MOORE DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY IN WESTERN MD: Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency Thursday evening as he toured parts of Western Maryland that saw historic flood damage this week. Sapna Bansil and Adam Willis/The Baltimore Banner.
- As residents in Allegany County continue to recover from flash flooding that occurred on May 13, the Maryland Office of the Comptroller is offering assistance to help businesses that were affected. Dominick Philippe-Auguste/WMAR-TV News.
- Forty-eight hours after a freak downpour left remote Westernport in Allegany County in westernmost Maryland deluged under more water than it had seen in its streets in 29 years, volunteer firefighters, restoration experts and ordinary townspeople were at work on a still-soggy Main Street. Jonathan M. Pitts/The Baltimore Sun.
MEDICAL EXAMINER AUDIT RECLASSIFIES DOZENS POLICE-RESTRAINT DEATHS AS HOMICIDES: Dozens of police-custody deaths that were ruled accidental or of unknown causes have been reclassified as homicides after a four-year review of more than 1,300 cases handled by former Maryland State Medical Examiner Dr. David Fowler. Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.
- Thirty-six deaths in police custody in Maryland should have been ruled homicides, according to an independent audit released Thursday of the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. WYPR-FM.
BLUEPRINT BOARD APPROVES JOINT PLAN ON TEACHER PREP PROGRAMS: The board overseeing implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future approved a plan Thursday for the state Department of Education and the Maryland Higher Education Commission to collaborate on programs certifying teachers. William J. Ford/Maryland Matters.
OPPONENTS THREATEN TO TAKE ENERGY REFORM BILL TO REFERENDUM: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) has yet to sign the legislature’s biggest energy bill into law, but there is already a campaign in the works to challenge the measure at referendum. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
OFFICIALS VOICE CONCERN OVER TRANSMISSION LINE TIMELINE: As Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), the developers of the proposed high-voltage transmission line, push for the project to be completed in 2027, state agencies are voicing concern about the aggressive timeline. Jessica Babb/FOX45 News.
FITCH MAINTAINS MD’S AAA RATINGS: Maryland’s AAA credit rating was maintained by one of the big three credit ratings agencies, indicating some investors and lenders view the state’s economy as strong despite a tough legislative session and policies implemented under President Donald Trump. Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.
BREWERS CONCERNED TARIFFS WILL MAKE TOUGH TIMES TOUGHER: Maryland breweries have yet to recover from the economic effects of COVID-19 fully, and the Trump administration’s tariffs have added another wrinkle to their bounce-back efforts. President Donald Trump has ordered a minimum 10% tariff on all imports to the United States. But aluminum — fabricated into beer cans and one of the largest costs for craft breweries — is under a 25% tariff. Colin McNamara/Capital News Service/Maryland Reporter.
CARROLL SCHOOLS BUDGET SAVES OUTDOOR SCHOOL, STAFF RAISES AND LAPTOPS: The Carroll County Board of Education unanimously approved an operating budget Wednesday that would allow the district to continue funding its outdoor school program, honor contracts with employee groups that promise cost-of-living raises, maintain bus driver raises, and continue to provide laptop computers for instructional purposes to students in grades three through five. Thomas Goodwin Smith/Carroll County Times.
MO CO COUNTY COUNCIL SIGNALS APPROVAL OF $7.6B OPERATING BUDGET: The Montgomery County Council signaled its unanimous approval of a $7.6 billion county spending plan for fiscal year 2026 – with no tax increase required — with a straw vote Thursday morning that will be followed by a May 22 binding vote. Ginny Bixby/Bethesda Today.
