CNS Maryland • December 2021

Supreme Court weighs Mississippi abortion law, future of Roe v. Wade

WASHINGTON – With a crowd of hundreds of activists gathered outside, the Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on a Mississippi law restricting abortions that challenges the nearly 50-year precedent set by Roe v. Wade.

CNS Maryland • November 2021

Supreme Court to hear arguments over Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks

WASHINGTON – In a landmark case watched by abortion advocates and opponents, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Dec. 1 on a 2018 Mississippi law challenging nearly 50 years of legal access to abortions.

CNS Maryland • November 2021

Massive infrastructure bill cleared by House includes nearly $8 billion for Maryland

WASHINGTON — An unprecedented infrastructure bill that won final passage by the House late Friday includes nearly $8 billion for highway, public transportation, ports and broadband projects throughout Maryland.

CNS Maryland • November 2021

Hoyer proposes $9 billion trust fund to help reverse global deforestation

WASHINGTON – Following up on one of President Joe Biden’s pledges to combat climate change, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Mechanicsville, introduced legislation on Wednesday aimed at ending global deforestation, creating a $9 billion trust fund to assist developing countries.

The Campus Trainer • November 2021

Body positivity in the age of COVID-19

It is not surprising to hear that the pandemic has had a negative impact on our nation's mental health. In July, 53 percent of adults in the U.S. said the pandemic had negatively impacted their mental health, up 39 percent from May, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll.

Street Car Suburbs • November 2021

Meet Julie Verratti: Local Business Leader, Pioneer Defying Stereotypes – Streetcar Suburbs News

Inside a suburban Sheraton, surrounded by men in grey suits, a young woman in a black leather jacket asks the sharpest question of anyone there.

CNS Maryland • October 2021

Supreme Court hears arguments on Texas abortion law Monday

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Monday over a Texas law that relies on private citizens to help enforce restrictions on most abortions.

CNS Maryland • October 2021

Van Hollen, Cardin push pilot program to curb military vehicle rollover deaths

WASHINGTON – During a May 2019 training exercise at Camp Pendleton in southern California, Marine 1st Lt. H. Conor McDowell of Chestertown, Maryland, was crushed to death when his light armored vehicle dove into a crevasse concealed by tall grass and rolled over.

CNS Maryland • October 2021

With holidays ahead, small businesses struggle with supply chain disruptions

WASHINGTON – Cecily Habimana, co-founder of Sew Creative Lounge, a sewing school in Mount Rainier, Maryland, normally imports her fabric from China and West Africa, but international shipping and customs delays have become unaffordable for the small business owner.

CNS Maryland • October 2021

Facebook needs regulation, experts say, but they see roadblocks

WASHINGTON — Congress should enact regulations to curb harmful practices by social media companies like Facebook, cybersecurity and privacy experts say. But they are skeptical that lawmakers will act and, if they do, whether the pace of policy can parallel the ever-changing technology.

CNS Maryland • October 2021

D.C. pro-choice march demands protection for women’s rights

WASHINGTON – Thousands rallied here Saturday in support of reproductive rights. Speakers warned that after almost five decades, abortions once again could become illegal at the whim of Republican state legislatures or the conservative majority on the Supreme Court.

CNS Maryland • October 2021

With eyes on Texas and Supreme Court, pro-choice advocates to march in D.C. Saturday

WASHINGTON – Advocates for reproductive rights are planning to rally Saturday in the nation’s capital, a gathering that is expected to put the spotlight on the new anti-abortion law in Texas and a key abortion case that will come before the Supreme Court in December.

CNS Maryland • September 2021

Companies look to hire Afghan refugees, but child care remains a question

WASHINGTON – As a number of top American companies are promising to train or hire Afghan refugees resettling in the United States, questions remain about providing child-care services to the new workers.

Maryland Matters • May 2021

TikTok and Google Docs: Small Businesses Thrive After Adapting to the Pandemic

Jacqueline Kuntzman plans to continue the candle and soap-making business she started during the pandemic on social media after things begin to open back up. The full-time student and mother of two relied on popular social media apps like Tik Tok to gain customers over the past year.

COVID-19 Wall of Memories • May 2021

The Performing Arts: Another Casualty of the Pandemic

One of Christel Stevens’ largest signature programs, Prince George’s Shakespeare in the Parks, was canceled last July due to the pandemic. Stevens, a dance specialist at the Arts and Culture Division at the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, felt pressured trying to create heavily restricted arts programs.

CNS Maryland • May 2021

As Walmart sales soared, workers got scant COVID-19 protection from OSHA

Sandra Kunz had been worried for her safety while working as a cashier at the Walmart in Aurora, Colorado, during the pandemic, her sister, Paula Spellman, said. The 72-year-old had lung disease, Spellman said. She was “feeling uncomfortable because so many people (were) coming in with coughs.” But Kunz didn’t complain to the government agency tasked with protecting workers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, her sister said.

The Diamondback • March 2021

Women of color in UMD community are making it as entrepreneurs despite challenges

When Regina Holbert joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at the University of Maryland in 2005, she and her friends always wanted to get their hair done for the different sorority events. But there was nowhere in the area for Black women to get their hair done where they felt comfortable and confident that the stylists would be able to do it well, Hobert said.

The Diamondback • February 2021

Prince George’s County businesses manufacture PPE to help out amid pandemic

Personal protective equipment has been in high demand during the coronavirus pandemic — and in Prince George’s County, many small businesses have been using their materials to assist with the demand for almost a year now.

The Diamondback • September 2020

UMD alumna set to be the first Black woman to join crew at international space station

Jeanette Epps, a University of Maryland alumna, is set to be the first Black woman to join the International Space Station crew. Epps will embark on a six-month mission that is expected to launch in 2021, alongside two other NASA astronauts, according to a NASA press release.

The Hawk Newspaper • April 2020

Delivery and gig workers pressured during coronavirus shutdowns

Restaurants and bars in Pennsylvania have been ordered by Gov. Tom Wolf to shut down their dine-in services to slow the spread of the coronavirus. While carry-out, delivery and drive-thru food services can continue business, the governor also emphasized practicing social distancing.