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Wednesday, December 9, 2009
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November 10, 2009 - By Jonathan Wilson
In Maryland, a civil-rights group says it plans a federal lawsuit against the Frederick County Sheriff's Department over alleged immigration enforcement violations. The group called Latino Justice PRLDEF says it will file the $1 million lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt. The organization Casa de Maryland will join them.
Attorney Jose Perez says that two Frederick County deputies interrogated a Salvadoran immigrant about her immigration status while she was eating lunch, and then took her into custody and transferred her to federal immigration authorities.
Perez says the arrest violated an agreement that only allows local police to question the immigration status of people they have arrested for other offenses.
Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins says Latino Justice left out some of the facts surrounding the arrest.
November 10, 2009 - By Kavitha Cardoza
A report card called Leaders and Laggards, which grades states based on education innovation, gives Virginia top marks for removing ineffective teachers from the classroom while Maryland and D.C. get a failing grade.
The report card doesn't look at academic successes of today. Rather, it focuses on what states are doing to prepare for challenges that lie ahead, saying there cannot be achievement in the long run without innovation.
Maryland is tied with D.C. for an F grade when it comes to removing ineffective teachers. Approximately 75 percent of principals say teacher's unions are a barrier.
Arthur Rothkopf with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce helped write the report. "We're not saying there should be mass firings, but if you can't deal with teachers who are not improving performance of students then it's clear innovation will not take place," says Rothkopof.
Rothkopf says D.C.'s Chancellor Michelle Rhee has not been here long enough for her practices to be reflected in the data. Maryland, Virginia and D.C. all receive a B grade for how they hire and evaluate teachers.
November 10, 2009 - By Sara Sciammacco
Maryland Senator Ben Cardin wants the federal government to push Maryland, Virginia and other states to step up the clean-up of the Chesapeake Bay.
Cardin says state and local governments have failed to make clean-up deadlines for years. His bill gives $1.5 billion in federal grants and sets a deadline of 2025 to restore the Bay. It also offers incentives to farmers who improve water quality.
"We have missed the targets substantially in recent years and there is a need to re-energize a process that would accomplish the goals that are set out based upon good science," Cardin says.
Environmental Protection Agency officials say the main problem is the nitrogen and phosphorous in the water that's coming from urban runoff and farm waste. States that do not meet the clean-up goals will lose federal money and authority to regulate the Bay's restoration.
November 10, 2009 - By Pat Brogan
Montgomery County's 'Green Fleet' is being named as one of the best in the North America.
The county placed second in the 2009 'Government Green Fleet Award.' Fleets were judged on several things, including fuel and emissions as well as policy and planning.
David Dise, the general services director in Montgomery county, says they won despite economic challenges facing local governments and strict environmental requirements.
November 10, 2009 - By Elliott Francis
John Allen Muhammad, the so-called D.C. sniper, is expected to be put to death by lethal injection tonight. Bob Meyers, whose brother Dean was the seventh victim of the sniper attacks, plans to witness the execution.
Meyers remembers seeing the initial television reports of the latest sniper shooting back on the night of October 9th 2002, and the first clue that his brother Dean was the victim.
"I actually saw a glimpse of his black car but it never dawned on me that it was him," says Meyers. Dean was shot and killed at this gas station in Mannassas, Virginia.
Tiffany Brown often pumps gas there, and says she hasn't forgotten the trauma of the sniper attacks. "I feel comfortable here now, but a lot of times I do remember it even when I go to stations where he wasn't at," says Brown.
Myers will attend the execution, but says he will not get satisfaction in the result. "In spite of what has happened, it's still a very traumatic experience," says Myers.
The execution is scheduled for 9 o'clock tonight.
November 10, 2009 - By Elliot Francis
John Allan Muhammad, the so-called D.C. sniper, is scheduled to be executed tonight for the murder of Dean Meyers. The gas station in Mannassas where it happened still draws attention.
The station's owner Malik Joseph, says the curiosity about what happened here 7-years ago is still high. "A lot of people ask us the question about which pump is it, and we tell them it was pump number 4," says Joseph.
That's where Dean Meyers was shot and killed on the night of October 9th 2002. Maggie fills up here. She was just 8-years old back then, but her memory of the sniper shooting is clear. "I just remember we couldn't go trick or treating that year; we didn't have recess," says Maggie. "It was an intense time for everyone back then, it was really scary."
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a last minute appeal to stop the execution now scheduled for 9 p.m. tonight.
November 10, 2009 - By Rebecca Blatt
Jury selection is expected to finish up today for Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's theft trial.
Dixon spent more than four hours Monday afternoon standing at the bench. Attorneys and visiting Judge Dennis Sweeney questioned prospective jurors.
Of a pool of 137 potential jurors, 67 were called to the bench, and 36 were qualified as jurors. Two of the qualified jurors had previously indicated to the court that they had formed opinions about the case.
Dixon called the selection process "interesting." That one word was her only public statement of the day.
Dixon is accused of stealing gift cards donated for needy families. She would be thrown out of office if convicted.
November 10, 2009 - By Stephanie Kaye
U.S. imports to Britain are on the rise--at least, in the form of television. The HBO Series "The Wire" is gaining popularity in the UK. The series deals with the seedy side of Baltimore, from housing projects and drugs to corrupt reporters and politicians.
But how close to real life is "The Wire?" One British reporter wanted to find out.
Mark Hughes covers crime for The Independent newspaper based in London. He spent the last week doing a reality check in Baltimore, while Justin Fenton, crime reporter for the Baltimore Sun, explored the UK. They spoke with WAMU's Stephanie Kaye about their impressions from the reporter exchange.
Their writing, "Crime: A Tale of Two Cities," is in The Baltimore Sun and The Independent.
November 10, 2009 - By Rebecca Sheir
The founder of an Afghan women's rights organization in Falls Church, Virginia, is using the recent presidential election in her home country to promote her cause.
When Nasrine Gross isn't advocating for Afghan women's rights in Afghanistan, shes doing the same thing in the United States like at a recent panel discussion at the University of Maryland College Park.
For a husband to acknowledge that somebody is his wife is taboo," she says. "They sometimes call them, 'oh, my furniture' or 'the camel'."
Gross explains how, as a volunteer with the Abdullah Abdullah campaign, she was in charge of investigating fraud in eight provinces where, she says, "there were not even 100 women who went to vote, and yet there were hundreds of thousands of votes in their names for President Karzai. I am totally disgusted."
Gross seeks to encourage Afghan women to speak up for themselves. As founder of The Roquia Center in Falls Church, VA, she runs literacy programs in rural Afghanistan. But she'll only take married couples as pupils. She says it promotes peace at home and equality in society.
Nasrine Gross, the founder of an Afghan women's rights organization in Falls Church, Virginia, is using the recent presidential election in her home country to promote her cause.
Courtesy of: PurposePrize.org
November 10, 2009 - Today two separate hearings shine a spotlight on climate change legislation. While Republicans and Democrats regroup in opposing camps on health care - the push for a climate bill has got a new tri-partisan team behind it.
Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...
November 10, 2009 - By Stephanie Kaye
(November 11) SOLDIER IN ART The National Museum of American Jewish Military History in D.C. off R Street Northwest presents Arthur Szyk: Soldier in Art on Veterans Day from 1 to 3pm. The artist's ammo includes the anti-Nazi caricatures that made him famous during World War II. Fighting injustice and tyranny with his brush and pen, the art and message of Arthur Szyk are presented by Rabbi Irvin Ungar, followed by tours of the museum and a treasure hunt for children.
(Through November 21) GOING FOR BAROQUE The Mexican Cultural Institute is going for baroque at its D.C. headquarters in Columbia Heights through November 21st. This celebration of Mexico combines the country's traditions and unique baroque flavor with lectures on the origins of the movement in Mexico and concerts by the medieval-style music group La Fontegara.
(November 14) THE FRONTIER FAMILY You can head West during the Smithsonian's Frontier Family Day at the American Art Museum and Portrait Gallery in downtown D.C. Saturday from 11:30am to 3pm. This imaginary western journey includes bluegrass music and storytelling. Young participants can dress up like gun-slinger Annie Oakley or artist George Catlin, make corn husk dolls and take part in an Old West scavenger hunt.
November 10, 2009 - By Natalie Neumann
Two counties in Maryland could owe the state millions of dollars after a ruling on school funding. Prince George's County schools could owe up to $26.8 million in penalties after Maryland's attorney general found the county failed to comply with state school funding requirements.
Superintendent William Hite tells the Washington Post the county may be vulnerable because aid had increased in some categories. He says that could be devastating to the system.
School officials in Montgomery County have said they could owe $16 million to $64 million.
Both counties are waiting for the state's board of education to decide whether it will issue penalties. Prince George's County has appealed an earlier decision and leaders in Montgomery County have threatened to sue the state.
November 10, 2009 - By Meymo Lyons
Virginia's Department of Transportation says it's ready to keep the state's roads clear of ice and snow this winter, despite deep cutbacks elsewhere in the agency's budget.
VDOT says that it increased snow-removal funding by about $4 million so it can provide adequate manpower, materials and equipment to get the job done. The agency has a $79.6 million snow-removal budget for state-maintained roads this winter. Another $14 million is budgeted for snow and ice removal on roads maintained by the state through interstate contracts.
The department says more than 3,000 crew members will be standing by to handle snow removal. More than 2,300 pieces of equipment, 62,000 tons of sand and 239,000 tons of salt will be available.
November 10, 2009 - By Rebecca Blatt
A Giant Food grocery store has been evacuated in Potomac, Maryland after 14 people fell ill and complained of a strange odor in the store.
Firefighters and a hazardous materials team were called to the scene on Tuckerman Lane Near Seven Locks Road at about 1:20 this afternoon.
Captain Oscar Garcia is a spokesman for the Montgomery County fire department. He says firefighters are evaluating 14 people who fell ill after smelling what they thought was gasoline throughout the store. He also says one person is being sent to the hospital and more may follow.
It's not clear how many are store employees and how many are customers.
Two smaller shops nearby also were evacuated.
November 10, 2009 - By Rebecca Sheir
As the first cat found to have H1N1 recovers in Iowa, pet owners in the D.C. area are wondering how to keep their animals virus-free.
The World Health Organization says the cat isn't the first non-human to get H1N1 from an infected person. "They've confirmed cases in pigs, birds and ferrets. They haven't confirmed anything in dogs yet," says Dr. Ashley Hughes of the Friendship Hospital for Animals in Northwest Washington.
Last week's feline diagnosis sparked a surge of concerned phone calls to the hospital, but Hughes urged people to stay calm "because it's not unexpected that H1N1, like many other flu viruses, can jump species."
As more humans become infected, the WHO expects that transmission of the virus from humans to other animals will occur with greater frequency.
Hughes is quick to note, however, that even though humans can spread H1N1 to pets, the WHO does not "believe animals can give it to people." Hughes encourages pet owners to practice good hygiene like washing hands and covering the mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing.
"And if you're sick," she says, "don't snuggle with your cat. Just like when they're sick they want to go off and be by themselves, you should probably stay off by yourself until you get better."
And if any of your animals exhibit certain symptoms, such as coughing, sneezing, runny nose or eyes, decreased appetite, lethargy or fever, Hughes recommends you call your veterinarian.
Dr. Ashley Hughes of Friendship Hospital for Animals and her patient, a chihuahua named Pepper.
Courtesy of: Rebecca Sheir
November 10, 2009 - By Jonathan Wilson
In downtown D.C. today, commuters got a chance to relieve stress and release anger over the region's notoriously bad traffic. The people behind the event say there's a more lasting solution to local commuter woes.
Frustrated commuters lined up in front of a car-shaped piñata outside the Reagan building, and most didn't hesitate to take their hardest swing.
Dozens of people took swings during their lunch breaks in downtown D.C. at an event called The Great Commuter Stress-Out.
Sarah Conway, a contractor working for the Department of Labor, took a few swats. She says her commute is usually the worst part of her day. "It's awful," says Conway. "I-95 North is the pits."
The event was put on by the Telework Exchange, a group that encourages people to let employees work from home. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) took a few swings himself.
Connolly is co-sponsoring the Telework Improvement Act, a bill still making its way through Congress. He says it will help 20 percent of government workers in the D.C. area work from home by 2015.
"Twenty percent of the eligible workforce is eminently doable, and would make a big difference in the national capital region in terms of air pollution and congestion," says Connolly.
Telework proponents say if a fifth of government workers in the area teleworked, five to six percent fewer vehicles would be on local roads.
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