Republic

Bob Baffert strode into the Preakness stakes barn Friday morning, shouting toward Orb's trainer Shug McGaughey loud enough so all could hear. "OK, Shug, I'm here to take away that media spotlight for you," he said. Baffert, indeed, is one of the few people in the sport who could have swiped some of the attention from McGaughey and his heavily favored colt this week . Baffert has won the Preakness five times, and on three occasions he's moved on to Belmont with a chance at the Triple Crown.

Adam Jones delivered again at the World Baseball Classic, driving home a run in the seventh inning of the U.S. team's 7-1 win over Puerto Rico in Miami on Tuesday night. Jones' single up the middle against former Orioles lefty J.C. Romero stretched the U.S. lead to 4-0. The Orioles center fielder had the go-ahead hit in the U.S. team's win over Canada on Sunday, which sent them through to the double-elimination second round. The U.S. is off Wednesday and faces the Dominican Republic on Thursday at 7 p.m., also at Marlins Park.

In a move that most saw coming, BioWare will open up its “Star Wars” MMO, “The Old Republic” for free play this fall. Reports over the last six months of the game losing subscribers have been steady, with the company confirming Tuesday that the amount of paying customers has “dipped below one million.” BioWare has tried to bolster interest in the midst of the falling subscription numbers by offering free trial weekends to new players...

Ramon "Ray" Santamaria Jr., a retired tennis pro and captain of the 1954 Johns Hopkins University lacrosse team, died of cancer Dec. 9 at Union Memorial Hospital. The Cockeysville resident was 80. Born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, he was the son of Ramon Santamaria Sr., who came to Baltimore in 1938 as consul for the Republic of Honduras. His mother, Ramona, was a homemaker. He lived on Keswick Road in Roland Park and was a 1950 graduate of Polytechnic Institute, where he was class president all four years, played lacrosse and wrestled.

"Republic of Denial" by Michael Janeway. Yale University Press. 256 pages. $22.50.It is hardly news that politicians and the media are not among the most popular groups these days. Or that both stand condemned by many Americans for contributing to a public cynicism about government that has led to a deepening spirit of alienation.In an exceptionally strong indictment, Michael Janeway concludes that a dumbing-down of standards is at the heart of the disaffection. While no one suggests that the politicians and the press are co-conspirators, the author believes that a merging of mutual trends has eroded support for the civic community and made it more difficult to achieve a sense of common purpose.

VILNIUS, Lithuania -- Thousands of Lithuanians cheerfully defied Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev and flocked to the polls yesterday to show their overwhelming support for independence, while the Kremlin dispatched troops to the republic to show they haven't won it yet.With all but a few precincts reporting by early this morning, just over 90 percent of voters had backed Lithuania's self-proclaimed status as a "democratic, independent republic," the...

MANAGUA, Nicaragua -- On a patch of land along the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica, disgruntled farmers say they have formed the world's newest nation. They call it the Republic of Airrecu.Authorities are not amused.Nicaragua's Foreign Ministry called the plan "absurd" and "a desperate act." It threatened to send in police.Costa Rica's Foreign Ministry described the secessionist republic as "nonexistent."The quirky independence proclamation follows years of dispute over the exact location of the remote border.

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia -- Hard-line Communists in Yugoslavia's biggest republic, Serbia, are fighting for survival in today's elections, which mark the end of one-party Communist rule.Meanwhile, in neighboring and traditionally pro-Communist Montenegro, Yugoslavia's smallest republic, the vote is being contested by the Communists and 10 other parties, including some who seek union with Serbia. Serbia's Communists have -- until the last possible moment -- resisted the wave of democracy that swept Eastern Europe last year.

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia -- Slovenia's imminent departure from Yugoslavia has been announced so often that it may go unnoticed when or if it really happens.Today, nearly 2 million Slovenes vote in a referendum on independence and are expected to overwhelmingly support going their own way.But whether the tiny republic actually leaves depends on whether it can achieve a consensus within the federal Parliament and with the leaders of Yugoslavia's other republics. It also hinges on the 12-nation European Community, which will accept any outcome as long as it does not endanger stability in the volatile Balkan region.

GROZNY, Russia - Alu Alkhanov, the Kremlin's latest hope for stabilizing its foundering strategy in the Caucasus, was sworn into office here yesterday as president of Chechnya, taking control of the government of a republic with its infrastructure in ruins and its nights racked by lawlessness and terror. The ceremony took place on the first day of what is supposed to be a four-year term. Of all the difficult tasks ahead - and there are many - Alkhanov's chief chore may be to stay alive.

For 15 years, the Slaughter Across the Water cast shame on Annapolis. The city regularly lost the annual tug-of-war match over the harbor to its Eastport rivals. The Annapolis team has had to recruit last-minute tuggers from bar stools and bathrooms. Worse, apathy has forced the team to rely on volunteers from the opposing Maritime Republic of Eastport, the same rascals who have stolen the flag from City Hall and "kidnapped" its mayor. "From what I heard, they had to bribe people with beer to come to the Annapolis side last year," said Marie Dall'Acqua, an organizer with the city's Take-Back-The-Tug campaign.

Southwest Airlines will add two destinations next spring to its schedule of flights from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, the carrier announced Monday. On April 14, AirTran Airways, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southwest, will begin daily service to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, pending government approval. Southwest will offer three daily nonstop flights to Flint, Mich., from BWI. In addition, three AirTran destinations will convert to Southwest, beginning the same day: Charlotte, N.C.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Portland, Maine.

In a move that most saw coming, BioWare will open up its “Star Wars” MMO, “The Old Republic” for free play this fall. Reports over the last six months of the game losing subscribers have been steady, with the company confirming Tuesday that the amount of paying customers has “dipped below one million.” BioWare has tried to bolster interest in the midst of the falling subscription numbers by offering free trial weekends to new players...

I and other retired veterans residing in Maryland will soon be seeking another state in which to live due to the disproportionate impact of the state's new tax legislation on retired veterans. Having served my country for more than 25 years, I find that the People's Republic of Maryland views me as wealthy merely because I have gainful post-retirement employment in addition to my previously-earned retirement income. I moved 16 times in my military career, so I'm well versed in voting with my feet.

Baltimore Orioles' star center fielder Adam Jones loves to sleep out — which works out nicely for him, realization, since his team spends more than 80 days a year on the road. Obviously undaunted by frequent changes of scenery, Jones has been a consistent performer for the Orioles, winning a Gold Glove Award in 2009 and being named the team's most valuable player last fall by the local news media. All of this high-profile activity might lead one to assume that during the offseason Jones would prefer to unwind at home, sleeping in his own bed. But that couldn't be further from the truth.

Cap Cana, Dominican Republic Located just 10 minutes from the Punta Cana airport, Cap Cana is a self-contained, 30,000-acre ecological resort area with pristine oceanfront beaches, the luminous Cap Cana Marina, cliffs and forested hiking trails, as well as countless water-based activities. The development encompasses several resorts including Adam Jones' favorite, the Fishing Lodge. Getting there US Airways, Air Tran and American Airlines offer connecting flights to Punta Cana from BWI-Marshall.

Republic Industries Inc., the Florida-based automotive retail giant headed by H. Wayne Huizenga, said yesterday that it has backed off plans to construct a $7 million used-car reconditioning center in Anne Arundel County."

Republic Technologies International Inc. said yesterday that it will close its specialty steel plant in Baltimore at the end of the year. The plant employs eight managers and 92 hourly workers. Many of them will be offered jobs at the company's other facilities, most of which are in Pennsylvania and Ohio. "I was shocked," said Pam Willinger, president of the United Steelworkers' Local 3185. "You always hear rumors but you don't think it's going to happen." Privately held Republic, based in Fairlawn, Ohio, has been trying for several years to sell the East Biddle Street plant, along with its other specialty division in Canton, Ohio.

Editor: It is a bit disconcerting that the Chair of the Harford County Republican Central Committee has such a poor understanding of the basics of American government. In his recent letter to the editor (1/4/2012), Patrick McGrady, makes the astounding statement that "American government is a republic; not a democracy. " He goes on to proclaim: "Good thing, because mob rule (democracy) is pretty ugly and undependable. " That is coming from a person who has railed against government in general, all taxes and any decisions made by elected officials, unless, of course, they are Republicans.

The Orioles and representatives for Alfredo Simon said Tuesday that the pitcher has been cleared of all wrongdoing in a fatal shooting Jan. 1 in the Dominican Republic. Simon was scheduled to have a hearing Tuesday, but it was canceled and all potential charges against Simon in the death of his 25-year-old cousin, Michael Castillo Almonte, were dropped, according to Simon's representatives. Orioles director of player development John Stockstill, who has been the point man for the organization during this ordeal, spoke to Simon Tuesday afternoon and said: "He was acquitted of all wrongdoing and is very relieved.