Julie Bykowicz
@bykowicz.bsky.social
Business and Enterprise Editor The Baltimore Banner Local news lover https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/
I live in a small town in NE Scotland close to where chunks of the #Odyssey was filmed. Nolan’s cast and crew were all lovely and spent money like water in our hard-up area. He even made sure our tiny cinemas got on-time release of it when we normally have to wait for big movies. Thanks Chris.
Dystopian-feeling in downtown Baltimore this week. Wildfire smoke from Ontario is thick. Meanwhile, the harbor's pistachio tides are back, earlier than usual and seemingly getting worse: www.thebanner.com/community/cl...
Why is Baltimore’s pistachio tide starting earlier and getting worse?
The phenomenon, known locally as a “pistachio tide,” has taken over Baltimore’s central waterway this week. It seems to be happening earlier and experts say it’s getting worse.
thebanner.com
Maryland health experts are urging residents to stay indoors Friday as wildfire smoke pushes air quality to dangerous levels, warning that even healthy people could experience breathing problems and other effects. Here’s how to protect yourself.
Maryland air quality worsens as wildfire smoke drifts in. How to protect yourself.
Maryland health experts are urging residents to stay indoors Friday as wildfire smoke pushes air quality to dangerous levels.
buff.ly
NEW: In one of my last stories @thebaltimorebanner.com, I dug into an unusual arrangement at the Prince George's County Sheriff's Office, where a political supporter of the sheriff acknowledged she is taking payments from landlords to help coordinate evictions. www.thebanner.com/community/ho...
A political ally of the sheriff schedules evictions in Prince George’s — for a fee
Known as the “mayor of Suitland,” Elsie Jacobs has gained an outsize but informal role at the sheriff’s office.
thebanner.com
NEW: A Maryland prisoner may have been dead for days before he was found decomposing in his cell; now the warden is out, 19 corrections officers have been charged, and state police are conducting a "potential criminal misconduct" investigation www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
Warden’s out, 19 officers face discipline after Maryland’s 9th prison killing this year
State police and corrections officials are conducting a “potential criminal misconduct” investigation into staff at a Western Maryland prison after the latest in a rash of killings of prisoners across...
thebanner.com
Elon Musk's xAI has installed more than double the number of gas turbines than it has publicly acknowledged to power its Colossus 2 data center project, without federal permits, and the pollution is hitting predominantly Black neighborhoods the hardest reut.rs/4bIghEm
Guy tries to make a Monopoly edition around the 250th birthday, wants to source domestically after tariffs, and realizes that America can't make dice. Dice! www.npr.org/2026/07/12/n...
What a Monopoly importer learned when it tried to make things in the U.S.A.
After getting hit with tariffs for the imported board games he sells, Jonathan Silva decided to see if he could produce a version of his Monopoly game in the United States. This is what he learned.
npr.org
People are right to be mad about the predictable Platner fiasco, but it's worth remembering that last year a ton of establishment Democrats supported disgraced sexual harasser Andrew Cuomo against clean-as-a-whistle Zohran. Tolerating problem men is an issue across the ideological spectrum.
Cape Verde becomes the smallest country in World Cup history to reach the knockout round.
Cape Verde’s dream run continues, becoming smallest country into World Cup knockout round
Cape Verde completed an improbable run through the group stage with a third straight World Cup draw to become the smallest country to ever earn a spot in the knockout round following a 0-0 result against Saudi Arabia on Friday.
bit.ly
The Banner is looking for an education reporter to cover Prince George's County. job-boards.greenhouse.io/thebaltimore...
Education Reporter, Prince George’s County
Prince George's County, MD
job-boards.greenhouse.io
Incredibly proud of the amazing @thebaltimorebanner.com data team for delivering our best live election results experience ever Because of their hard work the Banner is home to more detailed results than you can find anywhere else. And we're not done counting: www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
Maryland US House seats: Primary election results 2026
Follow Maryland’s U.S. House primary election results and track vote totals across the state’s congressional districts.
thebanner.com
One of the biggest tourism events in years is coming to Baltimore this weekend. But will it be an economic boon? @briaovers.bsky.social for @thebaltimorebanner.com www.thebanner.com/economy/sail...
‘Operation Sail’ brought millions to Baltimore. Sail250 hopes to do it again.
Sail250 is a five-city showcase of international and domestic vessels, military ships and aircraft. Officials hope that Baltimore’s part, from June 24-30, will attract crowds and millions of dollars i...
thebanner.com
A snappy read by @hayesgardner.bsky.social ⚽⚽⚽
Hayes Gardner@hayesgardner.bsky.social · last mo.Swarms of Scottish soccer supporters drinking their way through Natty Bohs sure would’ve been a spectacle. But as other cities have learned, hosting World Cup matches put on by revenue-hungry FIFA is not for the faint of heart. www.thebanner.com/sports/world...
New: ‘Enough is enough’: Dali crew members who have been 'marooned' here since Key Bridge collapse ask court to return home. w/ @hayesgardner.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
‘Enough is enough’: Dali crew members ask court to let them go home
The companies that own and operate the container ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge are demanding that its crew members be allowed to leave after more than two years “marooned” in the...
thebanner.com
This John Waters interview has been edited for readability — but perhaps not human decency buff.ly/kxmgs9a
NEW: Why Mayor Brandon Scott wants a do-over on his most controversial deal — the one where BGE profits from city-owned infrastructure Great read by @emilyopilo.bsky.social (who lived this), Giacomo Bologna and @hayesgardner.bsky.social In @thebaltimorebanner.com www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
Why Mayor Brandon Scott wants a do-over on his most controversial deal
Mayor Brandon Scott rushed through a deal with BGE in 2023 that allowed the utility company to profit from Baltimore-owned infrastructure. His administration says it wants to renegotiate.
thebanner.com
Read @briaovers.bsky.social on the local economic impact of immigration enforcement surges.
Baltimore Banner@thebaltimorebanner.com · 2mo agoHighlandtown’s business district was growing. Then ICE came.
James Dolan invited his friend Donald Trump to watch Game 3. In order to do that, they have to ban the organic, historically joyous parties happening outside MSG for fans who can't afford to be inside. Modern sports in a nutshell
Pablo Torre@pablo.show · 4mo agoSports owners are using tech to build private surveillance states — while taking public money. Which means that Knicks owner James Dolan is the future. In a new collaboration with @wired.com, we go inside how MSG secretly watches fans, surveils kids, tracks players… youtu.be/yNZ3hJPN5Vc?...
"the agency’s decisions meant businesses could pocket millions they’d already agreed to refund to consumers, and avoid costly monitoring & compliance. Companies also may have escaped penalties from ongoing lawsuits that alleged billions of dollars in consumer harm" www.bloomberg.com/features/202...
Trump’s Consumer Watchdog Lets Big Business Out of Millions Owed
Russell Vought has gutted the CFPB, and in dozens of cases refused to enforce settlements and pursue lawsuits to the benefit of companies like Walmart, Toyota and others.
bloomberg.com
The contractor working on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is being paid an inflated and excessive profit margin, according to federal documents obtained by The New York Times. nyti.ms/4dz0oSb
BREAKING: Annapolis has reached a tentative settlement agreement in a years-long housing discrimination lawsuit. Read more in @thebaltimorebanner.com:
Annapolis tentatively settles yearslong housing discrimination lawsuits for $15M
The city of Annapolis agreed to a $15 million settlement in two housing discrimination lawsuits.
thebanner.com
Great read by Giacomo Bologna on Baltimore's convention center hopes and dreams — and their $1 billion price tag.
Baltimore Banner@thebaltimorebanner.com · 3mo agoA 22-person task force of state and local leaders wants to modernize the Baltimore Convention Center. The price? About $1 billion. buff.ly/AZKHej9
NEW: The owner & operator of the ship that destroyed the Key Bridge are asking to put an upcoming civil trial on hold after federal prosecutors announced criminal charges last week. www.thebanner.com/community/lo...
Ship owner, operator seek delay in Key Bridge civil trial after indictment
The companies that own and operate the ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge are asking to put a long-awaited civil trial on hold after the U.S. Department of Justice announced criminal cha...
thebanner.com