LATE SEASON FROST DEVASTATES WINERIES: Vineyards across Maryland faced piercing cold Tuesday morning in what winery owners are calling one of the most devastating late-season frosts to hit the state. The April freeze came just as grape buds were beginning to sprout after an early, uncharacteristically warm pre-harvest season. Matti Gellman/The Banner/Montgomery.
SUDDEN CANNABIS RECLASSIFICATION LEAVES INDUSTRY, REGULATORS CONFUSED: A surprise reclassification of medical marijuana to a less dangerous drug on Thursday has left many Marylanders with more questions than answers. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order Thursday that would move medical marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug, moving it from the category of drugs like heroin and LSD to the same category as some pain medicine, ketamine and testosterone. Rhiannon Evans and Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.
JOHNS HOPKINS’ FUNDING SQUEEZE ISN’T OVER- AND IT’S THREATENING LIFESAVING RESEARCH: Researchers and leaders at the Johns Hopkins University were aghast when, last year, federal agencies canceled hundreds of millions of dollars fueling life-saving biomedical research. This year is shaping up to be worse. Ellie Wolfe and Meredith Cohn/The Baltimore Banner.
FRAUDULENT LEAD PAINT INSPECTIONS COULD HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED SOONER: A legislative audit released Thursday said deficiencies in Maryland’s inspection program for lead paint in rental homes made it easier for a string of fraudulent inspections to go undetected for several years. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
ELITE EQUESTRIAN EVENT LEAVES VENDORS, WINNERS, UNPAID: Maryland fought to bring a prestigious annual equestrian competition — the 5 Star at Fair Hill — to the state in 2021. But in the months after last year’s event, vendors and prize winners were still waiting for payment, and some vendors have yet to be fully compensated, according to a budget document and three officials familiar with the invoices. Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
ATTERBEARY GOES ON THE AIR, GOP GOES ON ATTACK: With two months to go before the primary, former Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard) hit the airwaves on Thursday with her first television ad in the Howard County executive race. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
WATCHDOG GROUP HELPS CREATE ICE NATIONAL OVERSIGHT SITE: The Maryland-based organization is working with nonprofit democracy group DEFIANCE.org and an anti-authoritarian political group called the Save America Group to form GTFOICE.org. The website is a nationwide rapid response team to block ICE detention facilities. Scott Maucione/WYPR.
STATES $25K PAYMENT TO EV NONPROFIT ATTRACTS AUDITORS SCRUTINY: Not long after Serena McIlwain left the California Environmental Protection Agency to become secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment, the agency announced that she was joining the public policy board for Veloz, a California nonprofit that advocates for electric vehicles. In February 2025, the Dept. sent $25,000 to the California nonprofit Veloz, in order to join its EV campaign as a supporting member. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
AA CO DEMS HOST MEET-AND-GREET FOR 5TH DISTRICT HOPEFULS: Ten candidates turned out, fewer than half the 24 Democrats who have filed for the chance to replace longtime Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th), attended a meet-and-greet for 5th District Democratic candidates held at the Village Commons Community Center in Gambrills. William J. Ford/Maryland Matters.
MULTI-FAITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION HOSTS MO CO CANDIDATES: The event, put together by the multi-faith community organization Action in Montgomery (AIM), began with individual interviews of the 17 Democratic candidates for four at-large seats on the County Council. The interview round was followed by a forum featuring six of the seven candidates running for county executive in the June 23 primary election. Ceoli Jacoby/Bethesda Today.
