Here is the latest Local News from The Washington Times.
Paul Wiedefeld, Metro GM, fires 20 managers ahead of massive overhaul
Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld fired 20 managers Friday afternoon, just weeks before the system will start a nearly-yearlong overhaul that will include shutting down portions of certain lines for up to three weeks.
“I began management restructuring by reducing my direct reports from 21 to 9, and departments are …
New D.C. Metro SafeTrack dates and details
Metro authorities released an updated SafeTrack plan on Thursday as it tries to tackle myriad problems with the rail system.
There is no track work scheduled for July 4th, when thousands are expected to flock to the National Mall for Independence Day celebrations.
Also, no track work has been scheduled …
NyQuil soda mix sickens local children, shows growing trend of opioid abuse
The popularity of a concoction containing NyQuil and soda — which sickened six middle school students in Montgomery County last week — provides evidence for a growing trend of recreational opioid use in Maryland, officials say.
Christopher Garrett, director of communications for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, …
D.C. leads the country with highest living wage: report
The average cost of raising a family in Washington, D.C. is more expensive than literally anywhere else in the United States, but District residents wishing to relocate somewhere with a lower living wage don’t have to look all too far: despite boasting the highest living wage in the country, D.C. …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: The D.C. safety net
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Out of sight, out of mind.
This is about the D.C. safety net.
As best we know, little Relisha Rudd was last seen alive on March 1, 2014. She was seen in a surveillance videotape recorded in a hallway of the Holiday Inn Express off New York Ave. at …
Native Americans say ‘Redskins’ team name doesn’t bother them: poll
Despite a concerted “national movement to change the football team’s moniker,” a new poll finds that 90 percent of Native American respondents said it “does not bother” them that the NFL’s Washington football franchise is nicknamed the Redskins.
Activists have sometimes compared “redskin” to racial slurs for other ethnic …
Flying Dog microbrewery in Maryland establishes anti-censorship watchdog group
Inspired by its fight with a Michigan state alcohol regulator, Maryland’s Flying Dog microbrewery is getting ready to launch The 1st Amendment Society on May 31 with the $40,000 in damages it received in federal court, the Baltimore Sun reported Tuesday afternoon.
Flying Dog Brewery owners in Frederick, Maryland, …
Metro releases new version of ‘SafeTrack’ maintenance plan
Metro released its final version of the “SafeTrack” maintenance plan that is set to begin in just two weeks.
The updated plan will close all rail service for repairs every night — instead of just weekends — at midnight. Selected track work will begin weekdays at 8 p.m., pushing some …
D.C. officials eye eminent domain in homeless shelter plan
D.C. lawmakers say they can use “quick take” eminent domain, if necessary, to acquire privately-held property and expedite construction of two homeless shelters under the city council’s new plan to close the rundown facility at the former D.C. General Hospital by 2018.
Under quick take, a government can petition a …
PilatesProWorks Alexandria set to open in D.C.
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
I showed up at Pilates ProWorks Alexandria expecting a “yoga class.” When the staff saw my yoga mat and clear naivete about what I’d signed up for, they smiled as if to say “you poor, dear, delusional person, you.”
I’d never tried Pilates, but I had always thought I …
Gary Sinise, actor, and Lt. Dan Band to play Howard Theatre in D.C. Saturday
Gary Sinise’s greatest role is working on behalf of America’s veterans. Through his self-named foundation and with his Lt. Dan Band — named for his “Forrest Gump” character, a soldier who loses both legs in Vietnam — Mr. Sinise has largely turned his back on Hollywood to focus on lobbying …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: Privatize D.C. Metro?
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Many of you do not know and do not remember that public transit used to be privately owned and operated.
And it’s time to query whether Metro, the D.C. region’s public and heavily subsidized transit system, should be privatized.
Our tri-jurisdictional Metrorail and Metrobus system, which was conjured by …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: Charter school kids draw short funding straw
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
The D.C. parents of an estimated 39,000 children exercised their right to choose which schools their children would attend this school year, and they chose public charter schools. In fact, there is only a 9,000-student difference. Unfortunately, D.C. officials don’t fully support those parents, their kids and the schools …
Washington, D.C., named fittest city in the U.S. for third year in a row: report
The Washington, D.C., region was named the fittest of the country’s 50 largest metropolitan areas Wednesday for the third consecutive year — a feat the authors of the ninth annual American Fitness Index (AFI) attribute largely to a drop in smoking among residents of the nation’s capital.
By taking into …
D.C. Council moves to revise Mayor Muriel Bowser’s homeless proposal
The D.C. Council on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to an overhaul of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s plan to close the dilapidated homeless shelter at the former D.C. General Hospital and build seven smaller facilities across the city to house its residents.
Under the revised plan, which was largely reworked by council …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser the handmaiden of the week
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Her own words have come back to haunt her.
Muriel Bowser is no Donald Trump, whose opinion pass his lips sometimes with nary a filtered thought. Neither is she Hillary Clinton, although like a loyal Democrat, she announced her endorsement of her party sister, as did the majority of …
D.C. special police officers charged in death of MedStar patient James McBride
Two special police officers were charged Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter in the 2015 death of a MedStar Washington Hospital Center patient.
James McBride, 74, died from blunt-force trauma to the neck last September after he left the Northwest Washington facility without having been discharged.
After about 15 minutes on …
John Parmele Jr., Navy veteran, ordered to pay back Virginia Beach neighbor for stolen flags
A District Court judge on Monday found a retired Navy veteran from Virginia Beach guilty of three misdemeanor counts after he admitted to stealing his neighbor’s American flags.
John Parmele Jr., 73, told District Court Judge Teresa Hammons that he took his neighbor’s flags because they weren’t wasn’t being illuminated …
GI Film Festival X to host ‘Top Gun’ screening, bring military, civilian, Hollywood together
GI Film Festival co-found Laura Law-Millett wanted to program films that not only showed the heroism of American service members, but also ones that did not have the “stereotypical” tragic finale.
“Our films don’t end with a gunshot to the head [and] fade to black,” Ms. Law-Millett, herself an Army …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: Questions about bathroom laws, intern attire and Marilyn Mosby
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Dressing for success. Who’s behind Door No. 1? The case of the death of Freddie Gray.
The bathroom question seems to be all-too-important these days, although many liberals and conservatives have labeled it a “distraction.” They have a point, which is why my first questions among several today are:
…
D.C. Metro fare increases cause anger, apprehension
The last time Metro raised its fares, almost two years ago, transit officials cited the need for improving safety and repairing the system.
Today, with Metro facing an $18 billion capital deficit, almost daily track fires and threats of federal funding cuts, subway riders are expressing a variety of opinions …
Baltimore cop says fellow officer did not touch, arrest Freddie Gray last April
BALTIMORE | A Baltimore Police officer testified Monday that a fellow officer did not arrest or even touch Freddie Gray during his initial arrest last April — testimony that had been compelled by the court.
In the third day of Officer Edward Nero’s trial in Gray’s death, fellow Officer Garrett …
Funeral set for Claudina Molina, woman killed in Maryland shooting spree
ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — A funeral is being held for a Maryland woman who police say was fatally shot by a federal security officer now charged with three murders.
A spokeswoman for the Catholic Church says a funeral for 65-year-old Claudina Molina of Silver Spring is being held Monday at …
Washington Monument closed again due to elevator problems
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Monument is closed again because of elevator problems.
The monument was closed Sunday and the National Park Service announced on Twitter on Sunday night that the monument would remain closed Monday morning for repairs to its elevator power supply. The park service says the monument …
Artist Linn Meyers unveils wall drawing at Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn gallery
A 400-foot long wall drawing is no simple feat. Since commencing February 29 District-based artist Linn Meyers had been working in-situ within the inner-ring gallery of the Hirshhorn’s second floor, finally concluding her work the first week of May.
For 65 days she remained inches from her drawing, concentrating on …
Ward 1 D.C. residents divided over proposed site for homeless shelter
Ward 1 residents are split over whether a proposed shelter at a renovated church will benefit both the community and the homeless families set to live there.
The issue has colored several recent community meetings, with some residents offering full support for the plan, others accusing objectors of having a …
Irish independence centennial to be celebrated at Kennedy Center’s ‘Ireland 100’
Nearly a century ago Ireland formally left behind the United Kingdom after centuries of strife and warfare with its rulers across the Irish Sea. And on May 29, 1917, the scion of one of the Emerald Isle’s most powerful families in America was born, and who would later become the …
Montgomery school kids ill after drinking booze-cold medicine brew
More than a dozen students at the Francis Scott Key Middle Schools in Montgomery County grew ill and were treated and/or hospitalized around noontime on Friday. The suspected culprit: a toxic combination of alcohol, cold medicine and candy.
Preliminary reports indicate the children drank a home-concocted brew.
“This was not …
Howard County school nails financial management competition
Students at a Howard County high school last week beat out several thousand other teams across the country in a competition to demonstrate personal financial lessons they’ve learned in school.
Howard County’s Applications and Research Lab, a business and technology focused high school, beat out nearly 4,000 teams nationally in …
Justin Timberlake wowed by Fox affiliate’s music video for song ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’
Kevin McCarthy, entertainment reporter for WTTG, the District’s Fox affiliate, surprised Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick at the Cannes Film Festival in France with a video of Fox 5’s staff dancing to Mr. Timberlake’s new son, “Can’t Stop the Feeling.”
According to Fox5DC.com, upon seeing the video on …
Congress eyes law to bar D.C. from spending local funds without approval
The Republican-run House of Representatives is weighing legislation that would bar the Democrat-led D.C. government from spending local taxes without congressional approval.
Rep. Mark Meadows, North Carolina Republican, said the House is crafting legislation to spell out that the city must submit its budget to Congress.
For the first time …
Larry Hogan, Maryland governor, announces cuts to 155 state fees
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Thursday that residents will see a cut of 155 state fees, including an elimination of birth certificate costs.
Mr. Hogan said in a press conference in Annapolis that the reductions will save residents $60 million in the next five years.
“We believe this money will …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: Metro workers slam union, WMATA
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
“Yeah.” That was Metro worker Sidney Davis’ response when I asked if the transit agency is being sabotaged from within.
Another Metro worker, Tracey Davis, said the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) lacks “consciousness of safety,” and that the culture to tell employees to do the right thing …
Joint Base Andrews on lockdown after security incident
Joint Base Andrews was put on lockdown at rush hour Thursday afternoon over a security incident, base officials said.
According to the base’s Facebook page, the incident happened at the Visitor Control Center around 5:15 p.m. and brought “emergency responders” to the scene.
“The Main Gate is currently in …
STEM show looks to capture D.C. students’ imaginations
Rayal McKinley, 15, cowered and screamed as a Tyrannosaurus rex lunged at her, teeth bared, at the Carnegie Library in Northwest.
“Spit was coming out of its mouth and I thought it was eating on me,” Rayal said of her extinct pursuer — a virtual reality demonstration by the Dell …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: Metro has spending problems
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
The taking of Metro one, two, three — minus the guns and thrill seekers. In today’s real-life situation, we all are hostages.
Like the transit workers and hijackers in the original 1974 Hollywood flick “The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three,” passengers and overseers of the D.C. region’s system, …
D.C. Metro ‘finances worse than operations,’ privatization on the table
Metro faces an $18 billion capital deficit over the next 10 years, news that shook regional lawmakers and prompted one to suggest privatizing the long-troubled transit agency.
In addition, the Federal Transit Administration ordered Metro to make immediate repairs to prevent fires on the subway system’s tracks, just days after …
George Mason students fall victim to sextortion scheme
Students and staff at George Mason University are being alerted by law enforcement after campus police became aware of two instances of alleged sextortion in under a week.
Authorities at the Fairfax, Virginia, college sent an alert to GMU community members on Monday after two students came forward within days …
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Baltimore mayor, suspends city travel to N.C., Miss. over bathroom laws
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake on Tuesday suspended all nonessential government travel to North Carolina and Mississippi over laws in those states barring people from using the public restrooms of the opposite sex.
Ms. Rawlings-Blake said in a statement to cabinet members that she cannot “authorize any city-sponsored travel to those …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: Smithsonian African American museum opening in D.C. nears
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Sept. 24. Mark the date on your calendar. Tell Siri to remind you. Make travel and hotel accommodations plans.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is set to open its doors on Saturday, Sept. 24, with a week’s worth of events, and there will be more …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: National Museum of African American History and Culture set to open Sept. 24
Sept. 24. Mark the date on your calendar. Tell Siri to remind you. Make travel and hotel plans.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is set to open its doors on Saturday, Sept. 24, with a week’s worth of events, and there will be more than the …
Edward Nero, Baltimore police officer, opts for judge in his trial in the death of Freddie Gray
BALTIMORE | A Baltimore Police officer has opted that his trial in connection with the death of Freddie Gray be decided by a judge rather than a jury.
On the opening of his trial Tuesday, Officer Edward Nero told a judge that he would prefer a bench trial more than …
D.C. leaders ask Congress to drop riders from federal budget affecting the District’s laws
D.C. leaders renewed Monday their annual call for Congress to refrain from attaching riders to the federal budget that would specifically target local laws.
Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton said this year is especially important because the city is exercising its budget autonomy is sending to Congress for approval only the …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: Metro plan: What we know, what we need to know
ANALYSIS/OPINION
Seems we can move to the penultimate questions regarding the D.C. region’s mass transit system: What did they know and when did they know it?
At first blush, the people who oversee the 13,000 employees at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority appear to be making smart moves.
There’s …
Mentor gap seen in D.C. as students far outpace volunteers
Volunteerism is alive but unwell in the District with regard to public and charter school students — more than 30,000 of whom lack mentors and tutors because of a dearth of volunteers.
With student proficiency scores in math and reading hovering at 50 percent, the perennial need for volunteers has …
Riders blast Metro after track fire causes major delay
Subway riders blasted Metro on Monday as a small track fire caused major delays along three rail lines — the ninth such incident in just over two weeks — coming days after the transit agency had announced its systemwide repair plans and federal overseers had threatened to defund and shut …
Federal Transit Administration threatens to withhold funding, shut down Metro
The Federal Transit Administration has threatened to withhold funding from Metro and shut it down if it does not comply with safety directives issued by federal overseers on Saturday.
The threat came just one day after Metro officials had announced a yearlong plan to overhaul the ailing subway system and …
Donald Trump: I might raise taxes on the rich
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Sunday that he’s open to raising taxes on the wealthy, and he cast his entire tax proposal as little more than a floor from which he will begin negotiations with congressional leaders if he’s elected to the White House in November.
…
Montgomery County shootings: 2 dead, 2 hurt in separate incidents
Two people were killed and two people injured Friday in two shootings at a Bethesda, Maryland, mall and a nearby shopping center, which authorities say could be connected to a fatal shooting outside a high school the previous day.
About 11 a.m. Friday outside the Macy’s at Westfield Montgomery Mall, …
Metro announces new overhaul plan
Metro will implement long-term single tracking, suspend service at some stations and close down the entire system at midnight seven days a week to overhaul the ailing subway over the next year.
“We need to do something different and dramatically different. This is a massive undertaking,” Metro General Manager Paul …
Myrna Seper leaves behind legacy of education, public service
Myrna Seper, a former longtime resident of Prince George’s County and a former principal for Fairfax County Public Schools who also won the “Teacher of the Year” award, passed away Monday, May 2, at her home in Eufaula, Alabama, after a long illness. She was 73.
Born in Cedar Falls, …
Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, recognizes D.C. middle school’s sustainable energy feats
Brookland Middle School has garnered national recognition for its sustainable energy features, and it received some international attention Thursday, when U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the Northeast school.
Accompanied by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Mr. Ban took a tour — led by Brookland Middle Principal Norah Lycknell — through the …
Eulalio Tordil is suspect in High Point High School shooting in Beltsville, Md., police say
The suspect in Thursday afternoon’s fatal shooting in a Beltsville, Maryland, high school was identified by authorities later in the evening.
According to WJZ-TV in Baltimore, police believe Eulalio Tordil, 62, of Adelphi, shot his estranged wife in the parking lot of High Point High School as she was picking …
Smoke hampers Metro subway service between Eastern Market, L’Enfant Plaza in D.C.
Service on a portion of three of Metro’s rail lines was suspended Thursday evening due to a smoke incident just a day before the transit agency is expected to announce a major overhaul of the system in the wake of a fatal smoke incident at L’Enfant Plaza that killed one …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: Metro has a culture problem
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Sooooo! Metro and other regional leaders are slated to spill the beans Friday and explain to taxpayers how they plan to tackle the many problems derailing our major transit system.
The No. 1 problem at Metro, officially known as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, seems to be its …
Shooting reported at High Point High School in Beltsville, Maryland
DEVELOPING STORY:
A shooting incident at High Point High School in Beltsville, Maryland, has left one person killed and at least one other person hurt.
Washington TV station WTTG Fox-5 reported that the suspect, or suspects, remain at large. The Prince George’s Police Department said the fatality was an …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: Tiny house innovation, tiny house blunders
ANALYSIS/OPINION
The homeless. Veterans. Millennials and their parents. Seniors. People in need of assisted living. Boomers. Downsizers. Folks who simply can no longer afford McMansions. Folks who merely want small homes. Folks who have made up their minds not to be house-poor.
The housing industry has a house for them …
Kathy Szeliga looks to flip Maryland’s U.S. Senate seat from blue to red
ANNAPOLIS — House Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga doesn’t see blue when she thinks about Maryland, where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans 2-to-1.
To her, it’s purple because of the 2014 election of Gov. Larry Hogan, the state’s first Republican governor since 2007. And she hopes it becomes even more purple …
D.C. area eateries celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day
Cinco de Mayo is alive and well in Washington, commemorating the Mexican army’s victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
Today, the date is recognized in the United States as a celebration of Mexican-American culture.
At El Centro D.F. (1819 14th St. NW and …
Anthony Payne fatally run over by hijacked Metro bus in D.C.; Keith Loving charged
Anthony Payne was killed Tuesday when a man hijacked a Metro bus, jumped the curb of a gas station and used the vehicle to pin the 40-year-old Northwest, D.C., resident against a dumpster.
D.C. Police said Wednesday that 30-year-old Keith James Loving, of Northeast, was arrested and charged with second-degree …
Blue Mass honors fallen police officers amid increased targeting fears
Hundreds of officers from federal and local law enforcement agencies honored their fallen comrades at the 22nd annual Blue Mass in the District on Tuesday amid growing worries about officers being targeted in attacks and frustration with how the public views their role.
Concern that the backlash against police misconduct …
NTSB report: Lax safety allowed deadly smoke incident in Metro tunnel in 2015
Lax safety oversight by Metro and federal officials allowed a prolonged short circuit to cause the January 2015 smoke incident that killed one passenger and injured 86 others at the L’Enfant Plaza subway station, a National Transportation Safety Board report said Tuesday.
The NTSB placed the blame for the tragedy …
Metro bus carjacked Tuesday morning in D.C.
A man carjacked a Metro bus Tuesday morning in Northeast, attacked the driver and drove the bus to a gas station, where it struck and killed a pedestrian in the parking lot, D.C. police said.
“It’s a bizarre incident, [it’s] very uncharacteristic for someone to try and …
Tavis Sellers, Virginia dad, arrested after boxing teenage son in Facebook video
Domestic assault and battery charges have been brought against a Woodbridge, Virginia, man who police say recorded himself boxing his 17-year-old son and shared the footage on Facebook.
In the graphic five-minute video, Tavis Sellers is seen repeatedly slugging his son in the face during what the dad described as …
Composer Lori Laitman to debut revised ‘Scarlet Letter’ with Opera Colorado
Lori Laitman hopes that her music will be remembered and performed centuries from now. The resident of Potomac, Maryland, has already written hundreds of songs and several operas, including for the Baltimore Symphony.
Her latest revised work, “The Scarlet Letter,” marries a classic tale of American puritanism with the European …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: Standardized testing, testing … 1, 2, 3
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Uh-oh. America made a big boo-boo.
It has nothing to do with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton or Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders, whose political destinies fall Tuesday into the hands of the good people of Indiana.
News of the big boo-boo came last week via the release of …
Foamhenge developer mulls offers as it is forced from Natural Bridge
Would-be buyers across Virginia and the country are keen on acquiring Foamhenge, the life-sized foam replica of Britain’s iconic Stonehenge ruins that has been displayed for more than a decade at Natural Bridge Park, Virginia.
The commonwealth is evicting Foamhenge from its 12-year home in anticipation of Natural Bridge becoming …
CSX will clear track of derailed train by Tuesday night, Norton says
MARC train commuters on the Brunswick line will experience major service delays Tuesday, as railroad crews clear the aftermath of Sunday’s CSX freight train derailment in Northeast Washington.
Three trains will run in the morning and three in the evening. Maryland Transportation Administration officials said riders should expect the same …
Washington National Opera presents ‘Ring’ cycle at Kennedy Center
The Washington National Opera celebrates its 60th anniversary with three complete cycles of Richard Wagner’s powerful “The Ring of the Nibelung.” Clutching the tickets they snapped up months in advance, devoted fans are arriving from throughout the world to attend the only Ring Cycle performed in North America this year.
…
Cargo train derailment in Northeast D.C. causes chemical spill, shuts Rhode Island Metro
Ten cargo cars on a CSX train derailed Sunday morning in Northeast near the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station, causing one car to leak chemicals.
About 95 cars were carrying chemical materials around 6:40 a.m., when 10 cars jumped the tracks near Ninth Street and Rhode Island Avenue.
Only one …
Jim Gilmore, a former Virginia governor, denied spot as GOP delegate to convention
HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — Jim Gilmore can’t catch a break.
The former presidential hopeful — who received only a handful of votes in early primaries and was often kept out of the second tier so-called undercard debates — was denied a spot Saturday as a Virginia GOP delegate to the …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: Prom season 2016 is a costly proposal
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Diane stood out like Cinderella. Her dress had a modest strapless bodice bathed in silver sequins and an off-white, floor-length rayon skirt kissed by crinoline of the same color.
Her accessories were five-inch, T-strap rhinestone shoes and a rhinestone necklace than perfectly graced her decolletage. In succession, her fairy …
Marijuana growing, advocacy increasingly popular among women
Ashby Henderson used to grow vegetables for restaurants but says she has come out of the “weed closet” like scores of other D.C. women.
The co-founder of Women Grow D.C. said that in her first year as the group’s leader she has met more women who use, grow and advocate …
Baltimore TV station bomb threat: Man in animal costume shot by police
BALTIMORE — Baltimore police say a department sniper shot a man who walked into a TV station lobby wearing a full animal costume and surgical mask and displaying what appeared to be an explosive device on his chest.
Department spokesman T.J. Smith said the man is alive and conscious and …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: Moving Baltimore forward as mayor
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Remember this name: Catherine Pugh.
She’s a Democrat, which means Libertarians, Republicans and conservatives had better get their A-game together.
She’s the majority leader of the state Senate in Maryland, where both legislative chambers are controlled by Democrats.
She’s the senator for Baltimore, a native daughter who represents an …
D.C. argues for statehood using federal tax payments
The D.C. chief financial officer is making a forceful argument for statehood: In 2014, the District paid more in federal taxes than 22 states and paid nearly the same amount as South Dakota, Alaska, Montana, Wyoming and Vermont combined. Those five states hold 15 seats in Congress, while the District …
Maryland primary results show women’s hurdles, incumbents’ strength in Congress
The final results of Maryland’s primary elections are marked by the end of a polarizing duel, the return of a political leader and a potential lack of female representation in the next Congress.
In addition, all incumbent candidates easily won their primary contests, and their seats are considered safe in …
White House won’t veto D.C. school voucher bill
The White House said Wednesday it won’t fight a House Republican effort to reauthorize a school choice program for the District of Columbia.
The bill, known as the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act, will be voted on by the House Thursday.
“While the administration continues to strongly oppose …
Anthony Brown, former lieutenant governor, returns to Maryland politics in congressional race
Former Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown completed a surprise comeback to political life Tuesday when he trounced former Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey by nearly 8 percentage points in the Democratic primary for the 8th Congressional District.
In 2014, Mr. Brown made a failed bid to succeed …
White House again on lockdown after incident at fence
The White House was on lockdown Wednesday morning for the second time in two days after someone threw objects over a fence on the property.
The Secret Service said a man “threw personal belongings over the north fence line of the White House complex” around 10:30 a.m.
“The individual was …
Jamie Raskin, Maryland state senator, wins Democratic primary for 8th Congressional District
Maryland state Sen. Jamie Raskin walloped his two biggest opponents Tuesday in the Democratic primary for the 8th Congressional District, including one challenger who spent nearly $13 million of his own money only to fall short by 7 percentage points.
Though Mr. Raskin was favored to …
White House put on temporary lockdown after another apparent fence jumper
The White House went on temporary security lockdown late Tuesday afternoon after another apparent fence-jumper tried to scale a security barrier.
A journalist who was attempting to leave the White House grounds said that Secret Service officers reported a “jumper” outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The report said a …
Chris Van Hollen wins Maryland Senate primary
Rep. Chris Van Hollen emerged the victor Tuesday in Maryland’s hotly contested Democratic primary race for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by longtime Democratic stalwart Barbara Mikulski, who is retiring next year.
In early results provided by the State Board of Elections, Mr. Van Hollen had secured 314,275 votes, …
2 baby bald eagles get new names – Freedom and Liberty
Two baby bald eagles at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington have been officially named “Freedom and “Liberty” following a “Name the Nestlings” social media campaign.
News media outlets quote the American Eagle Foundation as saying that more than 36,000 people voted on five different name pairings selected on the …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: D.C. school vouchers hit wall with Obama
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Question: What happens when the president of the United States, the mayor of Washington, D.C., and the overwhelming majority of voters in the nation’s capital share the same political affiliation?
Answer: The lead jackass ignores the policy wishes of said mayor and voters, and treats the capital like a …
Lots of voters, few problems seen in Maryland primary elections in Montgomery County
Voter turnout for Maryland’s primary elections has been steady with few problems at polling places in the eastern part of Montgomery County.
So far, the switch to paper ballots hasn’t caused any trouble, according to election judges at several polling places in Takoma Park.
“The paper ballots are a huge …
Voters in Prince George’s County ‘happy’ to participate in Maryland primary elections
Halfway through primary election day in Maryland, voters in Prince George’s County are feeling positive about their choices for congressional candidates.
Michael Elliot Smith of Landover voted for former Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown to represent him in Congress. He said he appreciated Mr. Brown’s history in …
Prince George’s County voters welcome paper ballots in Maryland primary elections
The old paper ballot system has been working smoothly as residents from around Prince George’s County cast votes in today’s primary elections.
Phyllis Dumas, a volunteer poll worker at Kenmoor Middle School, said that bubble sheets have replaced touch screen computers.
Voters must fill …
House set to vote on D.C. voucher plan opposed by Obama
Lawmakers and D.C. officials are waiting to see whether President Obama will side with teachers’ unions opposed to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program, which is set for a House vote on reauthorization this week.
The program, which provides low-income students with the opportunity to attend private school, has the support …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: Summer jobs: A Marion Barry legacy
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Every year about this time, my mind wanders to Marion Barry, the Democratic whiz kid who calculatingly took our national capital by storm during the height of the inner-city movement and molded it into an urban mecca.
One of his favored tools was black employment in general and youth …
Chris Van Hollen-Donna Edwards Senate race in Maryland turns ugly
The race for Maryland’s open Senate seat has made an unapologetic veer to the left by the two heavyweight Democratic candidates, Reps. Donna F. Edwards and Chris Van Hollen, both striving to claim the liberal mantle on gun control and trade.
Mr. Van Hollen, whose base is in Montgomery County, …
D.C. officials have legal options in opposing Pepco-Exelon merger
Utilities regulators in two states that have signed off on the Pepco-Exelon merger are authorized to make such decisions without agreement among all of the parties involved in negotiations — authority that is not clearly delineated for the D.C. Public Service Commission, which faces a challenge from city officials for …
D.C. police: Student stabbed near Woodrow Wilson High School
A Woodrow Wilson High School student was stabbed Monday morning a few blocks from the school in Tenleytown, according to Metropolitan Police.
Police said the unidentified victim was walking to school when he was stabbed. The student was able to walk the rest of the way to the school, where …
First National Cannabis Festival a mix of activists, stoners
The syncopated beats of go-go music cut through air Saturday at the first National Cannabis Festival, mixing with chatter about medical marijuana, legalization efforts and hydroponics along with which strain of marijuana strain will give you the best high.
Held at the grounds outside RFK Stadium, the festival attracted thousands …
Faith leaders decry plan to shield execution drug suppliers
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Religious leaders urged Virginia lawmakers on Monday to put an end to capital punishment and reject Gov. Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s proposal to shield the identities of pharmacies that supply lethal drugs for executions.
About a dozen members of an interfaith coalition and a former death …
DEBORAH SIMMONS: Sprawl, crawl and real life in the DMV
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Remember these three words: Just say no. You’ll soon learn why.
If the local officials of Virginia, Maryland and the District want to know what issue is at the very top of their constituents’ transportation wish list, they need look no further or guess any longer.
A new survey …
Vincent Gray looks ahead to Ward 7 D.C. Council contest, puts probe in rear-view
Former D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray brushed off the recent release of documents related to the yearslong investigation of his 2010 campaign, and instead criticized the rollout of the current administration’s homeless plan Monday after he met with residents at a senior facility in Ward 7, where he is orchestrating …
Freddie Gray, 1 year later: What has changed in Baltimore?
BALTIMORE (AP) — When Freddie Gray died April 19, 2015, and riots erupted, Baltimore and its residents were forced to confront issues that had plagued them for decades, community leader Ericka Alston said.
“I think for Baltimore as a community, that day really changed our lives forever,” said Alston, who …
D.C. Council votes for permanent ban against private marijuana-smoking clubs
The D.C. Council voted Tuesday to impose a permanent ban on private marijuana-smoking clubs, ending months of political hand-wringing over where to allow residents to consume pot.
In a 7-to-6 vote, the council made permanent a 90-day ban on pot clubs in the nation’s capital, where marijuana possession is legal …
Federal court overturns Virginia school’s transgender bathroom rule
A federal court on Tuesday overruled a Virginia school board that denied a transgender student permission to use the restrooms of the opposite sex.
The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals said Gavin Grimm, a 16-year-old who identifies as a boy, must be allowed to use the restroom of the
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