O'Malley In New Hampshire, The Sale Of Harborplace, A Redistricting Referendum Ruling, and A Study Predicts A Drop In Teenage Use Of Smokeless Tobacco

Governor Martin O'Malley spent part of his Tuesday campaigning for President Obama in New Hampshire (via our wire service; more here from the Concord Monitor). O'Malley is widely expected to be considering his own bid for the Presidency in four years; New Hampshire would be key to that, as it holds the first-in-the-nation presidential primary. In related news, a poll released by the Washington Post earlier this week showed that 22 percent of Maryland voters think O'Malley would make a good president... with 62 percent saying they think he would not. That Post poll also put Governor O'Malley's job approval rating at its lowest level since he took office -- with 49 percent of voters approving his performance, and 41 percent disapproving (via the Washington Post). 

Harborplace, the crown jewel of downtown Baltimore, has a new owner after being sold to New York real estate investment firm Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation (via our wire service, the Baltimore Business Journal and the Baltimore Sun).

Maryland's highest court has put out its ruling that upholds the referendum putting the state's new Congressional district map on the November ballot. The Court of Appeals vote to uphold the computer-generated petitions used for the referendum 4 to 3, meaning that the map would not have gone vefore voters had one vote been different. As it is, the map will be on the ballot -- as Question 5 (via the Gazette; more here from the Daily Record).

The use of smokeless tobacco and cheap cigars by Maryland teenagers is likely to drop by about a third because of new higher taxes, according to a study being released today by the University of Maryland's law school (via marylandreporter.com). 

On today's edition of Inside Maryland Politics, WYPR Senior News Analyst Fraser Smith talks to The Daily Record's Alexander Pyles about this election season colliding with football season.

Meetings of Baltimore's Spending, Zoning, and Liquor boards are headed to television. Starting today, the meetings will be broadcast on TV25, the city's cable channel; they'll also be available on the web. The plan to televise the meetings has sparked some controversy; it was announced by a press release from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake... which City Council President "Jack" Young said was an attempt to take credit for the initiative, which he had proposed two years ago (via our wire service and the Baltimore Sun).

A new report from Baltimore's inspector general indicates that City employees have wasted nearly $1-million by purchasing fuel at private gas stations instead of at cheaper, government-owned pumps (via our wire service and the Baltimore Sun). 

Talks are ongoing with Andretti Sports Marketing to run the next year's Grand Prix of Baltimore (via our wire service and the Baltimore Business Journal).

The Bay Bridge is open this morning following a hazmat incident that shut it down for several hours yesterday afternoon. Officials say Route 50 was closed after a tanker truck started leaking propane just before the westbound span of the bridge. The Maryland Transportation Authority is investigating what caused the tanker to leak (via our wire service and the Baltimore Sun).

And a brush fire is still burning near the Eastern Shore town of Eden. More than 50 firefighters from eight Lower Shore fire companies were called out yesterday to fight the blaze. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is monitoring the wooded area where some fire remains (via the Daily Times).

The Frederick County city of Brunswick is getting ready to implement a "trap, neuter, and release" program to deal with its feral cat population (via the Frederick News Post).

The price of admission is going down at Baltimore's National Aquarium, but only if you get their early. Under the aquarium's new "Maryland Mornings" program, state residents can get eight dollars off an adult ticket and four dollars off a child's admission for visits that begin before noon Sunday through Friday. The discount program runs through February (via our wire service and the Baltimore Sun). Incidentially, the Aquarium's "Maryland Mornings" program is not associated with WYPR's radio program "Maryland Morning with Sheilah Kast."