Ambassador

Dyslexia slowed driver Justin Wilson in his pursuit of an education and his auto racing career, but it also was part of the reason he initially spent as much time as he could with the sport and it prepared him for his future. Auto racing provided Wilson a place where his athleticism and coordination took precedence over his ability to make out the meaning of words. "I found out at 13 I had dyslexia," Wilson said between practices for a recent race. "To that point I had struggled at school.

Since its last movie screening in 1968, the historic Ambassador Theater in Howard Park has been a cosmetology school, a dance hall and a Baptist church - and in recent years a vacant shell. The Baltimore neighborhood's hopes for revitalization of the Art Deco structure are again up for discussion, after a two-alarm fire tore through the interior last week. An owner described the damage as "minimal" - up to $20,000 - and he and others nearby see an opportunity for the theater.

What's a social media ambassador, you ask? That's a good question, because Charlie Sheen will be filling that role for WWE's historic 1000th episode of Monday Night Raw . The star of Anger Management, a new comedy on FX, will shell out commentary and insight during the course of the night to his 7.5 million Twitter followers. Using the hashtag #SheenGetsRaw, fans will be able to ask the actor questions during the show, which will be broadcast live on USA on July 23. It could be a ploy to attract new fans to the program, especially on this historic anniversary show.

On the 200th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of war on Britain and its colonies, representatives of the United States, Britain and Canada gathered at Fort McHenry to sign a "declaration of peace. " "Much … has changed in 200 years," Navy Secretary Ray Mabus told a crowd of politicians, diplomats and military leaders Monday. "Today, we stand together as inseparable friends, as we have for decades. We work together. We advance together. We fight together. " The War of 1812 was the last conflict among the United States, Britain and Canada.

When the violence in Syria began spinning out of control last year, the Obama administration made the unusual decision to bring its ambassador to the troubled country home. And for Ambassador Robert Ford, coming home has long meant returning to Baltimore. The 54-year-old veteran diplomat, who won worldwide acclaim for making a dramatic trip last summer to meet with Syrian protesters, has for years chosen to live in Baltimore when stateside. He has embraced the city's culture and character, which fit his personality far better than Washington ever could.

Financial advisers often have an alphabet of professional designations behind their names, but the dominant one remains "CFP," or certified financial planner. The CFP Board, which sets the national standards for financial planners, has announced in the past year or so a series of changes meant to strengthen the designation. It beefed up the ethics curriculum and hired a director of investigations to make sure planners comply with standards. And this summer, it will begin disclosing whether members have filed for bankruptcy within the past five years — something that could affect a consumer's decision to hire them.

Ten-year-old Juliana Carver loves to swim. Unfortunately, between chemotherapy treatments, medications and routine hospital visits, Juliana doesn't always have the time or energy to be in the water. "Her 'Make a Wish' wish when she first got cancer was a pool," her father said. John Carver describes his daughter as a "fish in the water. " Now, at the end of her second battle with a rare form of muscle cancer, she'll be spending a lot more time with other young swimmers. On Tuesday, Juliana became part of a Carroll County swim team that practices near her home in Hampstead.

Jessica Cooper , of Woodbine, is the recipient of the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Ambassador award, given by the Student Services Department at Glenelg High School. She is being recognized for her leadership skills. Cooper will attend a three-day leadership conference in the spring with other Ambassadors from the state.

When Jessica Hill was in preschool, her grandmother would pick her up every day after school. On Fridays, they would go to the mall and see a movie. Now a junior at Dulaney High School, 16-year-old Jessica still spends time with her grandmother, Betty Kessler, 77, often sharing pizza and playing cards. "She loves pizza, and she loves to play cards," said Jessica, a Lutherville resident. "She loved to play Gin Rummy. Now we play War or Go Fish with guidance. " Hill's grandmother was diagnosed with vascular dementia about seven years ago and her memory has steadily diminished.

Do you feel another war coming our way? Say, with Iran? This week's announcement by Attorney General Eric Holder of the foiling of an alleged plot to blow up the Saudi ambassador to the United States while he dined in a Washington restaurant has been seized upon by the usual media suspects as an "Iranian terrorist plot" and more than enough reason to further tighten the screws on Tehran. A 56-year-old American citizen, Manssor Arbabsiar, who also holds an Iranian passport, was arrested and charged along with another man, still living in Iran, who is said to be a member of the Quds force, an "elite" unit of the Iranian army reportedly tasked with "exporting Iran's Islamic revolution.