Join The Conversation! Talk about the news of the day with public radio fans on WAMU 88.5's The Conversation.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Your Amazon.com purchases support WAMU 88.5
Your purchases from the NPR Store support WAMU 88.5
June 26, 2009 - Metro's general manager is crediting the train operator killed in Monday's crash with saving lives. John Catoe told relatives, friends and colleagues who gathered at a Washington church Friday that 42-year-old Jeanice McMillan was not just doing her job when she was operating the train. He called her a hero and said her actions "ultimately saved lives."
Federal investigators have said McMillan applied an emergency brake before her train plowed into another, killing her and eight others. The crowd stood, clapped and cheered after Catoe's comment. Hundreds attended the memorial service at the Temple of Praise in southeast Washington. D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty was there, as were many Metro employees, wearing their uniforms and black arm bands.
Patrick Madden has more...
June 26, 2009 - Commentator Fred Fiske says it's natural for Americans to feel pride about the nation's position of prominence in the world. But, he says, being the world leader in incarceration stands as a major embarrassment.
The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of WAMU 88.5 or American University.
What do you think?
Go to www.Conversation.WAMU.org and click on "Commentary Forum."
June 26, 2009 - There will be an emergency drill today at some hospitals, clinics and nursing homes in the District. The drill is in cooperation with the fire department and city agencies. It is designed to test their preparedness in the event of a major crisis.
The drill will take place at RFK Stadium and other sites. Emergency responders will test their communication, evacuation and transportation plans for a simulated large-crowd event at the stadium. More than 100 drill victims will be taken to hospitals for care, and another group will be evacuated from a nursing home. Washington Hospital center is expecting to receive nearly 100 drill "victims" to test its capabilities.
Bill Redlin reports...
June 26, 2009 - (Through June 28th) Gettysburg Festival! The Gettysburg Festival is on through the weekend in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It's a little over an hour away, but worth the drive. The festival features 800 artists and performers. Tonight at 6, you can dine with a former White House chef before a performance by the Philadelphia Dance Company at 8. Among Saturday's events, you can hear Jazz great Ahmad Jamal, or see a culinary demonstration at a farmers market.
(June 27th) Heritage Day at Glen Echo Park This Saturday is Heritage Day at Glen Echo Park in Maryland just West of D.C. The activities start at noon and showcase the park's long history. There will be craft activities for children and anyone can dance to the big-band music of Tommy Dorsey. In case you need to brush up your swing dance skills, lessons are provided at 1 and 3 in the afternoon.
(June 27th - June 28th) Radio Golf There are only a few days left to catch the August Wilson Play "Radio Golf" at the Studio Theater in Northwest D.C. "Radio Golf" is the last in a series of 10 Wilson plays that explore the African American experience in each decade of the 20th century. This play is set in the 90's, and was written shortly before Wilson's death in 2005. It uses the story of one African American's bid for elected office to tackle issues of gentrification and cultures lost and gained.
June 26, 2009 - Most successful candidates spend the weeks after their election learning about their new jobs. Not Alicia Hughes, an independent who won a seat on the Alexandria City Council. Weeks after the vote, three Alexandria residents charged she may not be legal resident of the city. Election officials ruled yesterday that she is currently an eligible voter, but the city prosecutor is still investigating whether or not she lied about her residency on her statement of candidacy.
Michael Pope reports...
June 26, 2009 - Dr. Roxanna Wolfe's office in Bethesda is designed to make children feel at ease.
"People come in here and say 'Oh, it's so relaxing!" she says.
She's expecting many of her clients to come to her in the next few days with concerns about Monday's Metro crash. Wolfe says seeing images from the collision can be unnerving for people of all ages.
"It's just that, as adults, we have more coping mechanisms," she says. "And so we've been practicing those coping mechanisms over time. Children haven't had that practice."
Wolfe says media coverage of the crash can make a big impact, and she says parents need to talk to their children.
"'Tell me about that article. What's it saying to you? What's of interest?' And listen to what the child says," she suggests.
Wolfe says keeping children engaged in activities and schoolwork can help ease their anxieties.
David Schultz reports...
June 26, 2009 - For states or certain quasi-governmental organizations, it is either difficult or impossible to sue for damages. Attorney Larry Lapidus says that's not so for Metro.
"I've been suing Metro since before you were born," he says.
Lapidus represents 15-year-old Davonne Flanagan and his family. Flanagan was in the rear of the very first car of the train that slammed into another train on Monday. He survived, but he is still in the hospital with a fractured femur and other injuries. The family is suing Metro for $950,000 in medical costs and pain and suffering. It's the first in a long line of lawsuits and claims that have already begun to pour into the transit authority.
Lisa Farbstein is a Metro spokesperson. She says the claims and suits are fully expected.
"They have suffered, many of them horrific loss of life in their family," she explains. "Our hearts go out to them, and we recognize that there is exposure for liability on our part."
Fabrstein says that Metro has insurance policies that will help compensate victims and pay for damaged property. But the deductible is at least $6 million, and it's unclear if the policies will cover the full extent of the claims against the cash strapped transit agency.
Sabri Ben-Achour reports...
June 26, 2009 - There are a growing number of young adults living in foster care in the District, and they often have a difficult time transitioning to living on their own. Jennifer Comey, with the Urban Institute, co-authored a study on 19 to 24-year olds in D.C. She says about two-thirds of this population is doing fine -- in college or just graduated. Those youth though, she says, presumably did not grow up in the District.
Comey says D.C. youth have severe challenges, including poor performance in schools and unemployment. One particular group at risk are youth who age out of the foster care system. Comey says these 21-year olds often don't know how to do things a lot of people take for granted, how to pay utilities, how to negotiate a apartment or how to fill out forms. And she says it's very scary for them. In 2008, there were more than 300 19 to 21-year olds living in foster care. That was more than a 10 percent increase over the previous year. Several advocates for youth called for the D.C. government to take a much more active role in coordinating services.
Kavitha Cardoza reports...
June 26, 2009 - As FBI investigators look to recreate the night a young man was killed by federal police in D.C.'s Trinidad neighborhood, members of the Northeast Washington community remain outraged.
As nearly 100 people packed into a church auditorium, a man who chose to remain nameless asked law enforcement officials these questions: Why was he shot in the back? Why was he shot in the back? And then seven times man?
On June 8th, Park Police shot and killed 25-year-old Trey Joyner in an alley in the 1200 block of Holbrook Street in Northeast. Stories differ over why police fired on Joyner. Police say they were responding to a tip that Joyner had a gun. Witnesses say Joyner was running away when he was shot multiple times in the back. Because Park Police have federal jurisdiction to make arrests anywhere in the District, the FBI will conduct an investigation into the shooting. Joe Persichini, with the FBI's Washington field office, says interviews from any witnesses who choose to come forward will be important.
"The community is empowered and that's a good sign," he says. "If the empowerment then transcends to cooperation, that really, that really is the goal."
In the meantime, six Park Police officers are on paid administrative leave. Chief Sal Lauro says he has advised his other officers to steer clear of Trinidad.
David Klatt reports...
June 26, 2009 - Break out the flip-flops. Summer is here. Fritz Hahn writes about nightlife for the Washington Post. Speaking with David Furst, he says the weekend pool parties at the Capitol Skyline Hotel are some of the coolest summer happenings in the city.
June 26, 2009 - In anticipation of getting the energy and climate change bill to the floor before recess, the House is in whip-overdrive. Elizabeth Wynn Johnson has details...
June 26, 2009 - Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board say one of the the Metro trains in the collision on Monday may NOT have gotten automated information that another train was stopped on the tracks ahead. Investigators are still examining the site of the crash. But in testing yesterday, a signaling system failed to detect a Metro train stopped at the location of Monday's collision. Previously they had found that the system failed to detect a piece of equipment meant to simulate the presence of a train.
Officials suggest that the problem may have affected the computer that controlled the moving train, which was operating in automatic mode.
The NTSB also interviewed the operator of the struck train yesterday. He told investigators that his train was running in manual mode at the time of the crash. The operator says he was waiting for another train to clear when he felt a hard push to his train from behind.
Rebecca Blatt reports...
June 26, 2009 - The Metro crash earlier this week is raising a lot of questions: Why didn't Metro replace aging equipment federal officials warned them about? How the people weighing in on those issues is Washington Post columnist Robert McCartney, speaking here with WAMU host Matt McCleskey.
June 26, 2009 - A spokesman for Metro says that Matthew Matyuf has been temporarily assigned to a "special project," but would not elaborate on what that project was, or how long the reassignment would last. In a test yesterday, that signaling system failed to detect a train stopped in the same place as one that was struck during this week's deadly crash.
Rebecca Blatt reports...
June 26, 2009 - The historic Eastern Market in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Southeast Washington reopened Friday after a two-year, $22 million renovation. Some 200 people braved the heat and humidity to be the first to see the new interior of the beloved market, which burned in a fire two years ago. Mayor Fenty was joined by other high profile members of D.C. government for a spirited ribbon cutting ceremony that revealed the special place the market holds in the hearts of District residents.
Mana Rabiee reports...
June 26, 2009 - Hundreds of first responders joined with religious leaders to pray for healing after the Metro crash. The sound of bagpipes filled the stained glass church. Different faith traditions offered different prayers. There were Protestants, Jews and Buddhists. But in praying for hope and healing, they spoke with one voice.
Kavitha Cardoza reports...
June 26, 2009 - This Week in Congress was an all-out sprint to the July 4th recess with a health care overhaul looking for consensus in the Senate, immigration and gay rights advocates looking for leadership in Obama, and an energy and climate change bill looking for a vote in the House.
Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...
June 26, 2009 - A 5-year-old girl has died after being found unconscious at the bottom of a public pool. Prince George's County Fire and Rescue spokesman Mark Brady says rescuers responded to a 911 call at about 2:30 p.m. Friday at the Ellen Linson Aquatics Center in College Park. Brady says a 10-year-old boy pulled the girl, who was not breathing, from the shallow end of the pool. Lifeguards started CPR, and paramedics continued to try to resuscitate her. She was taken to a hospital in "extremely critical" condition but the fire department says she was pronounced dead at Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park. The Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which runs the center, says 250 people were at the pool. The commission's police officers will investigate the death.
Meymo Lyons reports...
privacy policy - terms of use - contact - sitemap - directions - rss - podcasts - jobs - community
Copyright WAMU 88.5 American University Radio | 4000 Brandywine Street NW | Washington, DC 20016-8082 | (202)885-1200
