ANGELOS FAMILY SELLS ORIOLES TO BILLIONAIRE DAVID RUBENSTEIN: The Angelos family has reached an agreement to sell the Orioles to private equity billionaire David Rubenstein, three sources with direct knowledge of the deal said. Rubenstein, who has a signed agreement, according to one of the sources, is set to take over as the team’s control person as part of the deal, which values the team at $1.725 billion. Rubenstein is a Baltimore native and Baltimore City College alumnus. Jeff Barker and Matt Weyrich/The Baltimore Sun.
- A source said the investment group also includes Maryland leaders, philanthropists and sports legends, including Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. is part of the group. The deal values the team at $1.725 billion. Andy Kostka, Pamela Wood and Danielle Allentuck/The Baltimore Banner.
- O’s Iron Man and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, who is expected to be part of the Orioles’ new ownership group, has become a businessperson in the years since his retirement from playing baseball in 2001. Hayes Gardner and Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
- Baltimore had seen its NFL team, the Colts, leave town when owner Robert Irsay moved it to Indianapolis in 1984. Angelos’ words, “as long as Fort McHenry is standing watch over the Inner Harbor, the Orioles will remain in Baltimore,” were nice, but hardly reassuring. Brittany Ghiroli/The New York Times.
- Also involved in the deal is Ares Management Corp. co-founder Mike Arougheti, who lives in New York. The extent of Arougheti’s involvement is unclear, but Rubenstein will become the “control person,” the term MLB uses for teams’ decision-makers. The deal values the club at $1.725 billion. John Ourand/Puck News.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT DAVID RUBENSTEIN: David Rubenstein announced his retirement from his position as chairman of the Kennedy Center in Washington on Monday, setting the stage for his foray into professional sports. Read on for five other things to know about him. Matt Weyrich/The Baltimore Sun.
- Rubenstein, the son of a World War II veteran-turned-postal worker and a homemaker, grew up in a Jewish neighborhood in Northwest Baltimore. “I was literally 12 or 13 before I realized that everybody in the world isn’t Jewish,” he told Washingtonian magazine in 2006. Danielle Allentuck and Brandon Weigel/The Baltimore Banner.
COLUMN: OUR WISH LIST FOR THE O’s: While it’s impossible to know how Rubenstein, who made a fortune in private equity and is well-known for backing various civic projects in Washington, D.C., will function as an owner, change naturally brings in a fresh wind of optimism. There’s undoubtedly a long wish list that many fans have for Rubenstein and his group, which also includes franchise legend Cal Ripken Jr. We might as well make one now. Kyle Goons/The Baltimore Banner.
ABSENTEEISM BECOMES CHRONIC IN MARYLAND SCHOOLS: Coming out of the pandemic, students in Maryland and across the nation, had a hard time getting back into the habit of being in school buildings, with classroom rules and the need to communicate with friends and teachers in person. The result was that the percentage of schools with consistently high numbers of absent students almost doubled. Liz Bowie/The Baltimore Banner.
ADVOCATES RALLY TO STOP CHILDHOOD GUN DEATHS: A couple hundred people rallied at Lawyers Mall in Annapolis on Tuesday with their annual message for state lawmakers: pass stronger gun laws. “Guns are the leading cause of death for Maryland children and teens, and the gun death rate is increasing in our state for both suicides and homicides. This is unacceptable,” said Alison Rodner, a member of Moms Demand Action’s Maryland chapter. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
LAWMAKERS PONDER FILLING LEGISLATIVE VACANCIES: Maryland lawmakers are again targeting the process by which vacancies in the General Assembly are filled. Changing the system has been a goal of good government groups including the Maryland Public Interest Group and Common Cause Maryland for several years. Those changes have failed even as the public grows irritated with how appointments are made to fill open seats. Proponents say the current system ignores voters and must go. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
WHO IS LOSING MEDICAID COVERAGE? STATE HOPES TO TARGET THOSE AREAS: Since May, over 245,000 Marylanders have lost health care coverage from Medicaid, an insurance plan aimed at low-income residents, during a eligibility review period often referred to as “Medicaid unwinding.” Eight months into the unwinding period, a new report shows that some areas in Maryland are retaining Medicaid coverage while some populations are losing it. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
EXPERIMENTAL SHELTER PROGRAM MAY EXPAND: An experimental housing program that paired permanent shelter with social services in an effort to keep some of the state’s most medically fragile adults from becoming unhoused and out of hospitals would expand if a budget commitment from Maryland’s governor becomes law. Hallie Miller and Meredith Cohn/The Baltimore Banner.
BANNER WINS PUBLIC RECORDS SUIT AGAINST STATE M.E.: After a yearlong legal battle, the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner must turn over complete autopsy reports to the press. The Baltimore Banner sued the state agency back in December 2022 after the medical examiner’s office refused to turn over key aspects of autopsy reports, such as toxicology reports and demographic information. Brenna Smith/The Baltimore Banner.
MO CO POLICE CHIEF TO RETIRE: Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones, 59, announced his retirement on Tuesday after serving on the department for 38 years. His last day will be July 1. “Now is the right time to retire. I am grateful for the support I have received throughout my career.…” Jones said in a statement. “You will still see me around, actively engaging in and contributing to the well-being of Montgomery County.” Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich appointed Jones as the 17th police chief of the department in November 2019. Courtney Cohn/Mo Co 360.
BA CO PRINCIPAL REMAINS ABSENT AS COPS PROBE RECORDING: Pikesville High School Principal Eric Eiswert remains absent from the school building as Baltimore County police and district leaders investigate an audio recording alleged to capture him making antisemitic and racist comments about students. Bri Hatch/WYPR-FM.
