Congress agreed Monday to a one-month delay in Medicare payment cuts to doctors, giving a short-term reprieve to a looming crisis over treatment of the nation's senior citizens.
The classrooms of Meyer Elementary School in Northwest Washington used to be filled with young minds and its playground was full of romping youngsters.
A university student was attacked as he bicycled home after working the evening shift at a waterfront restaurant. A school principal was fatally shot in his bedroom in a Maryland suburb.
The District is in such dire financial straits — one city lawmaker characterized it as a "crisis" — that officials are considering cuts to such sancrosant agencies as public safety and schools to ward off a growing fiscal 2011 deficit and a looming $345 million budget gap in 2012.
It's a time-honored tradition of local government: a somewhat aloof director of a troubled city agency resigns, declaring success in bringing about needed reforms, and eventually a straight-talking replacement comes along and pledges transparency in completing the unfinished job.
The numbers don't lie.
Republicans have another shot at winning a seat on the D.C. Council after losing all four of their bids last week.
D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said for months that he made "hard choices" for the city during "hard times." Now it's Vincent C. Gray's turn.
Democrat Gov. Martin O'Malley and Republican former governor Robert Ehrlich made their last rounds with voters Tuesday before Maryland residents decided the outcome of a rematch between the state's two biggest political rivals.
