Records show Baltimore officials’ mad dash to keep tenants housed after nonprofit housing provider stopped paying rents

Federal housing officials have requested an investigation of a city nonprofit they believe misused federal grant money meant to subsidize the rents of extremely vulnerable tenants to prevent homelessness. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development spokesperson Sean Callahan said the agency has referred the nonprofit to the U.S. Office of Inspector General of Investigations, which determines if cases get referred for prosecution or civil action. Housing officials at the Baltimore field office do not know if the investigation into AIDS Interfaith Residential Services and its wholly owned subsidiary, Empire Homes of Maryland, has been initiated, Callahan said.

Maryland AG joins coalition opposing laws that restrict emergency abortion care

Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in filing a brief in federal court on Tuesday, challenging Texas’ assertion that states shouldn’t have to comply with a federal law that protects doctors who end a pregnancy to save the patient’s life. Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in filing a brief in federal court on Tuesday, challenging Texas’ assertion that states shouldn’t have to comply with a federal law that protects doctors who end a pregnancy to save the patient’s life.

Baltimore County-based lender Mariner Finance heaped insurance plans onto unwitting borrowers, attorneys general say

A Baltimore County-based lender deceived its loan customers by selling them insurance policies they didn’t ask for or know about in many cases, the attorneys general of a handful of states claimed in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Pennsylvania. The lawsuit — filed by the attorneys general of the District of Columbia, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah and Washington — alleges that Mariner Finance pressured its sales force to “add on” additional insurance coverage for customers seeking personal and other loans.

CSX encouraged to work out a settlement in Curtis Bay coal facility explosion

The Maryland Department of the Environment is giving CSX the chance to work out a settlement with the state for its role in a December explosion at the coal terminal it operates in Curtis Bay. A letter from the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, sent on behalf of the Maryland Department of the Environment, cited CSX for violating Maryland’s ambient air quality control law and gives the company an opportunity to settle the matter rather than fight it out through litigation. The civil penalties that CSX face from MDE can be as high as $25,000 per day per violation.

New Jersey solar firm CI Renewables moves HQ to Baltimore

Solar company CI Renewables has moved its headquarters to Mount Washington from New Jersey and formed a partnership with Baltimore’s Mayson-Dixon Cos. The move will allow CI Renewables to invest more heavily in commercial Maryland developments at the same time it is finishing a 12-project solar installation in Howard County government buildings in Ellicott City and Columbia. The new partnership will build on new federal and state incentives and grants to move toward more sustainable energy plans for the future amid the climate crisis, said Josh Smith, managing partner of CI Renewables. It will also help to move solar products into disinvested communities in the city and surrounding counties.

Howard County schools close to filling all teacher vacancies ahead of new school year

The first time William Richardson, Jr., entered Wilde Lake Middle School, in Columbia, he was a sixth-grade student. On Saturday, about 30 years later, he walked through the building’s doors again, this time as an adult looking for a job at a Howard County Public School System Hiring Fair. “I called a buddy after the first job fair and said, ‘Man, it looks nothing like it used to,” Richardson, 44, said of the school. “It looks nice, but just totally different.” As a student, Richardson was in the school system’s Black Student Achievement Program. Now, he’s looking for a job in the program as a liaison.

5 things to know about this year’s Maryland State Fair

In just under 10 days, a favorite statewide celebration of the end of summer returns to the Maryland State Fairgrounds. The Maryland State Fair is back for its 141st edition beginning Aug. 25, and like everything in the pandemic era, it’s less like the before times and more like, well, something new. The fanfare is pretty much the same, with flashy carnival midway rides and live horse racing and those adorable 4-H contestants with their sweet, prized pigs. The details are a little different. You’ll still be able to head to the brew garden to drown your tears at giving up on a career as a lumberjack.

David Blair files for recount in primary for Montgomery County executive

Potomac businessman David Blair on Tuesday filed a request for a recount in his Democratic primary race against incumbent Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. Elrich held a 35-vote lead when Montgomery County election workers certified results in the race Saturday afternoon after nearly a month of canvassing, tabulating and auditing ballots. Blair’s petition with the county is the latest development in the closely watched, well-funded and fierce rematch between Blair and Elrich. The two men previously went toe-to-toe in the 2018 primary. Elrich won that election by 77 votes, going on to win the general election for his first term leading Maryland’s most populous county.

State attorneys general unite against robocalls

Nothing has been able to kill scam robocalls — not federal regulation, not individual state lawsuits, not private software. Each effort has made a dent, but the unwanted calls keep on coming, much to the consternation of Americans on the receiving end. Now, all 50 state attorneys general, Republicans and Democrats, have come together through a newly formed task force to go after U.S. telecommunications companies that allow robocalls originating overseas to reach their customers. “Robocalls are more than an annoyance, they are often schemes by fraudsters and scammers with the purpose of stealing billions of dollars from unsuspecting Americans,” Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh (D) said earlier this month.

Rodricks: All charged up for an electric car? Getting an affordable one is still a challenge.

If you own an electric car or truck, or drive a hybrid plug-in, congratulations: You’ve made it to the 1%. At the end of July, there were 52,966 EVs or hybrid plug-ins registered in Maryland. That’s just 1% of all motor vehicles across the state. It has been 25 years since the first generation of the Toyota Prius — albeit a hybrid, not a hybrid plug-in with a larger battery — came off the assembly line. Since then, there’s been immense progress in battery technology, along with greater political and cultural acceptance of the environmental need to move away from gas-powered automobiles.