Latest news with #Marylanders'
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Maryland settles with three companies accused of housing discrimination
Maryland has settled with three companies accused of housing discrimination, according to Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown. The settlements target discrimination against voucher holders and people with criminal records, which Brown said affects thousands of Maryland residents. "Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to lease an apartment, regardless of whether they have a criminal record or use a voucher to help pay their rent," Brown said. "Each of these cases shows our Office's dedication to protecting Marylanders' housing rights, regardless of the priorities of the federal government." Maryland Management Company settlement One settlement involved Maryland Management Company, Inc., which refused to cooperate with emergency rental assistance programs, according to the AG. Under the settlement agreement, the company will pay $90,000 to establish a fund for people potentially evicted or denied housing because of this practice. The company will also pay a $90,000 civil penalty, create new policies ensuring acceptance of all legal forms of income, and provide fair housing training to staff. Habitat America case A second settlement addresses a Frederick apartment complex where tenants using housing vouchers faced higher rent increases than other tenants. The investigation, conducted jointly with the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, found that Habitat America, LLC and The Commons of Avalon TH, LLLP violated state fair housing laws through this practice. The companies agreed to reimburse affected households for excess rent, pay up to $2,500 per household in additional damages, and pay $105,000 in civil penalties. They must also update policies, train staff on fair housing laws, and provide regular reports on rental practices. American Management screening policy The third settlement addresses American Management II, LLC's discriminatory tenant screening practices. The AG said the company's rental applications had excluded people with felony convictions, a policy the Civil Rights Division said disproportionately impacts communities of color. As part of the settlement, American Management agreed to adopt individualized screening policies rather than blanket bans, waive application fees for people with felony convictions for two years, and pay $25,000 in civil penalties. Recent pushes to tackle housing disparities Brown said the practices by the three companies disproportionately impacted communities of color. Baltimore City Mayor Scott has recently said he is working to tackle racial disparities in housing availability. Earlier this month, Scott announced the Housing Options and Opportunity Act, which he said would tackle "exclusionary zoning" in the city. The measure, if passed, would create a new definition in the zoning code for multi-family, low-density homes, thus expanding existing zoning laws.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers' touted electric bill refund would average $81 per household
Linemen work on a power line in Puerto Rico, in this file photo from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (Photo by Dave Palmer/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) That potential electric bill refund being touted by legislative leaders as part of a larger energy reform package? It could amount to an average of $81 per household, according to legislative analysts. The provision is one of a laundry list of energy reforms included in legislation that passed unanimously in a Senate committee this week, including language that would expedite the construction of new nuclear energy and — possibly — natural gas power plants in Maryland. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) held up the rebate as the quickest remedy legislators can provide for Marylanders' utility bill sticker shock. 'The goal was to have a short-term impact, a mid-term impact and a long-term impact and that's what this energy leadership package really represents,' Ferguson said Friday. The plan is to use about $200 million from the Maryland Energy Administration's Strategic Energy Investment Fund, which is typically used for energy efficiency projects, Ferguson said. Each household's exact refund would depend on their energy usage, and the payment would arrive in two parts in fiscal 2026: Once during the peak summer season and again during winter. Sen. Cheryl C. Kagan (D-Montgomery) said Friday, after voting in favor of the bill in committee, that she remains concerned that there is no 'litmus test' determining which Marylanders ought to be compensated. 'My concern is that someone in a megamansion is going to get a whole lot of money, and someone who's trying to pinch their pennies will get a paltry amount, but have a greater need,' Kagan said. But Ferguson said that offering the refund across the board, and basing it on energy usage, was seen as the best way to reach not just low-income ratepayers — who can take advantage of other programs to help with electric bills — but also the middle class. 'We're really concerned for those who are not eligible for the lowest-income funds, but were not wealthy, and that middle gap is really feeling the pinch,' Ferguson said. The SEIF funds actually come from the utilities themselves, which can make 'alternative compliance payments' when they haven't purchased enough renewable energy to comply with state mandates. In fiscal 2024, utilities contributed $318 million to the SEIF fund. It was a large amount relative to prior years, because the alternative compliance fees became less expensive than actual renewable energy credits. Normally, the funding would go to projects meant to fill in the gap, such as HVAC replacements, lighting upgrades and solar panel installations. If approved, the refunds would appear on Marylanders' utility bills as a 'Legislative Energy Hardship Credit.' But some legislators want to go back to the drawing board. Sen. Ronald L. Watson (D-Prince George's) said Thursday that the name ought to be changed to 'consumer relief payment,' or something similar. 'It's not a legislative hardship,' Watson said. 'No, we are reimbursing ratepayers who have paid too much for far too long, and trying to give them something back twice in one year.'
New York Times
18-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Witches Are Having a Cultural Moment. Some States Are Taking Up Their Cause.
It was February 1698, and disease was sweeping through Leonardtown, a small village in southern Maryland. Locals knew whom to blame: They set fire to the hut of Moll Dyer, a single woman living alone on the edge of town who had been deemed a witch. She escaped the enraged citizens, only to die in the frozen wilderness. Her body was found clinging to a rock, on which her knees and hands supposedly left impressions. Ms. Dyer, arguably, inspired one of the most famous fictional witches in American pop culture: the one at the center of the 1999 horror film 'The Blair Witch Project.' Although the film never explicitly mentioned Ms. Dyer's fate, it is widely believed to have been based on her story. Ingeniously marketed as found footage, the hit film also endowed Maryland with a haunted reputation. Ms. Dyer is one of seven people who were tried and convicted of witchcraft in Maryland in the 17th and 18th centuries. Only one was executed: Rebecca Fowler, a widow who was hanged in 1685 after a servant accused her of witchcraft. But all had their reputations sullied for centuries. Now, the Maryland delegate Heather A. Bagnall, who represents a patch of the state north of Annapolis, has introduced a resolution in the general assembly to exonerate them all. The proposed resolution, which had an initial committee hearing on March 10, has been criticized as out of step with Marylanders' priorities, but Ms. Bagnall bristled at any suggestion that the measure was frivolous. In an interview, she said she was partly motivated by the demise of Roe v. Wade, which was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2022, and by the anti-abortion measures passed in states like Texas. 'I've got a real appetite for it, and the more I talk about it, the more people realize, 'No, this is serious,'' Ms. Bagnall said. 'This is not just like a flight of fancy. It's relevant today.' She compared the campaigns against witches to those against transgender rights and racial diversity initiatives, which have recently come under sustained assault. At the initial hearing last week, Ms. Bagnall was joined by witch exoneration advocates, including an Episcopalian priest. Afterward, her staff was thrilled but unsure of just when the measure might come up for a full vote. It could be months, even years. Daniel Myrick, who co-directed 'The Blair Witch Project,' said he supported her effort. 'We are a flawed nation, and were born out of doing some incredibly cruel things,' he said in an interview. Better 'symbolic' reckoning, as he put it, than none at all — and better late than never. 'It's a social justice issue,' said Elizabeth Pugliese-Shaw, a family law attorney in the Washington, D.C., suburbs. 'These people should never have been accused.' She became interested in witch exoneration after learning that other states had done so: In 2022, Massachusetts cleared Elizabeth Johnson Jr., whose conviction was the last to remain standing from the notorious Salem Witch Trials. Connecticut followed with its own witch exonerations in 2023. Perhaps most notably, Scotland apologized for its witchcraft trials that led to the torture and execution of thousands of women from the 16th to the 18th centuries. 'Anyone who didn't fit the mold of what people expected would be targeted,' said Marlisa Ross, who recently staged a play about the victims of the Scottish witch hunt in Glasgow. Much like Ms. Bagnall, Dr. Ross said she saw a parallel between the witchcraft panic and the rising social animosities today. 'It was a way to make everybody have a common enemy,' she said. In the Puritan colonies of New England, witchcraft was a catchall accusation leveled against women for a variety of reasons: lack of a husband, personality quirks, an interest in herbal medicine or childbirth. 'The accusations are usually against outsiders within the community,' said Daniel T. Howlett, who is completing his doctoral studies in religion and disability in the American colonies at George Mason University in Virginia. Mr. Howlett is related to Mary Bradbury, who was convicted of witchcraft in the Salem trials. 'Being a witch meant that you'd signed a covenant with the devil in most European traditions,' he said. Often, women were simply convenient scapegoats. Beth M. Caruso, who led the exoneration effort in Connecticut, has written three novels about the state's witch trials. Her interest was piqued after she learned of the plight of Alse Young, believed to be the first woman hanged for witchcraft in the American colonies in 1647. Much like Ms. Dyer, Ms. Young was blamed for a disease outbreak. 'Where she lived was right next door to a cluster of child deaths,' Ms. Caruso said. 'So then it made total sense as to why she was accused.' The current cultural moment may be particularly auspicious. Witches have been enjoying something of a revival, and not only because of 'Wicked,' the hit musical film starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. The 'witchtok' hashtag on TikTok has millions of posts, as users flock to witchcraft's moody aesthetic, as well as to its emphasis on alternative healing and nature-centered spirituality. 'Part of the draw for us to witchcraft is the acceptance and celebration of our personal identities, bodies, bodily autonomy, a love of our planet and, in many cases, healing from past religious traumas,' Devin Hunter, who runs the website Modern Witch, wrote in an email. 'For example, many of us are women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and are members of other underserved communities. Like us, those convicted and tried for witchcraft were often vulnerable people living on the fringes of society.' (In some countries and regions, women continue to be prosecuted for witchcraft.) Today, the legend of Moll Dyer still permeates Leonardtown, a tidy waterside enclave where a horse-drawn carriage might pass a hip cocktail lounge. The rock, the one where Ms. Dyer supposedly met her end, is covered by glass — touching it is said to enrage Ms. Dyer's spirit and bring bad luck. A cat cafe on the town's main strip is called 'Meow Dyer,' an apparent reference to the accused witch's name. Since 2021, a weekend in late February has been devoted to celebrating Ms. Dyer's memory. This year, the events included 'paranormal investigations,' axe throwing and a cocktail contest. Historical markers on the road to Leonardtown proclaim Maryland's legacy as a haven of religious tolerance. Nevertheless, when England passed an anti-witchcraft act in 1604, the state adopted it. But Ms. Bagnall is not bothered by the fact that centuries have passed since the injustices were committed under that law. 'It's never the wrong time to do the right thing,' she said.
CBS News
14-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Community activists to protest ICE outside Baltimore City federal building
Community activists are set to protest immigration and customs enforcement outside the George H. Fallon Federal Building in Baltimore City on Friday afternoon. In a social media post, the Free State Coalition said it would hold a peaceful protest "against the unlawful and inhumane detainment of immigrants in Baltimore City." The protest comes amid local frustrations with the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration enforcement. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Free State Coalition (@freestatecoalition) Maryland communities pushback against ICE crackdown Immigrant communities in Maryland have reported being fearful amid President Donald Trump's push for mass deportations. This week, the Baltimore County Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution to increase protections for immigrant students. The measure states that immigrant students have the right to access Baltimore County Public School (BCPS) programming in school and throughout the district. Amid the immigration crackdown, some students have been fearful of attending school, preventing them from accessing education programs and services. The resolution comes after a teacher at Overlea High School was placed on administrative leave for allegedly posting on social media that he would expose his students who attended an immigration justice rally. In February, the immigration advocacy organization CASA expressed its support for proposed legislation that would protect immigrant communities in Maryland. The proposed Maryland Data Privacy Act is a bill aimed at protecting immigrants' personal information from federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The bill, if passed, would prohibit ICE agents from accessing Marylanders' personal data held in state databases without a warrant issued by a state or federal judge. Another proposed bill, the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, would require the Maryland Attorney General to develop guidelines for immigration enforcement at sensitive locations such as schools, healthcare facilities, and places of worship. A third bill, the Maryland Values Act - which has yet to be filed, aims to add state collaboration with ICE. State leaders challenge federal immigration crackdown In January, Maryland joined 11 other states in a legal challenge to President Trump's immigration initiatives, following warnings from the Department of Justice that non-compliant state officials could face investigation. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown issued guidelines to county and state law enforcement agencies clarifying that officers cannot inquire about immigration status during routine police work. The guidelines also prohibit sharing immigration information with federal authorities without a warrant and ban contracts with private immigration detention facilities.
CBS News
06-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says tariffs on Canada, Mexico are deeply problematic for Port of Baltimore
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore called President Trump's imposed blanket 25% tariff on all goods imported from Canada and Mexico "deeply problematic" for the Port of Baltimore. The Port of Baltimore, one of the nation's busiest port facilities, supports thousands of local jobs and brings in billions of dollars worth of goods, especially car parts and produce, according to Maryland economists. Moore said Maryland businesses and consumers are bracing for higher costs on imported goods. "It's going to have a huge impact. In fact, it already has," Moore said. "Canada is our largest partner, it's our largest domestic producer, for the state of Maryland, and we are going to throw blanket tariffs, on Canada?" According to the state of Maryland, in 2024, the Port of Baltimore handled 45.9 million tons of international cargo valued at $62.2 billion. Nationally, Baltimore ranks 10th for tonnage of international cargo and 11th for total dollar value, the state reports. Now, the Trump administration has imposed new 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, adding to an existing 10% on Chinese imports. "This is deeply problematic what we are seeing with this unnecessary and self-imposed trade war," Moore said. According to CBS News, experts say the new tax on imports could drive up the costs of consumer goods, including groceries and automobiles. A typical American family could face higher annual costs of between $1,600 to $2,000 due to the new tariffs, according to CBS News, citing a new analysis from the Yale Budget Lab, a nonpartisan public policy research center. Moore says the supplies coming in will directly impact Marylanders' wallets. "I think this is having this deep and disastrous impact on, not just the business community, but on the price and cost of goods that everyday Marylanders are feeling, whether you are going to the grocery store or whether you are getting your prescription drugs." Rising costs with tariffs According to CBS News, products imported directly from Canada, Mexico and China could see price hikes as businesses pass along the tariff costs, either in full or in part, to consumers. There are some products made in the United States that use imported materials, including vehicles, which could cause a price hike. According to CBS News, citing GasBuddy energy analyst Patrick De Haan, consumers could see higher prices for some products fairly quickly, such as gasoline, with some regions expected to see gas prices jump as much as 40 cents per gallon within days. De Haan says drivers in the Northeast are likely to see the biggest immediate impact, with gas prices jumping by between 20 to 40 cents per gallon by mid-March. Experts tell CBS News that other goods, including cars, might not reflect higher prices for several months. CBS News, citing the Anderson Economic Group (AEG), a Michigan-based economic consultancy, reports the sweeping tariffs could drive up car costs by as much as $12,200 for some models. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that in 2023, the U.S. imported more than $45 billion worth of agricultural products from Mexico, and nearly three-quarters of those imports consisted of vegetables, fruit, beer, tequila and other drinks. Key Bridge collapse The Port of Baltimore and the nation's supply chain were impacted when Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on March 26, 2024, killing five construction workers who fell into the Patapsco River. The main channel to the Port of Baltimore was blocked for weeks, which prohibited major cargo ships from docking at the port. The main passageway for commercial ships was fully reopened on June 11, 2024, after about 50,000 tons of bridge wreckage was removed from the Patapsco River. Portworkers strike In October 2024, portworkers along the East Coast, including at the Port of Baltimore, went on strike. At least 25,000 port workers, with more than 2,000 in Baltimore, at 14 ports along the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, initiated a strike after a new labor agreement between the International Longshoremen's Association and the US Maritime Alliance wasn't reached. Fortunately, the strike only lasted three days. The union stopped its strike after securing a pay raise of 61.5% over the next six years.
