The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
MARYLAND SEAFOOD PRICES UP
The huge oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is beginning to be felt in Maryland, as the state's seafood businesses say fisheries' shutdowns in Louisiana waters have pinched off a major source of oysters and domestic shrimp, driving up prices in the process. Gulf crabs, which grace many a late-spring feast in Maryland, are still available, say wholesalers and restaurateurs. But don't expect any price breaks at the crab house or market, because the predicted boom in Chesapeake Bay crustaceans hasn't shown up yet in local waters. "Memorial Day weekend, there's going to be shortages, and the prices are going to be outrageous, but that's normal," Bill Sieling of the Chesapeake Bay Seafood Industries Association said about crabs. As a result of the Gulf fisheries disruption, he noted, "it will be greater than it usually is."
(BALTIMORE SUN)
ROOMIER METRO RAIL CARS
Washington's new subway cars will have ergonomically designed seats for back comfort, added legroom and resilient floors for easy cleaning (no more stained and dirty carpets). Automated voices will make station announcements instead of hard-to-hear humans. Washington's new subway cars will have ergonomically designed seats for back comfort, added legroom and resilient floors for easy cleaning (no more stained and dirty carpets). Automated voices will make station announcements instead of hard-to-hear humans.
(WASHINGTON POST)
LOCAL GROUPS PROTEST ARIZONA LAW
Local activists are protesting Arizona's new immigration law in the nation's capital. Organizers say they will gather at noon on Saturday in Dupont Circle in downtown Washington for an artistic expression event and rally. They say they will then march to the White House. Among those expected to address the crowd include Rodrigo Leiva, leader of the Latino Federation of Greater Washington; Gustavo Torres, head of Casa de Maryland; and sports writer David Zirin. Protesters say it's part of many events planned across the country against Arizona's new law, which allows police to question anyone they suspect of being in the country illegally. They're also calling for an end to the Secure Communities program that sends inmates' fingerprint information to ICE and the FBI.
(WASHINGTON EXAMINER.COM)
TARA O'MALLEY'S "TEACHABLE MOMENT"
The younger daughter of Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley was found unconscious near the Inner Harbor on Thursday evening, according to a police report released Friday. O'Malley's wife, Baltimore District Judge Katie O'Malley, issued a statement Friday saying 18-year-old Tara O'Malley had attended a graduation celebration before she "became ill and received medical treatment." She called it a "teachable moment" and asked that the family's privacy be respected in the matter. Shaun Adamec, a spokesman for the governor, said Tara, the second oldest of O'Malley's four children, had graduated from Notre Dame Preparatory School on Thursday. He referred The Associated Press to the family's statement, which made no mention of alcohol, when asked if the teen had been drinking.
(WTOP/AP)
BEATING THE BEACH TRAFFIC
If you’re planning on hopping in the car and getting out of town this weekend for the Memorial Day holiday, be prepared — nearly 544,000 other Marylanders have the same idea. AAA Mid-Atlantic announced Wednesday it expects a 6.4 percent increase in total Maryland travel this holiday weekend to roughly 639,900 people taking a trip away from home. About 85 percent — or 543,915 — of those people will be on the road. Ocean City, Maryland’s beach resort, stands to benefit from much of the road travel with the Maryland Transportation Authority predicting that 352,000 cars will travel the Chesapeake Bay Bridge this weekend, up from 335,000 last year. Bridge construction reached a major milestone recently when the last new deck segment was installed, The temporary steel roadway plates are to be removed from westbound travel lanes before the holiday weekend.
(THE DAILY RECORD)
