News Archive - March 1, 2010

Local Transportation Projects Temporarily Shut Down

By David Schultz

The stalling of a key piece of federal legislation is causing the U.S. Department of Transportation to furlough nearly 2,000 employees today.

As a result, dozens of ongoing projects across the country, including the 9th Street Bridge project in D.C. and the Humpback B...

Baltimore Faces Challenge In Paying Retired Firefighters And Police

By Cathy Duchamp

The Baltimore City Council this week will tackle an issue that’s plaguing cities across the country: how to pay retirement benefits to police and firefighters without raising taxes or cutting services. Baltimore has to come up with $167 million just to make payments in the...

Latest Maryland Regional News

BALTIMORE (AP) Three people on trial in Baltimore for allegedly starving a 1-year-old boy to death while part of a religious cult have rested their cases without calling any witnesses. Closing arguments are now set for Tuesday in the death of 1-year-old Javon Thompson.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) M...

D.C .Hospital Fires Employees For Missing Work During Storms

By Elliott Francis

D.C.'s largest private hospital is being criticized after 16 hospital workers were fired.

Hospital officials say the 11 nurses and 5 support staff were pink slipped because they failed to show up for work at some point during the recent snow storms.

A spokespe...

Latest D.C. Local News

WASHINGTON (AP) Metro says its 10-cent hike in rail and bus fare is only temporary. But don't expect any relief once the rate-hike period ends in June: Metro's board of directors is considering even steeper fare hikes come July to offset the transit agency's budget shortfall.

WASHINGTON (AP...

With DUI Convictions Wavering, Defense Attorneys Ready Clients

By Peter Granitz

D.U.I. attorneys in Washington are anxiously waiting for the Metropolitan Police to determine whether the department used faulty Breathalyzer machines.

An internal police audit found 8 of the 10 breathalyzer machines the District uses may have provided inaccurate resu...

Latest Virginia Regional News

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia's Senate Democrats have found a way to block passage of several bills that would loosen the state's gun laws. A chairman of the Senate's Justice Committee has set up a committee on gun issues that's stacked with four anti-gun Democrats and one Republican.

RICHMON...

Some Say Metro Is Still A Good Deal

By Kavitha Cardoza

Those using the Metro system might notice a temporary 10 cent surcharge which went into effect over the weekend. But advocates say it's still cheaper than public transportation in other large cities.

Richard Perry is adding money onto his Smart card at the Friendshi...

Former Lawmaker Calls For Outrage Over Bay Clean-up

By Cathy Duchamp

Hundreds of millions of federal dollars have been set aside for Chesapeake Bay cleanup. But money might not be enough.

Former Maryland State Senator Gerald Winegrad told a crowd of environmentalists in Baltimore this weekend that the Chesapeake Bay cleanup has been th...

Hotel Workers Push For Union, Encourage Boycott

By Peter Granitz

Hotel workers in Arlington are protesting what they call employer abuses. They say two hotels in Crystal City are violating their rights as workers.

Corina Williams says she worked at the Hilton for twenty seven years, fist cleaning rooms and later in customer service...

Federal Shut-Down Brings Local Transportation Projects To A Halt

The U.S. Department of Transportation has furloughed thousands of workers today after Congress failed to extend a crucial transportation bill. That's brought highway projects across the country, including in the D.C. region, to a screeching halt.

David Schultz reports from Arlington, Virgin...

Driver Intentionally Hits Four People

By Kate Sheehy

Police in Prince George's County, Maryland say four people were intentionally hit by a car early this morning in Chillum.

Two people are in the hospital with serious injuries, police say, after four adults were hit by a car around 3.a.m. this morning at a shopping cente...

Businesses Cash In On Gay Marriage

By Sabri Ben-Achour

Gay couples will be allowed to apply for marriage licenses in D.C. beginning this Wednesday. Meanwhile, businesses are positioning themselves to take advantage of what economists say could be a multi-million dollar industry.

Gautham Raghavan and Andrew Masloski got...

Shootings At Prince William County Day Care

By Meymo Lyons

Prince William County police say they are investigating the shooting deaths of a man and woman in a home that has a day care business. Police say officers found the man and woman with gunshot wounds in the upper level of the home on Roundtree Drive early Monday. They say a ma...

Local Red Cross Awaits Word From Chile

In the wake of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile this weekend, the local Red Cross is awaiting word on what help is needed. It's because Chile has an especially strong disaster-preparedness plan, and nearly 30 Red Cross chapters within its borders to lend a hand.

Cheryl Kravitz...

"Art Beat" With Stephanie Kaye - Monday, March 1, 2010

(March 1) ONE-MAN EPIC The Shakespeare Theater Company has let in Faction of Fools just long enough to present The Great One-Man Commedia Epic tonight at 7. One actor, twelve characters and one thousand catastrophes are undertaken with the expertise of physical comedian Matthew Wilson, telling ta...

National Zoo Gets New Octopus

By Rebecca Sheir

Tai Shan the panda might be back in China, but visitors to the National Zoo can see a new attraction: a Giant Pacific Octopus.

Alan Peters, the Zoo's Curator of Invertebrates, says most invertebrates don't get enough respect.

"They have the reputation of being a...

Power Breakfast For March 1, 2010

The changing face of the business of war.

This morning Defense and State Department officials testify in Part Two of a hearing before the federal Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports.

Teen Mother Talks About Her Life After Dropping Out Of School

After years of decline, teen pregnancy rate is on the rise again across the country.

In Washington, D.C., in 2007, the last year for which statistics are available for Washington, 1,075 babies were born to teenagers here.

A baby is difficult for any new mother. For these teenagers it...