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Friday, November 13, 2009
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July 09, 2009 - (July 10 & 11) BETTER IN BETHESDA The sidewalks and galleries of downtown Bethesda brim with art this weekend during the Bethesda Art Walk and Artist Market, kicking off tomorrow night at 6 and wrapping up Saturday evening. Guided tours afford opportunities to explore new shows and exhibits; 25 local and regional artists will be on hand for the market, with musical entertainment, arts and crafts.
(Through July 12) MORE GREEN FOR RADIO GOLF Studio Theatre is laying out extra green for Radio Golf, the last in a series of plays about African American life penned by August Wilson. "Radio Golf," running through Sunday at the Northwest D.C. stage, grapples with issues of gentrification and the racial and political responsibilities of a black man running for mayor in Pittsburgh.
(Through August 22) PARADOX NOW! The exhibit PARADOX NOW! features the work of eight contemporary artists at the Arlington Arts Center on Wilson Boulevard through August 22nd. These painters, sculptors and filmmakers reshape history in their creations, spurring audiences to question the ways in which we think and act in our daily lives.
Tackling the complex issues of gentrification, race and political responsibility in the last in a series of plays by Wilson, extended at Studio Theatre through July 12th.
Courtesy of: Studio Theatre
July 09, 2009 - After recent serious cases of abuse and death of animals in Baltimore, a national advocacy group is working with the city to strengthen its animal abuse laws.
Stephanie Kaye has more...
July 09, 2009 - Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley told lawmakers it is too early to know the real impact of the economic stimulus package. When the stimulus package was initially passed, administration officials predicted unemployment wouldn't go above 8 percent. It is now around 9.5 percent nationwide. That has Republicans claiming the bill is a failure, and some economists calling for another spending bill.
But Governor O'Malley says patience is needed. He says stimulus funds for health care and unemployment are already having an impact.
"In this great recession there is a much greater demand fr om hard working people, who through no fault of their own find themselves unemployed, and being able to provide health care while they transition, being able to allow them to go and put food on their table allows them to put demand in the economy," he says.
Maryland's unemployment rate stands at 7.2 percent. That's the highest it has been in 26 years. Maryland Democrat Steny Hoyer says lawmakers need to be open to the idea of a second stimulus package.
Matt Laslo reports...
July 09, 2009 - Neighborhoods across the metro area are struggling due to the recession, but Prince Georges County, Md., has one of the highest foreclosure rates. So housing officials there have launched a new stimulus program to attract first-time home buyers.
Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson says the new program will use federal stimulus money to help potential buyers purchase one of the thousands of area homes that are in some stage of foreclosure. Johnson says he hopes the program will boost property values and help stabilize communities.
"We need to realize that we build neighborhoods," he says. "We want affordability, so that we can acquire the other things that we need in life."
The money will be distributed in the form of zero-interest loans with no obligation to repay if the buyer stays in the home for at least 10 years. The program also requires participants to attend a class run by a local housing counselor to learn mortgage basics.
One of the counselors, Donna Hurley, says basic financial literacy is essential, but she's worried that her class will be the buyer's second stop after a visit with the lender.
"I would like to have more involvement in the process of qualifying the individuals instead of the lender looking at them first," says Hurley.
Under the so-called "Down Payment on Your Dream" program, would-be buyers may apply for loans up to $20,000.
David Klatt reports...
July 09, 2009 - The "Phone Solicitation Call" is a classic source of dinnertime angst. And Commentator Fred Fiske says a call in the name of "charity" is just as annoying as a sales pitch.
The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of WAMU 88.5 or American University.
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July 09, 2009 - As part of our continuing series "Conversations," reporter Michael Cottman discusses innovative ways to bridge the technology gap with Tenickia Robinson, author of the book "Cozmo," which teaches young people about computers and technology...
July 09, 2009 - Federal prosecutors will not pursue stalking charges against D.C. Council member Marion Barry, but the former mayor's relationship with an ex-girlfriend is still raising questions. Before Barry's relationship with Donna Watts-Brighthaup went, as his lawyer put it, horribly wrong, he hired the 40-year-old woman to work as a contractor for his office. The position paid $5,000 a month, and Barry ended up paying $15,000 to his then-girlfriend for help with poverty-reduction strategies. A Barry spokeswoman says his ex-girlfriend qualified for the job but was also facing financial difficulties and would have lost her house and car without the income.
In response to numerous requests to clarify the conflict of interest laws that govern the D.C. Council, Chairman Vincent Gray said, in a statement, that he recognizes there may be gaps in how council members' ethics and alleged professional improprieties are handled. Council members are prohibited from awarding contracts or grants to direct family members, but the law does not apply to boyfriends or girlfriends. Gray says he is developing a Code of Conduct for council members and will have a draft by the end of the week. Gray did not mention Barry by name, and he declined to say if the council would formally investigate the incident.
Patrick Madden reports...
July 09, 2009 - A subset of Democrats elects itself a new leader. Elizabeth Wynne Johnson takes a look at one of countless rumblings beneath the surface as a party builds itself up from its center.
July 09, 2009 - Last month President Obama issued an executive order granting some benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. Now there's a push on Capitol Hill to give partners of gay federal workers the same employment benefits as spouses of heterosexual ones.
Bill sponsors say about 30,000 federal workers would benefit. During a hearing on the legislation, Utah Republican Jason Chaffetz stirred remarks by posing this question.
"Doesn’t it discriminate in terms by giving same-sex couples greater federal benefits than opposite sex couples who may not be married?" he asked.
Virginia Democrat Gerry Connolly said he found the question to be odd.
"The screaming contradiction of that question is that marriage is available to people in that situation and it is not in all but a handful of states to those of same-sex partnerships so that’s why you have to look at other ways of trying to address the issue," he said.
Chaffetz also expressed concerns about the cost of the bill, which is expected to be $670 million over 10 years.
Sara Sciammacco reports....
July 09, 2009 - Virginia is proposing new, stricter rules for controlling stormwater runoff, particularly from development sites. Runoff can wash contaminants like fertilizer, oil, and animal waste into public waterways. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, runoff from development sites is the fastest-growing source of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. The proposed new rules would dictate how and where in Virginia new homes, businesses, and roads could be built. They would also cover redevelopment projects. Environmentalists support the stricter rules, but an official with the state's Home Builders Association tells the Virginian-Pilot Newspaper the restrictions would be cost prohibitive, especially given the economy. A series of public hearings is ongoing.
Matt McCleskey has more...
July 09, 2009 - When Dante Nizama came home from the movies on May 29th, he was greeted by a half dozen police officers. He says they wanted him to surrender his one-year-old old pit bull, Zeus. "How would you feel about losing a baby? That's the same way I felt," he recalls. The officers were there because they had an arrest warrant for someone who used to live in Nizama's garage. When they knocked on the door, Zeus leapt out and bit Officer Chris Dengeles, making two small puncture wounds. Animal Control then incarcerated Zeus at the county animal shelter. Under Virginia code, animals in such situations normally are quarantined for ten days. But Zeus was held for almost six weeks. Shelter director Kay Speerstra says the matter was out of her hands: "If it's a case that the county police department is pursuing or the Commonwealth Attorney then we would take their opinions on how they felt the safest way to deal with this dog is." Yesterday, the matter finally went before Arlington District Court judge Dorothy Clarke. She ruled that, under the state code, Zeus is considered dangerous. But she released the dog to his owner after Nizama demonstrated that he had a fenced home and that he had bought liability insurance. David Schultz reports...
July 09, 2009 - Prosecutors have withdrawn three subpoenas issued in an apparent bid to bolster their case against Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon. Attorneys for Dixon had filed a motion challenging the subpoenas, arguing that the state prosecutor's office was abusing the grand jury process. Dixon is accused of stealing gift cards intended for needy families. The state prosecutor had sought to subpoena two current and one former city employees to provide records and testimony about gift cards under their control. City Solicitor George Nilson says his office was informed late Wednesday that the subpoenas for the two city employees has been withdrawn. The attorney for the former city employee confirmed that his client is no longer being called to testify.
Meymo Lyons reports....
July 09, 2009 - One day after the state of Maryland announced its second swine-flu related deathGovernor Martin OMalley joined several Obama cabinet officials for the 2009 Flu Summit in Bethesda.
This springs swine flu outbreak may have been milder than many initially feared but Health and Human Services Secretary Kathlee Sebellius says the fight against the virus also known as H1N1 must continue.
Six elementary schools in Maryland closed because of the virus this spring. Some Maryland residents complained that the closure decisions were confusing.
Governor Martin OMalley moderated a panel discussion with Sebelius, Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
OMalley said hes confident that refinement of school closure policies will happen before flu season and the start of school.
The CDC reports that as of July 2, 170 people have died nationwide after contracting the H1N1 virus.
Jonathan Wilson reports
July 09, 2009 - Virginia has completed a project to electronically compile the records of African-Americans whose family history was smudged by slavery. Gov. Tim Kaine announced completion of the project outside the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia in Richmond. The center had a key role in collecting microfilm from the National Archives and digitizing them to make genealogical records more accessible to African-American families. Kaine said the project ''preserves the legacy'' of millions of freedmen at the end of the Civil War. Many black Americans struggle to trace their family tree because of slavery. Organizers of the Virginia effort hope to expand the effort to the entire South. Meymo Lyons reports....
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