MARYLAND OFFICIALS DECRY DEADLY VIOLENCE DIRECTED AT TRUMP: Officials across Maryland are condemning the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump Saturday night. Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, spoke against political violence in his statement on X. “Political violence is unacceptable and against what our country stands for,” Moore wrote. “This kind of cowardice must be roundly condemned by all Americans. What happened today to President Trump is abhorrent and should never be tolerated. Ever.” Tony Roberts/The Baltimore Sun.
- Larry Hogan, Maryland’s former Republican governor and current candidate for the U.S. Senate, said on X: “We are praying that President Trump and all in attendance are safe. Political violence must be universally condemned. America is a tinderbox right now. This must stop.” Hogan, an outspoken critic of Trump, confirmed last month that he will skip the party’s national convention, as he did in 2016. Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, the Democrat who is running against Hogan for Senate, said on X that the nation must come together to “condemn this kind of political violence.” Imani Agbionu, Emily Condon, James Matheson, Caley Fox Shannon, Daniel Stein and Katharine Wilson of Capital News Service/MarylandReporter.com.
- “I don’t even know what to say,” Don Murphy, a former state lawmaker and GOP convention delegate from Maryland, said Sunday. “This could have been so much different, so much worse.” Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
- “There is no place for political violence or violence of any kind in our nation. I’m relieved the former president is safe and keeping all in attendance in my thoughts. Grateful for law enforcement’s quick response,” wrote Sen. Chris Van Hollen on X. Greg Ng/WBAL-TV News.
DETOURED HAZMAT TRAFFIC USING PROHIBITED TUNNELS: When the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River, it destroyed a central passage for transporting hazardous materials up and down the East Coast. Soon, fears surfaced online that hazmat trucks are now using Baltimore’s underwater tunnels instead, despite state law largely prohibiting them from doing so. Brenna Smith, Ben Conarck and Mark Puente/The Baltimore Banner.
SHIP STRIKE PROTOCOLS REVISED PRIOR TO KEY BRIDGE ACCIDENT: In the crucial four minutes between when the container ship Dali lost power and it struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the two pilots aboard ordered an anchor dropped, asked for emergency help from nearby tugboats, warned surrounding vessels and called a pilot dispatcher on a cellphone. That dispatcher then notified the Maryland Transportation Authority, which promptly shut down vehicle traffic onto the bridge, and the Coast Guard. The exact protocol — how to halt vehicle traffic due to a threat from a ship — had rarely, if ever, been needed. But just 13 days before the incident, a harbor pilot had discussed updates to the procedure with fellow port stakeholders. Hayes Gardner/The Baltimore Sun.
PORT WORKERS STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET: Organizers handing out cans and fresh produce at the farmers market-style distribution event at the Sollers Point Multipurpose Center — set up specifically to reach port workers — said they’re still seeing former employees struggling to feed their families. Matti Gellman/The Baltimore Banner.
JUDGE TOSSES CHALLENGE TO STATE INTERNET AD TAX: A federal judge in Baltimore threw out a First Amendment challenge to the 2021 law that imposes a tax on internet ads in Maryland. In a 20-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby granted the state’s request to dismiss the case, writing that plaintiffs in the case used “hypothetical invoices” to show how the law would be “unconstitutional as applied.” Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
JUDGE TOSSES B’MORE CLIMATE SUIT AGAINST OIL COMPANIES: In a first-of-its-kind decision, a Maryland judge tossed Baltimore’s climate suit against major oil companies on the grounds that it is not the role of the state courts to address a global issue such as climate change. Originally filed in 2018, the lawsuit is one of more than a dozen similar cases against oil companies including Chevron, Exxon and BP winding through courts across the nation. Aman Azhar of Inside Climate News/The Baltimore Banner.
CARROLL COMMUNITY FRUSTRATED OVER SCHOOL BOARD ACTION ON BOOKS: The Carroll County Board of Education’s vote Wednesday to exclude two books from prekindergarten and kindergarten Family Life lessons has many community members frustrated. Mary Hoffman’s “The Great Big Book of Families” and Todd Parr’s “The Family Book,” materials that would have been used in the state’s family life curriculum, will not be included in Carroll’s curriculum. Lizzy Alspach/The Carroll County Times.
POLITICAL MUSICAL CHAIRS IN PRINCE GEORGE’S: This fall’s elections in Prince George’s County could be the start a game of political musical chairs that sparks two more special elections next year – and a shakeup in county leadership. Voters are already set to go to the polls Aug. 6 to fill a vacant at-large county council seat, and later this fall the state elects a new U.S. senator. With two county officials in the running for those offices – County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) for Senate and Council Chair Jolene Ivey (D) for the at-large seat – the outcome could start a scramble to fill the offices they leave behind. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
B’MORE AUTO THEFTS SEE DRAMATIC DROP: Auto thefts have dropped almost as dramatically as they spiked. The number of auto thefts in Baltimore city have fallen close to normal levels after spiking last summer, an analysis of police crime data found. Auto thefts in other counties have also dropped compared to last year. Clara Longo de Freitas and Adriana Navarro/The Baltimore Banner.
DELAWARE CRUSHES ON MARYLAND COCKTAIL: Unlike so many other storied cocktails, the Orange Crush’s Maryland origins are undisputed. Even so, the state of Delaware is working toward making it the state’s official cocktail. The matter even came up on Capitol Hill: During a Wednesday hearing about the March collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, Van Hollen brought up the issue of the cocktail, calling out Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.). “Senator Cardin and I are willing to forgive this transgression by the state of Delaware since you’re cooperating with us as a good neighbor on other issues,” Van Hollen allowed. Emily Heil and Fritz Hahn/The Washington Post.
