Today's Top News from The Washington Times

		Thursday, July 28, 2011 Must Read Stories Today
Walter Reed Army Medical Center officially closes after 102 years The Walter Reed Army Medical Center has for more than a century helped soldiers stand on new legs, welcomed newborns into military families and offered top-notch care to U.S. leaders. Paul's supporters see his influence beyond win-lose Ron Paul supporters know he has little chance of becoming the next president, but they say his third bid for the job is about more than winning the GOP nomination or the White House - it's about guiding the political landscape beyond the Republican-Democrat duopoly that's controlled Washington for more than a century. GOP scrubs bill for $65 billion in further cuts After finding $65 billion in new spending cuts Wednesday, House Republican leaders braced for a floor showdown Thursday on their bill to raise the government's borrowing limit by $900 billion while cutting even more than that from future spending. Pentagon rejects call to halt spy flights near China The Pentagon on Wednesday rejected China's demand that all U.S. surveillance flights near China be halted after two Chinese fighter jets recently intercepted an American U-2 spy plane over the Taiwan Strait. Barry's son pleads guilty to drug possession in D.C. The son of former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry pleaded guilty Wednesday to drug possession charges, according to D.C. Superior Court documents. D.C. bike-sharing program crippled by own success As downtown is consumed by the evening rush, 13 bicycles stand shiny and red, awaiting riders that will careen from the downtown offices of L Street Northwest to houses, apartments and restaurants. Health care law won't rein in costs, study says Despite President Obama's promises to rein in health care costs as part of his reform bill, health spending nationwide is expected to rise more than if the sweeping legislation had never become law. Donovan McNabb saga ends on day of change Quarterback Donovan McNabb's disastrous tenure with the Washington Redskins reached its anticlimactic conclusion Wednesday night after the team reshaped its roster with a handful of player acquisitions during the day. Ticket amnesty may put scofflaws in gear Motorists who flouted D.C. traffic laws, then left their tickets in the glove box will get a reprieve in coming months. Campaigns focus on Virginia hoping to catch a swing state Virginia is again showing its stripes as a swing state, with Democrats and Republicans pouring money into the commonwealth 15 months ahead of the national elections. Maryland sells $512M in bonds to help pay off debt Maryland officials sold $512 million in municipal bonds Wednesday to help pay off state debt and finance infrastructure projects, but doubts remain over how the ongoing federal debt debate will affect the state's future investments. Duncan cites Pell Grants in 13.3% budget rise With the attention of lawmakers focused squarely on reducing the nation's debt, Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Wednesday defended his department's request for a budget increase in fiscal 2012. Little-known sect denies ties to 'paperwork terrorists' acts From New Jersey to California, police, courthouse officials and real estate agents are being confronted with a baffling new problem: bogus legal documents filed by people claiming to follow an obscure religion called Moorish Science. Their motives range from financial gain to simply causing a nuisance. Chien-Ming Wang set for debut, armed with signature sinker The storm had passed, so Chien-Ming Wang waited near a bog of mud and gravel that doubled as the right-field line. Scotland Yard: We've arrested LulzSec spokesman Scotland Yard's cybercrime unit has arrested a teenager it suspects of working as the spokesman for the Lulz Security hacking collective, officials said Wednesday. Greece suffers new credit downgrade Standard and Poor's on Wednesday relegated Greek government bonds to the deeper end of junk status, cutting the debt-crippled country's credit rating by 2 notches to CC, with a negative outlook. Commentary EDITORIAL: The debt ceiling and dictatorship The debate over raising the federal debt ceiling has driven some liberals into a fit of despair. On Wednesday, Rep. James E. Clyburn, South Carolina Democrat, said if Congress forwards a debt-ceiling extension bill to the White House that isn't to the president's liking, he should veto it and raise the debt limit by executive order. "If that's what lands on his desk, a short-term lifting of the ceiling, the debt ceiling," Mr. Clyburn said, "he should sign an executive order invoking the 14th Amendment to this issue." The congressman was referring to a provision that the "validity of the public debt of the United States... shall not be questioned." The move, however, would be rule by executive fiat. TYRRELL: Adolf and Anders Think of Anders Behring Breivik, the man who bombed a government building in Norway before proceeding coldbloodedly to massacre scores of defenseless young people on a secluded island several miles away, as an Adolf Hitler of one. The first Adolf Hitler was a Hitler to millions. He captured an entire nation and terrified the world for years. FARAGO: Unload the ATF By its own admission, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) allowed dozens of gun smugglers to supply Mexican criminal cartels with thousands of firearms. Drug thugs used one of these weapons to assassinate U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. EDITORIAL: Jacking up your electric bill America faces a European-style debt crisis, but you wouldn't know it from observing what's happening on Capitol Hill. At a Senate committee's request, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on Tuesday issued an analysis of proposed renewable (RES) and clean-energy standards (CES). The federal government has grown so large that it's actually studying how to spend money to make electricity more expensive. LIMBAUGH: What Sarah Palin actually said When it comes to the subject of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Matt Lewis has been ahead of the curve. He suggested that Sen. John McCain consider her as his running mate at a time when she had little national name recognition. Prescience. Other Recent Articles Belafonte: Hollywood won't yield to those of color SKorea says hacking attack hits Internet users Nintendo posts loss, cuts forecast and 3DS price McNabb heading to Vikings, Holmes stays home Crowd clashes with LA police outside film premiere Blatter: 'Give us time' to clean up FIFA Penguins sign veteran forward Jason Williams Elizabeth Smart says media played role in rescue Space station to plunge into ocean at end in 2020 Black teen's unusual talent: Singing Chinese opera Tseng ready to get creative at Carnoustie Beltran accepts trade, headed to SF Giants Food supplements airlifted into famine-hit Somalia Jalen Rose gets 20 days in jail for drunk driving Barry's son pleads guilty to drug possession in D.C.		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