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Tag: Maryland

  • The Depraved Heart Murder

    The Depraved Heart Murder

    The Depraved Heart Murder – CBS News


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    A surgeon is accused of drugging his girlfriend in order to control her. “48 Hours” contributor Nikki Battiste reports.

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  • Recreational cannabis tax revenue jumped by 52% in Maryland this spring, comptroller’s office says – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

    Recreational cannabis tax revenue jumped by 52% in Maryland this spring, comptroller’s office says – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





    Recreational cannabis tax revenue jumped by 52% in Maryland this spring, comptroller’s office says – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





























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  • FBI agents have boarded vessel managed by company whose cargo ship collapsed Key Bridge

    FBI agents have boarded vessel managed by company whose cargo ship collapsed Key Bridge

    Key Bridge victim’s wife on legal action


    Francis Scott Key Bridge victim’s wife wants legal action against Dali ship company

    03:55

    Federal agents have boarded a vessel managed by the same company as a cargo ship that caused the deadly Baltimore bridge collapse, the FBI has confirmed to CBS News. 

    In statements Saturday, spokespeople for the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland confirmed that authorities have boarded the Maersk Saltoro. The ship is managed by Synergy Marine Group.

    “The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and Coast Guard Investigative Services are present aboard the Maersk Saltoro conducting court authorized law enforcement activity,” the FBI told CBS News in a statement.

    The agency said it was “unable to comment further.” 

    In a lawsuit Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department has alleged that Dali owner Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and manager Synergy Marine Group, both of Singapore, recklessly cut corners and ignored known electrical problems on the vessel that had a power outage moments before it crashed into a support column on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March. Six men who were doing work on the bridge died. 

    The Justice Department is seeking to recover more than $100 million the government spent to clear the underwater debris and reopen the city’s port.

    Darrell Wilson, a Grace Ocean spokesperson, confirmed that the FBI and Coast Guard boarded the Maersk Saltoro in the Port of Baltimore on Saturday morning.

    Wilson has previously said the owner and manager “look forward to our day in court to set the record straight” about the Justice Department’s lawsuit.

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  • Maryland Zoo penguin who helped rebuild the species’ population has died leaving 230 descendants

    Maryland Zoo penguin who helped rebuild the species’ population has died leaving 230 descendants

    Satellite images show emperor penguins suffered breeding failure


    Satellite images show emperor penguins suffered breeding failure

    01:32

    It takes a village to raise a child – but apparently, only one penguin to create the village. Maryland Zoo’s “Mr. Greedy” died this week after fathering 230 penguins and helping rebuild the species’ population in zoos across North America, officials said in a news statement. 

    At 33 years old, “Mr. Greedy,” was the oldest penguin at the zoo far surpassing the average penguin age of 18 years old. He lived to see five generations of offspring fathered through the zoo’s African Penguin Species Survival Plan.

    mr-greedy-maryland-zoo.jpg
    Mr. Greedy is at the left in this photo with the most spots on his belly.

    Maryland Zoo


    “This one bird was incredibly important to the continued existence of African penguins throughout the world,” Jen Kottyan, Maryland Zoo’s bird curator said. “It’s tough to lose an animal who has been such a welcome presence at our Zoo for three decades, but all of us are proud that he is survived by five generations of offspring.”

    “Mr. Greedy” was mated with a female penguin known as “Mrs. Greedy,” two years after they arrived at the zoo in 1992. 

    “They had been paired up from the time they hit reproductive age in 1994,” Kottyan said.

    A lifelong pair, the zoo said, they are closely monitoring “Mrs. Greedy’s” response and behavior after his death and will pair her with a single male penguin if she shows interest in companionship. 

    Late last month Sphen, one-half of the world’s most famous gay penguin couple, died in Australia leaving behind his partner Magic. Aquarium staff said they took Magic to see Sphen’s body so he could understand “his partner wouldn’t return.”

    Maryland Zoo said they are home to one of the largest colonies of African penguins in North America and has successfully bred more than 1,000 chicks. There are about 10,000 breeding pairs left in the world, and the endangered African penguin is at risk of extinction by 2035.

    Mr. Greedy is in the center of this photo with a purple, brown, and black ID band.

    Maryland Zoo


    Cara Tabachnick

    Cara Tabachnick is a news editor at CBSNews.com. Cara began her career on the crime beat at Newsday. She has written for Marie Claire, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. She reports on justice and human rights issues. Contact her at cara.tabachnick@cbsinteractive.com

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  • Maryland will participate in the IRS’s online tax filing program

    Maryland will participate in the IRS’s online tax filing program

    ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland is participating in the IRS’s Direct File program, a new free service that will allow eligible taxpayers to prepare and file their tax return online, state and federal officials announced Wednesday.

    Comptroller Brooke Lierman said the eligibility qualifications for the program have not yet been finalized for next year, but it’s estimated about 700,000 state residents could qualify.

    The IRS experimented with the free electronic tax filing return system this year. In May, the it announced it would make the system permanent and asked all 50 states and the District of Columbia to help taxpayers file their returns through the program in 2025.

    The IRS tried the Direct File project for the 2024 tax season on a limited basis in 12 states for people with very simple W-2s, an employee’s wage and tax statement.

    The comptroller’s office is partnering with the nonprofit Code for America to build a platform that will securely transfer information from a federal tax return to a state tax return. The office says that will enable Maryland residents with relatively simple tax returns to save time on paperwork and get their refunds faster.

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  • Kroger and Albertsons defend merger plan in federal court against US regulators’ objections

    Kroger and Albertsons defend merger plan in federal court against US regulators’ objections

    PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Supermarket chain Albertsons told a federal judge Monday that it might have to lay off workers, close stores and even exit some markets if its planned merger with Kroger isn’t allowed to proceed.

    The two companies proposed what would be the largest supermarket merger in U.S. history in October 2022. But the Federal Trade Commission sued to prevent the $24.6 billion deal, alleging it would eliminate competition and raise grocery prices in a time of already high food price inflation.

    In the three-week hearing that opened Monday, the FTC is seeking a preliminary injunction that would block the merger while its complaint goes before an in-house administrative law judge.

    “This lawsuit is part of an effort aimed at helping Americans feed their families,” the FTC’s chief trial counsel, Susan Musser, said in her opening arguments on Monday.

    Musser said Kroger and Albertsons currently compete in 22 states, closely matching each other on price, quality, private label products and services like store pickup. Shoppers benefit from that competition, she said, and will lose those benefits if the merger is allowed to proceed.

    Customers also are wary of the merger, the lawyer said. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, for example, 278 shoppers wrote to the FTC to express their concerns about a combined Kroger and Albertsons, which would own five of the city’s eight supermarkets.

    But Kroger and Albertsons insist the FTC’s objections don’t take into account the rising competition in the grocery sector. Walmart’s grocery sales totaled $247 billion last year compared to $63 billion in 2003, for example; Costco’s sales have grown more than 400% in the same period.

    “Consumers are blurring the line of where they buy groceries,” Albertsons attorney Enu Mainigi said.

    Mainigi said Albertsons’ customers now spend 88 cents of every dollar at competitors that range from Aldi and Trader Joe’s to Dollar General. Albertsons can’t compete with larger rivals that have national scale, but joining forces with Kroger would help it do that, she said.

    Kroger attorney Matthew Wolf also defended the proposed merger.

    “The savings that come from the merger are obvious and intuitive. Kroger may have the best price on Pepsi. Albertsons may have the best price on Coke. Put them together, they have the best price on both,” Wolf said.

    The two sides also disagree on Kroger and Albertsons’ plan to sell 579 stores in places where their stores overlap. The buyer would be C&S Wholesale Grocers, a New Hampshire-based supplier to independent supermarkets that also owns the Grand Union and Piggly Wiggly store brands.

    The FTC says C&S is ill-prepared to take on those stores. Laura Hall, the FTC’s senior trial counsel, cited internal documents that indicated C&S executives were skeptical about the quality of the stores they would get and may want the option to sell or close them.

    But Wolf said C&S has the experience and infrastructure to run the divested stores and would be the eighth-largest supermarket company in the U.S., if the merger plan goes through.

    The commission also alleges that workers’ wages and benefits would decline if Kroger and Albertsons no longer compete with each other.

    Before the hearing, several members of the United Food and Commercial Workers International union gathered outside the federal courthouse in downtown Portland to speak out against the proposed deal.

    “Enough is enough,” said Carol McMillian, a bakery manager at a Kroger-owned grocery store in Colorado. “We can no longer stand by and allow corporate greed that puts profit before people. Our workers, our communities and our customers deserve better.”

    The labor union also expressed concern that potential store closures could create so-called food and pharmacy “deserts” for consumers.

    For people in many communities across the U.S., when a grocery store shutters, “their only source of food actually is walking to the nearest gas station,” said Kim Cordova, the president of UFCW Local 7, which represents over 23,000 members in Colorado and Wyoming.

    Mainigi argued the deal could actually bolster union jobs, since many of Kroger’s and Albertsons’ competitors, like Walmart or Costco, have few unionized workers.

    U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson is expected to hear from around 40 witnesses, including the CEOs of Kroger and Albertsons, before deciding whether to issue the preliminary injunction. If she does decide to temporarily block the merger, the FTC’s in-house hearings are scheduled to begin Oct. 1.

    But Nelson’s decision will seal the merger’s fate, according to Wolf. He said the FTC’s in-house administrative process is so long and cumbersome that merger deals almost always fall apart before it’s through. Earlier this month, Kroger sued the FTC, alleging the agency’s internal proceedings were unconstitutional and saying it wants the merger’s merits decided in federal court.

    The attorneys general of Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Wyoming all joined the case on the FTC’s side. Washington and Colorado filed separate cases in state courts seeking to block the merger.

    Kroger, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, operates 2,800 stores in 35 states, including brands like Ralphs, Smith’s and Harris Teeter. Albertsons, based in Boise, Idaho, operates 2,273 stores in 34 states, including brands like Safeway, Jewel Osco and Shaw’s. Together, the companies employ around 710,000 people.

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  • Maryland Casino Sector Records Slowdown as July Revenue Declines

    Maryland Casino Sector Records Slowdown as July Revenue Declines

    Maryland’s six casinos have generated almost $170 million in revenue in July 2024, marking a slight year-on-year decline. By extension, this led to a slight decline in the industry’s contributions to the state.

    Maryland’s Six Casinos Recorded Slightly Lower Revenue

    Maryland has six legal commercial casinos that offer both table games and video lottery terminals (VLTs). The properties include MGM National Harbor, Live! Casino Hotel, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, Ocean Downs Casino, Hollywood Casino Perryville, and Rocky Gap Casino Resort.

    In July, the six casinos generated $169,821,301 in revenue from slots and table games.  This marks a slight 2.6% decline from July 2023 and represents $116,461,385 in VLT revenue and $53,359,924 in table game revenue.

    The commercial casino industry’s contributions to the state also experienced a slight decline to $72,163,554. This figure marks a decrease of 1.4% from July 2023. Likewise, the industry’s contributions to the Education Trust Fund were down 1.4% year-on-year. The fund, for reference, provides support to the casinos’ local communities, the racing industry and smaller businesses.

    How the Six Casinos Performed

    MGM National Harbor, a property boasting some 2,300 slot machines and 212 table games, recorded $71,983,723 in revenue in July. This result was more or less in line with the July 2023 figure, representing only a slight decrease of 0.2%. The property recorded $43,937,330 in VLT revenue and $28,046,382 in table gaming revenue.

    Live! Casino & Hotel, meanwhile, posted a total revenue of $62,562,895, which encompasses $18,411,276 in table gaming revenue and 44,151,618 in VLT revenue. The total figure marked a YOY decrease of 0.3%. For context, the casino has 3,861 slots and 179 gaming tables.

    Horseshoe Casino, which fields some 1,347 slot machines and 115 table games, on the other hand, reported revenue of $13,317,234 in July 2024. The property struggled a bit as its revenue declined by 16.9% year-on-year. The total revenue consisted of $8,839,531 in VLT revenue and $4,477,702 in table game revenue.

    Ocean Downs Casino, a casino sporting 876 VLTs and 19 table games, saw its total revenue decrease by 4.6% YOY to $9,621,082. This figure included $8,853,569 in VLT revenue and $767,512 in table game revenue.

    In addition, Hollywood Casino, which has 735 VLTs and 23 table games, posted revenue of $7,297,270, down 2.8% from July 2023. The property reported $6,089,220 in VLT revenue and $1,208,049 in table game revenue.

    Finally, Rocky Gap Casino, which has 636 VLTs and 16 table games, reported $5,039,106 in revenue for July, down 13.4% YOY.  VLT revenue stood at $4,590,114, while table game revenue reached $448,991.

    Angel Hristov

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  • Montgomery Co. woman wins Dominica’s first Olympic medal – WTOP News

    Montgomery Co. woman wins Dominica’s first Olympic medal – WTOP News

    Thea LaFond left Dominica for the United States when she was 5 and now lives in Maryland. But she’s still ambassador for her birth nation.

    SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Sometimes, all it takes is one athlete.

    In March, triple jumper Thea LaFond was the only representative of her tiny Caribbean nation, Dominica, at world indoors.

    She won the gold medal.

    Now at the Paris Olympics, LaFond is the only woman from her country competing in track and field.

    Again, she won gold.

    Only it was more than gold. It was the very first Olympic medal for Dominica.

    “It’s an understatement to say it’s a really big deal,” LaFond said after her victory Saturday night at the Stade de France. “Sometimes you wonder if being from a small country means that you have less accessibility to resources. … But we’ve been really big on (prioritizing) quality and just executing it.”

    LaFond left Dominica for the United States when she was 5 and now lives in Maryland. But she’s still ambassador for her birth nation.

    “My country’s name is Dominica (dah-min-EE-ka). We’re not Dominican Republic, so it’s pronounced differently,” LaFond said. “We are about roughly 70,000 people. Not 7 million. Not 70 million. Seventy thousand. And it is a gorgeous, gorgeous gem in the Caribbean near to Martinique and Guadeloupe. … Our neighbors also include St. Lucia, Barbados and, further south, Trinidad and Tobago. Our primary language is English. And now they have a gold medal.”

    Dominica wasn’t the only Caribbean island to earn its first Olympic medal on Saturday. Julien Alfred of St. Lucia won the 100-meter title.

    In 2017, 90% of the homes on Dominica were damaged by Hurricane Maria and 31 people died.

    There are virtually no facilities for track and field on the island. Plans to build a track have been stalled for years, LaFond said.

    “The biggest issue has been getting the land allocation for this track. Give us the land and there will be a track,” LaFond said. “I’m really hoping this medal kind of lights a fire under all government officials to get that done. I want a place where the next generation doesn’t necessarily have to go overseas.”

    After her move to the U.S., LaFond developed into a classically trained dancer. She gave up dance at 13 when her family couldn’t afford lessons anymore and discovered track and field at John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, and went on to compete at the University of Maryland.

    When she made her Olympic debut in 2016, she was introduced to Aaron Gadson, who became her coach and then her husband. Gadson’s first big advice for LaFond involved a big change to her jumping technique.

    LaFond had leaped off her right leg since she was a teenager. Gadson thought she was stronger jumping off her left leg, though, so they made the change.

    “It’s basically teaching your body how to jump again,” LaFond said. “There were some very frustrating days.”

    Gadson had some more invaluable advice in Paris after LaFond leaped 14.32 meters on her first jump: “He came to me and he said, ’Listen, there is torrential downpour coming in 20 minutes. You have to do something big now because the weather is not going to be on your side.’”

    LaFond leaped 15.02 on her second attempt, which was the winning jump. As Gadson predicted, the storm then came and nobody else could come close in the wet conditions.

    “We had to put it together right then and there,” LaFond said.

    Shanieka Ricketts of Jamaica took silver at 14.87 and Jasmine Moore of the U.S. got bronze at 14.67.

    Missing from the competition was world-record holder and defending Olympic champion Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela, who was out with an Achilles tendon injury.

    Besides celebrations on Dominica, LaFond’s victory sparked jubilation at a Navy football preseason practice session when the news was communicated to Chreign LaFond, Thea’s younger brother and a junior defensive end with the Midshipmen.

    Navy shared on social media a video of his teammates jumping all over Chreign.

    ___

    AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

    Copyright
    © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

    WTOP Staff

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  • Lottery player learns he won big before scratching ticket. ‘Knew it was a good thing’

    Lottery player learns he won big before scratching ticket. ‘Knew it was a good thing’

    The Bel Air winner later scratched the ticket to reveal a single matching number with for a six-digit prize.

    The Bel Air winner later scratched the ticket to reveal a single matching number with for a six-digit prize.

    Getty Images/iStockphoto

    A Maryland man knew his scratch-off ticket was a big winner before even playing, lottery officials said.

    The Bel Air player used his phone to scan the “prize check” QR code on his Gold Rush 7’s Multiplier ticket before scratching it to see if he had won, according to a July 30 news release from the Maryland Lottery.

    When he saw the message “Go to Lottery,” he told officials he knew “it was a good thing.”

    The retiree still had to scratch the ticket to reveal his prize amount, lottery officials said.

    He revealed the number 58, a match to one of the winning numbers, with a prize of $100,000 below.

    “There was a lot of excitement when I saw it was $100,000,” he said.

    The winner said he plans to use his prize to pay off bills.

    The Harford County resident bought his ticket at the Fountain Green Wawa.

    Bel Air is about a 30-mile drive northeast from Baltimore.

    Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

    If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

    Lauren Liebhaber is a National Real-Time Reporter for McClatchy.

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  • Maryland’s illicit cannabis market still ‘alive and well’ after legalization – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

    Maryland’s illicit cannabis market still ‘alive and well’ after legalization – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





    Maryland’s illicit cannabis market still ‘alive and well’ after legalization – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





























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  • 1 killed in Maryland mall shooting in food court area

    1 killed in Maryland mall shooting in food court area

    COLUMBIA, Md. (AP) — One person was killed in a shooting inside a shopping mall in a suburb of Baltimore and Washington on Saturday, police said.

    Authorities received a call after gunfire in the food court area of the mall in Columbia, Maryland, at about 6:10 p.m. Officers found Angelo Little, 17, of Columbia, dead from a gunshot wound, Howard County police said.

    Police determined that the suspect left the mall following the shooting, and detectives believe the victim was targeted.

    Authorities say the investigation is ongoing.

    Officers worked to evacuate people in an orderly fashion, and the mall was fully cleared by 9:00 p.m. Saturday, police said.

    The mall also was the scene of a shooting in January 2014, when three people died after a man with a shotgun killed two people and then himself.

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  • Apple reaches its first-ever union deal with workers at a Maryland store

    Apple reaches its first-ever union deal with workers at a Maryland store

    Harris meeting Houston teachers union


    Harris meeting with teachers union in Houston

    03:17

    Apple has reached a tentative collective bargaining contract with the first unionized company store in the country.

    The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ Coalition of Organized Retail Employees, which represents the employees at a retail location in Maryland, announced Friday evening that it struck a three-year deal with the company that will increase pay by an average of 10% and offer other benefits to workers.

    The agreement must be approved by roughly 85 employees at the store, which is located in the Baltimore suburb of Towson. A vote is scheduled for Aug. 6.

    “By reaching a tentative agreement with Apple, we are giving our members a voice in their futures and a strong first step toward further gains,” the union’s negotiating committee said in a statement. “Together, we can build on this success in store after store.”

    Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    The deal came after workers at the store authorized a strike in May, saying talks with management for more than a year hadn’t yielded “satisfactory outcomes.”

    The Maryland store is one of only two unionized Apple sites in the country. Employees there voted in favor of the union in June 2022, a few months before workers at a second Apple location in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, unionized with the Communications Workers of America. The second store has not secured a contract with the tech company.

    Unions have scored headline-grabbing election wins in recent years, including at an Amazon warehouse in New York City, a Chipotle store in Michigan and hundreds of Starbucks stores across the country. But many of them have not secured contracts.

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  • MariMed Adds New Post-Guidance Growth – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

    MariMed Adds New Post-Guidance Growth – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





    MariMed Adds New Post-Guidance Growth – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





























    Tom Hymes

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  • A year after Maryland approved recreational cannabis, sales are booming but health concerns linger – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

    A year after Maryland approved recreational cannabis, sales are booming but health concerns linger – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





    A year after Maryland approved recreational cannabis, sales are booming but health concerns linger – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





























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  • $2 billion Baltimore bridge rebuild is test case for new national debate over infrastructure spending

    $2 billion Baltimore bridge rebuild is test case for new national debate over infrastructure spending

    In an aerial view, the remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge are seen as salvage crews continue to work to clean up the wreckage after the bridge collapsed in the Patapsco River on June 11, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. 

    Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images

    Three months after Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed – killing six people, shutting a major port and disrupting vehicle traffic along the Eastern Seaboard — local, state and federal officials began a massive effort to make the best out of an unimaginable situation.

    “We’re working with construction companies and designers, and working with the people of our state, to think about what is it that we hope for this almost two-mile long bridge,” Maryland Governor Wes Moore told CNBC.

    The process passed a major milestone last week when crews managed to reopen the main navigation channel to the Port of Baltimore, the nation’s largest port for vehicles. That process alone was initially forecasted to take up to a year.

    “It didn’t take 11 months. We got it done in 11 weeks, because we work together,” Moore said.

    But now, in many ways, comes the hard part. Officials hope to use the disaster as a chance to reconsider all the infrastructure in the region.

    “This is going to be an important opportunity for our state to look at all of our infrastructure, our roads, our bridges, our tunnels. You know, our critical infrastructure is imperative for our economic growth and development,” Moore said.

    Reimagining how to rebuild a bridge

    Some of that planning is already underway. Last month, the Maryland Transportation Authority issued its first request for proposals to rebuild the bridge. The plan is to use what officials call a “Progressive Design-Build Approach,” in which the design and construction firms are hired at the same time and work together throughout the process. This efficiency could allow a new bridge to be built in just four years — breakneck speed for a project expected to cost upward of $2 billion. The Maryland Transportation Authority is expected to choose the firms this summer.

    U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNBC the new bridge will be far better than the old one that opened in 1977.

    “We know things that we didn’t know in the 1970s, about how to put up a bridge,” Buttigieg said. “Nobody wanted to be here through this tragic catastrophe that happened. But it does bring an opportunity, and I would say, responsibility, to get things right for the future.”

    Transportation planners have also begun a series of community meetings to gain public input. At a virtual meeting on June 11, questions included whether the new bridge — like the old one — will be a toll bridge (that is the plan) and whether the new bridge will be wider than the old, four-lane structure (no).

    As the process continues, officials have promised an “engagement tour” to get public input.

    The city of Baltimore, meanwhile, hopes to speed up funding for the already-planned reconstruction of the Hanover Street Bridge over the Patapsco River, which has emerged as a key alternate route for travelers who formerly used the Key Bridge.

    A microcosm of the national infrastructure push

    The situation in Baltimore is a vastly sped-up version of processes underway in states and cities across the country, said Buttigieg, who is overseeing some 54,000 projects nationwide funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021.

    “We have funding that goes to projects that come from every state, city, airport authority or transit agency, you can think of,” he said.

    While Buttigieg acknowledged that some of the demand is a result of the huge amount of money being made available — $550 billion in transportation and infrastructure funding over five years — it is also a reflection of the need.

    “To me, it indicates just how much work there is to do in this country,” he said. “We were reminded as a country the hard way how important our infrastructure is, because of the pressures we experienced at the beginning of this decade with Covid. We saw what happens if our supply chains come under strain.”

    New economic development battleground

    Companies seeking to capitalize on the drive — and incentives — to rebuild damaged domestic supply chains are looking for states and localities that have proper infrastructure in place, said site selection consultant John Boyd, Jr., of The Boyd Company. This may help explain why infrastructure has become such a hot topic in the world of United States economic development.

    “Site readiness is a key component when we think about what distinguishes one market versus another, and it very often is such a critical factor, it could tip the scales for a project towards an overall less business-friendly state, if they have a certified site that’s ready to go,” he said.

    A CNBC analysis of all 50 states’ economic development marketing materials shows that infrastructure is the most mentioned attribute by states marketing to attract companies. As a result, Infrastructure is the top-weighted category in CNBC’s annual state competitiveness rankings, America’s Top States for Business.

    Experts say the emphasis on infrastructure will likely stick around for a while.

    “It’s not easy to build out electrical or water or gas or wastewater infrastructure. Those things take time and money,” said Seth Martindale, chairman of the Site Selectors Guild, which supplied some of the data for the CNBC study. “I think it’s going to be five-plus, 10-plus years before we really get it to a point where we feel good about it.”

    Buttigieg noted that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is already halfway through its five-year lifespan, with plenty of needs remaining.

    “I think it’s not too soon to start thinking and talking about what the next five-year package ought to look like,” Buttigieg said, referencing the future of U.S. infrastructure.

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  • In historic move, Maryland Governor Wes Moore issues pardons for over 175K misdemeanor cannabis convictions – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

    In historic move, Maryland Governor Wes Moore issues pardons for over 175K misdemeanor cannabis convictions – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





    In historic move, Maryland Governor Wes Moore issues pardons for over 175K misdemeanor cannabis convictions – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





























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  • GOP advances Senate candidates in West Virginia and Maryland who could flip Democratic seats

    GOP advances Senate candidates in West Virginia and Maryland who could flip Democratic seats

    West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan won Republican Senate nominations on Tuesday as voters across neighboring states with antithetical politics decided contests with big implications for the Senate majority fight this fall.At the same time, Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican rival Donald Trump tried to project strength in low-stakes presidential primaries. Further down the ballot, two congressional candidates on opposite sides of the 2021 Capitol attack serve as a stark reminder that the nation remains deeply divided over the deadly insurrection.In all, three states hosted statewide primary elections on Tuesday — Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia — as Republicans and Democrats pick their nominees for a slate of fall elections. None were more consequential than Senate primaries in deep-blue Maryland and deep-red West Virginia, where Republicans are eying pickup opportunities that could flip control of Congress’ upper chamber for at least two years.A Trump critic vies for Maryland’s GOP nomination In Maryland, Hogan claimed the GOP Senate nomination, giving Republicans a legitimate chance at picking up a Senate seat in the deep-blue state for the first time in more than four decades.Hogan overcame his years-long criticism of Trump, a position that put him at odds with many Republican primary voters but will undoubtedly help him in the general election this fall. Maryland voters gave Biden a 33-point victory over Trump four years ago.On the Democratic side, Rep. David Trone has been locked in a contentious — and expensive — battle with Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.Video below: Some Primary Election polling places in Maryland delay openingTrone, the co-founder of the Total Wine & More national liquor store chain, has put more than $61 million of his own money into the race. That’s just shy of the national record for self-funding a Senate campaign, with much of it going to a months-long TV ad blitz. The three-term congressman says he’s better positioned to beat Hogan in November as a progressive Democrat not beholden to special interests.Race has been an issue in the primary, with Alsobrooks working to become Maryland’s first Black U.S. senator. Trone apologized in March for what he said was the inadvertent use of a racial slur during a budget hearing.Alsobrooks has been endorsed by many of the state’s top officials, including Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Steny Hoyer and a long list of state lawmakers. She has campaigned on growing economic opportunity, investing in education and protecting abortion rights.The West Virginia battle to replace Manchin Justice’s won his primary against U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney in the race to replace Sen. Joe Manchin. With Manchin gone, the seat is almost guaranteed to turn red come November.The Trump-endorsed Justice, a former billionaire with a folksy personality, is wildly popular in the state. He also earned Trump’s endorsement. A former Democrat, Justice switched to the Republican Party in 2017, announcing the change at a Trump rally.Mooney had tried to win over conservatives by labeling Justice a “RINO” — which stands for “Republican in name only” — who would support Democratic policies. Justice did support Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, saying West Virginia couldn’t afford to turn away the money offered in the bill.At a polling place in West Virginia’s capital city, voter Steve Ervin said his votes Tuesday were directly related to Trump.“I really did an exhaustive study of the sample ballot of who I believe supported Trump and Trump supported them,” said Ervin, who works in the state’s unemployment office. “That’s what I made my whole decision on.”West Virginia is also deciding its candidates for governor. Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, the Republican nominee in the 2018 Senate race against Manchin, is running for the Republican nomination. He’s up against former state Rep. Moore Capito, whose mother is Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.Tests of strength in the presidential primary Biden and Trump have already amassed enough delegates to claim the presidential nominations at their respective national conventions this summer. Yet voters on both sides hope to register a significant protest vote Tuesday that will demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the Biden-Trump rematch.Both Biden and Trump won their primaries in West Virginia and Maryland.Still, Maryland progressives especially unhappy with the Biden administration’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas had encouraged voters to select “uncommitted to any presidential candidate” instead of Biden. There was no uncommitted option in West Virginia or Nebraska.Everett Bellamy, a Democrat who voted early in Annapolis, said he voted “uncommitted” instead of Biden as a protest against the killing of women and children and noncombatants in Gaza.“I wanted to send a message,” Bellamy, 74, said after leaving an early voting center.Meanwhile, Trump’s Republican critics cannot choose “uncommitted,” but they can choose his former GOP rival Nikki Haley, who will appear on the ballot in Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia despite formally suspending her campaign more than two months ago.Derek Faux, an independent voter from Charleston, W.V., said he supported Haley, and in other Republican races, he said he voted for the candidates he believed were least like Trump.“I would rather see moderate, reasonable Republicans than some of the other folks,” said Faux, a librarian.Two sides of the insurrection Tuesday’s elections also include two candidates who were intimately involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.In West Virginia, a former member of the House of Delegates, Derrick Evans, is running for the Republican nomination in the 1st Congressional District. The 39-year-old Trump loyalist served a three-month jail sentence after livestreaming himself participating in the storming of the U.S. Capitol.Evans is trying to oust incumbent Republican Rep. Carol Miller.In Maryland, former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn is among nearly two dozen Democrats running in the state’s 3rd Congressional District. The 40-year-old Democrat was in the Capitol working to repel the violent mob on Jan. 6. Other key racesIn Nebraska, Republican Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts both face nominal opposition in their primaries, one of the rare occasions when both senators in a state are on the ballot at the same time. And in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon faces a challenge from his right flank.In North Carolina, voters finalized their pick of the Trump-endorsed Brad Knott in what had become a one-person Republican primary in the state’s 13th Congressional District.___This story has deleted an incorrect reference to a California election being Tuesday. The California election is next week.___Willingham reported from Charleston, West Virginia. Peoples reported from Washington.

    West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan won Republican Senate nominations on Tuesday as voters across neighboring states with antithetical politics decided contests with big implications for the Senate majority fight this fall.

    At the same time, Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican rival Donald Trump tried to project strength in low-stakes presidential primaries. Further down the ballot, two congressional candidates on opposite sides of the 2021 Capitol attack serve as a stark reminder that the nation remains deeply divided over the deadly insurrection.

    In all, three states hosted statewide primary elections on Tuesday — Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia — as Republicans and Democrats pick their nominees for a slate of fall elections. None were more consequential than Senate primaries in deep-blue Maryland and deep-red West Virginia, where Republicans are eying pickup opportunities that could flip control of Congress’ upper chamber for at least two years.

    A Trump critic vies for Maryland’s GOP nomination

    In Maryland, Hogan claimed the GOP Senate nomination, giving Republicans a legitimate chance at picking up a Senate seat in the deep-blue state for the first time in more than four decades.

    Hogan overcame his years-long criticism of Trump, a position that put him at odds with many Republican primary voters but will undoubtedly help him in the general election this fall. Maryland voters gave Biden a 33-point victory over Trump four years ago.

    On the Democratic side, Rep. David Trone has been locked in a contentious — and expensive — battle with Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.

    Video below: Some Primary Election polling places in Maryland delay opening

    Trone, the co-founder of the Total Wine & More national liquor store chain, has put more than $61 million of his own money into the race. That’s just shy of the national record for self-funding a Senate campaign, with much of it going to a months-long TV ad blitz. The three-term congressman says he’s better positioned to beat Hogan in November as a progressive Democrat not beholden to special interests.

    Race has been an issue in the primary, with Alsobrooks working to become Maryland’s first Black U.S. senator. Trone apologized in March for what he said was the inadvertent use of a racial slur during a budget hearing.

    Alsobrooks has been endorsed by many of the state’s top officials, including Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Steny Hoyer and a long list of state lawmakers. She has campaigned on growing economic opportunity, investing in education and protecting abortion rights.

    The West Virginia battle to replace Manchin

    Justice’s won his primary against U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney in the race to replace Sen. Joe Manchin. With Manchin gone, the seat is almost guaranteed to turn red come November.

    The Trump-endorsed Justice, a former billionaire with a folksy personality, is wildly popular in the state. He also earned Trump’s endorsement. A former Democrat, Justice switched to the Republican Party in 2017, announcing the change at a Trump rally.

    Mooney had tried to win over conservatives by labeling Justice a “RINO” — which stands for “Republican in name only” — who would support Democratic policies. Justice did support Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, saying West Virginia couldn’t afford to turn away the money offered in the bill.

    At a polling place in West Virginia’s capital city, voter Steve Ervin said his votes Tuesday were directly related to Trump.

    “I really did an exhaustive study of the sample ballot of who I believe supported Trump and Trump supported them,” said Ervin, who works in the state’s unemployment office. “That’s what I made my whole decision on.”

    West Virginia is also deciding its candidates for governor. Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, the Republican nominee in the 2018 Senate race against Manchin, is running for the Republican nomination. He’s up against former state Rep. Moore Capito, whose mother is Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.

    Tests of strength in the presidential primary

    Biden and Trump have already amassed enough delegates to claim the presidential nominations at their respective national conventions this summer. Yet voters on both sides hope to register a significant protest vote Tuesday that will demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the Biden-Trump rematch.

    Both Biden and Trump won their primaries in West Virginia and Maryland.

    Still, Maryland progressives especially unhappy with the Biden administration’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas had encouraged voters to select “uncommitted to any presidential candidate” instead of Biden. There was no uncommitted option in West Virginia or Nebraska.

    Everett Bellamy, a Democrat who voted early in Annapolis, said he voted “uncommitted” instead of Biden as a protest against the killing of women and children and noncombatants in Gaza.

    “I wanted to send a message,” Bellamy, 74, said after leaving an early voting center.

    Meanwhile, Trump’s Republican critics cannot choose “uncommitted,” but they can choose his former GOP rival Nikki Haley, who will appear on the ballot in Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia despite formally suspending her campaign more than two months ago.

    Derek Faux, an independent voter from Charleston, W.V., said he supported Haley, and in other Republican races, he said he voted for the candidates he believed were least like Trump.

    “I would rather see moderate, reasonable Republicans than some of the other folks,” said Faux, a librarian.

    Two sides of the insurrection

    Tuesday’s elections also include two candidates who were intimately involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

    In West Virginia, a former member of the House of Delegates, Derrick Evans, is running for the Republican nomination in the 1st Congressional District. The 39-year-old Trump loyalist served a three-month jail sentence after livestreaming himself participating in the storming of the U.S. Capitol.

    Evans is trying to oust incumbent Republican Rep. Carol Miller.

    In Maryland, former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn is among nearly two dozen Democrats running in the state’s 3rd Congressional District. The 40-year-old Democrat was in the Capitol working to repel the violent mob on Jan. 6.

    Other key races

    In Nebraska, Republican Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts both face nominal opposition in their primaries, one of the rare occasions when both senators in a state are on the ballot at the same time. And in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon faces a challenge from his right flank.

    In North Carolina, voters finalized their pick of the Trump-endorsed Brad Knott in what had become a one-person Republican primary in the state’s 13th Congressional District.

    ___

    This story has deleted an incorrect reference to a California election being Tuesday. The California election is next week.

    ___

    Willingham reported from Charleston, West Virginia. Peoples reported from Washington.

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  • Key Bridge controlled demolition postponed due to weather

    Key Bridge controlled demolition postponed due to weather

    The controlled demolition of the largest remaining steel span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has been postponed because of weather conditions, officials said Sunday afternoon.

    Crews have been preparing for weeks to use explosives to break down the span, which is an estimated 500 feet (152 meters) long and weighs up to 600 tons.

    It landed on the ship’s bow after the Dali lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s support columns shortly after leaving Baltimore. Since then, the ship has been stuck amidst the wreckage and Baltimore’s busy port has been closed to most maritime traffic.

    Officials said the demolition had been tentatively moved to Monday evening. They said lightning in the area and rising tides Sunday prompted them to reschedule.

    Six members of a roadwork crew plunged to their deaths in the March 26 collapse. The last of their bodies was recovered from the underwater wreckage last week. All the victims were Latino immigrants who came to the U.S. for job opportunities. They were filling potholes on an overnight shift when the bridge was destroyed.

    Crews Continue To Work To Reopen Shipping Lane At The Site Of The Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse In Baltimore
    Salvage crew members work on the deck of the cargo ship Dali as they work to free it in the Patapsco River on May 10, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland.

    Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images


    The controlled demolition will allow the Dali to be refloated and guided back into the Port of Baltimore. Once the ship is removed, maritime traffic can begin returning to normal, which will provide relief for thousands of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners who have seen their jobs impacted by the closure.

    The Dali’s 21-member crew will stay onboard the ship while the explosives are detonated.

    William Marks, a spokesperson for the crew, said they would shelter “in a designated safe place” during the demolition. “All precautions are being taken to ensure everyone’s safety,” he said in an email.

    Officials said the demolition is the safest and most efficient way to remove steel under a high level of pressure and tension.

    “It’s unsafe for the workers to be on or in the immediate vicinity of the bridge truss for those final cuts,” officials said in a news release Sunday.

    In a videographic released last week, authorities said engineers are using precision cuts to control how the trusses break down. They said the method allows for “surgical precision” and the steel structure will be “thrust away from the Dali” when the explosives send it tumbling into the water.

    Once it’s demolished, hydraulic grabbers will lift the resulting sections of steel onto barges.

    Crews Continue To Work To Reopen Shipping Lane At The Site Of The Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse In Baltimore
    Engineers and other specialists continue to work to free the container ship Dali six weeks after it collided with the Francis Scott Key bridge, collapsing it and causing the deaths of six construction workers who were repairing potholes in the middle of the night.

    Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images


    “It’s important to note that this controlled demolition is not like what you would see in a movie,” the video says, noting that from a distance it will sound like fireworks or loud thunder and give off puffs of smoke.

    So far, about 6,000 tons of steel and concrete have been removed from the collapse site. Officials estimate the total amount of wreckage at 50,000 tons, about the equivalent of 3,800 loaded dump trucks.

    Officials previously said they hoped to remove the Dali by May 10 and reopen the port’s 50-foot (15.2-meter) main channel by the end of May.

    The Dali is currently scheduled to be refloated during high tide on Tuesday, officials said Sunday. They said three or four tugboats will be used to guide the ship to a nearby terminal in the Port of Baltimore. It will likely remain there for a few weeks and undergo temporary repairs before being moved to a shipyard for more substantial repairs.

    The Dali crew members haven’t been allowed to leave the vessel since the disaster. Officials said they have been busy maintaining the ship and assisting investigators. Of the crew members, 20 are from India and one is Sri Lankan.

    The National Transportation Safety Board and the FBI are conducting investigations into the bridge collapse.

    Danish shipping giant Maersk chartered the Dali for a planned trip from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, but the ship didn’t get far. Its crew sent a mayday call saying they had lost power and had no control of the steering system. Minutes later, the ship rammed into the bridge.

    Officials have said the safety board investigation will focus on the ship’s electrical system.

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  • Mom wins ‘largest prize of her life’ after spending $5 on Maryland lottery. ‘Shocked’

    Mom wins ‘largest prize of her life’ after spending $5 on Maryland lottery. ‘Shocked’

    A woman from Baltimore won a big prize after playing The Big Spin Wheel in Maryland.

    A woman from Baltimore won a big prize after playing The Big Spin Wheel in Maryland.

    Getty Images/iStockphoto

    A woman from Maryland has been patiently waiting her turn to score a big lottery prize.

    Now she’s $100,000 richer.

    The mom from Baltimore stopped at a convenience store and bought a few of The Big Spin scratch-offs that cost $5 each, the Maryland Lottery said in a May 7 news release.

    She checked the tickets at the store, and one game had a “Congratulations” message.

    She had uncovered “Spin” on the scratch-off, lottery officials said.

    The woman then set up an appointment to play The Big Spin Wheel game at the lottery headquarters to win a prize from $50,000 to $250,000, the agency said.

    The woman and her fiance are shown holding a big check after she won $100,000.
    The woman and her fiance are shown holding a big check after she won $100,000. Maryland Lottery

    She brought her fiance with her, and the couple closed their eyes as she spun it.

    “When I heard the last click, that’s when I opened my eyes,” she said.

    The cursor landed on $100,000, “the largest prize of her life.”

    “I’m still shocked,” the woman told lottery officials. “I’ve been playing for so long and I was tired of reading people’s stories about buying a loaf of bread and one scratch-off and winning a top prize. I was waiting for my turn.”

    Now the lucky player has plans to use her prize money on a trip to Las Vegas where she will fly on an airplane for the first time.

    She also told lottery officials she wants to take her children on a cruise and to a water park.

    “This came at the perfect time,” she said.

    Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

    If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

    Helena Wegner is a McClatchy National Real-Time Reporter covering the state of Washington and the western region. She’s a journalism graduate from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She’s based in Phoenix.

    Helena Wegner

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  • ‘The real fun starts’: US Olympic wrestling team takes shape

    ‘The real fun starts’: US Olympic wrestling team takes shape

    The U.S. Olympic team is coming into shape.Penn State University hosted the Olympic Trials this weekend, with dozens of athletes vying for just 18 spots available on Team USA.The state of Maryland will be well represented at the highest level.Hagerstown native Aaron Brooks put together a major upset, beating the reigning gold medalist and fellow Nittany Lion David Taylor.Brooks defeated Taylor 4-1, marking Taylor’s first loss to an American wrestler in seven years. The Penn State wrestlers shared a moment of respect after the match.Video above: Olympic athletes share stories of perseverance, strengthHelen Mouralis, of Rockville, is also a reigning gold medalist. She will return to the Olympic Games after beating Jacarra Winchester 6-0. She notched a takedown just seconds into the match, and the points piled up from there.Kyle Snyder, of Woodbine, will also make the trip to Paris this summer. He didn’t give up a single point in his championship series against Isaac Trumble. Snyder won gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics. This will be his third time qualifying for Team U.S.A.”It’s different. The first time you do it, you’re real happy, and now it’s almost an expectation of myself. And then, the real fun starts when you make the team, and you’re competing for world Olympic medals, so I’m looking forward to training this summer and getting into that,” Snyder said.A total of 18 wrestlers made the U.S. wrestling squad, but only 13 of those wrestlers qualified directly for Paris. The other five will head to Istanbul for a world qualification tournament in May in order to make the final roster.There are just over three months remaining until the start of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The opening ceremony takes place on July 26.

    The U.S. Olympic team is coming into shape.

    Penn State University hosted the Olympic Trials this weekend, with dozens of athletes vying for just 18 spots available on Team USA.

    The state of Maryland will be well represented at the highest level.

    Hagerstown native Aaron Brooks put together a major upset, beating the reigning gold medalist and fellow Nittany Lion David Taylor.

    Brooks defeated Taylor 4-1, marking Taylor’s first loss to an American wrestler in seven years. The Penn State wrestlers shared a moment of respect after the match.

    Video above: Olympic athletes share stories of perseverance, strength

    Helen Mouralis, of Rockville, is also a reigning gold medalist. She will return to the Olympic Games after beating Jacarra Winchester 6-0. She notched a takedown just seconds into the match, and the points piled up from there.

    Kyle Snyder, of Woodbine, will also make the trip to Paris this summer. He didn’t give up a single point in his championship series against Isaac Trumble. Snyder won gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics. This will be his third time qualifying for Team U.S.A.

    “It’s different. The first time you do it, you’re real happy, and now it’s almost an expectation of myself. And then, the real fun starts when you make the team, and you’re competing for world Olympic medals, so I’m looking forward to training this summer and getting into that,” Snyder said.

    A total of 18 wrestlers made the U.S. wrestling squad, but only 13 of those wrestlers qualified directly for Paris. The other five will head to Istanbul for a world qualification tournament in May in order to make the final roster.

    There are just over three months remaining until the start of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The opening ceremony takes place on July 26.

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