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“Code Red” In Baltimore As Summer Heat Continues, and Protests Over Zimmerman Acquittal Continue

Another scorcher is in store for Maryland today, with highs in the 90s and heat index values in the triple digits… it’s likely to stay this hot all week, and Baltimore has declared aCode Red HeatAlertthrough Friday, at least -- that means the city's emergency cooling centers will be open from 9am to 7pm every day. Plus: protests over the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the shooting death of Trayvon Martin continue. Johns Hopkins is back at the top of the US News & World Report’s Best Hospitals list. Plus: a NAACP leadership award for Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown, Pete Smith to stay on the Anne Arundel County Council (for now), a report on the rollout of Obamacare, and more.

Summer Swelter Continues: A heat wave has arrived in Maryland and will not be going away anytime soon. Temperatures are expected to remain in the 90s through Friday, at least, with heat index values into the triple digits. Baltimore has issued a Code Red Heat Alertbeginning today and running through Friday at least. That means the city will be opening cooling centers that will allow residents access to locations where they can beat the heat and receive free water – a map of their locations is here, and you can call 311 for more information.Health department officials in the counties surrounding Baltimore tell the Baltimore Sun that people can go to their nearest senior center or public library to cool down. The National Weather Service’s forecast is here.   

Protests Over Zimmerman Acquittal Continue: Protestors gathered again at McKeldin Square in Downtown Baltimore last night to express their anger and disappointment with the Florida jury that acquitted George Zimmerman of all charges in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. WYPR’s Kenneth Burns says that city police were prepared.

Machado’s All-Star Season Is Music To Baltimore’s Ears: The attention of the baseball world will be focused on New York’s City Field for tonight’s All Star Game. For Orioles third baseman Manny Machado, playing in the midsummer classic is just the latest step in a remarkable first full season. WYPR’s Milton Kent has our story.

Obamacare Lumbers Toward Starting Gate: The most sweeping health care reform program since the 1960s is now within six months of its official launch. And, for better or worse, Maryland is among a handful of states leading the way. WYPR’s Karen Hosler reports

Brown Wins Leadership Award: Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown has been given a leadership award from the NAACP for his work in the successful effort to repeal Maryland’s death penalty. The drive to eliminate capital punishment in Maryland was led by Governor Martin O’Malley – who, as the Baltimore Sun notes, got involved amid “persistent urging” of NAACP President Ben Jealous. Brown is running to replace O’Malley as governor in next year’s election; in giving him the leadership award yesterday, Jealous noted that Brown would be the first black governor elected in a state south of the Mason Dixon line since 1989 if his bid is successful. More here from the Washington Post.

Smith To Stay: Anne Arundel County Councilman Pete Smith says he’s going to keep his job for the time being. Smith was appointed to the post 15 months ago, after the Council removed his predecessor, Daryl Jones, from office. But the state’s highest court has ruled that ouster improper, and now a circuit court is deciding whether to return Jones to the Council. The Capital Gazette reports that Councilman Smith said yesterday that he will stay on until the legal challenges are complete. The Baltimore Sun has more here

Pit Bull Ruling: Last year’s ruling by Maryland’s highest court labeling “pit bulls” as “inherently dangerous” dogs has been upheld in federal court. The original ruling means landlords can be held liable if one of their tenants pets bites someone – and it’s prompted some landlords to evict pit bull owners if they don’t get rid of their dogs. One owner, who faced eviction proceedings from Baltimore’s Armistead Gardens Apartments, sued in federal court… but our wire service tells us that the federal judge ruled that the pit bull ruling can stand. The tenant’s attorney says he'll take the case to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. Lawmakers in the General Assembly have twice tried to overturn the ruling, but were unable to reach compromise both times. More here from WMAR

OC Plane Crash: Witnesses say the plane that crashed in the ocean off of Ocean City two weeks ago hit the water intact. In a preliminary report on the June 30th crash, the National Transportation Safety Board says divers found the plane on the ocean floor fractured in several places. Two Ocean City police officers died when the plane went down in the area of 133rd Street. The Baltimore Sun has more here.

Hopkins Back On Top: Johns Hopkins is back at the top of US News & World Report’s best hospitals list. The rankings cover nearly five-thousand medical centers around the U.S. and span 16 medical specialties. Johns Hopkins reclaimed the top spot after this year, after losing it in 2012 to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, which came in second place this year. More here from the Baltimore Business Journal.