The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Evgenii Ptitsyn, 42, a Russian national, for allegedly administering the sale, distribution, and operation of Phobos ransomware. Ptitsyn made his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland on November 4 after being extradited from South Korea.

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With the expensive holiday shopping season coming up and holiday spending expected to reach more than $980 billion, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its 2024 Holiday Budgets by City report, with one Maryland city ranked 17th in the country out of 558 qualifying cities/areas.

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The Washington Post’s Tom Sietsema has been the newspaper’s food critic for nearly 25 years. In a recent dining guide he highlighted “5 great affordable restaurants in the D.C. area”, which included Montgomery County’s El Chante Comedor y Fritanga Nica (photos below).

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A Dundalk, MD man was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for his role in a fentanyl trafficking scheme that distributed thousands of lethal doses across Washington D.C. and Maryland; he admitted to supplying over 4,500 fentanyl-laced pills and using firearms for protection, while social media posts showed him boasting about his illegal profits. (more…)


As the Maryland high school football playoffs roll into the quarterfinal round, the remaining teams have been re-seeded, setting the stage for intriguing battles across all classifications. Here’s a look at the matchups that include MCPS schools, key storylines, and predictions for this critical stage of the postseason:

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Sir Walter Raleigh Inn is fondly remembered as an affordable steakhouse known for its extensive salad bar, making it a popular spot for homecoming dinners and birthday celebrations. The Montgomery Village location, now a CVS, closed in 2005, but the chain once had multiple locations across the DC Metro area, including Baltimore, Bethesda, Wheaton, and Alexandria. (more…)


The first Cook Out restaurant opened in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1989. Following its success, over 50 additional locations were established throughout North Carolina before the brand began its expansion beyond state borders. Now. There are over 300 restaurants across ten states, including one in Maryland. (more…)


On Friday, Governor Wes Moore announced that Maryland has been ranked the top state for minority-owned businesses by Lending Tree, coinciding with the state’s Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Business Account supporting over 170 businesses and 2,598 jobs in FY24 through $21.3 million in funding and additional private sector investment. (more…)


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