REDISTRICTING COMMISSION WARNED EARLY ACTIONS COULD END UP COURT: A former executive director of the Department of Legislative Services warned a redistricting commission that if the state attempts to redraw boundaries of its eight congressional districts before 2030, it will end up in court. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
STATE SEEKS TO UPDATE RECORDING LAWS FOR HOME CAMERAS, CELLPHONES: For Del. N. Scott Phillips (D-Baltimore County), the debate over Maryland’s wiretapping law boiled down to one question. “We don’t require consent for video, but we do require consent for audio. Does that make sense?” Phillips asked. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
NTSB HEARING: LOOSE WIRE, 89 SECONDS AND DALI STRUCK KEY BRIDGE: A single loose wire caused the initial blackout aboard the massive container ship that slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024, toppling its spans and killing six highway construction workers. That was the focus of a daylong hearing Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
- Over roughly five hours, board members heard from a team of investigators and then peppered them with questions about what caused the 100,000-ton Dali container ship to lose power and veer off course, knocking down the structure that connected Dundalk and Hawkins Point over the Patapsco River. Daniel Zawodny and Hayes Gardner/The Baltimore Banner.
- For families of the tragedy’s six victims, 89 seconds were especially weighty. Hayes Gardner and Daniel Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.
MDTA: RISING COSTS, WRONG ASSUMPTIONS LED TO BALLOONING ESTIMATE: The Maryland Transportation Authority on Tuesday attributed the increase in costs to replace the Key Bridge — which rose this week to $5.2 billion from as low as $1.7 billion — to a volatile economy. However, the MDTA also insists the 2024 estimates were just preliminary and had to be calculated for Maryland to qualify for emergency relief from the federal government. Lorraine Mirabella/The Baltimore Sun.
REPORT URGES MARYLAND TO INVEST IN READING INSTRUCTION: Despite recent predictions that lawmakers could be facing a $1.5 billion budget deficit when they convene Jan. 14 for the 2026 General Assembly, a new report released Tuesday by the nonprofit organization Maryland READS says Maryland must invest in reading instruction. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
GAITHERSBURG MAYOR TO SEEK MO CO COUNCIL SEAT: Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman will run for the Montgomery County Council seat representing District 3 in the June 2026 Democratic primary. Ashman’s decision comes just two weeks after he was re-elected Nov. 4 to a four-year term for the third time, receiving around 73% of the vote in the nonpartisan election. Challenger Tiffany Kelly received just over 26% of the vote. Ceoli Jacoby/Bethesda Today.
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNCIL OVERTURNS 30-YEAR BAN ON PIT BULLS: The Prince George’s County Council chambers were packed Tuesday, the final day of the year’s legislative session, with most of those in attendance wearing matching purple shirts in support of a bill that passed and would overturn the county’s nearly 30-year ban on pit bulls. The bill now goes to County Executive Aisha Braveboy to sign, veto or let it become law without her signature. It is not clear where she stands on the issue. John Domen/WTOP-FM.
- The ban was enacted more than 20 years ago, deeming most pit bulls unadoptable and leading to many animals entering the county’s shelter to remain there for months without being able to go outside. Now, the council has lifted the ban, changing its code to focus on animal behavior rather than breed when determining how to care for dogs. Mathew Schumer/The Baltimore Sun.
IG SAYS MCPS VIOLATED STATE LAWS IN SPENDING $1M WITHOUT BOARD OK: The procurement division of Montgomery County Public Schools inconsistently followed its regulations and procedures and also violated state laws, including by making roughly $1 million in purchases without school board approval, during fiscal years 2023 and 2024, according to the county’s Office of the Inspector General. Ashlyn Campbell/Bethesda Today.
MO CO COUNCIL ADDS $7.75M TO AID THOSE IMPACTED BY SHUTDOWN, FEDERAL ACTIONS: The Montgomery County Council unanimously decided to add $7.75 million to the county’s fiscal year 2026 operating budget to support residents, businesses and nonprofit organizations impacted by the government shutdown and other federal actions. The council unveiled the spending package Oct. 28, when the federal government had been shut down for nearly a month and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was set to run out of funds. Ceoli Jacoby/Bethesda Today.
NAACP SEEKS REMOVAL OF ENDORSEMENT OF ARUNDEL SLAVERY APOLOGY: When Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman announced in October that the county would be formally apologizing for slavery, he highlighted three groups that had requested it, including the local branch of the NAACP. But the new president of the NAACP has asked that the NAACP’s endorsement of the apology be removed. Cody Boteler/The Baltimore Banner.
BA CO LIBRARY CEO FACES CRITICS AFTER 14 PART-TIME LIBRARIANS FIRED: In a cramped meeting room of the Baltimore County Public Library’s Towson branch, CEO Sonia Alcántara-Antoine sat stone-faced. For 40 minutes, community members questioned her leadership, character and even her belief in democratic values. The criticisms came after Alcántara-Antoine fired 14 part-time librarians last week only to rehire them two days later following a massive public backlash. Céilí Doyle/The Baltimore Banner.
CREATE BALTIMORE SECURES LONG-TERM STATE AGREEMENT OVER VIEWING DECK: Now that Create Baltimore has secured an agreement with the state of Maryland that allows it to continue operating the Top of the World Observation Level on the Baltimore World Trade Center for “years to come,” the arts agency is seeking to raise $500,000 to improve the visitor experience there. Ed Gunts/Baltimore Fishbowl.
SINCLAIR BUYS 8.2% OF SCRIPPS, HOPING FOR A MERGER: Hunt Valley-based media company Sinclair Inc. recently announced its purchase an 8.2% stake in fellow broadcaster E.W. Scripps, a move Sinclair hopes leads to a merger. Sinclair paid more than $15 million for over 6 million shares in Scripps, per the Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Darreonna Davis and Wyatte Grantham-Philips/The Baltimore Banner and the Associate Press.
FORMER HOWARD COUNTY EXECUTIVE EDWARD LEO COCHRAN DIES AT 96: Former Howard County Executive Edward Leo Cochran Jr., a pioneer in scientific research and education, died Sunday evening in a retirement community in Ellicott City, due to complications of advanced age. He was 96. Dr. Cochran was the second executive for Howard County. His daughter, state Del. Courtney Watson, who represents Howard County in the General Assembly, said her father was always driven and focused on his family and improving the community. April Santana/The Baltimore Sun.
We definitely need to update the so called “wiretap law.” The law is too strict when it comes to catching people in crimes and holding people accountable. This is the same law that was used in the Lewinsky Case. Currently this law makes it virtually impossible to find corruption amongst politicians and business men because ANY PRIVATE conversation must be 2 consent for it to be used in court. On the other hand it does protect privacy and allows people to discuss sensitive topics privately on the phone without fear of others using it against you for some salacious reasoning. Ultimately, if the recording shows a crime is committed, then it should be allowed in court. That should be the exception. That would be determined by a judge at trial. Worried about AI, yeah I am too, that’s why the law also needs to include a provision on having to determine whether the video is fake or real. We already had a case in MD where a persons career was almost ruined by an AI recording. I was shocked that the state actually did their due diligence in determining that it was indeed fake. So it is possible. Personally, i think all AI videos and audios should be required to come with a notice that they were AI generated. This would force social media companies to take down any videos that are ai without the notice and help prevent the spread and miss understanding amongst the public of what is real and fake. Which is often blurry these days and sometimes hard to tell, especially if you are not as knowledgeable or able to figure it out on your own.