News Archive - January 16, 2013

High-Capacity Magazine Vendors Arrested In Baltimore

Baltimore County Police have arrested a pair of vendors accused of selling high-capacity magazines at a gun show at the Timonium Fairgrounds.

Virginia Lawmakers Take On Abortion, Again

Alexandria Delegate Rob Krupicka, a democrat, is co-sponsoring legislation to repeal the transvaginal ultrasound requirement.

White House Death Star Petition Wouldn't Pass New Threshold

In order to get an official response to your petition on the White House's We the People platform, you now need at least 100,000 signatures. Recent high-profile petitions haven't been all that serious.

Marine Corps Band Prepares For Inauguration

A brass ensemble from the Marine Corps Band will play during a prayer breakfast at the Washington National Cathedral a day after President Barack Obama is sworn in for a second term.

LaHood 'Optimistic' About Silver Line Federal Loan

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood praised the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for cleaning up its hiring and contracting practices, saying he's optimistic a federal loan for Metro's Silver Line rail project will be approved "sooner rather than later."

All 787 Dreamliners Grounded Around The World

The 50 planes owned by airlines around the world have been pulled out of service. The Federal Aviation Administration and other authorities cite an incident in Japan in which one jet's batteries emitted smoke. The Japanese report came a week after a similar incident occurred in Boston.

Virginia Senate Committee Approves UVA Rector Nomination

A Virginia State Senate committee has approved the re-nomination of University of Virginia Rector Helen Dragas, paving the way for a vote in the full Senate. Dragas came under fire last year for her attempt to remove UVA president Theresa Sullivan. 

Americans Said To Be Among Hostages Seized By Militants In Algeria

The State Department said Americans are reported to be among the hostages taken by militants at an Algerian gas plant. The total number of hostages is unclear, as are the number of Americans. The attack is seen as retaliation against France's intervention against Islamists in neighboring Mali.

D.C. Fire Department Developing New Sick Leave Policy

D.C. Fire and EMS is examining its sick leave policy after approximately 90 firefighters called out sick on New Year's Eve. A D.C. man says his father died while waiting for an ambulance early in the morning on New Year's Day.

Manti Te'o Girlfriend Story Was A Hoax; Linebacker Says He Was Taken In

Manti Te'o, who nearly won the Heisman Trophy, is at the center of what Deadspin calls a "hoax," in which the story of lost love was created to bolster his personal myth. The site is questioning the existence of a girl Te'o has said inspired him to new heights. He has not yet responded to the story; we'll update this post with any new information as it emerges.

Skin Doctors Question Accuracy Of Apps For Cancer Risk

Smartphone apps that assess moles for skin cancer risk missed threatening moles one-third of the time, say dermatologists who tested some of the apps. The apps could give people a false sense of security about their skin.

JPMorgan Chase Sees Profits Rise, Halves CEO's Salary For London Debacle

JPMorgan Chase says its profits were up 53 percent in 2012's fourth quarter — but CEO Jamie Dimon's salary will be cut in half, after the bank lost billions of dollars on risky bets placed by a single trader. Dimon's salary now stands at $11.5 million.

Even Post-Sandy Hook, Politics Suggest Prospects Dim For Obama's Gun Plan

Although President Obama's major proposals, from banning assault rifles to more stringent background checks and ammunition limits, are being rolled out in the shadow of the school massacre in Newtown, Conn., their Capitol Hill prospects remain highly uncertain.

Outsourced: Employee Sends Own Job To China; Surfs Web

What began as a company's suspicion that its infrastructure was being hacked turned into a case of a worker outsourcing his own job to a Chinese consulting firm, according to reports that cite an investigation by Verizon's security team. The man was earning a six-figure salary.

Conrad Bain, Mr. Drummond On 'Diff'rent Strokes,' Dies

He was the kindly white adoptive father of two young African-American brothers on the popular TV series, which aired from 1978-86. Bain, 89, died Monday in California. The show made Gary Coleman a star. He died in 2010.

More Reports Of Nepotism, No-Bid Contracts At MWAA

More than 10 percent of Metropolitan Airports Authority employees are related to someone else that works there, and more information has come out about no-bid contracts at the agency.

Lawyers For Virginia Death Row Inmate Ask SCOTUS For Stay

Attorneys for an inmate scheduled to be executed tonight in Virginia are asking the Supreme Court to stay his execution and order a mental health evaluation.

Why A Young Man Died In A Nursing Home, A State Away From His Mom

Zach Sayne, who died this month at age 25 in Alabama, never made it home to Georgia where his mother hoped he would be cared for. The story of why she couldn't move him there shows the bureaucratic traps, underfunding and lack of choices that plague state Medicaid programs.

Virginia Democrat Proposes Gas Tax Increase

State Senate Democrats in Virginia have proposed an alternative to Gov. Bob McDonnell's plan to do away with the gas tax and instead raise the sales tax; Democrats' proposal would increase the gas tax by 10 cents during the next two years.

Virginia Business Leaders Split On Uranium Mining

Business leaders in Virginia are largely split on whether the state should lift a ban on uranium mining, according to a new report released by a state task force. Allowing uranium mining in Pittsylvania County is expected to be the subject of much debate in the General Assembly this year.

Cutting Sugar Consumption Helps Keep Extra Weight Off

Adults who upped their intake of sugary foods or drinks gained about a pound a year, a study found. But the researchers say it's impossible to say how much cutting back sugar would reduce obesity because sugar's not the only problem.

D.C. Plans Expanded Bikeshare, Other Bike Parking For Inauguration

Bicycling may be the best way to get to D.C.'s inaugural events on Monday, and city officials are preparing to accommodate thousands of bikes that will need to be parked downtown.

Obama On Gun Violence: Americans Must Stand Up And Say 'Enough'

The president unveiled a series of executive actions and called on Congress to take legislative steps aimed at reducing gun violence. "We can't put this off any longer," he says. He's calling on Congress to ban assault weapons and bolster the background check system.

Delays On Metro's Red Line Due To Switch Problem

There are significant delays on Metro's Red Line this morning due to a switch problem outside Judiciary Square. Trains are single tracking between Farragut North and Judiciary Square. 

Reports: French Troops Fighting In Mali, Foreign Hostages Grabbed In Algeria

After five days of airstrikes aimed at Islamist militants, French troops are engaged in their first ground operation in Mali, according to several news outlets. The rebels, who had vowed to retaliate, may have done so by grabbing hostages at an oil field in neighboring Algeria.

Saying No To The Inauguration

For some Americans, next week's inauguration is a time to protest, not celebrate, the beginning of a second term for President Obama.

Top Stories: Obama's Plan On Guns; Inflation Remains In Check

Also: French troops move north in Mali; explosions rock Kabul; two Japanese airlines ground their Boeing 787 Dreamliners; many New York City parents face turmoil as school bus drivers go on strike.

'Robogut' Makes Synthetic Poop To Treat Stubborn Infections

Canadian scientists have developed a synthetic stool that successfully treated two patients with a severe form of diarrhea. The researchers call the concoction RePOOPulate, and they produce it using a machine that recreates conditions in the colon.

Before Obama's Plan Is Out, NRA Calls Him An 'Elitist Hypocrite'

The administration is releasing its plan for reducing gun violence. The National Rifle Association is using the fact that the president's daughters are protected by guards with guns to make its case for putting armed officers in schools. The video is "repugnant and cowardly," the White House says.

Inflation Rate Slowed Sharply In 2012; Prices Were Flat In December

Consumer prices rose just 1.7 percent in 2012, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. That's about half the pace of 2011 — when prices went up 3 percent. A sharp slowing in the increase of gas prices was a major factor. The news means interest rates will likely stay low.

Interior Sec. Salazar Is Latest Member Of Cabinet To Announce Departure

He joins others who are leaving the Obama administration as the president begins his second term, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

Fireball, Panic As Helicopter Crashes In London

Flying through mist, the helicopter hit a crane and came crashing to the ground. At least two people, including the pilot, are said to be dead. Several others were injured.

Blast Rocks Kabul; Dozens Wounded, Attackers Killed

The Taliban is claiming responsibility. A group of men tried to attack a government security office. They were wearing bombs strapped to their bodes and came in vehicles carrying more explosives, authorities say.

UPDATE: 'Turmoil' For Many Parents As NYC School Bus Drivers Strike

The drivers want pay and job protections continued in their new contract. The city says a court order prevents it from doing that. Today, the familiar yellow buses are parked. Thousands of parents and their kids are finding other ways to get to school.