REPORT: FEDERAL GOVT CONTRIBUTES $150B TO MARYLAND ECONOMY: A report released Wednesday by the Maryland Comptroller’s Office confirmed what thousands of Maryland workers already knew: The state’s economy is deeply tied to the federal government. The report described the federal government as the state’s “economic engine” and a driver of its employment growth. In the most recent annual data, the report found that Maryland drew more than $150 billion in economic value from the federal government, including $26.9 billion in income alone. Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters.
JHU, UM SUE TO PROTECT FEDERAL RESEARCH FUNDING: The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, College Park, joined by 10 other universities and university systems, are fighting in court to protect millions of dollars in federal research funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, according to a new lawsuit the schools filed Monday. Ellie Wolfe/The Baltimore Banner.
HOW LOBBYISTS, ADVOCATES INFLUENCED 2025 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: Lobbyists and advocates looking to wield their influence with Maryland officials — with a record $58 million behind them — saw both wins and losses this year in Annapolis. For the viewing public, it’s sometimes difficult to discern one from the other. An analysis of data from thousands of new lobbying disclosures, other public records and interviews help understand where lobbyists and advocates tried to put their fingers on the scale in the months before and during the 90-day session that ended in April. Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.
ATTY GEN DECRIES B’MORE HOLDING ROOM FOR IMMIGRANTS: The conditions in the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s temporary hold room in downtown Baltimore used to house immigrants are so poor that they would violate standards if it were a state-run facility, the office of Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a new court filing. Daniel Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.
FEMA FUNDS CANCELLATION PUTS CRISFIELD IN CRISIS: Crisfield officially got word from FEMA last July that it had secured $36 million from the program to launch the first phase of its massive flood-protection initiative. A lot has changed since then. Trump returned to office in January, vowing to drastically shrink the size of the federal government. In a terse April 4 press statement, FEMA announced it was pulling the plug on the disaster-preparedness funding, not just for Crisfield but for all applicants and grantees, calling it “wasteful and ineffective,” though without citing evidence to support those claims. Jeremy Cox/The Bay Journal.
DEL. BOUCHAT TO SEEK REPUBLICAN NOMINATION FOR GOVERNOR: Del. Chris Bouchat, a Republican from Carroll County who has railed against both Democrats and members of his own party in Annapolis, is gearing up to run for governor next year. Bouchat said on Wednesday he is launching an initial slate of television ads in the coming weeks but is not yet formally announcing his candidacy or filing with the Maryland State Board of Elections. Democratic Gov. Wes Moore has said he intends to seek a second term, and a few challengers have begun lining up to get their names on the ballot. Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.
DEPTY HEALTH SECTY TO TAKE POST IN WASHINGTON STATE: Maryland Deputy Health Secretary Ryan Moran, the official tasked with overseeing Medicaid and health care financing, will leave Maryland for a new position in Washington state come August. Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) announced Wednesday that he had selected Moran to direct the state’s Health Care Authority, which administers Medicaid for the state, manages health benefits for state employees and coordinates behavioral health supports. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
BRAVEBOY NAMES NEWS PRINCE GEORGE’S POLICE CHIEF: Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy, newly sworn in, introduced the county’s new chief of police on Wednesday. George Nader, an assistant chief at the Metro Transit Police Department who previously served as deputy chief in Prince George’s, will replace Malik Aziz, Braveboy said, a week after Aziz was named as a finalist for another job. Jasmine Hilton and Lateshia Beachum/The Washington Post.
- It is the third major appointment by Braveboy since her June 3 election, even though she was only officially sworn in Wednesday. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
PG SCHOOLS SUPER RESIGNS AFTER NO CONFIDENCE VOTE: Prince George’s County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Millard House II announced that he is leaving his position, effective on June 18. Shawn Joseph, co-director of Howard University’s Superintendent Academy, has been named as the interim superintendent by County Executive Aisha Braveboy. Members of Prince George’s County Education Association voted no-confidence in House on June 4, citing concerns regarding the lack of support for educators. Richard Elliott/The Washington Informer.
FREDERICK COUNTY COUNCIL SEEKS TO LIMIT DATA CENTER GROWTH: The Frederick County Council introduced a bill on Tuesday that would limit the land available for data centers, but residents question whether the consequences will be worth it. The bill would limit data centers to 1% of Frederick’s total land mass. Further restrictions would require data centers to build on a 4,200 acre plot north of Adam’s Town. Nathanael Miller/WYPR-FM.
JUSTICE DEPT SEEKS DISMISSAL OF ABREGO GARCIA LAWSUIT: The Department of Justice says Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s lawsuit against several U.S. government agency heads must be dismissed because the wrongly deported Salvadoran national has been returned to the United States. Neal Augenstein/WTOP-FM.
