S&P DOWNGRADES OUTLOOK OF STATE TRANSIT BONDS OVER KEY BRIDGE FUNDING UNCERTAINTY: A key bond rating agency has issued a negative outlook for outstanding revenue bonds issued by the Maryland Transportation Authority, amid uncertainty surrounding the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Standard & Poor’s reaffirmed the authority’s AA- bond rating, but in an April 25 report downgraded its outlook from stable to negative and warned of the potential for future changes. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
SOME MARYLANDERS MAY PAY FOR POWERLINE PROJECT, EVEN IF IT IS ABANDONED: Some Maryland residents along a proposed 70-mile high-voltage greenfield powerline project are furious that they could end up paying for the project even if it is rerouted, abandoned or defeated. Gary Collins/The Baltimore Sun.
LAWS AGAINST AI DEEPFAKES COME TO THE FOREFRONT: At a rapid, ongoing pace, artificial intelligence’s ability to mimic voices, actions and appearances is becoming stronger and more convincing than ever. But the rate at which the machines are learning — and relearning — has far outpaced any legal process to contain them. With recent, real-world examples to consider, including fake robocalls of President Joe Biden dismissing voters and a phony MP3 of a Baltimore County principal, state and federal legislators are working to update the law and make AI “deepfakes” a defining factor in different crimes. Luke Parker/The Baltimore Sun.
FEDERAL WORKERS SEEK NEW JOBS, BUT THE MARKET IS SATURATED: In Maryland, about 1 in 10 workers is a federal employee, many who have been or could face layoffs and others who are looking for a new job. The problem is that the job market is now saturated with federal workers looking for jobs. Here is a followup to earlier interviews with some of those workers. Prachi Vashisht/The Baltimore Banner.
HOUSING CEO CALLS OUT MOCO, STATE FOR RENTAL CONTROL, ‘POLITICAL CLIMATE:’ Equity Residential, a publicly traded multifamily housing owner, is ranked as the fifth-largest apartment owner in the United States by the National Multifamily Housing Council. Its huge portfolio includes seven properties in MoCo and one in Prince George’s County. And now the company’s CEO has gone on record condemning MoCo’s rent control law and Maryland’s broader political climate for housing. Adam Pagnucco/Montgomery Perspective.
IN SELLING MARYLAND TO JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA, MOORE OFFERS A TRUMP ALTERNATIVE: Reluctant to even name President Trump during press availabilities or in public remarks during his trade mission to Japan and South Korea, Gov. Wes Moore instead said he was focused on being present and “showing up.” He was received everywhere with open arms. A red carpet welcome from the governor of Maryland‘s sister province in South Korea; a personal tour of a fighter jet factory there; the cheery, formal reception in the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office under the many watchful eyes of Myaku-Myaku; and lots of sports talk. Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
MOORE URGES GRADUATES TO FIND ‘MIDDLE GROUND’ ON AMERICA: Gov. Wes Moore used a commencement speech Sunday at Lincoln University, a historically Black school in Pennsylvania attended by his grandfather, to urge the country’s young people to find a middle ground between raging against the country’s ugly chapters and blindly embracing American exceptionalism. Erin Cox/The Washington Post.
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WILL MARYLAND GOP’s UNIFIED SUPPORT FOR TRUMPLAST AS ELECTIONS NEAR? Maryland’s elected Republicans are unified in their support for President Donald Trump after his first 100 days, saying that his policies will benefit the state. But political scientists say that, as Maryland approaches the 2026 midterm election, unified support could begin to splinter as lawmakers distance themselves from Trump to curry favor with voters in deep blue Maryland. Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.
B’MORE PUBLIC WORKS SAY IT HEAT ILLNESS PREVENTION PLAN ‘ACTIVE:’ With summer temperatures fast approaching, the Baltimore Department of Public Works says its new Heat Illness Prevention Plan is now “active” following a trash collector’s death on the job last August. Carson Swick/The Baltimore Sun.
CARROLL MAYORS WHO MADE HISTORY TO SEEK RE-ELECTION: Four years ago, in May 2021, Mona Becker and Stacy Link made Carroll County history, becoming the first openly gay mayors to serve the City of Westminster and the Town of Sykesville, respectively. Both say the 2021 race marked a cultural shift for their municipalities and this year’s election season has featured less personal vitriol. Thomas Goodwin Smith/The Carroll County Times.
NEO-NAZI WHO PLOTTED SUBSTATION ATTACK DENIED NEW TRIAL: Brandon Clint Russell, the neo-Nazi who plotted to destroy Baltimore-area electrical substations, was denied a new trial on Tuesday. Russell, who was convicted on Feb. 4 of conspiracy to damage an energy facility, asked for a new trial after learning a confidential FBI informant had been paid more than had been disclosed. Ian Round/The Daily Record.
TENNESSEE POLICE RELEASE TRAFFIC STOP VIDEO OF ABREGO GARCIA: Authorities in Tennessee have released video of a 2022 traffic stop involving Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland construction worker who’s become the face of U.S. immigration policy after his erroneous deportation to El Salvador. Posted by various news organizations, the body-camera footage shows a calm and friendly exchange between officers with the Tennessee Highway Patrol and Abrego Garcia. He was pulled over for speeding in a vehicle with eight passengers and said they’d been working in Missouri. Ben Finley/The Associated Press.
WHAT TRUMP ORDER MEANS FOR WYPR: President Donald Trump late Thursday signed an executive order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS “to the maximum extent allowed by law,” alleging left-wing bias in reporting from both public media organizations. The order also targets local public media stations that receive federal funds — such as WYPR and WTMD, which fall under parent company Baltimore Public Media. Matt Bush/WYPR-FM.
WHO IS SPEAKING AT MARYLAND COLLEGE’s GRADUATIONS? Maryland college graduation season is right around the corner. This May, graduates will be sent off with words of wisdom from all manner of speakers. There are traditional types, like state leaders, barrier-breaking industry titans, a Paralympian and even a famous green puppet. Here’s a rundown of some notable commencement addresses announced so far. Ellie Wolfe/The Baltimore Banner.
