Federal officials identified Baltimore and Washington Friday as leading the nation’s metropolitan areas with the highest positive coronavirus testing rates, leading all other urban regions in the ratio of confirmed cases to the number of people swabbed. The news followed the addition of 893 new cases of COVID-19 to Maryland’s tally, pushing the total to 44,424 as the number of people requiring hospital care continued to decline. Advertisement Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, said during a Friday news briefing that Montgomery and Prince George’s counties,...…Federal officials identified Baltimore and Washington Friday as leading the nation’s metropolitan areas with the highest positive coronavirus testing rates, leading all other urban regions in the ratio of confirmed cases to the number of people swabbed. The news followed the addition of 893 new cases of COVID-19 to Maryland’s tally, pushing the total to 44,424 as the number of people requiring hospital care continued to decline. Advertisement Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, said during a Friday news briefing that Montgomery and Prince George’s counties,...WW…

Maryland has confirmed 1,071 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday, officials announced Saturday morning, as the number of hospitalizations again declined. State officials also announced 38 more people died due to complications from the disease, bringing the state’s total to 2,130 fatalities. In addition, officials say, 113 people have probably died due to the disease or complications of it, but are awaiting laboratory results to confirm their diagnosis. Advertisement State officials say 1,320 people in Maryland are currently hospitalized for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel...…Maryland has confirmed 1,071 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday, officials announced Saturday morning, as the number of hospitalizations again declined. State officials also announced 38 more people died due to complications from the disease, bringing the state’s total to 2,130 fatalities. In addition, officials say, 113 people have probably died due to the disease or complications of it, but are awaiting laboratory results to confirm their diagnosis. Advertisement State officials say 1,320 people in Maryland are currently hospitalized for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel...WW…

The Maryland Department of Agriculture says the state has seen the first hatch of a spotted lanternfly this year and is encouraging residents to keep an eye out for the invasive species. In a news release Thursday, the department wrote that the “first instar nymph of the season was reported by a department employee while surveying for the pest in the upper northeast corner of Cecil County near the Pennsylvania border.” Advertisement “The spotted lanternfly poses a major threat to the region’s agricultural industries as it feeds on over 70 different types of plants and crops — including...…The Maryland Department of Agriculture says the state has seen the first hatch of a spotted lanternfly this year and is encouraging residents to keep an eye out for the invasive species. In a news release Thursday, the department wrote that the “first instar nymph of the season was reported by a department employee while surveying for the pest in the upper northeast corner of Cecil County near the Pennsylvania border.” Advertisement “The spotted lanternfly poses a major threat to the region’s agricultural industries as it feeds on over 70 different types of plants and crops — including...WW…

Families venture out on May 19, 2020 to walk and shop at Annapolis' city dock during phase 1 of reopening from the coronavirus pandemic. Weeks went by with Cyhl Quarles mostly home in Odenton. No visits to the zoo with his boys, no Friday dinners out with his wife, not even a trip to his barber. So when travel restrictions finally loosened, Quarles was calling to book his appointment. “Do you really have to get your hair cut?” his wife, Ashley, asked. “Can’t it wait?” Advertisement Three months into the deadly coronavirus outbreak, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has eased his lockdown to...…Families venture out on May 19, 2020 to walk and shop at Annapolis' city dock during phase 1 of reopening from the coronavirus pandemic. Weeks went by with Cyhl Quarles mostly home in Odenton. No visits to the zoo with his boys, no Friday dinners out with his wife, not even a trip to his barber. So when travel restrictions finally loosened, Quarles was calling to book his appointment. “Do you really have to get your hair cut?” his wife, Ashley, asked. “Can’t it wait?” Advertisement Three months into the deadly coronavirus outbreak, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has eased his lockdown to...WW…

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, surprised members of the Johns Hopkins University’s 2020 class Thursday by serving as a guest speaker of their virtual commencement ceremony. A member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and one of the nation’s foremost infectious disease experts, Fauci addressed the graduates for about a minute and a half as one of a handful of speakers during the ceremony, including Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Advertisement “We are currently confronting an unprecedented global pandemic, and I am...…Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, surprised members of the Johns Hopkins University’s 2020 class Thursday by serving as a guest speaker of their virtual commencement ceremony. A member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and one of the nation’s foremost infectious disease experts, Fauci addressed the graduates for about a minute and a half as one of a handful of speakers during the ceremony, including Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Advertisement “We are currently confronting an unprecedented global pandemic, and I am...WW…

A group of Baltimore philanthropists, businesspeople and the union representing journalists are again rallying support for an idea that’s long been floated but never materialized: regaining local ownership for The Baltimore Sun. Now, with the latest campaign in full swing, even some of the players involved say they aren’t sure whether it’s a realistic pursuit or a well-intentioned but futile effort to preserve an iconic newspaper and local institution. Advertisement , president of the Abell Foundation, informed the newspaper’s parent, Tribune Publishing Co., of the Maryland nonprofit’s...…A group of Baltimore philanthropists, businesspeople and the union representing journalists are again rallying support for an idea that’s long been floated but never materialized: regaining local ownership for The Baltimore Sun. Now, with the latest campaign in full swing, even some of the players involved say they aren’t sure whether it’s a realistic pursuit or a well-intentioned but futile effort to preserve an iconic newspaper and local institution. Advertisement , president of the Abell Foundation, informed the newspaper’s parent, Tribune Publishing Co., of the Maryland nonprofit’s...WW…

Many Americans may be staying in this Memorial Day weekend, but President Donald Trump is hitting the road, set to visit Baltimore’s Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. The White House says the president and first lady will participate in a Memorial Day ceremony at the site Monday “to honor the American heroes who have sacrificed their lives serving in the US Armed Forces.” The hoisting of the American flag after the fort defended Baltimore Harbor during the War of 1812 inspired the poem that came to be known as “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Advertisement Trump has sought to...…Many Americans may be staying in this Memorial Day weekend, but President Donald Trump is hitting the road, set to visit Baltimore’s Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. The White House says the president and first lady will participate in a Memorial Day ceremony at the site Monday “to honor the American heroes who have sacrificed their lives serving in the US Armed Forces.” The hoisting of the American flag after the fort defended Baltimore Harbor during the War of 1812 inspired the poem that came to be known as “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Advertisement Trump has sought to...WW…

Baltimore Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young announced Wednesday that all large public events in Baltimore are canceled through Aug. 31, including the Fourth of July fireworks and the annual Artscape festival. While initially saying the move applied to all events requiring a city permit, Young later clarified the cancellations apply to those larger than 250 people. All events expecting fewer than 250 participants are called off through May 31. Advertisement The move comes as the city continues to fight the spread of the coronavirus. While some restrictions have been relaxed statewide, Baltimore...…Baltimore Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young announced Wednesday that all large public events in Baltimore are canceled through Aug. 31, including the Fourth of July fireworks and the annual Artscape festival. While initially saying the move applied to all events requiring a city permit, Young later clarified the cancellations apply to those larger than 250 people. All events expecting fewer than 250 participants are called off through May 31. Advertisement The move comes as the city continues to fight the spread of the coronavirus. While some restrictions have been relaxed statewide, Baltimore...WW…

An out-of-state vendor failed to mail hundreds of thousands of ballots to Baltimore voters for nearly a week despite assuring Maryland they were on the way, officials revealed Tuesday amid growing concerns over administration of the June 2 primary. U.S. Postal Service trucks have been driving overnight shifts since officials learned of the problem Sunday, ferrying ballots from Minnesota to Maryland where they are placed into the local mail stream, said Nikki Charlson, deputy administrator of the Maryland Board of Elections. Advertisement “We have significant unanswered questions about the...…An out-of-state vendor failed to mail hundreds of thousands of ballots to Baltimore voters for nearly a week despite assuring Maryland they were on the way, officials revealed Tuesday amid growing concerns over administration of the June 2 primary. U.S. Postal Service trucks have been driving overnight shifts since officials learned of the problem Sunday, ferrying ballots from Minnesota to Maryland where they are placed into the local mail stream, said Nikki Charlson, deputy administrator of the Maryland Board of Elections. Advertisement “We have significant unanswered questions about the...WW…

The Supreme Court on Wednesday temporarily prevented the House of Representatives from obtaining secret grand jury testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. The court's unsigned order granted the Trump administration's request to keep previously undisclosed details from the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election out of the hands of Democratic lawmakers, at least until early summer. Advertisement The court will decide then whether to extend its hold and schedule the case for arguments in the fall. If it does, it's likely the administration will...…The Supreme Court on Wednesday temporarily prevented the House of Representatives from obtaining secret grand jury testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. The court's unsigned order granted the Trump administration's request to keep previously undisclosed details from the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election out of the hands of Democratic lawmakers, at least until early summer. Advertisement The court will decide then whether to extend its hold and schedule the case for arguments in the fall. If it does, it's likely the administration will...WW…

More Marylanders will be able to get tested for the coronavirus under new guidance announced Tuesday by Gov. Larry Hogan. allows people without symptoms but who may have been exposed to the virus to be tested without a doctor’s order at select state testing sites. It also calls on doctors to seek tests for such patients. Advertisement The state also is opening two more testing sites in hard-hit Prince George’s County and . Hogan said more than 200,000 tests have been administered in the state, representing 3.5% of the population, allowing testing to expand to people who may have been...…More Marylanders will be able to get tested for the coronavirus under new guidance announced Tuesday by Gov. Larry Hogan. allows people without symptoms but who may have been exposed to the virus to be tested without a doctor’s order at select state testing sites. It also calls on doctors to seek tests for such patients. Advertisement The state also is opening two more testing sites in hard-hit Prince George’s County and . Hogan said more than 200,000 tests have been administered in the state, representing 3.5% of the population, allowing testing to expand to people who may have been...WW…

Jilna Jean baptiste's husband, Miska, worked at the Perdue Farms plant in Salisbury with a fever. He died 10 days later due to COVID-19. Word spreads quickly in Salisbury — sometimes in English, other times in the Spanish or Creole of its immigrant communities. It’s how people learned about the young man who was hospitalized with COVID-19, or the father who developed an unrelenting fever and breathing difficulties and died. The young man’s mother and the man who died were both chicken plant workers, a dominant employer in Salisbury, where Perdue Farms is headquartered, and throughout the...…Jilna Jean baptiste's husband, Miska, worked at the Perdue Farms plant in Salisbury with a fever. He died 10 days later due to COVID-19. Word spreads quickly in Salisbury — sometimes in English, other times in the Spanish or Creole of its immigrant communities. It’s how people learned about the young man who was hospitalized with COVID-19, or the father who developed an unrelenting fever and breathing difficulties and died. The young man’s mother and the man who died were both chicken plant workers, a dominant employer in Salisbury, where Perdue Farms is headquartered, and throughout the...WW…

She remembered World War I. During the Great Depression, she learned to make a can of tuna last a week. When World War II broke out, she tended to her victory garden. But in the last few months of her life, as the coronavirus pandemic raged around her, Downing Jett Kay spent most of her days confined to her bed at Towson’s Pickersgill Retirement Community. Advertisement Mrs. Kay, , died Friday afternoon after a months-long illness. She was 112. Supercentenarians, or people older than 110, are rare; scientists think just dozens remain in the U.S. They include 114-year-old Hester Ford of...…She remembered World War I. During the Great Depression, she learned to make a can of tuna last a week. When World War II broke out, she tended to her victory garden. But in the last few months of her life, as the coronavirus pandemic raged around her, Downing Jett Kay spent most of her days confined to her bed at Towson’s Pickersgill Retirement Community. Advertisement Mrs. Kay, , died Friday afternoon after a months-long illness. She was 112. Supercentenarians, or people older than 110, are rare; scientists think just dozens remain in the U.S. They include 114-year-old Hester Ford of...WW…

A political action committee that supported Baltimore mayoral candidate Mary Miller is shutting down and returning unspent money after a leaked email revealed a strategy to target white voters in a majority-black city. Martin G. Knott Jr., treasurer for the Citizens for Ethical Progressive Leadership PAC, He said the PAC’s intention was to promote “the candidate best positioned to turn our city around during these unprecedented times." Advertisement “Unfortunately, our efforts have become more of a distraction than a help,” he wrote. “We are immediately ceasing operations and will return...…A political action committee that supported Baltimore mayoral candidate Mary Miller is shutting down and returning unspent money after a leaked email revealed a strategy to target white voters in a majority-black city. Martin G. Knott Jr., treasurer for the Citizens for Ethical Progressive Leadership PAC, He said the PAC’s intention was to promote “the candidate best positioned to turn our city around during these unprecedented times." Advertisement “Unfortunately, our efforts have become more of a distraction than a help,” he wrote. “We are immediately ceasing operations and will return...WW…

Gov. Larry Hogan and the Maryland General Assembly have made the state the first in the nation to pass important protections for veterans who often fall prey to deceptive marketing practices of failing for-profit colleges. The new law closed a loophole in federal rules governing federal education benefits that incentivize for-profit colleges to target veterans like Lycretia Davis, an Army veteran from Oxon Hill, whom my nonprofit organization is helping. Advertisement Ms. Davis had her dreams of being a full-time graphic designer dashed by American InterContinental University (AIU), a...…Gov. Larry Hogan and the Maryland General Assembly have made the state the first in the nation to pass important protections for veterans who often fall prey to deceptive marketing practices of failing for-profit colleges. The new law closed a loophole in federal rules governing federal education benefits that incentivize for-profit colleges to target veterans like Lycretia Davis, an Army veteran from Oxon Hill, whom my nonprofit organization is helping. Advertisement Ms. Davis had her dreams of being a full-time graphic designer dashed by American InterContinental University (AIU), a...WW…

Nearly 1 in 10 ballots could not be delivered to Baltimore City voters during the special election in April, raising concerns for the June 2 primary, which is also being conducted by mail. The data, released by the Maryland Board of Elections late Tuesday, shows that 20,367 of the more than 230,500 ballots sent to Baltimore City voters could not be delivered before the April 28 special election. An additional 4,355 ballots were undeliverable to Baltimore County voters, while 3,886 were not delivered to Howard County voters — about 3% of all ballots in those two jurisdictions. Advertisement...…Nearly 1 in 10 ballots could not be delivered to Baltimore City voters during the special election in April, raising concerns for the June 2 primary, which is also being conducted by mail. The data, released by the Maryland Board of Elections late Tuesday, shows that 20,367 of the more than 230,500 ballots sent to Baltimore City voters could not be delivered before the April 28 special election. An additional 4,355 ballots were undeliverable to Baltimore County voters, while 3,886 were not delivered to Howard County voters — about 3% of all ballots in those two jurisdictions. Advertisement...WW…

Governor Larry Hogan is asking Maryland's to mainly use mail-in ballots for the upcoming June 2 election. A small percentage of precincts will be open. Maryland’s June 2 primary will be conducted largely by mail, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Friday, although in-person voting centers will be offered on a limited basis. Hogan already had rescheduled the election, originally slated for April, for due to the new coronavirus outbreak, which, as of Friday, had killed at least 171 people in Maryland and sickened nearly 7,000 more. At the same time last month, Hogan ordered to state Board of...…Governor Larry Hogan is asking Maryland's to mainly use mail-in ballots for the upcoming June 2 election. A small percentage of precincts will be open. Maryland’s June 2 primary will be conducted largely by mail, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Friday, although in-person voting centers will be offered on a limited basis. Hogan already had rescheduled the election, originally slated for April, for due to the new coronavirus outbreak, which, as of Friday, had killed at least 171 people in Maryland and sickened nearly 7,000 more. At the same time last month, Hogan ordered to state Board of...WW…

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan lifted the stay-at-home order Wednesday and eased some restrictions on the state’s businesses and gatherings. It comes as the state , a metric that his administration will use to guide the gradual reopening of the state. Hogan said he is replacing the order with a “Safer at Home” advisory that will not be enforced by the rule of law. It allows manufacturing, retail, haircuts and worship services to resume with limitations. The Republican governor has previously said that the first parts of the state’s economy to reopen would be those that require or minimal direct...…Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan lifted the stay-at-home order Wednesday and eased some restrictions on the state’s businesses and gatherings. It comes as the state , a metric that his administration will use to guide the gradual reopening of the state. Hogan said he is replacing the order with a “Safer at Home” advisory that will not be enforced by the rule of law. It allows manufacturing, retail, haircuts and worship services to resume with limitations. The Republican governor has previously said that the first parts of the state’s economy to reopen would be those that require or minimal direct...WW…

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Maryland Gov. Hogan announced that he is lifting the stay-at-home order, starting Friday, May 15th at 5:00 pm. Maryland’s stay-at-home order will be lifted at 5 p.m. Friday, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Wednesday, citing a slight two-week decline in hospitalizations statewide due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Republican governor is replacing the order with a that will not be enforced by the rule of law. It allows manufacturing, retail, haircuts and worship services to resume with limitations. Advertisement Though the fight against the virus is “far from over,” Hogan said the state “can now...…Maryland Gov. Hogan announced that he is lifting the stay-at-home order, starting Friday, May 15th at 5:00 pm. Maryland’s stay-at-home order will be lifted at 5 p.m. Friday, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Wednesday, citing a slight two-week decline in hospitalizations statewide due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Republican governor is replacing the order with a that will not be enforced by the rule of law. It allows manufacturing, retail, haircuts and worship services to resume with limitations. Advertisement Though the fight against the virus is “far from over,” Hogan said the state “can now...WW…

Two days after President Donald Trump broke with health experts and said he believes the coronavirus will go away without a vaccine, the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security refuted his claim. “This virus isn’t going to go away,” Dr. Tom Inglesby told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday. Advertisement Inglesby, , cautioned that the United States is still in the early stages of the pandemic. There still aren’t robust enough testing or , he said, leaving health experts without a clear sense of how the virus spreads. “Hopefully over time we’ll learn to live with it, and we’ll...…Two days after President Donald Trump broke with health experts and said he believes the coronavirus will go away without a vaccine, the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security refuted his claim. “This virus isn’t going to go away,” Dr. Tom Inglesby told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday. Advertisement Inglesby, , cautioned that the United States is still in the early stages of the pandemic. There still aren’t robust enough testing or , he said, leaving health experts without a clear sense of how the virus spreads. “Hopefully over time we’ll learn to live with it, and we’ll...WW…

department officials reported 1,049 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus Saturday, a slightly lower count than the previous day, bringing the state total to 31,534. The state’s total pandemic fatality count reached 1,510 after officials reported 57 new deaths from the COVID-19 illness caused by the virus. An additional 104 deaths are believed to be caused by the virus, but have not been not confirmed by a laboratory test. Advertisement The state reported 1,665 hospitalizations — the second day in a row that hospitalizations have declined by nine — with 575 patients requiring intensive...…department officials reported 1,049 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus Saturday, a slightly lower count than the previous day, bringing the state total to 31,534. The state’s total pandemic fatality count reached 1,510 after officials reported 57 new deaths from the COVID-19 illness caused by the virus. An additional 104 deaths are believed to be caused by the virus, but have not been not confirmed by a laboratory test. Advertisement The state reported 1,665 hospitalizations — the second day in a row that hospitalizations have declined by nine — with 575 patients requiring intensive...WW…

Ocean City has reopened its beaches and boardwalk. The Jolly Roger Ferris Wheel was still. No one posed at Old Time Photos. Police cars crept the boardwalk. Saturday wasn’t like any other day at the beach. Advertisement Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan reopened the resort town’s beaches and boardwalk Saturday morning after nearly two months closed for the deadly coronavirus outbreak. Unseasonably cold weather and public warnings — sidewalks painted red with “Proceed at your own risk” — greeted a scattering of locals. With statewide stay-at-home orders still in place and hotels still closed,...…Ocean City has reopened its beaches and boardwalk. The Jolly Roger Ferris Wheel was still. No one posed at Old Time Photos. Police cars crept the boardwalk. Saturday wasn’t like any other day at the beach. Advertisement Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan reopened the resort town’s beaches and boardwalk Saturday morning after nearly two months closed for the deadly coronavirus outbreak. Unseasonably cold weather and public warnings — sidewalks painted red with “Proceed at your own risk” — greeted a scattering of locals. With statewide stay-at-home orders still in place and hotels still closed,...WW…

After Maryland officials terminated a contract with a politically connected firm, lawmakers are calling for greater oversight of the millions of dollars the Hogan administration is awarding to companies through emergency purchases during the pandemic. “I appreciate the Governor’s quick actions to protect Marylanders, but we need to safeguard taxpayer dollars from unscrupulous companies, no matter what their connections," said House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, a Baltimore County Democrat. "I’ve asked [the] Appropriations [Committee] to take a longer look at this issue in the...…After Maryland officials terminated a contract with a politically connected firm, lawmakers are calling for greater oversight of the millions of dollars the Hogan administration is awarding to companies through emergency purchases during the pandemic. “I appreciate the Governor’s quick actions to protect Marylanders, but we need to safeguard taxpayer dollars from unscrupulous companies, no matter what their connections," said House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, a Baltimore County Democrat. "I’ve asked [the] Appropriations [Committee] to take a longer look at this issue in the...WW…