A Flash Flood Watch is in effect through 3pm throughout the listening area, with showers and thunderstorms expected this morning and this afternoon. The Baltimore City Council last night granted preliminary approval to controversial legislation that would send $107-million in public financing to the Harbor Point development. Maryland Attorney General (and likely 2014 gubernatorial candidate) Doug Gansler is having to defend himself after the surfacing of secretly-recorded remarks about race and Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown. Plus: the proposed Kent Island development, a call to end Anne Arundel County’s Executive Protection Unit, activities fees for Harford County students, and more.
Stormy Weather: A Flash Flood Watch is in effect through 3pm throughout the listening area, with showers and thunderstorms expected this morning and this afternoon; some bringing heavy rainfall. Severe storms are possible as well; a Tornado Warning was issued early this morning for parts of Cecil and Harford counties. The National Weather Service posts the latest forecast and advisories here.
Harbor Point: The Baltimore City Council has given a preliminary okay to controversial legislation that would provide $107-million in tax increment financing for the Harbor Point development. Yesterday’s vote was 11 to 3, with one abstention; a final vote is expected to take place next month, and officials expect the legislation will pass. Last night’s vote went down amid vocal objections from many of the plan’s critics. WYPR’s Kenneth Burns was there and filed this report. There’s more here from the Baltimore Business Journal and here from the Baltimore Sun.
Gansler On Brown, Race: Maryland Attorney General (and likely 2014 gubernatorial candidate) Doug Gansler is coming under scrutiny for comments he made about race… and about another Democrat who’s running for governor, Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown.The Washington Post has obtained a secretly taped speech, in which Gansler says opponent Brown doesn't have much to show for his time in office… and argues that the Lieutenant Governor is trying to rely on race as he mounts his gubernatorial bid. Brown is black, Gansler white. On the recording, Gansler said: “Right now his, his campaign slogan is, 'Vote for me, I want to be the first African American governor of Maryland.' Which is fine.” Gansler went on to say that there’s no one bigger on diversity than he is – and notes that he was an early backer of Barack Obama’s bid for the presidency in 2008; Brown had at first given his support to Hillary Rodham Clinton. On the recording, Gansler said: “I’m all about picking the candidate, and so when it was time to pick the candidate for president of the United States, when Barack Obama wanted to run, I said I’m not going to judge somebody by the color of their skin, I’m gonna judge by the content of the character and who is the better candidate, and I thought Barack Obama was the better candidate, so I chaired his campaign.” But Gansler appeared to indicate that race could play a role in his choice for running mate; Gansler said he plans to announce his pick for Lieutenant Governor shortly after he officially declares his candidacy in September… and, he said: “It’ll be an African American, and it’ll be somebody from either Baltimore or Prince George’s.” The Gansler campaign isn’t disputing the authenticity of the tape… but has accused the Brown campaign of illegally recording the remarks. Brown's campaign says it had nothing to do with the recording, and the Washington Post says that the source of the recording was not employed by either campaign.
Kent Island Development: Approval Too Soon Or Too Late? After a dozen years on the drawing board, a waterfront development planned for Kent Island is facing critics – who say it ignores what’s been learned in the meantime about environmental and safety threats. WYPR’s Karen Hosler reports.
Task Force Calls For End To AA Executive Protection Unit: An independent task force is calling on the Anne Arundel County Police Department to shut down its executive protection unit. That unit was at the center of the scandal around former County Executive John Leopold that led to his conviction on misconduct charges and ouster from office. The task force is recommending that the executive protection unit be replaced by special officers assigned to the county executive's office. There’s more here from the Capital Gazette and here from the Baltimore Sun.
Maryland General Hospital Settlement: Maryland General Hospital is agreeing to pay the federal government $750-thousand to settle allegations that it overbilled patients for cardiac testing. The lawsuit was filed by a whistleblower under a federal law that allows private citizens with knowledge of fraud to bring civil actions on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. The whistleblower is receiving $119-thousand dollars for his efforts. More on this story here from the Baltimore Business Journal and here from the Baltimore Sun.
Activities Fees For Students In Harford County: Students in Harford County will soon have to pay fees to participate in sports and other extracurricular activities. This, as Harford School officials say their system is facing a $20-million budget deficit; they say it’s the fault of a $6-million cut in state money for the district and expenditures that have risen $15-million. More on this story here from the Baltimore Sun.
Rising Home Prices: Baltimore area home prices have reached their highest level since summer of 2008. The Baltimore Business Journal reportsthat, in July, home prices rose in all six jurisdictions that compose the Baltimore region – that includes the city itself, as well as Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties. The Baltimore Sun has more here.
Baltimore Baseball: the Orioles lost last night's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks; the score was 7 to 6. The two teams play again tonight.