Local News from WAMU 88.5

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Virginians Consider The Risks And Benefits Of Hydraulic Fracturing

With the dangers of nuclear power playing out in Japan, fighting in Libya pushing up oil prices, and environmentalists urging a reduction in dependence on coal, America is looking for energy alternatives.

One that seemed promising is natural gas. But critics say the process of getting gas from the ground may be risky, which is a question playing out in the Commonwealth.

DDOT to spray ginkgo trees to stem smell

D.C. officials are starting to spray ginkgo trees around the city to stave off the unpleasant odor of its fruits.

Baltimore Transgender Beating May Yield Hate Crime Charges

Maryland prosecutors may file hate crime charges in connection with the beating of a transgender woman at a Baltimore area McDonald's. The two alleged assailants have been arrested and the victim is now recovering.

Montgomery Co. Names New Schools Superintendent

In Montgomery County, school officials have chosen a new superintendent to lead the county's public school system. Dr. Joshua P. Starr comes to Maryland from the public school system in Stamford, Conn.

Cuccinelli Preps For Appeals Court In Health-Care Case

Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's call for a fast track appeals process for his case against the Obama Administration's health-care reform law, his office is focusing on next month's arguments before the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Nine Candidates Running In Today's Special Election For D.C. Council

Voters in the District head to the polls Tuesday to select an at-large member for the D.C. Council.

It's a crowded race that political observers say is still wide open. Nine candidates are on the ballot to fill Council Chairman Kwame Brown's old seat.

D.C. Council Struggling To Subpoena Sulaimon Brown

The allegations made by Sulaimon Brown, the former D.C. mayoral candidate who claims he was paid and promised a job by the campaign of Mayor Vince Gray, have prompted several outside probes.

The D.C. Council also wants to hear Brown's side of the story. There's just one problem: they haven't been able to track him down.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Voters Head to Polls Tuesday In Crowded Race For D.C. Council Seat

Tomorrow, voters in D.C. will head to the polls to cast a ballot in a special election for the D.C. Council. The race to fill Council Chairman Kwame Brown’s former at-large seat has drawn a crowded field -- a handful of Democrats are running, as well as a Republican, an Independent, and a D.C. Statehood Green candidate.

Video: Interview With Reporters On Childhood Obesity Series

WAMU education reporter Kavitha Cardoza and co-producer Ginger Moored reflect on what they learned from their five-part childhood obesity series.

Consider This With Fred Fiske: Jobs

Like you, I've made some bad decisions in my lifetime. But one of the best decisions I've made was in 1947, when I was offered jobs in Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia, and I chose to come to Washington.

Arlington Shifts Philosophy For Troubled Children

For years, Arlington County, Va. has shipped troubled juveniles to congregate care facilities -- some of them as far away as Massachusetts. But according to the county's Child and Family Services Division, that approach is not working.

'Art Beat' With Sean Rameswaram

Food is glorious, love is interrupted, and YACHT is a band.

Managing A Child's Weight Becomes A Family's Journey

One in every three children in the United States is overweight or obese, with significant numbers facing health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. But how do these national statistics play out in a family? The Freedmans from Olney, Md., say knowing their daughter had a problem was the easy part -- getting help was quite another.

Va. Governor Weighs In On Dulles Metro Controversy

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has sent a letter to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, calling on it to reconsider its recent vote to pursue a tunnel for the stop at Dulles Airport.

U.S. Supreme Court: Va.'s Health Care Suit Can't Be Expedited

The U.S. Supreme Court says it will not allow Virginia's lawsuit against the new health care law to skip the normal appeals process.

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