Rules

A federal judge has ordered a West Pratt Street clinic and its former chief executive to repay more than 60 current and former employees nearly $50,000 that the private company never deposited into their retirement accounts as required. U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles Jr. also awarded $27,800 in attorneys' fees to lawyer Richard Neuworth and colleagues who represented the plaintiffs. The March 22 order marked the latest chapter in the troubled recent history of Baltimore Behavioral Health Inc., once a successful mental health clinic that ranked among the city's largest providers of drug treatment services.

Del. Guy Guzzone, who had been considering a run for Howard County executive in 2014, has ruled out such a race and will seek re-election to the General Assembly. Guzzone,  who represents the east county 13th District, said Thuesday night that he had not yet decided whether to run for re-election to the House or to seek the Senate seat being vacated by fellow Democrat James Robey, who recently announced his retirement. All three delegates from the 13th, a Democratic stronghold, have attained leadership poisitions in the House that could make staying put an attractive option.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has revised rules on the 2009 CARD Act, paving the way for non-working spouses and partners to qualify for credit cards. The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act was designed to rein in some of the egregioius practices of card issuers, such as handing out lines of credit to college students who didn't even have jobs. The banks counted on mom and dad to step in if junion got in over his head. One of the provisions of the law, though, was that a card company had to make sure consumers had the ability to pay before issuing them a credit card or raising their credit limit.

On the third Saturday in May, generations of Baltimoreans marched onto the infield at Pimlico Race Course with their coolers in tow, an image that helped define the Preakness Stakes. No longer. The Maryland Jockey Club has unveiled enhanced security plans for the 138th Preakness Stakes in the wake of recent deadly bombings at the Boston Marathon. And coolers are among the casualties. Fans will be subject to electronic wand searches at all gates for the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on May 17 and the Preakness on May 18. They will not be allowed to carry backpacks or duffel bags into the races and only smaller, see-through-plastic containers will be permitted.

Editor: I am writing in response to Randy McRoberts commentary concerning JV softball in Harford County. After reading the article multiple times I'm still not sure what point he is trying to make. Having a run rule in JV softball is normal. Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery and a variety of other counties in our state have it. It is there for the same reasons that game shortening procedures are in place for football and basketball in our county: to prevent massive blow outs when the end result of the game is obvious.

Maryland has self-reported a series  of secondary violations to the NCAA. The violations involve a number of teams, including football, women's basketball and men's soccer, but are not  considered serious, according to an official with knowledge of the infractions. Most, if not all, of the violations involved calls or texts to recruits. In some cases, the official said, a coach returned a call or text not knowing they were contacting an unsigned recruit. The rules governing such communications have been evolving.

Do the people of the United States know that the U.S. Senate voted favorably on several amendments to the gun control bill? A majority of senators approved amendments requiring background checks for online and gun show purchases, providing special oversight of mentally ill persons and setting forth other limitations on gun purchases. The number of senators voting for these amendments ranged from 52 to 58. All of these votes were for naught because the Republican Party called for a filibuster, and the Democratic Party leadership then pulled the bill from further consideration.

Syracuse attacker Michelle Tumolo will undergo season-ending surgery after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in the first half of Tuesday's game against Cornell. Tumolo, a senior and 2012 Tewaaraton Award finalist, ranks first in assists for the Orange with 24 and third in goals with 22. The Syracuse offense ranks sixth in Division I, averaging just under 15 goals per game. Alyssa Murray leads the team with 40 goals and 60 points, and coach Gary Gait sees an opportunity for other players to step up. "They're all capable," the former Maryland assistant said of his offense.

Lost in the Orioles' 3-0 shutout loss to the Yankees Sunday night at Yankee Stadium was the relief performance of Rule 5 pick T.J. McFarland. Orioles manager Buck Showalter has said it regularly, that you can't hide a reliever in the AL East. Yet, McFarland hadn't pitched in eight days since making his major league debut against the Twins on two Saturday's ago. On Sunday night, McFarland entered a three-run game in the seventh inning and allowed just one hit over two scoreless innings, walking one and striking out three - including the final two batters he faced in the eighth, Kevin Youkilis and Ben Francisco.

The Supreme Court left in doubt Monday whether gun owners have a Second-Amendment right to carry a firearm in public, declining to hear a case about concealed-carry laws that is similar to a Maryland suit that still has life in federal courts. Without a comment or dissent, the justices turned down a gun-rights challenge to the New York law, which strictly limits who can legally carry a weapon on the streets. To obtain a concealed carry permit, New Yorkers must convince a county official that they have a "special need for protection" that goes beyond living or working in a high-crime area.