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Farmers and the Chesapeake

Earlier this week, hundreds of farmers from across Maryland gathered in Ocean City for the Maryland Farm Bureau's annual convention. In front of a farm safety exhibit, Farmer Robert Jarvo stopped to talk - one thing Jarvo has yet to experience in his many years on the farm is a friendly, productive relationship with environmentalists concerned about the Chesapeake Bay. But change is in the air. After years of hostility, agriculture officials and environmentalists have cautiously been passing the peace pipe. And farmers here are warming to the idea that - perhaps for the first time in their lives - they could soon be battling with their old foes instead of against them. WAMU's Sidsel Overgaard reports.

Immigrant Group Sues Ehrlich

It won't be announced until January, but as Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich works on the budget for fiscal year 2007, one group is preparing legal action over fiscal year 2006.

In Maryland, a number of immigrant children and pregnant women who previously would have received subsidized healthcare no longer qualify for state medical coverage. Governor Robert Ehrlich says when the decision was made to cut coverage for legal immigrants in the country less than five years, it was a necessary budget cut due to a state shortfall. But since then, Maryland has boasted of a billion-dollar surplus. And now, a group of immigrants who say they believe the cuts were discriminatory are taking the Governor to court. WAMU's Jennifer Strong reports.

Commentary by Fred Fiske - Washington Area Arts

WAMU Senior Commentator Fred Fiske says that, when it comes to growth, nothing beats the DC arts scene.

H.I.P.S.

Washington is a non-profit Mecca - home base for scores of organizations that champion worthy causes or provide assistance to underserved populations. "Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive" - or H.I.P.S. - is lending a hand on the streets to assist female, male, and trans-gendered individuals working in the sex industry. The Adams Morgan-based group counsels its clients on AIDS and STDs, and the unique types of discrimination and violence that sex workers encounter. Volunteers come into contact with over 100 sex workers each night the mobile outreach mini-van hits the streets. WAMU's Stephanie Kaye spoke with Executive Director Cyndee Clay, and sat in on a counseling session at H.I.P.S. headquarters, where the "Sexually Transmitted Infections" guessing game was just getting underway...

Indian-American Talent

Take the TV show American Idol, throw in some traditional Indian dances, an emcee who speaks in English and Hindi and dozens of young performers versed in Bollywood dance routines… and you've got the Indian-American talent show, which debuts once a year in a temple just outside the beltway in Prince George's County. The all-day event, which took place this past Sunday, draws families from around the region. Children compete in dance and music categories. For the young performers, it's a chance to show that, although they may have grown up in America’s suburbs, they're still in tune with some of India's traditions. WAMU's Sarah Hughes has more.

Arts with Peter Fay

It's the same problem every December - so many arts events happening at once, how can we possibly see everything we might want to see with limited time and a limited budget? Thankfully, Metro Connection Arts Editor Peter Fay is back once again to help pick out a few of the highlights.

One Step Down

The story of DC's ever-evolving neighborhoods is one we have returned to many times here on the show. As the city's finances improved over the past decade, the rate of change has sometimes been overwhelming for residents whose families have lived in DC for generations. For writer Reuben Jackson, those changes hit him nearly every time he walks down the street.

Reuben Jackson is a writer living in the District. And even though One Step Down is no longer with us, he still listens to lots and lots of jazz.