MOORE DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY, ANNOUNCES $10 MILLION IN ASSISTANCE TO FOOD BANKS: In lieu of covering the cost of SNAP benefits set to expire at the end of October, Moore is sending funds to food banks and partners statewide. Sarah Petrowich/WYPR.
- D.C. and Maryland announced millions in aid Thursday to help residents at risk of losing SNAP food stamp benefits in the coming days as the federal government shutdown drags on. Katie Shepherd and Jenny Gathright/Washington Post.
- Comptroller Brooke Lierman (D) joined state lawmakers Wednesday pushing for state action to make up for federal food assistance that may run dry beginning this weekend. Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters.
HERE’S HOW FEDERAL WORKER CAN GET FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: Thousands of Maryland’s federal workers and contractors are facing financial uncertainty as the government shutdown stretches on — the second longest in U.S. history. Clara Long de Freitas/The Baltimore Banner.
ATTAR, BROTHER AND CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEER CHARGED WITH REELECTION EXTORTION PLOT: A Maryland state senator, her brother and a Baltimore City Police officer are in federal custody facing federal charges in an alleged blackmail scheme. Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.
- Attar, her brother and the officer are charged with an alleged effort to blackmail a political consultant from speaking out against Attar in the run-up to the 2022 election, according to a recently unsealed federal indictment. Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
- Maryland has a long and storied history of political scandal. Pamela Wood and Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner
‘FEET TO THE FIRE:’ LOPEZ, DHS REMAIN UNDER SCRUTINY FOR FOSTER CARE FAILINGS: As fallout continues over problems with Maryland’s foster care system, Republican delegates have called for Gov. Wes Moore to fire Rafael J. López, secretary of the Department of Human Services, and consider an overhaul of the agency. Jean Marbella/The Baltimore Sun.
LOPEZ SAYS AGENCY IS WORKING TO ADDRESS FOSTER CARE ISSUES: The Maryland secretary of Human Resources repeatedly insisted to lawmakers Wednesday that he and his staff are working to transform an agency that was the subject of a scathing audit and was responsible for the care of a teen who died while in foster care living in a Baltimore City hotel. Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.
LAWMAKER WANTS TO REOPEN STATE CHILDCARE SCHOLARSHIPS IN 2026: Families may need to wait until after the Maryland General Assembly returns to Annapolis for long-awaited help with child care costs. Maya Lora/The Baltimore Banner.
- The scholarship program has largely been a victim of its own success. When it began in 2018 as the Maryland Child Care Subsidy, enrollment stood at more than 12,000 children, according to data presented Thursday. By the last fiscal year, enrollment stood at 46,295, more than the state could afford, which sparked the freeze on enrollment. William J. Ford/Maryland Matters.
AS DESIGN NEARS COMPLETION, STATE SHARES NEW KEY BRIDGE RENDERING: In the blank spot where the Francis Scott Key Bridge once stood, there are now huge steel pieces, barges, and cranes, humming along as the rebuild’s early stages continue. Hayes Gardner/The Baltimore Banner.
CARROLL COUNTY CHANGES SOLAR ZONING LAWS TO MATCH STATE: After a split vote earlier this month, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners decided to update a set of defunct laws on solar energy development. Lily Carey/Carroll County Times.
AMBASSADOR VISITS, FANS TURN OUT FOR PG PROSECUTOR, JUDGES ARE APPOINTED: Besides attending the Circular Economy Forum in Annapolis, an event focused on reuse and recycling, Ambassador Jovita Neliupšien also had a chance to meet Gov. Wes Moore for what she described as an “all of the above” chat. Christine Condon and William J. Ford/Maryland Matters.
BA CO EXECUTIVE CANDIDATES TALK TRANSPARENCY, OVERSIGHT IN FIRST TOWN HALL: Six of the seven candidates for Baltimore County executive outlined their visions for a more transparent and accountable county government on Wednesday at the first candidate town hall ahead of the 2026 primary elections. Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.
TURNING POINT USA COMES TO ANNE ARUNDEL COMMUNITY COLLEGE: Turning Point USA, founded by the late Charlie Kirk, has been recognized as an official student club of Anne Arundel Community College. The Student Government Association approved the campus chapter on Oct. 10. Bridget Byrne/The Baltimore Sun.
11 ‘TWEAKS’ TO MPRP ROUTE INCLUDE CUT THROUGH NEW WINDSOR: A proposed route change for the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project could redirect the controversial power line through land that the Carroll County town of New Windsor uses for its water maintenance systems. Lily Carey/Carroll County Times.
