FORMER BANKER PLANS 2026 PRIMARY CHALLENGE TO MOORE: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore may get an intra-party challenge when he runs for reelection in 2026, with retired banker Ed Hale Sr. close to announcing a campaign. Hale said in a brief interview Thursday that he’s “pretty sure” he will run and is in the midst of going through the necessary paperwork. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
MOORE INSISTS HE’S NOT RUNNING FOR PREZ: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is set to travel to the early primary state of South Carolina at the end of this month to headline the state party’s influential Blue Palmetto Dinner, according to plans shared first with POLITICO. He’s delivering a commencement speech at the historically black Lincoln University on Sunday in Pennsylvania, a key swing state. And he’s going on national shows like “The View” to bolster his profile as he heads into a reelection bid next year. Still, in an interview, Moore insisted he isn’t running for president in 2028. Brakkton Booker/Politico
OPINION: MOORE’S ASIA TRAVEL NOT A GOOD STORY: There were no announcements about companies or corporations from South Korea or Japan planning to invest in Maryland! There are no billion-dollar steel plants to be built by Hyundai or the establishment of factories to make semiconductors or iPhone production and assembly … In fact, compared to the “chaos” of Washington, Gov. Moore and the state of Maryland are running dead last. If that is the type of leadership he believes the country is looking for, he is likely not to make it out of the primary process … and make no mistake, he is running for that Democrat 2028 nomination for President. Marc King/Maryland Reporter
VP VANCE TO KEYNOTE NAVAL ACADEMY GRADUATION: Vice President JD Vance will deliver the keynote address at the U.S. Naval Academy’s graduation and commissioning ceremony later this month, the school said Thursday. James Matheson/The Capital Gazette.
FORMER AACO OFFICIAL ERICA GRISWOLD’S SHOPLIFTING CONVICTION COULD VIOLATE PROBATION: The former Anne Arundel County register of wills who was booted from office last year for misconduct faces new legal problems following a shoplifting conviction. Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.
HUNDREDS OF PROTESTORS JOIN IN MAY DAY MARCHES ON B’MORE STREETS: Every year, members of labor unions and others take to the streets to stand up for various causes on May Day. But this year the May 1 event landed with more urgency as upheaval by the Trump administration has sparked concerns about everything from mass firings at federal agencies to abrupt deportations that have drawn scrutiny from the courts. Darreonna Davis, Ellie Wolfe and Cody Boteler/The Baltimore Banner.
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BUSINESSES PIVET TO TRUMP’S ACTIONS, NEW STATE TAXES: Maryland business owners face new challenges from President Donald Trump’s first 100 days — including a whirlwind of new tariffs and executive orders — and $1.6 billion in new and increased state taxes aimed at balancing the state’s budget. Lorraine Mirabella/The Baltimore Sun.
AMERICORPS ABRUPTLY ENDS SERVICE LEAVING NONPROFITS, VOLUNTEERS, ‘DEVASTATED’: More than 250 AmeriCorps state members in Maryland have lost their jobs, according to Gov. Wes Moore’s administration. State officials estimate that more than $7 million in grants were vaporized by the Elon Musk-led U.S. Department of Government Efficiency’s dismantling of AmeriCorps. Bria Overs/The Baltimore Banner.
3 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HO CO. SCHOOLS FUNDING GAP: Howard County’s school system is getting only about a third of the new money it asked for from the county under the current budget proposal. Jess Nocera/The Baltimore Banner.
SIX FLAGS TO CLOSE AMUSEMENT AND WATER PARK IN NOVEMBER: The Six Flags corporation announced Thursday that it will be closing the amusement and water park in Maryland this fall. Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor in Bowie will close Sunday, November 2, following the summer season. JT Moodee Lockman/WJZ-TV.
‘PURPLEST’ PRECINCT SPLIT OVER TRUMP: While most Marylanders live in either solidly Democratic or Republican areas, Arbutus is different. As much as anywhere in Maryland, it is a battleground in which blue and red worlds collide —sometimes warily — and voters’ allegiances couldn’t be any more evenly split. Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
EASTON TO HOST LOCAL AND STATE LEADERS AT OCTOBER’S MAIN STREET CONFERENCE: Downtown Easton will welcome hundreds of local and state leaders this October for the state’s second ever Maryland Main Street Conference. Staff Report/The Star Democrat.
