Van Hollen, Beyer propose surtax on millionaires

WASHINGTON – The richest 1% of Americans control more wealth than the entire middle class combined, according to the Brookings Institution – a striking sign of income inequality that has accelerated since the Great Recession. A bill introduced last week…

At Brookings talk, Van Hollen calls for “quiet diplomacy,” strategic partnerships

WASHINGTON – Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, criticized what he called the Trump administration’s isolationist foreign policy and called for greater collaboration with American allies in a discussion on defense and international affairs at the Brookings Institution Thursday. Van Hollen…

Court decision, midterm elections drive debate over Medicare for all

By JEFF LEVINE Capital News Service WASHINGTON – The decision by a federal court judge on Friday to strike down the Affordable Care Act strengthens the case for “Medicare for all,” according to Dr. Adam Gaffney, president of the Physicians…

Critics hit Trump’s food program plan as ‘devastating’ to Maryland

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s budget proposal for fiscal 2019 includes an overhaul of a supplemental food assistance program for low-income people that could affect nearly 750,000 Marylanders. Many in the state’s predominantly Democratic congressional delegation are attacking the White…

Cardin among critics who want change in war-fighting policy

WASHINGTON – The International Criminal Court last week said it plans to begin investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Afghan conflict. The probe will include looking into actions by the International Security Assistance Force, which includes American…

Family’s recovery sheds light on Afghanistan challenges

WASHINGTON – They were recovered after five years in Taliban captivity by Pakistani military forces using intelligence from the United States. Caitlin Coleman, an American citizen, and her husband, Joshua Boyle, a Canadian citizen, were kidnapped in 2012 in Afghanistan…

Maryland’s changing faces often are from other countries

SILVER SPRING, Maryland – Christina Getrich has lived in Maryland for most of her life and has witnessed the state’s changing demographics over time. A large number of Salvadoran immigrants began settling in Montgomery County when she was younger, said…

Trump tax plan may be a mixed bag for Maryland

WASHINGTON – A majority of Marylanders weren’t particularly keen about the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton carried the Old Line State by roughly 624,000 votes on Nov. 8, good for a comfortable 25-point win. RELATED…