Curious about today’s topics on The Larry O’Connor Show? Below are a few stories on the radar. Be sure to listen to The Larry O’Connor Show Monday – Friday 3pm – 6pm on WMAL.
The House voted Thursday to pass a bill reauthorizing an important national counter-terrorism tool, after a bipartisan fight over privacy protections in the legislation nearly derailed the legislation.
In a 256-164 vote, lawmakers approved a six-year reauthorization of the Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows intelligence officials to spy on communications of non-citizens outside of the United States.
The bill includes moderate reforms authored by both the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees last year. Proponents say the changes will bolster privacy protections by adding a new requirement for intelligence agencies to obtain search warrants to search communications and new congressional oversight of the kinds of searches made by the government. It also limits the use of the surveillance authority so fewer Americans are caught up in the searches and requires reforms to the way intelligence agencies search the contents of electric communications beyond the sender information. [Read More]
Maryland school district explores ban on Confederate clothes [The Seattle Times]
A Maryland school district is exploring whether it can legally prohibit students from wearing the Confederate flag on clothing and other accessories.
The Carroll County Times reports that the county school board plans to ask the district’s legal team to look into a potential ban on Confederate paraphernalia.
During a meeting Wednesday evening, students, parents and community leaders spoke in favor of banning the flag.Superintendent Stephen Guthrie said he plans to explore options and will update the board at its meeting next month. [Read More]
A teenage member of the MS-13 street gang, who sought to avenge the murder of her boyfriend by killing a 15-year-old girl, chillingly told her victim “don’t forget my name” just before stabbing the girl more than a dozen times, according to interrogation video released Wednesday.
Venus Romero Iraheta, who was 17 at the time of the January 2017 murder, pleaded guilty Monday in a Virginia courtroom to first-degree murder, abduction and criminal street gang participation in the slaying of Damaris Alexandra Reyes Rivas.
“I grabbed her by the throat and I couldn’t help but hit her,” Iraheta, who was charged as an adult, told police in video released to FOX5 DC. [Read More]
Maryland House votes to override veto of paid sick leave [The Washington Post]
The Maryland House of Delegates has voted to override Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto of a measure to require paid sick leave.
The House, which is controlled by Democrats, voted 88-52 on Thursday. It needed 85, or a three-fifths vote.
The measure faces a tighter vote in the Senate, where 29 of 47 members would need to support the measure to override the Republican governor’s veto. The bill passed the Senate last year with 29 votes, the minimum needed for a veto override. [Read More]
Can D.C. regain its rank as the No. 1 fittest city in the U.S.? [The Washington Post]
If you’re upset about Washington D.C. losing its title of America’s Fittest City to Minneapolis last year, you are not alone.
“To lose by one point, after having won three times in a row, is rough,” says Allison Rand, director of marketing at Vida Fitness.
That’s why Vida Fitness and the DC Department of Parks and Recreation are coming together to launch Take Back #1, a citywide campaign that hopes to push D.C. back into the No. 1 spot in 2018. [Read More]
CALL: 202-432-WMAL (9625) | 888-630-WMAL (9625)
Email The Show
