The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • A8

8 THE BALTIMORE SUN NEWS THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018 Will Trump give Mueller his time? BB said. Following his lead, several GOP-led committees are now investigating whether the dossier formed the basis for the FBI's initial investigations. That has angered Democrats, who say those charges are distractions from the Russia investigations. Feinstein faces a primary challenge from California state Senate leader Kevin de Leon. Asked about Trump's tweet, she brushed off the idea that the release had anything to do with her election.

"Oh come on," she said. "Of course not." A few hours before Trump stood with this arms crossed at his chest as he answered questions about the Mueller investigation, the president seemed in a more buoyant mood, greeting reporters in the Cabinet Room on Wednesday by saying, "Welcome back to the studio." Then he proceeded to relive a Cabinet Room session from the prior day, when he had allowed reporters and TV cameras to stick around for much of his meeting with a bipartisan group of legislators on the thorny issue of immigration. Later during his introduction to reporters at the Cabinet meeting, Trump renewed his call to alter libel laws, saying his administration would take a "a very, very strong look" at them. JAMES BERGLIETNS 2011 President Donald Trump, claiming no collusion between his campaign and Russia has been found, said he thinks it's unlikely he'll grant an interview to special counsel Robert Mueller. President: Russia probe team not likely to need interview By Mary Clare Jalonick Associated Press WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Wednesday that it "seems unlikely" that he'd give an interview in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Trump said "we'll see what happens" when asked if he'd provide an interview to Mueller's team. "When they have no collusion and nobody's found any collusion at any level, it seems unlikely that you'd even have an interview," Trump said during a joint news conference with the prime minister of Norway. The special counsel's team of investigators has expressed interest in speaking with Trump, but no details have been worked out. Trump's lawyers have previously stated their determination to cooperate with requests in the probe, which has already resulted in charges against four of Trump's campaign advisers. Trump called the investigation a "phony cloud" over his administration.

"It has hurt our government," he said. "It was a Democrat hoax." Trump's words differed from what he said at a news conference in June, shortly after fired FBI Director James Comey had told Congress that Trump asked him for a pledge of loyalty. Trump denied that, and said he'd be "100 percent" willing tell his version of events under oath. He said he'd be "glad to" speak to Mueller about it. The comments come after Trump had already lashed out at the investigations on Twitter on Wednesday morning, urging Republicans to take control of the inquiries and repeating his claim that they are on a "witch hunt." "There was no collusion, everybody including the Dems knows there was no collusion, yet on and on it goes," he tweeted.

"Russia the world is laughing at the stupidity they are witnessing. Republicans should finally take control!" In a separate tweet Wednesday morning, Trump accused Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of being "underhanded and a disgrace" for releasing the transcript of closed-door testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee by re search firm Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson. Fusion GPS was commissioned to put the dossier together, originally by a conservative political website and subsequently the Democratic National Committee. Feinstein, who faces a primary challenge in her re-election bid this year, released the transcript Tuesday, over the objections Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley.

Feinstein is the top Democrat on the panel. "The fact that Sneaky Dianne Feinstein, who has on numerous occasions stated that collusion be tween TrumpRussia has not been found, would release testimony in such an underhanded and possibly illegal way, totally without authorization, is a disgrace," Trump tweeted. "Must have tough Primary!" The material wasn't classified, and Feinstein said Wednesday that she didn't do anything illegal. And as the top Democrat on the committee, she didn't need authorization from Grass-ley to release it. Her staff helped conduct the interview with Simpson, who had also asked for the interview to be released.

Still, the release was a blow to the two lawmakers' attempts at bipartisanship on the committee's Russia investigation. Feinstein told reporters that she didn't tell Grassley beforehand, and "I owe him an apology and I will give him an apology as soon as I see him." Grassley said in an angry news release on Tuesday that he was "confounded" by the release and argued that it could undermine attempts to get additional witnesses. By Wednesday he appeared to have softened. "Listen, I screw up regularly and she doesn't owe me an apology," Grassley Legislators, governor call for cooperation JOSHUA MCKERROWBALTIMORE SUN MEDIA GROUP From left, Gov. Larry Hogan, Lt.

Gov. Boyd Rutherford and Speaker of the House Michael Busch welcome delegates back to Annapolis at the opening of the General Assembly. He later took his seat in the back row of the Senate chamber and cast his first two votes of the year to elect Sen. Nathaniel McFadden as president pro tern and Thomas Mike Miller as Senate president. Both votes were unanimous, as is die Senate custom.

Miller was later asked about Oaks' presence in the Senate. Hogan has called on the Senate to refuse to seat Oaks or to oust him. Miller said he doesn't have the power to do either. "The people elected him. I can't oust anybody," Miller said.

"I don't defend Senator Oaks. I defend his right to a fair trial." Oaks was appointed to the Senate last January to succeed Lisa Gladden, who resigned for health reasons. He was recommended by a panel of city Democrats. Hogan was then required to appoint him. Miller has said he would refer the Oaks matter to the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics Committee for a recommendation on how to proceed.

Miller said Wednesday he would abide by whatever the committee recommends. The Legislative Black Caucus unveiled an ambitious election-year agenda. One of the top priorities is legislation to add additional licenses to grow cannabis for medical use so minority-owned companies can have a share of the market Del. Cheryl Glenn, the caucus chairman, predicted the legislature would send a bill to the governor's desk by the end of January. That would be an unusually quick turnaround for significant legislation.

"That legislation will create the diversity that should have been part of the medical cannabis industry from the very beginning," the Baltimore Democrat said. ASSEMBLY, Frompagel parental rights from rapists and ensuring continued health insurance coverage for Marylanders affected by changes at the federal level. Hogan has proposed new tax breaks for retired first responders and military veterans, as well as expanded tax credits for job creation. He has also pushed for term limits for state lawmakers. Much of senators' and delegates' work is expected to be in reaction if not opposition to President Donald J.

Trump and the Republican-dominated Congress. Lawmakers will have to decide what to do with a state revenue windfall that federal tax changes are expected to create. Environmentalists are calling for the state to intervene where federal regulators have stepped back. Election-year politicking is expected to color the debate. The state holds elections for governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, General Assembly and Congress in November; primaries are set for June.

During the session, state elected officials with very limited exceptions are banned from campaign fundraising. For the second year in a row, the session opens with accusations of corruption hanging over a lawmaker. Sen. Nathaniel T. Oaks, a Baltimore Democrat, is scheduled to stand trial on fraud and bribery charges after the session ends in April, and a host of Republicans and a few Democrats have called for him to resign.

Oaks showed up late to a news conference held by the Legislative Black Caucus on Wednesday morning. He stood with his colleagues as they rolled out their agenda but didn't speak. the opening of the session: the trees that have long lined the entrance to the State House. Freshly cut stumps stood where a dozen trees used to adorn Lawyers Mall. "My heart broke when I noticed," Del.

Eric Bromwell said. The Baltimore County Democrat started visiting the capital as a child when his father was a lawmaker. "I grew up with those trees." The Department of General Services cut them down in order to repair a leaking steam pipe that was directly beneath them. Without the crab apple trees, which flower later in the session as spring arrives, the landscape now features three black vertical pipes billowing steam. By law, the session must adjourn by April 9, unless lawmakers have not agreed upon a budget by the deadline.

Most bills that legislators and Hogan approve will become law either July 1 or Oct. Baltimore Sun reporter Scott Dance contributed to this article. The caucus identified other priorities, such as strengthening historically black colleges and universities, revamping the parole process, making it easier to expunge records of nonviolent felonies and a study of African-American infant mortality. Legislative leaders continued to wrestle Wednesday with the revelations of prominent men in politics, media and the arts sexually harassing their female and sometimes male colleagues. Miller said Wednesday that the General Assembly would create a "powerful" new commission to hold public hearings and recommend how the legislature should root out sexual harassment in its ranks.

Miller said the panel should be composed of only women, to study how other states and countries have handled allegations of sexual harassment successfully. "This is something that is extremely serious," Miller told reporters Wednesday. "The public needs to know we're serious." One thing conspicuously missing from Mayor proposes demolitions, relocations at Gilmor Homes in terms of a total redevelopment, it would totally be Gilmor Homes." Longtime Baltimore civil rights leader Marvin L. "Doc" Cheatham, who lives three blocks from the complex, said that most people who know the condition of the Gilmor Homes would say the buildings should be demolished. "If you just drive past them, you'd say, 'Yes, this place needs to come he said.

"But we're talking about people, not just buildings." Before moving forward, Cheatham said, the city must make plans for relocating current residents. Officials should consider where children will attend school, and whether the neighborhoods to which residents are relocated have adequate grocery stores and health care providers. "A great injustice has taken place with Gilmor Homes in the last 20 years," he said. "Do the buildings need to come down? More than likely, yes. There are as many apartments in bad condition as in good condition.

It maybe a very positive thing for them to come down but we won't know for sure until we see a plan. We have to make certain that this happens correctly, and that means putting the residents first." Baltimore Sun reporter Yvonne Wenger contributed to this article. lbroadwaterbaltsun.com twitter.comlukebroadwater connect residents with education and employment. Baltimore is the 26th-largest city in the country, but it is the fifth-most in public housing more than IL000 units, many of them deteriorating. The Housing Authority says renovating or repairing all of them would cost $800 million.

The city has embarked on a federal privatization plan to address about half the problem, officials say. The plan involves the city's selling 40 percent of its public housing to private developers to raise money for upgrades and maintenance. The federal government is offering tax credits to developers who buy and renovate public housing. Ray Kelly, a lifelong Sandtown resident who leads the advocacy group No Boundaries Coalition, said he sees demolition at Gilmor Homes as part of gentrification plan for West Baltimore that includes clearing "the land so it can be appealing for developers." "When you add to a plan a complex like Gilmor Homes that houses so many but also has these issues that trickle out into the neighborhoods, it is a win-win for the state, the city and developer," Kelly said. "Not only do you get this cleared land, and the crime moves to a new place." The problem, he said, is what gentrifica tion does to along-impoverished community: Pricing people out of their neighborhoods destroys cultures that help make up the fabric of the city.

"Sadly, the first precursor to a negative gentrification is demolition," Kelly said. "When buildings are torn down, it changes property values and usually in a low-income improvised neighborhood the property values go up and indigenous people are forced out. There is a constant battle to camouflage gentrification and hide it with words like 'innovation' and Ericka Alston-Buck, founder of Kids Safe Zone, asked what the city plans to do with the land opened up by the proposed demolition. She said tearing down buildings just gives the Sandtown-Winchester community "more empty lots that attract rats." "If there is not a plan to redevelop to do something meaningful with the space I think this is just another thing that tells the community: 'We're knocking you down and we're knocking you Alston-Buck said. But state Del.

Nick J. Mosby, who represents the area, said he would like to see the entire Gilmor Homes complex torn down and rebuilt. "We need to do a comprehensive rebuild of all Gilmor Homes," he said. "If I could go after any public housing complex in Baltimore City GILMOR, Frompagel on the premises. "What I would like to see is there be a true conversation with the residents living there about the relocation," Hayes said.

"Gilmor Homes have already experienced a lot. There's drug dealing and rat infestation. I'm hoping they hear out the concerns of the residents and give them an opportunity to live in areas where they have opportunity without subjecting them to the same conditions." The 600-unit complex in West Baltimore's Sandtown neighborhood has been in disrepair for years. It drew national attention in 2015 when it was the scene of Freddie Gray's arrest. The Baltimore Sun reported that year that the complex had a backlog of nearly 500 outstanding work orders for repairs.

Also in 2015, women at the complex filed a lawsuit alleging that maintenance workers demanded sexual favors in return for repairing a gas leak, exterminating roaches and making other improvements. Housing officials settled the suit for $8 million. The city has attempted to make improvements. The Gilmor Homes Community Center reopened last year after being closed for at least 15 years. And the housing authority launched a Jobs Plus program with a $2.5 million federal grant to help.