News Archive - February 15, 2012

Obama's Budget Holds Good News For Virginia, Maryland

Lawmakers in Virginia and Maryland have found gleaned some good economic news from President Obama's 2013 budget proposal, pending Congressional approval of course.

Teacher Pension Sharing Being Fought By Maryland Counties

County leaders from across Maryland are pushing back against a plan they say would devastate their budgets and cause layoffs and service cuts.

Mysterious Bird Deaths Tie Up I-95

Hundreds of dead birds littered the road on I-95 in Prince George's County on Wednesday, tying up traffic and leaving drivers scratching their heads.

Alexandria Firefighters Out Of Service During Memorial

The Alexandria Fire Department will be on hiatus for two days as they prepare to honor the memory of Joshua Weissman, the firefighter who was fatally injured last Wednesday. Roads will be closed for the memorial.

Alexandria Waterfront Zoning Put On Hold

The Fat Lady has yet to sing for the Alexandria waterfront plan, as the proposal has been put on hold, at least for the time being.

Dulles Tolls Could Triple By 2018

In order to cover budget shortfalls for the Metro extension to Dulles airport, the MWA is considering hikes along the Dulles Toll Road over the next six years.

Swiss Space Program Targets Thousands Of Pieces Of 'Orbital Debris'

The Swiss have only been putting things into orbit for a few years now, but now that they've gotten a look at this debris field, they've decided to do something about it — like playing Felix to the rest of the world's Oscar.

Elie Wiesel Shines Spotlight On Romney Over Controversial Mormon Practice

Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel's name and those of his father and grandfather appeared on a list used to select people for posthumous Mormon baptisms. Wiesel is calling on Mitt Romney to use his stature as perhaps the nation's most prominent Mormon to condemn the practice. Romney has not commented.

Census: D.C. Area Third In Use Of Mass Transit

The Washington D.C. area ranks third in the nation in terms of the percentage of commuters who turn to mass transit -- behind only New York and San Francisco.

Obama Seeks To Change Change; Shift Looms For Pennies And Nickels

The Obama administration looks to give the Treasury more leeway in minting coins that have gotten more expensive than their face value — specifically, pennies (2.4 cents) and nickels (11.2 cents).

Man Arrested For 1992 Jefferson Memorial Murder

Police have made an arrest in a murder at the Jefferson Memorial that occurred more than 20 years ago, charging the suspect after he was arrested in South Carolina.

Robert Rubin: Economic Future Is Most 'Uncertain' He's Ever Seen

Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin says the U.S. economic outlook is the most "uncertain" he has seen in his lifetime. Given that he was born during the Great Depression and lived through the Cold War, the 1970s' inflation, and a brutal 1980-82 recession, that may be saying a lot.

Obama's Manufacturing Push Meets Skepticism From Experts

Obama has proposed using the tax code to create incentives for manufacturers to create jobs in the U.S. rather than abroad. Rick Santorum, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, has also proposed tax-based incentives for manufacturers. But it's worth noting that some economists see risks in politicians and other policymakers making such a big fuss over manufacturing.

Kids Listen When Parents Say No To Teen Drinking

The stricter the parents when it comes to teenage drinking, the less likely a teen is to succumb to an impulse to imbibe, Dutch researchers have found.

As GOP Race Shifts, SuperPAC Mega-Donors Weigh Next Moves

The SuperPAC supporting Rick Santorum has a mega-donor of its own who says he is in it for the long haul — opening up a race for which superPAC can receive the most help from wealthy donors.

Goodbye To The King Size: Mars To Downsize Candy Bars In 2013

Candy-maker Mars says it's setting a 250-calorie limit for all of its candy bars. That means a regular Snickers bar will lose 30 calories and the king-size bar will be no more.

Drinking Takes Center Stage As London Prepares For Olympic Spotlight

Britain has a drinking problem. And it's not just a question of alcoholism, but how the country should grapple with what some call an ingrained tradition, and others call a $4.24 billion nightmare. That's how much the National Health Service says it pays each year in alcohol-related incidents.

FDA Warns About Fake Avastin In US

Counterfeit versions of diet drugs, Lipitor and a flu medication called Tamiflu have been found in this country before. But so far fake cancer medicines have been rare.

U.S. Agrees To $350,000 Settlement In Conn. Immigration Raid Cases

The settlement appears to be the largest ever paid by the government to resolve a lawsuit over an immigration raid of a home.

Huguely Trial: Prosecution Wraps Up Case

The prosecution rested its case Wednesday in the murder trial of George Huguely in Charlottesville, Va. Of note was testimony from defendant's former teammate, who says Huguely lied about his whereabouts the night of the alleged murder.

Dutch Finance Minister Says His 'Patience Has Run Up' With Greece

Jan Kees de Jager told NPR "promises are not enough, not anymore."

Auto Dependability Hits 22-Year High In New Study

Toyota and Ford won the most awards in the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, which came out today. Vehicles made by Toyota led the way with eight awards, while Ford models received three. In general, vehicle dependability was the best since 1990, J.D. Power says.

Alexandria Fire Department To Mourn Fallen Paramedic

The Alexandria Fire Department will take off two days this week to mourn a fallen colleague. Neighboring area fire squads will respond to calls in the area tonight through Friday night.

President's 2013 Budget Includes Slight Boost For Arts, Cultural Agencies

Several arts and cultural institutions saw their allotment rise by about 5 percent in President Obama's proposed 2013 budget. The proposed spending of $1.576 billion — in a budget of $3.8 trillion — includes good news for the Smithsonian Institution and the National Endowments for the Arts.

Virginia House, Senate Each Pass Eminent Domain Bills

Two bills that would change the Virginia Constitution to address eminent domain have passed in various houses of the General Assembly, but each needs approval of the other body before the measures would go on the November ballot.

Election-Year Realities Bring Compromise On Payroll Taxes And More

There'll still be plenty of disagreements. Compromise seems next to impossible on Democratic proposals to raise taxes on the wealthy, for instance. But the congressional Republican leaders are clearly becoming more selective on where they draw the line.

As Wars Wind Down, What Are U.S. Security Needs?

For the past decade, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with the terror threat from al-Qaida, have been the focus of U.S. security officials. Now the debate is shifting, and planners are trying to figure out what comes next.

Does Contraception Really Pay For Itself?

The Obama administration claims health insurance companies won't have a problem providing free contraceptive coverage for women who work at religious groups because it is much cheaper for the industry when pregnancies are planned.

DCPS Chancellor Talks Enrollment

D.C. Public Schools saw a 1 percent decrease in enrollment this year, mirroring a national trende of lower public school enrollment.

Why America Pursues More Perfect Politics

We're a nation in search of the perfect birth, martini, pizza, golf swing, job, dress and financial plan. How do we square the American quest for flawlessness with quirky caucuses and wacky candidate selection?

Administration Proposes $5 Billion Competition To Improve Teacher Quality

The Obama administration says its ambitious, competitive grant program seeks to transform the teaching profession.

'Flying Mop' And Other Canine Glam Shots

Though dogs are cute, that's not what motivates English photographer Tim Flach.

Consumer Groups Want Lead Out Of Lipstick

A consortium of consumer and environmental groups says there's too much lead in lipstick. The Food and Drug Administration says there's nothing to worry about.

Poll: Obama Hits 50% Approval, Leads All GOP Rivals, For Now

The poll, released Tuesday, found President Obama's approval rating had bounced back up to 50 percent from 47 percent in January. Not a huge improvement but in presidential politics, getting to at least 50 percent approval is key for an incumbent seeking re-election. The recovering economy gets much of the credit for his rising approval rates.

U.S. Factories Boost Output In January

The Federal Reserve also revised December's number, which made it the best month in five years.

Mich. TV Ad Battle Pt 2: Santorum Uses Humor To Parry Romney

Rick Santorum's campaign has one of 2012's cleverest political ads. (Of course, we're only less than two months into the year.) The ad, intended to inoculate Santorum against the expected bombardment of negativity from Romney and his superPAC allies, shows a Romney lookalike with a mud-filled paint-gun stalking and shooting at a cardboard cutout of Santorum and missing every time.

Top Stories: Greek Leader Signs Austerity Pledge; China's Xi Continues Tour

This morning's top headlines from NPR's The Two-Way.

As Crackdown Continues, Syria's Assad Calls For Constitutional Referendum

The referendum, which seeks to end one-party rule, was met with skepticism. One critic said it was designed by the ruling party, which immediately violates the spirit of multiparty politics.

Malachy, The Pekingese, Becomes Top Dog In The Land

The Peke, a little dog with pushed-in face and a mop of flyaway fur, was given top honors at the Westminster Kennel Club.

Prison Fire Kills Hundreds In Honduras

Officials described a hellish scene in which many of the prisoners burned to death or suffocated in their cells.

Updated: For First Time, Iran Loads Domestic Fuel Rods Into Nuclear Reactor

In defiance of international sanctions, Iran also announced it was halting oil exports to six European countries.