On Maryland’s path to becoming one of the country’s biggest targets for fraud aimed at benefits for lower-income residents, the problem looked, at first, like maybe it involved just a few thousand claims. But the theft went largely unchecked, and the claims, paid off by taxpayers, kept rising. By the time the state started a new reimbursement process in early 2023, what had been less than $1 million in benefits the state had to restore to victims of fraud quickly turned into $4.3 million over two years.

The Maryland Institute College of Art announced they’re permanently hiring Cecilia McCormick to lead the historic Baltimore school as its next president. McCormick had been serving since January in an interim role and was chosen to head the college after an extensive review process involving trustees, staff, faculty and students, according to a statement.

WBAL’s Jayne Miller sits down with Lutherville Station Developer Mark Renbaum to discuss the proposed mixed-use, transit-oriented development adjacent to the light rail in Baltimore County. The developer also discusses a new state law championed by Governor Wes Moore and Housing Secretary Jake Day to address the housing shortage in Maryland.

Auto thefts involving Infiniti vehicles have more than quadrupled in Baltimore County since the beginning of the year, county police said in a warning to owners of the luxury car brand this week. Law enforcement officials called for “heightened vigilance” among drivers of the vehicles, made by Japanese car manufacturer Nissan, which authorities believe are being stripped for parts or used in illegal street rallies.

Corey Smedley, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich’s nominee for a new county fire chief, says his goal if appointed is to “figure out how to put himself out of business” by preventing disasters. “One of the things that we’re going to do when I first get here is we’re going to dust off [incident] reports and evaluate what have we learned from that?

Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates made a bold prediction, suggesting the city’s homicide rate could drop below 200 this year. Bates spoke at a budget hearing Thursday morning before the Baltimore City Council Ways and Means Committee, citing some encouraging numbers showing declines in violent crime and increases in prosecutions. Bates said the current pacing for homicide in 2024 is 181.

 

The Department of Defense awarded a $500 million contract to the University of Maryland’s national security research facility, the largest research deal the university has received. One of the 15 university-affiliated research centers within the department, the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security is the only one dedicated to research and development in artificial intelligence, information engineering and human systems.

 

By the end of 2024, two giant pandas will be back at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., first lady Jill Biden and other federal officials announced Wednesday morning. Bao Li (pronounced BOW-lee), an almost 3-year-old male, and Qing Bao (pronounced Ching-BOW), a 2 1/2-year-old female, are coming to the United States as part of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s partnership with the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

Engineers at the Johns Hopkins University are set to begin an “urgent assessment” of bridges across the United States in the wake of the Key Bridge collapse, believing the risk for another ship strike to be higher than previously thought. The team, currently made up of three Hopkins staff and a small group of students, including one from Morgan State University, will use global shipping data to modernize what engineers believe are outdated risk assessment models.

As planning continues for the redevelopment of Harborplace, a walk along the Inner Harbor Promenade highlights efforts to attract more visitors to Baltimore’s waterfront in the meantime. “Shade stations” were recently installed near the Inner Harbor Amphitheater to give respite on hot days. This week, Inner Harbor visitors relaxed on the Adirondack chairs that sit under wooden pergolas. The structures are also bordered by Chesapeake Bay native plants.