As Occupy camps across the country have called it a day -- many because they were evicted -- McPherson Square's Occupy D.C. stands out because it's "one of the last major Occupy camps still standing," reports the Washington Examiner.
Although 11 protesters, some from Occupy, were arrested Monday night during a march in front of the White House, the Washington Post reported, the Examiner said that for the most part, the D.C. protesters haven't clashed with police or been threatened with eviction.
In Richmond, Occupiers announced they would leave the property they've been camped out on in the mayor's neighborhood. They had an encampment on the front lawn of the Richmond Free Press publisher since they were cleared out of a downtown plaza on Halloween.
And Occupy Baltimore was cleared out by police last week, with what some protesters said was too much of a show of force, the Baltimore Sun reported. (Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said the eviction was "respectful.")
But it doesn't look like Occupy D.C. is going anywhere just yet. "Despite a spate of clashes with police earlier this month that resulted in dozens of arrests, Occupy DC shows no signs of fading away," the Examiner said. And, according to the Huffington Post, there's still one holdout of the four D.C. Occupiers who went on a hunger strike earlier this month.
* Former Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson, who was convicted after he left office of corruption crimes committed while he was in office, will still collect his $49,552 pension while behind bars, WTOP reports. Johnson was sentenced to 87 months in prison.
* Who should pay for political primaries? In Virginia, Del. Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg) "will patron legislation in the 2012 [General Assembly] session giving political parties two options: Either pay the cost of primaries, or hold caucuses, which are run by and funded by the parties," reported the Sun Gazette.
* A Maryland panel will consider a $168 million lease agreement to put nearly 5,050 slot machines in the state's largest planned casino, Maryland Live! at the Arundel Mills mall. The deal is likely to be approved, the Associated Press reports.
* Before heading to a Richmond fundraiser on Thursday, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich will hold a rally in Arlington Wednesday night, according to ARL Now. Meanwhile, candidate Mitt Romney named 37 new Maryland endorsements.
* Former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who's now a Democratic Senate candidate, sharply criticized current Gov. Bob McDonnell for cutting spending on pre-kindergarten education. The Washington Post said McDonnell's administration scrambled to say the budget just reflects a correction in enrollment projections. Meanwhile, Del. Barbara Comstock (R-34th District), wrote an op-ed for Kaine's Republican opponent, George Allen, published this week in the McLean Patch.
