News Archive - November 2, 2011

Oakland Occupy Protesters Declare Victory At Port

After Occupy Wall Street demonstrators shut down evening operations at one of the nation's busiest shipping ports, they began leaving the area. Organizers were telling protesters to head back to the downtown plaza across from City Hall, where the Oakland movement has been based for weeks.

Norwood Guilty Of First-Degree Murder

A jury has found Brittany Norwood guilty of murder in the first degree for killing her coworker Jayna Murray at the Lululemon yoga boutique in Bethesda. Sentencing is in January, and prosecutors are seeking life without parole.

'Art Beat' With Sean Rameswaram, Nov. 2

mehretu

Ancient Greeks meet graffiti art, an abstract painter gives a concrete lecture and an orchestra tackles two greats.

Virginia Education Forum Focuses On Job Skills

In an education forum in Richmond Wednesday, Governor Bob McDonnell emphasized that businesses need to chip in with education strategy in order to create more employable high school graduates.

Man At Center Of Feeding Tube Debate Dies

A Frederick man who was at the center of controversy about whether his feeding tube should be removed died Wednesday before a hearing that would have decided his fate.

Montgomery County Will Add GPS To Battle Snow

snow plow

Montgomery County is expanding its GPS-enabled snow plows this year, adding dashboard GPS systems with pre-programmed routes for drivers to follow.

China Completes Its First Space Docking

The feat marks a crucial step in China's plans to build a space station. China embarked on a space station program after it was rebuffed from participating in the International Space Station.

Suspect In McQuain Slaying Back In Maryland

curtis lopez

Curtis Lopez, who is charged with the murder of Jane McQuain and is the suspect in the murder of 11-year-old William McQuain, has been extradited to Montgomery County.

Greek PM Says Country Must Decide Whether To Remain In The EU

George Papandreou framed an upcoming referendum on a bailout package as a choice on European Union membership.

The Hill: Compromise Needed In Super Committee

The Hill senior staff writer Alex Bolton says the expectation is that Republicans are going to have to offer more in order to reach a deal on cutting the budget deficit.

High Stakes In Virginia Elections

Election Day is less than a week away, and the races in Virginia are expected to foreshadow the state's political climate for the coming year and the 2012 General Election. 

Ex-Cop Gets 4 Years In Katrina Shooting Cover-Up

Michael Lohman pleaded guilty last year to helping make it appear police were justified in shooting six people, killing two, on the Danziger Bridge less than a week after the 2005 storm struck New Orleans.

With Italy On Verge Of Crisis, Opposition Calls For Berlusconi To Step Down

After a terrible day in the markets, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi called an emergency meeting to move on reforms aimed at keeping the country from a full-blown debt crisis.

Religious Groups Want Relief From Birth Control Mandate

Some religious groups want exemptions from federal requirements that they cover prescription birth control in their health plans. But backers of the rules say the changes proposed by the opponents would render the mandate meaningless.

Third Woman Accuses Herman Cain Of Harassment; Witness Goes Public

A third woman told a news organization Herman Cain sexually harassed her when both worked at the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. And in another stunning turn, a Republican pollster said he actually witnessed Cain's alleged harassment of a trade group worker.

Jury Deliberation Underway At Norwood Trial

Closing arguments wrapped up Wednesday afternoon, and jury deliberation is underway in the trial of Brittany Norwood, accused of the first-degree murder of her coworker.

Hacker Group Backs Away From Threat To Mexican Cartel

After receiving a threat from the drug gang, some members of the hacktivist collective Anonymous are calling off the campaign to out members of the the Zeta cartel.

Sarkozy: Aid To Greece Won't Be Paid Until After The Referendum

The French leader said Greece would not get its next installment of its rescue loans, until after Greeks cast a vote on whether to accept the terms. The timing, however, might leave Greece in a tough position without enough money to pay its obligations.

Bernanke: Pace Of Progress 'Likely To Be Frustratingly Slow'

In a press conference, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke painted a mixed picture of the economy. Essentially, the chairman said, growth will be slow and unemployment will continue stubbornly high.

Secret To A Long, Healthy Life: Bike To The Store

Even if people used bikes to run short errands than half the time, it could save more than 1,100 lives a year in 11 Midwestern cities, thanks to reduced air pollution and improved health. That's the word from scientists at the University of Wisconsin, who figured people would bike 4 months out of the year.

Should Farm Kids Be Allowed To Drive A Tractor? Some Say It's Too Dangerous

Traditional family farmers say a Department of Labor proposal threatens the future of agriculture. But child and labor advocates who say the plans are a much-needed update to protect vulnerable young workers.

Herman Cain And The Race Card

Here we go again with the race-card business.Questioning the motives of those seeking the truth about the sexual harassment allegations against him when he led the National Restaurant Association, Herman Cain said he suspects critics on the political left of attacking him for racial reasons.

Reagan Statue Installed At Airport

A new 9-foot-tall statue of Ronald Reagan now preside over Terminal A at Reagan National Airport.

Syria Accepts Arab League Plan To End Crisis

The proposal calls on Syria to withdraw all tanks and armored vehicles from the streets, stop violence against protesters, release all political prisoners and begin a dialogue with the opposition within two weeks.

Syria Agrees To Withdraw Military From Cities; Free Prisoners

The decision comes after embattled President Bashar Assad met with an Arab League delegation. The agreement is aimed at bringing to an end a seven-month popular uprising that's resulted in the death of thousands of Syrians.

Study: Regular Drinking Appears To Boost Breast Cancer Risk

A study that looked at the drinking habits and development of breast cancer in more than 100,000 nurses found those who drank more had a small but detectable increase in breast cancer compared with those who drank less.

Federal Reserve Holds Off On Any New Economic Policy

Citing stronger economic growth, the Federal Reserve said it was not applying new policies to help the economy. The Fed said while the economy grew at a faster pace, there is still "continuing weakness in overall labor market conditions."

DOD Coughs Up $270M To Ease BRAC Traffic

Local lawmakers are finally getting what they asked for: the Department of Defense will put in $270 million for road projects to reduce traffic resulting from BRAC near Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda and Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County. 

New Hampshire Chooses Jan. 10 As Primary Date

The schedule for the first four Republican presidential caucuses and primaries appeared officially set with New Hampshire announcing it would hold its first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 10. That's seven days after the Iowa caucuses which were moved to Jan. 3, the first Tuesday of the new year, and which will kick off the process by which Republicans will choose their party's nominee.

Mayor Voices Concerns Over Security at 'Occupy Baltimore'

Occupy Baltimore protesters, who have been camping in Inner Harbor's McKeldin Square for several weeks, are now facing some security challenges that concern Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

Pakistan Gives India 'Most Favored Nation' Trade Status

The move is being viewed as a positive first step toward the possible normalization of diplomatic relations between the two nuclear rivals.

Maryland Immigrants Get A Boost Toward Citizenship

For many immigrants, a little help with the fee standing between them and U.S. citizenship can go a long way.

Audie Cornish Will Fill In For Michele Norris On 'All Things Considered'

Norris has stepped aside during the presidential campaign because her husband is working for President Obama's re-election effort. Cornish is currently host of Weekend Edition Sunday.

Biddle To Run For D.C. Council Seat

Former D.C. Council member Sekou Biddle will make another run for the council next year. He filed papers with the elections board Tuesday to run as a Democrat for the at-large seat currently held by Council member Vincent Orange in the April 2012 primary.

Top Stories: Crisis Talks In Cannes, Assange Loses Appeal, Strike In Oakland

European leaders are putting pressure on Greece. The WikiLeaks founder is fighting extradition from the U.K. to Sweden. In Oakland, thousands are expected downtown as part of a general strike sparked by the Occupy movement.

French Newspaper Firebombed After Satire Involving Prophet Muhammad

Charlie Hebdo's director calls those responsible "idiots who betray their own religion."

Crisis Talks In Cannes Over Greek Bailout Plan

Financial markets are watching what happens in the French resort, where European leaders plan to grill Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou over his plan to have a referendum on a bailout package aimed at shoring up his nation.

Lawyer: One Of Cain's Accusers Wants Her Story Told

Because Cain has been commenting on the allegations, his accuser should be released from her confidentiality agreement, the attorney says.

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange Loses Extradition Appeal

Assange, now in the U.K., denies he sexually assaulted two women in Sweden. He hasn't been charged with any crime and says extradition may be a ruse aimed at eventually sending him to the U.S. for prosecution over the release of classified material.

Asian, European Nations Fret Over Birthrate Swoon

While much of the world worries about how to sustain 7 billion people, in many countries, low birthrates are the more pressing problem. From Germany and Russia to Japan and South Korea, leaders are desperate to reverse a trend of lower birthrates.