Smithsonian’s chief says more museums must wait, maintenance is top priority

WASHINGTON – As the public demand for new museums increases, the Smithsonian Institution’s chief says his top priority is getting on top of a huge maintenance backlog at the world’s largest museum and research complex before he considers expanding.  Smithsonian…

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau holds stance against added payday borrower protections

WASHINGTON – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has not budged on its June decision cutting additional protections.  “There was insufficient evidence and legal support for these requirements,” CFPB Director Kathleen Kraninger wrote in a Sep. 23 letter to Rep. Maxine…

White House Ukraine call summary “damning,” Hoyer, other Democrats, say

WASHINGTON – Democratic lawmakers escalated the partisan furor over the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump Wednesday after the White House released a summary of a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Democrats called “damning.” The president asked…

Pelosi sets formal impeachment inquiry into Trump; Maryland Democrats concur

WASHINGTON – For the fourth time in history, Congress is opening an impeachment inquiry into the president of the United States, an extraordinarily fast-moving development after months of debate among Democrats over whether to proceed with such a constitutionally serious…

Cardin, Brown say Andrews military families are paying for Trump’s wall

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Maryland – With sewage backups, flooding, mold and pests, and frequent internet, phone, and air conditioning outages, Joint Base Andrews is in desperate need of a new child care center. Congress allocated $13 million to replace the…

After Wow Air closes, critics see flaws in U.S. regulation

WASHINGTON – A purple Airbus jetliner with bright white lettering sat in silence in a dark corner of Newark Liberty International Airport. Another was parked at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The idle jetliners are remnants of Wow Air,…

Spokesman for Anthony Brown ‘confident’ he will seek re-election

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Democratic  Rep. Anthony Brown has more than $517,000 in the bank heading into the next campaign cycle, according to year-end reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, and a spokesman said he is confident the Maryland…

Sen. Will Smith to be deployed to Afghanistan in March

Sen. Will Smith, an officer in the United States Naval Reserve, is scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan on March 29 in support of Operation Resolute Support.

Maryland legislators disappointed with Trump’s State of the Union address

WASHINGTON – Maryland’s Democratic lawmakers were cold to President Donald Trump’s call for unity in Tuesday’s State of the Union, saying it failed to break any new ground. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Mechanicsville, said he didn’t want to call…

Maryland legislators pleased with shutdown deal, but Democrats hit Trump

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced Friday that he has come to an agreement with Democrats to reopen the government for three weeks. Several Maryland lawmakers quickly responded that they hoped to find a path to avoiding another shutdown. Minutes…