MOORE AND OTHERS DEMAND TRUMP REFUND $1,744 PER HOUSEHOLD: Gov. Wes Moore, along with the state’s top fiscal leaders, demanded President Donald Trump pay back every Maryland household $1,744, after the Supreme Court struck down the Republican president’s sweeping import tariffs. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
DEMOCRATS ADMIT KEY AGENCIES ARE SUFFERING OVER ICE STANDOFF: With their desired reforms out of reach, Maryland Democrats voted to shut down the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rather than fund the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) deportation operations. But as the shutdown continues, lawmakers are acknowledging that agencies essential to the country’s safety are being harmed as ICE escapes unscathed. Ben Mause/The Baltimore Sun.
HOUSE APPROVES THREE EMERGENCY IMMIGRATION MEASURES: The House passed three more bills Thursday aimed at challenging the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement activities, voting mostly along party lines for the emergency measures. William J. Ford/Maryland Matters.
SENATE CONSIDERS OFFICIAL PROBE OF BLACK BOYS DEATHS IN OLD JUVENILE PRISON: Several state officials said they support a bill to launch a probe into the deaths of hundreds of Black boys at a once segregated reform school in Cheltenham, saying it might help with healing. Alexander Taylor/Capital News Service/Maryland Reporter.
EFFORTS TO PRESERVE BLACK HISTORY CONTINUE DESPITE PUSH BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: Maryland advocates, conservationists and museum leaders said they will continue working to preserve the state’s Black history despite what they call federal attempts to dismantle programs. Nolan Rogalski/Capital News Service/Maryland Reporter.
MAYOR’S OFFICE SPENT $167K ON FOOD, FLOWERS AND MORE WITHOUT APPROVAL SAYS OIG: Employees in Mayor Brandon Scott’s office did not go through a required process to approve purchases of food, flowers and other items for office celebrations and sporting events, according to a report from Baltimore’s Office of the Inspector General. Sara Ruberg/Baltimore Banner
ATTERBEARY ENDORSED BY FORMER HO CO EXECUTIVE: Former Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, who stepped down last June from his role as the chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, has endorsed former state Del. Vanessa Atterbeary for the position. April Santana/The Baltimore Sun.
GOP UNVEILS PLAN IT SAYS COULD SAVE CUSTOMERS $40 A MONTH: Maryland Republicans in both chambers have unveiled a coordinated slate of energy bills that they say would cut electric bills by roughly $40 per month, escalating their criticism of Gov. Wes Moore’s energy plan as offering only limited short-term relief while maintaining policies they argue drive up costs. Mennatalla Ibrahim/The Baltimore Sun.
PROSECUTORS CALL DELAYED CHARGES AGAINST ABREGO GARCIA ‘EXTRAORDINARY’ BUT JUSTIFIED: A representative of the U.S. Attorney’s office testified in federal court on Thursday that the human smuggling case against Kilmar Ábrego García was justified while admitting that the charges coming two years after a traffic stop in question was “extraordinary.” Travis Loller/Associated Press/The Banner Montgomery.
MOORE INVITES WOMEN’S HOCKEY GOLD MEDALIST TO MD: Gov. Wes Moore — stepping into territory more often associated with presidents — invited the Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s Hockey team to visit Maryland’s capital. Jeff Barker/the Baltimore Sun.
AA CO TEACHER CHALLENGING VOLKE FOR DISTRICT 3 COUNCIL SEAT: Rebecca Baucom, a Democrat and local special education teacher, has announced that she will challenge incumbent Republican Nathan Volke for the Anne Arundel County Council District 3 seat in the election later this year. Benjamin Rothstein/The Baltimore Sun.
BIPARTISAN ‘KANAIYAH’S LAW TO BOLSTER FOSTER CARE REGULATIONS: Maryland leaders are coming together in a bipartisan fashion to codify increased oversight of the foster care system after a turbulent year within the Department of Human Services (DHS). Sarah Petrowich/WYPR-FM.
THIRD SUSPECTED CASE OF BIRD FLU: State agriculture officials found what they suspect is a case of avian flu on an Eastern Shore chicken farm, which would be the second case in Caroline County and the third in the state this year. Meredith Cohn/The Baltimore Banner.
CLIMATE GROUPS DEFEND ENERGY DOLLARS AMIDST BUDGET PINCH: The Maryland Energy Administration’s Strategic Energy Investment Fund —SEIF was created to help cut power bills and lower greenhouse gas emissions, but its exponential growth in recent years has made it a tempting target for appropriators. Environmental groups are building a campaign this year around protecting SEIF dollars. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
