MD DEMS PONDER STRATEGIES TO RESIST TRUMP: Less than a week after Donald Trump’s presidential election win, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen arrived for a local Democratic club meeting at the Parkway Deli, a Silver Spring establishment better known for its latkes and pickle bar than political discourse. Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
PARROTT CONCEDES IN 6TH DISTRICT RACE: Turns out the third time was not the charm for Neil Parrott, the Republican nominee in the 6th District congressional race. Parrott, who ran unsuccessfully for the same seat in 2020 and 2022, threw in the towel on the 2024 race Thursday, acknowledging that with the vast majority of votes counted “it has become clear that April McClain Delaney will be elected to this Congressional seat.” Maryland Matters Staff.
STATE, BALTIMORE OFFICIALS EXPLORE WATER CREMATION: At the Joseph H. Brown Funeral Home Thursday, officials talked about what they believe is the next trend in “death care options,” a process called alkaline hydrolysis which they described as a sort of “water cremation” alternative to standard fire-based cremation. Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters.
MOORE SAYS ANGER IS UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT NOT TOWARD HIM: Gov. Wes Moore on Thursday deflected criticism from residents who say that he has failed to intervene in the controversial Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project, a proposed 70-mile high-voltage transmission line set to cut through Carroll, Frederick and Baltimore counties. Sherry Greenfield/The Baltimore Sun.
PFAS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL TAP WATER: The entire scope of the problem posed by so-called “forever chemicals” in the water at dozens of Maryland schools is just beginning to come into view under a new federal law. Tolly Taylor/WBAL-TV.
POLICE, PROSECUTORS WANT CRACK DOWN ON ROAD RAGE : A coalition of state’s attorneys have raised concerns about road rage incidents with Gov. Wes Moore and are beginning to court sponsors in the General Assembly to introduce bills in the upcoming session that would make it easier to charge crimes committed in a vehicular setting. Lillian Reed/The Baltimore Banner.
MARIJUANA HEALTH TRACKING DASHBOARD UNVEILED: The Maryland Department of Health unveiled a new dashboard tracking adverse incidents to marijuana use on Wednesday. The tool tracks instances like emergency room visits, calls to poison control, youth and adult use and the utilization of substance abuse centers. Scott Maucione/ WYPR – FM.
SPECIAL VETERANS TREATMENT COURT EXPANDS: After years of advocacy from local veterans groups, the Central Maryland Regional Veterans Treatment Court is expanding from Baltimore City to Carroll, Harford and Howard counties. Brennan Stewart/Carroll County Times.
GUTHRIE FORFEITS HARFORD CO COUNCIL SEAT: A Harford County councilman pleaded nolo contendere Thursday to one felony charge of stealing funds from a union he led for more than five decades, a plea that county officials said will cost him his seat. Dion Guthrie, one of two Democrats on the council, entered the plea and was sentenced to probation before judgment and one year of unsupervised probation. Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.
MO CO OFFICIALS BRACE FOR POTENTIAL IMPACT OF FEDERAL CUTS: Montgomery County and state elected officials are bracing for the impact of Donald J. Trump’s upcoming presidency on the county’s federal workforce, which is largest in the state, with nearly 96,000 residents serving as federal employees, according to state data. Ginny Bixby/MoCo 360.
B’MORE TO SPEND $44 MILLION ON ADA RAMPS AND SIDEWALKS: The Scott administration has agreed to allocate a minimum of $44 million over the next four years to upgrade sidewalks and install curb ramps to settle a lawsuit by three city residents who use wheelchairs. Mark Reutter/Baltimore Brew.
UNION CALLS DPW WORKER’S DEATH “TOTALLY AVOIDABLE”: The union representing sanitation workers in Baltimore says the city is failing to give them critical safety information, and they have concerns about a lack of training following the second on-the-job death of a Baltimore Department of Public Works employee since August. Mike Hellgren/WJZ News.
B’MORE STUDENTS MISSING 60+ DAYS OF SCHOOL?: Kids missing school is a longstanding problem in Baltimore. But new data obtained by The Baltimore Sun and FOX45 shows absenteeism in city schools is more dire than previously known — with thousands of students missing a third, half, or majority of the school year. Brooke Conrad/The Baltimore Sun.
EDMONSTON NOW LETS NON CITIZENS VOTE IN LOCAL ELECTIONS: The Prince George’s County town of Edmonston became the latest municipality to give noncitizens the right to vote in local elections Wednesday, joining a growing number of towns in the state that grant the right. Roseanne Skirble/Maryland Matters.
COMMENTARY: MARYLAND IS TAKING STEPS TO LOWER PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES: If the national election results taught us anything, it was that higher costs in the grocery store, at the gas pump and at the pharmacy significantly hurt working families, so much so that they turned out in great numbers to vote for candidates they thought would provide some cost relief. Sean Tunnis and Glenn E. Schneider/Maryland Matters.
THREE MORE SALISBURY STUDENTS ARRESTED IN ALLEGED ASSAULT: Three more Salisbury University students have been arrested and charged for their alleged involvement in a hate crime against a man Oct. 15, Salisbury police said Thursday. Michelle Deal-Zimmerman and Megan Loock/The Baltimore Sun.
The Democrats have done such a marvelous job for our country and state of Md. Guess that’s why Trump won and the House and Senate are now controlled by the Republican Party! I’ve been an independent business owner for the last 52 years. Had I run my business like our state has been run under Democratic Rule …..my business career wouldn’t have lasted 2 years. Hogan left office with a 2billion dollar surplus . Since January 2023 Moore depleted the 2billion dollar surplus along with an additional 3 billion! Spent 5 billion dollars in less than 24 months in office.!! Any accountability being offered!!?? Nope, just start raising taxes and anything else the can extort from the citizens of this state. Nearly 70 percent of the Maryland voters didn’t want Trump. Why? Can he do any worse than what we had the last 4 years. We need to work together to make this state a viable place to live . Van Hollen and his cronies looking to derail any of Trumps proposals. Maybe it’s time for a change and vote out Van Hollen next election. Being a registered Republican for 50 years ….Ive crossed party lines many times voting for my candidate. I don’t vote PARTY. I don’t vote COLOR. I vote POLICY. I do my own research. I don’t allow the media or polls to influence my opinion. Enough said.