MOORE SAYS TRADE MISSION HIGHLIGHTS STABILITY OVER TRUMP CHAOS: On its face, Gov. Moore’s recent trade mission to Japan and Korea was nothing unusual. Maryland’s governors have long embarked on missions overseas to establish economic ties. Moore, though, said that his role as Maryland’s chief executive has changed with what he refers to as the chaos coming from Washington. The recent trip, planned before Trump took office, offered a clear picture as to how. Jack Bowman of Capital News Service/Maryland Reporter.
AUDIT: STATE DNR FAILED TO MONITOR MILLIONS OF FUNDS: An audit by the Maryland Department of Legislative Services revealed that the state’s Department of Natural Resources did not effectively monitor millions of dollars in funds between 2019 and 2023. The department said it’s making necessary adjustments to prevent future issues. Todd Karpovich/The Baltimore Sun.
RESIDENTS CAN SUE STATE OVER LAPSED NURSING HOME INSPECTIONS: A group of nursing home residents can press their lawsuit against the Maryland Health Department over lapsed nursing home inspections, and the case can proceed as a class-action suit, a federal judge has ruled. Those findings came after U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox denied the department’s request to dismiss the case. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
250 AMERICORPS WORKERS IN MARYLAND FIRED: The Trump administration’s dismantling of the federal AmeriCorps program will be felt in Maryland state parks, classrooms, nonprofits and food pantries, state officials said during a Wednesday news conference. About 250 Maryland AmeriCorps workers were dismissed over the weekend, said Paul Monteiro, Maryland Secretary of Service and Civic Innovation. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
MO CO OFFICIALS CONCERNED TRUMP TO TARGET SANCTUARY CITIES: After President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday pledging to freeze federal funding for any jurisdiction his administration deems a “sanctuary city,” some Montgomery County officials are concerned about what that order will mean locally. “The executive orders and policies coming out of the White House right now are causing a great deal of damage and chaos,” County Council President Kate Stewart said Tuesday. Ginny Bixby/Bethesda Today.
REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR HOPEFUL PICKS FORMER DELEGATE AS RUNNING MATE: Maryland’s only filed candidate for governor has tapped a former state delegate as his running mate. John Myrick, a Republican candidate for governor, tapped former Del. Brenda Thiam to round out his ticket as lieutenant governor. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
HOUSING SECRETARY MAY SEEK REP. HARRIS’s SEAT: Jake Day, the secretary at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, is beginning to raise money for a possible challenge to U.S. Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st), Maryland Matters has learned. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
***Join Maryland Reporter at the Annual Spring Party of the Community Foundation of Howard County on Thursday, May 15, 5-8 p.m. in Columbia for food, drink, socializing and networking. Help raise critical operating funds for the foundation’s mission to connect people, places and organizations to worthy causes across Howard County and beyond. Click here for more information and tickets.***
TRUMP ADMITS HE COULD GET ABREGO GARCIA RETURNED, BUT WILL NOT: President Donald Trump acknowledged this week that he has the power to return wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States but has no plans to do so. The exchange occurred during an interview Tuesday with ABC News correspondent Terry Moran, who suggested the president could “get him back” by calling Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. Carson Swick/The Baltimore Sun.
- Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said attorneys under President Donald Trump are “playing dumb” regarding the U.S. Supreme Court ruling to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.
- A judge issued a new two-week calendar on Wednesday for the Justice Department to exchange information with lawyers for Kilmar Abrego Garcia about what they’ve done to facilitate the return of the mistakenly deported Maryland man. Dan Belson/The Baltimore Sun.
EXPERTS SAY ABREGO GARCIA TATTOOS NOT PROOF OF GANG AFFILIATION: As the legal battle continues over the fate of Kilmar Abrego García, President Trump has repeatedly cited tattoos on the mistakenly deported man’s knuckles as proof that he is an MS-13 gang member and should not be returned from El Salvador. But several law enforcement officials and researchers who study the transnational gang say the tattoos on Abrego García’s left hand — a marijuana leaf, a smiley face, a cross and a skull — do not show definitive evidence of any gang affiliation. Sarah Cahlan, María Luisa Paúl, Teo Armus and Samantha Schmidt/The Washington Post.
STATE STRIPS LICENSE FROM TITLE COMPANY: One of the title companies that handled ABC Capital’s disastrous sale of hundreds of homes in distressed Baltimore neighborhoods to foreign buyers has been stripped of its license. Justin Fenton/The Baltimore Banner.
