MOORE EARMARKS $17M for SCHOOL ENERGY EFFICIENCY; HALF OF 2024 ALLOTMENT: Gov. Wes Moore was earmarked $17 million for projects to improve energy efficiency in public schools across Maryland — nearly half what was distributed the previous year. The program, known as Decarbonizing Public Schools, is expected to direct $17 million to 30 projects in 11 school districts to advance large-scale electrification and install solar energy systems. Bridget Byrne/The Baltimore Sun.
MARYLAND A TARGET FOR TRUMP’s DEPORTATION ENFORCEMENT: When the Trump administration last month filed an unusual lawsuit against all federal judges in Maryland, it was another example of the state drawing fire from the president. The dispute in Maryland began this spring when the chief judge of Maryland’s U.S. District Court ordered a pause in every case in which an immigrant had tried to block deportation by challenging their detention. The Justice Department then sued the entire bench. That lawsuit, which is scheduled for a hearing today in Baltimore, comes as the administration in myriad ways has focused on Maryland for its immigration enforcement. John-John Williams/The Baltimore Banner.
MARYLAND CONTINUES TO POSE RENTAL AFFORDABILITY CHALLENGES: Rental options continue to be widely unaffordable for most low-income workers in Maryland, where a renter needs to make more than twice the minimum wage to afford a one-bedroom apartment. The 2025 edition of the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s “Out of Reach” report says that a worker earning Maryland’s minimum wage of $15 an hour would need to work 89 hours a week in order to afford a one-bedroom rental home in the state and still have money for other living expenses. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
DESPITE FISCAL OUTLOOK, DEMS STILL HOPE FOR B’MORE RED LINE: Maryland Democrats refuse to give up hope of resurrecting the multibillion-dollar east-west Red Line transit project in Baltimore. But with the state’s financial concerns and President Donald Trump cutting federal spending and rescinding deals made under former President Joe Biden’s administration — like the FBI headquarters originally slated to be built in Greenbelt — securing the funding Maryland once had for the project could be tough to pull off. Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.
WHY IS MOORE LOSING GROUND IN NEW POLL? A new poll shows Democratic Gov. Wes Moore losing ground on his approval ratings in deep-blue Maryland — a downward shift political analysts and elected officials blame on “anxiety” and the economy. Democrats, meanwhile, are calling the poll “silly.” Carson Swick/The Baltimore Sun.
VAN HOLLEN WELCOMES HOME BALTIMOREAN FREED IN TRUMP PRISONER SWAP: Weeks after being released from a Venezuelan prison, Erick Oribio sat on Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s sofa with his fiancée and two sons, smiling about the rice pudding he ate once he returned to Baltimore. He’s happy to be home.That was Oribio’s message on Tuesday during a news conference with Van Hollen, part of his reemergence into public life following his wrongful detainment by the Venezuelan government in January. Ben Mause/The Baltimore Sun.
- The founder of Latin Opinion, a free, monthly Spanish-language newspaper, met with Maryland’s senior senator in his D.C. office. Oribio had been detained by Venezuelan authorities since January along with his brother Ronald Oribio, and was freed in July with other Americans and legal permanent residents in a three-country prisoner swap. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
ALSOBROOKS TO CO-CHAIR BLACK CAUCUS CONFERENCE: She’s only seven months into the job, but U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md). has been tapped to help lead the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual conference next month in Washington, D.C. Alsobrooks will join four-term Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) as co-chair of the Sept. 24-28 legislative conference with the theme, “Made for This Moment: Power, Policy, and Progress.” William Ford/Maryland Matters.
FREDERICK MAYOR DEFENDS AGAINST TWO CHALLENGERS: Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor defended his performance in office from criticism by two challengers at a forum for mayoral candidates Tuesday. “I actually think I’ve done a damn good job … That eight years of experience is unmatchable,” O’Connor said. The comments came during a forum with Democratic challenger Ron Beattie and Republican Tom Trott. Ryan Marshall/The Frederick News Post.
FREDERICK CITY COUNCIL HOPEFULS GET AN AIRING: City Council members shared a stage on Tuesday with those hoping to unseat them during a candidate forum for the upcoming Frederick city election. More than 200 people registered to attend the forum. Ceoli Jacoby/The Frederick News Post.
REPUBLICAN KICKS OFF ANNAPOLIS MAYORAL CAMPAIGN: Republican Bob O’Shea kicked off his Annapolis mayoral campaign with an event Tuesday meant to spotlight the struggles of an ice cream business that floods frequently and what he sees as the city’s inability to solve the problem in a timely manner. Benjamin Rothstein/The Capital Gazette.
JEALOUS FIRED AS EXEC DIRECTOR OF SIERRA CLUB: The Sierra Club’s board voted unanimously to remove Executive Director Ben Jealous for cause, a month after he was placed on leave, according to an email sent Monday to the environmental nonprofit’s staff. The vote came after an “extensive evaluation” of Jealous’ conduct, according to the email from board President Patrick Murphy. The email did not describe the particular reasons for Jealous’ ouster. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
MAN CHARGED IN VANDALIZING ISRAELI FLAGS LOSES HOPKINS JOB: A sonographer accused of vandalizing Israeli flags with a red liquid no longer has his job at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, the medical institution confirmed. The hospital said in a statement that it was aware of the charges against Jonathon Wagner, who was charged over the weekend with two misdemeanor offenses, and “acted quickly to follow the appropriate policies for situations such as this.” Dan Belson/The Baltimore Sun.
