Impact

Hours before a midnight deadline Monday, the White House reached a tentative deal with Congress to stop an enormous tax hike for all but the wealthiest households and to postpone for two months tough decisions on how to cut federal spending. After a rare holiday session that lasted through the New Year's Eve celebration and two hours into New Year's Day, the Senate voted, 89 to 8, to approve the proposal. Republican leaders in the House had balked at holding a vote in the dark of night, but are expected to bring the bill up later Tuesday.

Editor: When County Executive David Craig won election, I recall hearing him articulate his vision for our county. Essentially, what I heard him say, was that he wanted to develop the kind of county where all of its citizens could live, work and play - right here in Harford County. He went on to say that he wanted to develop a county in which our children could receive a world class education and not have to leave Harford County to find good paying jobs. This vision was articulated before BRAC led to the creation of the Chesapeake Science and Security Corridor.

Rays landing Myers Juan C. Rodriguez Sun Sentinel The Dodgers signing Zack Greinke or one of the Blue Jays' trades will have plenty of short-term impact. In terms a move having the longest-lasting positive effect on a franchise, let's go with the Rays acquiring a future cornerstone player in outfielder Wil Myers from the Royals. The Rays dealt from a position of strength, moving pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis, and they also got back two promising arms in Jake Odorizzi and Mike Montgomery to add to a young, talented stable.

Most of us have probably seen or heard the ubiquitous ads promoting domestic natural gas drilling. While they don't tend to use the word "fracking," their message about hydraulic fracturing of shale is clear enough - little kids playing happily on green patches of grass and the promise of bountiful clean energy, jobs and all-around happiness all rolled into one. Two things can be inferred from the ads. First, that those in the oil and gas industry...

If a tree falls in Maryland's forests — even if no one hears it — researchers soon will have a handle on how much it could contribute to global warming. A pair of geographical scientists at the University of Maryland, College Park is leading an ambitious effort to map the state's forests and measure changes over time in the amount of carbon stockpiled in the trees. With a $1.4 million grant from NASA, the research team hopes to use satellite imagery, aerial photography and ground observations to develop new methods for tracking the carbon stored in woodlands, which could be applied locally, nationally and globally.

The Ravens may have to meet the Denver Broncos Sunday without their top three inside linebackers in Ray Lewis (torn right triceps), Jameel McClain (neck stinger) and Dannell Ellerbe (right ankle, left foot, both thumbs). That would leave the defense with just three healthy inside linebackers in Josh Bynes, Brendon Ayanbadejo and Albert McClellan. Both McClellan and Bynes are undrafted players, and Ayanbadejo is 36 years old. Dean Pees acknowledged that there is a difference between that trio and the group of Lewis, McClain and Ellerbe, but the defensive coordinator said the biggest impact is a reduction in the number of packages the Ravens can employ.

Citigroup announced this morning it would lay off 11,000 employees - about 4 percent of its workforce - to save money. A Citi spokesman said the layoffs are expected to have little impact in Maryland, where the company employs 3,600 workers. Less than 1 percent of those Maryland employees will be affected, the spokesman said. Citi plans to close one branch here while other affected Marylanders work in the operations and technology group, the spokesman said. The location of the branch wasn't disclosed.

NASHVILLE -- Impacted first hand by colleagues being diagnosed by cancer, public relations officials from Major League Baseball and its 30 clubs announced Monday afternoon they have organized a unique online auction to benefit Stand Up to Cancer. The cause has impacted the Orioles directly. The club's public relations director, Monica Barlow, is battling Stage 4 lung cancer. “I don't want to be a spotlight person," Barlow said. "Millions and millions of people are affected by this disease.

Why does the Chesapeake Bay Foundation refuse to take seriously the threat posed by the Conowingo Dam's inability to hold back Susquehanna River pollution? With respect to the effect of Susquehanna River pollutants, the bay foundation has taken an inexplicable U-turn in its long-held doctrine regarding pollutants and the Chesapeake. In August, the U.S. Geological Survey reported last year's Tropical Storm Lee contributed 39 percent of the sediment, 22 percent of the phosphorus and 5 percent of the nitrogen flowing through the Conowingo Dam over the entire previous decade.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and 13 other mayors on Thursday met with Vice President Joe Biden , House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other high-ranking federal officials in Washington D.C. to discuss the impact of the looming " fiscal cliff " on their cities. "He made it clear that he gets it," Rawlings-Blake said of Biden after meeting with him. "Even though he's never been a mayor, he understands the need to invest in infrastructure. " Rawlings-Blake was joined by the mayors of Denver, Minneapolis and other cities.