Maryland

“Project Restore has been an incredible success in advancing our mission to make Maryland Open For Business, and today’s awards extend that impact even further in downtowns and on Main Streets across the state,” said Governor Hogan. “We’re now able to extend the initiative’s impact even further across the state—with just over 80% of this round of grants going to minority-owned businesses—supporting jobs and economic recovery for years to come.”

Project Restore was launched by the governor last year, and is administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Through Project Restore, the department offers property assistance and operational grants to support startup and expansion costs and incentivize private investment in vacant spaces. In total, more than 725 businesses have now been awarded grants through Project Restore.

Per the State of Maryland: Governor Larry Hogan today announced that the State of Maryland has issued an emergency cybersecurity directive to prohibit the use of certain Chinese and Russian-influenced products and platforms for the executive branch of state government, including TikTok. These entities present an unacceptable level of cybersecurity risk to the state, and may be involved in activities such as cyber-espionage, surveillance of government entities, and inappropriate collection of sensitive personal information.

“There may be no greater threat to our personal safety and our national security than the cyber vulnerabilities that support our daily lives,” said Governor Hogan. “As the cyber capital of America, Maryland has taken bold and decisive actions to prepare for and address cybersecurity threats. To further protect our systems, we are issuing this emergency directive against foreign actors and organizations that seek to weaken and divide us.”

Per the Department of Homeland Security: Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its intent to extend the REAL ID full enforcement date by 24 months, from May 3, 2023 to May 7, 2025. Under the new regulations published to execute this change, states will now have additional time to ensure their residents have driver’s licenses and identification cards that meet the security standards established by the REAL ID Act. As required by the law, following the enforcement deadline, federal agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), will be prohibited from accepting driver’s licenses and identification cards that do not meet these federal standards.

“DHS continues to work closely with U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories to meet REAL ID requirements,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “This extension will give states needed time to ensure their residents can obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card. DHS will also use this time to implement innovations to make the process more efficient and accessible. We will continue to ensure that the American public can travel safely.”

Per the State of Maryland: Governor Larry Hogan and First Lady Yumi Hogan today welcomed thousands of Marylanders to Government House in Annapolis for their final Holiday Open House.

“For the past eight years, it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as your Governor and First Lady, and we were proud to welcome a record number of Marylanders of all ages to Annapolis for our final Holiday Open House,” said Governor Hogan. “We hope everyone enjoyed the decorations, live music, and the holiday cookies prepared by Government House chefs!”

Per the State of Maryland: Governor Larry Hogan today addressed the first-ever Quantum World Congress at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC, discussing the importance of Maryland’s leadership in innovation and new sciences and technologies to address the economic and security challenges the nation faces.

“Maryland has created a robust and unmatched quantum ecosystem, rich with academic research partnerships, industry investment, and critical federal government engagement,” said Governor Hogan. “We are leading a quantum revolution in our state that serves not just our long-term economic benefit, but also advances our critical national security and cybersecurity goals. My hope is that other states will follow Maryland’s example so that together we can form a strong quantum network that will ensure that our national and international leadership in this field will continue to flourish.”