Never talk about religion, politics or rape
1| Akin has a gaffe of a lifetime
The details: Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., earned the condemnation of his party and most Americans when he said that “legitimate rape” doesn’t cause pregnancy very often. The comment probably cost him a certain victory in his bid to unseat Democratic state Sen. Claire McCaskill.
A 6,400 percent increase
2| Nudity on TV spikes
The details: Prime-time television featured 64 instances of full-frontal nudity over the last season, up from just one incident the season before, according to the Parents Television Council.
Not so strong?
3| American stripped of cycling titles
The details: Lance Armstrong, the American who won seven Tour de France races after recovering from testicular cancer, had his titles stripped by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency even though he never failed a drug test during his career.
Jobless claims on the rise
4| One-month high
The details: Four thousand more Americans requested unemployment benefits last week than did the week before, for a total of 372,000 such requests, according to the Labor Department. The uptick took analysts by surprise.
IEDs at RNC?
5| Law enforcement fears anarchy
The details: Law enforcement officials fear that a group of anarchists may attempt to use improvised explosive devices to bomb bridges and other infrastructure in the Tampa, Fla., area in order to disrupt the Republican National Convention.
Gotcha!
6| Maryland counties expand speed-camera program
The details: Prince George’s County has quadrupled its fleet of speed cameras in a bid to raise more money from motorists. Montgomery County has recently doubled its number of cameras. New cameras are smaller and more mobile, so as to catch more drivers.
SClBMWAA nepotism
7| Family members got prized summer jobs
The details: At least four young family members of Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board members were given prized internships at local airports that paid up to $17.36 per hour. Board members defended the arrangement when contacted by The Washington Examiner. “I think it’s something any parent would do,” said board member H.R. Crawford.
On the edge
8| Crime spikes in D.C. borderline neighborhoods
The details: Many neighborhoods at the edge of redevelopment are experiencing spikes in violent crime. Among the troubled areas are the eastern end of the H Street Northeast Corridor, the Capitol Riverfront and East Capitol Hill, where Thomas Maslin was beaten senseless last weekend.
Metro wireless in doubt
9| Contractor faces significant fiscal challenges
The details: Powerwave Technologies, the company installing wireless service in Metro’s underground network of tunnels and stations, reported in Securities and Exchange Commission filings that it has experienced “significant recurring net losses and operating cash flow deficits” for the last year and could go under. It is unclear whether the company will be able to complete the Metro project on deadline.
Top heavy
10| Government grows in Maryland
The details: Local governments in Maryland, buoyed by high taxes, continue to increase their payrolls even as private-sector workers and businesses suffer through the ongoing economic slump. Local government payrolls in the Free State increased by 3 percent over the past year.
