Maryland Politics & Government Online CommunityMaryland’s top court ruled that Officer William Porter, whose trial in Gray's death ended in a hung jury, must testify against five other defendants. Democratic U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski said on Wednesday she will support the Iran nuclear deal, giving President Barack Obama the 34 Senate votes needed to sustain a veto of any congressional resolution disapproving the deal. Thirty-two Senate Democrats and two independents who vote with the Democrats now back the agreement. A Baltimore judge on Wednesday refused to dismiss charges against six police officers facing criminal charges in connection with the death of a black man seriously injured in their custody. He also refused to remove the prosecutor in the case. During a pretrial hearing, Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams denied a defense motion for the charges to be dropped against the officers in the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who endured a severe spinal cord injury while in police custody on April 12 and died a week later. Gray's death sparked protests, rioting and unrest that lasted for days. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Monday he has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a form of cancer. "A few days ago I was diagnosed with cancer," the first-term Republican governor said Monday. "The truth is I've learned over the last few days that this cancer is very advanced and very aggressive." Former Detective Joe Crystal sat at a back table in Martin’s West Ballroom last Thursday, scanning the room filled with police officers for any friends he still had left. Under glowing chandeliers, more than 500 law enforcement officials and their families mingled prior to an awards ceremony honoring Baltimore’s finest. Crystal, 34, was one of the people up for an award, though few had expected him to show. He was a pariah. He had informed on two other cops who engaged in police brutality. And it had cost him his livelihood. The wait is over. Martin O'Malley is running for president. The former Maryland governor formally kicked off his quest for the Democratic presidential nomination on Saturday in Baltimore, the city he served as mayor for six years. O'Malley, who has been publicly weighing a bid for years, is aiming to present himself as a solidly progressive alternative to former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. But it's going to be an uphill slog—in the most recent Quinnipiac poll, he received just 1 percent—56 points behind Clinton, and 14 points behind Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who was an independent until he entered the 2016 Democratic contest. For months, if not years now, various activists and journalists have been dreaming of an Elizabeth Warren presidential campaign. Ideological media bias is greatly overstated by partisans, but bias in favor of interesting stories and against dull outcomes is massive and quite real. Barack Obama's 2007-2008 upset of Hillary Clinton was one of the best political stories of my lifetime, while Clinton's utter domination of the 2014-2015 invisible primary is one of the least fascinating. What's more, as Vox's Ezra Klein has argued, a Clinton-Warren race would give Democrats an interesting clash of ideas around the role of finance in the 21st century economy. Martin O’Malley grins gamely when I ask him why there isn’t yet a “Martin O’Malley wing of the Democratic Party.” Elizabeth Warren has a wing. Why not him? O’Malley’s been in governance far longer, has accomplished more, is arguably just as liberal as the freshman senator from Massachusetts — and unlike Warren, he’s actually running for president. Why do some progressives tend to dismiss him as a mere technocrat who doesn’t inspire?
Videos on Maryland |  | Mon May 04, 2015
President Obama delivers remarks at the launch of the My Brother's Keeper Alliance at Leh... |
|  | Fri May 01, 2015
For more: http://to.pbs.org/1DPhroc Maryland state’s attorney for the city of Baltimore M... |
|  | Fri May 01, 2015
The announcement by Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby left no doubt about wha... |
|  | Fri May 01, 2015
Baltimore's mayor says she was "sickened and heartbroken" after the city's chief prosecut... |
|  | Fri May 01, 2015
President Barack Obama says it's "absolutely vital" that the truth about what happened to... |
|  | Fri Jun 27, 2014
Yolanda Vazquez talks with Maryland House of Delegate Justin Ready of District 5A. They d... |
|  | Thu Jun 19, 2014
A proposal to tax vehicle miles traveled is intended to cut vehicle emissions in that the... |
|  | Wed Jun 11, 2014
Some lawmakers have proposed a Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax and it has some advocates speak... |
|  | Sat May 17, 2014
Kentucky Derby winner takes home first place in the Preakness Stakes in the second leg of... |
|  | Sat May 17, 2014
Steven Coburn and Perry Martin's California Chrome kept Triple Crown hopes alive with a s... |
|  | Sat May 17, 2014
Gov. Martin O'Malley stops by the broadcast tent to speak with Gerry Sandusky and Donna H... |
|  | Sat May 17, 2014
Lowell Melser gets it straight from the professionals about the strategies of betting at... |
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