Fighter Squadron, F-16s Move to Maryland
Maryland’s Air National Guard will get a fighter squadron of F-16s from Washington, DC. The US Air Force said it will transfer the 121st Fighter Squadron from the DC Air National Guard to Maryland.
Global Military Spending Reaches Record Levels
A Stockholm International Peace Research Institute report says military spending across the globe in 2023 reached the highest levels ever recorded by a major global think tank.
$10M Reward for Info on Ransomware Gang
The US State Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information about the identity or location of the leaders of the global ransomware gang Hive. Hive has extorted more than $100 million in ransom payments from hospitals, schools, financial firms, and critical infrastructure in the US since June 2021.
Kaine Questions Biden’s Bombing Authority
A growing number of bipartisan lawmakers is questioning President Joe Biden’s legal authorities to conduct missile strikes on Yemen’s Houthis.
Navy Settles Lawsuit Over Potomac Testing
A lawsuit against the US Navy regarding weapons testing on the Potomac River has been settled. The Navy will be required to obtain a Clean Water Act permit to minimize the pollution impacts from its weapons testing at Dahlgren, VA.
Military Struggles to Reach Recruitment Goals
US DefSec Lloyd Austin swore in new military recruits last week. As DoD marked the 50th anniversary of the country’s all-volunteer force, the armed services are struggling to meet recruitment goals.
MD Won’t Send Guard to Southern Border
A growing list of Republican leaders are sending their state National Guard soldiers or other state law enforcement officers to the US border with Mexico. Gov. Wes Moore (D) said last week that “Maryland’s not doing that. Right now, what Maryland is doing — Maryland is focusing on public safety here. Maryland is focusing on our schools here. Maryland is focusing on the myriad of challenges and the myriad of opportunities that we have here in the state of Maryland … .”
Lawmakers Push for UMD-Led Microtech Initiative
Rep. Steny H. Hoyer joined a bipartisan group of more than 20 of his congressional colleagues in writing to US DefSec Lloyd Austin in support of the University of Maryland-led Mid-Atlantic Semiconductor Collaborative proposal to contribute to the Department of Defense’s Microelectronic Commons initiative.
State AG Files Lawsuit Against MetCom Over Sewage Overflows
The Maryland Attorney General’s Office filed a civil complaint Thursday in the Circuit Court for St. Mary’s County against the St. Mary’s County Metropolitan Commission over continued sewage overflows from its sanitary sewer system.
No Bay Bridge Expansion Any Time Soon
Don’t expect another span across Chesapeake Bay any time soon. Maryland Transportation Authority officials say they have four or five years to analyze alternatives and assess environmental impacts and only then, if the state gets federal approval and funding can design and construction begin.
