PERKINS, STATE-RUN PSYCH HOSPITAL, DENIED ACCREDITATION: A nationwide health-care safety inspection group preliminarily denied accreditation last week to Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center in Jessup, the maximum-security psychiatric facility that has been beset by patient safety concerns, chronic understaffing and high leadership turnover. The Joint Commission, a private organization that accredits health-care facilities nationwide, was at Perkins from April 1-4 inspecting the facility, interviewing staff members and reviewing procedures, according to emails from hospital leadership to staff members. Katie Mettler/The Washington Post.
SUPREME COURT RULES FEDS MUST ‘FACILITATE’ RETURN OF MD MAN FROM EL SALVADOR PRISON : The U.S. Supreme Court Thursday ruled the Trump administration must “facilitate” the return of a Maryland man to the United States after he was wrongly deported to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador, but stopped short of requiring his return. Ariana Figueroa/Maryland Matters.
- It’s being called “an emotional roller coaster” by the family of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and now that the Supreme Court has ruled in the Beltsville, Maryland, man’s favor, President Donald Trump’s administration is being urged to return him home as soon as possible. John Domen/WTOP News.
WERE MISTAKES MADE ON MD SPENDING? HERE’S WHAT MOORE SAYS: A tumultuous Maryland legislative session was about 12 hours from ending when Gov. Wes Moore’s 20/20 hindsight kicked in. Candy Woodall/The Baltimore Sun.
MOORE PREPARES FOR TRADE TRIP TO ASIA: Governor Wes Moore is taking a trip abroad, looking to bring back economic opportunities for Maryland. Paul Jaffey/WMAR TV 2.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY WRAP-UP, REPORTERS SHARE INSIGHTS: Maryland lawmakers wrapped a historic General Assembly session this week that forced tough decisions about cuts to state services, changes to school funding and new taxes for high earners. Baltimore Banner Staff.
ILL EQUIPPED ICE HOLDING ROOMS ‘APPALLING’ SAY SENATORS: Maryland’s U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks decried the “appalling situation” unfolding in the holding rooms at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Baltimore Field Office in the city’s downtown. John-John Williams IV and Daniel Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.
FOUNDATION CEO ON KEY BRIDGE FUND BACKLASH ‘THIS ISSUE NOW HAS MY FULL ATTENTION: After two days of intense public blowback, the Baltimore Community Foundation CEO said she plans “to get things back on track” by working with City Hall to find ways to support the families of the six men who died in the Key Bridge collapse. Lee O. Sanderlin and Cody Boteler/The Baltimore Banner.
MD SUES TO RESTORE PANDEMIC-ERA EDUCATION FUNDS SLASHED BY TRUMP: Maryland’s attorney general joined 15 other states and the governor of Pennsylvania in a lawsuit seeking to restore pandemic-era funding to schools after the Trump administration cut off access to those grants last month. Racquel Bazos/The Baltimore Sun.
BALTIMORE COUNTY QUESTIONS SCHOOL DISTRICT’S $3 BILLION BUDGET REQUEST: Baltimore County’s school board approved a $2.98 billion operating budget request, which is drawing contention from county leaders. With a historic budget deficit for Maryland ongoing, Baltimore County is also in a bind as to how it will allocate funds to the state’s third-largest school district. Stephon Dingle/WJZ TV News.
BUILDING EMISSIONS RULES GOT TRIMMED THIS SESSION: Environmentalists who feared an extensive rollback of one of the state’s signature climate programs, instead managed to escape this year’s legislative session with what they say are just revisions to the Building Energy Performance Standards. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
PROPOSED MCPS BUDGET COULD FACE $47 MILLION CUT WITHOUT TAX INCREASE: If the Montgomery County Council does not approve County Executive Marc Elrich’s recommended 3.4% property tax rate increase for fiscal year 2026, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) could be facing a $47.2 million cut to its proposed $3.65 billion budget, according to a Tuesday council staff report. Ashlyn Campbell/Bethesda Today.
BALLERINA IN RUSSIAN PRISONER EXCHANGE HAS TIES TO MD: Thursday marked an ecstatic day for a family linked to a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia that has ties to Baltimore County. David Collins/WBAL TV.
RESCINDED FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENTS CAUSES $1.5 MILLION IMPACT ON TALBOT HEALTH CENTER: Construction work on a health center for Talbot County Public Schools staff members has been delayed due to rescinded reimbursements from the U.S. Department of Education. Konner Metz/The Star Democrat.
ARE THESE THE LAST DAYS FOR FREDERICK CO’S SHERIFF JENKINS? Chuck Jenkins, nearing the end of his fifth four-year term, has been in office longer than any other sheriff in county history. As an elected Republican in a place that gets rapidly more liberal each election, though, Jenkins, nearly 70, is also something of an endangered species. Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
