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Van Hollen comes out against Trump picks for attorney general, environmental chief
Sen. Chris Van Hollen has announced his opposition to President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees for attorney general and head of the Environmental Protection Agency. In a Wednesday post on Facebook, Van Hollen described his concerns about appointing Sen. Jeff Sessions as attorney general. “[H]is record of words and deeds – with respect to civil rights, voting rights, women’s rights, LGBT rights, and the rights of individuals with disabilities – reveal that he too often sides with the powerful and the status quo rather than standing up for justice for all,” he wrote. Van Hollen argued that Scott Pruitt’s track record on environmental issues makes him a poor choice for EPA head. [Facebook]
Hogan wants background checks for legislative appointees
Gov. Larry Hogan is pushing for background checks of people appointed to fill vacancies in the Maryland General Assembly. One of two recent nominees is Montgomery County’s Jheanelle Wilkins, who has not complied with the request to complete a check. A Hogan spokesman said the new background check policy comes after a Baltimore appointee was recently indicted on charges of campaign finance violations. Wilkins was chosen to fill a space that opened up when former delegate William C. Smith became a state senator to replace Jamie Raskin, who was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. [Baltimore Sun]
State analysts estimate costs of Affordable Care Act repeal
An Affordable Care Act repeal or overhaul could have financial repercussions for Maryland of more than $2.2 billion in fiscal 2018, state legislative analysts report. The efforts to revise or overturn the health care law could impact the state with an additional $2 billion or more by fiscal 2020, they estimated. The report published Tuesday by the Maryland Department of Legislative Services indicated, among other things, that an Affordable Care Act repeal or replacement would affect the state’s funding for Medicaid expansion. Maryland leaders would have to decide whether to continue Medicaid expansion and how to pay for it. [Washington Business Journal]
Facebook CEO takes stand in suit brought by Rockville company
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg testified in court on Tuesday in a case involving a Rockville-based technology company. He took the stand in a Dallas courtoom in a trial dealing with a virtual reality company called Oculus, which was acquired by Facebook. The Rockville company, ZeniMax Media Inc., has accused Facebook of stealing its virtual reality technology and is suing the social media company for $2 billion. [Washington Business Journal]
Forecasters predict another mild day ahead
National Weather Service forecasters expect the skies over Bethesda will be partly sunny on Thursday, and temperatures will hit 53 degrees. Overnight, clouds will increase, and temperatures will dip to about 39 degrees, according to the forecast.
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