State Roundup: FDA to allow some Emergent vaxx to be distributed; the race for governor then and now

State Roundup: FDA to allow some Emergent vaxx to be distributed; the race for governor then and now

Then real estate developer Larry Hogan is interviewed by Maryland Reporter's Len Lazarick in 2011 for the first story about his new Change Maryland organization that became the foundation for his winning campaign in 2014. Links to that interview below. MarylandReporter.com photo

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FDA ALLOWS SOME EMERGENT PRODUCT TO BE DISTRIBUTED: Some vaccine produced at Emergent Biosolution’s Baltimore facility will be distributed and some is being discarded, Drew Hansen and Sara Gilgore report for the Washington Business Journal. The manufacturing facility has not yet been given the green light to resume operations.

  • The decision comes from federal health regulators, Laura Olson reports in Maryland Matters. The Food and Drug administration regulators did not say how many doses would have been made with the batches of COVID-19 vaccine substance that will be discarded.
  • The FDA says the 10 million doses made by Emergent BioSolutions should be distributed with a warning that states that it cannot guarantee the company followed proper manufacturing processes, according to the Associated Press & Scripps National on WMAR-TV.
  •   of the New York Times reports that the Baltimore factory failed for weeks to seal off a preparation area for vaccine ingredients and allowed production waste to be hauled through the area, the Food and Drug Administration said in a memorandum analyzing the plant’s operations.

NOVAVAX REPORTS SUCCESS WITH COVID SHOT: Gaithersburg-based Novavax company said Monday its shot was highly effective against COVID-19 and also protected against variants in a large, late-stage study in the U.S. and Mexico, Linda Johnson reports for the AP. The vaccine was about 90% effective overall and preliminary data showed it was safe, the company said.

NEW LAW TO ALLOW MINORS TO SEEK MENTAL CARE: Following contentious debate during the 2021 legislative session, Gov. Larry Hogan has allowed a bill that will allow minors as young as 12-years-old to seek mental and emotional healthcare without their parent or guardians’ consent to go into effect, Hannah Gaskill of Maryland Matters reports.

REDISTRICTING ON THE HORIZON: John Lee of WYPR-FM reports that Maryland and its localities are about to get politically carved up. For the first time in a decade, state and local officials will be redrawing the lines that determine the districts of congressmen, legislators and councilmembers. Debates over political influence and fairness for minority voters lie ahead.

ANALYSIS: CHOOSING THE NEXT POWERFUL GOVERNOR: As next year’s gubernatorial election draws closer, Maryland Reporter’s Len Lazarick points to Comptroller Peter Franchot as the frontrunner in an analysis piece for The Business Monthly. Lazarick runs through Franchot’s strengths – he got more votes in 2018 than any other candidate than any has ever gotten in any Maryland election, and he’s gotten close to business owners. He also picks out his weaknesses, like few friends in the General Assembly, and goes over leading contenders.

‘CHANGE MARYLAND’ 10 YEARS AGO: In a conversation at a recent event, Gov. Larry Hogan reminded Maryland Reporter’s Len Lazarick that Hogan’s “Change Maryland” organization was exactly 10 years old and he was the first reporter to write about the group that became the foundation of his successful run for governor three years later. Here is the video of that 2011 interview and the story that went with it. A lot of Marylanders feel the state is “way off track, and heading in the wrong direction,” Hogan said in that interview. “Our very economic future is at stake,” and “that’s why I formed Change Maryland.”

ANALYSIS: COUNTY EXEC RACES ALL OVER STATE: Competitive races for county executive loom in Anne Arundel and Frederick counties, Brian Griffiths of the Duckpin writes in an analysis of county executive races broken down by race. All counties with an executive, except for Cecil County, will be on the ballot next year.

OPINION: DEMS COULD BE THEIR OWN WORST ENEMY:  “With the 2022 primary election just a tad more than a year away, Democrats already have an impressive display of declared candidates for governor, and they’d better be careful not to cramp each other and allow recent history to hold up a mocking mirror,” writes Frank DeFilippo in a column for Maryland Matters.  “The reverse of the coin is also true: It’s impossible to beat somebody with nobody.”

KING HAS EARLY FUNDRAISING SUCCESS IN GOV RACE: One of six Democrats in the crowded race to fill the seat being vacated by term-limited Republican Gov. Larry Hogan has reported he has raised $1 million, Ovetta Wiggins reports for the Post. The campaign of former U.S. education secretary John B. King Jr. reported he has raised $1 million since launching his bid less than two months ago, early numbers that bode well for the former Obama administration official.

PIPPY ANNOUNCES SENATE RUN: Del. Jesse Pippy, a Republican who represents Frederick and Carroll counties, declared his candidacy for the state Senate, vowing to be a “conservative and effective leader,” the Carroll County Times reports.

  • If elected, Pippy would replace Senate Minority Whip Michael Hough (R-Carroll and Frederick), who has held the seat since 2015, Jack Hogan reports for the Frederick News-Post. In May, Hough announced his bid for county executive, forgoing a bid to seek re-election to his Senate seat.

DEPT OF LABOR REPORTS CLAIMS WENT THROUGH AT END OF WEEK: The State Department of Labor’s online portal vendor added extra servers last week to help Marylanders file for unemployment benefits, Alison Knezevich reports for the Sun. The labor department reported more people were able to update their jobless claims late last week after days of confusion surrounding the unemployment system, with some people reporting problems with their accounts and others not able to log on to the online claims portal.

‘KEEP THE BENEFITS GOING:’ Workers outside the Baltimore Convention Center protested Gov. Larry Hogan’s decision to end an enhanced federal jobless benefit in early July, two months before President Biden and Congress intended, Ovetta Wiggins reports for the Post. A small group of laid-off hotel workers chanted, “Keep the benefits going,” and held signs asking, “Where is the work?” Across the street, a bold “WE’RE HIRING” sign was on display at a struggling restaurant.

LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS SUFFER UNDER PANDEMIC MOST: It’s no surprise that lower-income Marylanders suffered more from the economic impacts of the pandemic than wealthier people. A recent study from United Way of Central Maryland in partnership with United for ALICE highlights the unique struggles of Marylanders living under the ALICE threshold, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed and represents the minimum income necessary to afford basic necessities, Johanna Alonso reports in the Daily Record.

RUPPERSBERGER DISSATISFIED BY POSTMASTER’s ANSWERS: U.S. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger isn’t satisfied with the response he got from the office of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy after the representative requested a meeting with USPS leadership and an audit of Baltimore-area post offices, WJZ reports. He called it a “litany of excuses” and did not include data that was requested.

FREE STATE PODCAST: FIGHTING IN ISRAEL; AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE: Episode 3 of the Free State Politics podcast features interviews with Larry Luxner, a freelance writer and Bethesda-native who now lives in Israel, as well as Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative President Vincent DeMarco. Luxner talks about the re-ignited Israeli-Palestinian conflict; DeMarco talks about the Affordable Care Act in Maryland and keeping drug prices down.

FELLS POINT CRIME CONTINUES: A heavy police presence in Fells Point was not enough to stop weekend crime, Rielle Creighton reports for WBFF-TV. People were running Sunday as a shooter fired multiple rounds, according to surveillance footage on Aliceanna Street. No one was hit by gunfire.

MOCO REPORTS LESS THAN A DOZEN COVID CASES: There have been 15 or less daily new COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County for all of June, the staff of Bethesda Beat reports. Montgomery County reported 11 new coronavirus cases Saturday and has been below 1% for all of June.

UMD UNION WANTS TELEWORK: The University of Maryland’s workers’ union delivered a petition last week demanding expanded access to telework through the summer, Shifra Dayak reports for The Diamondback. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1072 gathered over 550 signatures from university employees on a petition demanding at least three days of telework per week and workers’ rights to case-by-case approval for telework, citing the “effects of the pandemic.”

MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS REMAIN CLOSED TO PUBLIC IN B’MORE: The city of Baltimore municipal government buildings remain closed to the public, despite the courts and government buildings in other jurisdictions resuming full operations, Timothy Dashiell reports for Baltimore Brew. Residents cannot attend a City Council meeting, contest or pay a water bill in person, or seek permit requirements in person.

CASINO REVENUE UP: State casinos generated $172 million in May, a single-month gaming revenue record, the Cumberland Times-News staff reports on Maryland Lottery and Gaming numbers.

SENATE PREZ TOP STAFFER LEAVING: The chief of staff to Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) will step down at the end of July, and will be replaced by Sally Robb, who is currently the deputy chief of staff, Josh Kurtz reports for Maryland Matters. Yaakov “Jake” Weissman served President Mike Miller before Ferguson and has not yet announced his next steps.

About The Author

Meg Tully

megctully@gmail.com
http://MarylandReporter.com

Contributing Editor Meg Tully has been covering Maryland politics for more than five years. She has worked for The Frederick News-Post, where she reported during the General Assembly session in Annapolis. She has also worked for The (Hanover) Evening Sun and interned at Baltimore Magazine. Meg has won awards from the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association for her state and county writing, and a Keystone Press Award for feature writing from the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association. She is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. If you have additional questions or comments contact Meg at: megctully@gmail.com

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