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Budget crunch presents early test of Md. Gov. Moore’s administration

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:56 GMT

Billions of dollars in collected operating and transportation budget deficits will present Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) with one of the toughest challenges of his nascent administration.Ever ebullient, Moore was sworn in earlier this year vowing to move quickly to rebuild state government, end childhood poverty and leave no one behind as he promised that the state would “win the decade.” Those ambitions are about to be tested against stark budget realities that will make Moore, as with all governors, pick and choose and prioritize.State Budget Secretary Helene Grady. Photo by Bryan P. Sears.State Budget Secretary Helene Grady said addressing the coming budget challenges requires a “disciplined approach to the fiscal 2025 budget, one that involves hard choices.”Grady’s comments mirror those made by Moore in speeches to the Maryland Association of Counties in August and this month.Moore entered the governor’s office with a historic budget surplus.Tha...

Feed holiday crowds with affordable, marinated eye round or a side of salmon

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:56 GMT

Holiday parties often call for feeding crowds all at once, so this year we offer two impressive main courses that make that easy. They are as good at room temperature as they are hot from the oven.For a beef option, we challenged ourselves to transform a thrifty, low-cost cut of beef into a lush, celebratory meal. The answer was eye round, a roast often deemed too lean to be tender. To roast this tough cut and get succulent, perfectly cooked results, we marinated the meat in ingredients that would do the work for us — starting with a sticky, sweet puree of prunes. That may sound unusual, but prunes are high in hygroscopic sorbitol and fructose, which — along with salt and soy sauce — amplify the way the meat absorbs flavor.The sugars in the prunes and ketchup create a nicely caramelized crust, while the salt and soy sauce provide seasoning that flavors the meat. Anchovies also may be unexpected, but they add rich umami notes.A whole side of salmon also is an excellent choice — and r...

Fuerte tormenta causa inundaciones, caída de árboles y cortes eléctricos en el DMV

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:56 GMT

Una tormenta provocó fuertes lluvias y vientos desde el domingo hasta las primeras horas del lunes en el área de DC, lo que provocó al menos 5,500 cortes de energía, caída de árboles e inundaciones de carreteras.Un conductor en el condado Montgomery, Maryland, fue arrastrado por las inundaciones de modo que fue rescatado de un árbol la madrugada del lunes, informaron las autoridades.El incidente ocurrió en Brighton Dam Road en el área de Brookeville alrededor de las 4:30 a.m. El conductor abandonó el vehículo y fue arrastrado río abajo, según el Departamento de Bomberos y Rescate del Condado Montgomery. Sin embargo, fue encontrado colgado de un árbol posteriormente.Al llegar a la escena los rescatistas vieron al conductor colgado del árbol y se enviaron botes para ayudarlo. Se vieron dos vehículos en el agua, dijeron las autoridades al tiempo que no reportaron heridos graves. La mayor parte del área de DC recibió de 2 a 2.5 pulgadas de lluvia, lo que la convierte en una de las mayor...

Stock market today: Wall Street edges higher; US Steel soars after deal with Nippon Steel

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:56 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks edged higher in morning trading on Wall Street Monday, continuing a strong streak that has brought seven straight weeks of gains. The S&P 500 was up 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was relatively unchanged as of 10:46 a.m. Eastern. The Nasdaq rose 0.2%.Energy companies were putting up some of the biggest gains as the price of crude oil jumped amid growing concerns about attacks from Iranian-backed Houthis on shipping in the Red Sea. Oil and natural gas giant BP has joined the growing list of companies that have halted shipments in the major trade route.Exxon Mobil rose 1.3% and Valero Energy rose 3%.Treasury yields were higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 3.97% from 3.92% late Friday.Markets in Asia and Europe were lower.U.S. Steel soared 26% after agreeing to be acquired by Japan’s Nippon Steel. The Pittsburgh steel maker played a key role in the nation’s industrialization. The all-cash deal is valued at about $14.1 billion, or $14.9 ...

Live updates | Israel’s allies step up calls for halting the assault on Gaza

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:56 GMT

After France, the U.K. and Germany joined global calls for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is in Tel Aviv Monday, and is also expected to press Israel to wind down its offensive in Gaza. The 10-week-old war has transformed much of the north of Gaza into a moonscape. Nearly 85% of Gaza’s population have fled their homes.More than 19,400 Palestinians have been killed since Israel declared war on Hamas, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Thousands more lie buried under the rubble of Gaza, the U.N. estimates. Israel says 116 of its soldiers have died in its ground offensive after Hamas raided southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and taking about 240 hostages. Currently: — In Israel’s killing of three hostages, some see the same excessive force directed at Palestinians.— Israel finds a large tunnel adjacent to the Gaza border, ra...

Denver will only see this much daylight on the winter solstice

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:56 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) —The darkest day of the year is fast approaching, and Denver is one of the cities in the United States that will get the least amount of daylight.The darkest day of the year lands on Dec. 21, 2023. Across America, cities will get as little as six hours of sunlight. 2023 could be one of the wettest years on record, even with a dry fall This year, Denver will get eight hours and 38 minutes of sunlight, which is over five hours less than Denver's longest day in June.Compared to other city capitals around the U.S., Denver is getting the short end of the stick when it comes to shortest daylight hours on Dec. 21.US city capitals' shortest day of the yearThis chart is ordered from least amount to most amount of daylight. RankCitySunriseSunsetLength of daylight1Juneau, Alaska8:44 a.m.3:07 p.m.6:22:302Olympia, Washington7:54 a.m.4:24 p.m.8:30:093Bismarck, North Dakota8:25 a.m.4:57 p.m.8:32:044Helena, Montana8:09 a.m.4:43 p.m.8:33:475Denver, Colorado7:52 a.m.4:31 p.m.8:38:486S...

Miramar Police Department welcomes bloodhound puppy to the force

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:56 GMT

A four-month-old Bloodhound puppy named Hope Ryce has officially joined the ranks at the Miramar Police Department. Weighing in at a sturdy forty pounds, Hope Ryce comes from a distinguished background, having been donated to the Miramar Police Department by the Jimmy Ryce Center for Victims of Predatory Abduction. This purebred Bloodhound puppy was specifically bred for tracking by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, renowned for its advocacy of utilizing Bloodhounds in law enforcement. The Jimmy Ryce Center, in collaboration with Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, facilitated the donation to support tracking and search operations.Hope Ryce will be partnered with K-9 Officer Heidy Arias, a seasoned seven-year veteran of the Miramar Police Department. The collaboration aims to enhance the department’s capabilities in tracking and locating individuals.In a video posted on the department’s X page, they showcased the moments before and after Arias met the ado...

Miami Lakes woman facing felony charges for role in Jan. 6 Capitol riot

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:56 GMT

A Miami Lakes resident is facing felony charges for her alleged role in the January 6 Capitol riot, where she entered the building just minutes after the initial breach, according to court documents.Barbara Balmaseda, 23, was arrested on Thursday on felony and misdemeanor charges connected to her involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The charges include obstruction of an official proceeding, entering a restricted building, disorderly conduct, and parading in a Capitol building.Balmaseda allegedly traveled from Florida to Washington, D.C. to protest the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Court documents revealed she exchanged messages expressing her belief in election theft and knowledge about the certification process.According to court documents, Balmaseda was captured on U.S. Capitol Police CCTV allegedly entering the Capitol via the Senate Wing door, just four minutes after the initial breach.Screenshot of CCTV footage showing Balmaseda, yellow circle,...

Storm batters Northeastern US with rain and wind, knocking out power and flooding roads

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:56 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A storm barreled up the East Coast on Monday, flooding roads and downing trees in the Northeast, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands, and forcing flight cancelations and school closures.More than 5 inches (13 centimeters) of rain had fallen in parts of New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania by mid-morning, and parts in several other states got more than 4 inches (10 centimeters), according to the National Weather Service. Wind gusts reached nearly 70 mph (113 kph) along the southern New England shoreline.Power was knocked out for more than 500,000 customers in an area stretching from Virginia north through New England, including nearly 140,000 in Massachusetts and 119,000 in Maine, according to poweroutage.us. Maine’s largest utility, Central Maine Power, reported 17% of its customer base was without power.The weather service issued flood and flash flood warnings for New York City and the surrounding area, parts of Pennsylvania, upstate New York, western Co...

The great cryptophone hack: Drug gangs on trial in ‘historic’ Belgian case

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:56 GMT

BRUSSELS — Call it the mother of modern drug trials.The Belgian court on Monday started hearing cases of more than 120 people charged with drug and arms trafficking, extortion, acts of torture and attempted murder. It’s one of the country’s biggest trials ever — not just due to its scale but also because it’ll test investigators’ daredevilish methods of hacking encrypted communications services and siphoning off droves of data that were then used as evidence to charge drug networks spanning the European continent.“This is a trial that will make history,” said Eric Van Duyse, spokesperson of the Belgian prosecutor’s office. Law enforcement’s operations to compromise and unlock datasets of two secure communications platforms, Sky ECC and EncroChat, were “a revolution,” Van Duyse said.Three hearings per week will take place in former NATO headquarters premises, which have been turned into the brand new ‘Justitia’ courtroom to host big trials like those related to the Brussels terr...