French laser firm chooses Virginia over Maryland for U.S. headquarters

Say it isn't so! Montgomery County and Maryland have lost yet another economic development competition to Arlington County and Virginia. French laser firm Cailabs SAS wanted to move its U.S. headquarters out of Washington, D.C., but remain in the region. It announced yesterday that it had chosen the booming Rosslyn area of Arlington as the destination for the company's U.S. operations. Cailabs will move into 4,200-square-feet of office space at the gleaming Class A office building at 1530 Wilson Boulevard. The company will also add 16 new employees.

Many of Cailabs' employees hold PhDs, and the company has filed over 25 patents. It specializes in the design and manufacturing of advanced laser-light products for the defense, aerospace, telecommunications, and manufacturing industries. The Rosslyn location provides quick access to both Reagan National and Dulles International airports, as well as Metro and I-66. Montgomery County and Maryland could have had direct access to Dulles and I-66, but chose to cancel the new Potomac River crossing to Dulles, and the Northwest Freeway, which would have connected to I-66 in Rosslyn. Doh!

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin toasted his victory Wednesday, as Maryland Governor Wes Moore was declared America's "most-disappointing governor" by economist Anirban Basu, and Moore's chief-of-staff jumped ship as the state's fiscal crisis continues to slam up against its moribund economy and high crime. With plummeting poll numbers, Moore could only look on with envy, in the reflection of fellow White House aspirant Youngkin's stunning laser light show across the Potomac.

“Cailabs’ decision to relocate their U.S. headquarters to Virginia shows that the Commonwealth remains the premier location for global tech companies looking to expand their footprint in the Americas,” Youngkin said in a statement yesterday. “Virginia’s exceptional talent, reliable infrastructure, and proximity to key federal and defense partners gives companies like Cailabs a strategic advantage as they continue to innovate and expand. The Commonwealth is proud to support Cailabs’ mission of paving the way to a bright future with the power of lasers.” 

“When Cailabs first decided to open a U.S. office, they chose Washington. Two years later, when they decided to stay in the US, they chose Virginia. That decision speaks volumes,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Juan Pablo Segura. “Logistically, economically, and strategically, Virginia remains the ideal location for tech companies looking to push boundaries and build a thriving business.” 

“Arlington cordially says ‘Bienvenue’ to Cailabs on their decision to establish their U.S. headquarters in Rosslyn, at the heart of our nation’s capital region,” Arlington County Board Chair Takis Karantonis said. “By choosing Arlington, Cailabs joins a community where the nation’s best-prepared, innovative and talented workforce meets exceptional quality of life in an open, welcoming and forward-thinking culture. We are excited to add a leading new technology business to the dense fabric of transatlantic partnerships that connect, strengthen and advance economies, people and values. We look forward to seeing Cailabs grow and succeed here in Arlington.” 

“I’m delighted that Cailabs has chosen to relocate its U.S. headquarters to Arlington County,” said Senator Barbara Favola. “Arlington has leveraged the investments made by the Commonwealth to create a 21st century workforce. In addition to proximity to major airports and our nation’s capital, Arlington offers a world class public education system, great transit options, and a park in every neighborhood. I am sure that Cailabs will feel ‘right at home’ in the diverse and caring Arlington community.” 

Claire's closing at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

It's a sad day in the piercing industry. Claire's is closing at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. A closing sale is underway at the piercing and jewelry boutique. We can't blame the Montgomery County Council or their moribund County economy for this departure. Claire's has filed for bankruptcy, could wind up closing over 1000 locations nationwide. The company hopes to save itself via a sale of 800 other stores to a potential buyer, but if one can't be found, this could be the end of the line. Are they celebrating over at Piercing Pagoda?

Rheinmetall chooses Virginia over Maryland for U.S. corporate HQ

Montgomery County and Maryland are experiencing another total humiliation on the economic development front. While both have failed to attract a major new corporate headquarters this century, Fairfax County and Virginia have just beaten them once again in the high-stakes contest for yet another major defense firm HQ. This time it is Rheinmetall, the German defense giant that is experiencing off-the-charts boom times, as it is arguably the biggest winner in Germany's push to rearm and create Europe's largest and strongest military. It is also one of the companies producing the most equipment for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Rheinmetall has just leased 10,000-square feet at Metro Place II at 2600 Park Tower Drive in Merrifield in Fairfax County, where it will not only locate its U.S. hub, but also one of its U.S. subsidiaries, American Rheinmetall Munitions, Inc.

Beyond the lighter tax and regulation burden of Northern Virginia, a look at the 2600 Park Tower Drive site itself tells much of the tale of Montgomery County's loss. Metro Place II sits directly beside the highway interchange of the Capital Beltway and Interstate 66, along both of which Virginia has invested enormously in tolled Express Lanes. The Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station is directly across the street from the new Rheinmetall HQ. Just south of the site are US 29 and US 50, as well as the enormously-successful Mosaic District with its retail, restaurants, and movie theater. 

A short drive southeast of the new Rheinmetall HQ in Fairfax is perhaps Montgomery County's biggest and most-humiliating economic development loss to Northern Virginia of this century, the Northrop Grumman headquarters. And zooming out on the map, we find one of the biggest factors that brought both defense firms to Fairfax County: direct access to Dulles International Airport. It's the only airport in the region to boast the variety of essential global business destinations - and the frequency of direct flights to them - demanded by international business executives.

One can only shake one's head, and wonder what could have been, had Montgomery County and Maryland had smarter and more-competent leadership this century. Imagine if we had built the new Potomac River crossing, to give all of our increasingly-empty office parks in the I-270 corridor the same kind of direct access to Dulles that Virginia has. Imagine if we had built the Rockville Freeway through North Bethesda, White Flint, Aspen Hill, and Layhill, connecting I-270 with MD 355 and the InterCounty Connector, and passing directly by the many Executive Boulevard area office parks and Pike & Rose. Imagine if we had made our tax and fee burden more competitive with our rivals in the region, and our leaders had used the time they spend opining on national politics on attracting business to our county and state.

Virginia doesn't have to imagine. It's where economic development dreams regularly come true, thanks to the humiliatingly-weak and bumbling efforts on our side of the river. Montgomery County? It's where business goes to die - or flee to nearby jurisdictions before it does.

"We are proud to welcome Rheinmetall to Merrifield in Fairfax County," Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay said in a statement. "Our community is a place where groundbreaking innovation, national security, and global collaboration intersect, and this investment represents a powerful statement about the future of defense and technology in our region. Rheinmetall brings a bold vision and cutting-edge capabilities that align with our community’s commitment to supporting mission-driven industries and advancing solutions that keep our nation secure. We are deeply honored that Rheinmetall has chosen Fairfax County as the hub for their continued growth, as this investment will not only strengthen the strategic national security partnerships that are so vital to global progress, but also the resiliency of our local and regional economies."

"Rheinmetall’s decision to establish significant presence in the Merrifield area of Fairfax County reinforces our position as a premier destination for global defense leaders seeking proximity to federal partners, a deep bench of tech talent, and a collaborative business environment," Fairfax County Economic Development Authority President and CEO Victor Hoskins said. "The opening of our new Washington, D.C., region office spaces underscores our rapid growth and committed investment in Rheinmetall’s U.S. operations," American Rheinmetall Defense CEO Stephen Hedger added.

Montgomery County Council votes to increase impervious surfaces days after new flood risk was revealed

The Montgomery County Council speaks loudly and often about climate change and the environment, but their warmed-over Reaganomics policies betray their true values. This has been revealed once again as the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments has commissioned new flood zone maps that show much more of Montgomery County's land area to be at risk of flash flooding than the standard U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maps. Several of the areas highlighted on the new maps experienced significant flooding during an unusually-heavy rain event last month. But just four days after MWCOG released its new flood danger maps to elected officials in MoCo and elsewhere in the region, the Montgomery County Council went ahead and approved new zoning rules that will increase the amount of impervious surface area in many of the very neighborhoods identified as now being at high risk of flash flooding.

Under the Reaganesque Thrive 2050/"More Housing N.O.W." zoning text amendment approved by a majority of the Council on July 22, 2025, the allowed increase in impervious surfaces are almost entirely permitted in the downcounty areas like Bethesda and Silver Spring. That is where the greatest flooding risks are located. Despite having access to this new flood danger report and maps on four days earlier on July 18, our "green" County Council bulldozed ahead, and voted to approve a massive increase in impervious surfaces in the very areas at highest risk. Single-family home neighborhoods where houses are currently surrounded by soil and grass lawns will now be open to four-story apartment buildings.

Just in the River Road corridor of Bethesda alone, the properties where the greater impervious surfaces will be allowed are within the flood zones of at least three major streams. Of course, the increased flooding we have already been experiencing in Montgomery County over the last decade is in large part due to the massive development approved this century by the County Council. This is the same reason we have an overpopulation of deer and even wandering bears in the downcounty, as these animals have been forced out of their forests that have fallen to the chainsaws and bulldozers of our supply-side, trickle-down, voodoo economics County Council. The same Council that swears by the Laffer Curve - but only when it applies to their developer sugar daddies.

The reckless decision by the Council could have ramifications in the 2026 elections. Councilmembers Evan Glass and Andrew Friedson voted for the ZTA to increase impervious surfaces in flood danger zones, and they are both running for County Executive. One of their opponents in the Democratic primary is their colleague, Councilmember Will Jawando, who did not vote for the ZTA. Jawando could now use this scandal as another point to differentiate himself from his Reagan Democrat rivals. And Councilmembers running for reelection will have to answer to voters who might raise the topic on the campaign trail, to explain why they voted to put their current and future constituents at greater risk of flood damage and death. Heckuva job, Brownie!

BioNTech to lay off 32 more employees in Montgomery County

The hits just keep on coming to the moribund Montgomery County economy. Amid mass layoffs of federal employees who live in the County, biotech firm BioNTech has announced further layoffs at its facilities. 63 employees are already due to be let go on Saturday, August 9. Now the German pharmaceutical company says it will lay off an additional 32 workers at its facility at 25 West Watkins Mill Road in Gaithersburg on September 16. 

Montgomery County IG finds 1000s of MCPS employees with access to students haven't been screened

A new report issued by the Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General contains alarming findings about the safety of students in Montgomery County Public Schools. An investigation by IG Megan Limarzi and her office found that thousands of MCPS employees' criminal histories are not being monitored by the school system, about 4,900 employees currently have access to students but have not undergone a Child Protective Services background check, and that MCPS does not ensure that contractors and volunteers undergo a criminal history check before they begin working inside the school system. These are violations of Maryland law and MCPS' own rules, Limarzi wrote in her report.

MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor wrote a response to the OIG report's conclusions in which he accepted responsibility for the security failures, but also cast blame on the OIG for slowing the school system's response to the lapses, and for not recognizing the cost of implementing the report's recommendations, which Taylor estimated would be $2 million. Limarzi called Taylor's accusations "perplexing," and said she and her staff are disappointed "by the apparent attempts to transfer blame to this office" for "serious issues that have been well known at MCPS for years and yet have gone unaddressed."

"We appreciate the work of Inspector General Megan Limarzi and her team for bringing this important issue to light and providing the public with an impartial evaluation of the MCPS Background Screening Office," County Council President Kate Stewart and Vice-President Will Jawando said in a joint statement yesterday. They wrote that the Council's Audit Committee will conduct oversight hearings on the matter beginning September 26, 2025. Additional meetings will be held by two other Council committees later in the fall. "[T]he urgency with which these issues must be corrected cannot be overstated," Stewart and Jawando wrote.

This is only the latest revelation about lax security measures at MCPS. Previously, a lack of security cameras - and staff to actively monitor the ones that exist - came to light after violent crime and hate graffiti incidents inside MCPS schools. And a 2016 State of Maryland audit of MCPS uncovered lax cybersecurity protocols that did not adequately shield private student information from those accessing MCPS computer systems from inside - and outside - the organization.

Hobby Lobby to open first Montgomery County store in Gaithersburg

Hobby Lobby is planning to open its first store in Montgomery County. It will be at 15750 Shady Grove Road in the 270 Center, on the border of Gaithersburg and Rockville. That is the former Best Buy space. Hobby Lobby will take advantage of the big box building dimensions, and the immediate access to I-270 just west of the shopping center.

Hobby Lobby was founded by David Green in 1972, initially operating out of a garage with a $600 loan to create miniature picture frames. The success of these frames, which could be sold to larger retailers, allowed Green to open the first Hobby Lobby store in Oklahoma City in 1972. The company's growth was fueled by its focus on providing a wide array of craft and hobby supplies at competitive prices, coupled with a strong emphasis on customer service. Similar to Chick-fil-A, Hobby Lobby followed a practice of closing its stores on Sundays. Their strategy resonated with a broad customer base, enabling steady expansion across the United States.

The Hobby Lobby concept centers on offering a vast selection of arts, crafts, and home decor items under one roof, catering to a diverse range of creative interests and decorating styles. Their merchandise typically includes framing supplies, floral and wedding décor, fabric, jewelry making components, scrapbooking materials, and various craft supplies for painting, drawing, and needlework. Beyond crafts, Hobby Lobby also stocks a significant amount of seasonal decorations, party supplies, and general home furnishings, all curated to appeal to a family-friendly demographic interested in DIY projects and affordable home embellishments.

IT'SUGAR closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

IT'SUGAR has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The candy store's windows have been covered, and signage has been removed from above the entrance. Montgomery County's moribund economy and the County Council's anti-business policies, have turned the shop's sweet profit margin sour. Heckuva job, Brownie! IT'SUGAR's Rockville location closed several years ago.

In contrast to the closures here, IT'SUGAR is currently in a major expansion mode elsewhere, opening "15 to 20 stores a year," according to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce article touting the chain's success. Openings so far in 2025 include Poughkeepsie and Middletown in New York; Salem, New Hampshire; Mercedes, Texas; and Braintree, Massachusetts. Something for the County Council to ponder: what are we doing wrong, that Braintree is doing right?

Pepco substation broken into in Gaithersburg

Montgomery County police report that a Pepco electrical substation in Gaithersburg was broken into earlier this month. The break-in occurred sometime between 3:14 PM on July 11, 2025 and 6:00 AM on July 14. Officers responding to the scene found evidence of forced entry at Pepco Substation 56, which is located in the 19400 block of Watkins Mill Road. 

Police said nothing appeared to have been stolen from inside the facility. However, this is an event that draws scrutiny from law enforcement, as the U.S. Department of Energy reports that there were 175 attacks, or threats of attacks, on electrical infrastructure in the United States in 2023 alone. If you have any information about this incident, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Virginia wins AstraZeneca megafactory over Maryland

"There's going to be so much losing, you'll get tired of losing." We're definitely tired of losing in Montgomery County and Maryland, but Virginia just handed us another big L. Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has announced it plans to build its largest global drug manufacturing facility yet in Virginia. The loss is even harder to take when you consider that AstraZeneca already has a substantial presence here in Montgomery County. How did we lose this one?

AstraZeneca's announcement is the latest victory for President Donald Trump's trade strategy, which is in part designed to bring jobs back to America. GE Appliances recently announced it would relocate some of its China manufacturing footprint to the massive factory complex at Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky. AstraZeneca's move is to avoid high tariffs Trump proposed for drug imports. 

Montgomery County isn't a total loser in the $50 billion investment AstraZeneca plans to make in the U.S. over the next five years: the company said it also plans to expand its Gaithersburg manufacturing facility, and to add a cell therapy manufacturing facility in Rockville. But it's simply cheaper to do business in Virginia, and the Commonwealth is quickly catching up in the regional biotech race, which has been the sole bright spot in Montgomery County's otherwise-moribund economy.

“I want to thank AstraZeneca for choosing Virginia as the cornerstone for this transformational investment in the United States,” Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. “This project will set the standard for the latest technological advancements in pharmaceutical manufacturing, creating hundreds of highly skilled jobs and helping further strengthen the nation's domestic supply chain. Advanced manufacturing is at the heart of Virginia's dynamic economy, so I am thrilled that AstraZeneca, one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, plans to make their largest global manufacturing investment here in the Commonwealth.”  

“Today’s announcement underpins our belief in America’s innovation in biopharmaceuticals and our commitment to the millions of patients who need our medicines in America and globally,” AstraZeneca Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot said. “It will also support our ambition to reach $80 billion in revenue by 2030. I look forward to partnering with Governor Youngkin and his team to work on our largest single manufacturing investment ever. It reflects the Commonwealth of Virginia’s desire to create highly skilled jobs in science and technology, and will strengthen the country’s domestic supply chain for medicines.” 

RNC demands Maryland "clean up voter rolls"

Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley

The Republican National Committee has sent a letter to the Maryland State Board of Elections demanding it "clean up voter rolls." RNC Chair Michael Whatley said the notice letter informs the SBE that it is "violating federal law" in failing to do so previously. It's unclear what will happen if the SBE ignores the letter. A previous attempt by the conservative organization Judicial Watch to purge the names of dead or out-of-state voters from the Maryland rolls was unsuccessful. Judicial Watch's analysis at the time found there were more names registered to vote than actual voters in Maryland.

"Maryland is failing to maintain accurate and up-to-date voter rolls, in clear violation of federal law," Whatley said in a statement. "Citizens deserve to know their vote isn't being canceled out by duplicate or ineligible voters."

No Republican has won any office in Montgomery County since Maryland switched from punch card voting to electronic voting in 2006. Only four years earlier, County Republicans held at least two seats on the Montgomery County Council, several seats in the state legislature, and at least one Congressional seat. 

Loudoun County wins ORBCOMM HQ over Montgomery County

Another economic development loss for Montgomery County and Maryland is in the books. Not surprisingly, the winner in the latest contest for a corporate headquarters is once again Northern Virginia. ORBCOMM, Inc., currently headquartered in New Rochelle, New Jersey, has announced it will locate its global HQ in Sterling, Virginia, in Loudoun County - not Montgomery County, Maryland. The "internet of things" company is focused on products and services that track, monitor, and control industrial assets around the world. It operates its own network of 31 low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites. ORBCOMM's clients include Walmart, Caterpillar, Hitachi, Target, Tropicana, Tyson, and Canadian National Railways.

"Virginia is proud to welcome ORBCOMM’s global headquarters to Virginia," Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. "This decision highlights our commitment to innovation, workforce development, and creating an environment where advanced industries can thrive. We look forward to the economic opportunities and technological leadership ORBCOMM will bring to the Commonwealth."

"As we welcome ORBCOMM's headquarters to Sterling, I wanted to express my sincere gratitude for the significant economic impact this expansion brings to Loudoun County and the Commonwealth," Virginia State Delegate Atoosa R. Reaser said. "The creation of new jobs is a welcome development and will undoubtedly contribute to the prosperity of our community," said Delegate Atoosa R. Reaser.

Montgomery County has failed to attract a single major corporate headquarters in over 25 years. The County, and Maryland as a whole, have forgone massive amounts of potential tax revenue rather than adopt more competitive, business-friendly policies and tax rates. They have also refused to construct a new Potomac River crossing to the Dulles area that has been on the books for decades, which would provide direct access to the only local airport with the frequency of flights and variety of international business destinations that corporate executives demand. Once an economic engine of the Washington, D.C. region, Montgomery County's economy today is moribund, and the County has become a bedroom community for booming job centers elsewhere in the region.

Rockville crime victim alleges China law enforcement officer is operating here

A complainant who alleged they were the victim of long-term currency fraud told Rockville City police that the suspect in the case was a law enforcement officer from the People's Republic of China, the Rockville City Police Department says. The alleged victim claimed to have been defrauded of unspecified currency between August 1, 2024, and June 23, 2025. They reported the alleged fraud to the RCPD three days ago on July 7, in the unit block of Maryland Avenue.

The alleged victim told officers that the unknown suspect was "Chinese law enforcement, who threatened action against the victim for defrauding others with fake investments." American officials have accused China of sending police officers to the U.S. to intimidate or harass Chinese dissidents, or to persuade Chinese expats who have committed crimes to return home to face charges. 

China has strongly denied engaging in such activity, and has said facilities U.S. officials have referred to as "police stations" in American cities with large Chinese populations are nothing more than volunteer-staffed service centers, which assist Chinese citizens or tourists overseas with basic matters like renewing driver's licenses. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. told Newsweek in 2023 that the accusations by U.S. officials have been "sheer political manipulation, and the purpose is to smear China's image."

ZeniMax to lay off 164 employees in Rockville

ZeniMax Media, located at 1370 Piccard Drive in Rockville, has announced it will lay off 164 employees on September 1, 2025. The parent company of Bethesda Softworks and Bethesda Game Studios is being hit hard by Microsoft's workforce reduction plans, which is impacting Microsoft's game development operations more than many expected. Among the "fallout" of the ZeniMax downsizing are the layoffs of an additional 30 employees at one of its contractors, TCWGlobal, also based in Rockville. Another loss is a massively-multiplayer-online (MMO) game that was under development at ZeniMax, code-named "Blackbird," that emerged from secrecy as a result of the layoffs.

Rockville quarry under new ownership as of today

The Travilah Quarry at 13900 Piney Meetinghouse Road in Rockville is under new ownership as of this morning. Previously owned by Swiss building materials firm Holcim, the quarry is now owned by Amrize. The new U.S. firm was spun off as a separate company comprised of Holcim's North American portfolio. Holcim shareholders approved the spinoff at the firm's 2025 Annual General Meeting last month, and the reorganization officially takes effect today.

Amrize now represents the largest cement business operating within the natural boundaries of North America, and the second-largest supplier of commercial roofing materials, according to Semafor. The company has operations in 43 U.S. states, and employs 7000 people. Its new headquarters is in Chicago.

Blasting, crushing, and screening are among the operations that take place at the Rockville site. Beyond the mining and processing of stone, there are concrete and asphalt plants on-site. 

The company utilizes several methods to reduce the impact of the quarry on neighbors, such as locating the primary rock crusher over 20 stories underground, and employing a wet supression system to reduce particulate release at key transfer points in the process. A sitewide pneumatic dust collection system will be fully installed by the end of this year. Two sweepers clean Piney Meetinghouse Road and Shady Grove Road near the facility on a daily basis.

Travilah Quarry is anticipated to continue operations through the 2060s. However, the site is also being studied for repurposing as a water reservoir. Results of a study commissioned by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac Basin released this month indicated the quarry is "suitable for the purposes of raw water storage." Under the concept plan, 17.4 billion gallons of water would be pumped into the quarry from the Potomac River, and then connected to the Washington Aqueduct as a backup supply during algae blooms and other events that impact the supply of clean water.

Images courtesy Amrize

BioNTech layoffs ahead at Montgomery County facility

BioNTech announced it will lay off 63 employees at its manufacturing facility in Gaithersburg on August 9, 2025. The German pharmaceutical firm acquired the facility in 2021, riding the company's financial boom from COVID-19 vaccine profits at the time. But expectations that Americans would line up once or more per year for COVID booster shots for the rest of their lives proved a mirage. 

Contrary to government declarations, the vaccine did not prevent the recipient from contracting the virus. And reports of vaccine injuries, increasing vaccine skepticism, and the Biden administration's 2022 declaration that "COVID is over" proved to be the final nails in the vaccine coffin. 

The failure of one of BioNTech's new cancer treatments in testing earlier this year was apparently the last straw, as the company has now chosen to not pursue that product line any further. BioNTech's announcement was a body blow to Montgomery County and Maryland elected officials. Biotech is the only real bright spot in the otherwise-moribund Montgomery County economy, which has failed to attract a major corporate headquarters in over 25 years, and is at, or near, rock-bottom in the region by every relevant metric of job creation, new business starts, and business growth, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore leaves no doubt he's an abundance bro

Maryland Governor Wes Moore hinted that he was embracing the controversial abundance agenda in a recent speech in South Carolina. His endorsement of the billionaire-backed drive to have Democrats make the slashing of costs and regulations for big business their agenda in the 2028 presidential campaign has now been made official by the Radio Abundance podcast. Moore's name is atop a list of Democratic elected officials who will appear on an episode entitled "Fascism Comes to America." Of course, there's something humorously ironic about a billionaire-backed podcast calling for more corporate power and profits - at the expense of the democratic process and local control - claiming to be fighting fascism.

Moore's move to join fellow White House aspirants Jared Polis, Ritchie Torres, and Ro Khanna in the abundance lane for 2028 is a remarkable gamble. With that being only a partial list of corporate-backed Democrats who will be crowding into that niche during the primary season, there will be much more competition for staff and donors. Recent polling has shown that "abundance" policies are not popular among Democratic and independent voters. And many prominent progressives in the party have come out strongly against the astroturfed abundance campaign.

This only complicates Moore's task in 2028. Maryland's finances have tanked during his first term, as Moore squandered a budget surplus he inherited from former Gov. Larry Hogan, and is facing a $6 billion deficit by 2030. Despite a much-trumpeted career on Wall Street, and big ticket fundraisers among late-stage capitalist titans on Martha's Vineyard and in the Hamptons, Moore has been unable to attract any major corporations to Maryland. And he has no major policy victories, even as he gears up to run for reelection next year.

That last fact makes running on the abundance agenda even more daunting for Moore. It is progressives who have the momentum and the crowds in the Democratic party right now. Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have had no trouble drawing mobs of progressives to their Fight Oligarchy tour stops, at which Sanders appears to be symbolically passing the torch to AOC. She, in turn, is clearly testing the waters for a potential 2028 presidential run. AOC's agenda may be controversial in many quarters, but she has a concrete set of policies she would seek to implement, including Medicare-for-All, repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act, a federal jobs guarantee, and free college. Even failed vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz has a record of major progressive legislative wins as governor in Minnesota.

Moore, by contrast, is fighting to...become president? He has no signature suite of policies, much less ones that have been signed into law. What legislation has passed during his term has only benefitted small identity groups, leaving out the majority of voters, or raised fees on everyone. Hogan was able to do very little with a hostile, Democrat-controlled legislature - but what little he did usually applied to everyone in the state, like blocking tax hikes and lowering bridge tolls.

That blank slate agenda, combined with abundance bro status, tags Moore as a corporate shill - an identity easy for his rivals to reinforce by emphasizing his Wall Street past, celebrity backers and tycoon associates, and his proposed giveaway of taxpayer money and prime public land to Baltimore developers. Moore would essentially be replicating the Kamala Harris "joy and excitement" campaign of late summer 2024. That didn't work out very well. 

Harris had celebrities (check), billionaire friends like Mark Cuban and Michael Bloomberg [a major financial backer of the abundance movement, coincidentally] (check), and some vague promises (check) about "not going back." Not going back to what? Low inflation? Low gas prices? World peace? 

Ironically, Harris and Walz had their greatest success right at the start of their brief campaign, when her selection of the Minnesota governor as running mate suggested she would be more progressive than Joe Biden, and she rolled out a short list of specific socialist promises like price fixing and giving everyone $25,000 to buy a home. The abundance neoliberals in the press and corporate boardrooms predictably lost their minds, and Harris quickly dropped the concrete policy goals, falling back on a vacuous campaign of "joy," twerking rappers, and the daughter of Uber Villain and war criminal bogeyman Dick Cheney. Progressives and the working class quickly fell off the bandwagon.

Even Moore's pal Oprah couldn't save Harris. Will appearing on Radio Abundance save a foundering Moore? Not likely. For Radio Abundance is the latest example of "every accusation is a confession." Corporations setting our regulations, and seizing power over local decisions away from citizens, is indeed "fascism coming to America."

Maryland taxpayers to pick up tab for Baltimore developer giveaway

Developers are about to score a mother lode of a real estate portfolio in Baltimore, realizing billions in massive profits, and Maryland taxpayers will pick up the tab for the next twenty years. The property giveaway is being characterized by Maryland elected officials who have tanked the state's finances as "taxpayer savings," counting on a compliant press not to run the numbers, and a complacent electorate not to care. Governor Wes Moore announced the plan in a press release four days ago, in which he promised $326 million in savings over the next two decades, savings he claimed would be realized by moving state government workers into leased space in privately-owned buildings. In turn, the nine state-owned buildings will be sold to developers.

This means a double payday for developers. The state - a.k.a. you, the taxpayer - will have to pay rent to house thousands of government employees in privately-owned office buildings around Charm City. And, developers will acquire valuable downtown property at - based on what we've seen in previous government dispositions of real estate in Montgomery County and Maryland - discount rates, compared to the value they will realize with redevelopment as luxury apartment buildings.

Some have theorized that there are an infinite number of realities. In none of those realities is leasing market-rate office space, over 20 years, cheaper than renovating and continuing to operate buildings you own. But it is a good program for elected officials to help fill the vacant office space owned by developers who have contributed fat checks to their campaigns. It's good to have friends in high places.

The payout bonanza won't end with Maryland handing your money over to developer sugar daddies for market-rate office leases all over Baltimore. That's because a valuable cache of state-owned buildings and prime downtown land is about to be added to their portfolios at value prices.

State Center Complex:  (201 W. Preston St., 300 W. Preston St., 301 W. Preston St., 100 N. Eutaw St.)​

State Center has been one of the biggest ongoing development scams in Baltimore for a couple of decades. What started as one developer giveaway turned into developer lawsuits against the state when they couldn't have things their way. Then, last November, the developers got $58.5 million from you - the taxpayer - for...nothing. The Moore administration paid off the developers with nearly $60 million just to end the legal battle - a battle the state would likely have won if the case had gone to trial.

So, as a taxpayer, you're already out $58.5 million for nothing at State Center. That was just the appetizer. Here comes the main course, courtesy of Gov. Moore: the complex will still be sold off to developers, who will redevelop the site with thousands of luxury apartments.

2100 Guilford Avenue

A solid low-rise government building with parking lot. Sure to be a teardown and redevelopment for luxury apartments.

​William Donald Schaefer Tower (6 St. Paul Street)

One of the tallest buildings in Baltimore, 6 St. Paul Street was only built in 1986. I was inside this building about twenty years ago, and it looked very modern and new even at that point. Now the state is claiming the building is facing "catastrophic failure?" This is a potential Trump Tower-style conversion to luxury condos, that will pay off handsomely for the developer fortunate to acquire it under a political fake "fire sale." The Maryland cartel again disrespects former Gov. Schaefer, who was treated very badly in his final years by the political machine.

310-311 W. Saratoga Street

Another prime property, right on top of the Lexington Market subway station. This guarantees maximum density will be allowed to the prospective developer, which means maximum profit.

200 W. Baltimore Street

They don't build 'em like this anymore. A prime conversion candidate for apartments, or a wasteful teardown - the option will be up to the buyer. Located right across from CFG Bank Arena (a.k.a. the Baltimore Arena). Unlike Camden Yards, you can still see the Bromo Seltzer Tower from inside 200 W. Baltimore Street. Maximum profits await!

201 St. Paul St.

Another "they don't make 'em like they used to" architectural gem. 

The worst part of this latest corruption scheme isn't the fake, inflated claims of savings. It's that the $326 million is over twenty years, while the state is facing a potential $6 billion shortfall in 2030. Aging buildings, even assuming the state has criminally failed to properly maintain them, aren't the source of Maryland's budget woes. It is astronomical overspending that has brought us here, and the Maryland legislature made clear this spring it has no intention of stopping that anytime soon.

Our local media appears too starstruck and weak-in-the-knees around Gov. Moore to challenge him on this real estate portfolio giveaway, and massive new expenditures in leases at empty office buildings owned by developer sugar daddies. They have simply accepted the poorly-documented claims of "savings" at face value, and have chosen to parrot the governor's message of "nearly four-hundred million in savings!!!!"

Unlike the local media, let's follow the money in the coming months and years. What will the sale prices of the government buildings be, compared to their true market value? Who will acquire them, and how much have they donated to Gov. Moore, Comptroller Brooke Lierman, and members of the legislature? 

Montgomery County elected officials have been giving away County-owned properties at discount rates - and sometimes even for free (!!) - for many years this century. Conversely, they are glad to overpay for rents in private office space owned by their developer sugar daddies (witness the Board of Education's move from a building owned by Montgomery County Public Schools into a glossy new office building, despite MCPS owning numerous vacant school buildings and other properties across the county. And just this week, the County government revealed it purchased a bank property in Olney that mysteriously gained over $1 million in value just since 2021, an additional cost the County was delighted to pay with taxpayer funds. 

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton pilgrimage to make several stops in Montgomery County

This year marks a half-century since Elizabeth Ann Seton was canonized by the Catholic Church. A two-week walking pilgrimage will travel from Point Lookout in Southern Maryland all the way to The National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, starting this Monday, June 9, 2025. Along the way, pilgrims will stop at several waypoints in Montgomery County, overnight in some cases. These include Our Lady, Queen of Poland Church at 9700 Rosensteel Avenue in Silver Spring; The Avalon School at St. Catherine Laboure Church at 11801 Claridge Road in Wheaton; the Shrine of St. Jude at 12701 Veirs Mill Road and St. Mary's Catholic Church at 520 Veirs Mill Road in Rockville; St. Martin of Tours Church at 201 S. Frederick Avenue and St. Rose of Lima Church at 11701 Clopper Road in Gaithersburg; and St. Mary’s Catholic Church and Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima at 18230 Barnesville Road in Barnesville.

For options on how you can participate by walking, or virtually from home, or to register, visit the website of The Camino of Maryland.

Image via The Camino of Maryland

Wes Moore embraces abundance agenda in South Carolina, as poll shows it's a loser

Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D) emphatically aligned himself with the so-called "abundance" agenda during a speech in South Carolina last Friday night. Expected to run for the White House in 2028, Moore spoke in code to some of the Democratic Party's wealthiest donors, who have already put millions behind the abundance message, spearheaded by a recent book written by pundits Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. But Klein and Thompson have found their warmest reception on podcasts hosted by neoliberal Democrats and conservatives. Many progressives, in contrast, have seen through the abundance campaign for what it is: a repackaging of earlier pushes for the juicing of corporate profits, at the expense of local control over zoning and growth issues. That perceptive reaction from the Bernie Sanders wing of the party is backed up by a new poll that shows Moore's embrace of the "abundance bros" movement puts him out of step with the progressive Democrats and independents he will need to prevail in Democratic and open primaries in 2028.

The abundance campaign is another good example of the "now more than ever" phenomenon. No matter what the crisis of the hour might be, the same old agenda is pushed as the solution. At the moment, the crisis is the Democratic Party's identity crisis. Real estate developers who have tried several tactics to gain the right to build luxury multifamily housing in the most desirable and successful residential areas - starting with the environment, and most-recently and disgustingly glomming onto the George Floyd Revolution and Black Lives Matter movement with a racial argument for blowing up zoning codes - with relatively little success, have now put a new brand on the same old YIMBY agenda. Also on board are other corporate interests, forever seeking a reduction in regulations, and an increase in profit margins.

Klein, Thompson, and others pushing the abundance agenda have offered it as a liberal response to President Donald Trump's MAGA agenda, and a blueprint for 2028 Democratic presidential candidates. But not only is it just another case of "more cowbell," it fundamentally misfires as a quick fix for what ails the Democratic Party. Where Trump's success among Black and Latino men in 2024 was in large part the idea that he would provide them with prosperity, the abundance agenda openly and unabashedly reserves the financial benefits for wealthy developers, power companies, and Chinese solar panel manufacturers. Things will "get done," and faster alright. But none of the profits will accrue to you, and you'll give up local control over decisions that directly impact your neighborhood. Good deal, right?

Voters polled by Demand Progress seem to have been impressively quick studies of the abundance agenda. Democrats and independents responded negatively to the abundance agenda, while Republicans had a more favorable reaction. Progressive policies (oddly termed "populist" by Demand Progress) like getting money out of politics, breaking up big banks and corporations, and prosecuting corruption were seen as more favorable by 72.5% of Democrats, and 55.4% of independents, according to Axios. 

When asked to make a blunt choice between abundance and populism, only 16.8% of Democrats endorsed abundance.

It's curious that Moore is one of them. Not only does the abundance agenda get a thumbs down from a majority of the voters he needs to get past the primaries in 2028, but it also puts him in a crowded lane of Democratic candidates. Among those who have also posited themselves as abundance bros are Tim Walz, Cory Booker, Jared Polis, and Kamala Harris. And Pete Buttigieg was an abundance bro before it was even a thing.

"Gone are the days when the Democrats are the party of no and slow. we must be the party of yes and now," Moore declared, which was surely music to the ears of corporate donors who want the abundance agenda to be the Democratic Party agenda. That corporate money will be an advantage for Moore, no doubt. As was seen with Joe Biden in 2020, Moore can lose Iowa and New Hampshire, and still clinch the nomination with a Jim Clyburn endorsement in South Carolina that Clyburn himself has already hinted at. And the Democratic National Committee has slammed the door on progressive upstarts in three straight elections, most notably kneecapping Bernie Sanders twice. Can the DNC do it a fourth time in a row?

Moore is in his element among the rich and famous, having raised most of his campaign cash at fundraisers in the Hamptons and on Martha's Vineyard when he ran for governor in 2022. And just this year, he closed a budget gap largely on the backs of the poor and middle class, who now must pay hundreds of dollars to register their vehicles with the state, among other regressive tax and fee hikes. The Reaganesque, Laffer Curve, trickle-down, supply-side voodoo economics of the abundance agenda are not that surprising of a platform for Moore, given that he first entered politics in college as a Young Republican.

Moore and his backers have tried to cast him as a charismatic and inspirational figure in the mold of Barack Obama. But the 2008-era Obama presented himself as a champion for the little guy, not Wall Street and real estate moguls. Once in the White House, he quickly morphed into a neoliberal and forever-war fighter, but his pre-2009 populist persona was what won him many of the same voters who would propel Trump to victory eight years later. The abundance promise of lower costs and higher profits for mega corporations might win Moore an abundance of campaign cash, but is unlikely to draw an abundance of progressive Democrat and independent primary votes.