Jill Biden recognizes her fellow teachers at a swanky White House dinner for answering 'a calling' https://t.co/mV6mol6hwd
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 3, 2024
Biden expands 2 national monuments in California significant to tribal nations https://t.co/By6CQysrID
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 2, 2024
The media frames every single Biden action as "hoping to help him in November", even though they've been in the works for years. The marijuana rescheduling process started back in 2022. https://t.co/AkQcYZzn6k
— That Well-Adjusted Biden Guy (@What46HasDone) May 3, 2024
I'm the guy who likes Joe Biden but if you can believe it I also like other Democrats! So when I was informed that there'd be a bus tour across the country to flip red seats blue and encourage Gen Z to vote I knew I had to share this important effort. #TourToSaveDemocracy https://t.co/HLyqjOFvna pic.twitter.com/G0fcCjIUY3
— ☕LatteLiberal🍦 (@LatteLiberalUSA) May 2, 2024
Maryland officials release timeline, cost estimate, for rebuilding bridge https://t.co/479wfsYfOD
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 2, 2024
Maryland plans to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge in just over four years at an estimated cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, a state transportation official said Thursday.
The state plans to build a new span by fall of 2028, said David Broughton, a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Transportation. He said the cost estimate is preliminary, and detailed engineering specifics have not been confirmed.
As salvage efforts continue, authorities also announced late Wednesday they had recovered the body of a fifth person who was missing after the bridge’s March 26 collapse, which shut down the port of Baltimore, one of the busiest ports in the country…
Meanwhile, the broker for the bridge’s insurance policy confirmed Thursday that a $350 million payout will be made to the state of Maryland in what is expected to be the first of many payouts related to the collapse.
Chubb, the company that insured the bridge, is preparing to make the $350 million payment, according to WTW, the broker. Douglas Menelly, a spokesperson for WTW, on Thursday confirmed plans for the payout, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Chubb did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
Maryland transportation officials noted that the state’s estimates for the cost to rebuild the bridge are in line with similar projects of this scale and complexity. Federal funding, insurance proceeds and other reimbursements will bring a variety of resources toward the rebuild and recovery effort, the officials said, and the state is pursuing other recovery options to minimize net cost to taxpayers and toll customers…
And a heartwarming finish… for certain very specific values of ‘heartwarming’…
Lewiston bowling alley reopens 6 months after Maine's deadliest mass shooting https://t.co/8onyF1wRVg
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 3, 2024
It’s a dilemma no business owner should have to face: whether to reopen after a mass shooting.
The answer didn’t come easily to Justin and Samantha Juray. But when they did decide to reopen their Maine bowling alley, they didn’t hold back.
When patrons return Friday, six months after the gunman opened fire, they will see inspiring pictures at the end of each lane, bright paint on the walls, and new floors. The Lewiston venue has undergone a complete makeover, giving it a vibrant, airy feel…
“It’s never going to leave my head,” Juray said this week, as she made final preparations to reopen. “I think if we don’t move forward — not that there was a point to this whole thing anyway — but we’re just going to allow the people that have taken so much from us win.”
Justin Juray initially was dead-set against reopening and they also got some negative outside feedback. But that all changed, she said, as people in Lewiston rallied behind them. Within weeks, they knew they had to reopen, Samantha Juray said.
They decided to keep the same name: Just-In-Time Recreation. They call it that because when they bought the venue three years ago, the owner was days away from shutting it down. It also fits with Justin’s name.
Across the country, people have taken varied approaches after mass shootings. Barbara Poma, the former owner of the Pulse nightclub in Florida where 49 people were killed in 2016, said every situation and community is different.
“You are suddenly thrown into a state of shock, and emotions dictate your thoughts,” Poma said in an email. “Eventually you are forced to make a critical business decision based on how it will impact others emotionally and publicly. There just is no easy or right answer.”
The City of Orlando last year agreed to buy the Pulse nightclub site to create a memorial.
In Aurora, Colorado, a movie theater where 12 people were killed in 2012 later reopened under a new name. Buffalo’s Tops Friendly Market reopened in 2022, two months after 10 Black people were killed…
Among those planning to speak at a ceremony Friday afternoon is Maine’s governor, Janet Mills, a Democrat.
“I’m excited about opening,” Juray said. “I know it’s definitely going to be a very long day, and probably an emotional day.”
TGIFriday Morning Open Thread: Keep Looking for the Good NewsPost + Comments (330)