As one of the founders of a sanctuary in the 1980s, I’m reminded that arguments leveled against whale and dolphin sanctuaries in a Baltimore Banner article have all been tried and disproven over many decades. In the past half-century, sanctuaries have been established for land animals of all kinds that suffer from exploitation. For example, elephants who had been housed in the cramped compounds of zoos or in trucks being shuttled from town to town to dance and do handstands at circuses are today free to roam the pastures of sanctuaries such as the Performing Animals Welfare Society in California and the Global Sanctuary for Elephants in Brazil.

One of the most dangerous things a leader can do, be it mayor, governor or other prominent elected official, is send a message that you can break the law. Tragically, anti-law-and-order leaders are not uncommon nationwide. Particularly affected states are those such as Maryland, New York and California, whose leaders have enacted policies that permit flagrant criminal activity and violent acts of injustice with minimal, if any, repercussions.

Mark Graber, the Maryland law professor whose constitutional expertise helped disqualify from office a New Mexico man who joined the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has concluded that Donald Trump’s words and actions fit the historic definition of an insurrectionist — strongly suggesting that he, too, should be barred from office. In a brief submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, Graber argues that the former president engaged in insurrection in its well-documented, well-understood meaning. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment clearly forbids anyone who engages in insurrection, after swearing to support the Constitution, from holding office.

Investing in Maryland is a safe bet, according to a recently released Maryland Economic Development Association study. The January report, completed with the help of Salisbury University’s Business Economic and Community Outreach Network, found every dollar invested in county economic development operations in Maryland yielded an estimated $9.17 in return. “This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the impact of the economic development community in the state of Maryland,” said John Hickman, director of BEACON.

 

The House Judiciary Committee reviewed proposals Tuesday focused on public safety and protecting elected officials. The bills are part of Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) legislative agenda and come in response to increased threats and attacks, around the nation, on government officials as well as a shortage of law enforcement officers. Eric Luedtke, the governor’s chief legislative officer, testified on House Bill 585 (Protecting Election Officials Act) that would create a new misdemeanor charge in state election law for threats against election officials or someone in their immediate family.

 

AstraZeneca is investing $300 million in a state-of-the-art facility in Rockville, the company announced Tuesday. The facility is part of the launch of its life-saving cell therapy platforms in the United States for critical cancer trials and future commercial supply. It is expected to create more than 150 new highly-skilled jobs to initially focus on manufacturing T-cell therapies to enable clinical trials to be conducted around the world.

The Montgomery County Board of Education unanimously appointed an interim superintendent to replace Monifa McKnight, who parted ways with Maryland’s largest school system Friday following scrutiny into the school system’s handling of bullying and harassment allegations. The board appointed Monique Felder to the post Tuesday “to support the district during this period of transition as the board conducts a national search to identify a permanent superintendent,” said board President Karla Silvestre before introducing the vote.

 

Baltimore’s newly formed Police Accountability Board wants to explore having independent legal counsel, separate from the city’s lawyers. But it’s facing pushback from city government. Board members say they see a potential conflict in city attorneys representing both the Baltimore Police Department and the body overseeing that law enforcement agency. Some in Monday’s board meeting also highlighted early questions arising over budget allocations and differing interpretations of city ordinances around hiring staff.

Two weeks after the family of Pava LaPere celebrated what would have been the noted Baltimore entrepreneur’s 27th birthday, her parents settled in to a hearing room full of lawmakers and spoke of two everlasting missions — preserving their daughter’s professional legacy, and preventing the kind of violence that led to her death.

For years, tensions have existed between the volunteer firefighters in Prince George’s County and the career firefighters paid by the Maryland county to provide fire and emergency medical system services. It has led to fist fights at fire scenes, arrests, lawsuits and other forms of complaints. In recent weeks, the condition of a volunteer firehouse in Beltsville has become a source of tension between the two sides. It’s one issue out of many.