ANOTHER PURPLE LINE SNAFU FLOODS APARTMENTS: Reports that construction on the light-rail Purple Line from Bethesda to New Carrollton was on track to be completed by the new 2027 deadline have been reassuring to county officials. But on July 25, a Purple Line contractor hit an unmarked, abandoned water pipe, affecting a nearby active water main in Silver Spring. That caused water to flow from the construction site into the nearby Wayne Manchester Towers apartment building, according to officials. The flooding resulted in the displacement of 50 of the building’s residents. Four apartments were condemned after the flooding, and three others will require extensive repairs, according to county officials. The Purple Line is paying for the damage, the officials said. Ginny Bixby/Bethesday Today
STATES SCRAMBLE TO COMPLETE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS: The abrupt termination of tax credits for clean energy projects is perhaps the most drastic blow that President Donald Trump has struck in his campaign against wind and solar electricity. As states brace for the uncertainty ahead, they are scrambling to get pending projects off the ground before the tax credits expire. Alex Brown/Maryland Matters.
DESPITE RECENT MURDERS, HOWARD CO. IS ‘EXTRAORDINARILY SAFE PLACE’ TOP PROSECUTOR SAYS: State’s Attorney Rich Gibson Jr. insists, “Howard County is a safe place. Numerically speaking, just by the data,” he said in a long-interview. “We are an extraordinarily safe space. Crime is down across the country, right? So just generally speaking, per the numbers, mathematically speaking, crime is trending downward everywhere. Howard County is no exception.” Len Lazarick in The Business Monthly/Maryland Reporter
NONPROFIT HANDLING $56M IN TAXPAYER FUNDS FACES TRANSPARENCY CONCERNS: A Maryland nonprofit that has received more than $50 million in taxpayer funds through the Baltimore City government faces a series of transparency concerns from some accounting experts, according to a Spotlight on Maryland investigation. Patrick Hauf/The Baltimore Sun.
WIND WARS: OC CHALLENGES PERMIT IN TWO DIFFERENT VENUES: Ocean City is pursuing every avenue in its ongoing fight to block an offshore wind farm — including one avenue that didn’t appear to exist until a month ago. That’s when the Environmental Protection Agency told the state that it erred when it said appeals of the air quality permit it granted for the US Wind project could only be challenged in court. The proper venue is the agency’s Environmental Appeals Board (EAB), said the EPA, which ordered the state to rewrite its notice. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
NEO-NAZI GETS 20 YRS. FOR POWER GRID PLOT: Calling him “profoundly dangerous,” a Maryland U.S. District judge sentenced a founder of a neo-Nazi group to the maximum 20 years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release for his role in a plot to blow up Baltimore’s energy grid. Justin Fenton/ The Baltimore Banner.
- The man who conspired to damage or destroy electrical facilities across the state has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, officials said Thursday. Kate Amara/WBAL-TV.
STATES SCRAMBLE TO COMPLETE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS:The abrupt termination of tax credits for clean energy projects is perhaps the most drastic blow that President Donald Trump has struck in his campaign against wind and solar electricity. As states brace for the uncertainty ahead, they are scrambling to get pending projects off the ground before the tax credits expire. Alex Brown/Maryland Matters.
OPINION: HOGAN DESCRIES MORE GERRYMANDERING: “I said it when I vetoed Maryland’s last gerrymandered map: this is not how democracy is supposed to work. I told Marylanders that gerrymandering, by either party, undermines confidence in our elections. It distorts representation, rewards the extremes, and leaves voters with fewer real choices. That remains true today. The idea that we should redraw maps not because of census data or legal requirements, but because another state did it first, reflects a dangerous mindset. It turns elections into a contest of tricks rather than a debate about ideas. … This is not a ‘fight fire with fire”’ moment. It’s a chance to stop the fire from spreading. It’s short-sighted and illogical for Annapolis Democrats to punish the people of Maryland for the perceived sins of Texas.” Former Gov. Larry Hogan/The Baltimore Sun
TAX-FREE SCHOOL SHOPPING WEEK COMING SOON: The state will forego its usual 6% sales tax on certain clothing items and shoes this Sunday through Aug. 16. The annual event, which usually occurs during the second week of August, gives consumers a chance to stock up on essentials and benefits businesses with extra sales. Clara Longo de Freitas/The Baltimore Banner.
UMD RENAMES DIVERSITY OFFICE AMID FED DEI SCRUTINY: The University of Maryland, College Park, has renamed its Office of Diversity and Inclusion to Belonging & Community at UMD, according to a statement posted to its website. Mathew Shumer/The Baltimore Sun.
B’MORE PUBLIC SCHOOLS UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION: The federal Department of Education opened an investigation Thursday into alleged antisemitic conduct at Baltimore City Public Schools after the Anti-Defamation League filed a complaint against the district last week. Racquel Bazos/The Baltimore Sun.
STATE INVESTIGATION PUTS HO CO SPECIAL ED STAFFING SHORTAGES IN SPOTLIGHT: According to one of the OIGE’s findings, two classes at Cedar Lane School were not being taught by a certified teacher. Dennis Valera/WJZ-TV.
THE ALMANAC OF AMERICAN POLITICS ON SHIFTING CHALLENGES, FACES AND POWER BASES: Maryland continued to vote strongly Democratic even in 2024, a good election cycle for Republicans nationally and one in which core Democratic minority groups nudged rightward. But Maryland is thick with government employees, contractors and highly educated professionals, meaning it faces an uncertain future under a second Donald Trump administration. The Almanac of American Politics/Maryland Matters.
MO CO LEADERS MOURNING DEATH OF JOSEPH GRIFFIN, REGISTER OF WILLS: Montgomery County leaders are mourning the death of Joseph “Joe” M. Griffin (D), the county’s register of wills, who died this week at age 60. The Register of Wills Office did not immediately respond Thursday concerning questions regarding the date or cause of Griffin’s death. Ellia Griffin/Bethesda Today.
IN AA CO, DRONES MAY BE ON THE SCENE BEFORE POLICE: People who call 911 in Anne Arundel County might soon hear the buzz of a drone before they see a police officer. Mirroring a controversial nationwide trend in law enforcement, the Anne Arundel County Police Department is expanding its use of “uncrewed aerial systems,” or drones, to support officers. Alex Mann/The Baltimore Banner.
OPINION: ANNAPOLIS CAN DO MORE TO ATONE FOR ITS RACIST PAST: Thirty-two years ago, Orlando Ridout IV organized the rescue of the Maynard-Burgess House in Annapolis as a form of reparations. Known to many as Lanny, Ridout was a former state delegate who understood history. Rick Hutzell/The Baltimore Banner.
The discussion around reparations will never end. The people that support some sort of reparations will never agree to what is an appropriate solution. A one time payment of a check will be short solution that will provide little relief, will be criticized as not enough by some and will hurt the taxpayers, many of which had nothing to do with slavery or had any connection to it. Or as stated in the article perhaps some kind of free or subsidized job training, which certainly seems better as teaching a man to fish is better than just handing him a fish such as a check. The article mentions rent freezes, which again is a horrible solution, as we see time and time again, rent freezes often hurt the very people they are trying to help. There’s no easy answer to this and any “final solution” to it will be constantly criticized by everyone and the debate will never end even if some form of reparations is ever passed. It’s a lose-lose issue.