DESPITE TARIFFS, PORT OF BALTIMORE HANDLED RECORD NUMBER OF CONTAINERS IN 2025: More containers — the lifeblood of international shipping — than ever made their way through Baltimore last year. And the port set a record for ship visits, too. Hayes Gardner/Baltimore Banner
SENATE GIVES INITIAL APPROVAL OF TWO ICE RESTRICTION BILLS: Legislation to ban formal agreements between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cleared its first vote in the Maryland Senate on Thursday. Sarah Petrowich/WYPR FM.
FOUR-TERM DIST. 19 DELEGATE CULLISON WON’T SEEK REELECTION: Ending months of speculation about her political future, District 19 Del. Bonnie Cullison (D-Aspen Hill) announced Wednesday that she would not seek re-election this year after serving four terms in the Maryland House of Delegates. Several potential candidates are considering filing for the seat. Louis Peck/Bethesda Today.
AG: NEARLY 1 IN 4 PEOPLE KILLED BY POLICE WAS IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS: Since 2021, the Maryland Office of the Attorney General has reviewed 86 cases in which someone was killed by police or died during a police response — and 20 of those cases involved mental health crises, according to a report released Thursday. Ben Conarck/The Banner/Montgomery.
BILL TO REQUIRE MOTORISTS TO CLEAR ICE/SNOW FROM VEHICLES: Two crashes this week involving ice flying from cars are drawing attention to a bill that would require motorists to clear their vehicles before driving. House Bill 474 would require drivers to completely remove ice and snow from the hood, trunk, windshield, windows, roof and any trailers before moving a vehicle. The goal is to prevent frozen chunks from falling off vehicles in motion and potentially causing property damage or injury. Bridget Byrne/The Baltimore Sun.
MOST BA CO RENTERS STRUGGLE TO AFFORD HOUSING: Baltimore County renters are facing one of the most severe housing affordability crises in Maryland, a Banner analysis of new census data found. More than half of renting households in the county are considered cost burdened, meaning they spend at least 30% of their income on housing costs such as rent and utilities, the data shows. Sapna Bansil and Rona Kobell/The Baltimore Banner.
HO CO BOUGHT HISTORIC ELLICOTT CITY BUILDINGS, NOW SELLING THEM: Howard County officials have quietly taken the first step to sell six historic buildings on Old Ellicott City’s Main Street, telling state authorities this week the county does not have the resources to fully restore them. Lillian Reed/Baltimore Banner
MCPS PROPOSES ADDING AUDITOR TO EXPAND INVESTIGATIVE ABILITIES: Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) may hire a program audit coordinator to expand the district’s investigative abilities beyond financial audits in response to County Council concerns that the district relies too heavily on the county inspector general’s office for oversight, according to MCPS officials. Ashlyn Campbell/Bethesda Today.
Most of the ICE problems can be solved by just honoring detainers. This should not be a partisan issue. Releasing the Illegal Aliens from jail into the public which then results in ICE having to detain them in public is dangerous the the immigrant, the Officers, and the public. About 80% of the public agrees with getting rid of the criminals. Most of us can stomach the illegal immigrants whom are not violating laws and are earning an honest living. Why can’t we just set in this common sense policy? NO, our legislature thinks we should just do a statewide one size fits all, do not cooperate with Feds. THIS IS STUPID!
Police do need to be trained more on de-escalation tactics. Often times they want to dig their heals in and go on a power trip. To be fair often times people whom are pulled over or stopped by police give unnecessary attitude and zero respect. So what do you expect? Cupcakes and Candy? But also with the mental health crisis, if the person is brandishing a deadly weapon of some sort, it doesn’t really matter that they are having a crisis. I know I personally will choose my life and the life of innocent bystanders over getting shot or knifed or rock thrown at me. God forbid an innocent gets hurt, then what’s the headline? Cop fails to protect innocent bystanders from unhinged mental health crisis? I’m personally not ignorant to mental health. My GF has mental health issues and it can be difficult at times to calm her down. But you know what else? She also never brandished a weapon at anyone either and never laid a hand on me. We can do better but we also need to realize every situation is different and the unfortunately the death by cop numbers will never be zero, whether they are legal killings or not.
It’s actually surprising that in our Law Happy state of MD in 2026 that the snow/ice on roof is not a law on the books. I think many if not most of us have had close calls. In fact coming into work today I had a box truck in front of me whose snow almost hit me. This is not the first time this has happened to me, specifically from a box truck. Passing the law is one thing but will it actually be enforced is the other question. We pass pointless laws all the time in this state that are not enforced, this one is needed, I just hope it actually does what we want achieved.
The whole having a hard time to rent or afford housing in this state is nothing new. Its been going on for AT LEAST 20 years or more. How is someone who makes $15-$18 an hour supposed to afford apartments at $800-$1000 a month plus utilities? They certainly cannot buy houses at $400,000 a pop. We have a housing environment built on High paying federal jobs while leaving all us pions in the private sector in the dust to struggle. What do we get back from the state? A $40 credit on our electric bill. Tone Deaf in Annapolis is saying it lightly. They know nothing of affordability or the struggle the lower classes have to endure in this Liberal Fascist Democrat State. Yeah I said it.