Jose Argueta ran his knife along the spine of a Northern snakehead, pulling the meat from the body of one of the Chesapeake Bay’s most threatening invasive fish. An inspector stood over his shoulder in a white lab coat, embroidered with the letters “USDA.” But she paid little mind to the snakehead on the table, inside the kitchen-sized slicing room at BSA Seafood in Queen Anne’s County’s Grasonville.

Nearly two decades ago, Baltimore officials made an ambitious promise to the residents of Poppleton, a predominantly Black neighborhood west of downtown. The city would spend millions of dollars buying property, moving residents and razing structures to clear 14 acres of land that would be given exclusively to one developer. In return, that developer would create a new, diverse, vibrant mini-city with room for them to return.

Parents shepherding swimsuit clad tots toward a backyard birthday party. Peals of laughter from kids running past an open window, wreathed by blowup floaties and wrapped in dripping towels. The splash of a cannonball in the deep end. The sounds of summer fun ripple up from ads for Swimply, an app that allows homeowners to rent out private pools to strangers looking to enjoy cool water under the hot sun.

A rally was held Wednesday outside U.S. Rep. Andy Harris’ office in Bel Air to protest potential cuts to federal programs such as Medicaid and public education, as Congress attempts to negotiate a debt ceiling increase. Congressional Republicans want to roll back government spending, while Democrats do not, amid an approaching June 1 deadline to strike a deal.

It’s long been a tradition for attorneys, law students, partners and others in Maryland’s legal profession to head to the beach each summer for seminars, socializing and sun. But the Maryland Bar Association’s annual convention in Ocean City became yet another facet of life interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The convention returned in-person last year, but below pre-COVID numbers.

A reimagining of the long-awaited Red Line transportation system could connect Howard County to eastern Baltimore County. The proposed expansion is part of a 25-year regional transportation plan released by the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. The plan also includes a multibillion transit corridor connecting Towson to Baltimore City.

 

President Joe Biden says he “feels good” about the debt ceiling and budget deal negotiated with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as the White House and congressional leaders work to ensure its passage this week in time to lift the nation’s borrowing limit and prevent a disastrous U.S. default. Biden spent part of the Memorial Day holiday working the phones, calling lawmakers in both parties, as the president does his part to deliver the votes.

 

The U.S. Supreme Court in a major environmental decision on  Thursday overturned the Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of wetlands that fall under the agency’s jurisdiction, siding with an Idaho couple who’d said they should not be required to obtain federal permits to build on their property that lacked any navigable water.

It might shock the voting public to hear this coming from a Democrat, but I support responsible reductions in government spending and borrowing. I have always said: Budgeting is the science of priorities. But what congressional Republicans have proposed in recent weeks cuts bone deep, could lead to a potential default on our loans and will not put us on the path to economic stability.

Routespring, a Bethesda AI-powered business travel management company, is looking to go up against the major travel agencies, now boosted by a $500,000 investment from the Maryland Technology Development Corp. (TEDCO). Founded by CEO Tarun Upaday and CTO Hitesh Sharma, Routespring uses a proprietary AI algorithm to determine such factors as the length, price and risk in travel routes for companies whose workers must travel for their job, like pilots, travel nurses, truck drivers and cruise ship employees.