WAMU 88.5 : Morning Edition

Filed Under:

D.C. Officials Still Pushing 'Taxation' License Plate For Obama's Limo

Play associated audio
D.C.'s license plate hasn't graced the presidential limousine since the Clinton administration.
Kari Bluff: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsbluff/3057774243/
D.C.'s license plate hasn't graced the presidential limousine since the Clinton administration.

Two local D.C. lawmakers will meet with officials at the White House later today over a DC Council resolution asking President Obama to have the "taxation without representation" license plate put on his official vehicles. 

City lawmakers and voting rights activists are still hoping to convince the White House to use the license plate for this month's inauguration. Bill Clinton was the first president to use the "taxation without representation" plate, but his successors have not followed suit. 

Earlier this week, the D.C. Council passed an emergency resolution encouraging the president to use the tags, and this afternoon Council member Mary Cheh and Council chairman Phil Mendelson will meet with members of the president's intergovernmental affairs office at the White House. 

Meanwhile, the activist group DC Vote continues to try to rally support for the President's change of plates. The group started an online petition on the White House website "We the People." As of Thursday, approximately 3,200 people had signed the online petition asking the president to use the license plate. The group needs 25,000 signatures to receive an official White House response. 

NPR

James Gandolfini Dies; 'Sopranos' Actor Was 51

Actor James Gandolfini, 51, has reportedly died. Variety magazine reports that he suffered a "sudden stroke." The cause of death is not yet known with certainty, but HBO says the actor may have suffered a heart attack.
NPR

And The Winner Of The World Food Prize Is ... The Man From Monsanto

The prize is sometimes called the "Nobel Prize for food and agriculture." And this year's winners include Monsanto executive Robert Fraley, a pioneer in genetically engineered crops. If there's a single person who personifies the company's controversial role in American agriculture, it's probably Fraley.
NPR

Meet The New Governor: Sharply Partisan And Upwardly Mobile

For years, governors were considered the most pragmatic figures in politics. Now, they're using their states to run ideological experiments.
NPR

Microsoft Responds To Fan Outcry, Changes Xbox One Policies

Microsoft has changed policies regarding Internet connection and used game capabilities for its upcoming Xbox One gaming console. The company says it is responding to feedback from consumers.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.