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Fuel Fix

Improving energy conservation and developing additional supplies are the key to relieving high crude prices that are driving up the cost of gasoline, Shell Oil Co. President Marvin Odum said Friday.

Odum, the top U.S. executive for Netherlands-based Royal Dutch Shell, spoke with the Chronicle during an appearance at the Shell-sponsored EcoMarathon. At the annual event in Houston, teams of high school and college students compete to build the most environmentally friendly vehicles.

MARK SHERMAN ― Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Supreme Court left little doubt during last week’s marathon arguments over President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul that it has scant faith in Congress’ ability to get anything done.

The views about Congress underlay questions from justices who appear to be on both sides of the argument over the constitutionality of the law’s key provision, the individual insurance requirement, as well as whether the entire law should be thrown out if the mandate is struck down.

Claudia Puig ― USA TODAY

Classrooms, cafeterias and school buses can be places of anguish for millions of children, as powerfully demonstrated in Bully (* * * 1/2 out of four, unrated, opens Friday in select cities), an insightful and moving documentary.

The film, which tells the story of five victims of bullying, should be required viewing for everyone ages 8 to 18. In fact, it wouldn’t hurt to make the documentary mandatory for parents, teachers and school officials as well. (Unfortunately, the MPAA denied the filmmakers’ petition for a PG-13 rating because of concerns over profanity. The distributor is leaving it up to individual theaters to set admission policies.)

MIKE BOCK ― Southern Maryland Online

Supporters of cigar tax increases say higher prices will be a disincentive for teenage tobacco use. But it’s not clear if the increase will dissuade kids from smoking blunts—hollowed out cigars filled with marijuana and smoked like cigarettes.
[...]
A 2011 survey from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research found that marijuana use among American high school seniors is at a 30-year high. Almost 44 percent of high school seniors surveyed have smoked marijuana at some point in their lives.

Megan Poinski ― Southern Maryland Online

Six Republicans vying to challenge U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin in November sparred over foreign policy, Supreme Court nominees and Obamacare at a debate sponsored by the state GOP and the Anne Arundel County Republican Central Committee.

Almost all of the candidates on the Republican primary ballot were at Thursday’s night debate at Anne Arundel Community College, days away from Tuesday’s primary. Dan Bongino, Robert Broadus, Rich Douglas, Rick Hoover, David Jones and Corrogan Vaughn all participated in the forum.

Justin Snow ― Southern Maryland Online

...as Supreme Court Questions Federal Law

As the U.S. Supreme Court heard its third and final day of arguments Wednesday on the constitutionality of President Barack Obama’s health care law, Maryland plunged ahead in preparing the state for the law’s implementation.

Despite concerns that the 2010 Affordable Care Act could be overturned by the Supreme Court, both chambers of the General Assembly have approved bills backed by Gov. Martin O’Malley that lay the groundwork for the execution of the federal law on the state level.

LIZZY MCLELLAN ― Southern Maryland Online

Having a child with a dead person may become illegal in Maryland, unless the donor of the sperm or eggs consents to posthumous parenthood in a formal written document.

A cross-filed bill nearing passage in both houses of the General Assembly would not apply to anonymous donors. It would also specify the definition of “child” in state inheritance laws to include children conceived within two years of the donor parent’s death, with written consent.

The Bay Net

To prepare residents across the state for possible severe weather in 2012, Governor Martin O’Malley has signed a proclamation designating the week of April 8 – 14 as Severe Storms Awareness Week. The week will feature a number of events, designed to heighten understanding of severe weather in Maryland. St. Mary’s County Department of Public Safety urges residents to be prepared for all types of severe weather, including tornadoes, flooding, straight line winds and lighting. Every household should be prepared to face these challenges.

MATTHEW PERRONE ― WTOP

The Food and Drug Administration has rejected a petition from environmentalists that would have banned the plastic-hardening chemical bisphenol-A from all food and drink packaging, including plastic bottles and canned food.

The agency said Friday that petitioners did not present compelling scientific evidence to justify new restrictions on the much-debated chemical, commonly known as BPA, though federal scientists continue to study the issue.

JUSTIN POPE ― WTOP

[...]
At a large military education conference last month in Florida, some educators criticized the lists and pushed for a sharpened definition of “military friendly” colleges, to be developed either by the federal government or an education coalition called Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges.

Meanwhile, Washington is paying increasing attention to the broader problem of veterans getting reliable guidance. In recent weeks a slew of bills on the subject have surfaced.

LOLITA C. BALDOR ― WTOP

Newly released Pentagon documents show that Air Force officers debated briefly about burial at sea before concluding that 1,321 unidentifiable fragments of remains from the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon should be treated as medical waste and incinerated.

A string of emails running from Aug. 5-7, 2002, reveal that an unidentified Air Force colonel suggested scattering the already cremated remains at sea. A second official _ a civilian and _ said it may be appropriate to also have witnesses and a chaplain present.

Their arguments that the 9/11 remains weren’t just normal waste were rejected by others who concluded the material was medical waste and should not be treated like human remains.

ALEX DOMINGUEZ ― WTOP

The federally led strategy to restore the Chesapeake Bay is ahead of schedule for two of three key pollutants, although the cleanup is being held up in some areas by budget concerns, the Environmental Protection Agency said in two reports released Friday.

Reducing nitrogen and sediment pollution is ahead of schedule, while phosphorus reduction is behind schedule. The three are the key pollutants in the bay. Nitrogen and phosphorus come from sources including sewage, fertilizer, auto and power plant emissions. Once they enter the Chesapeake and waterways that feed the bay they can spur oxygen-robbing algae blooms. Sediment that runs off lawns, development sites, farms, roads and other areas can cloud water and bury bay grasses, which provide food and habitat for a number of species.

ROB GILLIES ― WTOP

They clutter your dresser and cost too much to make. They’re a nuisance and have outlived their purpose.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was talking about the Canadian penny and why the Royal Canadian Mint will end its production this fall as part of his austerity budget.

Max Smith ― WTOP

Maryland is considering getting rid of toll booths, and replacing them with all-electronic toll systems like the one used on the Intercounty Connector and the soon-to-open Express Lanes on I-95 and the Beltway in Virginia.

“It’s something we’re interested in doing. It’s something the industry is moving toward. But it’s complicated and we’re in the earliest stages,” Maryland Transportation Authority Executive Secretary Harold Bartlett tells the Baltimore Sun.