Crews working to restore the federal channel of debris from the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge need more time before shipping traffic can be fully restored. The end of May had been the goal of state and federal officials, but a Friday news release says that work will conclude by June 10.
Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick were the most bipartisan members of Congress last year, according to a newly released analysis from the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. The least bipartisan House lawmaker was Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, while Alabama’s Katie Britt, a Republican freshman, placed last among senators.
For many high school seniors and others hoping to attend college next year, the last few months have become a stress-filled struggle to complete the trouble-plagued, much-maligned FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The rollout of this updated and supposedly simplified form was so delayed, error-ridden and confusing that it has derailed or severely complicated college decisions for millions of students throughout the U.S., especially those from low-income, first-generation and undocumented families.
A bill that would have curbed some public notice advertising revenue for newspapers in Maryland has been vetoed by Gov. Wes Moore (D). House Bill 1258 was one of four from the 2024 legislative session vetoed by Moore. Two others — identical House and Senate bills expanding the scope of work audiologists can do — were allowed to go into law without the signature of the governor.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is undertaking a comprehensive update of the Chesapeake Bay blue crab stock assessment, which has not been revised since 2011. This effort aims to collect crucial data to better manage the blue crab population. As part of the updated assessment, scientists will evaluate the impact of things like the population of predatory fish and habitats on blue crabs. Notably, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation hopes the blue catfish, a significant predator of blue crabs, will be included in the study.
Baltimore’s top health official will step down at the end of June, as part of a series of planned changes in city leadership. Dr. Letitia Dzirasa, the deputy mayor for Equity, Health, and Human Services, will leave her role June 5, according to a memorandum from Chief Administrative Officer Faith Leach obtained by The Baltimore Sun.
County residents want an ambulance to arrive when they need it, and medical first responders want to show up for the call. But that connection, between victims and rescuers, has been threatened by budget problems neither group caused nor controls. As Allegany County officials call for a $2 million cut to emergency medical services, the union that represents 46 full-time Department of Emergency Services employees has tentatively agreed to some terms, and awaits proposed amendments to its contract from the county.
Leadership from a state-sanctioned commission on public health came to Hagerstown on Thursday for their second listening session designed to gather feedback and improve health outcomes for Marylanders. “For many years the people in this room have been pursuing this ‘Great White Whale,’ which is improved health outcomes,” said Garrett County Health Officer Bob Stephens, alluding to Herman Melville’s 1851 novel “Moby-Dick” and speaking to about a dozen professionals in a Washington County Health Department facility in Hagerstown at 925 North Burhans Blvd.
“Cruising is back in Baltimore,” declared Jonathan Daniels, executive director of the Maryland Port Administration, as passengers began arriving Saturday at the Cruise Maryland Terminal. The festive occasion marked the first cruise ship to arrive and depart the Port of Baltimore since the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have some of the lowest rates of using mental health services, at 8.9% in 2019. NAMI points to a number of factors: language barriers, social stigma and a lack of culturally competent providers — those who are familiar with the experiences of the patients they serve.