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December 3, 2022 at 6:46 pm
The same day an investigative report was released on the deadly Stricker Street fire, Baltimore City Fire Chief Niles Ford resigned.
The report paints a chaotic picture of the response to the vacant rowhome fire that killed Lt. Kelsey Sadler, Lt. Paul Butrim, Kenny Lacayo, and injured John McMaster.
The report describes confusion over which firefighters were on scene that day and who was trapped inside the collapsed, burning structure.
Firefighters also expressed concern about a competitive culture within the department where they were often in a race to arrive first on the scene.
One of the most glaring problems on that January day, the firefighters had no idea they were walking into an unsafe vacant home that had been on fire twice before.
The report says their systems never alerted...
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December 3, 2022 at 6:46 pm
A memorandum of agreement has been finalized between Johns Hopkins University and the Baltimore City Police Department, the latest step in creating a private campus police force.
The 23-page document was originally released in September. It has been revised to reflect feedback from the community.
The document was signed by Baltimore City Police Commissioner Michael Harrison.
The memorandum of agreement includes:
- State-mandated public reporting, training, policy development, and third-party accreditation requirements
- Exemptions from state immunity protections
- Local hiring and recruitment targets
- Multiple layers of public accountability and oversight
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December 3, 2022 at 6:17 pm
Anyone who's lived in a Baltimore City apartment complex has likely seen eviction notices posted on common doors or in common spaces, for everyone to see.
But now that Sheriff Sam Cogen has taken the reins of the Baltimore City Sheriff's Office, and, as the first new sheriff in decades, one of his first orders of business was to announce that he's making the eviction process more humane.
On Thursday, Cogen instructed deputies how to serve the summons on an individual door, telling them that if there's a locked door, they should contact the landlord and property management company and set up a time to go back and serve it properly.
The issue of posting eviction notices in common areas "was raised as an issue a while ago and the attorney general weighed in on an opinio...
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December 3, 2022 at 6:16 pm
Twitter owner Elon Musk released bombshell revelations about what led the tech giant to suppress the Hunter Biden story in the final weeks of the 2020 presidential election.
After a lengthy delay, Musk outsourced his findings to Substack journalist Matt Taibbi, who published a lengthy thread about what had transpired behind the scenes at Twitter.
"Some of the first tools for controlling speech were designed to combat the likes of spam and financial fraudsters. Slowly, over time, Twitter staff and executives began to find more and more uses for these tools. Outsiders began petitioning the company to manipulate speech as well: first a little, then more often, then constantly," Taibbi wrote. "By 2020, requests from connected actors to delete tweets were routine. O...
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December 2, 2022 at 2:36 pm
Baltimore, MD - Dec. 2, 2022 - On Friday, Niles Ford resigned from his longtime position as Baltimore City Fire Chief.
He steps down in light of a new report that investigated the line of duty deaths of three firefighters in January.
Paul Butrim, Kelsey Sadler and Kenneth Lacayo lost their lives after becoming trapped in a burning vacant home that collapsed.
Following the incident, Ford assembled a Board of Inquiry to take a deep dive into what went wrong.
Their findings were revealed Friday and turned out to be highly critical of the department's response that day, prompting Ford's immediate resignation.
In the report, the panel makes frequent mention of repeated problems created by vacant homes in the City.
They also mention the level of confusion and disorganizatio...
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December 2, 2022 at 1:21 pm
We have a tendency to generalize. Several days ago, Yuri Volkov was stabbed to death on a street in Holon. This was a truly horrible incident. But how quickly were many of us ready to jump to the conclusion that "this is a country where anyone can get stabbed in the street."But then this week an announcement was published by Nadir Hovav on Facebook that read as follows: "In search of a small car for my wife, up to 7,500 shekels, in excellent condition. I will be glad if you can compromise on the price since I have a disability and every shekel is crucial to me." Within a short time, this post reached 260,000 Internet users. There were numerous shares and reactions as if everyone online wished to help Nadir. It was a wave of digital lovingkindness: "I will gladly buy you a car," "If y...
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December 2, 2022 at 1:16 pm
Baltimore, MD - Dec. 2, 2022 - Have you ever wondered why the Claw Game at amusement parks are always filled with stuffed animals? Simple answer. Because no one ever wins. In this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast, we reveal a secret for how to boost your chances of winning the Claw Game and we see how Yaakov Avinu tapped into this simple, yet brilliant, way of life.
Click here to listen
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December 2, 2022 at 12:58 pm
Baltimore, MD – Dec. 2, 2022 - 12:48PM - The photos below show the police activity on I-95 North right after Exit 109. As reported earlier all 4 lanes are shut down. Video shows southbound traffic being diverted off of 95 South in Delaware – The backup goes on for approximately 2 miles. The detour on both sides of the highway allows one to go around the shutdown and continue on.
Hat Tip:MJ
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December 2, 2022 at 11:42 am
Towson, MD – Dec. 2, 2022- The separate collection of yard materials (for Baltimore County residents with “Y” days on their collection schedules) will halt in December, and will resume in April 2023. The date of the last 2022 “Y” day varies among County collection schedules. Residents should refer to their particular schedule for details (the final “Y” day will occur within the first two weeks of December). Please note that after the last “Y” day occurs on a particular schedule, yard materials can be placed out with trash on a scheduled trash collection day. Residents with no “Y” days on their schedule should continue to place yard materials out with trash on scheduled trash collection days. Residents m...
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December 2, 2022 at 11:38 am
Interstate 95 near Route 896 is closed in both directions due to heavy "police activity" stemming from a Friday morning chase, police said.
It's unclear where exactly the "police activity" is, but emergency services radio communications indicate paramedics were called to the southbound side of the interstate at South College Avenue (Route 896) near Newark shortly after 8 a.m. Friday.
Delaware State Police said shortly after 9 a.m. that both the northbound and southbound lanes around Route 896 would be "shut down for an extended period."
"The incident is contained at this time, there is no threat to public safety, and police are advising the public to please avoid the area," a news release said.
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December 2, 2022 at 11:36 am
Baltimore, MD - Dec. 2, 2022 - Rabbi Baruch Brull was the guest speaker at the Yeshivas Toras Simcha Rosh Chodesh Kislev Assembly. The talmidim participated in singing, award presentations, and more to welcome the month of Kislev.
YTS Roch Chodesh Kislev from Dovid Kapenstein on Vimeo.
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December 2, 2022 at 10:54 am
Agudath Israel of America is welcoming the new webpage set up by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on “Kosher Foods in TEFAP.”
TEFAP - The Emergency Food Assistance Program -- is utilized by food pantries and food banks to provide surplus food to the needy. The development of the webpage comes on the heels of the agency’s recent outreach to the Jewish community regarding volume and nutritional deficiencies in the kosher food available under TEFAP and the subsequent expansion of the numbers and types of kosher-certified foods in the program.
“The webpage provides valuable information, not only as to what kosher options are available, but also in regard to the details of kosher-certification and the preferences of the kosher consumer,” noted Rabbi Abba...
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December 2, 2022 at 10:52 am
U.S. job growth rose faster than expected in November as the labor market remained resilient in the face of higher interest rates, scorching-hot inflation and mounting recession fears.
Employers added 263,000 jobs in November, the Labor Department said in its monthly payroll report released Friday, topping the 200,000 jobs forecast by Refinitiv economists. It marks a slight deceleration from the upwardly revised job gain of 284,000 recorded in October. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, held steady at 3.7%.
The report will likely do little to sway the Federal Reserve in its fight against inflation, which has already seen policymakers raise interest rates at the most aggressive pace since the 1980s in a bid to crush out-of-control consumer prices and cool the lab...
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December 2, 2022 at 10:39 am
As the shepherds gather at the well, waiting for their compatriots to arrive so that they may pool their strength in rolling off the heavy rock that covers the well, Yaakov arrives.
Yaakov inquires whether they are acquainted with Lavan, and they inform him they are, pointing out that his daughter, Rachel, is just arriving with her sheep. He then asks them why they are whiling their time away and not pasturing the sheep, to which they respond by explaining their need for others to come and assist them.
As Rachel nears the well, Yaakov steps chivalrously forward and proceeds to, as the Torah describes, ויגל האבן — to single-handedly lift off the rock, uncovering the well. (רש"י)
Rashi quoting the Midrash adds: as one who removes the stopper from a bottle, to let you know...
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December 2, 2022 at 10:10 am
Sinai Hospital and Grace Medical Center President Daniel Blum Accepts Position with New York Healthcare Organization
Baltimore, MD – Dec. 2, 2022 - LifeBridge Health Senior Vice President and Sinai Hospital and Grace Medical Center President Daniel Blum will leave the organization later this month for a new position as chief executive officer of a New York-based healthcare organization.
LifeBridge Health President & CEO Neil Meltzer said Mr. Blum has made significant contributions during his tenure.
“Dan Blum has led Sinai Hospital and Grace Medical Center through the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been an unprecedented challenge for healthcare. Dan truly cares deeply for our team members, our patients and our communities, and that compassion has been a hallmark of h...
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December 2, 2022 at 9:49 am
Baltimore, Md - Dec. 2, -2022 - Please note that there are many peppers on the market right now that are product of Israel. Experts have advised that there is concern these may still be from Shemitta and potentially forbidden to be eaten. Consumers should check labelling carefully for country of origin. Peppers sold at Seven Mile Market and Market Maven are monitored by STAR-K and are not of concern.
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December 1, 2022 at 11:30 pm
An appeals court on Thursday ruled that the appointment of a special master after the search of former President Trump’s Florida home was improper, determining that a lower court could not limit the Justice Department investigation into the mishandling of White House records at Mar-a-Lago.
“The law is clear. We cannot write a rule that allows any subject of a search warrant to block government investigations after the execution of the warrant. Nor can we write a rule that allows only former presidents to do so,” a three-judge panel wrote for the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
“Either approach would be a reordering of our case law limiting the federal courts’ involvement in criminal investigations.”
The r...
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December 1, 2022 at 11:22 pm
And Jacob left Be’er Sheva and he went to Haran (Bereishis 28:10)
The dramatic journey had begun. Yaakov fled the familial home to escape the wrath of his older brother, Esav, under the cover of going to find a wife from amongst his mother’s family. The journey was filled with twists and turns, ups and downs, yet Yaakov heroically clung to God and the ideals of his family. Amid all the Parsha drama, the commentaries ask a simple question; why must the Torah state that Yaakov left Be’er Sheva (Va’Yetzei Yaakov M’Be’er Sheva) and that he went to Haran (Va’Yelech Charana)? Once you state the second part of the verse (that he went to Charan), it is obvious that he left Be’er Sheva. Why include a seemingly redundant phras...
