Maryland

VA grants 1 million claims under toxic exposure law; 19,274 approved in Maryland – Maryland Matters

Published

2 years ago

May 21, 2024

VA grants 1 million claims under toxic exposure law; 19,274 approved in Maryland – Maryland Matters

The PACT Act added 23 illnesses to the list of toxic-exposure-related ailments presumed to be connected to military service. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs said this week that 1 million claims have been granted for benefits under the toxic exposure law that Congress approved less than two years ago, following the military’s use of open-air burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The law, approved with broad bipartisan support following years of advocacy by veterans, their families and service organizations, has also led to more than 145,000 people enrolling in health care provided by the VA.

In Maryland, the VA has approved 19,274 of the 31,440 claims filed by veterans in the state, and an additional 3,072 people have enrolled in VA health care, according to agency data.

The milestone was announced Tuesday by President Joe Biden at a speech in New Hampshire. VA Secretary Denis McDonough told reporters on a call ahead of the announcement that the law has made “tangible, life-changing differences for” veterans and their survivors.

“That has meant more than $5.7 billion in earned benefits for veterans as well as access to no-cost VA health care across all 50 states and the territories,” McDonough said.

White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden said during the call that the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics law, known as the PACT Act, “represents the most significant expansion of benefits and services for toxic-exposed veterans, including veterans exposed to burn pits and certain veterans exposed to radiation and Agent Orange.”

“This is truly personal for the president given his experiences as a military parent,” Tanden said. Biden’s son, Beau, died from brain cancer in 2015, at age 46.

The approval rate for benefits under the PACT Act is about 75%, according to a senior administration official.

Burn pit exposure

Congress struggled for years before reaching a compromise on when and how to provide health care and benefits for veterans exposed to open-air burn pits during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hazardous chemicals, medical waste, batteries and other toxic substances were disposed of in those burn pits, typically located on military bases. Service members had no choice but to live and work alongside the smoke, often breathing it in.

The law added 23 illnesses to the list of conditions that the VA presumes are connected to military service, eliminating the arduous and complicated process that many veterans had to undergo to try to get health care and benefits for those diagnoses.

Before the bill became law, veterans often had to prove to the VA that their illnesses were connected to their military service if they wanted to receive benefits or health care for those illnesses.

The U.S. Senate voted 84-14 in June 2022 to send the legislation to the House, where it was delayed for weeks over a dispute about incentivizing health care providers to move to rural or very rural areas.

The bill passed the House following a 342-88 vote in July, after that section was removed from the package. Senators voted 86-11 in August to send the bill to Biden’s desk.

The president signed the bill during a ceremony on Aug. 10.

“When they came home, many of the fittest and best warriors that we sent to war were not the same,” Biden said during the signing ceremony. “Headaches, numbness, dizziness, cancer. My son Beau was one of them.”

The VA has an interactive dashboard that provides veterans with information about how to apply for health care and benefits under the PACT Act as well as how many claims have been submitted.

The agency also has a calendar of in-person events that can be found here. Veterans or their family members can also call the VA at 800-698-2411 to inquire about PACT Act benefits.

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Maryland

Maryland Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for Dec. 21, 2025

Published

9 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Maryland Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for Dec. 21, 2025

The Maryland Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 21, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

Midday: 1-9-3

Evening: 2-7-9

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

Midday: 6-4-9-9

Evening: 5-8-4-4

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

Midday: 2-2-7-2-4

Evening: 0-5-9-9-8

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

15-25-30-40-55, Cash Ball: 02

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

9 a.m.: 03

1 p.m.: 04

6 p.m.: 06

11 p.m.: 05

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Bonus Match 5 numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

05-11-18-22-26, Bonus: 36

Check Bonus Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Keno

Drawings are held every four minutes. Check winning numbers here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Maryland Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes above $600, winners can claim by mail or in person from the Maryland Lottery office, an Expanded Cashing Authority Program location or cashiers’ windows at Maryland casinos. Prizes over $5,000 must be claimed in person.

Claiming by Mail

Sign your winning ticket and complete a claim form. Include a photocopy of a valid government-issued ID and a copy of a document that shows proof of your Social Security number or Federal Tax ID number. Mail these to:

Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center

1800 Washington Boulevard

Suite 330

Baltimore, MD 21230

For prizes over $600, bring your signed ticket, a government-issued photo ID, and proof of your Social Security or Federal Tax ID number to Maryland Lottery headquarters, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD. Claims are by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This location handles all prize amounts, including prizes over $5,000.

Winning Tickets Worth $25,000 or Less

Maryland Lottery headquarters and select Maryland casinos can redeem winning tickets valued up to $25,000. Note that casinos cannot cash prizes over $600 for non-resident and resident aliens (tax ID beginning with “9”). You must be at least 21 years of age to enter a Maryland casino. Locations include:

Horseshoe Casino: 1525 Russell Street, Baltimore, MD
MGM National Harbor: 101 MGM National Avenue, Oxon Hill, MD
Live! Casino: 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, MD
Ocean Downs Casino: 10218 Racetrack Road, Berlin, MD
Hollywood Casino: 1201 Chesapeake Overlook Parkway, Perryville, MD
Rocky Gap Casino: 16701 Lakeview Road NE, Flintstone, MD

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Maryland Lottery.

When are the Maryland Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 11 p.m. ET Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5 Midday: 12:27 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 12:28 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.
Pick 3, 4 and 5 Evening: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Cash4Life: 9 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop: 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. daily.
Bonus Match 5: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
MultiMatch: 7:56 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
Powerball Double Play: 11 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Maryland editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Maryland

How one Maryland student is dealing with being at Brown University during the deadly shooting – WTOP News

Published

21 hours ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

How one Maryland student is dealing with being at Brown University during the deadly shooting – WTOP News

One Brown University student, who grew up in Maryland, said he is trying to process being on campus when a shooter claimed two lives over a week ago.

A gunman shot and killed two students and wounded nine others at Brown University’s School of Engineering in Providence, Rhode Island, on Dec. 13.

This shooting highlights the issue of gun violence that is affecting students across the U.S.

“I don’t think entering Brown anyone could have possibly expected this. I don’t think anyone does expect this to happen at their school until it does happen,” Teo Miranda-Moreno, of Ellicott City, Maryland, told WTOP.

Miranda-Moreno is a freshman at Brown University and was in the school library when the gunfire began and was kept under lockdown for seven hours.

He knew one of the two students — Muhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook — that were shot and killed by a gunman, who was later found dead.

“I was robbed of ever getting the chance to get a closer bond with Muhammad, ever getting the chance to meet Ella,” Miranda-Moreno said. “As a community, we were robbed of these two beautiful people who were friends with anyone they met.”

As a student now associated with a school shooting, he’s been impacted in such a way that he doesn’t know if he can ever fully heal. Even though he appreciates the university for supporting the students during this horrific situation, Miranda-Moreno wants to add his voice to those calling for some action to stop gun violence.

“We have to sit down and work together to try to stop these firearms from being put out into our communities,” he said.

WTOP’s Matt Small contributed to this report.

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Maryland

Maryland Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Dec. 20, 2025

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

The Maryland Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 20, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

04-05-28-52-69, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

Midday: 5-4-9

Evening: 6-0-3

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

Midday: 3-3-3-5

Evening: 2-0-4-9

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

Midday: 2-5-1-2-1

Evening: 5-8-2-7-7

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

14-24-26-42-45, Cash Ball: 04

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

9 a.m.: 14

1 p.m.: 12

6 p.m.: 10

11 p.m.: 03

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Bonus Match 5 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

06-08-20-24-35, Bonus: 26

Check Bonus Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

05-08-19-23-43, Powerball: 06

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Keno

Drawings are held every four minutes. Check winning numbers here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Claiming by Mail

Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center

1800 Washington Boulevard

Suite 330

Baltimore, MD 21230

Winning Tickets Worth $25,000 or Less

Horseshoe Casino: 1525 Russell Street, Baltimore, MD
MGM National Harbor: 101 MGM National Avenue, Oxon Hill, MD
Live! Casino: 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, MD
Ocean Downs Casino: 10218 Racetrack Road, Berlin, MD
Hollywood Casino: 1201 Chesapeake Overlook Parkway, Perryville, MD
Rocky Gap Casino: 16701 Lakeview Road NE, Flintstone, MD

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Maryland Lottery.

When are the Maryland Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 11 p.m. ET Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5 Midday: 12:27 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 12:28 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.
Pick 3, 4 and 5 Evening: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Cash4Life: 9 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop: 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. daily.
Bonus Match 5: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
MultiMatch: 7:56 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
Powerball Double Play: 11 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Maryland editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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