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Articles by Meredith Somers

Architect Frank Gehry and others look over his design for the Eisenhower Memorial on the eastern end of the Mall at the National Building Museum on Thursday. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

Aspects of Eisenhower Memorial trouble panel

Construction of a Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial is no closer after the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts on Thursday expressed new criticism of the beleaguered project's designs and voiced concern for visitors' overall impressions.

November 21, 2013
FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012, file photo, travelers at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport wait for ground transportation upon their arrival. During the 12-day Thanksgiving travel period in 2013, 25.1 million people are projected to fly, an increase of 1.5 percent from last year, according to Airlines for America, the industry’s trade and lobbying group. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

Slight dip expected in Thanksgiving travel

Thanksgiving travel is predicted to drop for the first time in five years, according to travel officials, the result of a still-recovering economy and overly-cautious consumers.

November 20, 2013
Pollution is down in the Potomac River, according to the Potomac Conservancy's report, but the growth rate of underwater grass — an indicator of a healthy river — has dropped below 40 percent for the first time in seven years. (andrew harnik/the washington times)

Pollution down, fish recovering in Potomac River

The Potomac River earned an overall grade of C on its 2013 State of the Nation's River report card, a step in the right direction from its previous D, conservationists said, but a score that leaves much room for improvement.

November 19, 2013

School voucher group under fire for ‘untimely information’

The Government Accountability Office has criticized the group that administers the District's school voucher program, saying the agency provides "incomplete and untimely information" about schools to participating families, and calling for both internal improvements and a helping hand from outside agencies.

November 17, 2013
State Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, Republican candidate for Attorney General, gestures during a new conference at the Capitol Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013, in Richmond, Va. Trailing by 164 votes, Obenshain announced his transition team, hours after Democrat candidate Mark Herring announced his own transition team. The state's Board of Elections won't certify Virginia's voting until Nov. 25. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Virginia’s attorney general race could end up in General Assembly

A razor-thin margin in the Virginia attorney general's race could ultimately put the decision about a winner before the General Assembly — but the rarely used strategy of contesting an election comes with its own political consequences, analysts say.

November 14, 2013
Republican attorney general candidate Mark R. Obenshain announces his transition team Wednesday, hours after Democratic candidate Mark R. Herring announces his own as both teams await official certification Nov. 25. (associated press)

Arlington bar codes examined for vote problems in Virginia

Elections officials in Arlington acknowledged Wednesday that the county's electoral board accepted more than a dozen provisional ballots in which a voter's name had been checked off mistakenly as already having voted, a discrepancy apparently chalked up to errors by poll workers.

November 13, 2013
Democratic Va. Attorney General candidate Mark Herring speaks with reporters about the vote count in his election during an election night party in Tysons Corner, Va., Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen) (associated press photographs)

Herring takes lead in Virginia attorney general’s race

Mark R. Herring took the lead in the Virginia attorney general's race, with the focus shifting back to uncounted provisional ballots in Fairfax County as the deadline loomed Tuesday for localities to certify their election results.

November 11, 2013
Democratic Va. Attorney General candidate Mark Herring speaks with reporters about the vote count in his election during an election night party in Tysons Corner, Va., Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen) (associated press photographs)

Obenshain’s attorney general lead cut to 55

The race for attorney general in Virginia remains undecided nearly a week after Election Day, and as local elections officials neared the conclusion of an investigation into absentee ballots, the razor-thin lead of Republican Mark D. Obenshain narrowed.

November 10, 2013
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been performing a geodetic survey of the peak of the Washington Monument as the scaffolding begins to be dismantled. (Photo courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Is the Washington Monument sinking?

A team of surveyors is measuring the Washington Monument to determine whether the memorial still stands straight at 555 feet.

November 7, 2013
Voters wait in line to cast their ballots at the Hanover Precinct at Atlee High School, in Mechanicsville, Va., on Tuesday. Rob Wilhoite (below) makes his selections at the school. Turnout across the state was exceeding expectations, perhaps due in part to the hotly contested gubernatorial race. Voters wait in line to cast their ballots for Virginia Governor at the Hanover Precinct at Atlee High School, Mechanicsville, Va., Tuesday, November 5, 2013. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times) (photographs by andrew harnik/the washington times)

Motivated Va. voters turn out

Turnout in Virginia's gubernatorial election appeared to be higher than some predictions, countering conventional wisdom that says negative campaigns depress voter participation.

November 5, 2013