News Archive - September 28, 2009

Virginia Creates Online Videos On Preventing Flu

Parents and educators in Virginia now have another way to learn more about preventing the spread of H1N1 swine flu and seasonal flu.

Virginia's Departments of Education and Health have collaborated to produce online videos for parents and educators. The videos are available on the Departmen...

Pandemic Preparedness Important to MD Vaccine Maker

An H1N1 vaccine is scheduled to be available by next week. A firm based in Maryland is responsible for the first batch. MedImmune has been in the flu business for more than two decades. It introduced the seasonal-flu vaccine, FluMist, in 2003.

George Kemble is MedImmune's vice-president of...

On Morning Edition: Virginia Gubernatorial Race

There are five weeks left before election day in Virginia. One major development playing out in the gubernatorial race comes from former Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder. Wilder says he won't endorse fellow Democrat Creigh Deeds, despite requests from President Obama and current Governor Tim Ka...

Maryland Firm Rolls Out H1N1 Vaccine

A bio-tech firm in Gaithersburg, Maryland is the first of four drug-makers to roll out an H1N1 vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration. MedImmune got FDA approval of its seasonal flu vaccine, FluMist, in 2003. It began developing an H1N1 vaccine in April.

Unlike the other vacci...

VA Political Candidates Woo Arab American Voters

In Virginia, candidates for statewide and local offices are wooing the Commonwealth's nearly 50,000 Arab American voters. At the Marriott Hotel in Vienna approximately 200 Arab Americans work their way through dinner as the candidates take to the microphone. It's the Arab American Institutes' ann...

Residents, Planners, and Johns Hopkins Battling Over Gaithersburg West Master Plan

The National Institutes of Health in Bethesda is one of the largest employers in Montgomery County. It's so big, it has its own Metro stop. County lawmakers are now reviewing planning and zoning changes that would allow a science-focused development on a similar scale in an area west of Gaithersb...

Power Breakfast for September 28, 2009

Giving every citizen the kind of health care coverage that members of Congress get - and what that actually means...With eight million workers covered, the Federal Employees' Benefits Program has the biggest insurance pool in the country, which is key to keeping premiums affordable and offering m...

More College Grads Seek Refuge From Bad Economy In Graduate Schools

When college grads can't find jobs, they often enroll in graduate schools and recent data indicate that more of them are applying to grad school this year than last.

As Meredith Cavin reports, as the country copes with a recession and increasing unemployment, many graduates, such as 2009 Ge...

Local Food Bank Braces For Another Busy Holiday Season

There may be hints of an economic recovery but one local food bank says it's already preparing for a busier-than-usual holiday season.

The Arlington Food Assistance Center, or AFAC, is abuzz with activity. About 30 people wait their turn in the front lobby. Next door in the small warehouse...

MD New Texting Ban Questioned

A new ban on texting while driving in Maryland has some wondering whether the law lacks punch. The law which takes effect later this week allows for a fine of up to 500-dollars for anyone in Maryland caught creating or sending a text message while operating a motor vehicle in the state.

Cri...

"Art Beat" with Stephanie Kaye - Monday, September 28, 2009

(September 29) FOR THE LOVE OF FISH A one-night-only performance of For the Love of Goldfish goes up at the Kennedy Center tomorrow night at 7:30pm. "For the Love of Goldfish" is the winner of the VSA arts annual Playwright Discovery Award, written by a high school student from New Jersey. It d...

Virginia Distracted Driving Safety Campaign

If you use a cell phone or text while driving, Virgina wants you to hang up, especially when driving through a construction zone.

It's a simple warning from highway officials concerned that you or your neighbors may be paying less attention to the road and more attention to your cell phone...

Time-Crunched People Take Advantage of Drive-Through Flu Vaccine Clinic

Time-crunched people around D.C. are taking advantage of a drive-through flu vaccine clinic in Northern Virginia. The drive-through clinic is operated by a health center called Nova Medical and it's meant to cater to those who don't have time for the doctor's office.

Jessica Forres has more...

Richmond Strip Club Waves Offensive Banner

Civil rights and community activists in Richmond are protesting a banner on a downtown strip club depicting President Obama as the Joker from Batman.

Representatives from the NAACP, the Nation of Islam and other groups gathered outside Club Velvet at noon to protest what they called an affr...

D.C. Expects H1N1 Vaccine Next Week

The District is slated to get its first shipment of H1N1 vaccines next week. D.C.'s Department of Health is finalizing a plan to get the drugs from the maker to the patient.

The first batch of vaccines will go primarily to hospitals, clinics and Emergency Medical stations. Beverly Pritchett...

Holocaust Memorial Shooting Suspect To Undergo Psychiatric Evaluation

The man charged with killing a security guard at the Holocaust Memorial is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation.

The 89-year-old white supremacist, James Van Brunn, is now at the Butner Federal Medical Center in North Carolina. Van Brunn is being evaluated to see if he's competent to stand t...

Commonwealth Offers Tax Amnesty

Virginia is giving tax procrastinators and evaders a chance to pay up without penalty. The commonwealth is promoting an amnesty program hoping it will bring $48 million to the cash-strapped state.

The amnesty period will run Oct. 7 through Dec. 5. Qualifying taxpayers who settle up with the...

Thousands Sign Up to Administer Vaccine In Virginia

Thousands of doctors and clinics across Virginia are registering with its health department to administer the new H1N1 vaccines.

The Centers for Disease Control hasn't told Virginia's health department how many doses will be in the initial batch. It's expected to hit clinics next week. This...