SHFW | Scripps Howard Foundation Wire -

Group says answer to high gas prices is God

jbeck — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:54:30 -0400

Click on photo to enlarge or download: Washington-area residents, from left, James Tenor, 46, Jocelyn McClure, 47, Rocky Twyman, 59, and Kenneth Anderson, 48, thank God for lower gas prices at a gas station in Washington as reporters listen. SHFWire photo by Audrie GarrisonWASHINGTON - Rocky Twyman and his friends stood under a Shell gas station awning at the corner of Georgia Avenue and Upshur Street NW Wednesday, pumping fuel into a car at $3.77 a gallon.

And then they started to sing:

McCain, Obama - and 269 other candidates

jbeck — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:32:43 -0400

Click on photo to enlarge or download: Bruce Bongardt, who supports a 40-week year and debt forgiveness, speaks at the National Press Club to announce his Proudican Party candidacy for president. SHFWire photo by Enea ZhongaWASHINGTON - A gray-bearded man wearing a boot on his head and a jacket with yellow and black stripes roamed the streets of Manchester, N.H., during the 2008 Republican primary campaign. Although he seemed out of place, the man was there for a simple reason.

Ford’s Theatre on schedule to reopen in 2009

jbeck — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:04:25 -0400

Click on photo to enlarge or download: Ford’s Theatre was closed for renovation in August 2007. It will reopen on the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth on Feb. 12, 2009. SHFWire photo by Enea ZhongaWASHINGTON - After Ford's Theatre closed in 2007 for renovations, Director Paul Tetrault said he didn't think it would be a big project. Since then, costs have grown with ideas for the place where President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated 143 years ago.

Democrats battle for power in historically Republican North Carolina

jbeck — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:23:44 -0400

Could traditionally red North Carolina be a swing state this election year? Democrats hope so.

Democratic campaign strategy is turning North Carolina into a battleground for the first time in more than 30 years. Instead of writing it off as a shoe-in Republican victory, Democratic Barack Obama's campaign is making a concerted effort to win the state - pouring more than $2 million into television ads there, according to Marc Farinella, state campaign director.

Road tour educates people about hydrogen vehicle technology

jbeck — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:40:42 -0400

Click on photo to enlarge or download: Hydrogen-powered vehicles arrive at the Department of Energy headquarters in Washington Thursday for the Hydrogen Road Tour Event where people could learn about the technology and test drive cars. SHFwire photo by Jackie BestWASHINGTON - Hydrogen powered cars have finally moved from the drawing board to the road, and as tourists on a double-decker snapped photos, I got the chance to test drive two of them Thursday.

Vacationers stay closer to home to save money

jbeck — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:13:41 -0400

WASHINGTON - One of this summer's hottest vacation destinations is not the big city or the beach. It's the backyard.

Many travelers this summer are adjusting to rising gas prices, airline costs and the declining economy by taking "staycations" - short trips close to home.

Parenting failures enable teen substance abuse, report says

jbeck — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:36:55 -0400

WASHINGTON - Bad parenting plays a role in teenage substance abuse, according to a report released Thursday by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

The report was based on a survey conducted by CASA and presented by CASA's chairman and president, Joseph Califano.

Hidden treasures reside in some D.C. federal buildings

jbeck — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:40:41 -0400

Click on photo to enlarge or download: A Justice Department Building lobby has portraits of men, including Jesus, Moses and Hammurabi, who have contributed to the codification of law The work by Boardman Robinson. is called “Great Codifiers of the Law.” SHFWire photo by Audrie GarrisonWASHINGTON - Thirty-five sculptures stand in the corners throughout the building - some made of metal, some made of stone. Some hold up statue children and statue water vases, while others raise their statue arms to the sky.

George Pelecanos’ latest book brings back memories for fans

jbeck — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:59:43 -0400

Click on photo to enlarge or download: George Pelecanos, a D.C.-crime novelist and former writer for HBO's drama “The Wire” reads part of his new book, “The Turnaround,” to about 100 people at a bookstore in Washington. SHFWire photo by Will SkowronskiWASHINGTON - Alan Pettingill was there. He still remembers the tear gas seeping into the stadium when police clashed with rowdy fans outside.

Correction

jbeck — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:47:12 -0400

Bill Zimmerman, who was identified as the author of "Playbook for Life" in an Aug. 12 story, "You're never too young to start saving for retirement, experts say," is not the book's author. He is a retirement and wealth management consultant for The Hartford, an insurance and investment company. Zimmerman speaks about the book to teach young people about personal finances. The story has been corrected on our Web site.

No baby panda for the National Zoo this year

jbeck — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:26:14 -0400

Click on photo to enlarge or download: National Zoo giant panda Mei Xiang sleeps in her indoor habitat in July when zoo officials thought she might be pregnant. SHFWire photo by Audrie GarrisonWASHINGTON - Mei Xiang, the National Zoo's female panda, will not give birth this year, zoo officials announced Wednesday.

Zoo scientists believe the panda might have been pregnant and lost the fetus early in the pregnancy, according to a zoo press release.

Summer’s last Screen on the Green a ‘super’ event

jbeck — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:26:04 -0400

Click on photo to enlarge or download: Moira Fagan, left, Katie Woodward and Caroline Odom, 16-year-old high school students from Alexandria. Va., dress in Superman costumes for their first Screen on the Green and Woodward and Odom’s first viewing of Superman. SHFWire Photo by Alyse KnorrWASHINGTON - A loud cheer and a burst of applause erupted on the National Mall Monday night as Superman, clad in his iconic red and blue costume, swooped in front of the Capitol.

You’re never too young to start saving for retirement, experts say

jbeck — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:48:24 -0400

Check out any 20-something's monthly expenses and you'll probably see rent, college loans, furniture and - retirement savings? Well, three out of four isn't bad.

Climbing gas prices and grocery bills, a faltering economy and meager entry-level salaries may be leaving young people with little time to think about retirement savings, but financial planners say that's exactly what they should be doing.

Retirement? I'm only 25!

For 20-somethings, first jobs mean first chance to save for retirement

jbeck — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:39:27 -0400

As soon as she graduated from college and began earning an income, Army 1^st Lt. Emma Sparks-Hedman started saving for her retirement.

"It's nice to have money and to be able to do what you want with it," the 24-year-old said.

With Social Security facing a strain and life expectancies growing longer, financial planners are stressing to young people the importance of saving for retirement early.

"The most powerful tool toward creating wealth is time," said Ric Edelman, a financial planner who has an ABC radio show.

Correction

jbeck — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:17:26 -0400

In the Aug. 7 story "Government fleets face pressure from rising fuel prices," Stephen Ulanoski's name was misspelled. He is general manager of GE Capital Solutions Fleet Services' Telematics, which can provide customers with a 300 percent to 1,500 percent return on investment, not 3 percent to 15 percent, as the story said. The story has been corrected on our Web site.