U.S. Department of State

Since when does it take a political campaign to become secretary of state?

There was a time when a president and the opposition party in Congress could agree on certain basics, such as the right of the chief executive to select members of his cabinet with no fuss or bother. The president's most important choice in this...

Tags: Elections, U.S. Congress, John McCain, United Nations, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

Republicans right to seek answers about Benghazi

In general, presidents should appoint whomever they want to serve in their cabinets. But that doesn't mean that re-elected President Barack Obama will — or even should — appoint U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice to replace the soon-departing...

Tags: Elections, John McCain, Planning Inquiries, Interior Policy, George W. Bush

Cardin stands up for rights

This month's passage of a new U.S.-Russia trade law has done more than showcase Senator Ben Cardin's dedication to international human rights. By sending the shock to the Kremlin — that the U.S. values prosecuting rights abusers as much as it...

Tags: Elections, Moscow (Russia), Vladimir Putin, John McCain, Europe

Bob Dole and the GOP's disability

Much ink has been spilled in recent weeks criticizing the Republican Party and its failed presidential candidate for a lack of compassion and obvious antipathy toward "47 percent" of the electorate (if not a bit more), so it was reassuring to see two of...

Tags: Physical Disabilities, Treaties, John McCain, Tea Party Movement, Rick Santorum

Senate approves Cardin human rights bill

Tags: NATO, U.S. Congress, John McCain, Vladimir Putin, Russia

Senate expected to back Cardin human rights measure despite White House concerns

— Legislation by Sen. Ben Cardin to pressure Russia on human rights abuses is expected to win approval in Congress Thursday despite concerns that it will hurt already tenuous U.S. relations with the Kremlin. The proposal — which requires the...

Tags: NATO, U.S. Congress, Vladimir Putin, National Government, United Nations

Gross' health 'deteriorating;' wife pleads with Cuba, U.S. for release

As Alan Gross neared his third anniversary behind bars in Cuba, his wife gave new details of his deteriorating health and issued an impassioned plea to officials in Washington and Havana to negotiate his release immediately. Judy Gross, who visited her...

Tags: Montgomery County (Maryland), Cuba, Justice System, National Government, Iran

Flaming meteors, hot Nike kicks and another juicy 'Scandal' are the talk of Twitter

Good morning and welcome to an extra robust Friday online trends report. So did you see that awesome Meteor Shower? No, I didn't either, but thanks to Internet our ignorance and laziness will not be punished because the photos are plentiful and popular....

Tags: ABC (tv network), NATO, Leon Panetta, United Nations, Google Inc.

Walter Gilliam

Walter Gilliam, who rose from a being a sandwich maker and dishwasher to become a chef at the old Haussner's Restaurant in a career than spanned more than 50 years, died Monday of complications from a stroke at his East Baltimore home. He was 91....

Tags: Dining and Drinking, Highlandtown, Sandwiches, Steaks, Glaucoma

America stands by Israel

Tags: Emergency Incidents, National Government, Israel, Hamas, Terrorism

Tags: National Government, Justice System, Punishment, Pentagon Papers Release (2011), Military Justice

Oliver Stone stopping in Baltimore to screen new documentary

The Baltimore Sun

Filmmaker Oliver Stone will be in Baltimore Thursday, screening his new documentary and fielding questions about it. "Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States," a series that re-examines American foreign policy, is now airing on Showtime....

Tags: John Cusack, Colleges and Universities, Documentary (genre), Movies, University of Baltimore