The Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed early Tuesday after being struck by a ship, and rescue teams were searching for multiple people believed to have fallen into the Patapsco River, a Baltimore Fire department spokesman confirmed. A cargo ship traveling outbound struck a column of the 1.6-mile-long bridge around 1:30 a.m., said Kevin Cartwright, a fire department spokesman. Two people were rescued, one who required hospitalization, and sonar showed multiple vehicles were submerged.

Photo credit: Jessica Gallagher/The Baltimore Banner

On a daily basis, thousands of customers call Maryland businesses to order food, refill medications, or request services. These calls are often motivated by the advertising done by businesses through promotional materials, such as direct mailings and television advertisements. Customers know what they want and from whom, so they call the business, and money and products are exchanged. But under a dangerous ruling recently made by the Maryland Supreme Court, this longstanding and widely understood way of conducting business would disappear.

According to the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, 656 large data breaches affected state residents in 2023 and exposed their personal information online, creating the opportunity for countless instances of identity theft and fraud. As a lawyer who represents victims of identity theft, I see what happens when hackers open fraudulent accounts.

A bill before the General Assembly this year has been hailed by Maryland’s environment secretary as a critical next step for incorporating environmental justice into state decision-making. But it doesn’t have the support of the community that the state government ranks as the most environmentally burdened in Maryland: South Baltimore’s Curtis Bay.

Marylanders could see higher costs for goods and services following state delegates’ approval of a $1.3 billion budget and a companion bill that mandates increases for ride-sharing and food delivery services. The legislative measures include additional fees for Uber, Lyft, and food delivery services like DoorDash. Throughout the legislative session, Maryland faced a budget dilemma, with lawmakers expressing that the proposed budget fails to meet the House, Senate, and Governor’s priorities.

What’s the state of Baltimore? Mayor Brandon Scott will provide an update on what’s happening in the city during his State of the City address on Monday evening. He will be joined by the city council, elected leaders, community partners and residents at 6 p.m. at the Baltimore Center Stage.

Lauren Gulmert needs an internship to graduate from nursing school next spring. But the delay in getting one has had nothing to do with her grades or training or anything else seemingly within the 21-year-old’s control. She missed the past two summers on the job because she couldn’t get the certified nursing assistant license required in Maryland.

Baltimore and the baseball community are mourning the death of longtime owner Peter Angelos. After years of declining health, the trial attorney who grew up in Baltimore and purchased the Orioles in 1993, died on Saturday, his family said in a statement.

A woman who is the head of a multigenerational household lives in the East Baltimore home that has been in her family for 66 years. She has been struggling to afford her property taxes and home repairs, but she doesn’t give up. Her grandparents worked so hard to keep this house with the family. So, she is going to fight to keep it.

Maryland congressional Democrats endorsed a $1.2 trillion spending package to avert a partial government shutdown, while Republican Rep. Andy Harris of the 1st Congressional District said it contained wasteful spending. Maryland’s seven Democratic U.S. House members voted for the package of six federal funding bills that headed to the Senate earlier Friday in advance of a midnight deadline.