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Montgomery County still has restaurant grants available

By Jeff Clabaugh
A man installs an outdoor heater outside a restaurant on Nov. 18, 2020 in Takoma Park, Maryland, as the state imposes new restrictions to help fight the spread of COVID-19. (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)

Montgomery County, Maryland, is still taking applications for its restaurant relief grants, but time to apply is running out.

The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation is administering the $8 million MoCo Restaurant Relief Grant program, with grants up to $10,000 to cover a variety of expenses, including rent and payroll, winterizing outdoor dining spaces, HVAC system upgrades, personal protective equipment and sanitation services and job training.

Restaurants eligible must have 100 or fewer full-time employees and be currently open and have been operating since Sept. 1.

In addition to restaurants, food trucks, caterers, wineries and breweries, individual locally-owned franchise restaurants and restaurants in hotels or arts, entertainment and recreational facilities are eligible.

Eligibility and other requirements are posted online.

The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation began accepting applications for the grants on Nov. 20.

To date, it has received approximately 500 applications, though it expects to award around 800 grants.

The deadline for applying is 5 p.m. on Dec. 4.

The grants will be awarded on a lottery system, not a first-come, first-served basis. Recipients will be notified the week of Dec. 7, and funds will be disbursed by Dec. 31.

Grant applications can be made online.

Massachusetts court hears arguments in lawsuit alleging Meta designed apps to be addictive to kids

By The Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts' highest court heard oral arguments Friday in the state's lawsuit arguing that Meta designed features on Facebook and Instagram to make them addictive to young users. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, alleges that Meta did this to make a profit and that its actions affected hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Massachusetts who use the social media platforms. “We are making claims based only on the tools that Meta has developed because its own research shows they encourage addiction to the platform in a variety of ways,” said State Solicitor David Kravitz, adding that the state's claim has nothing to do the company's algorithms or failure to moderate content. Meta said Friday that it strongly disagrees with the allegations and is “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.” Its attorney, Mark Mosier, argued in court that the lawsuit “would impose liabilities for performing traditional publishing functions” and that its actions are protected by the First Amendment.
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