Weak signal – Thursday, April 9th

Dreary and cool today, with some rain and highs near 50. Tomorrow will have highs in the 70s, but with the risk of storms in the afternoon.

police

Baltimore Police have used ‘stingray’ phone tracking technology over 4300 times since 2007. The controversial tracker works by imitating a cell phone tower, revealing nearby phones, even if the phones aren’t in use. Baltimore Police’s access to the secretive technology was controlled by the FBI, with a non-disclosure agreement requiring the department to not reveal its use, even if it meant withholding evidence or dropping criminal cases that depended on tracking data.

murder

Yesterday evening, a 14-year-old boy was killed in a double shooting in South Baltimore’s Brooklyn neighborhood. A 28-year-old man was also wounded in the shooting. No word yet on a suspect or if the teen was specifically targeted, though police are exploring if there may be a connection to another nearby murder last month.

health

The Veterans Affairs clinic in Glen Burnie is struggling to keep up with demand – almost 8 percent of requested appointments can’t be scheduled within a month. Baltimore’s VA clinic fares better, with only 2.5 percent of appointments seriously delayed.

city

The city-owned Hilton hotel overlooking Camden Yards lost $5.6 million last year. Under city control, the hotel has never turned a profit or broken even.