It always takes a while for the dust to settle after the Maryland the General Assembly wraps up its annual 90-day legislative session, especially after the flurry of activity in the waning days. This is the normal rhythm to state lawmaking. Big promises, slow slog, frantic final hours and then bragging rights.

Content warning: This column contains details about suicidal ideation. On the day the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, my father called me around 6:45 a.m. to see how I was doing. I was asleep and missed the call but woke up to his text about a half hour later. “The Key Bridge is gone. Are you OK?”

 

A Baltimore restaurant made the shortlist for the prestigious James Beard Awards, putting it in the running for a prize considered to be the Oscars of the food industry. Clavel Mezcaleria in Remington was named a finalist in the Outstanding Bar category, the James Beard Foundation announced Wednesday.

A third channel will open this month at Baltimore’s port after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse two weeks ago, and Maryland’s congressional delegation will sponsor legislation seeking federal aid to pay 100% of the cost of a new bridge, Sen. Ben Cardin said Tuesday. Cardin gave the update after meeting with the state congressional delegation and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Capitol Hill in Washington.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has launched an app to provide another way to inform community members and to receive tips in situations that aren’t immediate emergencies, said Sgt. Carly Hose, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office. “It does not replace calling 911,” Hose said. Such an app would have been useful in late March when the sheriff’s office put out a description for a homicide suspect authorities were looking for, Hose said.

Multiple eateries and restaurateurs in Montgomery County were nominated Monday for RAMMY Awards, which are presented by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington. Winners will be announced at the 42nd Annual RAMMYS Awards Gala on July 21, which “honors excellence in the restaurant and foodservice industry in the Washington, D.C., area across a range of categories celebrating culinary concepts, service, and individuals,” according to the association’s website.

Artificial intelligence is the future of technology, but the capabilities, and a lack of trust when it comes to Big Tech companies and their goals, means lots of people are wary. Will it take away our jobs? Will it be designed in ways that benefit people? Will it even consider the human impact? But with a recognition that the technology is moving ahead, and has the capacity for good, the University of Maryland has announced its new Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM).

The city of Frederick in a filing Tuesday asked a court to allow it to put a long-vacant building on North Market Street into receivership, turning the building over to a real estate company to sell to a new owner. The city has filed a petition in Frederick County District Court to start the receivership process for the building at 123-125 N. Market St., the former site of the Asiana restaurant, Mayor Michael O’Connor announced Tuesday.

Speakers overwhelmingly urged the Montgomery County Council on Tuesday to fully fund the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) proposed budget during a public hearing in Rockville on Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich’s (D) proposed $7.1 billion fiscal year 2025 operating budget. “Let’s not shy away from acknowledging the lost ground and the low test scores and the interruptions to the social emotional and behavioral development of our students,” said Cathy Stocker, vice president of educational issues for the Montgomery County Council of PTAs, referring to the pandemic.

High housing prices in the D.C. area and across the country are making it difficult for some homeowners and renters to cover the costs of their homes, and many are planning to sacrifice some necessities and luxuries to make ends meet. That’s according to a new survey from Redfin, which found that 1 in 3 Americans who are struggling to pay for housing will take no or very few vacations in order to afford their home.