PETER ANGELOS, POLITICAL BROKER, O’s OWNER, DIES AT 94: Longtime Orioles owner Peter George Angelos, a Baltimore political power broker and one of the most successful class-action attorneys in U.S. history, died Saturday. He was 94. Jean Marbella and Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
- The Orioles announced the death in a statement but did not disclose further details. Angelos ceded control of the organization to his son John a few years ago. This winter, the family reached an agreement that would turn over control to a group led by David Rubenstein, a Baltimore native and one of the founders of the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm. Bart Barnes and Matt Schudel/The Washington Post.
- The son of Greek immigrants, Angelos entered public life as an ambitious local politician, winning elected office at age 29 but losing subsequent bids for City Council president and mayor. He then focused on law, racking up millions in judgments against the asbestos and tobacco industries. Justin Fenton/The Baltimore Banner.
- Angelos’ son, John, recently agreed to sell the team to Carlyle Group Inc and co-founder David Rubenstein for $1.725 billion, according to ESPN. Once that sale is finalized, Rubenstein will now be able to buy the entirety of the Angelos family’s stake in the Orioles, according to The Athletic. The deal is awaiting final approval by MLB owners. Jared Schwartz/The New York Post.
ON ANGELOS: Peter Angelos loved Baltimore. And he loved baseball. Those who knew Angelos — the fierce man, the legal titan, the controversial owner — held differing opinions about him. But they had no doubts about his unwavering belief in his hometown or his deep passion for the game. Jacob Calvin Meyer/The Baltimore Sun.
- In more ways than one, there will never be another Peter G. Angelos. … His political campaigns are a memory. His famed law firm is to be sold. His commercial real estate is being parceled off. The sale of the Orioles ends his family’s reign. That’s how Peter Angelos wanted it, after all. He took no partners, shared no power. His kingdom ends with him. What’s left is a legacy of contradictions. Tim Prudente/The Baltimore Banner.
- Peter Angelos was, first and foremost, a man who wanted the best for Baltimore. Even as he made mistakes with his baseball team, he felt in his bones he knew what the best thing was. He had power that most of us only dream about. Though he didn’t always use it deftly, his core values never changed. Kyle Goon/The Baltimore Banner.
- His early career included serving one term on the Baltimore City Council, In 1967, he ran for mayor and was defeated by Thomas D’Alexandro III. Angelos would then turn his attention to representing thousands of asbestos victims. As he got richer, he became a powerful player and donor in state and national Democratic politics. John Rydell/The Baltimore Banner.
WHAT’s NEXT FOR THE ORIOLES? The death of Orioles owner Peter Angelos raises questions about what happens to the team now. Here is the first of five key questions: How will Angelos’ death affect the pending sale of the Orioles? Angelos’ death on Saturday will not affect current plans in place for the sale valuing the team at $1.725 billion. Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
OPINION: LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO HELP LOW-INCOME HOMEOWNERS: Many low-income Marylanders are kept in poverty by a law that seems benign: property taxes and other property bills must be paid before a property can change ownership. In most cases, this law makes perfect sense because any past due bills are paid from house sale proceeds. The buyer is protected from unexpected liens and the government gets paid. But not all property transfers are sales. If a property owner dies, the property needs to be transferred to their heirs. The General Assembly is considering several bills to address this issue this legislative session. Steven Messmer/The Baltimore Banner.
AMID NURSING SHORTAGE, LICENSES FACE A BACKLOG: Amid a severe national shortage of nurses and nursing assistants, thousands in the state have struggled to get new, renewed or transferred licenses in recent years from the Maryland Board of Nursing. The bottleneck got so bad at the board — responsible for more than half of all health occupation licensing and certification in Maryland — that state lawmakers ordered the health department last year to take over administrative duties and hire a consulting firm to produce a plan for improvement. Meredith Cohn and Greg Morton/The Baltimore Banner.
BILL TO IMPROVE ER OVERDOSE PRACTICES MOVES FORWARD: Legislation by Del. Vaughn Stewart (D-Rockville) to improve the practices of hospital emergency rooms across Maryland in responding to opioid overdoses is a short procedural step away from being sent to Gov. Wes Moore (D) for his signature. Both Stewart’s bill, HB1155, and companion legislation sponsored by Sen. Mike McKay (R-Allegany County), SB1071, cleared their respective chambers by unanimous votes earlier this week, just before Crossover Day. Louis Peck/MoCo 360.
MARYLAND LEGISLATURE MOST DIVERSE IN COUNTRY: The Maryland General Assembly is one of the most diverse state legislatures in the country, an analysis of a nationwide database of state legislators has found. The data on race and gender for every state lawmaker in the United States from 2023 to 2024 shows Maryland’s General Assembly is 34% Black — the highest percentage of Black lawmakers in any state legislature. Maryland’s is the only state legislative body higher than 30%. Ramsey Archibald/The Baltimore Banner.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS IN ANNAPOLIS: With just over two weeks until they adjourn for the year, House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones and Senate President Bill Ferguson and their respective chambers are battling over the budget and a few other major policy areas while — as usual for the legislature led by all Democrats — largely agreeing on most of the thousands of bills moving toward the finish line. The ballooning budget deficit is the most contentious issue facing lawmakers in the crunch time of this year’s 90-day session. But it’s not the only topic on the list of unfinished business. Hannah Gaskill and Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.
DELEGATE SEEKS TO REMOVE SCHOOL DISRUPTION CHARGE FROM CRIMINAL CODE: Hundreds of Maryland children are being arrested for disruptive school behavior under what advocates call an antiquated and discriminatory state law. For the fourth year in a row, Del. Sheila Ruth is sponsoring a bill to remove the school disruption charge from Maryland’s criminal code. Bri Hatch/WYPR-FM.
DESPITE CONCERNS, SENATE MAY VOTE ON BOARD OF ELECTIONS NOMINEE: The Maryland Senate as early as this week could take up the stalled appointment of a Howard County woman to the Maryland State Board of Elections. Diane Butler was nominated by the Maryland Republican Party to fill one of two vacancies on the panel. The Senate Executive Nominations Committee delayed a vote two weeks ago after one member of the committee asked for a pause because of comments made in emails and a social media post described as antisemitic. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
BPW TO VOTE ON $4.1M SETTLEMENT IN COMPLAINTS AGAINST UMBC COACH: State officials are set to vote early next month on a proposed $4.1 million settlement with two groups of individuals who were abused by a former University of Maryland, Baltimore County swimming and diving coach. The proposed payment is part of the Board of Public Works agenda for April 3, which was posted Friday afternoon. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
ALSOBROOKS BACKED BY CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS MEMBERS: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks announced that she has been endorsed by multiple members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Colleen Johnson/WBFF-TV News.
MOORE WARNS OF ‘DEMOCRACY THREAT’ MESSAGING TO WIN BIDEN VOTES: Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland and campaign surrogate for Joe Biden, has warned of the limitations of an election message centered on the threat to democracy posed by Donald Trump. David Smith/The Guardian.
MARYLAND’s UNEMPLOYMENT RATE INCHES UP: After claiming the title of lowest state unemployment rate in the country last year, Maryland’s unemployment rate rose for the third consecutive month in February. Virginia’s unemployment rate held steady last month. The Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reports Maryland’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in February was 2.4%, up from 2.3% in January and 2.2% in December. Jeff Clabaugh/WTOP-FM.
