MARYLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS AMONG MOST RACIALLY SEGREGATED IN NATION: Maryland public schools are some of the most racially segregated in the nation, according to a new report. Experts say that division reduces children’s chances of academic success. Maryland’s schools are ranked as more segregated than Connecticut, Massachusetts and Mississippi, but better than New York, which was the worst in the nation. Liz Bowie/The Baltimore Banner.
PJM FINALIZING HOW TO HANDLE DATA CENTER DEMAND: The PJM Interconnection – the regional power grid operator for Maryland and 12 other states and DC – is in the midst of finalizing consequential decisions around how it will handle the electricity demand of data centers. Sarah Petrowich/WYPR-FM.
MENTAL HEALTH, ADDICTION SERVICES FACE CUTS IN STATE BUDGET CRUNCH: Though they remain in high demand, state-funded services that prevent overdoses and mental health crises may be cut as Maryland contends with a budget crunch. Advocates say this puts some programs at risks that have been helpful in preventing behavioral health emergencies, including drug-related deaths, a declining but profound problem for the state. Meredith Cohn/The Baltimore Banner.
ATTY GEN DEFENDS TRUST ACT AS CONSTITUTIONAL: Attorney General Anthony Brown said Monday a Maryland immigration law is constitutional and promised to defend it after its come under fire from the Trump administration. The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the Community Trust Act last week, arguing that Maryland and the attorney general are in violation of the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and asking courts to overturn the law. Courtney Knight/The Baltimore Banner.
STATE SUPREMES JETTISON CANDIDATE FROM BALLOT: Maryland’s highest court unanimously removed an Anne Arundel County candidate from the primary ballot, but an opinion published Monday shows division in how the court arrived at that decision. Monday’s opinion explained the reasoning behind the court’s April decision that declared John Dove Jr. ineligible to run for House of Delegates District 12B. The majority, in its 40-page opinion, said Dove was ineligible because he misrepresented his address when he filed to run. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
OLSZEWSKI SAYS HE BACKED MEETING THAT SPARKED LAWSUIT, SETTLEMENT: U.S. Rep. Johnny Olszewski Jr. has acknowledged that, as Baltimore County executive, he supported a private meeting between then-Chief of Staff Patrick Murray and then-Inspector General Kelly Madigan in 2021, one he says was called to discuss complaints about the IG’s investigative tactics. The meeting ultimately led to years of litigation, three outside investigations and at least $125,000 in taxpayer spending. Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.
MO CO FACES BLIZZARD OF BILLS FROM WINTER STORMS: When winter storm Fern swept through Montgomery County in January, it brought nearly a foot of snow and ice followed by an extended period of harsh cold that left some commuters stranded for days and kept public schools closed for a week. It was just one of 10 snow and ice events this past winter amounting to nearly 20 inches of accumulation, according to county documents. The cost to county taxpayers was more than $50 million. Ceoli Jacoby/Bethesda Today.
COLUMN: ‘R’ BEHIND YOUR NAME CAN DASH POLITICAL HOPES IN MARYLAND: Esther Wells wants to be the next Montgomery County executive. Ryan O’Connor wants to represent District 5 on the Howard County Council. James Amah, Michael Riker and Kimberly Robinson want to represent their Prince George’s County district in the General Assembly. The thing that unites them all — and maybe the biggest obstacle to achieving their dreams — is one loaded word: Republican. Rick Hutzell/The Baltimore Banner.
SOCIAL EQUITY DISPENSARIES BEGIN TO OPEN: When Candice Peters opened Coastal Cure Cannabis in Delmar on June 1, it was the culmination of more than two years of hard work on a decade-old dream. And that’s a fast turnaround compared to many of her peers. Of the 83 “social equity” licenses for dispensaries that have been distributed by the state since 2023, only 17 are currently in operation, twice the number that were open at the start of this year as more and more finally get their businesses off the ground. William Hammann/Maryland Matters.
RECLAIMING THE SUNKEN ISLANDS OF THE CHESAPEAKE: Not that long ago, the Chesapeake Bay was home to hundreds of scattered islands. Migratory birds nested in them, and blue crabs hid in their marshes. Some served as waypoints for Algonquin-speaking tribes and, later, homes for settlers and watermen. Over the last 200 years, though, erosion accelerated by storms and rising seas has drowned many of these islands. Now, federal engineers are hard at work rebuilding a glimmer of those lost lands. Adam Willis/The Baltimore Banner.
