MARYLANDERS TAKE TO THE STREETS FOR NO KINGS RALLIES: From the cheering crowds along the Baltimore Running Festival route to the rainbow flags of the Annapolis Pride Parade and the rallies that filled Towson streets, Maryland became a stage for the nationwide “No Kings 2.0” protests on Saturday. Nori Leybengrub, Sara Ruberg, Kaitlin Newman, Antonio Planas, Lauren Markoe and Nina Giraldo/The Baltimore Banner.
- Several thousand demonstrators lined the streets of downtown Columbia Saturday as part of the “No Kings” rallies across the country protesting President Donald Trump and his actions. Republican politicians had sought to portray the demonstrators in advance as people who “hate America.” But dozens of the hundreds of homemade protest placards pushed back on those attacks with signs like the one that said, “We the People Love America.” Len Lazarick/MarylandReporter.com.
- Towson University students moved their “No Kings” rally off campus after a school official told them speakers’ names would be run through federal government databases and vetted for security reasons. Brenda Wintrode and Ellie Wolfe/The Baltimore Banner.
- In Queen Anne’s County, where 62% of voters went for President Donald Trump in last year’s election, some of those who showed up for the No Kings rally said they were pleasantly surprised by Saturday’s turnout. Several hundred people turned up, many waving hand-drawn signs by the roadside in Centreville’s small historic downtown, while others gathered in the courtyard, where a musician performed at a piano, and organizers opened the mic for testimonials. Christine Condon and Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
BAY RESTORATION HAMPERED BY SHORELINE THAT IS PRIVATELY OWNED: Virtually all of the bay’s shoreline is privately owned, which means many of these taxpayer-funded waterfront improvements go to properties that limit public access. These benefits pose a question fundamental to the Chesapeake’s future: Can Maryland balance what’s best for the bay with the public’s desire to enjoy it? It’s an acute tension in Anne Arundel County, where just one of its 533 miles of shore is open for public swimming. Alex Mann, Lee O. Sanderlin and Adam Willis/The Baltimore Banner.
STATE PUSHES HARD FOR ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES: Maryland is one of the states pushing hardest for electric school buses, with millions of state and federal funds distributed in recent years and hundreds of vehicles rolling out across a handful of school districts. Brooke Conrad/The Baltimore Sun.
BESSENT TELLS IMF TO SELL MO CO COUNTRY CLUB: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is urging the International Monetary Fund to sell an elite country club it owns in Montgomery County so the organization can “go back to their core mission.” Carson Swick/The Baltimore Sun.
ANNAPOLIS MAYOR HOPEFUL O’SHEA TARGETS CITY FINANCING: Robert O’Shea wants to do things differently if elected mayor of Annapolis. The candidate is pitching broad changes to city financing. He says he could think outside the box to solve city and local governance issues. O’Shea, who will be 66 years old on Election Day, is running against Democrat Jared Littmann, a former alderman and current hardware store owner, in the Nov. 4 city election. Katherine Wilson/The Baltimore Sun.
TRANSIT CUTS LIMIT DISABILITY SERVICES IN SOUTH CARROLL: In 2022, the county cut Carroll Transit’s fixed bus routes from nine to seven, boosting service in Westminster but leaving South Carroll without regular transit. While Owen Linville, who is in a wheelchair, uses the bus to get from school to work, the demand-response buses’ limited schedule means he can’t use it to get back to his house after work and he’s only been able to use it once to get from his house to the college. Lily Carey/The Carroll County Times.
A ‘SHUTDOWN PLAYLIST;’ WHY STEELE REMAINS A REPUBLICAN AND MORE: A shutdown playlist has been created on Spotify by a group of fired Health and Human Services workers calling themselves “Fired but Fighting.” The songs are dark, funny, angry — sometimes all of the above. Former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele is still a Republican and he explains why: “If you come to my house and, in the course of being there, you start tearing up my carpet and writing on my walls and breaking my fine china, do I throw you out or do I leave? It’s my house, too.” Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
MO CO CLASS T-SHIRTS YANKED OVER DESIGN: A Montgomery County high school recently returned its senior class T-shirts after administrators said the design celebrated the class of 2026 in a way that “evokes the N-word,” according to a recent letter sent by two top school system officials. Nicole Asbury/The Washington Post.
- It is common for high schools to distribute student-designed T-shirts to the senior class to celebrate the milestone year. Designs have typically incorporated the word “senior” or other school mottos and slogans, often using the numbers of the graduation year. Elia Griffin/Bethesda Today.
FORMER IOWA SUPER, A COPPIN GRAD, FALSELY CLAIMED U.S. CITIZENSHIP: The former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen on a federal form and knowingly possessed several firearms illegally, according to a newly returned indictment that raises the prospect of a lengthy prison term. He was originally from Guyana, graduated from Coppin State University and worked for two decades in school districts across the U.S. including Baltimore. Ryan J. Foley and Hannah Fingerhut/Associated Press.
HOUSE COLLEAGUES REMEMBER DEL. CHARLES OTTO, 61: Colleagues from both sides of the aisle remembered Del. Charles Otto (R-Lower Shore) Friday for his kindness and humor, his knowledge on agricultural issues and his passionate advocacy for the Eastern Shore during his 14 years in the House of Delegates. It was announced Friday that Otto had died at age 61. No cause of death has been given. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
- Otto, 61, was a farmer who went into politics, serving as a Republican representing the Lower Shore counties of Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset. His colleagues remembered him as a lawmaker who was focused on the work of advocating for his constituents without seeking the spotlight. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
- The news was announced by Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones. She wrote of Otto, “I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing … Since 2011, he served the Maryland House of Delegates with integrity and an unwavering dedication to the people of District 38A. He cared deeply about his community and always put his constituents first.” Josh Davis/The Baltimore Sun.
FORMER DEL. MARTHA KLIMA OF BALTIMORE COUNTY DIES: Former Del. Martha Klima, who served in the House of Delegates for 20 years representing District 9A in Baltimore County, died on Oct. 9 in Timonium. Here is her obituary. And here is her biography from the Maryland archives.
ELLEN SAUERBREY’s HUSBAND WILMER DIES: Wilmer J.E. Sauerbrey, husband of former U.S. Ambassador, Maryland gubernatorial candidate and state Del. Ellen Sauerbrey, has died. He was a Baltimore County resident and was 90 years old. Ruck Funeral Home.
SNL PARODIES HARFORD TEENS’ MDFOODIEBOYZ PODCAST: On the lighter side Sabrina Carpenter, hosting NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” joined in a skit that parodied Harford County-based podcast group “MdFoodieBoyz” by playing on the Gen Z commentary the podcast is known for by its fans. In late 2024, the podcast gained traction on social media over their comments on topics like school lunch food, chicken sandwiches, candy, frozen pizza and more. Matt Hubbard/The Aegis.
