News Archive - January 8, 2013

Analysis: Democrats Urge Obama To Unilaterally Raise Debt Ceiling

Several Democratic lawmakers, including Congressman Jim Moran, are urging President Obama to consider unilaterally raising the debt ceiling. Alex Bolton, senior staff writer for The Hill newspaper, explains.

McDonnell Proposes Higher Sales Tax To Replace Gas Tax

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell unveiled a new plan to fund transportation in the commonwealth on Tuesday, including a provision to replace the gas tax with an overall sales tax increase and fees on alternative fuel vehicles.

Death Penalty, Wind Power On Maryland Legislature's Agenda

Maryland's Senate President said on Tuesday that he expects both a repeal of the death penalty and wind power to be put up for a vote this session, after both measures failed to make it to the floor last year.

Gun Control Proposals Expose Political Divide In Virginia

Efforts to close the gun show loophole in Virginia are expected to spark intense debate in the commonwealth in the upcoming legislative session, highlighting the divide between rural and urban areas of the state.

House Gears Up For Immigration Battle

The Republican leadership has installed immigration hawks to chair the House Judiciary Committee and a subcommittee that would be charged with drafting immigration bills. And a veteran Democrat has left another coveted committee to join the judiciary panel and help push through possible changes.

Former DCPS Chancellor Rhee Subject Of Frontline Documentary

A new Frontline documentary from PBS airing Tuesday night will focus on the contentious tenure of former DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee.

Venezuela's Chavez To Miss His Inauguration

The announcement by the government confirms suspicions the president's illness will keep him in Cuba past Thursday when he was scheduled to be sworn in. Chavez underwent his fourth cancer-related surgery in Cuba last month.

Judge Reduces Possible Sentence For Pfc. Manning In WikiLeaks Case

In a pretrial hearing in Fort Meade, Md., a military judge reduced the potential sentence for Army Pfc. Bradley Manning for his role in the WikiLeaks case, citing the illegal pretrial punishment he suffered.

Fuel Leak At Logan Airport Adds To Trouble For Boeing 787 Dreamliner

A fuel leak Tuesday on a Tokyo-bound Japan Airlines flight forced the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to cancel takeoff and return to the gate at Boston's Logan International Airport. It was the second incident involving a Dreamliner in two days after a small fire on a 787 on Monday.

In Canada, Gonorrhea Defeats Another Antibiotic

Superstrains of gonorrhea, which are resistant to all antibiotics, have cropped up in Europe and Asia. Now Canadian doctors report the first failure in North America of the usual antibiotic for gonorrhea, leaving just one drug left to fight the sexually transmitted germ.

A Dash Of Olive Oil May Preserve Decaying British Cathedral

One of the world's most basic cooking ingredients could be the key to protecting some of Europe's most stunning buildings. The limestone used in England's 800-year-old York Minster is particularly vulnerable to pollution. The oleic acid in olive oil, British researchers say, may provide the protective coating needed to prevent further decay.

Alleged Leaker Manning Subjected To Illegal Pretrial Punishment, Judge Rules

At a pretrial hearing Tuesday at Fort Meade, a military judge said some of the punishment given to Pvt. Bradley Manning while he was in solitary confinement was "more rigorous than necessary." He is accused of sending a mass of classified documents to the website WikiLeaks.

NRA Accepts Biden's Invitation To Meet

The National Rifle Association says it is sending a representative to hear what the vice president's task force on gun issues has to say. The organization has made clear, though, that it opposes changes to gun laws if they restrict Americans' ability to buy firearms.

Gallaudet Reinstates Suspended Diversity Officer

The chief diversity officer at Gallaudet Unversity in Washington, D.C. has her job back after being suspended earlier this year for signing a petition to subject Maryland's gay marriage law to referendum. 

911 Calls Played And Traps In Holmes' Apartment Described In Colo. Court

On a 27-second call to police, at least 30 shots can be heard in the background. James Holmes is charged in the murders of 12 people and the wounding of dozens in a movie theater.

Flu Cases On The Rise Earlier Than Usual, CDC Reports

The Centers for Disease Control are seeing a higher incidence of flu cases earlier in the flu season this year than in previous years, the agency reports. 

District Releases Road Closures, Parking Restrictions For Inauguration

Local transportation and law enforcement officials have released a transportation plan for the upcoming presidential inauguration, and it includes no parking zones, road closures, and detours on many of the bridges into the city.

O'Malley's Budget Includes $336M For New And Upgraded Schools

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley wants the state will spend an extra $336 million on school construction and renovations in the coming year.

Fairfax Board To Vote On $250 Million Road Plan For Tysons

Fairfax County Board members will vote tonight on tax plan to fund major road improvements around Tysons Corner — a proposed $250 million during the next four decades.

A Life Examined: Who Was The Victim So Brutally Murdered In India?

From interviews with her friends and family, The Wall Street Journal adds some details to the life of a young woman whose gang rape and death has shocked India and much of the world.

Young And Doubly Insured: A Modern Health Dilemma

Without rules that spell out which health plan takes the lead, a young person who lives out of state and is covered by his parents' plan and a college health plan might run into trouble trying to get in-network care when far from hometown.

Gays Separated From Military Since Late '04 To Get Full Discharge Pay

Before the "don't ask, don't tell" policy was ended in late 2011, many gays were given honorable discharges — but only about half the discharge pay they were owed. A class action suit on their behalf has now been settled and the withheld pay will be released.

Mystery: How Did Million Dollar Lottery Winner End Up Dead From Cyanide?

In Chicago last summer, Urooj Khan jumped for joy when he realized he had a winning ticket in the Illinois later. A month later, one day after his check was issued, Khan was dead. Authorities recently figured out that the cause was a lethal dose of cyanide. Now they're investigating.

Richard Ben Cramer, Winner Of Pulitzer Prize And Masterful Reporter, Dies

He wrote a classic book about the 1988 presidential election — What It Takes: The Way to the White House. It's been hailed as one of the best books ever written about American politics.

'Enough,' Says Giffords As She Launches Campaign For New Gun Laws

When children are gunned down in their classrooms, the former congresswoman says, it's time for change. Two years ago, she was shot and seriously wounded by a gunman who went on to kill six people and wound another 12.

Benghazi Attack: Only Man Who Was In Custody Is Now Free, Lawyer Says

Tunisian authorities have released a man who has been suspected of being involved in the attack that left the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans dead. The man's lawyer says there's no evidence to connect his client to the attack. He was recently questioned by the FBI.