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January 24, 2022 at 2:13 pm
The Supreme Court will not take up Kevin McCarthy’s lawsuit challenging proxy voting rules in the House, a final nail in the coffin to House Republican opposition to the chamber’s absentee voting procedures prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.
The lawsuit, filed by Minority Leader McCarthy and fellow House Republicans in May 2020, calls the House’s pandemic proxy voting process “unconstitutional,” and has been rejected twice before. The Supreme Court’s decision to not take up the lawsuit, which the court issued without explanation Monday, means a July 2021 lower court ruling that quashed the challenge will stand.
The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia unanimously agreed that the courts did not have jurisdiction...
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January 24, 2022 at 2:00 pm
Maryland's COVID-19 situation has started to improve since metrics peaked in mid-January, but understaffed hospitals are still swamped. Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday signed an executive order to expand the health care workforce available to the state's medical facilities.
“We continue to take short-term actions to support our health care workforce as it deals with the Omicron wave and the influx of unvaccinated patients,” Hogan said in a press release. “All of the data continues to show very encouraging trends, with many of our key health metrics consistently and substantially declining."
Hogan's latest action:
"Provides more licensing flexibility for pharmacists and technicians to help support the pharmacy workforce. Pharmacies a...
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January 24, 2022 at 12:48 pm
Selling of U.S. stocks picked up momentum midday on reports President Biden will hold a video call this afternoon with European leaders in response to Russia’s military buildup on Ukraine’s borders.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell over 1,000 points or 3%, while the S&P 500 lost 3.8% entering a correction, down 10% from its peak. The Nasdaq Composite fell deeper into its own correction off 4%.
"We are now dealing with legitimate risk in the market," said Jeff Sica, CIO of Circle Squared Alternative Investments.
Oil also fell to the $83 per barrel level.
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January 24, 2022 at 11:23 am
Israel’s hospitals on Sunday warned of their inability to cope with the influx of patients caused by the spread of the highly transmittable Omicron variant of coronavirus.
According to several hospitals, the Omicron's spread, consequent surge in COVID cases, uptick in seriously ill coronavirus patients, as well as the frequent quarantine of medical workers - have all brought the health system and its workers to the brink.
The Kaplan Medical Center was forced to close its gates to ambulances due to an overload of patients and a lack of medical staff, many of whom are in quarantine due to exposure to COVID.
Kaplan’s dedicated COVID ward is currently full to capacity with 80 coronavirus patients.
According to several staffers, even when space is made available...
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January 24, 2022 at 11:22 am
The White House is reportedly making plans to fight back as Vladimir Putin gathers more and more Russian troops at the border of Ukraine. Up until now, President Joe Biden has sounded cautious when asked about the prospect of a military intervention in the event of a Russian invasion. But, in a report from The New York Times, it’s claimed Biden is now moving toward a more forceful strategy.
The Times reports Biden was presented with a plan at Camp David on Shabbos to deploy an initial 1,000 to 5,000 troops to Eastern European nations, with the option to “increase that number tenfold” if the situation worsens. However, none of the plans under consideration include sending U.S. troops to Ukraine itself, the report states. Meanwhile, NATO confirmed Monda...
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January 24, 2022 at 11:10 am
The 2022 tax season is under way, and as W-2s and other tax forms hit U.S. mailboxes, many in Maryland will wonder when they can file and what changes are in store for their returns this year.
The first day to file 2021 tax returns is Jan. 24, according to the Internal Revenue Service. That's two weeks earlier than last year.
As the Internal Revenue Service battles with staffing shortages, backlogs and aging technology, watchdog groups urge taxpayers to file their 2021 returns as far ahead of the Monday, April 18, tax deadline as possible. They should also file electronically.
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot announced last week the filing and payment deadline for 2021 Maryland state individual income taxes has been extended by three months — to Friday, July 15 &...
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January 24, 2022 at 11:07 am
Nearly 50 percent of all global antisemitic incidents took place in Europe
An annual report compiled by the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency found that 2021 was the most antisemitic year of the last decade.
The average number of incidents reported in 2021 was more than ten per day, according to the report. The main incidents were crimes such as graffiti, vandalism, desecration, however, physical and verbal threats and violence comprised almost a third of all documented cases.
Nearly 50 percent of all global antisemitic incidents took place in Europe, and 30 percent in the United States.
Rolene Marks, Head of Public Diplomacy at the International Zionist Organization spoke to i24NEWS about the rise of antisemitism and why the increase took place.
"We a...
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January 24, 2022 at 11:01 am
WIN Waste Innovations to Add Community Recycling Drop-Off Sites to Supplement DPW’s New Bi-Weekly Recycling Collection Schedule
Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott and the Department of Public Works (DPW) reaffirmed their commitment to prioritizing recycling and the environment by joining WIN Waste Innovations, formerly Wheelabrator Technologies, to establish and staff several community recycling collection locations throughout Baltimore City. Effective Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022, the City, in partnership with WIN Waste Innovations, will provide community recycling drop-off sites for residents to use in the week when their recycling collections are not occurring. The sites will increase residential recycling opportunities as curbside collection operations have been modified from weekly to bi-...
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January 24, 2022 at 10:56 am
'A lone perpetrator injured several people in a lecture hall with a long gun. The perpetrator himself is dead'
German police announced Monday a lone gunman was dead after wounding four people in a lecture hall in the university town of Heidelberg.
In a tweet, police said: "Four people injured, some seriously, currently no more danger, perpetrator dead - single perpetrator assumed."
Police said that they were "not aware of any letter claiming responsibility" for the attack, and called on the public to avoid speculating.
German newspaper Bild reported that the shooter opened fire in the lecture hall, before turning the weapon on himself. The newspaper also reported that the gunman was a student.
A major police operation was under way at the universi...
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January 24, 2022 at 10:53 am
Speaker of the Knesset MK Mickey Levy arrived in Berlin today for a state visit until Thursday evening. During the week Speaker Levy is scheduled to visit the House of Wannsee and meet Bundestag President Bärbel Bas, Austrian National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
The highlight of the visit will be on Thursday when the Speaker of the Knesset will address the Bundestag’s plenum as part of the special ceremony commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Speaker Levy will make history as the first Speaker of the Knesset to address the Bundestag's plenum.
Upon arriving in Berlin, Speaker of the Knesset MK Mickey Levy said: "For the first time in history, t...
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January 24, 2022 at 10:41 am
The Taliban hopes that meetings of this kind will help legitimize their government
On their first visit to Europe since returning to power, the Taliban held landmark talks with Western diplomats in Oslo on Monday over the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, where hunger threatens more than half the population.
However, the international community insisted the Taliban must respect human rights before aid can be resumed to Afghanistan.
Having accepted a controversial invitation from Norway, the Taliban held talks with representatives of the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, the European Union, and Norway.
The closed-door discussions were held at the Soria Moria Hotel, on a snowy hilltop outside Oslo, with the Taliban delegation led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan ...
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January 24, 2022 at 9:41 am
The Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) rose one centimeter (0.39 inches) since Saturday, and now stands 1.785 meters (5.86 feet) below the upper red line signaling maximum capacity.
The wintry weather will continue Monday, with rainfall expected in northern and central Israel. The rain will gradually lessen towards evening. Throughout the day, temperatures will be very cold and there will be snowfall on Mount Hermon and in the northern Golan Heights.
There is a chance of flooding in the streams in the Dead Sea area, Jordan Valley, Judean Desert, and northern Negev.Tuesday will see a break in the rain, and the skies will be clear. Temperatures will remain extremely low. On Tuesday night, there will be rainfall along the coastline. On Mount Hermon and in the northern Golan Heights, there will be sn...
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January 24, 2022 at 9:39 am
Baltimore County , MD - Jan. 24, 2022 - Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski today announced his fourth annual series of signature town hall meetings to hear from constituents about their ideas and priorities for the County’s FY23 budget. Seven meetings, one for each Council district, will provide a forum for public discussion focused on future budget priorities and ensure that community members have the opportunity to provide input into the budget planning process. “Creating the accountable, responsive government that the people of Baltimore County deserve requires hearing directly from the residents we serve,” said Olszewski. “I’m proud that we’ve made Baltimore County government more open than ever before and I look forward to...
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January 24, 2022 at 9:27 am
Syrian and Russian military jets jointly patrolled the airspace along Syria's borders on Monday and plan to make such flights regular, the Interfax news agency quoted Russia's defense ministry as saying.
The path of the group, which includes fighter, fighter-bomber and early warning and control aircraft, included the Golan Heights, the armistice line with Israel that has seen regular Israeli air strikes against suspected Iranian and Hezbollah positions.
Russian forces have been present in Syria since 2015 when they helped turn the tide in a civil war in favor of President Bashar al-Assad.
This month, witnesses and rebel sources said Russian jets have bombed areas near the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib, the last opposition-held bastion.
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January 24, 2022 at 9:21 am
Baltimore, MD – Jan. 20, 2022 - It is with regret that BaltimoreJewishLife.com informs the community of the petira of Mr. Abraham Litwin, Z’L, father of Mrs. Malky (Chalavna) Meth.
Shiva in Baltimore will be observed on Tuesday at 2612 Willow Glen Drive, Baltimore, Maryland, 21209, from 9:30am - 10:00pm
Mrs. Meth may be contacted on 410-948-7814
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January 24, 2022 at 9:04 am
Number of new cases in Israel stabilizes
30% positivity as 67,000 new COVID cases reported in one day
783 patients with COVID in serious condition as number of new cases per day appears to stabilize, potentially marking peak of Omicron wave.
The fifth wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Israel, dubbed the ‘Omicron wave’, may be nearing its peak, with the number of new cases appearing to stabilize, along with the number of seriously ill patients diagnosed with COVID.
According to data released by the Health Ministry Monday morning, a total of 67,198 new cases of COVID were diagnosed on Sunday, following multiple days above or near 70,000 new daily cases last week.
Of the 225,000 tests conducted, 29.63% came back positive.
The number of seriously ill patients diagnosed with ...
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January 24, 2022 at 9:04 am
CNN reports that a man with a handgun opened fire in a lecture hall in the University of Heidelberg in southwestern Germany, Several people are injured.
Police forces have secured the scene. The gunman was reported dead of unknown causes.
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January 24, 2022 at 8:53 am
Miriam Naor, the former president of the Israeli Supreme Court, passed away Monday at the age of 74.
Born in Jerusalem in 1947, just months before the establishment of the State of Israel, Naor graduated from Hebrew University's law school in 1971.
Naor was appointed to the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court in 1980, where she was among the judges who found former Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) guilty of bribery.
From 2003 to 2017, Naor served on the Supreme Court, including as chief justice from 2015-2017.
President Isaac Herzog eulogized Naor in a statement released Monday morning.
“The State of Israel bows its head with the untimely passing of the former President of the Supreme Court, Justice Miriam Naor," Herzog said. "Justice Miriam Naor will be remembered in Isra...
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January 23, 2022 at 10:09 pm
Agudath Israel of America, today, shared a Kol Korei from the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America:
(Free translation)
Shevat 5782
We hear cries of pain from our brothers who dwell in Eretz Yisroel as the Israeli government plans decrees that will seriously affect the Torah population there. Examples include:
· desecrating the Kosel HaMaaravi – the last remnant of the Beis Hamikdash and the place from which the Divine Presence has never left – by permitting in it mixed prayer services and desecrations of our holy religious values;
· acting to remove the safeguards for modesty accepted by the chareidi population upon themselves with respect to the use of “kosher” phones;
· &nb...
