More than 12-thousand young environmental activists have descended on the District. Jessica Forres reports… they are urging Congress to pass climate change and energy legislation.
At the Washington Convention Center, hundreds of students and young professionals are excitedly wandering throughout the foyer and exhibit halls.... where they are buying global warming posters, attending activist training sessions and protesting…
[NAT: HI HO, HI HO, WE’RE DONE WITH DIRTY COAL]
They are in Washington for the 2009 Power Shift summit organized by the Energy Action Coalition. Jessy Tolkan is with the group. She says Congress needs to build a green economy and address the climate crisis.
WE’RE HERE TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT OUR POLITICAL PARTICIPATION DIDN’T STOP ON ELECTION DAY. WE’RE HERE TO HOLD OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE. AND WE’RE GOING TO DO WHAT OUR PRESIDENT ASKED US TO DO.
On Monday, the activists will head to Capitol Hill to lobby legislators.
KIPP DC has announced plans to expand its network of college preparatory charter schools in the city.
Jessica Forres reports…
Middle school students are cheering inside the gym at KIPP DC’s Key Academy in Southeast. [NAT: Cheers]
They are celebrating the planned expansion of seven new charter schools…one- a new high school. Darlene Dicks, a parent, is thrilled...
WELL SHE’S IN EIGTH GRADE NOW AND THEN SHE’S GOING TO COLLEGE PREP SO THERE WAS NO QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. I’M JUST LIKE STICKING WITH KIPP ALL THE WAY.
Three schools are planned to open in Southeast this July...Susan Schaeffler is the Executive Director. The expansion, she hopes, will mitigate D-C’s education crisis.
WE ARE OPERATING WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY TO GET KIDS IN CLASSROOMS WITH GREAT TEACHERS WITH GREAT RESULTS.
Mayor Adrian Fenty and Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee were on hand to show their support. Rhee says KIPP can serve as a model for D-C public schools.
I THINK THERE ARE MANY PRACTICES THAT THEY IMPLEMENT HERE AT KIPP SCHOOLS AND THAT WE HAVE TO BE IMPLEMENTING AT OUR SCHOOLS.
Nationwide 80-percent of students who complete the eighth grade at KIPP go on to college.
Commerical robberies are on the rise in Prince George's County, Maryland. And as Jessica Forres reports…the police department is advising business owners to take preventive measures.
At Prince George's County's police headquarters, Robert Freeman, who owns a string of barber shops, expresses his concern over the uptick in commercial robberies...
SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE MYSELF WILL BE AFFECTED BECAUSE WE'RE CASH BUSINESSES.
He says break-ins are pretty common... roughly one a year since he started his business more than a decade ago….But last December a thief robbed one of his shops and shot a barber in the foot...
IT MADE ME FEEL TERRIBLE AS A BUSINESS OWNER . I GUESS THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY JUST TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO AND HOW WE CAN PREVENT SOME OF THE THINGS FROM HAPPENING.
Though commercial robberies in the County have been on the decline since 2005, they have spiked in recent months. Captain James Harper says the faltering economy could be to blame. His department is addressing the problem through a number of strategies. One is to work with business owners...
ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT WAS ECHOED HERE TODAY IS IF THEY DO COME INTO YOUR STORE, LET THEM TAKE THE PROPERTY, THE PROPERTY CAN BE REPLACED, YOUR LIFE CANNOT BE REPLACED.
Captain Harper also advises businesses to take note of the robber's appearance...
START DOWN. IF THE PERSON IS WEARING A BLUE HOOD, WITH A BLACK MASK AND A RED JACKET.
Prince George's police say there have been 75 commercial robberies so far this year.
D-C Councilmember Marion Barry is successfully recovering from a kidney transplant at Howard University Hospital.
Jessica Forres reports…
Natalie Williams, a spokesperson for Barry, says the former mayor is awake and a little groggy after undergoing a kidney transplant yesterday evening...
HE SAID YOU TELL THE RESIDENTS OF THE DISTRICT THAT I'M DOING A OKAY.
Williams says the donor, Kim Dickens, who is 47 and a long-time friend of Barry, is also well and resting without complications. Dickens, she says, was out with a group of friends when Mr. Barry shared with them that he needed a new kidney...
THE NEXT DAY SHE CAME TO HOWARD UNIVERSITY AND WAS TESTED AND THE FOLLOWING DAY SHE WAS TOLD SHE WAS A MATCH.
Barry's doctors say his kidney problems are the result of diabetes and hypertension.
Federal economic stimulus money will spare schools in Maryland from millions in proposed cuts.
Jessica Forres has more ....
Gov. Martin O'Malley says federal economic recovery money will enable Maryland to avoid 700 state employee layoffs and any cuts to an education fund designed to help areas where schooling costs more. The state had been facing 69 million dollars in education funding cuts...
I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE AMERICAN REINVESTMENT AND RECOVERY ACT WILL ALLOW US TO PRESENT A PLAN TO THE LEGISLATURE THAT ALLOWS US TO MAKE ALL OF OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS SYTEMS WHOLE IN OTHER WORDS, THE CUTS, THE MID-YEAR CUTS AND THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT WILL ALLOW US TO MAKE OUT SCHOOL SYSTEM WHOLE.
The governor also says the federal money will contribute $329 million to the projected growth of teacher pension costs.
National and local education leaders toured a local high school to show support for school modernization provisions in the economic stimulus package.
Jessica Forres reports....
Students…inside a classroom…are complaining to the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, about the poor conditions at Arlington, Virginia's Wakefield High School.
NAT:] IT'S 96 DEGREES IN THIS ROOM ALL DAY
Temperatures in the classroom are their biggest complaint. Paul Stetkluh is a sophomore. He says his teachers often switch rooms...
WHICH HAS BEEN REALLY HARD ON US BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND OUR TEACHERS ALL THE TIME OR GET TO THEM AT LUNCH WHEN WE NEED TO.
Inside the school's library, Secretary Duncan says he's urging Congress to fund school construction and renovation projects in the stimulus package. The provisions were passed in the House but not in the Senate...
RIGHT NOW THERE'S ZERO DOLLARS IN THE SENATE BILL. THAT TO ME IS STAGGERING. IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME THAT WE DON'T SEE THE HUGE STIMULATIVE IMPACT OF PUTTING PEOPLE TO WORK NOW WITH TREMENDOUS UNMET NEED BEYOND 20 BILLION DOLLARS AND THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN WE CAN DO TO CREATE FACILITIES OUR STUDENTS.
Through Gene Wilhoit…with the Council of Chief State School Officers there are shovel-ready projects in Virginia and nationwide that could benefit...
THIS BUILDING IS ONE THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT BUT ALL ACROSS VIRGINIA YOU WOULD HAVE THAT SAME SORT OF SITUATION AND WE WOULD BE PUTTING THE MONEY IN THE PLACES WHERE WE HAVE THE GREATEST NEED
Two new high schools in Arlington are scheduled to be rebuilt, but are not fully funded.
National and local education leaders are asking Congress to add school construction projects in the economic stimulus package.
Jessica Forres reports…they toured a local high school to show their support....
The U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, is taking a tour of Arlington, Virginia's Wakefield High School. He stops to talk with some students inside a classroom.
[NAT:]
He is using the occasion to talk about education provisions in the economic stimulus package. The provisions, which include 20 billion dollars for school construction and renovation projects, were passed in the House but not in the Senate.
SO AS THIS DISCUSSION GOES INTO CONFERENCE WHAT COMES OUT OF THAT CONFERENCE IS OF STAGGERING IMPORTANCE. AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT OUR LEADERSHIP HERE UNDERSTANDS THAT, ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR PARENTS.
The students at Wakefield certainly do. Principal Doris Jackson says the school is scheduled to be renovated in 2013.
WELL THE BUILDING HAS OUTLIVED IT'S USEFULNESS. YOU CAN LOOK AROUND IT IS TRULY A 1950, 1960's SCHOOL.
But Gene Wilhoit…with the Council of Chief State School Officers…says the 20 billion will be dispersed to school districts with shovel-ready projects.
WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS AN ABILITY TO MOVE THOSE PROJECTS AS SOON AS ANY MONEY WOULD FLOW WITHOUT ANY DELAY IN TERMS OF CONSTRUCTION AND IT PUTS PEOPLE IN JOBS IMMEDIATELY.
Wakefield and Yorktown High Schools in Arlington are scheduled to be rebuilt, but are not fully funded.
Local residents often move to remote suburbs for affordable homes… But as Jessica Forres reports the cost of commuting to work may offset those savings...
Peter Haas...with the Center for Neighborhood and Technology... demonstrates how to use an online calculator that lets local residents compare their transportation and housing costs when planning where to live. He computes the cost of living in DC's Takoma Park and Frederick, Maryland.
YOU CAN SEE DOWN HERE, WHERE WE SHOW YOU THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THERE'S NOT A LOT OF TRANSIT CONNECTIVITY OUT THERE. ZERO BUSES OR TRAINS IN WALKING DISTANCE
The online calculator is part of a report released by Haas's organization, the Urban Land Institute and the Center for Housing Policy. It measures the combined housing and transportation costs for 22 areas within the Washington region. Jeffrey Lubell is with the Center for Housing Policy.
THE FURTHER YOU MOVE FROM YOUR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT, THE HOUSING COST SAVINGS ARE LESS THAN THE TRANSPORTATION COST INCREASES IN OTHER WORDS, YOUR TRANSPORTATION COSTS KEEP GOING UP, YOUR HOUSING COST GO DOWN, BUT AT SOME POINT YOUR NOT COMING OUT AHEAD BECAUSE YOUR SPENDING MORE ON TRANSPORTATION THAN YOUR SAVING ON HOUSING.
The report says region-wide households spend an average of 23-thousand on housing and 13-thousand on transportation annually… Jessica Forres WAMU 885 news
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Those who live in outer Washington suburbs pay more on average for housing and transportation than those in inner suburbs.
Jessica Forres has the story...
The median household income is 78-thousand dollars in the D-C region. Though that number seems high, so is the cost of renting or owning a home. Jeffrey Lubell is with the Center for Housing Policy.
He says residents who move to remote suburbs for affordable homes often save less if they live 15 miles or more away from their jobs. That's because of transporation costs.
THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT'S ONLY FACED BY THE POOR ALTHOUGH THEY DO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS FACED PEOPLE AT THE MEDIAN INCOME LEVEL, 78-THOUSAND DOLLARS, THIS IS A PROBLEM WE ALL FACE.
A report released by Lubell's group, the Urban Land Istitute and the Center for Neighborhood Technology, measures the combined housing and transportation costs for 22 areas in the region. Virginia's outer suburbs such as Clark and Fauquier Counties are in the study.
THE HOUSEHOLDS SPEND ON AVERAGE ABOUT 19-THOUSAND 778 DOLLARS PER YEAR ON HOUSING COSTS. THAT'S ABOUT THE SAME AS THEY SPEND IN CENTRAL JURISDICTIONS LIKE WASHINGTON, DC BUT THEY SPEND MORE THAN 6-THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE ON THEIR TRANSPORATION COSTS.
Peter Haas with the Center for Neighborhood and Technology…says local residents can now estimate their transportation costs when planning where to live. His group created an online calculator.
YOU CAN DECIDE WELL THE AMOUNT OF MONEY I'M GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND ON TRANSPORTATION. IS IT WORTH OR NOT WORTH IT TO ME
The report says about 60 percent of households have either high housing or transportation costs, or both.
Students from across the District are break-dancing for cash…
Jessica Forres watched some of their moves at the Heart Break Ball…
[NAT: Music]
Hip-hop music blares inside St. Stephens Church and Rudy Castellanos, a student at University of D-C, drops to the floor and dances...
JUST A SIMPLE, TOP ROCKING, BASIC SIX STEP, INTO A HEAD STAND
He is a b-boy, or break-dancer, participating in a battle hosted by Words, Beats and Life Incorporated...a non-profit that offers free after school hip-hop classes to students.
Cory Stowers.. with the group...hopes the event will raise a thousand dollars for the program.
IT WILL GO TO BUYING SUPPLIES FOR THE ART CLASS TO BUYING ANOTHER PIECE OF LINOLEUM FOR THE B-BOYS TO PRACTICE ON.
Stowers says hip-hop classes keeps students fit and out of trouble. B-Boy Castellanos agrees…
IT HELPS ME CLEAR MY MIND AND LET GO OF A LOT OF ANGER.
1-hundred and forty students in DC take part in the after school program.
Dozens of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will lobby on Capitol Hill this week.
Jessica Forres reports...
At Garrett's in Georgetown, local veterans are socializing. They're part of the 4th annual "Storm the Hill" campaign organized by the group...Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
Patrick Campbell says 120 meetings with Senators and Congressmen will take place over the next four days...
WE'RE JUST GOING TO GO TELL OUR STORY AND THAT STORY IS GOING TO BE THE STORY OF 1.8 MILLION VETERANS FROM IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
He says the group's priority is the budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs....
THE VA IS CONSTANTLY GETTING THEIR BUDGET LATE. YOU CAN'T PAY RENT IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR PAYCHECK, THEY CAN'T PAY STAFF OR THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE TO RUN THE VA. SO WE ARE GOING TO GET THAT BUDGET APPROVED A YEAR IN ADVANCE SO EVERYONE WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE QUALITY CARE THEY NEED.
Washingtonian Sam Corum served two tours in Iraq......
I WANT BETTER BENIFTS FOR VETERANS, ALL VETERANS, BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE GO THROUGH AND THE SACRIFICES WE MAKE.
Mandatory counseling for returning veterans is another of the group's concerns.
As Congress looks at ways to revive the auto industry, car makers from around the world are here in D-C to show off their latest innovations.
Jessica Forres got behind the wheel of one of the "Green" rides.
NAT: DOOR SHUT] -TURN THE KEY TO ON -HOW DO YOU DO IT? -OH - THAT'S IT, THAT WAS IT, THOSE COUPLE CLICKS, IT'S ON - IT'S ON? -IT'S ON
Silence…that's what you hear when you turn the ignition key of the Ford Focus. That's because it's fueled by electricity. Bob Storc is with Magna…the company that manufactures the electric battery for the car.
Outside, he points to the gas cap.
INSTEAD OF A GAS CAP WE HAVE A PLUG. YOU JUST PULL OFF A RUBBER BOOT -HOOK IN A PLUG AND YOU'RE READY TO GO.
Ready to go a hundred miles after charging it for ten to twelve hours. Storc expects the car to hit the market in 2011.
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO FORD FOR OVER TWO YEARS. THINGS GOT VERY SERIOUS IN AUGUST WHEN WE SHOWED THEM THIS CAR.
The Ford Electric Focus is one of 8-hundred vehicles on display at the Convention Center for the Washington Auto Show. Bob Yoffe is the Show's Director.
MOST OF THE AUTOMOBILES THAT ARE IN THE SHOW RIGHT NOW ARE CARS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME AND THERE ARE MANY PROTOTYPES AND CONCEPT CARS THAT ARE HERE AS WELL.
Several top officials in President Obama's administration are expected to tour the Auto Show this week, which runs until Sunday.
Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News
___________________________________
Automakers from around the world are in Washington to show off their new products...and commitment to building "Green Cars."
Jessica Forres reports…
More than 7-hundred automobiles are parked inside the Washington Convention Center…taking up 750-thousand square feet of exhibit space. They are on display for the Washington Auto Show…an annual event that started in 1921. Bob Yoffe is the Show's Director.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH AUTO MANUFACTURERS FOR A GOOD TWELVE MONTHS FROM THE LAST SHOW TO THIS SHOW TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE HERE TO PARTICIPATE WITH ALL THEIR LATEST PRODUCTS, THE NEWEST PRODUCTS, THE GREEN PRODUCTS, SO THEY CAN HELP SHOWCASE THEM TO THE PUBLIC.
But some of the 42 manufacturers present are mostly concerned with showing off their Green Products...
The Ford Electric Focus and the Chevy Volt, a plug-in hybrid, are two innovations on display. We test-drove the Ford Focus, a battery-electric vehicle expected to hit the market in 2011. .
Bob Storc is in the passenger seat. His company…Magna….manufactures the electric battery for Ford.
[NAT: DOOR SHUT] -TURN THE KEY TO ON -HOW DO YOU DO IT? -OH - THAT'S IT, THAT WAS IT, THOSE COUPLE CLICKS, IT'S ON - IT'S ON? -IT'S ON
Storc says the car can travel a hundred miles after it charges for about 10 hours.
IT'S A PERFECT SOLUTION FOR A CONGESTED CITY WHERE YOU WANT ZERO EMISSIONS.
The Auto Show starts tomorrow and will run until Sunday.
Virginia is reporting a widespread outbreak of the flu across the state and is urging residents to get vaccinated.
Jessica Forres reports…
Laura Ann Nicolai, an epidemiologist with the State's Department of Health…says a flu outbreak is not unusual this time of year...
INCREASED ACTIVITY OCCURS IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY BUT WE CAN SEE THAT ACTIVITY IN A RANGE OF TIMES BETWEEN DECEMBER, EVEN AS LATE AS MAY.
The outbreak is expected to continue for six to eight weeks. Nicolai says it's not too late for people to get flu shots...
THE FLU VACCINE IS MATCHING UP VERY WELL WITH THE CIRCULATING STRAINS OF FLU VIRUSES THAT ARE GOING AROUND SO IT'S OFFERING VERY GOOD PROTECTION.
Curtis Allen...a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control...says annually about 1/3 of the US population is vaccinated. ..
I THINK MORE PEOPLE ARE BEING VACCINATED BUT WE'RE NOT NEARLY AT THE LEVEL WE SHOULD BE.
One reason, he explains, is short-term memory...
IF THEY HAVEN'T HAD INFLUENZA IN A FEW YEARS. THEY PROBABLY SAY WELL I DON'T NEED IT. BUT I GUARANTEE IF THEY HAD INFLUNZA LAST YEAR THEY ARE PROBABLY BEING VACCINATED THIS YEAR.
When we asked some residents in Arlington, Virginia whether or not they've been vaccinated, most of them said no. We caught up with local resident Brian King....
-IF YOU'RE HEALTHY AND YOU WORK OUT THERE'S NO NEED FOR A FLU SHOT -HAVE YOU EVER HAD THE FLU -NO
The flu causes 36-thousand deaths and more than 2-hundred thousand hospitalizations each year in the U.S.
In the District, crowds gathered in Chinatown to celebrate the Chinese or Lunar New Year.
Jessica Forres was there…
[NAT: Drums]
Dragon dancers and drummers are parading down H Street, where the famous Friendship Gate stands. Grace Weuya moved to Northern Virginia from China eight years ago. She hopes the Year of the Ox parade will teach her young son about Chinese culture.
IT'S AS IMPORTANT AS CHRISTMAS TO THE AMERICANS IT'S THE SAME FOR CHINESE.
Padric Collins, a spectator, was born in Vietnam. He says the holiday is also significant for him.
WE CALL IT THE LUNAR NEW YEAR SO ALL OF THE ASIAN CULTURES CELEBRATE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NEW YEAR.
The event even brought out Betty Moreano. She doesn't observe the lunar calendar, but wanted to take part in the festivities.
I THINK IT'S BEAUTIFUL TO SEE ALL THE YOUNG PEOPLE OUT THERE HAVING FUN, REALLY GETTING INTO IT MULTI-CULTURAL ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY.
January 26th marked the beginning of the Lunar New Year. Members of Washington's Asian community came together to celebrate.
But as Jessica Forres reports... Asian immigrants living in the region still face many challenges...
Dragon dancers and drummers are parading down H Street in the District's Chinatown neighborhood. Members of the Asian Community, such as Grace Weuya, are celebrating the Chinese or Lunar New Year. She moved to the area from China eight years ago.
AT FIRST IT WAS VERY HARD TO ADAPT TO THE AMERICAN LIFE BUT AFTER AWHILE YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE SURROUNDING US ARE VERY HELPFUL AND SO YOU GRADUALLY FEEL LIKE YOU ARE FITTING INTO THE SOCIETY.
Lilly Qi is also taking part in the festivities. She wears a blue and gold silk jacket.
MADE IN CHINA JUST LIKE ME
Now she lives in Maryland and works as the Asian-American liasion for Montgomery County's Executive Isaiah Leggett. She says underemployment is a huge issue in the Asian immigrant community.
BECAUSE YOU WERE EITHER EDUCATED WITH PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS BEFORE YOU CAME TO THIS COUNTRY OR YOU END UP STAYING IN SCHOOL FOR TOO LONG. IMMIGRANTS TEND TO BE OVERLY EDUCATED FOR WHAT THEY ARE DOING WHICH MEANS THEY ARE SEVERLY UNDER-EMPLOYED.
Qi says underemployment is one of many issues County Executive Isaiah Leggett is trying to addresss with the New American Initiative.
THEY ARE LOOKING AT RETRAINING OR RELICENSING PROFESSIONALS WHO CAME TO THIS COUNTRY. THEY ARE LOOKING AT BREAKING DOWN LANGUAGE BARRIERS TO GOVERNMENT SERVICES AND PUBLIC SERVICES. OR HELPING PEOPLE TO QUICKLY GAIN CITIZENSHIP.
She says Asian-Americans make up 14 percent of the county's population.
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