Push from the right on D.C. vouchers

“I think it’s unfortunate that the word ‘voucher’ has become a word that is viewed negatively," said Patricia Weitzel-O’Neill, superintendent of D.C. Catholic schools.

Conservatives and the Archdiocese in D.C. are worried that Obama, Arne Duncan and the Democrats will reverse the district's current trend towards school vouchers and are mobilizing their base to pressure the new administration in support of their "choice" plan. With support from Supt. Michelle Rhee, vouchers in the form of the D.C. Opportunity Program, are currently being used to bail out some of the district's failed Catholic schools. Others are being turned into charters so they can be run at public expense. Obama has been vocal in his opposition to school vouchers and ran his campaign on an anti-voucher platform.

(NCRegister.com)

Black middle class hurting in PG County

Prince George's is not just the most affluent majority-black county in the nation. In 2008, it also had the distinction of being the Maryland jurisdiction with the largest number and the highest rate of mortgage foreclosures.

(WaPo)