Across much of the country, the jobs market is as strong as it’s ever been, and Black women, young people and people with disabilities are among the workers benefiting, recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show. Twenty states reported an unemployment rate under 3% in April, while 15 states saw record lows, led by South Dakota at 1.9%, followed by Nebraska at 2%, and New Hampshire and North Dakota at 2.1%.

Parking is tight at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport’s lots ahead of Memorial Day weekend. SkyTeam 11 got a look at BWI-Marshall’s Long Term A parking lot, which is filled to capacity. As of Thursday afternoon, the airport website showed Long Term A was closed and Long Term B had 57% of spaces available.

 

 

The Allegany County Board of Commissioners at Thursday’s meeting adopted the $152,465,411 Operating and Capital Budget for fiscal 2024. The budget does not increase property taxes for residents. County employees will receive a 2% cost-of-living increase. The financial plan also gives 25% of paper gaming revenue to fire and rescue companies, and the remaining 75% to capital education project funding.

Past customers are suing AeroVanti, an Annapolis jet company, for allegedly failing to provide services promised for $3 million memberships in its elite “Top Gun” air club. Three individuals — Stephan Gratziani, Jorge Luis De La Concepcion and Alan Rodriguez — and Wishbone Media filed the lawsuit Monday in the Middle District of Florida Tampa division.

The Maryland State Department of Education has returned more than $800,000 in federal grant money earmarked for salaries and professional development amid complaints of a toxic work culture and staffing exodus. Assistant State Superintendent Justin Dayhoff said about $844,000 was returned to the U.S. Department of Education.

Resort officials are expected to discuss the state’s new cannabis reform bill and the on-site consumption of marijuana. In last week’s meeting of the Mayor and Council, City Manager Terry McGean presented officials with a tentative agenda for the May 30 work session. Among the discussion points, he said, is the on-site consumption of cannabis license.

 

The Montgomery County Council voted to approve a budget funded by a 4.7% tax increase Thursday, but some councilmembers are concerned this plan will cause problems for the county later down the road. “We are really going to face some fiscal challenges moving forward, especially if we hit a recession,” said councilmember Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4).

Maryland’s state courts soon will take center stage in a series of climate-related lawsuits that could make the energy products that power our daily lives a lot more expensive. Baltimore City, Annapolis and Anne Arundel County have joined an effort by more than 20 communities around the country to seek compensation from energy producers that make and sell products that contribute to climate change.

Our nation is facing a widening skills gap — one that has been exacerbated by the disruptive economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic — creating an environment in which too many job seekers are not equipped with the skills to succeed in a rapidly diversifying and evolving global economy. In the past, a high school diploma was enough to build a pathway to the American Dream. Unfortunately, this is simply no longer the case.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Wednesday that negotiations over raising the U.S. debt limit were progressing toward a deal despite disagreements over spending, with only eight days before the government could face an unprecedented default. That urgency became more apparent later Wednesday. Fitch Ratings, one of the big three ratings agencies, placed the United States’ triple-A status on “rating watch negative.”