News Archive - November 13, 2009

Latest Virginia Regional News

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to delay Tuesday's scheduled execution of a Maryland man convicted of killing a northern Virginia couple. Larry Bill Elliott, a former Army counterintelligence worker, was convicted in Virginia in the 2001 shooting deaths of 25-year-old Dan...

Celebrity Cook-Off With Chancellor Michelle Rhee And Councilman Jack Evans

By Kavitha Cardoza

Some leaders in the District are digesting the results of the latest beef in city government: a celebrity cook-off that pitted Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee against Ward 2 councilmember Jack Evans. Their teams had to serve up a three course meal and signature drink in...

Darwin's Writings Are Celebrated This Month

Charles Darwin published his influential writings on evolution called "Origin of the Species" 150 years ago this month.

As Lydia Wilson reports, Darwin's letters and journals demonstrate how his career itself evolved...

MD Governor Celebrates Progress In Childhood Hunger

By Mana Rabiee

Maryland's Governor Martin O'Malley is marking the one-year anniversary of his vow to end childhood hunger in his state by 2015.

O'Malley sat his 6-foot-1-inch frame on a miniature plastic chair and nibbled on chicken nuggets in front of a young and captive audience. He...

District Joins Illegal Immigrant Tracking Program

By Meymo Lyons

D.C. police will join other local police departments in a federal program that checks the immigration status of every person booked into a local jail.

The District is joining the Secure Communities program, which matches inmates' fingerprints against a federal database...

Three Arrested in Connection with Fairfax Burglaries

By Jonathan Wilson

The Fairfax Police Department says it may have put a stop to burglars targeting the homes of South Asian families. Three people from New York have been charged in connection with a series of burglaries in Fairfax.

Police say the burglars targeted homes of South Asia...

VA Governor To Tour Hampton Roads Storm Damage

By Jonathan Wilson

Virginia is still in a state of emergency due to flooding and power outages caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida.

Jeff Caldwell, with the state's department of transportation, says more than 200 roads in Virginia are still closed due to high water. He says w...

Pimlico Race Track, Laurel Park And the Bowie On The Block

By Meymo Lyons

Magna Entertainment Corp. is moving forward with the sale of its Maryland thoroughbred race tracks without an initial bid.

Magna, which filed for bankruptcy protection in March, was scheduled to file a motion Wednesday in federal bankruptcy court in Delaware revealing a...

"Art Beat" With Stephanie Kaye - Weekend Events, November 13-15, 2009

By Stephanie Kaye

(November 14) GOING NATIVE Dancers chant and sway at the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall for two shows tomorrow, at 2 and 7:30pm. The Kevin Locke Native Dance Ensemble features the traditional dance and music of the Plains and Woodlands Nations...

This Week In Congress - November 13, 2009

House Democrats Joe Crowley, Louise Slaughter and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer Late Saturday night about the significance of their votes after a hard-fought vote on sweeping new health care legislation.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

The Region's Top Stories With Washington Post Columnist Robert McCartney

Washington Post columnist Robert McCartney joins WAMU's Morning Edition Host Matt McCleskey to talk about some of the region's top stories...

NTSB: February Hearing Won't Slow Metro Crash Investigation

By Jonathan Wilson

The National Transportation Safety Board plans to hold a public hearing regarding the June 22nd Metrorail crash. The hearing is set for February 23rd and 24th. The NTSB says it will focus on Metro's actions to address safety issues, and oversight of the entire Metro syste...

Ocean City Pounded By Remnants Of Tropical Storm

By Jonathan Wilson

The remnants of Tropical Storm Ida hammered Ocean City, Maryland.

The town's emergency services director Joseph Theobald says flooding has been a major problem in downtown Ocean City, but he says there's been no major damage to the boardwalk or other property.

...

Deal Struck For Silver Spring Music Hall

By Natalie Neumann

Montgomery County has signed a deal to bring a Fillmore Music Hall to downtown Silver Spring, Maryland. After construction is completed, the Lee Development Group will give Montgomery County the $3.5 million property on Colesville Road that formerly housed a J.C. Penney s...

D.C. Will Have Wheelchair Accessible Taxicabs In January

By Jamila Bey

In January, 20 wheelchair-accessible taxis will start serving passengers who require ramps or lifts in the District.

Bobby Coward has worked since 2000 to bring accessible taxicabs to the city. He says it's high time that he should have the same transportation options as...

Islamic Education Center In Potomac Under Seizure Order

By Peter Granitz

An Islamic advocacy group says the seizure of a local mosque by the federal government may have violated the First Amendment rights of Muslims in the D.C. Metro area.

Prosecutors filed a forfeiture action against four mosques including the Islamic Education Center in...

Feds Move to Seize Mosque in Maryland

By Patrick Madden

The federal government is taking steps to seize a mosque in Potomac, Maryland. Prosecutors say a Muslim non-profit organization used the Islamic center and three others around the country to secretly funnel money to Iran.

Prosecutors say the owner of the mosque, the...

UVA To Complete President George W. Bush Oral History Project

By Bill Redlin

The Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia is preparing to record an oral history of the presidency of George W. Bush.

The center in Charlottesville and the George W. Bush Foundation announced the project Thursday. About 100 interviews will be don...

Latest Maryland Regional News

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) Metro plans to plead guilty to charges it released hazardous chemicals into the sewer system in 2003, according to court documents. The charges in federal court in Greenbelt were made public yesterday.

BALTIMORE (AP) A housing official described his relationship with Bal...

Power Breakfast for November 13, 2009

This morning Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is downtown at the Center for American Progress to talk about White House efforts to overhaul the immigration system. Even as the all-consuming health care debate pushed immigration out of the spotlight, it's also brought it...

Lack Of Bridge Repairs In Maryland Faulted

A public interest group in Maryland says bridges aren't being repaired in the state for political reasons.

A report from the Maryland Public Interest Research Group tracked campaign contributions from "highway" interests, and earmarks for transportation projects. Last year in Maryland, acco...

Latest D.C. Local News

WASHINGTON (AP) Rescuers have evacuated several shops because of the threat of a building collapse in southeast Washington. Officials say construction work was under way today at a row of buildings in the 100 block of 15th Street SE when the walls started to crack and separate. The saturated grou...

Asylum Seekers Caught Up in Anti-Terror Net

By Sabri Ben-Achour

Some people seeking asylum in the D.C. region from persecution abroad are increasingly facing delays and denials in their applications. The Department of Homeland Security says it's trying to find solutions.

When Mohammed Ly was a teenager, his family fled his nati...

Best Bets In Arts And Culture

Washington, D.C.'s cultural scene is abuzz over word that a music master will appear at the Embassy of Austria next week and that a revival of a Neil Simon play is coming to Theatre J.

Arts critic Coleen Fay speaks with WAMU's David Furst about the events....