The state court in Wiener Neustadt convicted the 18-year-old defendant, whose name was given only as Luca K. in line with local privacy rules, of involvement with a terrorist organization and criminal organization, the Austria Press Agency reported. He largely admitted to the accusations, which included sharing propaganda of the Islamic State group and glorifying an IS sympathizer who killed four people in Vienna in 2020.
The suspect, who converted to Islam in 2022, was arrested shortly before the planned Swift concerts in August last year but was not charged with involvement in the plot. Defense lawyer Michael Dorn said he wasn’t the closest friend of Beran A., the 20-year-old main suspect, who remains under investigation.
The defendant said he now sees his actions as a mistake and is glad he was arrested, APA reported. “I have had a daughter, now I see life more seriously,” he added.
The time he has spent in custody will be deducted from the sentence. The verdict can be appealed.
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Treat your taste buds to the specials at Baltimore Summer Restaurant Week starting Friday. Over 60 local restaurants will be participating, including Bluestone Restaurant, Miss Shirley’s Cafe (Inner Harbor & Roland Park), Sabatino’s Italian Restaurant and more. The event is sponsored by the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, Visit Baltimore, and Pompeian, Inc. baltimorerestaurantweek.com
Through Aug. 3

Watch the escapades of seniors Doris and Gertie in “The Gambler” at Le Mondo, 406 N. Howard St. The two women escape a nursing home, play cards and gamble. “The Gambler” is part of a partnership between Exponential Festival (Brooklyn, New York) and Le Mondo. Dates and times are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Admission costs $20. lemondo.org
Friday-Sunday
Fluid Movement will perform a story that exposes censorship and celebrates inclusion at “Dive Into Banned Books: A Water Ballet of Resistance and Joy” at Riverside Park Pool, along Johnson Street in Riverside Park. The story revolves around a librarian who guides a group of children through five banned books. Date and times are Saturday and Sunday at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Ticket prices start at $23.18. eventbrite.com/e/riverside-park-pool-banned-books-tickets-1407530524689
Saturday and Sunday

Let Max’s Taphouse, 737 S. Broadway, put a little holiday cheer in your summer at Christmas in July. Sample from the Bruery’s 12 Days of Christmas collection, like 2 Turtle Doves (Dark Strong Ale). Admission is free. facebook.com/events/489575537491291
Friday 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Tag along with five friends and their night of fun at “Girls Night: The Musical” at M&T Bank Exchange, 401 W. Fayette St. Sing and dance to pop songs like “It’s Raining Men,” “Man, I Feel Like A Woman,” and “I Will Survive.” Date and times are Saturday, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices start $39. baltimore.broadway.com/shows/girls-night-the-musical
Saturday
]]>Here’s where the Compass is pointing for the next year:
The first showing of the season is the theater classic “Annie,” which follows an orphan taken in by a rich man. It won seven Tony awards when it debuted in 1977.
Compass Rose’s rendition will be directed by Tracy Adler, a former Howard County high school teacher turned director. Music direction will be done by Barrett Johnson, who played Chiffon in “Little Shop of Horrors” for Compass Rose earlier this year.
Casting is complete and rehearsals are underway. Jules Kanarek will play Annie while James Toler will be Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks. The show will also make use of an animal actor for Annie’s dog Sandy, who will be played by a pup named Sequel. Barbara Webber, Compass Rose’s executive director, said Sequel has already met with the cast.
“Sequel is going to steal everyone’s heart. We’re already well aware of that,” Webber said. “If Annie wasn’t already going to steal it, Sequel is going to be a close call in the running.”
After “Annie” comes “Pride and Prejudice,” specifically a version by U.K.-based playwright Emma Whipday adapted from the classic Jane Austen novel. It will be directed by artistic director Austin, who plans to helm a show every year.
Austin said she has been working with Whipday to tweak the script in an effort to make it Compass Rose’s own. She said she saw a version of Whipday’s adaptation at a theater in Virginia.
“It was hilarious and funny, but also true to the language, true to the storytelling, but it had a slightly sharp take on [it], and it was adapted so beautifully,” Austin said.
This year also marks Austen’s 250th birthday, another reason Austin picked the show.
After the new year comes the Jonathan Larson rock musical “Rent,” though this time at Anne Arundel Community College as Maryland Hall begins renovations in early 2026. Stephen Emery will direct, previously directing “Proof” for Compass Rose, while musical direction will be done by Paige Rammelkamp, a music teacher and director.
Based on Italian opera “La Bohème,” “Rent” follows a New York neighborhood and explores themes of the AIDS epidemic, the LGBTQ community and poverty.
Austin, who teaches at Anne Arundel Community College, said putting on the show at the school has allowed the two organizations to collaborate. Department of Performing Arts students are encouraged to get involved so they can gain experience with a professional theater company.
She said the collaboration could open the door to similar arrangements in the future, even after Maryland Hall renovations are complete.
The season will close with a cabaret show to celebrate the theater’s 15th anniversary, directed by Jack Benedict, who has done musical direction for Compass Rose previously.
The show will have food, drinks and a selection of songs from musicals throughout the theater’s history, although specific pieces have not been announced.
Compass Rose, a nonprofit, aims to give those interested in the theater industry professional experience.
“We’ve created a welcoming space for professional actors and people who are interested in theater, because that’s what we want to grow here is more theater lovers and more opportunities for actors and behind-the-scenes folks and creatives to create great theater in Annapolis,” Webber said.
Have a news tip? Contact Benjamin Rothstein at brothstein@baltsun.com, 443-928-1926.
]]>The panel adopted, 33-25, a package of amendments to the bill funding the Interior Department, Environmental Protection Agency and related agencies for fiscal 2026, which included a provision to designate the First Lady Melania Trump Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The vote was mostly along party lines, with Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington joining all Republicans present in voting in favor.
The ranking Democrat on the Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine, said she was “surprised” by the provision.
“Republicans snuck in something that I think is slightly divisive, which is renaming one section of the Kennedy Center after a family member of this administration,” Pingree said during the full committee markup — a meeting when a bill is debated, amended and voted on.
Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Mike Simpson, an Idaho Republican, responded that the name change was “an excellent way to recognize the first lady’s support and commitment to promoting the arts.”
“Yes, we renamed the Opera House at the Kennedy Center for the first lady, who is the honorary chairman of the board of trustees of the Kennedy Center,” Simpson said.
The Kennedy Center is considered one of the nation’s premier performing arts venues.
President Donald Trump removed several members of the Kennedy Center board in February, replacing them with loyalists who elected him board chair. He also fired the cultural center’s president, Deborah Rutter, and replaced her on an interim basis with Richard Grenell, who has held several roles during Trump’s presidencies.
The House Interior-Environment spending bill proposes nearly $38 billion for departments and agencies covered by the measure, an overall spending cut of 6% compared with current levels, mainly from chopping 23% of the EPA’s budget.
The Interior Department would see a cut of less than one-half of 1% of its current funding, according to a summary provided by committee Republicans.
Arts and culture funding would also see major cuts in the bill.
The National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities would each see 35% cuts, bringing each agency’s funding to $135 million. The Smithsonian Institution would receive $961.3 million, representing a 12% cut. The Kennedy Center itself would see a 17.2% cut, to $37.2 million.
The full House Appropriations Committee approved the bill with the amendment, 33-28.
Appropriations bills must win 60 votes in the Senate to become law, which generally makes it difficult for overly partisan provisions to be included in the final text.
The corresponding Senate subcommittee has not released its version of the bill but is scheduled to consider it Thursday.
Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501(c)(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: scrane@marylandmatters.org. Follow Maryland Matters on Facebook and Bluesky.
]]>There the mayor and governor were, in Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall with their families, cranking their right arms in big circles as if winding up for the pitch, bending their knees and swaying back and forth to the rhythms of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and rap legend Nas.
It was the first time that the BSO had performed with a hip-hop star in the orchestra’s 109-year history. And it is just the most recent example of how Maryland’s largest cultural organization is reaching out to a younger and more diverse population and attempting to grow its audience of the future.
”Man, tonight was incredible,” Scott posted later on his Instagram account, below a photo of himself with his wife, Hana, and her son, Ceron.
”I was just a little older than him when ‘Illmatic’ came out and I remember how life-changing hearing it for the first time was for me.”
Also spotted in the crowd: Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen.
Tickets to the concert sold out 48 hours after the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra announced April 7 that Nas and the full orchestra would perform his landmark debut album, “Illmatic,” with new arrangements.
“This is perhaps the biggest night in Baltimore in quite a while,” said Allison Burr-Livingstone, the symphony’s senior vice president and chief advancement officer.
“We know that this album means so much to so many people across the country and also here in our community. We hope that we are welcoming longtime fans of Nas who will now be longtime fans of the BSO.”
It would be safe to say that not all of the sold-out 2,443 tickets went to locals.
Nederizio Candelario of Baltimore lured friends from New York to join her at the concert. She has been to the BSO before — she’s a fan of the BSO’s Fusion Series, which intertwines classical melodies with popular music from such bands as Radiohead and songwriter Kendrick Lamar.
”I told them the acoustics [at the Meyerhoff] were very good,” she said.
Symphony officials, who found themselves turning away disappointed ticket-buyers, still aren’t entirely sure what hit them.
“It really was remarkable,” said Mark C. Hanson, the BSO’s president and CEO.
”We had no idea there was such a pent-up demand from people wanting to be in this hall to hear this music. I wish we could have put on five concerts with Nas.”
Fans like Tevin Eubanks and Sharlay Jauvon, of Baltimore, were prepared to splurge. Eubanks said he had hoped to score two of the pricey VIP packages, which included premium seats, a limited edition tour poster and other merchandise.
“The VIP packages sold out fast, and what was left was general admission tickets,” Eubanks said. “I’m glad I was able to get them.”
So Wednesday’s event had all the trappings of a happening, with a pre-performance party in the Meyerhoff lobby that included food trucks, bar service and live music from DJ Impulse.
The concert was divided into three parts: Initially, the Symphony performed a selection of popular tunes from Kurt Weill’s “Mack the Knife” to John Kander and Fred Ebb’s “New York, New York.”
They were joined for the second part by Nas, who gave the crowd what it was waiting for: “Illmatic,” with new arrangements and backed by an 80-piece orchestra.
Finally, symphony musicians left the stage and Nas performed some of his more recent work.
The BSO won’t have audience demographics from Wednesday’s performance until later this year. But Hanson won’t be surprised if attendees prove to be significantly younger and more racially diverse than typical BSO ticket-buyers. He expects many of the rapper’s fans to be first-time visitors to the Meyerhoff, including those who traveled to Maryland from out of state.
Baltimore‘s Grant Coleman said he had never heard the BSO perform before Wednesday’s concert, though his wife, Tiffany, has; she attended a February 2024 concert that paired the music of rap icons Tupac Shakur (who spent his teen years in Baltimore) and Notorious B.I.G. with Gustav Mahler’s “Resurrection” symphony.
“This concert is a blending of two different styles and cultures,” Grant Coleman said. “Nas is an awesome performer, and the BSO is an awesome orchestra.”
Symphony officials noted that the experience was eye-opening for people on both sides of the stage. Wednesday’s concert was the first time some of the players had been exposed to Nas’ music, Burr-Livingstone said.
“The opportunity for us to collaborate with an artist as legendary as Nas is huge,” Hanson said.
“It invites new audience members into the Meyerhoff to experience a symphonic concert. And it also broadens our mindset as an organization, leading to other new ideas and ways of collaborating.”
Of course, the 51-year-old Grammy Award-winning Nas isn’t just any rapper, and “Illmatic” isn’t just any album.
The Brooklyn-born, Queens-raised Nas — his original stage name was “Nasty Nas” — is rooted in East Coast hip-hop and famed for his intricate, sophisticated rhymes and storytelling ability. He was named the third greatest rapper of all time in 2015 by Billboard magazine.
“Illmatic” routinely makes Top 10 greatest hip-hop album lists and is included in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.
The “Illmatic” tour, which began in 2024 in Europe, celebrates the album’s 30th anniversary.
Though Wednesday was Nas’ first performance with the BSO, it was not his first concert in Baltimore.
In 2019, he performed at the Royal Farms Arena, now CFG Bank Arena, with Mary J. Blige. Five years earlier, he headlined the Preakness Infieldfest in 2014, along with the New Zealand singer/songwriter Lorde.
Though Nas has left Charm City, he will remain in the mid-Atlantic region for at least this weekend. He is scheduled to perform concerts on Friday in Philadelphia and in Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Sun reporters Matthew Schumer and Brendan Townsend contributed to this article.
Have a news tip? Contact Mary Carole McCauley at mmccauley@baltsun.com and 410-332-6704.
]]>LOS ANGELES (AP) — A doctor who was a primary target in the sweeping investigation of actor Matthew Perry’s overdose death pleaded guilty Wednesday to supplying the “Friends” star with ketamine despite knowing he was a struggling addict.
Dr. Salvador Plasencia became the fourth of the five people charged in connection with Perry’s death to plead guilty. He and a woman prosecutors say was a major ketamine dealer faced the most serious charges after Perry was found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28, 2023.
Plasencia stood next to his lawyer and said “guilty” four times for four different counts before Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett in federal court in Los Angeles.
Plasencia, 43, was to have gone on trial in August until the doctor agreed last month to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, according to the signed document filed in federal court in Los Angeles.
The charges can carry up to 40 years in prison. He is likely to be sentenced to much less, but there is no guarantee in his agreement.
He spoke only to answer the judge’s questions. When asked if his lawyers had considered all the possibilities of pleas and sentencing in the case, Plasencia replied, “They’ve considered everything.”

“Dr. Plasencia is profoundly remorseful for the treatment decisions he made while providing ketamine to Matthew Perry,” the doctor’s attorney, Debra White, said in an emailed statement after the hearing. “He is fully accepting responsibility by pleading guilty to drug distribution. Dr. Plasencia intends to voluntarily surrender his medical license, acknowledging his failure to protect Mr. Perry, a patient who was especially vulnerable due to addiction.”
In exchange for the guilty pleas, prosecutors have agreed to drop three additional counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of falsifying records.
Prosecutors outlined the charges in court before the plea, and said that he did not sell Perry the dose that killed the actor.
They described, and Plasencia admitted, that Perry froze up and his blood pressure spiked when the doctor gave him one injection, but Plasencia still left more ketamine for Perry’s assistant to inject.
In court, Perry was referred to only as “victim MP.” Plasencia acknowledged that he knew the actor was in addict when he charged him thousands of dollars and gave him ketamine, a drug primarily used as a surgical anesthetic.
Plasencia has been free on bond since shortly after his arrest in August, and will be allowed to remain free until his Dec. 3 sentencing.
Defense lawyer Karen Goldstein assured the judge that he is not a flight risk, saying he was born and raised in the area and is one of the primary caretakers for his son, who is about 2 years old.
Plasencia has already turned over his license to prescribe controlled substances. He has been allowed to practice medicine in the past year, but he must inform patients of the charges before treating them. Goldstein told the judge he’ll now surrender his medical license too.
Plasencia left the courthouse with his lawyers without speaking to reporters gathered outside.
“While Dr. Plasencia was not treating Mr. Perry at the time of his death,” his lawyer’s statement said, “he hopes his case serves as a warning to other medical professionals and leads to stricter oversight and clear protocols for the rapidly growing at-home ketamine industry in order to prevent future tragedies like this.”
The only remaining defendant who has not reached an agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office is Jasveen Sangha, who prosecutors allege is a drug dealer known as the “Ketamine Queen” and sold Perry the lethal dose. Her trial is scheduled to begin next month. She has pleaded not guilty.
According to prosecutors and co-defendants who reached their own deals, Plasencia illegally supplied Perry with a large amount of ketamine starting about a month before his death on Oct. 28, 2023.
According to a co-defendant, Plasencia in a text message called the actor a “moron” who could be exploited for money.
Perry’s personal assistant, his friend, and another doctor all agreed to plead guilty last year in exchange for their cooperation as the government sought to make their case against larger targets, Plasencia and Sangha. None have been sentenced yet.
Perry was found dead by the assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine was the primary cause of death.
The actor had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal but off-label treatment for depression, which has become increasingly common. Perry began seeking more ketamine than his doctor would give him.
Plasencia admitted in his plea agreement that another patient connected him with Perry, and that starting about a month before Perry’s death, he illegally supplied the actor with 20 vials of ketamine totaling 100 mg of the drug, along with ketamine lozenges and syringes.
He admitted to enlisting another doctor, Mark Chavez, to supply the drug for him, according to the court filings.
“I wonder how much this moron will pay,” Plasencia texted Chavez, according to Chavez’s plea agreement.
Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on “Friends,” when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC’s megahit.
]]>NEW YORK (AP) — There are pioneering music figures, and then there is Ozzy Osbourne, the larger-than-life frontman of Black Sabbath, whose personal mythology is eclipsed only by the strength and immortality of his songs.
A godfather and force of heavy metal, Osbourne died Tuesday at 76, just months after his last performance.
The English icon’s idiosyncratic, throaty voice launched generations of metalheads, both through his work at the reins of Black Sabbath and in his solo career. Across his repertoire, there are songs with total global ubiquity and lesser-known innovations with his unique, spooky aesthetic quality.
To celebrate Osbourne’s life and legacy, we’ve selected just a few songs that made the man, from timeless tunes to a few left-of-center selections.
Read on and then listen to all of the tracks on our Spotify playlist.
It would be a challenge to name a more immediately recognizable guitar riff than the one that launches Black Sabbath’s 1970 megahit “Iron Man.” It transcends the metal genre — an all-timer heard around the world and in guitar stores everywhere.
One of the great Vietnam War protest songs, Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” is a rare moment where hippies and metalheads can agree: “Politicians hide themselves away / They only started the war / Why should they go out to fight?” Osbourne sings in the bridge.
Osbourne’s heaviest performances are at least partially indebted to Black Sabbath’s bassist and lyricist Terry “Geezer” Butler, and there is perhaps no better example than “Children of the Grave,” the single from the band’s 1971 album, “Master of Reality.” “Must the world live in the shadow of atomic fear?” Osbourne embodies Butler’s words, a sonic fist lifted in the air. “Can they win the fight for peace or will they disappear?”
Black Sabbath were in a creative rut in the time period leading up to “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” the opening track from their 1973 album of the same name. It’s almost hard to believe now — the song features one of their best-known riffs, and its chorus features some truly ascendant vocals.
Would the world know what a vibraslap sounds like without the immediately recognizable introduction to Osbourne’s first solo single, “Crazy Train?” To call it a classic is almost a disservice — it is an addicting tune, complete with chugging guitars and Cold War-era fears.
Another classic cut from Osbourne’s debut solo album, “Blizzard Of Ozz” — released one year after Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath for his legendary excesses, — the arena rock anthem “Mr. Crowley” pays tribute to the famed English occultist Aleister Crowley and features Deep Purple’s Don Airey on keyboard.
The title track and coda of Osbourne’s second solo studio album, “Diary of a Madman,” runs over six minutes long, features big strings and a choir so theatrical it sounds like they’re scoring a medieval war film. He wanted big, he wanted dramatic, and he nailed it.
It wouldn’t be inaccurate to call “Mama, I’m Coming Home” a beautiful-sounding song. It’s unlike anything on this list, a power ballad featuring lyrics written by the late Motörhead frontman Lemmy and a welcomed deviation.
When Black Sabbath comes to mind, most fans jump to an unimpeachable run of albums released in the ’70s and early ’80s. But “I,” a cut from Black Sabbath’s too often overlooked 16th studio album, “Dehumanizer,” is worth your ear. And not only because it is the first Sabbath album to feature singer Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinny Appice since 1981’s “Mob Rules,” though that’s an obvious plus.
Late in life Ozzy Osbourne was generous with his time and talent, often collaborating with younger performers who idolized the metal legend. One such example is Post Malone’s “Take What You Want,” which also features the rapper Travis Scott. Osbourne gives the song a necessary gothic edge — validating the otherwise balladic song’s use of a sprightly guitar solo.
]]>As Shark Week is one of this Timonium bakery’s “favorite holidays of the year,” according to the Cake by Jason Facebook, a cupcake six-pack featuring limited-time flavors will be available to order through Saturday. Among the selection of colorful cupcakes are the Lemon Shark with cookie dough buttercream and the Whale Shark chocolate with marshmallow filling. These cupcakes, as well as custom Shark Week cakes, are available for order on the bakery’s website. 47 E. Padonia Road, Timonium; 410-431-2253; cakebyjason.com.

This Ellicott City crabcake spot has a Shark Week Extreme Shake on special, according to social media. The artful drink starts with a blue vanilla milkshake and strawberry drizzle, while the glass boasts a graham cracker “sand” rim. On top is the eye-catcher: a strawberry shark head cake with frosting waves and Swedish Fish. 10055 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City; 410-750-3300; ecdiner.com.
In Bel Air, a limited-time Shark Week refresher beverage is made with blue raspberry lemonade, grenadine and a gummy shark through Saturday, the 13-year-old Flavor Bakery & Cafe cupcakery posted on its website. 118 N. Tollgate Road, Bel Air; 443-371-6664; flavorcupcakery.com.

This week, Hampden’s Frazier’s is bringing back its $12 Shark Week appetizer specials, including beer-battered ahi tuna bites, salmon cake sliders and half racks of baby-back ribs, as well as streaming “Shark Week” on its televisions. According to Juliet Ames, social media and events manager at the restaurant, Shark Week comes at the perfect time: “It’s kind of like the doldrums of summer right now. People aren’t really going out, the Orioles aren’t doing awesome, and we’re waiting for football to start,” she said. “It’s fun to do something different for a week.” 917-919 W. 36th St.; 410-662-4914; fraziersontheavenue.net.
Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., Jimmy’s Famous Seafood in Broening Manor will host a Shark Week Paint Night. Expect shark-inspired painting instruction, along with Shark Bite cocktails and ocean-themed fare. Matt Cornblatt, sales director at Jimmy’s, said he’s most excited for on-special shark meat tenders and tacos — “we’re pretty shark-obsessed around here,” he said of the restaurant team. Paintings will automatically be entered into a restaurant contest, with Shark Week merch and gift cards as prizes. Tickets, which include painting materials and one drink, are $40, with more details available on Facebook. 6526 Holabird Ave.; 410-633-4040; jimmysfamousseafood.com.

At this Remington, tropical-inspired gastrobar, an entire food and drink menu is dedicated to the Shark Week festivities through Saturday — including a fried calamari “Chum Bucket” ($14), blood sausage with apple gastrique ($12) and cocktails with theatrical pours of blue Curaçao and passionfruit-cranberry grenadine. Ten percent of sales from the limited-time menu will go to Baltimore’s National Aquarium — so executive chef Blaine Welsh said via text that he hopes to “get as many people in here this week as we can!” 300 W. 30th St.; 443-449-5854; pinkflamingobaltimore.com.

Through Saturday, Fells Point’s The Point will offer “jaw-dropping” food and beverage specials, along with streaming “Shark Week” across bar televisions daily, the restaurant said. More information about the weeklong event is available on AllEvents, while reservations are available on Resy. 1738 Thames St.; 410-327-7264. thepointfells.com.
Have a news tip? Contact Jane Godiner at jgodiner@baltsun.com or on Instagram as @JaneCraves.
]]>Scores of local restaurants, caterers, food and beverage vendors lined several spaces of the American Visionary Art Museum to serve up their wares at “Night of a Million Meals.” Bars and food stations filled AVAM’s patio, barn and the Jim Rouse Visionary Center, each offering samples of their specialties.
[ MORE of Sloane Brown’s coverage of Baltimore’s party scene ]
While the Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland annual fundraiser did bang-up business with some 300 guests who turned out, the million meals of the event’s title weren’t in reference to the party’s food output, but rather the goal of the organization to serve a million meals to homebound adults in the state.
And the more than $200,000 raised at the event would certainly help in that mission.












Back for its 37th year, the event gives viewers an array of shark-themed content to binge from the Discovery Channel. This year’s celebration started Sunday and runs through Saturday.
Shark Week is the longest-running cable television event in history, according to the network. Last year, over 25 million people tuned in to watch the iconic predators.
Shark enthusiasts can watch 20 hours of content ranging from rare footage and conservation efforts to video of feeding frenzies. Shark Week content is available on the Discovery Channel and HBO Max.
Shark Week started in 1988 with its premiere of “Caged in Fear,” which looked at motorized cages created to prevent shark attacks.
The event began as a way of countering misconceptions about sharks and raising awareness about conservation efforts. In its first run, the week’s ratings nearly doubled the channel’s prime-time average, the network said. Soon, it became a summertime staple.
If you see a shark while swimming, stay calm and slowly move away, exiting the water once it’s safe. Avoid excessive splashing or movement. If the shark attempts to attack, firmly hit it in the eyes, nose or gills, and escape as quickly as possible.
Sharks live in many different types of water depending on the preference of the species. Some, like the gray reef shark and blacktip shark, inhabit coral reefs. Others, like the hammerhead and saw shark, prefer the sandy seafloor. Great white sharks typically prefer cooler waters and will migrate throughout the year as a result.
There are at least 12 species of sharks in the bay, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The five most common are the sandbar shark, bull shark, sand tiger shark, smooth dogfish and spiny dogfish.
The bay serves as a crucial nursery for young sandbar sharks, which primarily eat fish and crabs. Bull sharks have been known to display aggressive behavior, but they are in the bay only occasionally during the summer and are not typically dangerous unless provoked.
There have been no recorded shark attacks in the bay, the Chesapeake Bay Program reported, citing the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. However, people should avoid swimming at dawn or dusk and avoid swimming near people fishing. Swimmers should not go alone and should avoid wearing shiny things, according to the foundation.
In Maryland, shark enthusiasts can go to the National Aquarium in Baltimore to see the animals in captivity. The aquarium’s shark alley exhibition features seven species, including nurse sharks, sandbar sharks and largetooth sawfish sharks.
Marylanders can check out bars or restaurants for Shark Week specials. Pink Flamingo in Remington in North Baltimore is offering shark-themed menu items, like its fried calamari Chum Bucket, and fun cocktails, like the fruity, rum-based Sharknado. Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, in Broening Manor in Southeast Baltimore, is hosting a Shark Week paint night Tuesday, featuring shark-themed cocktails, mocktails and small plates.
The National Aquarium also hosts a daily behind-the-scenes tour of its shark exhibition. Participants can feed some of the fish in the tropical reef, see the food prep kitchen, and tour the medical area.
Have a news tip? Contact Irit Skulnik at iskulnik@baltsun.com or on X as @irit_skulnik.
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