Local Leads: 5/27/10

News you need to know

The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:

MIKULSKI SEEKS OIL ASSESSMENT
With oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill now reaching major ocean currents, Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski asked the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday to assess the threat to the Chesapeake Bay and the waters off Maryland. "The immediate impact on the communities closest to the spill is obvious," the Maryland Democrat wrote in a letter to NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco. "But my constituents are also asking – will they see oil on the beaches of Ocean City? Will the spill impact the Chesapeake Bay – which is already under great stress? This would affect the Bay and the jobs of people who work on the Bay. It would also affect our cultural identity." (Baltimore Sun)

METRO FARE HIKES
Expect a lengthy discussion about how much Metro riders should pay to ride the subway and buses as Metro's board debates the largest fare increase in the transit system's history.  Members of Metro's board of directors are divided on what should happen. (wtop.com)

GAS PRICES DROPPING
Gasoline prices are dropping from spring highs for a second consecutive week. AAA Mid-Atlantic projects the downslide will be good news for the expected 28 million people planning to travel by car over the holiday weekend. (Frederick News Post)

TOLL BROTHERS "BUSINESS IMPROVING"
Luxury home builder Toll Brothers says Washington is among markets where its homebuilding business is improving, and the company is buying more land for building for the first time in years. The Horsham, Penn.-based company also reported a narrower quarterly loss and says its buyer cancellation rate fell sharply (Washington Business Journal

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