U.S. HOUSE TORPEDOES NEW SPENDING PLAN, GOV’T SHUTDOWN NEARS: The U.S. House failed to pass a Republican stopgap spending package Thursday, sharply increasing the odds a partial government shutdown will begin after the current funding bill expires Friday at midnight. Jennifer Shutt/Maryland Matters.
- D.C.’s chances to finally take control of the federal land surrounding RFK Stadium this year and turn it back into a major attraction appeared to fade Thursday as RFK legislation became ensnared in a House showdown over government funding. Neighboring Maryland had retained its top priority — full funding for a new Baltimore bridge — in the failed bill. Meagan Flynn and Erin Cox/The Washington Post.
- The government lurched toward a shutdown after the House on Thursday rejected a hastily produced plan ordered up by President-elect Donald J. Trump to keep funding flowing, with dozens of Republicans defying his demand to pair the spending with a two-year suspension of the federal debt limit. Catie Edmondson/The New York Times.
LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS FROM CORRECTIONS SECRETARY FOR HALTING SEX OFFENDER CHECK-INS: The state’s probation agents have not conducted home visits, including with registered sex offenders, since May, after the corrections department secretary suspended the check-ins for safety reasons. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
BLUEPRINT BOARD APPROVES SIX MORE SCHOOL DISTRICT PLANS, THREE CONDITIONALLY: Three more Maryland school districts received full approval Thursday for their plans for implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, so 25% of Blueprint funds that have been withheld from this year’s budget can now be released for the education reform efforts. William J. Ford/Maryland Matters.
AACO’S FY2026 SCHOOL BUDGET PRIORITIZES SPECIAL ED, EARLY LITERACY, BILINGUAL LEARNING: Superintendent Mark Bedell’s proposed fiscal 2026 operating budget for Anne Arundel County public schools prioritizes special education, early literacy, and bilingual learning. Bedell, who declared his goal of making Anne Arundel “the greatest school district in this country, period,” laid out his vision for the district in a speech Wednesday to the Board of Education. Bridget Byrne/The Baltimore Sun.
INSIDE THE APPROVAL PROCESS FOR THE PIEDMONT RELIABILITY PROJECT: Before construction of a 70-mile power line through Carroll, Frederick and Baltimore counties can begin, the project must receive a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the Maryland Public Service Commission, a five-member board appointed to five-year terms by the governor. Thomas Goodwin Smith/The Baltimore Sun.
- Gov. Wes Moore met with key out-of-state companies involved in a controversial power line project despite not responding to meeting requests from a local opposition group. Gary Collins/Fox 45.
B’MORE BOARD APPROVES MILLIONS TO START SPENDING ON OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS: Baltimore’s Board of Estimates approved $14.6 million dollars in funding to combat opioid overdoses in the city and set up the governance structure to implement plans to responsibly spend the windfall of money Baltimore will receive in settlements from opioid companies over the next decade and a half. Scott Maucione/WYPR.
- Baltimore’s drug epidemic is the deadliest ever seen in a major American city. A Times/Banner examination in May showed that top city officials reacted with little urgency as the death rate mounted, letting key public health efforts stall. Alissa Zhu, Jessica Gallagher and Meredith Cohn/The Baltimore Banner.
DEMOLITION OF OLD NEWS POST BLDG. ADVANCES DOWNTOWN FREDERICK HOTEL PROJECT: Mayor Michael O’Connor used a song lyric to describe the relief of getting through a decade of effort by dozens of people interested in bringing a hotel to downtown Frederick. He addressed a crowd of more than 100 people, including Gov. Wes Moore, state cabinet secretaries and local officials, in front of a bright yellow excavator and the south-facing wall that it would soon punch a hole into. Cameron Adams/Frederick News Post.
FRIEDSON TALKS ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY – AND A RUN FOR EXEC: After serving a year as the president of the Montgomery County Council, Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1) says he’s proud of what the council accomplished in 2024 – including increasing public engagement in the annual county budget process and demanding more accountability from Montgomery County Public Schools. Ginny Bixby/MoCo360.
BLADENSBURG IGNORES THE CRITICS, VOTES TO ANNEX VALUABLE HOSPITAL PROPERTY: At a meeting punctuated by civic pride and an element of grievance, the Bladensburg Town Council voted unanimously Thursday night to annex a valuable piece of property that had been ticketed for development by a nearby municipality. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
DESIGN GUIDE RELEASED TO ENSURE ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAYS: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) released this week a new Accessible Design Guide that aims to steer county agencies in the right direction when developing plans to ensure accessible streets, sidewalks, crosswalks and public spaces. Elia Griffin/MoCo360.
COMMENTARY: SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES: During tough economic times, our community colleges have become a vital gateway to opportunity and prosperity. These community institutions are the backbone of our workforce – offering people the opportunity to upskill and obtain new certificates, providing parents an affordable higher education option for their children, and preparing our students, of all ages, to build better futures. Calvin Ball/Maryland Reporter
