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MD Senate Delays Confirmation Vote For Transportation Secretary Nominee

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By Rebecca Blatt

Maryland's State Senate has delayed a vote to confirm Gov. Martin O'Malley's nominee for transportation secretary. Senator Anthony Muse, of Prince George's County, asked Friday to separate Beverly Swaim-Staley's name from other officials up for confirmation. Swaim-Staley has been serving as acting head of the state's transportation department since O'Malley appointed her in September.

Muse says he does not have "personal concerns" about Swaim-Staley, but he says he wants to know the department is being run efficiently with "fairness to all its workers." He declined to elaborate.

As acting secretary, Swaim-Staley oversees the department's 9,000 employees and $3.8 billion budget.

NPR

Dan Brown: 'Inferno' Is 'The Book That I Would Want To Read'

Dan Brown, author of the blockbuster The Da Vinci Code, is back with his first novel in four years. Inferno follows academic hero Robert Langdon on a chase through Italy as he attempts to avert a biological catastrophe.
NPR

'Picture Cook': Drawings Are The Key Ingredients In These Recipes

Designer Katie Shelly's upcoming cookbook offers 50 illustrated recipe "blueprints" for basic meals — from simple snacks to more hefty dishes like eggplant Parmesan. She hopes they'll inspire any level of cook to improvise in the kitchen.
NPR

Highly Charged IRS Case Pulls In Political Agendas

NPR's Peter Overby reports on the Congressional testimony of IRS officials in response to the scandal over special scrutiny of tea party groups. Underneath all the politics, there's a policy question that hasn't been addressed.
NPR

Book News: Amazon May Be Called Before Parliament Over Taxes

Also: AARP and The Nation join a growing list of ebook publishers; Hilary Mantel on Jane Austen; Anne Applebaum on Sheryl Sandberg.

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