A panel is recommending that local governments in the Washington area fine vehicles that are left idling for more than five minutes.

 Montgomery County’s 26 department directors brought home between $139,000 and $245,000 last year, ruffling the feathers of labor leaders fighting to preserve union members’ raises as lawmakers look for savings.

The crowded Metro trains of today could soon seem like a luxury ride judging by projections for the future.

Montgomery Council President Mike Knapp said Tuesday that salary increases given to county department heads and other top officials may have “raised the bar” for the Washington area.

The D.C. Council is considering a tax on private employee parking spaces, a measure that could cost businesses tens of millions of dollars and lead to a fee for drivers who now park for free.

Policy makers for the Washington region sought and received assurances from water treatment officials Wednesday that the area's tap water is safe to drink. The discussion followed an Associated Press investigation into the presence of trace amounts of pharmaceuticals in drinking water supplies around the country.