WHY ICE CAN SOMETIMES AVOID MARYLAND LAWS DESIGNED TO LIMIT ACTION: Maryland’s elected officials hoped to prevent exactly the kind of scenario that played out last week on the grounds of a Baltimore school. They passed a number of bills in the past two years aimed at keeping federal immigration officers out of places deemed safe havens. But the limits on their power became clear when ICE officers detained two parents during morning drop-off. Exceptions in state law allow federal agents to come to schools in certain emergency circumstances, including when pursuing a suspect, as ICE claims happened last week. Local and school officials are investigating the incident and determining potential recourse. Liz Bowie and Maya Lora/The Baltimore Banner.
STATE ICE LIMITATIONS RUB REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES THE WRONG WAY: Maryland lawmakers recently banned county and local law enforcement agencies from entering into agreements with ICE — and in the largely Democratic state, a vast majority of 2026 General Assembly primary candidates agree with the ban. But many Republican candidates believe that the state refusing to work with federal law enforcement could compromise public safety by removing federal resources from local officers. Sara Rooney and Amelia Twyman/Capital News Service.
FARMERS TO GET FEDERAL AID AFTER DEVASTATING FREEZE: Financial assistance is on the way for Maryland farms and vineyards devastated by an unseasonably late freeze this spring. The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a disaster declaration for Maryland, which unlocks low-interest emergency loans and credit for eligible farmers, Gov. Wes Moore announced Monday. Alissa Zhu/The Baltimore Banner.
- In a letter to Moore, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the department determined there had been “sufficient production losses to warrant a Secretarial natural disaster declaration” in 12 Maryland counties as well as D.C., and in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia. The declaration means farmers in all those counties can apply for emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency. Staff/Maryland Matters.
DUNN, BAKER BLAST CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE BOAFO FOR ‘DARK MONEY:’ Three leading Democrats in the increasingly heated primary to succeed Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th) in Congress joined forces over the weekend to attack the perceived frontrunner, Del. Adrian Boafo (D-Prince George’s) whom Hoyer has endorsed as his successor. Former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, local businesswoman Quincy Bareebe and former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III issued a joint statement blasting Boafo for what they say is $8 million in “dark money” that has flowed in to support his campaign. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
DALI CREWMAN CHARGED IN KEY BRIDGE DISASTER; CASE PAUSED: Federal prosecutors have filed additional criminal charges in the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster, naming for the first time a crew member who was aboard the Dali container ship at the time of the crash. However, the crew member – its chief engineer – and the federal government have agreed to defer his prosecution. That means his case will be put on pause, at least for the time being. If he adheres to certain terms from the government, which are not yet known, he could avoid a criminal conviction. Justin Fenton and Hayes Gardner/The Baltimore Banner.
25 ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION PROJECTS TO GET STATE FUNDING: Maryland is pulling $31.5 million out of the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund and granting the funds to 25 ecological restoration projects. The projects were selected based on their ability to improve water quality and provide other benefits, such as resilience to climate impacts, habitat enhancement and environmental justice. Sarah Petrowich/WYPR-FM.
COMMENTARY: PROMISE OF ELECTRIC COMPETITION IS UNFULFILLED: Thirty years ago, Marylanders were promised that barring utilities from power generation and introducing government-mandated faux competition would lower electricity prices. That promise remains unfulfilled. Families and small businesses across Maryland are concerned about rising electricity costs—and rightly so. According to revised figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Maryland electricity rates have surged 17 percent over the past year. Ross Marchand/Maryland Reporter.
STATE ELECTIONS BOARD CLEARS JAWANDO CAMPAIGN: The Maryland State Board of Elections cleared Will Jawando’s county executive campaign of alleged wrongdoing Monday after investigating an anonymous complaint. The complaint alleged that the Jawando campaign violated campaign finance laws by coordinating with the Working Families Party PAC, a Brooklyn-based progressive group that backed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Ginny Bixby/The Baltimore Banner.
MO CO COUNCIL TO HOLD HEARINGS ON DATA CENTER PAUSES: The Montgomery County Council will hold public hearings Tuesday afternoon on competing proposals to temporarily pause data center development in the county — including one bill to implement a two-year moratorium and another that calls for a six-month pause. Ceoli Jacoby/Bethesda Today.
THREE HOWARD SCHOOLS TARGETED WITH DOXXING THREATS: Both the Howard County Police Department and an independent state organization continue to investigate and assess potential threats targeted at three Howard school communities. It began with incidents of doxxing, or the unauthorized publishing of personal information online, of employees and staff and escalated to threatening messages, according to letters sent out to families. Blair Sabol/WMAR-TV News.
