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April 07, 2010 - By Michael Pope
After a firestorm of controversy this week following the governor’s declaration, McDonnell issued a written statement this afternoon apologizing to Virginians who were offended or disappointed.
The Virginia NAACP criticized the governor for going too far in celebrating the Confederacy rather than merely recognizing it.
McDonnell now says the abomination that was slavery divided the nation, deprived people of their God-given inalienable rights, and led to the Civil War.
He called slavery an "evil, vicious and inhumane practice which degraded human beings to property," one that "left a stain on the soul of this state and nation."
McDonnell has also amended the declaration to include language addressing the evil of slavery, calling on Virginians to study this period and learn from what he calls a painful part of the Commonwealth's history.
April 07, 2010 - From the Office of Governor Bob McDonnell:
"The proclamation issued by this Office designating April as Confederate History Month contained a major omission. The failure to include any reference to slavery was a mistake, and for that I apologize to any fellow Virginian who has been offended or disappointed. The abomination of slavery divided our nation, deprived people of their God-given inalienable rights, and led to the Civil War. Slavery was an evil, vicious and inhumane practice which degraded human beings to property, and it has left a stain on the soul of this state and nation. In 2007, the Virginia General Assembly approved a formal statement of "profound regret" for the Commonwealth’s history of slavery, which was the right thing to do.
When I signed the Proclamation designating February as Black History Month, and as I look out my window at the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial, I am reminded that, even 150 years later, Virginia’s past is inextricably part of our present. The Confederate History Month proclamation issued was solely intended to promote the study of our history, encourage tourism in our state in advance of the 150th Anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, and recognize Virginia’s unique role in the story of America. The Virginia General Assembly unanimously approved the establishment of a Sesquicentennial American Civil War Commission to prepare for and commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the War, in order to promote history and create recognition programs and activities.
As Virginians we carry with us both the burdens and the blessings of our history. Virginia history undeniably includes the fact that we were the Capitol of the Confederacy, the site of more battlefields than any other state, and the home of the signing of the peace agreement at Appomattox. Our history is perhaps best encapsulated in a fact I noted in my Inaugural Address in January: The state that served as the Capitol of the Confederacy was also the first in the nation to elect an African-American governor, my friend, L. Douglas Wilder. America’s history has been written in Virginia. We cannot avoid our past; instead we must demand that it be discussed with civility and responsibility. During the commemoration of the Civil War over the next four years, I intend to lead an effort to promote greater understanding and harmony in our state among our citizens."
In addition the Governor announced that the following language will be added to the Proclamation:
WHEREAS, it is important for all Virginians to understand that the institution of slavery led to this war and was an evil and inhumane practice that deprived people of their God-given inalienable rights and all Virginians are thankful for its permanent eradication from our borders, and the study of this time period should reflect upon and learn from this painful part of our history...
April 07, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) A school official says a BB gun in a student's car prompted a brief lockdown of three schools on the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral. Officials at St. Albans School say the school and the other schools were briefly put on lockdown this morning.
WASHINGTON (AP) Regular service has resumed on Metro's green and yellow lines after a woman was seriously injured after she was struck at Mount Vernon Square. Metro spokeswoman Taryn McNeil says witnesses report the woman intentionally placed herself on the tracks today. The station was closed nearly an hour while rescuers freed the woman from under the train.
WASHINGTON (AP) Prosecutors are asking a jury to convict a former nursing assistant of manslaughter in the death of an unruly patient who turned blue and started foaming at the mouth while he was being forcibly restrained at St. Elizabeths Hospital. Defense attorneys say Calvin Green used a reasonable amount of force.
WASHINGTON (AP) Call him Octavius the Octopus. That's the name the National Zoo chose Wednesday for its new giant Pacific octopus. More than 7,000 people voted on the name of the octopus, picking from four choices on a Web site the zoo set up.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
April 07, 2010 - LAUREL, Md. (AP) Howard County police are investigating three unrelated shootings in the span of six hours, a rare outbreak of violence in a wealthy jurisdiction rarely touched by violent crime. There's only been one shooting all year in Howard before last night.
CUMBERLAND, Md. (AP) A judge in Cumberland has granted a defense motion to move the trial of a state prison inmate charged with murdering his cellmate at the maximum-security Western Correctional Institution. A clerk says the court found that publicity about the case had jeopardized Mario Bowling's chances of finding an impartial jury in Allegany County.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
April 07, 2010 - LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) Gov. Bob McDonnell has signed legislation that promotes the growth of virtual schools. It sets guidelines for virtual school programs in which students can learn online outside a traditional classroom.
ROANOKE, Va. (AP) A part-time worker has pleaded no contest to setting a fire that caused more than a $1 million in damage to a pet store in Roanoke. Prosecutors say 18-year-old Corey Brian Hite was irritated because he couldn't take a full lunch break.
CHANTILLY, Va. (AP) A northern Virginia pharmacy that received the blessing of the Catholic Church because of its pledge not to sell contraceptives has closed. The executive director of Divine Mercy Care Pharmacy says the pharmacy was losing tens of thousands of dollars a month.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
April 07, 2010 - By Mari Fagel
College students in the D.C. area are taking advantage of the warm weather to sunbathe while studying. But for some, enjoying the days outside will be cut short to make up for missed classes during the blizzard.
With sweltering heat outside, it’s easy to forget only two months ago 40 inches of snow blanketed the city and left everything at a standstill for four straight days.
"I stayed inside a lot," says George Washington University sophomore Nelle Routecki.
Routecki and her peers were snowed in and shut out of classes. Now they’ll have to make up those missed classes over four days at the end of the month. But there's one problem: that’s reading week, a designated time to study for finals.
"We don’t have any time to really prepare for finals," says Routecki. "Hopefully I’ll do well, and hopefully they’ll put that into consideration."
Junior John D’Elia says he won’t risk his final grade, so he’s skipping make-up classes to study instead.
"There are so many different ways that you could make it up without punishing the students and taking away their ability to study for finals," he says.
And he convinced other students to pledge to do the same in a Facebook group he created to officially boycott make-up classes.
"After we got the make-up email, I actually created the Facebook group that night and within a few days we had over 500 members and within a week we had over 1,600 members," he says.
But GWU administrator Jeff Lenn says there were no other options. It is university policy to make up any missed classes, and he says making up classes over spring break would have drawn more criticism and extending the semester isn’t possible because commencement is already set in stone.
"Students have a right to voice their opinion," says Lenn, "there is no doubt about it. But I do think it is short-sighted because the reality is they are here for an education."
Catholic University will also make up classes over reading week, and Georgetown already did on President’s Day. But at American University, most students can spend their reading week actually studying because during the blizzard many professors continued class online.
"They could post discussion questions about their Powerpoint," says says Bill DeLone, the head of the Center for Teaching, Research and Learning at American. "They could engage and interact with students regarding the lecture and do a number of things that would basically simulate if you will what would have happened had they been in a face to face class."
Last summer, DeLone trained 300 faculty members to teach classes using the online learning tool Blackboard. He was worried classes would be canceled for another reason: a swine flu outbreak.
"Since we never really had the pandemic issue, this really gave faculty an opportunity to test something out and see that it works," he says.
And should Snowpocalypse 2011 hit, DeLone says AU professors will be ready once again.
Make-up Days for D.C.-area Universities:
D.C.
Catholic University: •Tuesday, February 23, 2010 - Tuesday classes meet this day. •Monday, April 5, 2010 - Easter Monday cancelled; Monday classes meet this day. •Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - Reading day cancelled; Wednesday classes meet this day. •Saturday, May 1, 2010 - Reading day cancelled; Thursday and Saturday classes meet this day. •Monday, May 3, 2010 - Reading day cancelled; Monday classes meet this day; Last day of classes.
George Washington University: •Make up day for February 8 will be held Tuesday, April 27 •Make up day for February 9 will be held Thursday, April 29 •Make up day for February 10 will be held Friday, April 30 •Make up day for February 11 will be Saturday, May 1
Howard University: •Professors will schedule make-up days for their classes if necessary.
Maryland:
Anne Arundel Community College: •Spring term extended one week to May 23.
Howard Community College: •Spring semester extended a week to May 21.
The College of Southern Maryland: •Spring semester extended a week to May 12 •Graduation activities rescheduled for May 19 and 20.
Virginia
George Mason University: •Make up day for February 9 will be held Tuesday May 4 •Make up day for February 10 will be held Wednesday May 5 •Make up day for February 11 will be held Thursday May 6 •Make up day for February 8 will be held Friday May 7
April 07, 2010 - By Sabri Ben-Achour
The Chesapeake Bay is showing some encouraging signs according to an annual survey, but pollution remains a serious problem.
At the Annapolis pier, elementary school students on a field trip take turns holding some of the lifeforms that inhabit the bay.
"That's a feather blenny fish," says one child. "It lives on an oyster reef."
If these creatures survive the students, life may be looking up, according to an annual survey of bay health.
"I think there are two key bright spots--one is in the increase in underwater grasses," says Richard Batuik, associate director of science for the Chesapeake Bay Program.
A host of animals need grasses for shelter. Scientists credit improvements in waste water treatment. And the other is crabs.
"Our scientists have also measured the highest number of adult blue crabs out there since 1993," says Batuik. Batuik says this reflects curbs on crabbing since the population almost collapsed just a few years ago.
But better isn’t the same as good.
Oyster populations are at 1 percent of their historic levels. Only 12 percent of the Bay has enough oxygen. And a lot of the improvements in water quality is due to the weather. We've had less rain in the past few years, so a little less pollution happened to wash into the bay.
"There's still too much Nitrogen, Phosphorus and sediment pollution going into the bay," says Batuik.
And a lot of it is coming from urban areas, according to Batuik.
"People have to think twice about fertilizing their lawn, we have to get farmers to use more conservation practices, and we've got sewage treatment plants we need to continue to upgrade," he says.
Back at the pier, the elementary students are making their own efforts to save the creatures of the bay.
"Make sure it gets some water so it doesn't die," says one child.
If only it were as easy, say environmentalists, for the rest of the bay.
April 07, 2010 - By Kavitha Cardoza
Private foundations have pledged almost $65 million to fund portions of the new tentative agreement between Chancellor Michelle Rhee and the Washington Teachers Union.
It's been almost three years since the two sides first attempted to hash out a contract, and the lengthy negotiations were not lost on Rhee.
"I'm surprised I haven't seen money exchanging hands yet 'cause I know there were lots of bets being placed on whether we would reach this day or not," says Rhee.
The new contract will give teachers a raise of more than 20 percent over five years. They could also opt to participate in a pay-for-performance program for improving student’s test scores, without giving up tenure. Rhee says she's "thrilled" with the contract, which she says focuses on teacher performance.
"Who may be leaving a school because of an excess or who may be placed in a school, will be driven by performance," she says. "So instead of being driven by seniority, we're driving those decisions by performance."
Washington Teacher's Union President George Parker says the contract offers more professional development and mentoring for new teachers.
Parker was asked about accepting money from private funders such as the Walton Foundation, created by the Wal Mart founder, which hasn't been sympathetic to unions.
"We can't allow charter schools and private schools to have an advantage in terms of funding because we have some principle we don't want money from private foundations to contribute funds," he says. "The key is for the Office of the CFO to deem these funds solid and it's there."
While both sides hailed the deal as a "breakthrough," teachers still have to vote on whether to accept it and then the city council has to sign off on the contract.
From left to right: Washington Teachers Union George Parker, President of the American Federation of Teachers Randi Weingarten, D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee and D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty came together to announce the new tentative union contract.
Courtesy of: Kavitha Cardoza
April 07, 2010 - 2:25 P.M. UPDATE: Metro reports the woman struck by a train at Mt. Vernon Square station has been taken to a nearby hospital.
WASHINGTON (AP) Officials say a woman has been struck by a Metro train at the Mount Vernon station on the green and yellow lines.
Trains are stopping in both directions Wednesday afternoon and aren't passing through the station as rescue crews try to free the woman, who is under the train. Rescuers are shutting down power to one of the lines.
D.C. fire department spokesman Pete Piringer says the woman is alive. It's not clear how she ended up on the tracks.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
April 07, 2010 - By Kate Sheehy
Two students are in custody after a long gun was found on the grounds of St. Albans at the National Cathedral.
The two male students from St. Albans school are being questioned by police, after a weapon was found in the backseat of one of their cars.
Lieutenant Nicholas Bruel says that police received a call shortly after 8 a.m. Bruel says St. Albans and the National Cathedral Schools were put on lock down while police investigated.
Bruel says police are not releasing details about the weapon.
No shots were fired and no injuries were reported. Classes resumed this morning around 9 a.m. About 1,500 students attend school on the cathedral grounds.
April 07, 2010 - ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) The Chesapeake Bay's health improved last year but it remains poor.
That's according to a new Bay Barometer issued Wednesday in Annapolis by the Chesapeake Bay Program, the the regional partnership that has coordinated bay restoration efforts since 1983. The program rated the bay's health at 45 on scale of 100, up 6 percent from the year before. Highlights include improvements in water clarity, crab numbers and bay grass coverage.
However, program officials say the health of the nation's largest estuary remains too closely tied to yearly weather that affects how much pollution washes into to the Chesapeake.
Continuing efforts are needed to put systems into place to allow soil in the bay watershed to better filter storm runoff.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
April 07, 2010 - By Keosha Johnson
2:02 P.M. UPDATE:
From the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Emergency officials are responding to Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center Metrorail station for a report of a woman who was struck by a Green Line train at the station at about 1:18 p.m. today (April 7). The six-car train was headed in the direction of Branch Avenue. The station is currently closed and as a result there are major delays on the Green and Yellow Lines.
The preliminary report is that the woman intentionally placed herself in the path of the oncoming train.
Metro expects that a few shuttle buses will be on the scene by 2:15 p.m. to help get people around the disruption. Waits for shuttle buses will be extremely lengthy (upwards of one hour) as the buses will be dealing with traffic. Additionally, the buses only carry 50 people, but a crowded train can carry in the neighborhood of 800 people.
Customers may take Metrobus Routes 70, 71 and 79, which operate along Georgia Avenue to get around the incident.
Customers should expect significant rail delays throughout the remainder of the afternoon as emergency personnel respond to the scene.
The Yellow Line is currently split into two segments. It is running from Huntington to Gallery Place-Chinatown Metrorail station and from the Shaw-Howard U to Fort Totten Metrorail stations. The Green Line is operating from Branch Avenue to Gallery Place-Chinatown Metrorail stations and from Greenbelt to the Shaw-Howard U Metrorail stations.
UPDATE: The Mt. Vernon Square station is closed, and train delays can be expected in both directions on the green and yellow lines.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority reports a person was struck by a train at the Mt. Vernon Square station.
April 07, 2010 - By Patrick Madden
Giant, 8-foot Ehrlich for Governor Signs. Check. Red, white, and blue balloons. Check. An old Jefferson Airplane song blasting over the speakers; a song about starting a revolution. Check.
Yup, it’s campaign season, and later this hour, Ehrlich will tell voters why he wants his old job back.
The ex-governor has picked voter-rich Montgomery County to launch his campaign. Ehrlich performed poorly here in 2006. He lost to current governor Martin O’Malley in the county by nearly 80,000 votes.
But Montgomery could be critical to Ehrlich’s fortune this time around. It’s got the largest number of registered independents in the state – a group the Ehrlich campaign will be heavily courting.
Former Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich announces his campaign to reclaim his old job at the Rockville Town Center in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Courtesy of: Patrick Madden
April 07, 2010 - By Sabri Ben-Achour
In recent years there has been a movement to make the natural world a bigger part of the classroom. Some schools are taking that one step further by turning the natural world INTO the classroom. A preschool in Maryland is based on the idea that the environment is a valuable teaching tool.
A chorus of 4 and 5 year olds sings a new frog song they’ve learned at the Audubon Nature Preschool. It's part of an ongoing unit on amphibians.
"Can you think of any ways that frogs and toads are the same? Samantha?," asks a teacher. "They hop," answers a student.
This is one of the short periods of time that these children spend in their inside classroom. Soon they bustle out the door and into 40 acres of adjacent nature preserve. This is the outside classroom.
"Look at the little tiny leaves! Buds," they shout.
The children fixate on gelatinous piles of frog eggs and pause to hear distant woodpeckers. The curriculum here is based on this: the seasons and creatures outside. Stephanie Bozzo founded the school four years ago.
"If we provide an educational environment where they get their hands dirty, experience the world with their whole bodies, they’ll take more away from it," says Bozzo.
That's born out by studies, according to Eliza Russell an education expert with the National Wildlife Fund.
"It's a very tangible thing - if you turn over a rock then you see what lives under a rock you're going to remember they need dark spaces, and the learning you take sets the concrete of what you learn as an adult," says Russell.
For now though, preschools such as Audubon remain rare - Russell says there are only a handful of them across the country.
Nature is the classroom for students at the Audubon Nature Preschool in Chevy Chase, MD.
Courtesy of: Sabri Ben-Achour
View more images from this gallery.
April 07, 2010 - (April 7-11) ABSTRACT ALBERS Part-artist, part-educator German-American painter Josef Albers was a champion of visual abstraction in theory and practice. You can catch his iconic squares and some 60 other pieces as part of Innovation and Inspiration, on display in D.C. at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden through Sunday.
(APRIL 8-25) IT'S IN THE BAG The Del Ray Artisans dig deep in their bag of tricks this week during What's Your Bag?, an exhibit opening tomorrow at the Colasanto Center in Alexandria. The bag boldly goes where no bag has gone before in a show exploring the carryall as art, from paper to plastic, handbag to tea.
(April 8-May 22) CLASSIC KAFKA And if you're looking for a change, head out to Rosslyn Spectrum Theater in Arlington for Synetic Theater's Metamorphosis, opening tomorrow night and running through late May, as sound and movement re-imagine Kafka's classic tale of family responsibility and guilty relief.
April 07, 2010 - By Rebecca Blatt
Former Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich is expected to formally announce his gubernatorial campaign Wednesday morning in Rockville. He and his Democratic opponent, Gov. Martin O'Malley have not wasted time setting up their first debate.
Ehrlich says he will host O'Malley during his weekly show on WBAL radio this Saturday morning. O'Malley's campaign proposed the idea. Ehrlich says he will not bring in a moderator, but instead will host a one-on-one conversation about the challenges facing Maryland.
O'Malley defeated Ehrlich in 2006. Ehrlich says the political winds have changed in the past year and has mentioned economic hardships for families and businesses as key reasons for his campaign.
O'Malley says despite the recession, Maryland has made progress in the past four years. He says he looks forward to a conversation about ideas and issues that can keep the state moving forward.
April 07, 2010 - By Michael Pope
In Virginia, Governor Bob McDonnell is defending a decision to declare April as Confederate History Month.
Not since 2001 has a governor of Virginia issued a proclamation designating April as Confederate History Month. The last two governors refused to issue such a proclamation. McDonnell says his proclamation is intended to honor sacrifice and bloodshed on Virginia soil.
"I felt that simply as a point of history, to study the history of the confederacy, was something that should be done," says McDonnell.
A spokesman for the NAACP says that McDonnell's proclamation crosses the line – moving beyond a simple recognition of a dark chapter in American history to honoring the commonwealth’s slave-holding past. The governor disagrees, arguing that it draws attention to the state's many battlefields and tourist attractions.
"We’ve got more Civil War and Confederate cemeteries in Virginia than any other state," he says.
The controversy comes as Virginia is planning a series of events to mark next year’s 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
April 07, 2010 - By Jonathan Wilson
In Virginia, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has said it could raise the property tax rate by more than 7 percent this year, but the final decision hasn't been made yet.
The first of three public hearings was held on Tuesday night.
James Parmelee has been coming to Fairfax County budget public hearings for years.Every year, as he did Tuesday evening, he urges county supervisors to lower taxes.
"These increased fees, these increased taxes, are just a drip-drip-drip, pushing peoples budgets further into problems," says Parmelee.
But he's not optimistic the board will take his advice.
"I'm optimistic that they could balance the budget without raising taxes, but I'm not optimistic that they will," he says.
Mary Wagner, of the Arts Coalition for Education, is in favor of higher taxes.
She wants the board to restore a proposed $1.6 million cut to public school funding and give schools the same dollar transfer they received last year.
"I don't think the level transfer is going to occur because there are so many other cuts, like police and fire things that we need," says Wagner.
Fairfax has to close a $257 million budget gap.
Langley High School freshman Sam Mayman came to show his support for school music programs, some of which could still be in danger because of county budget cuts.
Courtesy of: Jonathan Wilson
April 07, 2010 - By Jonathan Wilson
In Virginia, looming budget cuts are forcing some people who normally stay out of the political arena to speak out. That includes the chief Judge of the Fairfax Circuit Court.
One of the many cuts in the county's proposed budget is a $253,000 reduction to the Fairfax Circuit Court budget eliminating 5 of 15 law clerks.
Chief Judge Dennis Smith says losing a third of the court's law clerk would be a serious obstacle to providing relatively swift resolutions to cases.
"We can provide that to 86 percent of our cases within a year because of our law clerks," Smith told the county's Board of Supervisors. "Without that you're looking at a year and a half to two years. That's a significant problem."
Smith spoke at the first of three public hearings on the Fairfax County budget scheduled this week.
The county needs to close a $257 million budget gap.
April 07, 2010 - By Elliot Francis
Funeral services for two victims of last week's murders in Southeast D.C. are scheduled for later today. Meanwhile there is mixed response to D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty's attendance at an earlier funeral for another victim.
After the shootings, Fenty was criticized by angry residents who say he's out of touch with their community. Tuesday he attended a viewing for the first of four victims of the shooting, pledging his support for the families.
"I want to make sure that the bad guys who've been arrested, stay in jail," says Fenty.
Fenty didn't remain for the entire funeral. Some who attended, such as Tammy Johnson who lives in the neighborhood where the shootings took place, appreciated his effort.
"He can't be everywhere, you know hat I'm saying, he's only one person. But him being here, that shows a lot."
Former Mayor and current ward 8 council man Marion Barry had a different take.
"I saw him outside with the press, but was he inside? I didn't see him. I'm shocked he didn't go inside," says Barry.
Fenty says he will attend as many of the other victims' funerals as he can.
April 07, 2010 - By Rebecca Sheir
Arlington, Virginia is trading one theater company for another.
An experimental-movement group is moving to a space in Crystal City now in use by Arena Stage.
The Synetic Theater Company plans to migrate from Rosslyn, Virginia, to 1800 South Bell Street in Crystal City this September.
The space has been the temporary home of Arena Stage, which is building a new, $125 million theater complex in Southwest D.C.
The deal stems from a collaboration between the property owner and the Crystal City Business Improvement District, which has been seeking a replacement for Arena.
Crystal City's nightlife has received an economic boost since Arena took residence in December 2007. Meanwhile, Synetic, which nabbed multiple honors at this week's Helen Hayes Awards, has been outgrowing its home in the Rosslyn Spectrum.
No new tenant has been announced for the Spectrum.
April 07, 2010 - By Kavitha Cardoza
D.C. Public School’s chancellor Michelle Rhee and the Washington Teacher’s Union president George Parker are set to unveil details of a long awaited tentative union agreement at 11 this morning.
Under the proposed five year contract, teachers in the District would receive a 20 percent salary increase, more than 10 percent of which would be paid retroactively.
Teachers could also opt to participate in a pay for performance plan, where they could earn up to $20,000 a year for measures including improving student’s test scores. Unlike a previous proposal though, teachers would not have to give up tenure. Four private foundations have provided approximately $65 million to fund the contract proposals.
Other aspects of the contract include expanding professional development and establishing a new, grievance procedure to resolves teachers’ complaints quicker. And while teacher evaluations are not a negotiable issue in the union, DCPS has agreed to form a group which includes members appointed by the union to review teachers’ concerns about the new evaluation system. Teachers still have to vote on the agreement after which the city council will have to sign off on it.
April 07, 2010 - The strangest things change hands.
One chapter closes today in a story that began back in 2003, at the Port of Miami, when a ship arrived carrying, among other things, a stash labeled simply "gifts."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson Pat Reilly is looking at a photo of the objects now.
April 07, 2010 - From the Maryland Reporter website:
LAW CLINIC Lawmakers will not withhold any funds from the University of Maryland's law clinic for pursuing an unpopular lawsuit against the poultry industry, Annie Linskey reports in The Baltimore Sun. Some lawmakers were disappointed by the decision, but others argue that the university now understands their concerns. Fraser Smith has an audio report for WYPR.
FORECLOSURES A bill allowing homeowners facing foreclosure to request a mediation session with lenders looks to be ready to pass, Nick Sohr reports for The Daily Record.
HEALTH SERVICES Local health officials say the state budget will institute cuts that will weaken food inspections, pregnancy clinics and other services, Larry Carson writes in The Sun. Local health departments are poised to get $37 million in the budget, compared to $73 million budgeted two years ago.
PAYDAY LOANS The General Assembly passed legislation closing a loophole that allowed companies to charge more than 600 percent interest on so-called "payday" loans, setting a 33 percent annual interest rate cap, Nick Sohr writes in The Daily Record. The bill now heads to Gov. Martin O'Malley's desk for signing into law.
AUTO INSURANCE A bill raising the minimum level of liability coverage for vehicle owners in the state was delayed after being on the verge of preliminary approval, Michael Dresser writes in his Getting There blog for The Sun. Republicans proposed a number of amendments which failed, before Sen. Lisa Gladden pushed the vote back a day so she could offer her own amendment. Andy Rosen writes that insurance companies are surprisingly against the increase in minimum level of coverage.
TRANSPARENCY The push for greater transparency in General Assembly activity that lit up the early days of this year's session has fallen into the shadows, Erich Wagner writes for MarylandReporter.com. Bills mandating more openness have not even gotten a vote in House and Senate rules committees made up largely of legislative leaders, who cite practical problems implementing the proposals.
EHRLICH Paul West of The Sun looks at how former Gov. Bob Ehrlich seems to be trying to avoid any mention of his former lieutenant governor, now embattled Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele. Meanwhile, Democratic strategists are pushing to mention the link as much as possible.
DEBATE Gov. Martin O'Malley issued a debate challenge to Bob Ehrlich Tuesday, proposing an hour-long Saturday debate on WBAL radio, John Wagner writes in The Washington Post. Ehrlich insisted that it be done on his weekly show, but the O'Malley camp said that wouldn't qualify, Julie Bykowicz writes in The Sun.
LOCKHEED EXEMPTION The General Assembly approved legislation exempting Lockheed Martin's training center from the state's 6 percent sales and use tax in an attempt to curry favor with Northrop Grumman, Nick Sohr writes in his Eye on Annapolis blog.
MURPHY Brian Murphy announced his candidacy for governor Tuesday by saying, "Bob Ehrlich is not a fiscal conservative," Len Lazarick writes for MarylandReporter.com. And former state GOP chairman Jim Pelura agrees, endorsing Murphy.
BOAST The House Ways and Means Committee may prove again to be a stumbling block for passage of a bill rewarding companies for contributing to scholarship programs at private schools, Erich Wagner writes for MarylandReporter.com.
RECRUITER ACCESS The state Senate passed a measure prohibiting local school districts from sharing student information with military recruiters, Hayley Peterson reports in the Washington Examiner. The bill, which passed by a 25-22 vote, puts the option of sharing information with recruiters in the hands of parents instead.
HEALTH CARE The state Senate defeated a proposal Tuesday that would have set the state in opposition to the provision of President Obama's health care bill requiring that individuals purchase health insurance, Michael Dresser writes for The Sun.
STORMWATER REGULATIONS State lawmakers passed changes to new stormwater regulations that were supported by developers but criticized by environmental groups, Tim Wheeler writes for The Sun. The changes would exempt 1,000 to 1,500 development projects statewide for up to seven years, because they're in the local planning pipeline. Tom LoBianco gives his take on the stormwater compromise.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE A Senate committee will hear a bill Wednesday that would allow people falsely accused of domestic violence to shield it from the public view, Annie Linskey writes in The Sun. Victims' rights groups and judges would still be able to view such information.
GANGS The House passed legislation Tuesday cracking down on gang activity, but opponents say it makes it too easy for innocent young people to be arrested, Hayley Peterson writes for the Washington Examiner. Julie Bykowicz has the story for The Sun, and Dave Collins has video for WBAL-TV.
FRANCHOT Josh Kurtz at Center Maryland analyzes the political career and status of Comptroller Peter Franchot.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA Dave Collins reports for WBAL-TV that the measure legalizing medical marijuana will likely not pass, due to a House work group calling for further study on the issue.
GANSLER Attorney General Doug Gansler discusses the use of tasers with the Frederick County NAACP, writes Nicholas Stern in the Frederick News-Post.
CARROLL CASINOS A bill to allow casino nights for nonprofits in Carroll County is in legislative limbo, Adam Bednar reports in the Carroll County Times.
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