Global Science wins GSA contract
Global Science & Technology Inc., of Greenbelt, a provider of scientific products and services for satellite and weather systems, was awarded the government-wide One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) from the General Services Administration Federal Acquisition Service. Global Science & Technology was selected to provide the government services for complex professional re[...]
Feds’ loan changes hamper black college enrollment
ATLANTA — Ariadne Partlow dreamed of graduating Spelman College and moving on to medical school, but instead of studying biology this semester, she worked at a fast-food Chinese restaurant. The Jackson, Tenn., native was among thousands of students who unexpectedly either had to stay at home, transfer to a less expensive school or find new […]
Feds propose fee on health insurers in new market
WASHINGTON — Health insurance companies will have to pay to play in new health insurance markets coming under President Barack Obama’s health care law, according to a regulatory notice issued by the administration. The Health and Human Services department is proposing a user fee amounting to 3.5 percent of premiums for health insurers who want […]
Feds seize 132 domain names to stop knockoff sales
Homeland Security agents in Baltimore joined colleagues in six other states and several foreign countries in a Cyber Monday crackdown to seize 132 domain names to stop them from selling counterfeit merchandise online. Authorities said it was the third consecutive Cyber Monday that they had targeted websites selling knockoff sports jerseys, DVDs and other goods. […]
Owner of online prostitution ring pleads guilty
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The owner of an online prostitution ring has pleaded guilty to racketeering after he admitted he took in $1.8 million by employing more than 50 prostitutes who worked throughout metropolitan Washington. Twenty-six-year-old Otasowie Asuen of Washington entered the guilty plea Wednesday to a racketeering offense and conspiracy to launder money in federal […]
Fed survey finds U.S. growth, hiring mostly steady
WASHINGTON — A Federal Reserve survey found that the U.S. economy grew moderately in most regions of the country this spring and companies kept hiring. It was a hopeful sign after a spate of gloomy data released last week. The Fed survey shows growth in each of its 12 bank districts from April 3 through […]
After years of litigation, pro se plaintiff Katrina Okoli still fighting city hall
In her six-year fight with her former employer, the city of Baltimore, Katrina Okoli has managed to flout two maxims: that you can’t fight city hall and that those who represent themselves in court have a fool for a client. Okoli, 50, started working for the Baltimore Commission on Aging and Retirement Education in June […]
House passes bill to keep highway aid flowing
WASHINGTON — The House passed a stopgap three-month bill Thursday to keep federal highway and transit aid flowing and avoid a widespread shutdown of construction projects. The move pushes congressional action on a long-term overhaul of transportation programs deeper into an already fractious election year. The action came on a mostly party-line vote of 266 […]
Your home’s age important for child lead exposure
WASHINGTON — If you’ve been putting off repairing a peeling windowsill, or you’re thinking of knocking out a wall, listen up: Check how old your house is. You may need to take steps to protect your kids from dangerous lead. The risk of lead-based paint from older homes is back in the news, as the […]
Squeezed out of the loan game
It looks like the lender who provided me with the financial opportunity to complete law school has been squeezed out of the game. Access Group Inc. said last month it would no longer lend to new students and is laying off most of its staff, according to the National Law Journal. In its early years, […]
Regulators to ban banks trading for profit
WASHINGTON — Banks would be barred from trading for their own profit instead of their clients under a rule federal regulators proposed Tuesday. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. backed the draft rule on a 3-0 vote. The ban on so-called proprietary trading was required under the financial overhaul law. For years, banks had bet on […]
Amazon to pay sales tax, lobby for federal Internet legislation
A deal that will require mega-retailer Amazon and other online shops to pay sales tax in California has sparked renewed hopes of reaching a similar agreement in Maryland. “It’s a break in the sense that the largest state, economically, in the country has reached an agreement with the largest online sales retailer, which gives us […]