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Blue state Republican touts his anti-Trump credentials in bid to flip senate seat red

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Blue state Republican touts his anti-Trump credentials in bid to flip senate seat red

A Republican candidate in a party dominated by former President Donald Trump is spotlighting how he “never caved” to Trump and is showcasing how he sent National Guard troops to help protect congressional lawmakers during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

And as he aims to flip a long-held Democrat seat in the overwhelmingly blue state of Maryland in a key contest that may decide if the GOP wins back the chamber’s majority, former two-term Republican Gov. Larry Hogan is highlighting his anti-Trump credentials.

A new ad that showcases Hogan’s bipartisan chops during his eight years as Maryland governor also emphasizes that he was “an early critic of Donald Trump, one of the few Republicans who never caved.”

NEW POLL IN DEEP BLUE STATE SUGGESTS KEY SENATE SEAT IN PERIL OF FLIPPING RED

Former two-term Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland celebrates his victory in the 2024 Maryland Republican Senate primary in Annapolis, Maryland, on May 14, 2024. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

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The spot, which the Hogan campaign says will run statewide as part of an existing $8 million ad buy through the November election, then shows news clips of the U.S. Capitol under attack on Jan. 6 by Trump supporters trying to upend congressional certification of President Biden’s 2020 election victory.

SENATE DEMOCRATS CAMPAIGN CHAIR GOES ONE-ON-ONE WITH FOX NEWS

“On Jan. 6 as we watched in horror, Hogan didn’t just talk about defending democracy, he did something, sending in the Maryland National Guard to protect the Capitol,” the narrator says in the ad.

A recent poll commissioned by AARP indicated Hogan deadlocked at 46% support among likely voters with Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic nominee in the race.

The poll was the first since the May primary in Maryland to indicate a tied race, with previous surveys suggesting Alsobrooks with the lead. The winner of the November election will succeed Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, who is retiring this year after serving nearly two decades in the Senate and nearly six decades as a state and then federal lawmaker.

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Alsobrooks would make history, if elected in November, as the first Black senator in Maryland, a state where approximately 30% of the population is Black.

TOP SENATE REPUBLICAN CRISS-CROSSES THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN ‘MAKE OR BREAK’ MOMENT TO WIN BACK MAJORITY

While Hogan and Alsobrooks were tied, the poll indicated Vice President Kamala Harris far ahead of Trump in Maryland. According to the survey, Harris topped Trump by 30 points in a multi-candidate field and by 32 points in a head-to-head match-up.

From left to right, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Maryland Democratic Senate nominee and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and Vice President Kamala Harris stand on stage together after speaking at a campaign event on Gun Violence Awareness Day at Kentland Community Center on June 7, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

With Democrats outnumbering Republicans by a roughly two-to-one margin in the state, Hogan will need a good chunk of cross-over voters and has been highlighting his opposition to Trump and his independence from his party as he runs for the Senate.

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“Republicans can’t count on my vote,”Hogan said in an earlier campaign ad.

Hogan, who flirted with a 2024 White House run before deciding against it, stood out from most other Republicans this spring for publicly calling for the guilty verdicts in Trump’s criminal trial to be respected.

However, Alsobrooks and Democrats have repeatedly reminded voters that Hogan has described himself as a “lifelong Republican,” and that Trump, in a Fox News interview earlier this year, said he would like to see Hogan win.

Hogan skipped July’s Republican National Convention, where Trump was formally nominated, and has said he would not be voting for the former president. Hogan’s campaign, after the former president’s comments, spotlighted in a statement that “Governor Hogan has been clear he is not supporting President Trump just as he didn’t in 2016 and 2020.” 

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Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at 1st Summit Arena at the Cambria County War Memorial, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Droke)

A recent strategy memo from Hogan adviser Russ Schriefer noted that “our research indicates that these voters will support the Governor when they are reminded about his commitments and track record of independent leadership.”

Democrats control the Senate by a razor-thin 51-49 margin, and Republicans are looking at a favorable election map this year with Democrats defending 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs.

One of those seats is in West Virginia, a deep red state that Trump carried by nearly 40 points in 2020. With moderate Democrat-turned-Independent Sen. Joe Manchin, a former governor, not seeking re-election, flipping the seat is nearly a sure thing for the GOP.

Republicans are also aiming to flip seats in Ohio and Montana, two states Trump comfortably carried four years ago. And five more Democratic-held seats up for grabs this year are in crucial presidential-election battleground states.

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With Democrats trying to protect their fragile Senate majority, Hogan’s late entry into the race in February gave them an unexpected headache in a state previously considered safe territory.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

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Northeast

Millionaire philanthropist allegedly gunned down by worker in female wig; ambushes Maryland trooper: police

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Millionaire philanthropist allegedly gunned down by worker in female wig; ambushes Maryland trooper: police

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A 22-year-old assisted living employee accused of disguising himself in long female wigs and executing an 87-year-old millionaire philanthropist he treated nightly, is now also charged with shooting at a Maryland state trooper Tuesday while on the run.

The Montgomery County Department of Police’s Major Crimes Division confirmed during a news conference on Wednesday that Marquis Emilio James, 22, of White Marsh, Maryland, was arrested in connection with the Valentine’s Day homicide of 87-year-old Robert G. Fuller Jr. at the Cogir Potomac Senior Living Facility, and the shooting of a Maryland State Police trooper Tuesday during a traffic stop in West Baltimore.

James, who had been employed as a medication technician at the senior living facility since October, was allegedly seen on surveillance footage entering and exiting through a tampered courtyard door around the time Fuller was fatally shot in the head in his apartment.

Nothing appeared to have been taken from Fuller’s home during the crime, according to Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada.

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Robert Fuller Jr., left, gives remarks at the 2017 opening of Veterans Academic Center in Augusta, Me., a project to which he donated.   (Joe Phelan/Centralmaine.com)

Investigators later determined the door’s alarm sensor had been disabled in January — on a day when James had been the only person seen using the door.

During a search, folded paper towels used to prop doors open on the day of the murder and again days later, were found by police.

Yamada said that days after Fuller’s death, James was found inside the facility after his shift ended, gave a suspicious explanation to other workers, triggered another exterior door alarm, and fled when a supervisor was going to be notified. 

The door he used to exit had also been tampered with, according to authorities.

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Marquis James, 22, is charged in connection to the murder and traffic stop shooting. (Montgomery County Police Department)

At about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, a Maryland State Police trooper pulled over James’ car to conduct a traffic stop after noticing he was missing license plates.

As the trooper approached the car, James, who was driving, suddenly opened the car door and fired two shots, said Maryland State Police Lt. Col. Steve Decerbo.

The bullets narrowly missed the trooper by inches, and he only sustained minor injuries.

“Without a doubt, our Maryland State trooper escaped an outcome that could have ended much differently,” Decerbo said.

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Marquis James was allegedly seen on video wearing a long wig. (Montgomery County Police Department)

James immediately drove away, and investigators later recovered a shell casing from the scene that matched ballistic evidence from Fuller’s murder, linking the two cases.

Montgomery County Police, Maryland State Police and the U.S. Marshals took James into custody Wednesday afternoon in Rockville after a brief foot chase.

James is charged in Montgomery County with first-degree murder, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

He is being held without bond, with a court hearing scheduled.

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ROBERT CARRADINE, ‘LIZZIE MCGUIRE’ AND ‘REVENGE OF THE NERDS’ STAR, DEAD AT 71

While conducting two search warrants in Baltimore County, investigators recovered “numerous” wigs and a mask, consistent with what appeared to be a disguise in surveillance footage.

Police initially said there was no clear description of the person’s gender or race, adding the suspect seen in the footage could be male or female due to the long wig.

Yamada added police “do not have a good sense of why” James allegedly shot and killed Fuller.

Police Chief Yamada did not reveal a motive for the shootings. (Montgomery County Police Department)

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“Upon speaking with him, he said their relationship was very good, and he would never have hurt Mr. Fuller,” he said. “So we’re hopeful that as we get further in … we’re going to get a better sense of what was going on behind the scenes, what types of communications Marquis James had, [and] what he was searching on his electronic devices. We’re hopeful that that’s going to lead us to a better sense of why.”

Yamada would not confirm if James had a criminal record.

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Maine State Rep. Bill Bridgeo, who met Fuller while working as city manager in Augusta, told NBC 4 Washington Fuller was a prominent attorney and a retired Navy Reserve officer.

Bridgeo told the local station Fuller donated millions to the community to build a new YMCA, hospital and expand a high school.

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Beloved millionaire Maine philanthropist shot dead in ritzy DC suburb assisted living home, no arrests made

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Boston, MA

Boston police officials dominate the list of highest-paid city workers in 2025 – The Boston Globe

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Boston police officials dominate the list of highest-paid city workers in 2025 – The Boston Globe


That was more than what every other city department spent on overtime combined, though it was a slight drop from the $103 million the police department spent on overtime in 2024.

High overtime spending inside the police department has long been controversial and a source of frustration for police-reform advocates. Last year’s nine-figure total comes as Mayor Michelle Wu warns of a challenging budget season to come for the city, which is grappling with inflation and the possibility of more federal funding cuts.

In a December letter, Wu told the city council that she instructed city department heads to find ways to cut 2 percent of their budgets in the next fiscal year. She also imposed a delay on new hires. Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper has also proposed cutting somewhere between 300 and 400 positions next fiscal year due to budget constraints.

Overall, the city spent about $2.5 billion on employee salaries in 2025, up around 1.5 percent from $2.4 billion in 2024. The city employs roughly 21,000 workers, according to a public dashboard.

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In a statement, Emma Pettit, a spokesperson for Wu’s office, attributed the payroll increase to raises, and in some cases, employees receiving retroactive pay, that were part of contracts the city negotiated with its various labor unions.

“We’re grateful to our city employees for their hard work to hold Boston to the highest standard for delivering city services,” Pettit said.

When Wu won her first mayoral race in November 2021, all of the city’s 44 union contracts had expired. Since then, Wu’s office has negotiated new agreements with all of them, and last year, agreed to a one-year contract extension with the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, the city’s largest police union.

But as the city heads back to the bargaining table to negotiate extensions or new contracts with others, city leaders should keep cost at the forefront of those conversations, said Steve Poftak, president of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, a business-backed budget watchdog group.

“As budgets tighten, I’m hopeful that it increases the scrutiny on these collective bargaining agreements,” Poftak said.

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The top earner on the city’s payroll last year was Boston Police Captain Timothy Connolly. In addition to his $194,000 base salary, Connolly took home nearly $230,000 in overtime, about $26,000 in undefined “other pay,” and roughly $49,000 as part of a higher-education bonus, for a total of $498,145 in compensation.

Skipper, as BPS superintendent, was the 55th-highest earner among city workers, coming behind 54 members of the police department. She made a total of $378,000 in 2025.

Nearly 300 city employees made more than $300,000 last year. In contrast, Wu made $207,000, though her salary increased to $250,000 this year. More than 1,700 city employees made more than the mayor in 2025.

Larry Calderone, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, argued that the high overtime costs in the police department are, in part, a result of understaffing.

The department is short roughly 400 rank-and-file police officers, Calderone said, meaning the department has to pay its staff to work overtime and fill vacant shifts. The average salary for an officer in the BPPA is roughly $195,000, Calderone said.

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With several large events approaching, including a Boston-based fan fest around this summer’s World Cup matches and the return of a fleet of tall ships to Boston Harbor, Calderone said most of the members of his union are likely to be working the maximum allowable 90 hours a week.

“We just don’t have the bodies on the street,” he said.

The Boston Police Department and the Boston Police Superior Officers Federation — the union that represents the department’s sergeants, captains, and lieutenants — did not immediately return requests for comment Monday.

Jamarhl Crawford, an activist and former member of the Boston Police Reform Task Force, said while high spending on overtime is not new for the police department, it’s a pressing problem the city should tackle.

The police and fire departments are “essential components of the city and society in general … [and] folks should be getting a fair wage. But it also has to be within fiscal responsibility,” Crawford said.

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“In another 10 years,” he continued, “with pensions and everything else, this type of thing can bankrupt the city.”


Niki Griswold can be reached at niki.griswold@globe.com. Follow her @nikigriswold. Yoohyun Jung can be reached at y.jung@globe.com.





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Pittsburg, PA

Man’s body found underneath trailer behind former Shop ‘n Save in Carrick

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Man’s body found underneath trailer behind former Shop ‘n Save in Carrick



Pittsburgh Police detectives are investigating after a man’s body was found underneath a trailer behind the former Shop ‘n Save store in the city’s Carrick neighborhood.

Pittsburgh Public Safety said late Monday night that detectives from the Violent Crime division responded to the area of Amanda Street and Wynoka Street in Carrick after a man’s body was found around 8:30 p.m.

Public Safety said the man’s body was found underneath a trailer and that he was pronounced dead by medics at the scene.

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Pittsburgh Police detectives are investigating after a man’s body was found underneath a trailer in the city’s Carrick neighborhood on Monday night.

Pittsburgh Public Safety


A photo provided by Pittsburgh Public Safety shows officers surrounding a taped off area and what appears to be a refrigerated trailer parked at the loading dock along Amanda Street behind the former Brownsville Shop n’ Save, which closed its doors last month

No details surrounding the circumstances of the man’s death were provided by Public Safety, who said that the cause and the manner of the man’s death will be determined by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office.

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The man’s identity has not been released.

Public Safety said the investigation into the man’s death is “ongoing.”



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