No. 6-seed Maryland women’s basketball had a chance to earn the final shot Thursday night.
Maryland
Maryland educators shocked after federal government rescinds reimbursement of $360 million
Maryland schools are facing what they call “catastrophic” financial cuts after the federal government rescinded approval of millions of dollars it had committed to giving to state schools.
State education leaders say the loss of funding could impact programs students rely on, as well as tutoring, construction projects, summer learning, and more.
Maryland’s State Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Carey Wright, says districts such as Baltimore City and Baltimore and Prince George’s counties are among the places to be hit the worst.
“Shock does not begin to describe our reaction,” Wright said.
Wright said state educators are gathering data on what specific programs and systems will be hurt the most, and they are in touch with state lawmakers and exploring legal action.
Notification of rescinded funding
Wright confirmed that the Maryland State Department of Education was notified on Friday, March 28, that the U.S. Department of Education said it will not reimburse federal pandemic recovery fund reimbursements to states and local school systems.
State leaders say this announcement puts more than $400 million in school funding at risk.
“It may be a tutoring program that’s going on right now in schools that was intended to go through this school year, or it might be an improvement to a health room in a school,” said Dr. Joshua Michael, the Maryland State Board of Education President. “And Dr Wright is having to tell them to stop spending on those until we have further clarification, so that tutor will probably not be there next week.”
$360 million committed to Maryland schools
Educators are upset because the U.S. Department of Education committed to $360 million, which is funding they say is already being spent in all 24 of the state’s school systems.
“These funds have been used on several initiatives, including such Maryland lead grant programs, as high-dosage tutoring, social emotional wellness programs, and summer learning,” Wright said.
“Federal government made the commitment to pay for these things, told us to do it, and now they’re coming back,” Michael added.
State education leaders say this abrupt change will slow, or possibly end, programs already in place.
“We are telling the LEAs (Local Education Agency) to hold off on any further spending at this point until we know exactly how to proceed,” Wright said.
“Creates significant uncertainty as we seek to understand how to fully pay for the funding, the expenses that were on this, these lesser grants,” Michael said.
Baltimore City schools respond
Baltimore City Public Schools told WJZ it is “deeply concerned” about the U.S. Department of Education rescinding previously approved reimbursements for pandemic recovery funds.
“This decision places an immense financial strain on City Schools and directly threatens critical programs and services that support our students, families, and educators,” Baltimore City schools said in a statement.
Like school districts across the state and country, we planned and committed these funds in good faith to provide essential academic recovery programs, including high-dosage tutoring, and extended learning opportunities. These initiatives have played a crucial role in helping our students with the needs they still face from the significant disruptions caused by the pandemic.
Maryland
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Maryland
No. 6-seed Maryland women’s basketball stunned by No. 11-seed Oregon, 73-68, in Big Ten Tournament second round
Oluchi Okananwa drew an and-one opportunity to potentially cut the deficit to one point. But she missed the free throw.
No. 11-seed Oregon went the other way and head coach Brenda Frese decided not to foul. With 4.4 seconds remaining, guard Avary Cain knocked down a 3-pointer to end Maryland’s run in the Big Ten Tournament after just one game with a 73-68 loss in Indianapolis.
“It felt like deja vu,” Frese said.
Just like the last time it faced Oregon — in College Park in late January — Maryland led by a slim margin heading into the fourth quarter.
That night, the Terps were outscored 24-11 in the fourth. It was 21-11 in favor of Oregon on Thursday.
“They just made a few more plays than we did late game that sent us home,” Frese said.
Maryland’s offense didn’t come through when it needed it most — it made just one 3-pointer on 15 attempts on the night.
The Terps relied on interior scoring in the first half. Of its first 23 points, 22 came from inside the paint — the only other score was a free throw. The game finished with Maryland scoring 48 points in the paint. The other 15 points came from free throws.
But that was too one-dimensional offensively. The Terps attempted 21 layups and seven 3-pointers in the first half. It finished with 33 layups and 16 3-pointers, and made 20 layups compared to one 3-pointer.
As the first half progressed, Oregon adjusted to take away that gameplan. The second quarter started with an 11-2 Ducks run — they simply found more ways to score. Maryland could not find scoring outside of the paint or the charity stripe — its only 3-pointer came with 1:50 remained in the first half.
The Ducks weren’t dominating from deep, either; the game consisted mostly of back-and-forth layups. Still, the lack of success from beyond the arc was relatively uncharted territory for head coach Brenda Frese.
Early on, the Terps were overly cautious in avoiding foul trouble. But it backfired.
Oluchi Okananwa started the game on 3-of-3 shooting and scored six of Maryland’s first eight points. She has dealt with foul trouble in recent games. So Frese opted to have her sit for the remaining six minutes of the first quarter after committing a foul.
But amid the intention to avoid foul trouble, Yarden Garzon committed two quick fouls early in the second quarter.
The referees continued to call a tight game in the third quarter. Okananwa got up to three fouls, and so did Isi Ozzy-Momodu. The Terps were in the exact position they were looking to avoid.
Due to its cautiousness regarding foul trouble, Maryland’s rotations were altered. Breanna Williams had some extended playing time — though it started out well, it turned sour quickly. She made an early layup, but also had some defensive lapses and looked largely out of place.
Maryland relied on its freshmen for 35 collective minutes in the first half. They were impactful, but not as much as its senior leadership, which was hampered by foul trouble.
Okananwa finished with 27 points and was Maryland’s main workhorse. It didn’t end up being enough, but her ability to drive inside gave her team a fighting chance.
“Just be aggressive. Be my normal self. A lot of good things happen for me when I drive,” Okananwa said. “Whether it’s me getting to the line or finishing the bucket. So that was my mentality. Just be aggressive.”
With a loss in the first game of the Big Ten Tournament, what seemed like a sure thing that Maryland would host NCAA Tournament games now looks in jeopardy.
1. A shocking loss. Since joining the Big Ten, this is the first time Maryland failed to reach the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. Last year, the Terps lost their first game but had a double-bye; this was their worst outing ever in the Big Ten Tournament.
2. What now? With the Terps’ run in Indianapolis now over, they will wait to see if they will host in the NCAA Tournament. Maryland was not the only Big Ten team slated to host that lost on Thursday — Michigan State did too. It remains to be seen what that means for the Terps.
“It shouldn’t be judged off of one game, and I think our conference prepares you night in and night out,” Frese said. “I think you should be rewarded for your body of work.”
3. Garzon’s bad game. Maryland needed more from Garzon on Thursday and simply didn’t get it, as she shot 1-of-11 from the field and 1-of-9 from deep. If she made one or two of those shots, there’s a good chance Maryland would have won.
Maryland
Maryland AG Brown announces $1.99M settlement with LifeBridge Health over hospital fees
MARYLAND (WBFF) — Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced Thursday that his office has reached a settlement with LifeBridge Health, Inc. that will provide nearly $2 million in restitution to certain patients who paid outpatient facility fees before new state notice requirements took effect.
AG Brown said the Consumer Protection Division entered into a settlement agreement with LifeBridge concerning hospital fees known as outpatient facility fees that were charged prior to July 1, 2021, when the Facility Fee Right-to-Know Act took effect and established standards for notices about such fees.
The Consumer Protection Division alleged that consumers were not adequately informed they would be subject to the facility fees. LifeBridge denied that patients had been inadequately informed, but agreed to pay $1,985,198.90 in restitution.
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The restitution is for patients who paid out-of-pocket for fees charged by certain LifeBridge hospital clinics for clinic services received before July 1, 2021, when those services also were available at a non-hospital facility owned or operated by a LifeBridge affiliate where the consumer would not have incurred a facility fee.
Eligible patients should expect to receive a refund check from LifeBridge over the next six months, according to AG office.
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Consumers with questions about the settlement can call 410-576-6571.
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