Democrats vying to be Md. attorney general have a long history
Maryland’s 2022 primary elections: How to vote, candidates and more
Baltimore bars lose constitutional challenge to limited hours of operation
A Maryland statute requiring bars in a predominantly Black area of Baltimore to open later and close earlier than most others in the city does not violate the constitutional guarantee of equal treatment under the law, the state’s second-highest court ruled last week. In its reported decision, the Court of Special Appeals said the General Assembly did not intentionally discriminate on the basis of race when it enacted the law known as Chapter 389 in 2020 in an effort to reduce alcohol-fueled violence in an especially crime-ridden area of the city.
Oil prices fall sharply as recession worries grow
The end of the Fourth of July weekend arrived with a blast of troubling economic developments as bonds flashed signs of a coming recession and oil prices plunged, suggesting that millions of consumers who have spent more than a year rocked by rising prices could face even more upheaval. Tuesday’s events suggest that gasoline prices could be poised for a sharp descent, though there could be a multiweek lag. While the U.S. average has pulled back from its June peak above $5 a gallon, further declines might not be of much consolation to consumers because they could run into an economic downturn that further pressures stocks and could spill into the labor market.
Baltimore-area residents undecided, underwhelmed as primary approaches
Anthony Garove is normally plugged-in during election season. He lives in the Remington neighborhood of Baltimore and would typically see a ton of campaign signs that constantly remind him that it’s time to vote. But these days he has no idea who he’s voting for as the mid-July Democratic primaries approach. There are few signs in people’s yards, and he has had too much going on personally to pay close attention to politics.
Opinion: Will closing the ‘boyfriend loophole’ in gun legislation save lives?
The U.S. Congress has passed a bipartisan gun safety bill, representing the first federal gun safety legislation to be passed in a generation. The legislation, which has been signed into law by President Joe Biden, is limited in scope. But among its provisions is the closing of the so-called “boyfriend loophole” which allows some people with a record of domestic violence to still buy firearms. Under current federal legislation, intimate partner relationships are defined only as those in which two people are or were married, live or lived together as a couple, or have a child together. People who were in a dating relationship are largely excluded from this definition.
Several East Baltimore Midway homes to be demolished after sinkhole on East North Avenue shuts down street indefinitely
A busy stretch of East North Avenue will be closed indefinitely after a sinkhole opened up in a sidewalk Monday and forced several people out of their homes in the East Baltimore Midway neighborhood. At least three houses in the 700 block of East North Avenue need to be demolished immediately because their structures have been compromised, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said Tuesday afternoon at a news conference. Only one of the properties was occupied and no one was injured, Scott said, adding that the city will be assisting those displaced.
Three Months After Reform Announcement, Maryland Will Hire You — No College Degree Required
With record numbers of state jobs going unfilled since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maryland was in a bind. So, officials decided to eliminate the four-year degree requirement for thousands of those jobs—from parole agents to information technology specialists to nursing assistants—becoming the first state to do so. In the current tight labor market, Maryland is not the only state engaged in a desperate search for government employees. Unemployment remains low, and there are millions more job openings in both the public and private sectors than there are workers to fill them.
Prosecutors: Governor’s Former Chief of Staff Falsified Memo to Hogan About Severance Payment
A superseding indictment from a federal grand jury alleges that Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr.’s former chief of staff forged a “memorandum” from the governor that “approved” a six-figure severance payment from a quasi-government state agency. The superseding indictment against Roy McGrath, 52, was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Tuesday evening. He was originally indicted in October 2021. McGrath’s tenure as Hogan’s top aide ended abruptly in August 2020, after just 11 weeks, following media reports that he received a $233,647 severance when he voluntarily stepped down as head of the Maryland Environmental Service to work for the governor.
Baltimore council passes police accountability board bill
Baltimore’s City Council passed a bill Monday to create a police accountability board. The bill passed with several amendments, news outlets reported. The amendments include allowing former officers to serve on the board and giving the police department two weeks to refer complaints instead of three days. A law passed by the General Assembly last year requires each Maryland jurisdiction in Maryland to have a police accountability board by Friday, July 1. The bill now goes to the desk of Mayor Brandon Scott, who is expected to sign it.