No hope here
1| Not much
Obama will do
The details: Speaking at a Pennsylvania event to promote his Big Green energy agenda, President Obama said he knows “no magic formula” for cutting gas prices, even as the national average heads north of $4 per gallon.
Four more years?
2| Obama
launches re-election bid
The details: President Obama sent an email to millions of supporters and debuted a campaign video for his re-election, but it featured no footage of him since his election. Obama has the benefit of incumbency, but the economy remains his baggage.
U.S., Greece, Portugal
3| America making same mistakes
The details: Wells Fargo Chief Economist John Silvia says American policymakers are making the same mistakes that put Greece and Portugal on the road to fiscal calamities. Growth will be worse than predicted in 2011, he said.
Tragedy
4| Japan’s second earthquake
The details: Compounding the woes of northeast Japan, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck in roughly the same place as last month’s historic quake. A tsunami warning was issued, but fortunately none occurred.
‘Path to Criticism’
5| Pelosi sees
political snuff film
The details: In a conference call, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said that the budget proposal of Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., “has to be snuffed out” and that Democrats should denounce it as cutting funds for seniors and subsidizing big oil.
More spending
6| Bigger D.C.
budget proposed
The details: Despite his rhetoric about making tough choices, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray’s fiscal 2012 budget proposal actually increases spending from $5.6 billion this year to $5.9 billion next year. Councilman David Catania says any talk of budgetary pain is “an absolute joke.”
Homicides soar
7| Area slayings
up 17% in 2011
The details: Homicides in the Washington region increased sharply from 53 last year to 62 in the first quarter. Two jurisdictions accounted for more than half of the bloodletting: Prince George’s County with 27 homicides reported, and the District of Columbia with 22.
Costs rising
8| Dulles Rail
price tag up
The details: The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority voted to build an underground Metro station at Washington Dulles International Airport, which will raise the rapidly escalating costs of the project an additional $300 million. The cost of the entire project has increased
from $5.1 billion to $6.6 billion.
DOA
9| MCPS budget request falls flat
The details: Montgomery County Council members say the school system’s request for $101 million more next year is dead on arrival. The county, which faces a $300 million shortfall next year, already spends $2.1 billion on its public
schools.
Math challenged
10| Report doesn’t add up
The details: An audit by the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance found irregularities in D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown’s campaign reports. Specifically, Brown failed to report upward of $133,000 in 2008 campaign contributions and more than $203,000 in expenses.
