Chesterfield coming, Simonaire going, a list of our favorite things, more notes
Sen. Bryan Simonaire (R-Anne Arundel) announced Tuesday that he will not seek reelection next year, after fiver terms in office. Del. Nicholaus Kipke (R-Anne Arundel) has already filed for the seat. (File photo by Bryan P. Sears)
A five-time elected Republican state senator is calling it a career at the end of his current term.
Sen. Bryan W. Simonaire (R-Anne Arundel) announced in an email Tuesday morning that he would not run for reelection in 2026.
'It's time for the next chapter in my life and I cherish the opportunity to spend more time with my growing family,' Simonaire said in a statement.
Simonaire, 61, was the first Republican elected to the Senate from District 31. He succeeded Sen. Phil Jimeno, a Democrat who retired after 22 years in the Senate.
Simonaire said he plans to finish his current term, which includes two more weeks of the 2025 session. His term ends in 2026.
'Therefore, the final farewells will have to wait awhile,' Simonaire said in his statement. 'Given the political ripple effect on the Senate and other seats in my district, I thought it was the right thing to make my intentions public now.'
The ripples have already started: Del. Nicholaus R. Kipke (R-Anne Arundel) filed on Monday for the Republican primary for the Senate seat in the district. Kipke, 46, was elected to the House of Delegates the same year Simonaire joined the Senate. He filed his candidacy the day before the senator announced his intent to retire.
A former Maryland Senate aide pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony theft scheme for diverting $20,000 in senatorial scholarships that she never applied for to pay her own school bills, the Office of State Prosecutor announced.
Esther Dikongue was an aide to Sen. William C. Smith Jr. (D-Montgomery) from fall 2019 through March 2023, during which time she had access to the senator's legislative email account and was assigned to work with the committee that disbursed the scholarships that all senators have to award.
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Those scholarships typically go to constituents who attend a college in Maryland, or who are attending a college out of state for a course of study not offered in Maryland. Each senator gets about $50,000 a year to award as they see fit, with awards typically renewed annually by the Maryland Higher Education Commission until the student graduates.
Smith's office had a formal application to the committee, which selected recipients. Awards ranged from $500 to $5,000, with the upper amount being awarded 'only under rare circumstances,' according to court documents.
Prosecutors said that in July 2022, Dikongue used Smith's email to tell MHEC that she had been awarded a $10,000 scholarship to study at American University in Washington, D.C., even though she never actually applied for the award and was not chosen by the senator or the committee. An MHEC worker questioned the size of the award, but Dikongue insisted that $10,00 was the correct amount and had the money sent to American University, where she was enrolled in the Ethics, Peace and Human Rights master's program.
In May 2024, after she left the Senate office, Dikongue again used the office email to falsely obtain a second $10,000 scholarship, the prosecutor's office said.
Dikongue pleaded guilty Tuesday before Anne Arundel Circuit Judge Stacy McCormack. Sentencing has been set for July 16.
'It is unacceptable to misappropriate funds that are reserved to help Maryland students attend universities,' said Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton Howard III. 'Our office will continue to work to ensure Maryland taxpayer dollars are being used as intended.'
The Senate voted Tuesday morning to officially confirm Alverne 'Chet' Chesterfield to the state Board of Education.
The 33-13 vote along party lines came after Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-Lower Shore) asked for the Senate to vote separately on 'Nominee No. 14' — Chesterfield — from among those other nominees listed on an Executive Nominations report.
Gov. Wes Moore (D) had submitted Chesterfield's name to serve on the board.
'I believe the nominees and board members should be held to a standard greater than sufficient when you factor in the impact of the State Board of Education on our children and their future,' Carozza, who voted against Chesterfield, said in prepared remarks. 'Questions and concerns were raised by well-respected education leaders about the nominee's background and qualifications that prevent me from voting to confirm this nominee to serve on the Maryland State Board of Education.'
Sen. Charles Sydnor III (D-Baltimore County) said Chesterfield received 37 pages of letters of support. Sydnor, who voted in favor of the appointment, read one of the letters on the Senate floor Tuesday that mentioned the person working with Chesterfield at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore for more than 30 years.
'The tireless services he provided at the university and now, while working with other educational related establishments, support his commitment to education and excellence,' Sydnor said. 'I think he'll do a great job on this board.'
Chesterfield recently served as a member of the Somerset County Board of Education and worked as a substitute teacher in that school system.
A state Department of Education spokesperson said in an email Tuesday afternoon Chesterfield was appointed in December during the interim as a recess appointment and began to attend meetings in January.
Chesterfield, whose four-year term runs through 2028, replaced former board member Susan Getty.
What did you do to mark Maryland Day? You know, to recognize March 25, 1634, when the first English settlers celebrated their safe arrival in St. Mary's County, four months after leaving England.
Yeah, we didn't either.
But the folks at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Institute of Politics have more state spirit than we do, apparently, and decided to mark the day by polling Marylanders on what they like best about the state.
Almost one in four people, 24%, said their favorite part of the state's 'natural beauty, climate and weather' as their favorite things about the state, with 'geography and geographic diversity' in third place, at 15%. The geography fans echoed the old America in Miniature label for the state, with one noting to pollsters that residents can 'enjoy a diversity of activities and environments, from enjoying the ocean in Ocean City to fishing in the Chesapeake to hunting in central Maryland, and skiing at Wisp.'
In second place, at 17%, was 'people and communities,' with respondents citing both the diversity and the friendliness of the people. Crabs and Natty Boh were not — strictly speaking — at the top of the list, but the 14% who cited 'food and culinary experiences' name-checked crabcakes, crabs and Old Bay.
Bottom of the list, maybe not surprisingly, were government and politics, at 3%, and economy and job opportunities, at 2%.
Institute of Politics Director Mileah Kromer said the polls shows 'there are many things to love about Maryland. Like many other Marylanders, I'm glad to live in a state that offers a little bit of everything, truly embodying America in miniature moniker.'
The survey of 803 Maryland adults took place from Feb. 11-15, by phone and internet. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5%.
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The Hill
8 minutes ago
- The Hill
California Democrat says National Guard in LA is ‘going to escalate the situation'
Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.) said Sunday that the deployment of the National Guard to the Los Angeles area is 'going to escalate the situation.' 'It's a concern,' Barragán told CNN's Dana Bash on 'State of the Union.' 'I mean, it's going to escalate the situation. People are going to protest because they're angry about the situation, and we have to just reiterate to people to do it peacefully.' Trump deployed 2,000 National Guardsmen to the Los Angeles area on Saturday amid protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said previously the action was due to 'violent mobs' recently attacking 'Federal Law Enforcement Agents carrying out basic deportation operations.' 'These operations are essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States. In the wake of this violence, California's feckless Democrat leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens. That is why President Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester,' Leavitt said. The president blamed California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Karen Bass (D) for the unrest that started due to ICE raids. 'This is really just an escalation of the president coming into California,' Barragán said Sunday. 'We haven't asked for the help. We don't need the help.' Newsom has called the federal response 'inflammatory' and said the deployment of soldiers 'will erode public trust.'
Chicago Tribune
11 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Trump deploys California National Guard to LA to quell protests despite the governor's objections
PARAMOUNT, Calif. — President Donald Trump is deploying 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles over the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom after a second day of clashes between hundreds of protesters and federal immigration authorities in riot gear. Confrontations broke out on Saturday near a Home Depot in the heavily Latino city of Paramount, south of Los Angeles, where federal agents were staging at a Department of Homeland Security office nearby. Agents unleashed tear gas, flash-bang explosives and pepper balls, and protesters hurled rocks and cement at Border Patrol vehicles. Smoke wafted from small piles of burning refuse in the streets. Tensions were high after a series of sweeps by immigration authorities the previous day, including in LA's fashion district and at a Home Depot, as the weeklong tally of immigrant arrests in the city climbed past 100. A prominent union leader was arrested while protesting and accused of impeding law enforcement. The White House announced that Trump would deploy the Guard to 'address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester.' It wasn't clear when the troops would arrive. Newsom, a Democrat, said in a post on the social platform X that it was 'purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.' He later said the federal government wants a spectacle and urged people not to give them one by becoming violent. In a signal of the administration's aggressive approach, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened to deploy the U.S. military. 'If violence continues, active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized — they are on high alert,' Hegseth said on X. Trump's order came after clashes in Paramount and neighboring Compton, where a car was set on fire. Protests continued into the evening in Paramount, with several hundred demonstrators gathered near a doughnut shop, and authorities holding up barbed wire to keep the crowd back. Crowds also gathered again outside federal buildings in downtown Los Angeles, including a detention center, where local police declared an unlawful assembly and began to arrest people. Earlier in Paramount, immigration officers faced off with demonstrators at the entrance to a business park, across from the back of a Home Depot. They set off fireworks and pulled shopping carts into the street, broke up cinder blocks and pelted a procession of Border Patrol vans as they departed and careened down a boulevard. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said federal agents made more arrests of people with deportation orders on Saturday, but none at the Home Depot. The Department of Homeland Security has a building next door and agents were staging there as they prepared to carry out operations, he said on Fox11 Los Angeles. He didn't say how many people were arrested Saturday or where. Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons told multiple news outlets that community members showed up in response because people are fearful about activity by immigration agents. 'When you handle things the way that this appears to be handled, it's not a surprise that chaos would follow,' Lemons said. Some demonstrators jeered at officers while recording the events on smartphones. 'ICE out of Paramount. We see you for what you are,' a woman said through a megaphone. 'You are not welcome here.' More than a dozen people were arrested and accused of impeding immigration agents, Essayli posted on X, including the names and mug shots of some of those arrested. He didn't say where they were protesting. Trump federalized part of California's National Guard under what is known as Title 10 authority, which places him, not the governor, atop the chain of command, according to Newsom's office. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that the work the immigration authorities were doing when met with protests is 'essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States. In the wake of this violence, California's feckless Democrat leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens.' The president's move came shortly after he issued a threat on his social media network saying that if Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass did not 'do their jobs,' then 'the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!' Trump signed the order shortly before he went to attend a UFC fight in New Jersey, where he sat ringside with boxer Mike Tyson. Newsom said in his statement that local authorities 'are able to access law enforcement assistance at a moment's notice,' and 'there is currently no unmet need.' The California Highway Patrol said Newsom directed it to deploy additional officers to 'maintain public safety.' 'Everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but let me be clear: violence and destruction are unacceptable, and those responsible will be held accountable,' Bass said in a statement early Sunday. She said she had spoken with members of the Trump administration and insisted that she and Newsom were in control and there was no need for the National Guard to be deployed. In 2020, Trump asked governors of several states to deploy their National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to quell protests after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police. Many agreed and sent troops. Trump also threatened at the time to invoke the Insurrection Act for those protests — an intervention rarely seen in modern American history. But then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper pushed back, saying the law should be invoked 'only in the most urgent and dire of situations.' George H.W. Bush used the Insurrection Act to respond to riots in Los Angeles in 1992 after the acquittal of white police officers who were videotaped beating Black motorist Rodney King. Trump did not invoke the act during his first term, and he did not do so Saturday, according to Leavitt and Newsom. Protests kicked off a day earlier in Los Angeles after federal authorities arrested 44 people for violating immigration law Friday. DHS later said recent ICE operations in Los Angeles resulted in the arrest of 118 immigrants, including five people linked to criminal organizations and people with prior criminal histories. David Huerta, regional president of the Service Employees International Union, was also arrested Friday while protesting. The Justice Department confirmed that he was being held Saturday at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles ahead of a scheduled Monday court appearance. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for his immediate release, warning of a 'disturbing pattern of arresting and detaining American citizens for exercising their right to free speech.'
21 minutes ago
Chinese hackers and user lapses turn smartphones into a 'mobile security crisis'
WASHINGTON -- WASHINGTON (AP) — Cybersecurity investigators noticed a highly unusual software crash — it was affecting a small number of smartphones belonging to people who worked in government, politics, tech and journalism. The crashes, which began late last year and carried into 2025, were the tipoff to a sophisticated cyberattack that may have allowed hackers to infiltrate a phone without a single click from the user. The attackers left no clues about their identities, but investigators at the cybersecurity firm iVerify noticed that the victims all had something in common: They worked in fields of interest to China's government and had been targeted by Chinese hackers in the past. Foreign hackers have increasingly identified smartphones, other mobile devices and the apps they use as a weak link in U.S. cyberdefenses. Groups linked to China's military and intelligence service have targeted the smartphones of prominent Americans and burrowed deep into telecommunication networks, according to national security and tech experts. It shows how vulnerable mobile devices and apps are and the risk that security failures could expose sensitive information or leave American interests open to cyberattack, those experts say. 'The world is in a mobile security crisis right now,' said Rocky Cole, a former cybersecurity expert at the National Security Agency and Google and now chief operations officer at iVerify. 'No one is watching the phones.' U.S. authorities warned in December of a sprawling Chinese hacking campaign designed to gain access to the texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. 'They were able to listen in on phone calls in real time and able to read text messages,' said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois. He is a member of the House Intelligence Committee and the senior Democrat on the Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, created to study the geopolitical threat from China. Chinese hackers also sought access to phones used by Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance during the 2024 campaign. The Chinese government has denied allegations of cyberespionage, and accused the U.S. of mounting its own cyberoperations. It says America cites national security as an excuse to issue sanctions against Chinese organizations and keep Chinese technology companies from the global market. 'The U.S. has long been using all kinds of despicable methods to steal other countries' secrets,' Lin Jian, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry, said at a recent press conference in response to questions about a CIA push to recruit Chinese informants. U.S. intelligence officials have said China poses a significant, persistent threat to U.S. economic and political interests, and it has harnessed the tools of digital conflict: online propaganda and disinformation, artificial intelligence and cyber surveillance and espionage designed to deliver a significant advantage in any military conflict. Mobile networks are a top concern. The U.S. and many of its closest allies have banned Chinese telecom companies from their networks. Other countries, including Germany, are phasing out Chinese involvement because of security concerns. But Chinese tech firms remain a big part of the systems in many nations, giving state-controlled companies a global footprint they could exploit for cyberattacks, experts say. Chinese telecom firms still maintain some routing and cloud storage systems in the U.S. — a growing concern to lawmakers. 'The American people deserve to know if Beijing is quietly using state-owned firms to infiltrate our critical infrastructure,' U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich. and chairman of the China committee, which in April issued subpoenas to Chinese telecom companies seeking information about their U.S. operations. Mobile devices can buy stocks, launch drones and run power plants. Their proliferation has often outpaced their security. The phones of top government officials are especially valuable, containing sensitive government information, passwords and an insider's glimpse into policy discussions and decision-making. The White House said last week that someone impersonating Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff, reached out to governors, senators and business leaders with texts and phone calls. It's unclear how the person obtained Wiles' connections, but they apparently gained access to the contacts in her personal cellphone, The Wall Street Journal reported. The messages and calls were not coming from Wiles' number, the newspaper reported. While most smartphones and tablets come with robust security, apps and connected devices often lack these protections or the regular software updates needed to stay ahead of new threats. That makes every fitness tracker, baby monitor or smart appliance another potential foothold for hackers looking to penetrate networks, retrieve information or infect systems with malware. Federal officials launched a program this year creating a 'cyber trust mark' for connected devices that meet federal security standards. But consumers and officials shouldn't lower their guard, said Snehal Antani, former chief technology officer for the Pentagon's Joint Special Operations Command. 'They're finding backdoors in Barbie dolls,' said Antani, now CEO of a cybersecurity firm, referring to concerns from researchers who successfully hacked the microphone of a digitally connected version of the toy. It doesn't matter how secure a mobile device is if the user doesn't follow basic security precautions, especially if their device contains classified or sensitive information, experts say. Mike Waltz, who departed as Trump's national security adviser, inadvertently added The Atlantic's editor-in-chief to a Signal chat used to discuss military plans with other top officials. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon's security protocols set up in his office so he could use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer, the AP has reported. Hegseth has rejected assertions that he shared classified information on Signal, a popular encrypted messaging app not approved for the use of communicating classified information. China and other nations will try to take advantage of such lapses, and national security officials must take steps to prevent them from recurring, said Michael Williams, a national security expert at Syracuse University. 'They all have access to a variety of secure communications platforms,' Williams said. "We just can't share things willy-nilly.'
