The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
MCDONNELL RESIGNS
Virginia Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell announced this morning that he's quitting as attorney general and will step down Feb. 20. The putative Republican nominee for governor is expected to join a Richmond law firm, though he won't say which one. (Richmond Times Dispatch)
INAUGURAL SECURITY AUDIT
The chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security has requested an independent audit of security surrounding the inauguration of President Obama after inaugural donors said they were not screened for firearms or explosives between leaving a public street and entering areas near the president. (Washington Post)
PROVIDENT BANK SECURITY BREACH
A security breach at a credit card payment processor has prompted banks nationwide -- including Baltimore-based Provident Bank -- to reissue credit and debit cards that might have been compromised, a Provident official said today. (Baltimore Sun)
BROADLANDS HOSPITAL REJECTED
A sharply divided board of supervisors today denied the applications required to build the 164-bed Broadlands Regional Medical Center in Ashburn. (Leesburg Today)
NTSB/MEDICAL HELICOPTERS
The National Transportation Safety Board will begin a four-day hearing this morning to further investigate the deaths of 35 people in nine medical helicopter crashes between December 2007 and October 2008, including a September crash in Prince George's County that killed four. (Washington Post)
FAIRFAX ELECTION TURNOUT DISMAL
It's Election Day in Fairfax County, but the electricity that was in the air during the presidential contest on Nov. 4 is gone. Officials report dismal turnout so far in today's race for chairman of the Board of Supervisors. (Washington Post)
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
DC SNOW ON CARS BILL PASSES
The next time it snows, don't be surprised if you get pulled over by police. D.C. police will now be able to issue warnings to drivers who don't clear snow and ice off of their cars before they hit the road. (WTOP.com)
MD XGR/TEXTING
A panel of Maryland legislators is scheduled to hold a hearing today on a bill that would ban text messaging while driving. The House of Delegates Environmental Matters Committee plans to review the proposal today. Last year, that committee rejected similar efforts. (Baltimore Sun)
INTERNET THEFT CASE
Stafford County authorities are seeking the public's help in finding two men accused of stealing from the home of a teenage girl one of them met on the Internet. Raymond Eugene Dotson, 19, and Jimmy Dale Thornsberry, 25, are wanted on multiple felony charges in Stafford and elsewhere, police said. Sheriff's spokesman Bill Kennedy said the Stafford theft occurred Thursday after Dotson met the teenage girl online. The girl, who is 14 or 15, invited Dotson to her home on Saint Roberts Drive in North Stafford. (Free Lance-Star)
LOUDOUN HOUSING NUMBERS
Loudoun, once the nation's fastest-growing county, is still hitting the brakes on building, much like the rest of the country. In 2008, the Loudoun County Department of Building and Development issued 2,627 residential building permits to builders, down from almost 3,000 in 2007. The 2008 figure was less than half the nearly 6,700 permits issued in 2004 – the crest of Loudoun's housing boom when it topped the nation for residential growth. (Loudoun Times)
HOTELS CUT BACK ON EXTRAS
You might think housekeeping just forgot to give you the correct number of towels when you stay at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, or that housekeeping forgot to restock the hand lotions at the Courtyard and other Marriott chains. But it's not forgetfulness. Hotels are cutting back on the freebies and the amenities and services you're used to getting. (WTOP.com)
