morning.

Latest D.C. Local News

July 30, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) Metro fares are changing this weekend. Beginning Sunday, Metrorail customers who use a paper ticket will pay 25 cents more per trip than customers who use a plastic SmarTrip card.

WASHINGTON (AP) The head of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center is leaving her job overseeing the multimillion-dollar tourist operation. A spokeswoman for the Architect of the Capitol says Terrie Rouse will no longer serve as CEO of visitors services at the underground center.

WASHINGTON (AP) The head of the U.S. Capitol Police says he's remedied a budget shortfall after an audit revealed miscalculations. In a report last month, the department's inspector general found problems in this year's and next year's budget requests, which resulted in a significant deficit.

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

Latest Maryland Regional News

July 30, 2010 - ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Republican Robert Ehrlich says Maryland isn't giving local communities enough say in how to help troubled youths. But Gov. O'Malley's campaign is disputing the former governor's conclusions.

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) A Maryland man has been indicted for his role in the June slaying of a Maryland state trooper outside an Applebee's restaurant in Forestville. A Prince George's County grand jury indicted 28-year-old Anthony Milton II yesterday.

TOWSON, Md. (AP) Rescue crews have recovered the body of a 23-year-old man who drowned in Loch Raven Reservoir. Baltimore County Fire officials say Quentin Robinson of Baltimore was fishing with two friends yesterday morning when he went into the water. Swimming is illegal in the reservoir.

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

Latest Virginia Regional News

July 30, 2010 - RICHMOND, Va. (AP) A Pittsylvania County judge has set Sept. 23 as the execution date for Virginia's only woman on death row. Teresa Lewis was sentenced to death for plotting to have her husband and stepson killed in 2002 so she collect a $250,000 life insurance policy.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Gov. Bob McDonnell is planning to speak with Virginians at a series of town hall meetings. McDonnell's office says the eight-stop tour starts next Wednesday in Roanoke and runs through the end of August. McDonnell's office says he's planning to talk about issues facing the state.

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

Arlington Petition Drive Fails

July 30, 2010 - By Michael Pope

Spearheaded by the firefighters union and the Republican Party, the effort to change the form of government in Arlington would have created a system of districts in the county and moved several duties of the appointed county manager to the elected County Board members.

But the effort failed, according to County Registrar Linda Lindberg. Out of the 16,000 signatures submitted, Lindberg says, 11,000 were valid; that's about 3,000 signatures short of the threshold.

In a written statement, the group seeking the measure said that even though the referendum won't be on the ballot, the thousands of valid signatures that WERE collected are an indication that many people in Arlington are unhappy with how the county government is structured.

Disabled Maryland Veteran Leads Group Up Mt. Kilimanjaro

July 30, 2010 - By Garrett Browne

Three veterans from three generations, all with an artificial leg, set out today to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Garrett Browne reports the climb's organizer says such challenges can be an important part of recovery.

Kirk Bauer is the Executive Director of Disabled Sports USA, as well as a Vietnam Vet with a prosthetic left leg. He says the veterans in his organization have been really gung ho.

“They really wanted to push how much they could use their prostheses to do the sports and the adaptive equipment, they wanted to go further and faster,” says Bauer.

But to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, they'll need to pack some special equipment, including extra legs.

"If my first leg fails, then I’m going to my second leg, if that fails then I’m going to my crutches, I’m pretty determined to go to the top. One way or another,” he says.

Bauer says challenges like this aren't just for fun. They have positive psychological effects on wounded veterans.

“I had one guy state that he had seriously considered suicide before he got involved in sports, and now he is striving to be a Para Olympic athlete.”

Bauer expects his group will take seven days to get to the top and back.

The Week's Top Stories With Post Columnist Robert McCartney

July 30, 2010 - This week the National Transportation Safety Board released its conclusions about last year's fatal red line crash. Some Virginia lawmakers want to mirror Arizona's anti-illegal immigration law.

Morning Edition host Matt McCleskey talks with Washington Post Columnist Robert McCartney about the week's top stories...

D.C. Metro Crash Spurs Federal Oversight Effort

July 30, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) Supporters of legislation in Congress that would give federal regulators the power to force transit agencies to make improvements are rallying around a ruling by investigators that the lack of federal safety oversight contributed to the Metro crash that killed nine people last year.

They hope the National Transportation Safety Board's strong language favoring this oversight will make it easier to convince lawmakers that it is necessary. But a hold placed on the bill by Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn to keep it from being fast-tracked through Congress could interfere.

The $66 million Public Transportation Safety Act, which is now before the full Senate, would give the transportation secretary authority over public transportation safety.

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

VCU Receives $2.2M Grant For Geriatric Health Care

July 30, 2010 - RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia Commonwealth University has received a $2.2 million federal grant for a project aimed at easing a shortage of health care professionals trained in geriatrics.

The university said Friday that the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration awarded the grant to VCU's Virginia Center on Aging to develop the Virginia Geriatric Education Center Consortium.

Initiatives to improve the training of health professionals in geriatrics include inter-professional faculty development, curriculum development, clinical training of students and continuing professional education.

Virginia Center on Aging director Edward Ansello says the goal is to improve the well being of older Virginians.

Online: Virginia Center on Aging: http://www.vcu.edu/vcoa/.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

This Week In Congress - July 30, 2010

July 30, 2010 - SCRIPT:

I’m Elizabeth Wynne Johnson of Capitol News Connection. This Week in Congress...

For the House, this would be the last gasp of legislative business before the August recess. One key health care topic reemerged, just in time to refresh voters’ memories before House members like Maryland’s Donna Edwards return to their districts.

EDWARDS: A public option that at the end of the day saves money.

POLIS" I don’t think we should take anything off the table with regard to reducing the deficit and fiscal responsibility.

Edwards and Colorado Congressman Jared Polis were among those Democrats forced to swallow a bitter pill in this year’s health care overhaul. The loss of the government-backed insurance approach known as "public option." Now 100 or so of those lawmakers want a rematch.

POLIS: Congress is going to be looking at a lot of ways of reducing the deficit. And you know what, a lot of them might be a lot less popular than the public option.

With Republicans and fiscally-conservative Democrats finding common ground in at least one thing – sounding the deficit alarm – that’s become the backbone of a renewed argument in favor of a public option. A Congressional Budget Office estimate says the latest proposal would help reduce the deficit by $68 billion dollars through 2020.

While backers say a public option fosters competition, opponents say it’s just the opposite. Maryland Republican Roscoe Bartlett doubts more moderate Democrats have the political and intestinal fortitude to take up this issue again.

BARTLETT: I think that many of their members here who were coerced into voting for that would not feel kindly if they had to walk that plank and it wasn’t going to get through the Senate.

Speaking of things that are tough to get through the Senate...This week, a campaign finance bill aimed at rolling back a controversial Supreme Court ruling came to a vote. To recap – starting with Senator Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat who supports the DISCLOSE Act:

MERKLEY: If the essence of the First Amendment is that competing voices should be heard in the marketplace of ideas, Citizens United just gave the largest corporations a stadium sound system with which to drown out the voice of American citizens.

BENNETT: The DISCLOSE Act listens to the outcry of some corps, such as NRA, and says, "we won’t make it apply to you."

Sen. Bob Bennett, a Utah Republican...

BENNETT: ...Thus demonstrating...responding to political pressure. This is not a "disclose" act, it’s an act aimed at [selectively] prohibiting free speech.

In the end, the Senate did not pass the DISCLOSE Act.

Also in the Senate this week, Majority Leader Harry Reid rolled out a much-anticipated energy bill – which by this point had taken on the name and form of a "clean energy jobs and BP accountability" bill. Notably absent: the climate-focused element. No provision to cap overall levels of carbon emissions.

Over in the House, a final vote on the $59 billion war funding bill. Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz was one of the 12 Republicans who voted against it.

CHAFFETZ: There are now less than 100 Al Qaeda in the country and the Taliban pose no clear and present danger to the U.S. nor to the current Afghan government. That’s what our CIA director is saying.

He’s at odds with those who argue that keeping up the fight in Afghanistan is essential to the global war on terror. In the end, the vote was almost three-to-one in favor.

As the House breaks for the August recess, Democrats are primed to trumpet a list of things changed by their legislative handiwork: The health care insurance industry, Wall Street and bracing for fallout, as well...Including the latest – an announcement by the House Ethics Committee that former Ways and Means chairman Charlie Rangel will face 13 charges of breaking House rules and federal laws.

That was This Week in Congress. I’m Elizabeth Wynne Johnson, Capitol News Connection.

Rhee Question Dogs Gray Campaign

July 30, 2010 - By Patrick Madden

It's the question that just won't go away: will D.C. Council Chair Vincent Gray keep schools chancellor Michelle Rhee on if he's elected mayor? Gray, for now, is refusing to answer. But the issue is becoming campaign fodder for his opponent.

If Gray thought he could escape the Rhee question at a debate on senior citizen issues, he was mistaken. In fact, when the men were asked about it, Fenty pre-empted Gray's answer.

"I'll tell you what the Chairman is gonna say, he's going to say that he's not gonna say what he's gonna do about chancellor Rhee until he gets elected," says Fenty. "How can you run for mayor of the District of Columbia and not be willing to say what you are going to do on the top issue that people are concerned about in this city, and that's education."

Gray didn't bite. In his answer, the chairman talked about his education plan but not about his plans for Rhee. When I asked him about it after the debate, he wouldn't budge.

"When there is a reason to have that discussion I'll have it with everyone, including Michelle Rhee," says Gray.

But until then, there are no signs the issue will go away.

Should PEPCO Put Wires Underground?

July 30, 2010 - By Matt Bush

In Maryland, Bethesda and Potomac were two of the hardest hit areas after last Sunday's storm that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands in Montgomery County.

Bethesda and Potomac have an abundance of trees, especially on private property. Some members of the Montgomery County council have suggested that PEPCO put some wires underground to prevent trees from falling on them.

PEPCO President Thomas Graham says that's not generally feasible. He points to a recent study that showed putting one mile of wire underground would cost PEPCO $6 million.

"We have about 14,000 miles of aerial wire between the primary and secondary in our service territory," says Graham.

But Graham says, putting wires underground in certain spots would make sense.

"It might be selective under-grounding of the primary, not the primary and the secondary. But the primary and that would lower the risk for customers," he says.

But Graham says there is another drawback to putting wires underground. When there is an outage, it would take longer to fix.

Zoo Springs Into Action To Save Frogs

July 30, 2010 - By Sabri Ben-Achour

The National Zoo is carrying out a frog rescue operation to save amphibians from a deadly fungus that's spreading world wide.

In a misty tank at the National Zoo, some Panamanian Golden Frogs are wrestling. It's not something you'd see in the wild anymore.

"Well we're in the midst of a crisis right now," says Brian Gratwick is the amphibian conservation biologist at the National Zoo.

"There's a fungus that's wiping out a lot of the frogs around the world. We think about 90 of 122 species that have gone extinct since 1980 have gone extinct because of this fungus," he says.

Scientists think it was introduced with imported frogs from Africa. So biologists around the world are in rescue mode. National Zoo biologist Matt Evans is one of them, he just got back from the most isolated cloud forests of Panama to find frogs before the fungus does.

Some are being kept in giant shipping containers in Panama that have been converted into quarantine facilities. Others are here, in the basement, in a sterile room the zoo has tanks of it's own. Each are full of tiny, fingernail sized baby Panamanian golden frogs.

"This is basically the future of keeping this species alive in the long term," says Evans.

Until a cure is found for the fungus, this is how at least 50 species of frog will remain on the planet.

Campaign Aims To Deliver 500,000 Female Condoms By Year's End

July 30, 2010 - By Rebecca Sheir

Since March, organizations in D.C. have been preparing to hand out half-a-million female condoms.

After months of focus groups and training, the organizations and the D.C. Department of Health are kicking off the D.C. "Doin' It" campaign. The campaign is targeting the neighborhoods hardest hit by HIV and AIDS.

Our Place D.C., a nonprofit serving women returning from prison, is one of the five local organizations distributing female condoms as part of the campaign.

Executive director Ashley McSwain says Our Place D.C.'s clients are especially at risk of HIV and AIDS.

"Oftentimes the women we serve tell us they're not always sure how to negotiate having the male use a condom," says McSwain. "So they have the power now to manage their own sexual health."

But correct use is key. Which is why Kehinde Hall of Community Education Group says outreach workers give detailed instructions. CEG is handing out condoms throughout Wards 7 and 8.

"We got like 200 establishments that we distribute to," says Hall. "Beauty salons, barbershops, mom and pop stores, we got laundromats, tattoo parlors, we got some of the urban clothing stores."

CVS Pharmacy also is taking part in the campaign, by selling female condoms in all of its stores in D.C.

WTU Disputes Fired Teacher Numbers, DCPS Says That's Just One List

July 30, 2010 - By Kavitha Cardoza

Leaders of D.C.'s public schools and the Washington Teachers Union managed to put their differences aside long enough to get a contract passed. But there seems to have been a complete breakdown in communication since then.

George Parker, president of the WTU, says the reputation of D.C. teachers has been "battered nationwide." He says he's asked repeatedly for a list of teachers fired. He's even disputing the number of teachers fired for poor performance, saying it's less than half the 165 Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee quoted.

But a DCPS spokesperson says the difference is because the union asked for a list of teachers who have already received termination letters, not total numbers.

Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers says the Schools Chancellor has not been forthcoming with information.

"The moment the contract was signed and ratified, Michelle Rhee has gone back to her days of basically being very hidden about what she's doing and not being open and honest with either the public or the teachers," says Weingarten.

The WTU says it will file a Freedom of Information request for details including the teacher's schools, job titles and evaluation scores.

Power Breakfast For July 30, 2010

July 30, 2010 - For three consecutive days this week, Congresswoman Donna Edwards led clusters of House Democrats in a deliberate stroll, 700 feet or so, over to the Senate. Where they sat.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

MarylandReporter.com: State Roundup, July 30, 2010

July 30, 2010 - From the Maryland Reporter website:

O'MALLEY BLASTS JUDGE Gov. Martin O'Malley is among those turning up the heat on a Baltimore judge at the center of outrage over the murder of Stephen Pitcairn, a Johns Hopkins researcher. View Mike Hellgren's report for WJZ-TV. Here's Jeff Abell's report for WBFF-TV. And Brian Kubler's report for WMAR-TV. Read Jayne Miller and Steve Fermier's report for WBAL.

CRIME BUCKS And, with less than 100 days to go before the election, O'Malley gives Baltimore City $7.1 million to fight crime, Mary Bubala reports WJZ-TV.

JESSAMY-BERNSTEIN FACEOFF WMAR-TV's Christian Schaffer reports on the debate between Baltimore city's top prosecutor, Patricia Jessamy, and challenger Gregg Bernstein.

KILLING POLITICS Maybe politics has no place in criminal justice, and maybe politics has no place within earshot of the family of the victim of a senseless street killing, but this is 2010, and this is Baltimore, writes columnist Dan Rodricks for the Sun.

GUN ADVOCATES The gun rights advocates who successfully challenged the District's gun laws have moved their campaign to Maryland, filing a federal lawsuit claiming that the state's weapons restrictions violate the Second Amendment, Maria Glod reports for the Washington Post.

GOP AG FAILURE The Gazette's Alan Brody writes that the Republican Party was set to nominate lawyer James Shalleck to run against incumbent AG Doug Gansler, but one central committee chair failed to approve a procedural change to get him on the ballot.

JOBS, JOBS, JOBS The Maryland governor's race has produced few headlines, but the not-so-subtle message evident in Gov. Martin O'Malley's public schedule was the same one he's pushed almost every week since the campaign began: Jobs, jobs, jobs, Aaron Davis blogs in the Washington Post.

YOUTH ISSUES Governor hopeful Bob Ehrlich met with about 10 advocates for children who complained that local management boards have lost decision-making authority to a more centralized system under Gov. O'Malley, the AP reports in the Hagerstown Herald-Mail.

OUTAGE POWER Sean Sedam reports in The Gazette how candidates are using power outages and storm response to benefit their campaigns. Montgomery County politicians share their power outage stories with The Gazette's Erin Cunningham. Widespread outages make Gov. O'Malley's call for a long-term electricity report very timely, reports The Gazette's Sean Sedam.

DNC SENDS CASH The Democratic National Committee wired $100,000 to the Maryland Democratic Party, a cash infusion the party says will help statewide campaign efforts for the fall, blogs Annie Linskey for the Baltimore Sun.

PG COUNTY Voters in Prince George's County are a key component of votes Gov. Martin O'Malley needs to win another term, writes The Gazette's Daniel Valentine.

BAY POLLUTION Nick Sohr of the Daily Record reports that 55 farmers signed a petition sent to Gov. O’Malley, asking him to hold large poultry producers responsible for pollution from chicken houses seeping into the Chesapeake Bay. The Gazette's Margie Hyslop writes that the petition was circulated by Environment Maryland.

HEALTH CARE Barbara Pash of MarylandReporter.com reports that Sen. Mac Middleton is pushing the General Assembly to tackle the thorny issues of medical malpractice and the scope of practice allowed health providers who are not physicians.

HEADS UP Carroll County Times editorial writers say that a preliminary report from a committee examining the impact of health care reform on Maryland should give us a jump on what to expect when the full impact of the federal legislation hits the state.

STATE PENSIONS State employees and retirees — some venting frustrations — gathered in Hagerstown to learn about “serious concern” over the management of the state’s pension programs, Dave McMillion reports for the Hagerstown Herald-Mail.

SLOTS DEBATE The language in the slots referendum seems to hide what is really behind the mall gambling debate, writes Eric Hartley of the Annapolis Capital.

INCUMBENT ISSUES The Gazette's editorial staff opines that negative feelings about government gives incumbents a tough road to re-election.

BARTLETT FOE Daniel Massey, a Washington County resident running as a Libertarian candidate to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, says his top campaign issue is stopping federal spending. Meg Tully of the Frederick News Post profiles the candidate.

LEOPOLD'S HEALTH Political Notes in the Annapolis Capital reports that AA County Executive John Leopold has released statements from his doctors attesting to his health, plus a myriad of fundraisers and party meetings

BACO PAC ENDORSES The newly formed Baltimore County Community Political Action Committee announced its endorsements in the Democratic and Republican primaries for six of the seven County Council races, reports Bryan Sears for Patuxent Publishing.

METRO CRASH AFTERMATH Maryland's Congressional delegation is going to meet with the National Transportation Safety Board to push for federal oversight of Metro, following a scathing report on safety lapses that contributed to a catastrophic crash last year, reports The Gazette's C. Benjamin Ford.

NO CONVENTION Democrats and Republicans both tell The Gazette's Erin Cunningham that there is no need for the state to have another constitutional convention.

GAZETTE NOTEBOOK This week's Gazette tidbits include Republican delegate candidate Jim Petit using new campaign finance laws to revamp his Facebook presence; typo in District 27 mailer tells constituents $713.8 million spent on Calvert County emergency services; poetic reception theme for Jon Cardin; new front-runner for shortest time in office.

UNION LEADER ACQUITTED Gino Renne, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1994/Municipal and County Government Employees Organization, was acquitted of assault charges after his wife -- the reported victim -- refused to testify, The Gazette's Erin Cunningham reports.

FUNDING NEEDED After a national report ranked the state 25th in children's well-being, child advocates and lawmakers are calling for a long-proposed program to fund more prenatal care to be approved, reports Sean Sedam of The Gazette.

GONZALES POLL Gazette columnists weigh in on the poll released that showed O'Malley and Ehrlich in a dead heat to be the next governor. Blair Lee highlights that most voters feel the economy is the top issue. Barry Rascovar muses that the poll doesn't tell people very much.

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED The Gazette's Erin Cunningham reports that the Department of Human Resources employee who posted nearly 3,000 Social Security numbers on a website was fired.

Immigration Debate Moves To Virginia

July 29, 2010 - By Michael Pope

Despite a ruling that puts a hold on Arizona's controversial new immigration crackdown, one Virginia politician is trying to push similar legislation in Richmond.

Prince William County Board of Supervisors Corey Stewart says he agrees with the federal judge who blocked a provision of Arizona's law that requires immigrants to carry registration papers at all times. But he disagrees with the part of the judge's ruling that blocks law-enforcement officers from checking a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws.

"We're confident that that provision of the law will withstand scrutiny, and that's why I'm going to be proposing that in the Commonwealth of Virginia as well," he says.

He calls his proposal the "Virginia Rule of Law Act." It would enhance police powers to capture, detain and deport undocumented residents. It would also increase criminal penalties, allow law-enforcement officials to break up day-labor operations and prohibit localities from preventing police officers from inquiring about the legal status of those who are detained. Stewart says he's confident that the issue will resonate with voters this November and beyond.

"The American people support a crackdown on illegal immigration, and when they see a Democratic Congress and a Democratic president refusing to do anything to crack down on illegal immigration, that's going to take a toll," he says.

Stewart says he hopes the proposals will be taken up in the next session of the General Assembly in January.

Trains Affected As Storm Brings Lines, Trees

July 29, 2010 - SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) Commuter rail service in the Silver Spring area has been halted after a storm moved through the region, bringing down power lines and trees along the tracks.

MARC says a train is stopped west of the Silver Spring station. Maryland Transit Administration spokesman Dave Clark says the MARC's Brunswick line is not running because power lines are on a track. He says officials are coordinating buses to transport train passengers.

The Metro subway system also says it has a service interruption in the area.

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

New Storms Bring New Outages

July 29, 2010 - BALTIMORE (AP) The Baltimore-Washington area, still recovering from thunderstorms on Sunday that left hundreds of thousands without power, was hit again by severe weather.

Thunderstorms rolled through the region Thursday afternoon, bringing down trees and cutting power to thousands.

Baltimore Gas + Electric says about 23,000 lost power in the most recent storms, but power was restored quickly to about 7,500.

Pepco, which still had about 7,000 customers who have been without power since Sunday, says about 20,000 are now without power. The utility says about 18,000 of those are in Montgomery County.

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

NBC4 Video:

PEPCO Planning For Another Storm

July 29, 2010 - By Matt Bush

Another round of severe weather is poised to hit the D.C.-region, and it could complicate PEPCO's efforts in restoring power to those who still don't have it after last Sunday's storms.

Regardless of what happens during the latest storms, PEPCO President Thomas Graham says the utility company remains focused on restoring power to those who lost it on Sunday.

"If there are customers from the original outage, they will be our priority for us," he says. "We will not forget about them. They will not drop to the end of the list. We know who they are."

Graham says much of the restoration remaining for PEPCO involves specialized work that takes time.

"The cable that's coming from the pole to the house; in some cases that cable has been taken down," he says. "That's a situation where a specialized crew that has a ladder can come in and do that work. A bucket truck can't fit in someone's yard."

Graham says power crews from all over Maryland are helping PEPCO do that specialized work.

Latest D.C. Local News

July 29, 2010 - WASHIGTON (AP) Metro fares are changing this weekend. Beginning on Sunday, Metrorail customers who use a paper ticket will pay 25 cents more per trip than customers who use a plastic SmarTrip card.

WASHINGTON (AP) The head of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center is leaving her position overseeing the multimillion-dollar tourist facility. Eva Malecki, a spokeswoman for the Architect of the Capitol, says Terrie Rouse will no longer serve as CEO of visitors services at the underground center.

WASHINGTON (AP) The head of the U.S. Capitol Police says he's remedied a budget shortfall after an audit revealed miscalculations. In a report last month, the department's inspector general found problems in this year's and next year's budget requests, which resulted in a significant deficit. The inspector general says the department faces millions of dollars in a salary shortfall.

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

Latest Maryland Regional News

July 29, 2010 - BALTIMORE (AP) A Baltimore man accused of first-degree murder in the stabbing death of a Johns Hopkins University researcher has been ordered held without bond. A District Court judge denied bond yesterday for 34-year-old John Wagner, saying his record shows "an extreme disregard for others."

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) Officials say three firefighters were hurt battling a house fire they say began shortly after electricity was restored to the home. Prince George's County officials say the fire broke out yesterday afternoon in Oxon Hill.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Maryland Natural Resources Police say lightning killed an Annapolis man caught on a personal watercraft during a thunderstorm near the Bay Bridge. Officials say 63-year-old Warren Douglas Smith and another man were riding two personal watercraft Sunday night when a storm blew in.

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

Latest Virginia Regional News

July 29, 2010 - RICHMOND, Va. (AP) A September execution has been set for Virginia's only woman on death row. A Pittsylvania County Circuit judge set a Sept. 23 execution for 40-year-old Teresa Lewis today. She was sentenced to death for plotting to have her husband and stepson killed in 2002 so she could collect life insurance.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) A man convicted in the deadly sniper attacks that terrorized the Washington, D.C., area in 2002 says two others planned to participate in the attacks but backed out. The revelation comes in a prison interview with Lee Boyd Malvo for today's premier of "Confessions of the D.C. Sniper with William Shatner: An Aftermath Special" on the A+E television network.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) A new report ranks Virginia fourth among 30 coastal states for beach water quality. The report released by the National Resources Defense Council says 3 percent of water samples taken from 44 beaches monitored by the state last year exceeded the daily maximum bacterial standard.

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

Amnesty Notices Mailed To Delinquent Tax Payers

July 29, 2010 - By Meymo Lyons

Delinquent taxpayers will get a rare opportunity to pay outstanding taxes and interest to the District of Columbia and avoid criminal prosecution. The D.C. Tax Amnesty program will run from Aug. 2, 2010 through Sept. 30, 2010, offering individuals and businesses the opportunity to pay the piper.

A special website has been set up to help tax delinquents expedite the process of getting right.

Known receivables of $170 million are owed to the District by 42,000 individuals and businesses. Sixty percent are located in the District with 40 percent outside, primarily in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs.

D.C. is one of a number of jurisdictions implementing tax amnesty periods this year as governments nationwide seek ways to close budget gaps.

Grand Jury Indicts in Md. Trooper Slaying

July 29, 2010 - By Rebecca Blatt

A grand jury in Prince George's County, Maryland has handed down an indictment in the slaying of a Maryland state trooper in June.

Anthony Milton II, 28, is charged with first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, as well as weapons charges in the death of Maryland State Trooper Wesley Brown.

Brown was shot outside of an Applebees restaurant in Forestville, where he worked part-time as a security guard. If he's convicted, Milton could face life in prison, plus an additional 20 years.

Police have another man in custody, Cyril Cornelius, 27, Williams, who has been charged with murder but not yet indicted. Officials have not publicly stated which man they believe pulled the trigger.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch For Washington Region

July 29, 2010 - From the National Weather Service:

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued until 7 p.m. Showers and thunderstorms are expected this afternoon, with damaging winds possible.

Heat indexes will increase to at or just above 100 degrees into the afternoon hours across southern Maryland and the Interstate 95 corridor of North Central Virginia. Cold frontal storms are expected by mid-afternoon.

Arlington May Have More Unmarked Graves Than Initially Thought

July 29, 2010 - By Manuel Quinones

A top Democrat says as many as 6,600 graves could be unmarked or mislabeled at Arlington National Cemetery because workers didn’t do their jobs properly. The new estimate was revealed at a Senate oversight hearing and is much higher than previous numbers.

Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill blasted former Arlington Cemetery Superintendent John Metzler. She and other lawmakers accused him and former Deputy Superintendent Thurman Higginbotham of neglecting known problems at the cemetery.

"Five years ago you knew you had unidentified urns that were turning up in the fill," says McCaskill. "And you didn’t go and try to do any kind of survey and determine what was going on?"

Metzler expressed regret to those affected by the mismanagement.

"As the senior government official in charge of the cemetery, I accept full responsibility for my actions and the actions of my team," he says.

Lawmakers wanted to look into contracts related to the updating of tracking technology at Arlington Cemetery. McCaskill accused the cemetery of spending millions of dollars with little to show for it.

"I find it troubling that we are still using paper records at Arlington National Cemetery," says Kathryn Condon, the new director of the Army’s cemeteries program.

Military officials promised corrective actions. Lawmakers promised to keep looking into related contracts and fraud allegations.

Boy Charged For Killing Worker At Youth Facility

July 29, 2010 - By Matt Bush

In Maryland, a 14-year-old boy has been charged as juvenile for the murder of a worker at a state youth facility in Prince George's County where he was housed. Following the murder of 65-year-old Hannah Wheeling, the superintendent of the Cheltenham Youth Facility was demoted, two workers were fired and two others were disciplined.

Several state lawmakers, including Delegate Anthony O'Donnell, have criticized the state's department of juvenile services, as well as the Prince George's County State's Attorney office for giving out little information regarding the case. State's Attorney Glenn Ivey says he can't talk about the investigation right now.

"We appreciate the legislature's interest. My wife is a state delegate, certainly she reminds me of the respect that body should receive. But we have a job to do here and we have to make sure we do it in the right way, and politics is irrelevant to us," says Ivey.

Ivey says they will attempt to try the boy as an adult.

Go-Go Track Sings Fenty's Praises

July 29, 2010 - By Patrick Madden

The D.C. mayor's race is about to get a lot funkier as Mayor Adrian Fenty uses go-go to help get-out-the-vote. Campaign songs are as old as, well, at least 1840 when that chart-busting "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" helped carry William Henry Harrison into the White House.

And now we have the first musical foray into this year's hotly contested D.C. mayor's race, courtesty of local go-go artist Stinky Dink.

The rapper praises the record of Mayor Adrian Fenty behind a funky, go-go beat. Here's a sample riff:

"A lot more sweat, less blood and tears / got the lowest murder rate in 'bout 40 years / 22,000 jobs for the young'uns / so they can do somethin' constructive for the summer."

In fact, the Fenty Campaign has been organzing go-go concerts this summer to sign up voters. The man behind the concerts, and the campaign song, is Fenty supporter Ron Moten.

"Go-Go is the language for a lot of people in Washington," says Moten.

Moten also says there are three or four more tracks coming out, including one with a vocal by Fenty himself. As for the Gray campaign, no word yet whether they'll respond with a tune of their own. But Gray spokeswoman Traci Hughes says the go-go song has a "nice beat" but has no idea what it has to do with Fenty.

Feds OK 40-Mile Ride For Infected Biolab Workers

July 29, 2010 - FREDERICK, Md. (AP) The National Institutes of Health is giving final approval to plans for driving potentially infected lab workers 40 miles down Interstate 270 in case of exposure to some of world's deadliest germs.

Notice of the approved transport plan was published in Friday's Federal Register.

Workers at a planned NIH bio-defense laboratory at Fort Detrick in Frederick would be taken by ambulance to the agency's main campus in Bethesda for treatment.

Critics fear a disastrous release of pathogens if the ambulance crashes on I-270. But NIH says local medical facilities can't provide adequate care or public protection.

If necessary, patients would be carried on stretchers encased in vinyl and ventilated through high-efficiency filters.

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

VA Police Chase Ends At Alexandria's City Hall

July 29, 2010 - ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) Two people are in custody after an alleged armed robbery and police chase in Virginia that ended in Alexandria's city hall.

Police say the chase began at about 8 p.m. Wednesday when the two men allegedly robbed a Best Western hotel in Arlington. The suspects were chased and crashed in Old Town Alexandria.

One suspect was arrested at the crash scene but another ran into Alexandria's city hall where he was arrested after a brief search.

Police say the suspects struck another vehicle during the chase, injuring one person. That person's injuries were not life threatening.

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

Metro Rail Fares Go Up Sunday

July 29, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) Metro fares are changing this weekend.

Beginning on Sunday, Metrorail customers who use a paper ticket will pay 25 cents more per trip than customers who use a plastic SmarTrip card.

Metro will also start adding a 20 cent additional charge during so-called "peak-of-the peak" periods. Those are weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. and afternoons between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The afternoon peak-of-the-peak increases take effect on Monday. The morning peak-of-the-peak increases are expected to take effect by the end of August.

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

Metro Circuit Company Working In Other Cities To Prevent Future Crashes

July 29, 2010 - By David Schultz

Metro's track circuits are being blamed for last year's deadly Red Line crash, and the company that designed the circuits says it's working with its clients across the country to make sure the crash doesn't happen again.

SEPTA, the public transportation agency in Philadelphia, is one of seven major cities using circuits designed by Alstom Transport, the company Metro uses. Mike Monastero, the head of communications and signals at SEPTA, says Alstom checked his equipment earlier this year and everything came up fine.

"The system that Metro had was 30 years old. Ours is a much newer generation of track circuit equipment," says Monastero. "Ours is probably ten years old now."

Dwight Ferrell, the Chief Operating Officer of MARTA in Atlanta, is another Alstom customer. He says Alstom tested circuits there as well.

"They don't want to see this thing happen in any other places," says Ferrell, "and it's in their best interests to work with us along with the other systems who have been identified."

It's also in Alstom's financial interests. The families of the Metro crash victims are suing Alstom for damages in civil court.

Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Spann Watson Buried At Arlington Cemetery

July 29, 2010 - By Elliott Francis

Lt Col.Spann Watson, one of 160 original black World War II fighter pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen, will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery this morning. He died in April.

Spann Watson was just 10-years old in 1927 when his love of flying began. His son, Weyman Watson says it was a chance encounter at an airshow featuring famed aviator Charles Lindburg.

"Unexpectedly Lindberg flew in and landed his plane during this airshow and he got to see Lindberg flying. If he didn't like airplanes before, he really liked then then," says Watson.

Watson earned his pilot's license before World War II. In 1940 he tried to enlist as a pilot. In a 2009 interview with NJ.com, Watson describes the response he got from the army recruiter.

"You don't have the brains, nor the aptitude to be flying airplanes and there are no blacks in the air force," Col. Spann Watson recalls.

The next year, Watson joined the fledgling Tuskegee program and the 99th fighter Squadron, flying 30-missions over North Africa, Italy, and Southern Europe. Weyman says today's tribute at Arlington is just what his dad hoped for.

"To go to Arlington with the type of honors he's going to receive is exactly where he would want to be," he says.

Lt. Col Spann Watson was 93 years old.

Power Breakfast For July 29, 2010

July 29, 2010 - Cadmium. It's the new lead.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

MarylandReporter.com: State Roundup July 29, 2010

July 29, 2010 - From the Maryland Reporter website:

ENVIRO BRAWL Maryland's two leading candidates for governor -- incumbent Martin O'Malley and former gov Bob Ehrlich -- slammed one another over their environmental records and diverting funds from two programs, Julie Bykowicz reports for the Baltimore Sun. Adam May reports on the story for WJZ-TV. The brawl began, blogs John Wagner of the Washington Post, with Ehrlich's visit to a riverside bar in eastern Baltimore County. And here's Bykowicz's blog on the issue.

EHRLICH SURGERY Ehrlich has returned to the campaign trail after minor back and neck surgery Friday to address a problem dating to his college football days, reports John Wagner for the Post. Julie Bykowicz reports this story for the Sun.

POLITICAL CLIMATE Meg Tully of the Frederick News Post reports on Ehrlich's address to a local Rotary Club about the national political climate.

PG DEM HEAD RESIGNS The chairman of the Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee has resigned at the height of campaign season, which political observers say could have a major impact on Gov. Martin O'Malley's bid for a second term, Daniel Valentine reports for the Gazette.

MIKULSKI SEAT Every election, U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski faces a number of bright-eyed competitors who have the optimism of a Sunday preacher, says editorial writers for the Annapolis Capital.

POLS ON MURDER O'Malley and state Comptroller Peter Franchot weigh in on the Charles Village murder of Stephen Pitcairn, blogs Annie Linskey of the Sun. Pitcairn's murder continues to draw attention to Baltimore City State's Attorney Patricia Jessamy, now being blasted for a video shot just hours before Pitcairn's death. The story by Dan Taylor and video by Linda So of WMAR-TV can be found here.

HISPANIC JUDGES Maryland's fast-growing Hispanic population is about to have its first male rep in judicial robes with O'Malley's pick of lawyer Ricardo Zwaig for the Howard County District Court, writes Larry Carson of the Sun. He joins Audrey Creighton, named to a Montgomery County judgeship. She will become the third female Hispanic judge.

IMMIGRATION BILL State Del. Pat McDonough is pitching an Arizona-like immigration bill to close the border of what he calls one of the biggest sanctuary states in the country. Read Joce Sterman's piece for WMAR-TV.

STATE CENTER Megan Poinski of MarylandReporter.com reports that the state Board of Public Works unanimously green-lighted work to begin on the $215 million first phase of the massive public-private partnership designed to revitalize central Baltimore, improve government office space and create jobs. Annie Linskey of the Sun says the project is part of a $1.3 billion project. The Public Works meeting was broadcast live. So how did it go? Len Lazarick of MarylandReporter.com reports.

MOONEY SLAMMED Democrat candidate Ronald Young slams incumbent GOP state Sen. Alex Mooney, saying, “He just votes no on everything," reports Andrew Schotz of the Herald-Mail.

PG SEAT SWITCH Joshua Garner reports for the Gazette that after planning his campaign for PG County Council for nearly a year, Sidney Gibson quietly exited the race and filed for the House of Delegates seat in District 26. That seat is held by Kris Valderamma, who is running for re-election.

NEW DELEGATE Scherod Barnes has been sworn in to replace Del. Ann Marie Doory, WBAL-Radio and the AP report.

GOP FORUM Dave McMillion writes for the Hagerstown Herald-Mail that candidates filled the American Legion post for the Washington County Republican Club forum.

MOCO COUNCIL Montgomery County Council President Nancy Floreen is touting her fiscal prowess as she seeks a third term, Erin Cunningham reports for the Gazette.

HOCO COUNCIL The Sigaty-Klein contest takes the spotlight in the Howard County Council primary, reports Sarah Breitenbach of the Columbia Flier.

VINDIVICH PROFILE Heather Keels of the Herald-Mail profiles Washington County commissioner candidate Nick Vindivich Jr., who says he wants to use his business experience to help create and maintain jobs.

GOP ENDORSES For the first time in its history, the Patapsco Valley Republican Club has voted on endorsements for primary election candidates. The Arbutus Times reports who was endorsed.

YOUTH CHARGED A Laurel teen has been charged with murder in the death of a teacher at the Cheltenham Youth Facility, reports Andrea Siegel of the Sun. Derek Valcourt reports the arrest story for WJZ-TV.

PUBLIC HOUSING Politicians tend to celebrate public housing, but do little to make it better for their poorer constituents, writes Paul Foer for the Capital.

BOND SALE Maryland sold $485 million in bonds on Wednesday to pay for the construction of capital projects, like schools and prisons, across the state, reports Nick Sohr for the Daily Record.

VA Launching Energy Savings Program

July 28, 2010 - RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia is launching a program to help people statewide reduce the amount of electricity they use.

The program, called Virginia Energy Sense, is being kicked off Wednesday by the State Corporation Commission.

Officials say the program uses tools, resources and outreach that together have never been used before in a state-led energy education program to encourage a collective reduction in electricity demand.

The General Assembly adopted a goal of reducing Virginia electricity demand by 10 percent by 2022.

The website at the core of the program offers step-by-step videos and budget-friendly tips. It also lets Virginians automatically track their energy consumption, compare their use with others and earn rewards.

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

Boy Charged In Murder Of Youth Facility Worker

July 28, 2010 - By Matt Bush

In Maryland, a 14-year-old boy has been charged as a juvenile in the murder and rape of an employee of a Prince George's County youth center.

The boy was 13 when he allegedly murdered and raped 65-year-old Hannah Wheeling last February. Her body was found on the ground of the Cheltenham Youth Facility, where she worked and the boy was being housed.

Prince Georges County state's attorney Glen Ivey says they will seek to try the boy as an adult.

"I can't get into the particulars of the case, but I think the circumstances speak for themselves," he says.

A source close to the investigation says there is DNA evidence linking the boy to the crime.

Pepco: 30,800 Still Without Power Days After Storm

July 28, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) Pepco says it has restored power to 90 percent of customers who lost electricity three days ago.

The utility says about 30,800 customers were still in the dark at noon Wednesday. About 23,000 of those outages are in Montgomery County.

Pepco says power should be restored to most customers by Thursday. More than 300,000 customers in Maryland and the District of Columbia lost power after thunderstorms swept through the area on Sunday.

Pepco says crews are working around the clock, and 400 workers from outside its service territory have been brought in.

Baltimore Gas + Electric reports that power has been restored to all but about 100 of the more than 120,000 customers who lost service. Power has also been restored to 94,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers.

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

School Gets Creative To Pay For Solar Panels

July 28, 2010 - By Sabri Ben-Achour

Though the cost of solar energy has come down over the years, it remains a big road block. But one of the area’s leading private schools has found it's own creative way of paying for it.

On the roof of the gym at Sidwell Friends' lower school in Bethesda, Maryland, 120 solar panels are about to be installed. It's going to cost more than $200,000. But, "this is a no cash deal for us," says Chief Financial Officer Mike Saxenian.

The school is creating an investment opportunity out of the panels, calling it a solar bond. Parents, alumni and friends buy shares in the system. The school pays them for the electricity. Because the investors are individuals, they are eligible for certain grants and incentives that aren't available to schools, says Saxenian.

Power companies in search of offsets can also pay them for what are called Renewable Energy Certificates.

The result is a 3 percent return on investment in 10 years. After that, the investors donate the panels to the school and get a tax deduction for it.

Kirk Renaud runs Common Cents Solar, a non-profit that's helping the school go solar.

"We think it's a great model for any type of situation where there's a community asset - a recreation center, a church, a synagogue, school," he says.

The school says its solar panels will offset approximately 1 million tons of greenhouse gases.

NTSB Chair Deborah Hersman Talks Metro

July 28, 2010 - WAMU's Matt McClesky speaks with NTSB Chair Deborah Hersman about NTSB's report findings on last year's Metro red line crash...

Latest D.C. Local News

July 28, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) The Justice Department is investigating whether hundreds of FBI agents cheated on a test of new rules allowing the bureau to conduct surveillance and open cases without evidence that a crime has been committed. In some instances, agents took the open-book test together, violating rules that they take it alone.

WASHINGTON (AP) Pepco says about 42,000 customers are still without electricity days after thunderstorms knocked out power for hundreds of thousands, most in Montgomery County. The utility says crews expect to have power restored to most customers by tomorrow. More than 300,000 Pepco customers in Maryland and the District of Columbia lost power after Sunday's thunderstorms.

WASHINGTON (AP) Members of the Washington D.C. Area Congressional Delegation will meet with the head of the National Transportation Safety Board. Friday's meeting will include more about the panel's findings and recommendations on last year's Metrorail crash.

WASHINGTON (AP) Officials in Washington, D.C., have launched a citywide effort to promote the use of female condoms, in hopes making them available can help stop the spread of HIV in that city. D.C. has one of the highest infection rates in the country.

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

Latest Maryland Regional News

July 28, 2010 - UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) A Prince George's County grand jury has indicted a 27-year-old Maryland man who police say is a methodical serial killer. Former UPS worker Jason Thomas Scott of Upper Marlboro is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the March 2009 slayings of nurse Delores Dewitt and her daughter.

REISTERSTOWN, Md. (AP) Baltimore County police say a woman who gave birth in the bathroom of her home put the newborn in a plastic bag and tossed the infant out a second-floor window. The baby girl survived. It happened Thursday in Reisterstown. A 911 caller said a baby in a bag had been found in bushes behind the home.

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

Latest Virginia Regional News

July 28, 2010 - RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia is launching a program to help people statewide reduce the amount of electricity they use. The program called "Virginia Energy Sense" is being kicked off today by the State Corporation Commission.

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) Eleven Somali nationals accused in separate attacks on two U.S. Navy ships are due in a Norfolk courtroom for arraignment on piracy and other charges. The defendants are scheduled to appear today before judges in separate federal courtrooms to enter pleas on the piracy charges and other counts.

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

Ehrlich Touts Flush Tax In Baltimore Area Visit

July 28, 2010 - By ALEX DOMINGUEZ Associated Press Writer

ESSEX, Md. (AP) Former Gov. Robert Ehrlich touted the "flush tax" passed during his tenure to fund sewage treatment plant upgrades, promised more "big ideas" and criticized current Gov. Martin O'Malley for using the fund for other purposes during a campaign stop Wednesday at a blue-collar stronghold in his former congressional district.

The former governor and congressman said his administration also shuffled funds around to balance the budget, but called the bay restoration fund one of the most important dedicated sources of revenue in the state "and it is something that we would think long and hard about taking dollars out of."

Ehrlich noted the fund was praised by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation when it passed, and foundation spokesman Tom Zolper confirmed before the event that the organization has supported the fund. On the use of the funds, Jenn Aiosa, the foundation's Maryland senior scientist, said state lawmakers have been told the fund will need about $500 million more to fund plant upgrades, and the $155 million that has been transferred is to be returned and is not expected to prevent any plants from being upgraded.

"Whether the transfer was made or not, we would still have a deficit," Aiosa said. However, she warned that "if any effort is made to make that shift permanent, we will raise a ruckus."

A recent poll showed O'Malley and Ehrlich in a tight race for the State House, with the economy on top of voters' minds. While the environment trailed far behind on the list of concerns for poll respondents, neither side is willing to concede anything in such a tight race.

In Annapolis, O'Malley responded to the criticism, saying

"I think the organizations that evaluate our environmental records are probably the best objective party for you to turn to on that, and I look forward to having a conversation with him about the future of our state."

The League of Conservation Voters, meanwhile, issued a statement Wednesday saying O'Malley has had to make tough decisions during difficult economic times, but "he has done a better job of addressing environmental needs during his four years as governor."

Ehrlich, speaking at a waterfront restaurant, also noted his administration passed a charter school bill that he said has saved children from failing schools. And he urged the enthusiastic crowd to support him and a host of like-minded candidates to bring competence back to state government.

The former governor also promised more "big ideas" like the bay restoration fund and charter schools.

"We like doing big things, we like big ideas, sometimes counterintuitive ideas as well," Ehrlich said.

"We like big ideas that capture the imagination of Marylanders, that work. The whole idea, obviously, behind this is to test the science. It's not just good enough to spend the money. Taxpayers are very acclimated to having money spent, they want to see results as well."

Ehrlich also said he was encouraged by the poll.

Clearly, it's a tight race. What makes us feel real good about the race so far is that he's gone almost uniformly negative with some pretty goofy ads, obviously, that haven't worked very well," Ehrlich said.

"And we haven't spent a dollar on advertising yet. Yet we're tied, so that bodes well, pretty well, for our campaign."

More than 100 turned out to see Ehrlich, who spoke in front of boats decorated with campaign signs.

Neighbor Bill Wolf said he came out to support Ehrlich "because he's not Martin O'Malley."

"I just don't think he's done anything for the state," Wolf said of O'Malley, criticizing the current governor for raising the sales tax to help balance the state budget.

Lise Criswell, a volunteer with the Back River Restoration Committee, also attended the event, saying she lived in Baltimore when O'Malley was mayor of the city, and has not been happy with his performance in either office.

"I just feel like Bob Ehrlich is more connected to the people than Governor O'Malley," Criswell said

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

DelMarVa Beaches In Good Shape, Mostly

July 28, 2010 - By Sabri Ben Achour

Jon Devine is with the Natural Resources Defense Council. He's been taking a look at the nation's beaches - how often they are closed because of unsanitary conditions, how often much bacteria is in the water, and how closely they're monitored. He says beaches in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia are doing "pretty well, our region's beaches are all in the top ten."

But there are a few exceptions.

NRDC says Tolchester Estates beach in Maryland's Kent County had more harmful bacteria than is allowable: 36 percent of the time, in 2009, according to recently compiled data. In Virginia, Fairview Beach in King George County had unsafe levels of bacteria 25 percent of the time. Devine says the bacteria get to the beach from land.

"Contaminated storm water and sewage that carries human and animal waste to beach water," he says.

But even good beaches are closed occasionally for unsanitary conditions. And, Devine says there's a problem with those advisories.

"Right now, people are warned, essentially, about yesterday's beach water," he says.

That's because the tests for bacteria take a day. So when beaches are closed, it probably means the water has been bad for a few days. Until tests are updated, Devine recommends not swimming after heavy rains, which wash bacteria into the water.

He also discourages swimming at beaches with visible potential sources of pollution, including marinas or drainage pipes.

The full beach report can be found here.

Transportation Safety Bill Blocked In Senate

July 28, 2010 - By David Schultz

The National Transportation Safety Board is calling on Congress to pass a new transit safety bill to prevent accidents like last year's deadly Metro crash. The bill would give the federal government power to regulate transit agencies like Metro.

It passed unanimously through a Senate committee last month, but Democratic Senate staffers say it hasn't gone to the floor because Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)is threatening a filibuster. Coburn's office did not answer requests for comment today.

"Well, that's disappointing," says Jim Berard, a House Democratic staffer for the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. "But that's not unusual in the political climate that we operate in."

Berard is working on a similar bill, but he says the House won't even look at it until it passes the Senate.

"It really wouldn't do any good for us in the House to take action on the bill if it's just going die in the Senate again," he says.

Majority Leader Harry Reid's office says, with Coburn's threats of filibuster, there's no way the bill will get to the Senate floor before the August recess.

Judge Blocks Parts Of Arizona Immigration Law

July 28, 2010 - By JACQUES BILLEAUD and AMANDA MYERS Associated Press Writers

PHOENIX (AP) A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the most controversial parts of Arizona's immigration law from taking effect, delivering a last-minute victory to opponents of the crackdown.

The overall law will still take effect Thursday, but without the provisions that angered opponents, including sections that required officers to check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws.

The judge also put on hold parts of the law that required immigrants to carry their papers at all times, and made it illegal for undocumented workers to solicit employment in public places.

U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton ruled that those sections should be put on hold until the courts resolve the issues. Other provisions of the law, many of them procedural and slight revisions to existing Arizona immigration statute, will go into effect at 12:01 a.m.

The ruling came just as police were making last-minute preparations to begin enforcement of the law and protesters were planning large demonstrations to speak out against the measure. At least one group planned to block access to federal offices, daring officers to ask them about their immigration status.

The volume of the protests will likely be turned down a few notches because of the ruling by Bolton, a Clinton appointee who suddenly became a crucial figure in the immigration debate when she was assigned the seven lawsuits filed against the Arizona law.

Lawyers for the state contend the law was a constitutionally sound attempt by Arizona, the busiest illegal gateway into the country, to assist federal immigration agents and lessen border woes such as the heavy costs for educating, jailing and providing health care for illegal immigrants.

Opponents argued the law will lead to racial profiling, conflict with federal immigration law and distract local police from fighting more serious crimes. The U.S. Justice Department, civil rights groups and a Phoenix police officer had asked the judge for an injunction to prevent the law from being enforced.

"There is a substantial likelihood that officers will wrongfully arrest legal resident aliens under the new (law)," Bolton ruled. "By enforcing this statute, Arizona would impose a 'distinct, unusual and extraordinary' burden on legal resident aliens that only the federal government has the authority to impose."

The law was signed by Republican Gov. Jan Brewer in April and immediately revived the national debate on immigration, making it a hot-button issue in the midterm elections.

The law has inspired rallies in Arizona and elsewhere by advocates on both sides of the immigration debate. Some opponents have advocated a tourism boycott of Arizona.

It also led an unknown number of illegal immigrants to leave Arizona for other American states or their home countries.

Federal authorities who are trying to overturn the law have argued that letting the Arizona law stand would create a patchwork of immigration laws nationwide that would needlessly complicate the foreign relations of the United States.

Federal lawyers said the law is disrupting U.S. relations with Mexico and other countries and would burden the agency that responds to immigration-status inquiries.

Brewer's lawyers said Arizona shouldn't have to suffer from America's broken immigration system when it has 15,000 police officers who can arrest illegal immigrants.

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

Pepco Cites Serious Progress Third Night After Storm

July 28, 2010 - By Jonathan Wilson

Things are returning to normal for much of Montgomery County in Maryland, but there are still thousands of residents and businesses waiting to get their power back three days after the weekend's brief but intense storm.

Pepco says repair crews made serious progress in the last 24 hours, restoring power to more than 70,000 residents and businesses overnight.

Company spokesman Clay Anderson says some customers will have to wait until Thursday to have their power restored, but expects to get the lion's share of affected areas restored today.

"So by Thursday, hopefully we're just taking the last few remaining customers," he says. "Thursday is still of course the target date, but Wednesday - today - looks really good for the overwhelming majority of our customers."

The power company brought in 350 utility repair and tree removal crews from outside the area to help with the storm recovery. Those crews have gathered at the Montgomery County Fair Grounds and are being dispatched from there.

Pepco says the crews will remain in the area until all the work is done.

Report Highlights Problem Of Childhood Poverty In The D.C. Area

July 28, 2010 - By Max Cole

The Annie E. Casey Foundation report finds that the District's poverty rate among children is much higher than the national average.

The reason is the way D.C.'s population breaks down. Kinaya Sokoya is with the D.C. Kids Count Collaborative.

"When you look at the residents here in the city who have children, then the poverty issue really comes to the forefront," says Sokoya.

Sokoya says single adult professionals and married couples without children are doing pretty well, but they don't make up for the parts of the city where the children are.

"Wards 5, 7, and 8 are the wards that have difficulty, and they have actually most of the children," she says.

The report, called the Kids Count Data Book, says that 41 percent of D.C. children live in families where no parent has full-time or year-round employment. That's 14 points higher than the national average. Sokoya says the report doesn't propose solutions. It just collects the data and turns it over to policy makers to help them fix the problems.

Lawmakers Watching Metro's Response To NTSB

July 28, 2010 - By Manuel Quinones

Area lawmakers are urging action to promote safety on Metro following findings and recommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board regarding last year's Red Line crash.

The NTSB said Metro could have prevented the accident through a stronger emphasis on safety. Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski wants Metro to take the board’s recommendations seriously.

“I believe we need to mandate that the recommendations of the NTSB be converted into action," says Mikulski.

Mikulski is also pushing legislation to implement uniform federal safety standards for Metro and systems like it around America. Those are standards that don’t exist today. Maryland Senator Ben Cardin supports the effort.

"I think these findings are going to be very important not only for what METRO needs to do but for transit safety in this country," says Cardin.

Mikulski knows the type of system she’d like to see.

“If you get on Metro you know you’re safe, if you work on Metro you know you will return home by the end of the day," she says.

Mikulski says she’s looking forward to meeting with colleagues from the Washington region to figure out a way forward in light of the NTSB findings and recommendations.

Suspect In 'Mother-Daughter' Murders Charged

July 28, 2010 - By Elliott Francis

The 27-year-old man indicted in connection with the murder of a mother and her 20-year-old daughter is also the prime suspect in a similar crime. And reports that Prince George's County Police believe he may have committed many more.

The grand jury indictment against Jason Scott of Upper Marlboro, Maryland involves multiple counts in the deaths of Nurse Delores DeWitt and her daughter Ebony DeWitt back in March 2009.

Although additional charges have not been filed, investigators suspect Scott in the January 2009 death of Karen Lofton, and her 16-year-old daughter, Karissa, the 2008 killing of Wilma Brown, and possibly more.

Prince George's County Police Chief Roberto Hylton says he believes they have a serial killer on their hands.

"Once you begin to kill beyond one or two individuals, then you identify someone as a serial killer. I strongly believe this individual is responsible for more than the murders we've identified so far," says Hylton.

Police declined to give details about other investigations. Scott is in custody on a Federal weapons charge.

Metro May Not Follow NTSB Recommendations

July 28, 2010 - By David Schultz

For six hours, Metro's General Manager Richard Sarles sat and listened while Safety Board members eviscerated nearly every aspect of his organization, from track workers to senior leadership. When asked if the NTSB's findings were fair, Sarles replied "I think they were well thought out."

The NTSB says last year's crash was caused by faulty track circuits, and it wants Metro to, among other things, remove many of them.

Sarles says that sounds reasonable enough.

"When you do a thorough investigation," he says, "you come up with good recommendations and we intend to listen to them."

But listening may be all Metro does with the recommendations, which range from replacing old rail cars to protecting whistle-blowers. They're not legally binding, and some of them may be prohibitively costly.

"We have to look at the cost of the recommendations," Sarles says. "You have to do some engineering analysis. You have to do some estimates. And that will determine how much money is needed."

Metro had set aside $30 million to implement these recommendations, but Sarles says the cost may be higher than that.

Power Breakfast For July 28, 2010

July 28, 2010 - Filibuster reform a Lost Cause? Tell that to Mr. Smith. And Mr. Lautenberg. And Mr. Bennet...

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

NTSB Hearing Leaves Metro Victim's Families With Questions

July 27, 2010 - By David Schultz

Kenneth Hawkins has been sitting all day in the boardroom here, listening to officials talk about the causes of the crash that killed his brother: faulty track circuit, broken modules, parasitic oscillation.

But there’s only one question Hawkins wants the NTSB to answer.

"Who’s going to hold WMATA accountable?" he asks. "As the President said, he put his foot on the neck of BP. Who’s putting their foot on the neck of WMATA?"

Hawkins says he doesn’t believe that Metro, or WMATA, the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority, is safe, even 13 months after the crash.

He and several other people who lost loved ones are suing WMATA in civil court for wrongful death.

"My brother and eight other individuals are gone," he says. "These lives are gone. What you need to look at is there are 226,000 other individuals riding Metro every day. What is out there to ensure their safety?"

The NTSB has been highly critical of Metro thus far, eviscerating the organization’s safety failures at every level, from track workers to senior leadership.

Metro’s senior leadership is in attendance at the hearing today. During the testimony, officials sat with pained looks on their faces, shifting in their seats.

D.C. Streets Flooded As Water Flows From Main

July 27, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) DC Fire and water officials say water from a 20-inch main in the northwest section of the city that had flooded streets has been shut off.

Fire department spokesman Pete Piringer says the break was reported Tuesday afternoon in the 1700 block of U Street. He says water was about a foot deep in the street, and has gone into some building basements.

Firefighters are checking for structural damage.

Alan Heymann, director of public affairs for the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority says scheduled valve replacement work was performed Monday night and the replacement malfunctioned. He says Florida Avenue has reopened with one lane in each direction. Businesses on 18th Street between Florida Avenue and Columbia Road are without water.

Heymann says it will take about four to six hours to effect repairs.

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

NTSB Hearing Updates

July 27, 2010 - WAMU's Patrick Madden gives the latest update on NTSB findings from it's investigation into what caused Metro's red line crash over one year ago...

Pepco Leans On Out-Of-State Crews For Help With Storm Recovery

July 27, 2010 - By Jonathan Wilson

Local power companies are relying on help from out of state repair and tree removal crews. Montgomery County is still dealing with the most damage from Sunday night's storm.

By this morning more than 300 crews from as far north as Pennsylvania and as far west as Ohio had gathered at the Montgomery County Fair Grounds in Gaithersburg.

Pepco's Clay Anderson was helping to coordinate the effort.

"This morning, at about 6 or 7 a.m., they had their safety briefing, got some breakfast, and now they're out and about," he says.

One of the first out of state crews headed to the Garrett Park, where a large toppled Maple tree still remained on top of the car it crushed during the storm, taking down utility poles along the way and leaving hundreds of people without power.

Ten-year-old Jonathan Patrick Lofgren sat in a miniature lawn chair, watching the action, but wasn't eager for the power to come back on.

He says the past couple nights have been a little spooky, but they've been exciting.

"It's fun," Lofgren says. "It's sort of like the books I've been reading, 'The Hardy Boys,' I've read all 51."

Pepco says it will likely take until Thursday before every customer's power is restored.

Washington Still In Running

July 27, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) Washington is still in the running to get $75 million as part of the federal "Race to the Top" school reform grant competition.

Eighteen states and the District of Columbia were named finalists Tuesday in the second round of the competition. Washington has asked to get $75 million of the $3.4 billion available.

State Superintendent Kerri Briggs said Tuesday that she was encouraged by the news and that she believes the city has a "great shot" at getting the money.

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

Latest D.C. Local News

July 27, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) The National Transportation Safety Board hears from investigators about the Metrorail crash that killed nine people and injured dozens last year. The board meets this morning in Washington to hear investigators discuss their findings and vote on the probable cause of the accident.

WASHINGTON (AP) Thousands of people remain without power in the Washington region following Sunday's storm. The storm brought cooler weather to the area after a heat wave, but also left widespread damage, including downed power lines and trees. Regional utility Pepco has more than 144,000 customers who had no power early today in Washington and Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

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

Latest Maryland Regional News

July 27, 2010 - ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) A new poll says Maryland Democratic Gov. O'Malley is in a close race with Republican Robert Ehrlich. The poll being released today finds O'Malley ahead of his predecessor by 3 percentage points, which is within the poll's margin of error.

BOYDS, Md. (AP) Montgomery County fire officials say a man has been found dead on train tracks on Boyds. The man struck by the train yesterday marked the second train fatality in two days in the county.

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

Latest Virginia Regional News

July 27, 2010 - RICHMOND, Va. (AP) A state report says Virginia could save thousands of taxpayer dollars by improving the management and oversight of wireless contracts. The report by Auditor of Public Accounts Walter Kucharski's office says the state spends more than $6 million to supply about 11,400 mobile phones to state workers.

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) A northern Virginia man has pleaded guilty to fatally shaking his 9-month-old son. Herbert Price Jr. pleaded guilty yesterday to involuntary manslaughter in the death of his son, Dylan Price of Burke.

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

Dulles Flight Makes Emergency Landing

July 27, 2010 - By Meymo Lyons

A United Airlines jet headed to California made an emergency landing in West Virginia after pilots reported smoke in the aircraft.

The Boeing 757 landed at Charleston's Yeager Airport about 9 a.m. Tuesday. No injuries were reported among the 178 passengers.

A United spokeswoman says Flight 229 was flying from Dulles International Airport in Virginia to San Diego. It was diverted to Charleston when the pilots smelled something burning.

An airport spokesman says United is sending a replacement aircraft to Charleston this afternoon to pick up the stranded passengers and crew.

Program Puts Ward 8's Young People To Work

July 27, 2010 - By Rebecca Sheir

The unemployment rate in D.C.'s Ward 8 is among the highest in the nation. The D.C. Department of Employment Services says joblessness east of the Anacostia River reached nearly 30 percent by the end of last year.

But advocates for youth in the area say the unemployment rate for young adults in Ward 8 is much, much higher.

Anacostia resident Charles Thornton says he suspects the jobless rate for 18- to 24-year-olds in Ward 8 nears 50 percent.

"I think it's a lot greater than the statistics that are coming out from the Department of Labor," he says. "And I'm saying that as a person who is at the ground level, dealing with youth that come into my program."

That program is Sasha Bruce Youth Build, which Thornton describes as "a construction-trade/GED program for 18 to 24-year-olds."

With D.C.'s high-school dropout rate hovering around 50 percent, Thornton says it's hard for young people with neither a diploma nor job training to find work, "but the youth that we deal with has taken an alternative route to education and employment."

And that 21-month route includes a stop in this classroom at the P.R. Harris Education Center in southeast D.C., where students are learning the nuts and bolts of HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning) from Lawrence Kitching, a.k.a. Levi.

Today Levi's students are taking a practice test of work-site standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Leaning over, 25-year-old Que-ana Evans, Queen, for short, Levi reads a sample question off the computer screen.

"When dehydrating a system, the system can be reheated to...what would that answer be, Queen?" he asks.

"To decrease the dehydration times," she replies.

"Increase the dehydration time?"

"Decrease!"

"Oh, to decrease! Right!"

Evans is a single mother who dropped out of school when she was 14.

"I was homeless. And when I found out about Youth Build it was in the summer of 2009," she says.

Now that she has her GED and is getting certified in multiple aspects of construction (including OSHA certification, electrical licensing, plumbing, etc.) she says she isn't worried about finding a job when she graduates from Youth Build in August.

"The economy is changing so much," she says. "They're tearing stuff down. And you know, with the construction work, it's coming in handy."

Her classmate, 20-year-old Vanessa Lewis, agrees.

"I'm very confident about finding a job," she says. "That's not even an issue for me. I can say that."

Of course, both Evans and Lewis also say they never expected to be doing this kind of work.

"When I was younger, learning was not even my thing," says Lewis. "I was never into school."

"Not at all, not at all," Evans says. "Never imagined it!"

But Lewis says it's bringing out her very best.

"And that's whats gonna take you far," she contends. "That's what's gonna take you to the future. You gotta put your best foot forward, because only the strong is gonna survive."

Charles Thornton says there's a lot of misinformation that's out there as it relates to Ward 8 and youth in Ward 8 not wanting anything.

But he says those youth can, and do, want something, especially if they realize it can be within their reach. Give them the chance to learn, he says, to grow, "and it opens the door to all type of other opportunities. And when you do that, you know, you improve the city."

By improving the next generation that will be building and rebuilding that city, piece by piece by piece.

Despite Tough Climate, Public Prefers Obama's Policies

July 27, 2010 - From the Congressional Connection Poll:

By Jason Dick

Despite a tough year for President Obama, the public believes his administration's policies offer a better chance at improving the economy over the policies of his predecessor, former President George W. Bush. According to the latest Society for Human Resource Management/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll, conducted with the Pew Research Center, 46 percent said Obama's path would do more to improve economic conditions in the next few years, compared to 29 percent who said policies put in place by Bush would.

And regarding the most significant domestic policy of Bush's time in office, his 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, the public is offering a split verdict on what course lawmakers should take as they all expire at the end of the year.

Overall, Obama's lead on the economy, although it falls short of a majority, is notable considering the public's sour mood. In a Congressional Connection Poll conducted last month, the National Journal Political Confidence Index for Obama stood at -16 and was at -14 for expectations that the federal government will make progress on the country's most pressing problems.

Americans' sentiment here matters, as the parties have ramped up their midterm political strategy by questioning the other side's economic acumen.

Democrats have trumpeted their legislative victories, notably Obama's signing of legislation Wednesday to overhaul the way the financial sector is regulated. They also argue that the stimulus Obama signed into law last year has put people back to work, especially public service officials like police officers and those working to repair the nation's infrastructure.

Republicans have accused Obama and the Democrats' congressional leadership of spending the country into a debt ditch, including Obama's signing of legislation Thursday to extend unemployment benefits for the hardest hit without offsetting the costs. They have also questioned whether the stimulus has worked and have made hay out of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, although Bush signed that program into law.

Regarding the stimulus, Republicans have tapped into some popular sentiment. The July 15-18 Congressional Connection Poll demonstrated how unpopular the stimulus was. Fifty-seven percent in that survey said the stimulus didn't keep unemployment from getting worse.

A sizable minority, 17 percent, said neither administration's policies would help, perhaps reflecting a pessimism taking hold as the economy continues to limp along. That matched Republicans' views, which stood at 18 percent. Only 3 percent of Democrats said neither administration's policies would help.

The number of independents who said neither administration's policies would help was higher than the overall sample, 27 percent. Forty-three percent of independents favored Obama's policies, while 20 percent favored Bush's.

Republicans and Democrats largely fell into party camps over which president's policies they favored, although a higher percentage of Democrats, 84 percent, threw their lot in with Obama than did Republicans who favored Bush, 63 percent.

Regarding the tax cuts, 30 percent of Americans believe all of Bush's 2001 and 2003 cuts should stay in place. That compared to 31 percent who believed that all of them should be repealed. Twenty-seven percent take the route Obama campaigned on: Tax cuts for the wealthy should be repealed, while the others should stay in place.

That sentiment was consistent across income lines. Among those making more than $75,000, 26 percent said only the tax cuts for the wealthy should be repealed. For those making $30,000 to $74,999, 31 percent concurred. And among those making less than $30,000, 28 percent said the tax cuts for the wealthy should be overturned.

Independents hewed closest to the overall sample. Twenty-seven percent said all the tax cuts should be kept in place. Thirty-two percent said they all should be repealed. Twenty-seven percent said the tax cuts for the wealthy should be repealed, but the middle class cuts should be kept in place.

This debate has intensified recently as the legislative calendar winds down and an agreement on how to proceed on the issue, particularly in the Senate, has remained elusive.

The poll of 1,004 adults reached by landline or cell phone was conducted Thursday through Sunday. The margin of error is 4 points for the entire sample, with larger error margins for subgroups.

See the full results of the poll at NationalJournal.com.

NTSB: Metro Had Systemic Problems Before Crash

July 27, 2010 - By SARAH BRUMFIELD Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) The federal investigation of a Metrorail crash last summer that killed nine people has revealed a breakdown of safety management throughout the D.C. area's transit system, including faulty signaling equipment that may have led to the accident.

Investigators have said since weeks after the crash that a control system's failure to recognize the presence of a stopped train was the likely cause of the crash. On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman said safety problems in the system went much further.

"Metro was on a collision course long before this accident," Chairwoman Deborah A.P. Hersman said in her opening statements at a meeting on the June 2009 crash. "As our report shows, this was not the first time Metro's safety system was compromised."

Previous accidents, some of which killed employees, foreshadowed the deadlier crash, she said.

"Because the necessary preventive measures were not taken, the only question was when would Metro have another accident and of what magnitude," Hersman said.

Investigators were discussing their findings with the board, which will vote on the probable cause of the accident. It will also issue recommendations likely sweeping and costly on how to avoid similar disasters.

Eight passengers and a train operator were killed and dozens injured when a train heading into downtown Washington from the Maryland suburbs during the evening rush struck a second train stopped before the Fort Totten station. The lead car of the moving train telescoped and overrode the rear car of the stopped train by about 50 feet.

Carolyn Jenkins of Washington, whose daughter Veronica Dubose was killed in the crash, said she came to Tuesday's hearing seeking closure. Jenkins now cares for her two grandchildren, ages 2 and 8.

"I want to hear what really happened. I want to hear the truth," Jenkins said. "I want everyone to stop pointing fingers."

The NTSB has no regulatory or enforcement powers, but a failure by Metro to comply with its recommendations could cause federal and state governments to curtail the transit agency's funding. The board wields similar influence over transit agencies around the country and can ask them to follow its recommendations.

Metro announced last week that it is putting aside $30 million over three years to carry out whatever recommendations come out of the NTSB's meeting. But that's just a fraction of what Metro is spending on upgrades. The agency announced Tuesday that it has awarded an $886 million contract to Kawasaki to manufacture 428 rail cars, 300 of which will be used to replace aging cars currently in use.

The train that crashed was made up of six of the older cars, which date to the 1970s. The new cars are less prone to telescoping during crashes.

If Metro's track circuits, simple electronic devices meant to detect stopped trains on the tracks, had been working properly, the system would have automatically slowed the approaching train. But the failure of the circuit meant that the driver of the approaching train was receiving messages telling her she could proceed at 55 mph.

According to Jim Southworth, NTSB's railroad chief, and a video simulation prepared by the board, the driver of the striking train applied the emergency brakes three seconds after she first could see the train ahead. The brakes worked, but only slowed the train from 55 mph to 44 mph at the time of impact.

Even if the operator, Jeanice McMillan, who was killed in the crash had applied the brakes the instant she saw the back of the train car ahead of her, it would not have been enough time to prevent the crash, Southworth said.

NTSB staff member Ruben Payan told the board that Metro had been aware that the track circuits were known to fail. Five days before the accident, technicians tested the circuit that malfunctioned, but used an old test that failed to detect the failure. An up-to-date test, Payan said, likely would have caught the problem.

Weeks after the crash, the NTSB urged Metro to upgrade its train control system, saying daily reviews of the signaling system were not sufficient. A post-crash review found that track circuits failed periodically in the days before the crash.

Metro says it now evaluates track circuit performance twice a day, has stopped mixing train control components from different manufacturers and established a new test to find circuits susceptible to problems. Immediately after the crash, Metro switched to manual operation of trains instead of automatic, a change that remains in effect.

This was not Metro's only deadly accident in recent years. Two Metro workers were crushed to death on tracks in January when a maintenance truck backed into them. Last year, two more Metro workers were killed in separate incidents.

There was also a close call in December when several inspectors from the Tri-State Oversight Committee, which monitors safety at Metro, were nearly hit.

Before the hearing began, the NTSB privately screened its animated reenactment of the crash for relatives of victims. Delshawnda King, whose younger sister Lavonda King died in the crash, said watching the video was a powerful moment.

"I already had an idea of what happened," King said, "but this was like seeing it."

Associated Press writers Matthew Barakat, Lauren Sausser, Jessica Gresko and Ben Nuckols contributed to this report. (Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

From NBC4:

The NTSB describes a lack of safety culture at Metro.

NTSB: Failure Of Train Signal Led To Metro Crash

July 27, 2010 - By SARAH BRUMFIELD Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) A faulty electronic circuit that caused a deadly 2009 Metro crash in Washington was symptomatic of an ``anemic safety culture'' at the D.C. area's transit agency, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.

Eight passengers and a train operator were killed in June 2009 when a Metrorail train rear-ended a second-train stopped before the Fort Totten station.

As expected, the NTSB concluded that the collision occurred because Metro's automatic signal system failed to detect the presence of the stopped train. The operator of the approaching train was told to continue traveling at 55 mph. She pulled the emergency brake, but the train was still traveling at more than 40 mph at the moment of the collision.

More broadly, the NTSB said Metro ignored repeated warning signs and fostered a culture of indifference to chronic safety issues. The agency was warned about deficiencies in its safety department for 15 years before the crash, NTSB chairwoman Deborah Hersman said.

"If they don't listen this time, I'm not sure what else can be done here," Hershman said. "There's got to be some action; there's got to be some change. There needs to be better oversight."

The NTSB faulted Metro's board of directors for failing to actively monitor safety issues. The track signaling system failed to recognize trains 3,000 times a week, but the issue was deemed a minor nuisance, the NTSB said.

In her opening remarks, Hersman said the Fort Totten station crash was not the first time Metro's safety system was compromised. Previous accidents, some of which killed employees, foreshadowed the deadlier crash, she said.

"Because the necessary preventive measures were not taken, the only question was when would Metro have another accident, and of what magnitude," Hersman said.

Associated Press writers Matthew Barakat, Lauren Sausser, Jessica Gresko and Ben Nuckols in Washington, and Brian Witte in Annapolis, Md., contributed to this report. (Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

USPS Unveils Boy Scouts Stamp In Virginia

July 27, 2010 - By Rebecca Sheir

A 100-year-old organization dedicated to "Being Prepared," is being honored with a new postage stamp. The U.S. Boy Scouts stamp is being unveiled at the National Scout Jamboree in Virginia.

The Boy Scouts of America is celebrating its 100th year of building young men's characters and encouraging them to experience the great outdoors.

The new $.44 stamp is meant to capture the organization's spirit of adventure. The design depicts two scouts: one carrying a backpack, and the other, in silhouette, surveying the landscape.

An estimated 30,000 boy scouts from across the country are expected to attend the stamp's unveiling ceremony in Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, as part of the National Scout Jamboree.

NTSB Report Could Prompt Congressional Action, Transit Analyst Says

July 27, 2010 - Today, after more than a year of investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board will release its final report on last year's Metro train crash on the red line.

The report could be the final word on the official cause of the crash, which killed nine people and injured dozens more.

WAMU's David Schultz spoke with Bill Vantuono, a transportation industry analyst and editor-in-chief of the trade magazine Railway Age. Vantuono says Metro is not legally obligated to follow any recommendations in the NTSB's reports...

Purple Line Vote In Montgomery County

July 27, 2010 - By Matt Bush

In Maryland, the Montgomery County Council is expected to vote this morning on a station alignment plan for the proposed Purple Line.

The long-discussed but never funded transit line would connect Bethesda with the New Carrollton Metro station in Prince George's County. The plan up for vote today would set where stations and the right-of-way for the line would be in Montgomery County.

Something that will not be included is single-tracking the Purple Line between Connecticut and Wisconsin Avenues in Bethesda. Council President Nancy Floreen says the state nixed the idea.

"It would delay service, and according to the experts, make it less appealing and perhaps drive ridership down," she says.

Some residents in Bethesda and Chevy Chase also felt single-tracking the line would reduce the number of trees in the area that would have to be cut down. But the Maryland Transportation Administration says it will have to cut down the same number of trees regardless.

For Metro, Much Riding On Today's NTSB Report

July 27, 2010 - By David Schultz

The Safety Board has already given its account of what happened: a malfunctioning track circuit caused a train to disappear from Metro's monitoring computers, and another train slammed into it.

But until today, the NTSB has never spoken about why or who: why the circuit malfunctioned and who is to blame. The answers to these questions could have huge repercussions, not only for Metro, but also for the private contractors that developed Metro's track circuitry.

The families of the crash victims are suing both Metro and the contractors in civil court and the outcome of their suit could hinge on the what the NTSB does today. Its report will also contain several new safety recommendations.

Metro isn't legally obligated to follow the recommendations. But the report could spur Congress to pass new safety laws, which Metro, along with other U.S. transit agencies, would have to follow.

Power Lines Down In Montgomery County, MD

July 27, 2010 - By Elliott Francis

As crews work to restore full power in Montgomery County, Maryland residents continue to encounter downed or partially disrupted power lines. Utility officials say there's only one way to deal with it

Esworthy Road, south of Darnestown, Maryland, is only a mile and a half long, but the weekend storm knocked down power lines across two sections of this road. One cable hangs like a clothes line across the street, and it's tempting to just quickly drive under it.

Susan and Rick Moore have stopped their car just short of this power line to figure out whether to take a chance, or turn around.

"I assume it's de-energized but I'm not going to find out the hard way when the pole falls on the car," says Rick Moore. "I think we're going to back into someone's driveway and turn around, we're not going to deal with that."

Pepco spokesperson Clay Anderson says the Moores made the right choice.

"As another wire is fixed and the power is turned on it may become energized, so if you see a cable, step away from it, call us, tell us where it is, and well get there," he says.

Utility officials say if the line is obviously hot, or sparking, call 911.

Church Leaders In D.C. Press Candidates To Help The Unemployed

July 27, 2010 - By Patrick Madden

Church leaders in the District are pressing the top candidates in the mayoral and city council chair races to commit more resources for those out of work.

The Asbury United Methodist church in northwest D.C. was packed last night with more than 800 members of the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN). The group is composed of church leaders and members from around the city.

Their goal, as Pastor Joseph Daniels of the Emory United Methodist Church explained, was to get the candidates to commit - on the record - to WIN's agenda.

"We want to know tonight...what are you going to do about jobs?" he asks.

Specifically, WIN wants the city to dedicate $10 million to $20 million each year to a program that hires out of work D.C. residents to weatherize homes. Other items on the agenda include more affordable housing and a ban on city business with banks that charge high interest rates.

All four candidates - Mayor Adrian Fenty and Vincent Gray in the mayor's race and Vincent Orange and Kwame Brown in the council chairs race - promised to implement WIN's agenda if elected.

WIN does not endorse candidates. But the group says it has contact with more than 15,000 voters and leaders promised to use their clout to get voters to the polls.

Power Breakfast 07-27-2010

July 27, 2010 - Nuclear power. Caught between a geologic repository and a hard place. Today the House Budget Committee examines the implications of abandoning plans to transform a mountain in Nevada into a final burial site for radioactive waste.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

MarylandReporter.com: State Roundup July 27, 2010

July 27, 2010 - From the Maryland Reporter website:

TIGHTENED GOV RACE The latest evidence that Maryland's two leading candidates are locked in a tight race for governor: A new poll has Gov. O'Malley up by just 3 percentage points over former governor Bob Ehrlich, John Wagner reports for the Post. Either could win, writes Len Lazarick for MarylandReporter.com. Listen to pollster Laslo Boyd on WBAL-Radio. Then read Robert Lang's report for that station. Here's Julie Bykowicz's piece for the Sun.

CAMPAIGN CONTRAST Dave Collins of WBAL-TV reports that despite the dead heat in the governor's race, O'Malley and Ehrlich approach their campaigns is starkly different ways, with one spending money on political ads, the other not making media buys. Another contrast is that one picks up a guitar hoping to pick up cash, blogs Julie Bykowicz for the Sun.

HEALTH CARE Federal health care reform signed by President Obama is expected to save Maryland $829 million in 10 years, but those savings are expected to be wiped out by rising costs, Barbara Pash writes for MarylandReporter.com. Michael Buczyner of WBFF-TV offers this video report. Here's Andrea Walker's report for the Sun. Sean Sedam reports for the Gazette. Here's Emily Mullin's article for the Baltimore Business Journal. And Aaron Davis of the Post writes that Maryland Democrats' strong support for health-care overhaul will be an important subtext on the November ballot.

O'MALLEY, LCV ENDORSEMENTS Gov. O'Malley has endorsed District 17 Sen. Jennie Forehand in her contest with former Del. Cheryl Kagan, reports Adam Pagnucco of Maryland Politics Watch. And here's the latest round of endorsements from the League of Conservation Voters.

PAUL FOR BARTLETT U.S. Rep. and former presidential hopeful Ron Paul spoke at a fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, Meg Tully reports for the Frederick News-Post.

MACIARELLO'S IN Salisbury attorney Matthew Maciarello has ended any doubt over his on-again, off-again campaign for Wicomico County state's attorney, reports Greg Latshaw for the Salisbury Daily Times.

HARFORD ROUNDUP The Aegis's political roundup reports Del. Norman honored; fundraisers set for Del. Impallaria, Patrick McGrady; and volunteers wanted for Stavropoulos campaign.

CYBERSECURITY Lindsey Robbins writes for the Gazette that the federal government plans to pump about $15 million more into cybersecurity initiatives in Maryland, according to federal and state lawmakers.

CHEAP DRUNK In a piece titled "The Cheap Drunk State," editorial writers for the Post say that Annapolis has shrunk from some easy measures to cut costs and produce revenue, even while lately taking more painful steps such as raising tuition for higher education.

STATE OFFICES Gov. O’Malley is set to unveil plans for the first phase of the redevelopment of State Center, a 25-acre revitalization project off Martin Luther King Boulevard in downtown Baltimore, from which the state would lease back office space, the BBJ reports.

PENSION REFUND A Baltimore judge says a Seattle consulting firm must pay the state $39 million for miscalculating how much the state owed a pension fund for judges, state police and other law enforcement officers, according to an AP report.

MOCO TIME OFF To salve the wounds left by an unusually tight budget, the Post's Michael Laris reports, Montgomery County Exec Ike Leggett has agreed to give county employees the equivalent of more than 100 years off.

BOTTLE TAX Mary Bubala of WJZ-TV reports that the Baltimore City bottle tax has gone into effect and it remains controversial.