MORE PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES GO WITHOUT MEDICAID: An increasing number of people with developmental disabilities are falling through the cracks of Medicaid, going months without health care coverage because the state can’t keep pace with new applications and wrongful termination appeals. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.

MOORE’s POLL NUMBERS SLIP FOR DEMOCRATIC VOTERS: Half of Marylanders give positive marks to Gov. Wes Moore’s performance in office, according to a new poll from two Annapolis-based advocacy firms. The approval represents a slight slip for the Democratic governor, who has topped 50% approval in polls since taking office in January 2023. Just 68% of Democrats said Moore, who is seeking reelection next year, is doing an “excellent” or “good” job. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.

LATEST DRAFT OF BAY PACT CRITICIZED FOR LACK OF GOALS, ACCOUNTABILITY: The newest draft of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement lacks meaningful pollution reduction targets and allows states to evade legal accountability, say concerned environmental advocates and experts who have reviewed the document. Released for public comment on July 1, the current draft is intended to chart the future course of bay restoration efforts beyond 2025. Aman Azhar, of Inside Climate News/The Baltimore Banner.

MDOT SEEKS PROPOSALS FOR BOWIE MARC STATION AREA: The Maryland Department of Transportation has begun its search for development proposals for revamping the area around the Bowie State MARC station. As part of a broader plan to boost ridership and expand development along the MARC Penn Line Corridor, spanning from Union Station in Washington, D.C., through Baltimore’s Penn Station and ending in Perryville, the state is hoping to build affordable or mixed-income housing on an underused parking lot near the Bowie State station. Jack Hogan/The Daily Record.

FLEEING CHAOS IN CAMEROON, NOW LIVING IN UNCERTAINTY: Maryland has the largest population of Cameroonian nationals in the country, with more than 29,000 who fled the gunfire and chaos of Cameroon. In 2021, Ernestine and Denis fled and have created a sense of normal life in Maryland. They found a home to raise their three children and jobs as caregivers. The couple became beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status, created by Congress in 1990. It grants temporary protection to nationals of countries affected by war or natural disasters. That ended on Aug. 4. Tolu Talabi/The Baltimore Banner.

HAITIANS FOUND A LIFELINE IN MARYLAND’s POULTRY INDUSTRY: The region’s poultry industry and the local economy that has flourished around it have been a lifeline to Haitian immigrants who have settled on the Eastern Shore. But the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown has left a cloud of anxiety over Salisbury, where many in a fast-growing Haitian community now worry that everything they’ve built will collapse if thousands in the area are deported or otherwise forced to leave. Paul Kiefer/The Washington Post.

MARYLAND’s NEW CONGRESS MEMBERS GOVERN FROM THE SIDELINES: Newly elected lawmakers like freshman Rep. Johnny Olszewski Jr. enter Congress as powerful people. They are, after all, one of the 535 or so people shaping the laws that govern day-to-day American life. But influence on Capitol Hill — often rooted in a mix of money and relationships — doesn’t grow overnight. In reality, most new members arrive in D.C. at the bottom of a messy heap. That’s especially true for members who arrive in the minority party, as Olszewski and most Maryland members are. Ben Mause/The Baltimore Sun.

VAN HOLLEN TO HEADLINE MAJOR DEM FUND-RAISER: Sen. Chris Van Hollen is heading to Iowa next month to speak at a high-profile fundraiser known for bringing in big-name Democrats. The Polk County Democrats’ annual steak fry draws party faithful from across the country and often a national spotlight. Chair Bill Brauch said Van Hollen was “a big get.” Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.

TAX FREE WEEK EXPECTED TO COST STATE $9.3 MILLION: Maryland tax-free week, an annual tax holiday that removes the 6% sales tax from clothing and shoes under $100, starts Sunday. And while it’s touted as a way to offer families the opportunity to shop at a reduced cost, it also yields a revenue loss for the state – projected to be about $9.3 million this year. Gabriella Fine/The Baltimore Sun.

JEWISH LEADERS CONDEMN NEA HANDBOOK CHANGES AS ANTISEMITIC: Jeffrey Herf, an emeritus history professor at the University of Maryland, sees the National Education Association’s take on history as echoing the kind of thinking that has helped lay the groundwork for unthinkable mass tragedy — and he believes it’s especially dangerous at a time when antisemitic acts are surging in Baltimore, across Maryland, and throughout the United States. Jonathan Pitts/The Baltimore Sun.

MAN CHARGED WITH VANDALISM OF ISRAELI FLAGS, ISRAELI BUSINESS: Baltimore County police have charged a 39-year-old man in what they describe as a targeted act of vandalism involving Israeli flags in the Falls Road area. Police said Jonathon Wagner faces multiple counts of malicious destruction of property, including one charge tied to race or religion, stemming from the Aug. 6 incident in the 6000 block of Falls Road, police announced Saturday. Todd Karpovich/The Baltimore Sun.

• Wagner has been charged in connection with vandalism that left an Israeli-owned kitchen renovation business covered in red spray paint, according to Baltimore County Police. He is facing multiple malicious destruction of property charges, including one based on race and religious. Clara Longo de Freitas/The Baltimore Banner.

CARROLL PROPOSAL WOULD REQUIRE LICENSING FOR ‘CAT COLONIES:’ A proposal to require “cat colonies” in Carroll County to be licensed and regulated drew criticism from cat caretakers at a county hearing Thursday. The proposal would create an authority for licensing of cats by adding a definition for a “trap-neuter-release colony.” It would also add some dog-related rules, including banning people from tethering dogs outside for more than eight hours at a time. Bryna Zumer/The Carroll County Times.

STATE ED DEPT AFFIRMS MO CO FIRING OF PRINCIPAL: The Maryland State Department of Education has affirmed the 2024 termination of former middle school Principal Joel Beidleman by the Montgomery County school board, denying his appeal that claimed an administrative judge’s decision violated his due process rights, according to a June 27 department opinion.   Ashlyn Campbell/Bethesda Today.

FORMER NAVY ANALYST FILES TO RUN FOR ARUNDEL COUNCIL: A former Naval language analyst, software engineer and part-time pro bono lawyer has filed paperwork to be a candidate for the District 2 seat on the Anne Arundel County Council for 2026. Cory Malinowski, a Severn Republican and political newcomer, said he intends to bring a long-term approach to a district undergoing several revitalization and development projects. James Matheson/The Capital Gazette.

COLUMN: LOYALTY OVER MERIT AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY: I hope Samara Firebaugh has updated her résumé. In a two-page memo last month, Navy Secretary John Phelan outlined President Donald Trump’s next step toward a military dictatorship, in which loyalty to the commander-in-chief matters most for anyone in uniform.It pushes Firebaugh, academic dean and provost at the Naval Academy for two years, to the front of the line for getting fired. Rick Hutzell/The Baltimore Banner.

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ANOTHER PURPLE LINE SNAFU FLOODS APARTMENTS: Reports that construction on the light-rail Purple Line from Bethesda to New Carrollton was on track to be completed by the new 2027 deadline have been reassuring to county officials. But on July 25, a Purple Line contractor hit an unmarked, abandoned water pipe, affecting a nearby active water main in Silver Spring. That caused water to flow from the construction site into the nearby Wayne Manchester Towers apartment building, according to officials. The flooding resulted in the displacement of 50 of the building’s residents. Four apartments were condemned after the flooding, and three others will require extensive repairs, according to county officials. The Purple Line is paying for the damage, the officials said. Ginny Bixby/Bethesda Today

STATES SCRAMBLE TO COMPLETE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS: The abrupt termination of tax credits for clean energy projects is perhaps the most drastic blow that President Donald Trump has struck in his campaign against wind and solar electricity. As states brace for the uncertainty ahead, they are scrambling to get pending projects off the ground before the tax credits expire. Alex Brown/Maryland Matters.

DESPITE RECENT MURDERS, HOWARD CO. IS ‘EXTRAORDINARILY SAFE PLACE’ TOP PROSECUTOR SAYS: State’s Attorney Rich Gibson Jr. insists, “Howard County is a safe place. Numerically speaking, just by the data,” he said in a long-interview. “We are an extraordinarily safe space. Crime is down across the country, right? So just generally speaking, per the numbers, mathematically speaking, crime is trending downward everywhere. Howard County is no exception.” Len Lazarick in The Business Monthly/Maryland Reporter

NONPROFIT HANDLING $56M IN TAXPAYER FUNDS FACES TRANSPARENCY CONCERNS: A Maryland nonprofit that has received more than $50 million in taxpayer funds through the Baltimore City government faces a series of transparency concerns from some accounting experts, according to a Spotlight on Maryland investigation. Patrick Hauf/The Baltimore Sun.

WIND WARS: OC CHALLENGES PERMIT IN TWO DIFFERENT VENUES: Ocean City is pursuing every avenue in its ongoing fight to block an offshore wind farm — including one avenue that didn’t appear to exist until a month ago. That’s when the Environmental Protection Agency told the state that it erred when it said appeals of the air quality permit it granted for the US Wind project could only be challenged in court. The proper venue is the agency’s Environmental Appeals Board (EAB), said the EPA, which ordered the state to rewrite its notice. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.

NEO-NAZI GETS 20 YRS. FOR POWER GRID PLOT: Calling him “profoundly dangerous,” a Maryland U.S. District judge sentenced a founder of a neo-Nazi group to the maximum 20 years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release for his role in a plot to blow up Baltimore’s energy grid. Justin Fenton/ The Baltimore Banner.

• The man who conspired to damage or destroy electrical facilities across the state has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, officials said Thursday. Kate Amara/WBAL-TV. 

STATES SCRAMBLE TO COMPLETE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS:The abrupt termination of tax credits for clean energy projects is perhaps the most drastic blow that President Donald Trump has struck in his campaign against wind and solar electricity. As states brace for the uncertainty ahead, they are scrambling to get pending projects off the ground before the tax credits expire. Alex Brown/Maryland Matters.

OPINION: HOGAN DESCRIES MORE GERRYMANDERING: “I said it when I vetoed Maryland’s last gerrymandered map: this is not how democracy is supposed to work. I told Marylanders that gerrymandering, by either party, undermines confidence in our elections. It distorts representation, rewards the extremes, and leaves voters with fewer real choices. That remains true today. The idea that we should redraw maps not because of census data or legal requirements, but because another state did it first, reflects a dangerous mindset. It turns elections into a contest of tricks rather than a debate about ideas. … This is not a ‘fight fire with fire”’ moment. It’s a chance to stop the fire from spreading. It’s short-sighted and illogical for Annapolis Democrats to punish the people of Maryland for the perceived sins of Texas.” Former Gov. Larry Hogan/The Baltimore Sun

TAX-FREE SCHOOL SHOPPING WEEK COMING SOON: The state will forego its usual 6% sales tax on certain clothing items and shoes this Sunday through Aug. 16. The annual event, which usually occurs during the second week of August, gives consumers a chance to stock up on essentials and benefits businesses with extra sales. Clara Longo de Freitas/The Baltimore Banner. 

UMD RENAMES DIVERSITY OFFICE AMID FED DEI SCRUTINY: The University of Maryland, College Park, has renamed its Office of Diversity and Inclusion to Belonging & Community at UMD, according to a statement posted to its website. Mathew Shumer/The Baltimore Sun.

B’MORE PUBLIC SCHOOLS UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION: The federal Department of Education opened an investigation Thursday into alleged antisemitic conduct at Baltimore City Public Schools after the Anti-Defamation League filed a complaint against the district last week. Racquel Bazos/The Baltimore Sun. 

STATE INVESTIGATION PUTS HO CO SPECIAL ED STAFFING SHORTAGES IN SPOTLIGHT:  According to one of the OIGE’s findings, two classes at Cedar Lane School were not being taught by a certified teacher. Dennis Valera/WJZ-TV. 

THE ALMANAC OF AMERICAN POLITICS ON SHIFTING CHALLENGES, FACES AND POWER BASES: Maryland continued to vote strongly Democratic even in 2024, a good election cycle for Republicans nationally and one in which core Democratic minority groups nudged rightward. But Maryland is thick with government employees, contractors and highly educated professionals, meaning it faces an uncertain future under a second Donald Trump administration. The Almanac of American Politics/Maryland Matters.

MO CO LEADERS MOURNING DEATH OF JOSEPH GRIFFIN, REGISTER OF WILLS: Montgomery County leaders are mourning the death of Joseph “Joe” M. Griffin (D), the county’s register of wills, who died this week at age 60. The Register of Wills Office did not immediately respond Thursday concerning questions regarding the date or cause of Griffin’s death. Elia Griffin/Bethesda Today. 

IN AA CO, DRONES MAY BE ON THE SCENE BEFORE POLICE: People who call 911 in Anne Arundel County might soon hear the buzz of a drone before they see a police officer. Mirroring a controversial nationwide trend in law enforcement, the Anne Arundel County Police Department is expanding its use of “uncrewed aerial systems,” or drones, to support officers. Alex Mann/The Baltimore Banner. 

OPINION: ANNAPOLIS CAN DO MORE TO ATONE FOR ITS RACIST PAST: Thirty-two years ago, Orlando Ridout IV organized the rescue of the Maynard-Burgess House in Annapolis as a form of reparations. Known to many as Lanny, Ridout was a former state delegate who understood history. Rick Hutzell/The Baltimore Banner.

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ICE ‘HOLDING CELLS’ INSTEAD CONFINE DETAINEES FOR DAYS: They are politely called “holding rooms,” but in reality, they are cells. These barely furnished cells in a downtown Baltimore building are intended, by ICE’s own guidelines, to hold those arrested on immigration charges for no more than 12 hours, as the detainees are processed and then sent to detention facilities as far-flung as Washington state and Louisiana. But under the Trump administration, ICE has detained immigrants there for an average of 51 hours. One man was confined for more than 191 hours, or about eight days. John-John Williams IV, Sapna Bansil and Daniel Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.

JUVENILE SERVICES NAMES NEW SCHOOL SUPER: The Department of Juvenile Services named a new superintendent of schools Wednesday, a week after the release of a scathing audit on the department’s programs and less than two months into the tenure of the new secretary. As superintendent, David Pinder will oversee the education of 2,473 youth in the Juvenile Services Education Program, including those in residential and detention facilities. William Ford/Maryland Matters.

FEDS OFFER $6M TO EXPAND INVASIVE BLUE CATFISH PROCESSING ON TILGHMAN: U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, with U.S. Rep. Andy Harris and Maryland Department of Agriculture officials, annoucned that her department is making $6 million in grants available to expand capacity for processing the Chesapeake’s wild-caught blue catfish, an invasive species that eats whatever it can, including struggling blue crab and rockfish populations. It’s an attempt to control the invasive population and save crab and rockfish. Adam Willis/The Baltimore Banner.

MAN TO RECEIVE WRONGFUL IMPRISONMENT FUNDS; HALF COMING FROM WICOMICO: Tavon Tull is set to receive over half a million dollars to make up for almost six years in prison for sexual abuse that he did not commit. Due to budget language approved this year, Tull’s payment is the first that requires the jurisdiction he was wrongfully charged in – Wicomico County– to pitch in for half of those funds. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.

BA CO COUNCILMAN FACES SCRUTINY OVER ALCOHOLISM, CONSTITUENT ACCESSIBILITY: As Baltimore County Councilmember Todd Crandall, a Dundalk Republican, faces revelations about an allegedly drunken encounter with Baltimore County Police last year, some constituents say they have concerns about his accessibility as an elected official. Crandell rarely attends community gatherings and ribbon cuttings anymore, some say, and he’s missed many County Council meetings and work sessions. Rona Kobell and Céilí Doyle/The Baltimore Banner.

BRAVEBOY SEEKS TO REHIRE WORKER FIRED FOR GROSS NEGLIGENCE: To lead the Prince George’s County Department of the Environment, County Executive Aisha N. Braveboy is turning to someone who was fired from that very department a decade ago. Samuel Belsham Moki was terminated from the agency in February 2014 for “gross negligence,” after county officials determined that he failed to manage the county’s stormwater pollution management program, which led to the county having to pay thousands of dollars in fines. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.

IG FINDS IMPROVED CONDITIONS FOR B’MORE SOLID WASTE WORKERS: After issuing a series of scathing reports documenting hazardous conditions faced by Baltimore’s solid waste crews, Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming says some of those conditions have been improved. Fern Shen/Baltimore Brew.

HARRIS SAYS EASTON PASTOR WHO OVERSTAYED VISA CAN BE DEPORTED: The pastor from the Eastern Shore who was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after the agency said he overstayed his visa is subject to deportation because he lacks Temporary Protected Status, said Maryland U.S. Rep. Andy Harris. Daniel Fuentes Espinal, 54, was arrested by ICE in July and taken to a detention facility in Louisiana after overstaying his six-month visa for 24 years, according to ICE. Chevall Pryce/The Baltimore Sun.

B’MORE OKs $100,000 FOR MACO CONFERENCE: Without discussion on Wednesday, the Baltimore Board of Estimates approved nearly $26,000 in travel requests for 13 more employees to attend next week’s political conference in Ocean City, bringing the total for the four-day trip to 39 people at a cost of $92,000 — an average of more than $2,350 per employee. Brooke Conrad and Carson Swick/The Baltimore Sun.

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50% TARIFFS ON BRAZIL TO DRIVE UP COST OF PRODUCTS TO MARYLAND: Brazil, the 10^th largest importer for Maryland, gets slapped with a whopping 50% effective tariff starting today, a move that will drive up the price of coffee, beef and fruit. Maryland imports about $1.1 billion each year from the South American country. A majority of those goods are sugar and confectionery products, fruit and tree nuts, certain metals, and agriculture, construction and mining machinery. Bria Overs/The Baltimore Banner.

SNAP CUTS IMPERIL GROCERY STORES, THOUSANDS OF MARYLANDERS: Grocers and food policy researchers are sounding alarms that looming federal food stamp cuts could gut store revenues, trigger layoffs and shutter local independent stores. The changes to the federal food stamp program — officially called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP — could potentially cause about 3,800 SNAP state retailers to experience a downturn in the next few years and affect hundreds of thousands of Marylanders’ ability to afford groceries. Stella Canino-Quinones/The Baltimore Sun.

COUNTIES NOW ON HOOK TO HELP COMPENSATE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED: For for the first time, a county will have to pay half of the cost of the compensation for a wrongful man it wrongfully convicted. If the Board of Public Works agrees to pay one man $573,412.35, as expected, Wicomico County will be on the hook for $286,706 of that. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.

MARYLAND LEADS WITH HIGHEST PERCENT OF BLACK WOMEN LAWMAKERS: A recent report shows Black women have made record gains in state legislatures this year, especially in Maryland. It shows the state has the highest percentage of Black women lawmakers in the nation, accounting for 18.6% of the 188-member General Assembly. Maryland is one of 14 states where the legislature’s share of Black women is higher than its representation of the state’s population at 17.9%. William Ford and Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.

ROXBURY PRISON SECURITY FENCE FALLING DOWN: Maryland corrections officials are struggling to reinforce a teetering security fence at a state prison in Hagerstown. More than a year after the 41-year-old security and fencing system at the Roxbury Correctional Institution failed during a March 2024 storm, a windstorm last week nearly blew down a portion of the facility’s fence — again. Ben Conarck/The Baltimore Banner.

DEMs TAKE TO TOWN HALLS IN REPUBLICAN DISTRICTS: In March, Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin drove to Cambridge, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, for a packed town hall at a middle school. Two months later, he held another one in the Long Island, N.Y., community of Patchogue. Town halls may be standard political fare, but these were unorthodox. Not only were they outside of Raskin’s Montgomery County-based district, but they were also held in districts occupied by Republican incumbents. Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.

MOORE-ALIGNED PAC RAISED $267,000 SINCE JANUARY: A federal political action committee associated with Gov. Wes Moore raised about $267,000 in the first six months of the year, including $85,000 during the final two weeks of the legislative session in Annapolis when officials are legally barred from raising money. Moore does not have a formal role with Unity First PAC. Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.

BA CO CALLS INCLUSION ON ‘SANCTUARY JURISDICTION’ LIST A MISTAKE: The Justice Department released a sharply reduced list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” Tuesday that identified Baltimore County as the only such jurisdiction in the state — a designation that Baltimore County officials insist is a mistake. “We believe our inclusion on this list was in error,” said County Executive Kathy Klausmeier. Being designated a sanctuary jurisdiction could be more than just a nuisance for the county. Lauren Lifke/Maryland Matters.

BA CO RESIDENTS RELIEVED THAT MADIGAN REMAINS IG: The Baltimore County Council’s decision to reject County Executive Kathy Klausmeier’s pick for inspector general comes as a relief for many county residents who backed Kelly Madigan continuing in that role. From holding rallies to sitting through hours-long council meetings, residents, now reflecting on the past three months, said that their message resonated with their elected officials. Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.

STATE, SOMERSET SCHOOL BOARD IN SHOWDOWN OVER ITS SUPERINTENDENT: A months-long clash between the state and the Somerset County school board may be coming to a showdown. Somerset County’s school board had tried to oust its superintendent, Ava Tasker-Mitchell, but the state reinstated her for 60 days — which ended Tuesday. Somerset County’s school board is demanding that Tasker-Mitchell, vacate her office today. However Maryland Superintendent Carey Wright warned the county board to not take that step. Liz Bowie/The Baltimore Banner.

COLUMN: DRAGGED INTO ORPHANS COURT JUDGES DISPUTE: Two years into the feud between Chief Judge Vicki Gipson and Associate Judge Marc Knapp, the Orphans’ Court of Anne Arundel County remains a target of derision in the legal community. That could change this month, when the Maryland Commission on Judicial Disabilities begins considering complaints against both judges, potentially disciplining or even removing them. Unfortunately, they dragged me into this. Rick Hutzell/The Baltimore Banner.

NEWCOMER TO HEAD BALTIMORE ELECTIONS BOARD: The Armstead Jones era of Baltimore elections has ended. The Baltimore City Board of Elections selected newcomer Clifford Tatum to serve as the city’s new election director. Tatum previously served as short stint as election director in Harris County, Texas, a jurisdiction of more than 5 million people that encircles Houston. Emily Opilo/The Baltimore Banner.

MARINE BECOMES SUPERINTENDENT OF NAVAL ACADEMY: The U.S. Naval Academy has a new superintendent. Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte, a 1991 Naval Academy graduate and the first Marine to lead the military academy in its 179-year history, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by voice vote last week. He is replacing Vice Admiral Yvette Davids, who was the first female superintendent at the academy. Ellie Wolfe/The Baltimore Banner.

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‘MESS WITH TEXAS:’ SOME MARYLAND DEMS EAGER FOR REDISTRICTING FIGHT: With the balance of power at stake in Congress, some Maryland Democrats are eager to jump into a growing national fight that could lead to an unusual and heavily partisan redrawing of congressional districts across the country. In Maryland, House Majority Leader David Moon is leading the charge, with draft legislation that would automatically begin the congressional redistricting process if Texas or any other state approves new districts. The target is the state’s only Republican House seat, held by U.S. Rep. Andy Harris. Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.

• “What’s happening is ruinous, really, to there being any sort of state parity or ground rules,” said Del. David Moon of the proposed Texas redistricting. “Ultimately, it just helps take accountability away from elected officials.” Lauren Lifken/Maryland Matters.

OUTRAGE OVER ‘SHOCKING’ REPORT ON JUVENILE SERVICES: “It’s very outraging,” said Aubrey Edwards-Luce, tof the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children, and the Courts at the University of Baltimore School of Law. Del. J. Sandy Bartlett (D-Anne Arundel) called it “shocking and extremely disappointing.” What it is is a 49-page report by the Juvenile Justice Monitoring Unit on the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services that found allegations of sexual abuse between youths in state custody, complaints of roaches and mice crawling on students’ beds, and reports of expired and undercooked food. Danielle J. Brown and William J. Ford/Maryland Matters.

FARMERS FEEL PRESSURE FROM SOLAR INDUSTRY, STATE LAWS: “Lease for Solar, Harvest Profits,” one company writes. “You can help power the future of our country,” writes another. These letters to Maryland farmers and rural landowners offer $4,500 per acre, $5,000 or even $7,000, sometimes with lucrative sign-on bonuses, too. Some farmers worry it’s a pressure that Maryland’s agricultural communities cannot withstand, and will turn farmland into solar farms. And they think that the law passed by the General Assembly this year — setting uniform standards for solar facilities and limiting counties’ ability to set solar zoning rules — will only make matters worse. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.

ARUNDEL OPENS NEW NONPROFIT CENTER AT OLD CROWNSVILLE CAMPUS: Anne Arundel County marked a milestone Monday in its redevelopment of the Crownsville Hospital campus, where Maryland once warehoused Black people with mental illness. Officials unveiled the county’s new Nonprofit Center, a renovated hospital building that will be home to various organizations determined to benefit the greater good, part of a comprehensive overhaul of the 500-acre campus that the state sold to the the county for $1 in 2022. Alex Mann/The Baltimore Banner.

BA CO COUNCIL REJECTS KLAUSMEIER NOMINEE; MADIGAN REMAINS IG: The Baltimore County Council Monday voted against Kathy Klausmeier’s nominee for inspector general. In a stunning rebuke to a county executive they appointed seven months ago, the Council failed to confirm Khadija Walker as a replacement for Kelly Madigan, the county’s popular “fraud, waste and abuse” watchdog. Mark Reutter/Baltimore Brew.

• The decision represented the first time in 11 years that the council has not confirmed a county executive’s nominee. With Klausmeier’s nomination of Walker not advancing, the county’s first inspector general, Kelly Madigan, will remain in the role. Rona Kobell/The Baltimore Banner.
• County Executive Kathy Klausmeier said in a statement that she intends to “leave any future appointment — or reappointment — of an inspector general to the next county executive or until an independent appointment board is established by the county council and voters.” Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.
• Republican David Marks, who voted against Walker’s nomination, said that while the county council almost always supports a county executive’s nominee, Madigan deserved a second term. “She’s basically being recommended to be removed, yet this council has never been told why,” Marks said. John Lee/WYPR-FM.

BA CO COUNCILMAN JONES BACKED KLAUSMEIER NOMINEE: Ahead of a controversial vote, Julian Jones stands out as the only Baltimore County council member outwardly backing the new Inspector General nominee. Notably, he’s also the only one to be investigated by the current Inspector General, Kelly Madigan. Baltimore County’s first government watchdog, Madigan, previously released two reports involving Jones. Rebecca Pryor/WBBF-TV News.

RASKIN AND BOEBERT, AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP: In the spring of 2023, a most unlikely friendship took root after a House Oversight Committee hearing ended and members chatted before hurrying off for a two-week congressional recess. That friendship is between Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, a conservative firebrand and one of President Donald Trump’s top supporters, and Montgomery County Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, a liberal darling who is Boebert’s political opposite. Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.

DALI OWNERS SUE VESSEL’s DESIGNER: The owners of the Dali, the ship that hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024, are suing the builders of the vessel for defective design. Scott Maucione/WYPR-FM.

• Dali owners Grace Ocean Private and Synergy Marine PTE Ltd. filed the lawsuit last week against Hyundai Heavy Industries in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “As a result of the defectively designed Switchboard, the Vessel suffered a power outage that led to the allision with the Key Bridge,” Grace Ocean Private alleges in the lawsuit. Brian Witte/The Associated Press.

ONLY PARTS OF PIMLICO’s HISTORIC STALL 40 TO BE SALVAGED: The demolition of Pimlico’s aging, historic barns has begun and even the most revered of them all, Stall 40, home of the Kentucky Derby champion during Preakness week over the past half-century, won’t be fully preserved despite pleas from racing fans. The Maryland Stadium Authority, in a memorandum of agreement with the Maryland Historical Trust, said it would identify elements “anticipated for salvage.” Upon closer analysis of the site, the authority will only save Stall 40’s facade and some other wooden pieces. The rest, as they say, is history. Hayes Gardner/The Baltimore Banner.

FORMER SUN WASHINGTON REPORT MURIEL DOBBIN DIES AT 94: Muriel Dobbin, a retired Baltimore Sun Washington Bureau reporter who covered President Lyndon B. Johnson and the Watergate hearings and trial, died July 18 at her Washington home. She was 94. She delighted in covering the Senate’s Watergate hearings and the subsequent trial of the Watergate burglars, where she became quite friendly with Judge John Sirica. Jacques Kelly/The Baltimore Sun.

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3 TOP JUVENILE DETENTION OFFICIALS FIRED AFTER DAMNING REPORT: Three top officials overseeing Maryland’s juvenile detention facilities were fired last week after a state ombudsman published a report containing allegations of numerous problems inside those buildings, including contraband drugs, food quality concerns, staffing shortages and a sexual incident among three young people who were incarcerated. Katie Mettler/The Washington Post.

FEDS NIX MARYLAND MAGLEV FUNDING: No high-speed train will be zooming through parts of Maryland, after the concept was rejected by the federal government. The Federal Railroad Administration has determined the potential multibillion-dollar investment to construct the proposed Baltimore-Washington Superconducting Magnetic Levitation rail line, known as maglev, “is no longer feasible.” William Ford/Maryland Matters.

SCHOOL, HEALTH OFFICIALS SEE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF LEGAL CANNABIS ON KIDS: It’s been two years since recreational cannabis became legal in Maryland. While revenue has increased and arrests for cannabis possession have decreased, health experts and school officials say there’s an often-overlooked impact — many kids don’t see the drug as risky. Gabriella Fine/The Baltimore Sun. 

THE IMPLICATIONS OF SOLAR IN MARYLAND: The Maryland Department of the Environment is pushing for 50% of the state’s electricity generation by 2030 to come from renewable energy resources, such as solar whether at a home or in an industrial project. A University of Maryland professor has found that 1,965 acres of land in the state are used in utility-scale solar. That’s a total of 19 projects as of May 2024; of those acres, 1,757 were previously farmland. April Santana/The Baltimore Sun.

$2.3M IN REPAIRS MADE TO GOVERNMENT HOUSE: More than $2.3 million in state-funded repairs have been made to Maryland’s 155-year-old governor’s mansion since Gov. Wes Moore and his family moved in, according to documents obtained through an open records request. Records show the projects were greenlit and mostly completed before the dramatic drop in the state budget outlook late last year, when a deficit that grew to roughly $3.3 billion led to spending cuts and tax hikes. Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.

CASA EXEC DIRECTOR TO RETIRE AFTER 31 YEARS: As immigrant rights are threatened daily by federal policies under the Trump administration, one of the country’s most influential immigration advocacy groups, CASA, is losing its leader of more than three decades. Gustavo Torres, who has served as executive director for 31 of his 34 years with the Maryland-based organization, plans to retire in November. William Ford/Maryland Matters.

AUTHOR HOPED TO LEAVE CULTURE WAR BEHIND IN BLUE MARYLAND: Two years into their new life in Anne Arundel County — and six months into the Trump administration — author Saundra Mitchell is learning her adopted blue state isn’t immune from the culture war against books in schools. One of the latest battles happened in Montgomery County and resulted in a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Parents across the state, including in Harford County, continue to push for bans. Kristen Griffith/The Baltimore Banner.

STATE GIVES NON-PROFITS $30M TO CLEAN UP VACANT B’MORE PROPERTIES: Sixteen Baltimore-based nonprofits will receive a collective $30 million in state funds to help clean up vacant properties in the city, continuing Gov. Wes Moore’s public-private partnership approach to the issue. Carson Swick/The Baltimore Banner.

B’MORE HOPES TO RECRUIT MORE WOMEN FIREFIGHTERS: Olayemi Harleston is one of four women recruited in last year’s Baltimore City 13-person firefighting class — a demographic the department is eager to increase. Nina Giraldo/The Baltimore Banner.

B’MORE MAYOR SCOTT TO HOST FUNDRAISER ON MARTHA’S VINEYARD: Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott will host a campaign fundraiser this month in Martha’s Vineyard for a third-term election run, which he calls “Volume 3.” Scott, whose reelection to the mayoral office in 2024 is still a recent memory, will hold the event at the storied Legacy House in Oak Bluffs, where Martin Luther King Jr. spent time during the Civil Rights Movement. Tickets range from $250 to $2,500. John-John Williams IV and Emily Opilo/The Baltimore Banner.

ANNAPOLIS GOPS SAYS IT WILL HAVE MORE CANDIDATES IN CITY ELECTIONS: Though only two Republican candidates have been certified at this point to run in Annapolis’ city elections, party leaders say more candidates are coming. The filing deadline to run for election in Annapolis was Monday, and so far, voters are looking at a heavily Democratic slate. Bridget Byrne/The Capital Gazette.

AI NEEDS HUGE AMOUNTS OF POWER; CONSTELLATION IS STRIKING DEALS: Much of the potential of artificial intelligence may still be beyond imagination, but one thing’s clear — its power needs will be enormous. Less certain is who will pay AI’s electric bills and just how much consumers will bear. But big tech firms like Microsoft, Meta, Google and Amazon are rushing to lock in long-term, clean power sources for ever-larger data centers, making deals with utilities and power plant operators in Maryland and across the U.S., including Baltimore-based Constellation Energy. Lorraine Mirabella/The Baltimore Sun.

FORMER VOA WORKER FROM EDGEWATER, ALLEGEDLY THREATENED U.S. REP. MTG: An Edgewater man and former Voice of America employee accused of threatening to kill U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is alleged to have called the congresswoman “racist” and an “antisemitic Nazi” in threatening phone calls to Greene’s district offices, according to court documents. A memo filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on July 18 details the eight calls Seth Jason, 64, allegedly made to Greene’s district offices between October 2023 and January 2025. Maggie Trovato/The Baltimore Sun.

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LAID OFF FEDERAL WORKERS PROGRAM PAUSED AMID HIRING FREEZE: The Moore administration’s plan to hire laid off federal workers is not happening right now. The decision comes after Republicans blasted the initiative as hypocritical because the state is in the middle of a hiring freeze and offering buyouts. David Collins/WBAL-TV. 

MD RECORDS MOST FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS SINCE 2020: Severe thunderstorms across Maryland on Thursday brought torrential rainfall reaching up to 6 inches in some areas, causing thousands to lose power and requiring several water rescues in Harford County after multiple cars were trapped by rising water. Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters.

• July ended with a child’s death, water rescues, submerged cars, road closures and power outages after massive storms ripped through Central and parts of southern Maryland. Darreonna Davis and Clara Longo de Freitas/The Baltimore Banner.

JULY MARKS FIVE-YEAR HIGH IN HEAT-ILLNESS HOSPITALIZATIONS: High temperatures this summer have resulted in the deaths of 19 individuals and more than 1,200 Marylanders landing in the emergency room with heat-related illnesses. Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters.

LEGISLATIVE AUDIT CASTS DOUBTS ON LEASED OFFICE SPACE SAVINGS: A new legislative audit is casting doubts on hundreds of millions of dollars in savings claimed earlier this year by Gov. Wes Moore. Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.

AUDIT SKEWERS DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENT LEASE, AMONG OTHERS: Auditors panned a $167.1 million lease deal for the Maryland Department of the Environment in a report released Thursday afternoon, arguing the state overpaid to secure a $10 million office renovation budget from its landlord. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters. 

CAROLINE CO. CPS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR INADEQUATE RESPONSE: The Maryland Department of Human Services is investigating Caroline County Child Protective Services after staff failed to respond this summer to a Federalsburg home where state troopers found two children alone, living in human and animal waste. One child was naked, covered in dirt. Glynis Kazanjian and Kate Cimini/The Baltimore Sun. 

IN DEPTH: EARLY LOOK AT 2026 RACE FOR GOVERNOR: There may be more than a year and a half until voters make their pick for governor in Maryland, but candidates are preparing to make their pitch already. WBFF STAFF/FOX 45 NEWS. 

ENERGY DEPT. ALLOWS FOR AACO POWER PLANT TO EXCEED LIMITS, AVOID OUTAGES: U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright issued an emergency order that authorized an Anne Arundel County power plant to operate more often than typically allowed, including areas served by the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company — a feat that Maryland conservative lawmakers called “a major win.” Katharine Wilson/The Baltimore Sun. 

TRUMP WANTS DRUGS MADE IN U.S. THIS COMPANY WILL DO IN B’MORE: At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. government turned to the Maryland company Emergent BioSolutions and its Baltimore plant to quickly produce massive amounts of vaccines. Meredith Cohn/The Baltimore Banner.

ELECTIONS BOARD SEEKS DISMISSAL OF UNAFFILIATED VOTER LAWSUIT: An attorney representing the Maryland State Board of Elections is asking a Circuit Court judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the legality of state-funded primary elections that exclude independent voters. Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters. 

HAVRE DE GRACE LIVING SHORELINE COMPLETED: Havre de Grace and Harford County officials welcomed the official opening of the Water Street living shoreline project Thursday morning, finishing an almost five-year construction process. Shaela Foster/The Baltimore Sun.

INSPECTORS WRONGLY CLEARED 1500 HOMES OF LEAD PAINT RISK: In recent weeks, residents in hundreds of homes across Maryland received an alarming notice in the mail. An inspection had illegally cleared their home of risks of toxic lead paint, residents learned in the letters. Adam Willis/The Baltimore Banner. 

STATE OFFICIALS LAUNCH 10-YEAR PLAN TO BOOST SUPPORTS FOR GROWING SENIOR POPULATION: Across the United States, health officials are bracing for the rising population of senior citizens expected in the next couple years, as “Baby Boomers” continue to age into retirement and will likely need additional supports to secure affordable housing options, health care and other resources. Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters. 

PERDUE FACES NEW PFAS CONTAMINATION LAWSUIT ON EASTERN SHORE: Two Salisbury residents are suing a Perdue Farms subsidiary over drinking water contamination from so-called “forever chemicals” as a separate proposed class-action lawsuit continues in federal court. Dan Belson/The Baltimore Sun.

PROPOSED MO CO LEAF BLOWER BAN EXEMPTION KILLED IN COMMITTEE: A proposed exemption to Montgomery County’s gas-powered leafblower ban designed to help professional landscapers won’t move forward following the County Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee 2-1 vote against it Monday. Ginny Bixby/Bethesda Today. 

NEW MATH STANDARDS: The Maryland State Board of Education this week approved new math standards for the first time in 15 years. Jessica Calefati/The Baltimore Banner. 

HARFORD SCHOOLS SEEKS FEEDBACK ON VIRTUAL LEARNING FOR OVERFLOW INCLEMENT WEATHER CLOSURES: Harford County Public Schools might implement a virtual learning plan for overflow inclement weather closures if all makeup days are used in the coming school year. Per legislation passed during the 2023 Maryland General Assembly session, local school systems can conduct virtual learning on inclement weather days after all makeup days are exhausted. Matt Hubbard/The Baltimore Sun.

HOTLY DISPUTED HO CO GO-KART TRACK OK’D BY APPEALS BOARD: A local board has given the green light to a hotly debated go-kart track that a homeowner built on his western Howard County property. Jess Nocera/The Baltimore Banner.

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REMNANTS OF KEY BRIDGE DISMANTLED BIT BY BIT: Sixteen months after the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s main span was knocked down by a massive container ship, killing six construction workers, demolition of the remaining structures has begun. Crews aren’t using explosives but are removing remnants bit by bit. Hayes Gardner/The Baltimore Banner.

• Workers are methodically peeling away the decking from what remains of the span. Each slab weighs between 5 and 7 tons. Onlookers could feel the remaining bridge shake as heavy construction equipment moved chunks of the decking. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
• The demolition process is predicted to carry on into next year, and construction work will begin later this year when crews start driving test piles into the water, according to Maryland Transportation Authority officials. Dan Belson and Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.
• In this 24 minute video, Gov. Wes Moore and U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen as well as other local elected officials visit the Baltimore Key Bridge demolition zone Wednesday, touring remnants of the structure destroyed in the deadly March 2024 collapse. Staff/Fox 5 Washington, D.C.

NUMBER OF MINORS KILLED IN B’MORE FALLS TO LOWEST LEVEL IN 10+ YEARS: The number of people under 18 killed in Baltimore during the first six months of 2025 fell to the lowest level in more than a decade — two — mirroring the city’s broader decline in violence. The decline comes as Baltimore and the state have begun treating gun violence as a public health crisis. Brenda Wintrode and Sahana Jayaraman/The Baltimore Banner.

MDE BEGINS RENOVATIONS AT OLD MONTGOMERY WARD BUILDING: In the months ahead, the Maryland Department of the Environment’s offices at Montgomery Park in West Baltimore will begin a transformation, from a drab maze of cubicles to an airy, modern office space. Here’s hoping employees like it. Because the agency will be there until at least 2044. The lease is expected to be scrutinized in a forthcoming independent report being prepared for the General Assembly. Christine Condon and Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.

RASKIN AMONG CONGRESSFOLK SUING TO ACCESS TO DETENTION FACILITIES: U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland along with other members of Congress are asking a federal court to let them in — without advance notice — to facilities where the Trump administration is detaining immigrants facing deportation so they can conduct lawful oversight, according to a complaint filed Wednesday. Raskin and 11 other Democratic members of Congress filed the lawsuit Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.

HOWARD HIKES CIVIL PENALTIES FOR PAID HOUSE PARTIES: Howard County Council voted Wednesday to hike the civil penalties for paid house parties that residents say are disrupting otherwise quiet suburban neighborhoods this summer. Although the vote was unanimous, council members backed down from raising the fines from $250 to $5,000 and instead opted for a tiered structure of $2,500 for a first offense and $5,000 for subsequent offenses. Lillian Reed/The Baltimore Banner.

COMMENTARY: MONTGOMERY FACES SPACE GLUT, LEADERSHIP VOID: The Montgomery County Council should focus on trying to attract more bioscience-related businesses to fill vacant space, before it goes to seed and becomes unusable. Rather than sitting around wringing their hands and moaning “woe is me,” it’s time to get off their collective behinds and get busy with ways to attract new business to the county. Marc King/Maryland Reporter.

BA CO COUNCILMAN ENDANGERED POLICE, FAMILY, RECORDS SAY: Baltimore County Council Member Todd Crandell endangered police inside his Eastpoint Mall office in June 2024, an incident that came to light after his wife took out a protective order against him in May, according to court and police records. Céilí Doyle and Rona Kobell/The Baltimore Banner.

BA CO COUNCIL SUPPORT FOR INCUMBENT IG STANDS: The wall of support for Baltimore County Inspector General Kelly Madigan is holding firm on the County Council following IG nominee Khadija Walker’s Tuesday appearance before the body. John Lee/WYPR-FM.

• Peta Richkus, a former top official in the administration of Gov. Parris Glendening who organized a rally in support of Madigan, questioned County Executive Kathy Klausmeier’s move to replace Madigan, who was named “fraud fighter of the year” by her peers in April. Rona Kobell/The Baltimore Banner.

NOMINATED IG SAYS SHE’LL MAKE THE DAILY FIVE-HOUR ROUND TRIP COMMUTE: Making her first public appearance after a contentious selection process, Khadija Walker said she could do the job of Baltimore County inspector general while commuting daily more than 200 miles from her home in Virginia. It’s about a five-hour round trip commute. A rally in support of incumbent IG Kelly Madigan was held before the hearing by about 90 people sweltering in the heat outside of the Historic Courthouse in Towson. Mark Reutter/Baltimore Brew.

McCLAREN LUXE CAR FACILITY EXPECTED TO OPEN IN LATE 2026: British luxury carmaker McLaren Automotive will open its first U.S. vehicle processing center at Tradepoint Atlantic, just miles from where the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed last year. The $10.5 million facility, announced last week, will be built in Sparrows Point and is expected to open in late 2026. It will serve as the final stop for McLaren supercars—built in England—before they’re shipped to 26 dealerships across the country. Wambui Kamau/WYPR-FM.

The post State Roundup: Removal of remnants of Key Bridge begins; number of Baltimore minors killed in gun violence drops; Howard raises penalties for paid house parties appeared first on MarylandReporter.com.

WATCHDOG FLAGS FAILURES IN YOUTH DETENTION SYSTEM: A state watchdog has flagged failures in Maryland’s youth detention system, including sexual activity among three boys being held at a Western Maryland facility and an attempt by agency leadership at the time to limit investigators’ access to video footage of the incident. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.

DELEGATE PUSHES TO STIFFEN PENALTIES FOR FENTANYL DEALERS: In the wake of early July’s multiple mass overdoses in Baltimore, a Republican delegate is making another push to pass legislation that would impose stiff penalties on fentanyl dealers. Del. Chris Tomlinson, a representative of Carroll and Frederick counties, said Tuesday that people are putting “a deadly poison on the street,” and, to him, it doesn’t matter if they’re aware of it. Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.

A MAGA MAJORITY TAKES OVER SOMERSET’s SCHOOL BOARD: Shortly after a MAGA-aligned majority took control of Somerset County’s school board in last year’s election, they got to work. They passed a policy on what flags could be flown, attempted to usurp the superintendent’s decision-making power, and assumed control of decisions on which library books are purchased. Then they came for the school librarians. And that was too much. Liz Bowie/The Baltimore Banner.

STATE BOE UPDATES LITERACY, MATH STANDARDS: The Maryland State Board of Education passed updates Tuesday to literacy and math standards for the first time in 15 years and held its annual election of officers during the first monthly meeting of the 2025-26 term. Brendan Nordstrom/The Baltimore Sun.

• The Maryland State Board of Education will maintain its current leadership for another year. On Tuesday, the board unanimously reelected Joshua Michael to serve a second year as president and Monica Goldson as vice president. William Ford and Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.

MARYLAND JOINS SUIT TO PROTECT SNAP USER INFORMATION: Maryland has joined 20 other states and Washington, D.C., in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s demand for personal information of those who are part of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP. William Ford/Maryland Matters.

MARTHA’S VINEYARD IS MECCA FOR BLACK MARYLANDERS, FUND-RAISING POLS: It’s a vacation spot for Black Marylanders. But Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts is also called The Mecca for Black political fund-raising. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks swooped in to Martha’s Vineyard last August and held a fundraiser as she picked up steam in her historic win as Maryland’s first Black female U.S. senator. A 2022 fundraiser for then-gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore was an early sign of the rainmaking ability he has demonstrated. John-John Williams/The Baltimore Banner.

DESPITE CANCELED GRANTS SOME RESEARCH IN MARYLAND CONTINUES: Some canceled university research grants are in flux as the Trump administration appeals a lower-court decision blocking its grant cancellations to the U.S. Supreme Court. But that’s not stopping some of the research in Maryland from continuing — for now. Brooke Conrad/The Baltimore Sun.

WAY CLEARED FOR MARYLAND JUDGE TO PAUSE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP BAN: A federal appeals court on Tuesday paved the way for a Maryland judge to approve an emergency pause on President Donald Trump’s birthright citizenship ban, the third lower court decision this month that potentially sets back implementation of the measure that has already reached the Supreme Court once. Katie Mettler/The Washington Post.

KLAUSMEIER’s IG PICK, RESIDENCY FACE SCRUTINY: The former federal auditor tapped by Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier to become the county’s next inspector general faced a slew of questions and comments Tuesday that ran the gamut from scrutinizing her experience to questioning her residency. Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.

• Khadija E. Walker, the Klausmeier nominee, lives in Fredericksburg, Va., placing her about 110 miles and 2½ hours away by car from her prospective job. Land records show that Walker purchased a $755,000 home on 2.67 acres in the far south Washington, D.C., exurb last September, the same month she took a job as deputy assistant inspector general for audits at the U.S. AID. The county does not require an inspector general to live in the jurisdiction where they work. Mark Reutter/The Baltimore Brew.
• The embattled nominee faced some tough questioning from a skeptical County Council, a majority of whom have said they will only support the current IG, Kelly Madigan. John Lee/WYPR-FM.

B’MORE REGISTER OF WILLS SPENT MORE THAN $1M ON MEDIA, PROMOS: Baltimore’s Office of the Register of Wills spent, but could not justify, more than $1 million on media and promotions, including almost $200,000 for a television series that never aired, according to a state audit. Justin Fenton/The Baltimore Banner.

• “Our review did not identify any matters that warranted referral to the Office of the Attorney General – Criminal Division, but did identify matters that we referred to the State Ethics Commission as well as deficiencies with procedures and controls over procurement and human resource activities,” Legislative Auditor Brian S. Tanen wrote. Register of Wills Belinda K. Conaway, in nearly identical written responses, disputed each allegation, calling each finding “unsubstantiated.” Each reply was no more than three sentences long. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.

PG COUNCILMAN HAWKINS HIRES EX-MEMBER FRANKLIN AS CHIEF OF STAFF: Earlier this summer, Prince George’s County Councilmember Calvin Hawkins II hired former Councilmember Mel Franklin as his chief of staff. Franklin’s hiring comes weeks after he was released early from a one-year sentence for a criminal scheme to steal campaign funds to cover personal expenses — and the efforts taken to hide his actions. Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters.

NEGOTIATIONS MAY STOP HOPKINS PATIENTS FROM USING UNITEDHEALTHCARE INSURANCE: Tens of thousands of patients at Johns Hopkins Medicine and UnitedHealthcare just received news some may find startling: They may not be able to use their insurance at their next appointment in a Hopkins hospital or doctor’s office. That’s because Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins, one of the preeminent hospital systems in the country, and UHC, one of the largest insurers, are locked in negotiations. Meredith Cohn/The Baltimore Banner.

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IMMIGRANT FAMILIES TORN APART BY ICE: For immigrant families in Maryland and through the U.S. under the Trump administration, anxiety and stress have become a constant. Families are coping with sudden separations from loved ones, and navigating both the day-to-day consequences at home and the uncertainty of what happens next. Clara Longo de Freitas and John-John Williams IV/The Baltimore Banner.

MARYLAND CONGRESS MEMBERS DENIED ACCESS TO IMMIGRATION OFFICE: A half-dozen Maryland Congress members Monday were denied access to a federal immigration field office used to temporarily hold people facing deportation, and where detainee conditions are being challenged in a lawsuit. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.

• In a statement, the lawmakers said the visit was part of their oversight responsibility as members of Congress, and that they were “exercising our legal authority … to inspect the Baltimore federal holding facility, and, if necessary, speak directly with detainees.” But they were denied entry by an ICE official who told the lawmakers that it was an office, not a detention facility, and that they were not authorized to to enter. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
• You can view the Fox-5 DC News report here. Bob Barnard/Fox-5 TV News.

STATE REPUBLICANS OPPOSE MOORE PUSH TO HIRE FEDERAL WORKERS AMID FREEZE: Maryland House and Senate Republicans said they oppose a continuing effort by Gov. Wes Moore (D) to hire displaced federal workers. Moore asked the Legislative Policy Committee in June to approve the use of $30,000 to help cover the salaries of two new part-time contractual employees to handle recruitment and hiring of federal employees.Since making the request, Moore announced a hiring freeze in most state agencies and is also looking to reduce state payroll through a voluntary buyout program. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.

POLITICAL SCIENTISTS: RISE IN DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS REFLECTS CHANGING ATTITUDES: Political scientists in Maryland believe the rise of self-described “Democratic socialist” candidates reflects not just a backlash to President Donald Trump, but changing attitudes toward left-wing ideologies overall. Carson Swick/The Baltimore Sun.

STUDY: B’MORE INCINERATORS CAUSE $100M IN HEALTH HARM: A new study from University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University researchers finds that Baltimore’s two waste incinerators are causing nearly $100 million in health damages to residents of Baltimore and D.C. Scott Maucione/WYPR-FM.

COMMENTARY: TIT FOR TAT, MARYLAND MAY GERRYMANDER AGAIN: As the first to challenge Maryland’s congressional district apportionment for the 2010 decade, I was heartened when House of Delegates Majority Leader David Moon (D-Montgomery Co.) announced his plan to draft legislation that would automatically redistrict Maryland if other states engage in out-of-cycle redrawing of congressional districts. Howard Gorrell/MarylandReporter.

BALTIMORE COUNTY WON’T MEET RENEWABLES DEADLINE: In 2021, then Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski signed an executive order, setting a goal that the county government will get 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2026. It’s not going to make it. John Lee/WYPR-FM.

KLAUMEIER RESPONDS TO IG CRITICISM WITH OPEN LETTER: Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier released an “open letter” on her appointment of Khadija Walker as the new Inspector General. Walker was appointed to the post on July 24, despite incumbent Kelly Madigan, who has the support of the County Council, being named a finalist in the process to keep her job. Klausmeier said Walker “stood out as the most qualified candidate to elevate the Office of the Inspector General.” Danny Tow/WBBF-TV News.

FORMER BOSS INVOLVED IN WALKER’s HIRE AS IG: When Khadija Walker announced online last fall that she got a new job at USAID, one of the first to congratulate her was Arthur A. Elkins Jr., her former boss at the EPA. When Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier announced last week that Walker was picked to be the county’s new inspector general appointee, among those most closely involved was Elkins, one of two who joined Klausmeier in the final round of interviews that resulted in Walker’s selection. Mark Reutter/Baltimore Brew.

B’MORE INCREASES SUPPORT TO PENN NORTH AFTER OVERDOSES: Penn North is receiving increased support from city officials following two mass overdose events and a suspicious death in the area. Stephanie Mavronis, director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, said her office is offering “an array of resources, from housing to treatment to substance use services to employment opportunities, a number of things that we want to connect the community with.” Ja Nai Wright/WMAR-TV News.

MORTON MINTZ, MUCKRAKING POST BUSINESS REPORTER, DIES AT 103: He wasn’t a political reporter or columnist, but he and his tireless, noteworthy work deserves mention here. Morton Mintz, a Washington Post reporter who brought a muckraker’s zeal to business reporting, notably by helping expose the baby-deforming drug thalidomide and General Motors’ efforts to smear a little-known consumer advocate named Ralph Nader, died July 28 at his home in Washington. He was 103. His son, Daniel Mintz, confirmed the death but did not cite a specific cause. Stefanie Dazio/The Washington Post.

The post State Roundup: Families split by ICE spark anxiety, stress in children; Maryland Congress members denied access to ICE facility; state Republicans oppose Gov. Moore’s efforts to hire federal workers during hiring freeze appeared first on MarylandReporter.com.