MARYLAND SENDS $7M IN MEDICAL EQUIPMENT TO UKRAINE: Bandages, body armor and breathing equipment are on the way from Maryland to a besieged Ukrainian port city. Gov. Larry Hogan announced the shipment, part of a $7 million effort that will arrive in the port city of Odesa — a sister city to Baltimore — in the coming days. It is the second such shipment announced by Hogan since March. Bryan Sears/The Daily Record.
- Hogan announced Tuesday the shipment of a multimillion dollar aid package to Odesa, including medical supplies and body armor. Russian troops pounded the vital Ukrainian port on Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said, an apparent effort to disrupt the supply lines and Western weapons shipments critical to Kyiv’s defense. The Associated Press.
SCHULZ STAFF SLAMS RIVAL COX: In the race for the GOP nomination for governor, Hogan-backed Kelly Schulz is finally taking the gloves off against Trump-backed conspiracy theory adherent Dan Cox. Although the candidate herself rarely mentions him by name, her camp has begun slamming Cox with gusto. Bruce DePuyt/Maryland Matters.
PELOSI BACKS EDWARDS IN 4th CONGRESSIONAL RACE: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is endorsing Donna F. Edwards in the Democratic primary in Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, where Edwards is mounting a comeback bid to win her old seat. In arguably the state’s most-watched congressional primary, Edwards is in a competitive race in the Prince George’s County-anchored district against Glenn Ivey, the former Prince George’s state’s attorney. Meagan Flynn/The Washington Post.
MOONEY WINS W.VA. PRIMARY; EFFECT MAY HIT FREDERICK: In West Virginia, Rep. Alex Mooney prevailed in a Republican primary contest against fellow congressman David B. McKinley — a win for Trump, who endorsed Mooney and campaigned for him. Mooney served in the Maryland Senate from 1999 to 2011 and also is a former chair of the Maryland Republican Party. David Weigel/The Washington Post.
- Mooney, 50, once a central figure in Maryland politics, is heavily favored to win a fifth term this fall and is considered very likely to challenge controversial Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in 2024. The primary result is also good news for Maryland state Sen. Michael J. Hough (R-Frederick), who in his day job works as Mooney’s chief of staff. Hough is giving up his Senate seat to run for Frederick County executive this year. But with Mooney guaranteed another term in Congress, Hough has a fallback in case he loses his county executive race this fall. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
PRIMARY DEBATES: Please join Maryland Reporter’s Len Lazarick as he moderates the virtual online debates for the candidates for Maryland attorney general. Republicans Michael Peroutka and Jim Shalleck debate Tuesday, May 24, 7 p.m. Register here to get the link. Democrats Anthony Brown and Katie Curran O’Malley debate on Wednesday, May 25, 7:30 p.m. Register here. Josh Kurtz of Maryland Matters moderates the debate of Democratic comptroller candidates Tim Adams and Brooke Lierman Tuesday, May 31. Register here. Here’s the flyer. The League of Women Voters is the lead sponsor along with MarylandReporter.com, MarylandMatters.org, Maryland Nonprofits, Maryland Latinos Unidos and the University of Baltimore’s Schaefer Center for Public Policy, the online host.
GRUMBLES LEAVES UNDER CLOUD: Ben Grumbles, under fire for ignoring the mounting pollution problems at the Back River Waste Water Treatment Plant, announced his resignation as Maryland’s secretary of the environment. “I’m glad there is accountability,” said Del. Robin L. Grammer Jr. (R-Middle River), who had called on Gov. Larry Hogan to remove Grumbles. The legislator’s request followed reports in March of massive discharges of semi-treated sewage into Back River from the Baltimore City-operated plant. Mark Reutter/Baltimore Brew.
28,000 BA CO KIDS IN LINE FOR GROCERY BENEFITS: Nearly 28,000 children in Baltimore County could receive increased food benefits to help their families buy groceries this summer under a significant local expansion of a state anti-hunger program. Alison Knezevich/The Baltimore Sun.
CONGRESSIONAL PROBE: EMERGENT HID QUALITY CONTROL PROBLEMS: Executives at contract vaccine manufacturer Emergent BioSolutions, based in Baltimore city, covered up quality control problems that led to more than 400 million doses of coronavirus vaccines needing to be trashed, congressional investigators said in a report Tuesday. The Associated Press.
- The federal contract with Emergent BioSolutions was terminated in November 2021 under the Biden administration. The company had been paid $330 million in taxpayer funding. The initial contract was for $628 million. Hannah Gaskill/Maryland Matters.
ELRICH SETS ASIDE $1M FOR ABORTION, REPRODUCTIVE CARE: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich announced Tuesday that he would be allocating $1 million to help nonprofit providers and other organizations to provide abortion and reproductive health services in the county. Steve Bohnel/Bethesda Beat.
ARUNDEL, B’MORE HEALTH OFFICERS ENCOURAGE MASKING: Health officers in two major Maryland jurisdictions – Baltimore city and Anne Arundel County – are encouraging a voluntary return to mask use as COVID-19 cases tick back up. Bryan Sears/The Daily Record.
- Dr. Letitia Dzirasa, Baltimore’s health commissioner, said Tuesday that she strongly recommends everyone wear a mask indoors regardless of their vaccination status given a large rise in COVID-19 cases in the city. She stopped short of recommended a mask mandate. Meredith Cohn/The Baltimore Sun.
27 TEST POSITIVE AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Twenty-seven people at Worthington Elementary School have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Monday, according to an email from the school’s principal sent out to parents. The school, located in Ellicott City, had 446 students enrolled in preschool through fifth grade as of September. Alana Haynes/Baltimore Sun Media.
ARUNDEL, ANNAPOLIS NAME INTERIM CLIMATE CHIEF: Anne Arundel County and Annapolis have named an interim executive director for their climate resilience authority, a new agency that will invest in projects to combat climate change. Dana Munro/The Capital Gazette.
