The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
Va Fortune-Telling Family Face Fraud Charges
@-moz-document url-prefix() { div.lori {position: relative; left: -60px; margin-left: 60px;} }A Virginia family considered pioneers in their region's fortune-telling industry is weathering federal insurance fraud charges against several of its members. A U.S. District Court indictment alleges six people including Mitchell Marks, his girlfriend, his two sons and brother Steven Marks conspired to steal $16 million from life insurance companies. Federal prosecutors say the scam involved policies obtained after healthy impostors stood in for older, sick family members and friends during the necessary medical exams. (Washington Post)
Mall Food Courts Overrun by Roaches, Rodents
Notice some extra crunch in your grilled chicken salad? Or maybe an exotic flavor in your fries? If you're dining at Washington-area shopping malls, you may want to put down your fork. Roach and rodent infestations as well as dozens of other critical health violations are common in food courts and restaurants at shopping malls throughout the region. (Washington Examiner)
Former Felons Feel Boxed In by Question
Former felons and their advocates are becoming increasingly assertive in the national debate about crime, claiming that they are being discriminated against not just in matters of voting but also employment and housing. A movement called "Ban the Box" is urging lawmakers in the District of Columbia and elsewhere to limit or bar the "have you ever been convicted of a crime" question so that ex-felons' applications for jobs, housing and the like aren't rejected out of hand. They point out that "the box" makes it difficult for even well-intentioned ex-criminals to re-establish and integrate themselves into the social mainstream. (Washington Times)
There's S-No-W Baby Boom Here
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
It has been nearly nine months since a crippling snowstorm last December and more than six months since two back-to-back blizzards in February left residents snowbound with unplowed streets. Yet with nowhere to go but home, it seems like many area couples spent their free time shoveling instead of snuggling. (Hometown Annapolis)
