Friday, May 9, 2008
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March 27, 2008 - Candidates from Maryland and Virginia are among 42 Democratic congressional candidates who are endorsing a new plan to end the Iraq war. Objectives in the plan include removing all troops from Iraq and giving more attention to humanitarian concerns, such as helping displaced Iraqis. Among the supporters is Donna Edwards, the Democratic candidate in Maryland's Fourth Congressional District, which includes parts of Prince George's and Montgomery counties. She defeated incumbent Congressman Al Wynn after blasting him for his 2002 vote to authorize the war. She says voters sent a clear message.
Gene Kuleta reports...
March 27, 2008 - For now, motorists in Maryland can keep talking on hand-held cell phones. A House of Delegates committee has killed a proposed ban on the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. The House Environmental Matters Committee rejected the measure on a vote of 12 to nine. Senator Mike Lenett of Montgomery County, who argues hand-held cell phone use while driving leads to crashes, had sponsored the proposal. Last week, the full Senate approved the measure, marking the first time either chamber of the General Assembly has passed the proposed ban. Lenett says he`ll try again to get a ban approved next year. Gene Kuleta reports...
March 27, 2008 - A pending settlement between Maryland and Constellation Energy could mean a one-time $170 credit for Baltimore Gas and Electricity customers. The deal, which must still be approved by the General Assembly, eliminates BGE customer liability for the decommissioning of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Southern Maryland. Constellation, BGE's parent company, says the credit totals about $187-million. The settlement would end lawsuits filed by both Constellation and the state after the legislature ordered the company to pay more than $386-million in credits. The settlement restores all but $40-million of those credits.
Erin Stamper reports...
March 27, 2008 - Construction crews are coming out of hibernation as warmer weather brings road work back to the area.
Sabri Ben-Achour reports...
March 27, 2008 - Metro says it needs $489-million for urgent repairs to fix a deteriorating infrastructure and worn-out equipment. The transit agency says it needs almost half of that total for repairs over the next two years to keep Metrorail running safely. High on the priority list are replacing work track fasteners and corroded cables and repairing crumbling concrete platforms. Officials say passenger safety is not at immediate risk. Metro says it will look to prioritize the projects and determine whether they can use funds earmarked for less urgent projects. The transit agency is the only one in the nation's without a significant source of dedicated funding.
Erin Stamper reports...
March 27, 2008 - Attorney General Bob McDonnell has announced three finalists for the Virginia Youth Safety Internet contest, which aims to raise public awareness about the dangers of on-line predators and thieves. Students have been designing their own advertisements to warn young people about the tricks often used by criminals in cyberspace.
Anne Marie Morgan has more from Richmond...
March 27, 2008 - A measure under consideration in Maryland would require minors to have a parent's consent in order to use tanning beds. The proposal would require a parent to give consent by signing a form at a tanning salon before his or her children use tanning beds there. The Senate Finance Committee is now considering the requirement after holding a hearing on the measure Wednesday. Delegate Anne Healey of Prince George's County is sponsoring the measure. She says many teenagers go to tanning salons not realizing that they could be increasing their risk of skin cancer.
Gene Kuleta reports from Annapolis...
March 27, 2008 - Local restaurants are wheeling out some new creations to usher in the cherry blossom festival. Stephanie Kaye reports on Destination D.C. and the group's yearly "Cherry Picks."
March 27, 2008 - The release of toxic emissions is taking a big jump in Virginia. The latest report from the state finds emissions of things like sulfuric acid, copper and arsenic jumped more than 18 percent from 2006 over the year before. While many companies are seeing a drop in those releases, one company in Radford corrected the way it calculated its discharges and found they had risen. That, in part, is the reason for the jump. State health officials say there's no evidence the increase is having an adverse effect on the public.
Pat Brogan reports...
March 27, 2008 - For the first time in more than a decade, county officials are forecasting a drop in sales tax revenue.
The county's financial director Chris Martino, says the nations tough economic climate, coupled with the areas housing woes, are causing people to spend less.
But others say the county's new anti-illegal immigrant measures are causing the drop-off.
At the Rack-n-Roll pool hall in Manassas Park, owner Dave Ruttenberg says business is down 70-percent since the crackdown on illegal immigrants began.
Sales tax receipts account for about 6-percent of the county's budget.
Patrick Madden reports...
March 27, 2008 - Power Breakfast, our daily look at what's happening on Capitol Hill and at the White House...
March 27, 2008 - 'Tis the season - cherry blossom season, that is - and spring fever is blooming in the city. The arts aren't immune to this bud-inspired flu...
(Mar 27-Apr 13) CONDENSED MIKADO "The Condensed Mikado" opens tomorrow at the beautiful Atlas Performing Arts Center in northeast D.C., running through April 13th. As characters unfold the kimonos and bust out the blossoms, mistaken identity and unrequited love are the central themes in the Washington Savoyards 3rd annual production, created to celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festival. An enjoyable treat for those in a hurry - the show presents the entire Gilbert and Sullivan opera in a little over an hour.
(Mar 29 and Apr 5) BLOSSOM CRUISE From the Washington Harbor, cherry blossom cruises on the Potomac are filling the waterway with boatloads of mariners enjoying the seasonal views and D.C. landmarks. Some companies are offering special rates this Saturday and next for one-hour rides down the river.
(Mar 31, Apr 4, 7 & 11) BLOSSOM SECRETS The Blossom Secrets Stroll departs from the Smithsonian Metro Station over the course of the next few Monday and Friday mornings. Guaranteed to dazzle your senses, tour guides get to the good stuff - the secrets behind the buds - telling stories that reveal the little-known mysteries behind the blossoms.
March 27, 2008 - Metro says it needs $489-million for urgent repairs to fix a deteriorating infrastructure and worn-out equipment. Officials say they need almost half of that total over the next two years for repairs to keep Metro running safely. High on the priority list are replacing work track fasteners and corroded cables and repairing crumbling concrete platforms. Officials say passenger safety is not at immediate risk. The Washington Post says Metro General Manager John Catoe is trying to prioritize the projects and determine whether the transit agency can use funds earmarked for less urgent projects. Metro is the nation's only major transit agency without a significant source of dedicated funding.
Erin Stamper reports...
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