If Maryland loses FBI HQ, Gov. Wes Moore may have only himself to blame

If Maryland loses the FBI headquarters it thought it won in a beauty contest during the Biden administration, Governor Wes Moore may have only himself - and his devotees in the press - to blame. Moore lashed out at President Donald Trump after Trump declared the FBI would be staying in D.C. during a speech at the Department of Justice last week. He called Trump's statement political - and he was right, but not in the way he thought. It was Moore who played politics badly almost a month ago.

Moore initially took a more measured approach after Trump's victory last November. It appeared their relationship was off to a promising start when Trump appointed Moore to the bipartisan Council of Governors last month. But then Moore attended a meeting of governors from across the country at The White House, and went on a press tour to say that Trump had gone "off the rails" at the event. Eager to champion any Democrat who will forcefully take on Trump, and overeager to bolster Moore's bid for the presidency in 2028, the media began publishing reports and encouraging Moore to boost his attacks.

"Maryland Governor Wes Moore appears to have dismissed any possibility of working with President Donald Trump," Maryland Matters reported. "Any possibility?" Does that sound like a wise position to take when the state depends on the federal government in so many ways?

Moore told reporters that he supported Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown's lawsuits against the Trump administration. He said he was "deeply underwhelmed" and "troubled" by Trump. Moore described Trump's speech as "an hour-long diatribe of conspiracy theories and attacks." The Baltimore Sun said Moore was "more determined to push back" against the President. Many Democrats and journalists were positively giddy about Moore's rants against Trump, despite a replacement Key Bridge and the FBI HQ being just two major projects hanging in the balance.

Imagine if Moore had taken a different approach, especially knowing that other politicians have followed a rather simple strategy to forge a successful relationship with Trump. Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has met privately with Trump for dialogue outside of the public view, rather than fire invective through the press. She has acceded to several Trump priorities over the last few months, either by verbal intent, or by action, such as the removal of Black Lives Matter Plaza. As a result, a major cut to the D.C. budget was overturned by the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate at the 11th hour, and Trump has so far not followed through on his threats to intervene in city affairs. 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, off to a rocky start at home, put on a master class in Trump diplomacy during his White House visit. With a flourish, out came an invitation to visit King Charles, a clear play on Trump's oft-stated affection for the British Royal Family. And the contrasting approaches of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan toward Trump have had predictably-opposite outcomes. All three of those who established a successful rapport with Trump used a combination of flattery and pragmatism, while holding firm on certain principles that were cast as furthering Trump's objectives. Those who simply attacked ended up empty handed.

It's no surprise, then, that Trump would not hesitate to pull back the FBI headquarters after a barrage of attacks from Moore through the media. In a state that has failed to score any big economic development wins in the private sector for decades, fumbling the rare infusion of government largess the FBI HQ represented was an unforced error by Moore.

Rendering via Prince George's County 

Tesla Model Y Launch Edition on display at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

The new Tesla Model Y Launch Edition is now on display at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. It is parked inside the Tesla Store alongside other electric vehicles from the company. The Launch Edition is a fully-loaded version of the popular crossover EV. It features the full-self-driving system (FSD), a tow hitch, and has a range of 327 miles.

A key selling point for the new Model Y is the quieter and smoother driving experience. This was achieved via an updated tire and wheel package, and redesigned body castings that reduced gaps. The interior is all-new in design and materials. Pet owners leaving an animal in the car unattended can activate Dog Mode to maintain a safe interior temperature at all times. The display model at the mall is in Ultra Red color.

Big Papi's Tacos opening soon in Rockville

Big Papi's Tacos is "opening soon" in Rockville, according to signage posted in the windows of its future storefront in Rockville Town Center. The Mexican restaurant will be located at 201 E. Middle Lane, in the ground floor of the BLVD 44/Cambria Hotel. Big Papi's has two existing locations in Maryland, in Frederick and Hagerstown. The growing chain was founded by Victor Alvarez and Carlos Jimenez, two disc jockeys who found themselves idled when the pandemic lockdown happened in 2020.

The specialty of Big Papi's is their quesabirria, which they describe as a "crispy, meaty taco that’s made when chili-spiced corn tortillas are cooked on a smoking hot flat top grill and topped with tender carne asada, melted cheese, diced onion and a bit of cilantro. The crispy taco is then served alongside a savory, chili-tinged consomme broth." They suggest you "think of it like the spicy Mexican equivalent of a French dip."

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore's poll numbers drop as he pushes unpopular tax, fee hikes

Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D) received more bad news from poll results this week, as his highly-unpopular plan to raise multiple taxes and fees - and introduce new ones - is tanking his approval rating across the state. 55% of registered voters approve of the governor, down from 61% in January, according to the Gonzales Poll released Wednesday. 50% of those polled said they believe the state is heading in the wrong direction. 58% labeled Maryland's economy as "fair or poor" - that has risen by 4 points since the University of Maryland Baltimore County poll in late February.

The combination of Maryland's moribund economy, Moore's tax hike plan, his proposed 75-cent tax on all Amazon and food deliveries from firms like DoorDash and Uber Eats, his EmPOWER MD fee that caused electricity rates to skyrocket this winter, and his squandering of a $5.5 billion surplus left by his predecessor, Republican Larry Hogan, is leading some to ask if Moore is up to the job of leading the state. That's quite a change from the beginning of his term, when the primary question was how long he would serve before running for the White House. 

Moore's stellar resume suggested he would lead with strength and competence in all relevant areas. The promised business acumen has yet to emerge, his handling of Maryland's finances has paled next to Hogan's tax-hike-free eight years of fiscal stability, and the state's long-moribund economy has made Moore's plans for massive new spending on social programs and education a difficult-to-impossible mission.

"No Moore" campaign posts video critiquing governor

Contributing to the public's attention to Moore's struggles was a decision by the Maryland Democratic Party to begin attacking an anonymously-led campaign called "No Moore." But in demanding the State Board of Elections unmask the group, and investigate it for unsubstantiated violations of election law, the party wound up elevating public awareness of No Moore - along with the number of its followers on social media. Moore's office distanced itself from that effort. No Moore wasted no time in leveraging its newfound support, posting a video critiquing Moore on X yesterday morning.

Strong-arm carjacking in Rockville

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a strong-arm carjacking in Rockville Monday morning, March 10, 2025. The assault and carjacking were reported in the 5500 block of Randolph Road at 10:50 AM Monday. That is near the intersection with Nebel Street, and the CSX railroad crossing.

Assault reported at Rockville High School

Montgomery County police were called to investigate a report of an assault at Rockville High School, located at 2100 Baltimore Road, late Tuesday morning, March 11, 2025. The assault was reported at the school at 11:50 AM Tuesday. No further information is available as of this writing.

Forever 21 closing at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

It started off as an "everything must go" sale, but now the signs have gone up announcing "store closing" at Forever 21 at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. What began as a handful of scattered reports about locations like this one has evolved into announcements of hundreds of layoffs and hundreds of store closures nationwide. According to the Los Angeles Times, even the company's corporate headquarters is going to close. As predicted, savings will escalate as the closing sale continues.