Maryland
Maryland won a tentative victory in the race for a new FBI headquarters, a potential economic boon for a majority Black county near DC
- In November, the GSA announced that Maryland had been picked to land the new FBI headquarters.
- Maryland lawmakers, including Gov. Wes Moore and Rep. Steny Hoyer, emphasized equity in their pitch.
- Some Virginia officials who have decried the selection process now want it reversed.
For over a decade, a bipartisan contingent of political leaders in Maryland and Virginia sought to land the new FBI headquarters.
The J. Edgar Hoover Building, a Brutalist complex near the White House that has housed the agency’s headquarters since 1975, became functionally obsolete years ago, with employees dispersed among different locations in the region. The current location, while centrally located, also has security vulnerabilities that a newer and more secure facility would rectify.
For years, the race to land the facility was intense. But federal officials last November selected a site in Greenbelt, Maryland, located in suburban Prince George’s County and adjacent to an existing Metro station — making it easily accessible to public transit.
The decision is a major win for Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Maryland Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, but especially for Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer, the dean of the Maryland congressional delegation and a longtime champion of the project. Hoyer in a recent interview told me that he first discussed the move in 2009 with then-FBI director Robert Mueller.
“I went down to the building, I looked at it, took a tour through it, and he showed me how decrepit it was,” Hoyer said, noting that Mueller said the state of the building was undermining the agency’s effectiveness.
Hoyer, a former House majority leader who endorsed Moore’s campaign months before the 2022 Democratic gubernatorial primary, told Business Insider that the now-governor “immediately seized” on the FBI issue even before his eventual win in the primary.
“He digested and understood the importance of our competitive advantage and focused on achieving that objective,” Hoyer said. “And he recognized the importance of the FBI for Maryland and in particular for Prince George’s County.”
Prince George’s County, the majority-Black county directly to the east of Washington, DC, has for years had one of the most affluent Black populations of any jurisdiction in the country. But compared to Northern Virginia localities like Fairfax County, which has been an economic powerhouse for decades, Prince George’s County hasn’t enjoyed a similar level of economic development.
ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images
In that sense, the new building — which will consolidate and hold roughly 11,000 employees under one roof — is a game changer for Maryland.
“We have 4% of leased federal office space in Prince George’s County,” Hoyer told me, while also pointing out that the county is home to roughly 20% of the Washington region’s federal workers. “Fairfax County has 11% of the office space, almost three times as much as we have.”
Hoyer, like Moore, argued during the selection process that a Maryland site would be tied to equity, not only in terms of race but also regarding the level of federal investment.
“This project will be worth over $4 billion in economic activity and it’s going to solidify Maryland as the cyber capital of this country,” the governor told me in a recent interview. “The reason that we made it such a high priority is because this is going to be one of the most important federal buildings that has ever been built.”
Virginia leaders, who for years argued that a suburban site near the Marine Corps Base Quantico was a better fit for the headquarters, have criticized the selection — and now the General Service Administration will conduct an evaluation of the process.
In a November letter, a majority of Virginia’s congressional delegation asked that the decision to move the headquarters to the 61-acre Greenbelt site be reversed. And current FBI director Christopher Wray has expressed concerns about the selection process.
But a White House spokesperson in November defended the selection process as “fair and transparent.” And Maryland’s leaders remain confident.
“We’re absolutely convinced that everything was done properly,” Hoyer told me. “And I’ve been convinced from the very beginning that Greenbelt was by far the best site for all the reasons that the GSA ultimately found.”
The state said the five recently traveled together to “a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak.”
Maryland health officials confirmed five more measles cases, all in Carroll County.
“These individuals recently traveled together to a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak,” the state Department of Health said in a release.
The agency said others may have been exposed on the afternoon of July 13 in the emergency department waiting room at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster.
Another measles case recently prompted warnings from health officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District. On June 17, a Maryland resident traveled through Dulles International Airport and visited a D.C. urgent care clinic.
Measles is highly contagious. It can spread through the air through coughs, breathing, and sneezes. Early symptoms can include fevers of over 101 degrees, coughs, runny noses, watery eyes and face or body rashes.
It can take up to 21 days after exposure for the first symptoms to appear, and those who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles are especially vulnerable.
The five new measles cases in Maryland bring the state’s year-to-date total to nine. The state health department confirmed three cases in 2025, and one in each of the previous two years.
“All Marylanders should review potential exposure times, watch for symptoms, and confirm they are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations,” the health department said.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
Baltimore may be under an extreme heat alert, but residents can dream about autumn, as tickets are now on sale for the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show returning to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in October.
This three-day celebration of home and garden takes place from Friday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Expect hundreds of exhibitors, local makers, home improvement experts, family-friendly experiences and celebrity guests. The show offers everyone the chance to explore the very latest in home improvement, landscaping, outdoor living and decor, the chance to take part in hands-on experiences, and do some holiday shopping all under one roof.
This year’s show will have more than 300 exhibitors, including more than 100 crafters from around Maryland in the Makers Market. There will be unique exhibits, stage presentations and a special appearance by Chase Morrill, Ashley Morrill-Eldridge and Ryan Eldridge from Magnolia Network’s hit series “Maine Cabin Masters.” The three will have two Main Stage appearances, one on Friday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. and the second on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12 p.m.
“As temperatures start to drop and the holiday season comes into view, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show is a place to gather ideas, meet local experts and get inspired before the busy season begins,” said Dave Paul, show manager, in a statement. “Whether attendees are planning a home project, looking for outdoor living ideas or getting a head start on holiday shopping, the show brings together resources and experiences for every kind of homeowner, maker and DIY enthusiast.”
In addition to the Makers Market and stars of “Maine Cabin Masters”, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show will have a petting zoo, a Kids Market where attendees can shop from local children, and much more.
Tickets are available online and at the door. Prices are as follows:
Online:
- Adults: $8
- Senior Citizens (60+): $6
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- 4-Pack Online: $30 for four tickets, valid for one admission each and one day only
At the door:
- Adults: $10
- Senior Citizens (60+): $8
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- Friday & Saturday: $4 after 4 p.m. at the door only
Special Offers:
- Active and retired military personnel, veterans, firefighters and police officers receive free admission all weekend, along with one guest, with valid ID at the box office.
- Attendees who show a CharmPass app, Light RailLink ticket or eligible transit pass at the box office receive free admission any day of the show. One admission is available per pass.
The Maryland State Fairgrounds is located at 2200 York Road in Lutherville-Timonium.
Related
Maryland
Maryland police arrest alleged bank robber wielding stolen cat: ‘Tried to use her as an accessory’
Law enforcement agencies are accustomed to dealing with cat burglars – but now a Maryland police department is saying it grappled with a cat-wielding bank robber.
The Prince George’s county police department said its officers arrested a man suspected of stealing a cat and then taking the animal with him to a PNC bank branch in the local community of Beltsville to rob the establishment on Monday morning.
“The cat was returned” after the suspect was arrested, the police department said in a statement to the Guardian on Tuesday. The agency said no injuries were reported, and it declined to name the suspect or release additional details, saying the case – bound for a spot in the annals of bizarre reported US crimes – remained under investigation.
Nonetheless, a social media post from rescue shelter Beltsville Community Cats provided more information.
A Beltsville Community Cats Facebook page post on Monday identified the cat at the center of the alleged botched caper as Magnolia, a three-and-a-half-month-old tuxedo kitten. The shelter recounted how the suspect first snatched Magnolia from her “adoption habitat” at Beltsville’s Pet Supplies Plus store, took her across the parking lot to a PNC branch, and “tried to use her as an accessory in [an] attempted robbery”.
“He asked the bank manager to hold the kitten while he wrote a note, then handed the note to a teller demanding all the cash,” the post continued. “Thankfully, the robbery was unsuccessful, the suspect was arrested, and Magnolia was found safe and sound in the bank manager’s office, where the two had bonded over their shared ordeal.”
Pet Supplies Plus store employees told the NBC affiliate in nearby Washington DC that Magnolia’s cat napper had come in daily for about two weeks and focused on the kitten each time.
Finally, on Monday, he managed to use a key to open a cat adoption area and whisked Magnolia away, store employees said to the outlet, WRC.
Store manager Aaron Kurkowski told WRC that Magnolia’s thief “came in and saw none of my team was nearby the front – and he just went right to her and ran right on out”.
According to WRC, Stephanie Stullich of Beltsville Community Cats then received a call from a pet store employee who alerted her to Magnolia’s plight.
That prompted Stullich to run over to the store, where she said to WRC that she “immediately saw all of these police cars and … thought, ‘Wow, that’s a heck of a response for a stolen cat’.”
“But then I realized they all were going down to the bank,” Stullich recalled to WRC. “They came back out a few minutes later and said, ‘Yes, there is a cat inside the bank.’”
Two days before her catnapping, Magnolia was the subject of a Beltsville Community Cats Facebook post inviting people to see her at Pet Supplies Plus and consider adopting her.
Magnolia as of Monday was still waiting to be adopted, Beltsville Community Cats said in its post detailing the bank robbery.
The non-profit organization offered members of the public the opportunity to apply to adopt Magnolia by emailing rescue@beltsvillecats.net.
Beltsville Community Cats’ post also joked that Magnolia’s “brief ‘life of crime’ is behind her” – except for undoubtedly “stealing” hearts, treats, toys and cuddles wherever her forever home may be.
-
Alaska3 minutes agoICE: Alaska state attorney arrested by immigration officials, held in Tacoma detention center
-
Arizona9 minutes agoArizona Lottery Powerball, The Pick results for July 15, 2026
-
Arkansas15 minutes agoAGFC proposes WMA regulation | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
-
California21 minutes agoBecerra leads Hilton by wide margin in California governor’s race, new poll finds
-
Colorado27 minutes agoSee where the new Colorado Connector train will stop
-
Connecticut33 minutes agoThis Connecticut barbecue restaurant is ‘beloved’ for a reason.
-
Delaware39 minutes agoDelaware oversight commission debates authority to reject utility rate hikes
-
Florida45 minutes agoFlorida preacher buys VT campus to build Christian college | Fox News Video
