DALI COMPANIES COULD SEE RETURN OF SOME SETTLEMENT FUNDS: The companies that agreed to pay Maryland $2.25 billion over the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge could ultimately get some of that money back under terms of the settlement. Maggie Trovato/The Baltimore Sun.
LOUDOUN COUNTY , VA., OFFICIAL SHARES DATA CENTER TIPS AT MACO: Michael Turner, a county supervisor in Loudoun County, Va., estimates that the public perception of hyperscale data centers has shifted considerably in the last six to nine months — and he isn’t sure why. Residents don’t want more data centers despite the tax benefits, he told a gathering at MACo. Frederick County, which neighbors Loudon, is perhaps at the forefront of the issue among Maryland counties. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
TRUMP ADMIN ACTION COULD IMPERIL HEAD START SERVICES: Parents whose children attend Head Start in Maryland could see class sizes increase, the school day shorten, and some of the health, nutrition and family services they receive diminish under a new Trump administration proposal. The potential changes would roll back federal regulations governing a popular early childhood education program that has given low-income children across the nation access to high-quality learning and support for their families. Liz Bowie and Maya Lora/The Baltimore Banner.
REPORT: CHILDCARE NEEDS ACCESS, AFFORDABILITY, INVESTMENTS: States need to streamline sometimes cumbersome requirements for childcare providers, in addition to improving access and affordability and investing in childcare workers to strengthen the system for the future, according to a national report. The 40-page report by a 13-member committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures — including Del. Aletheia McCaskill (D-Baltimore County), who has been a child care provider for more than 25 years — said that no one solution will work across the country, but that “incremental fixes alone are unlikely to address its underlying challenges.” William Ford/Maryland Matters.
EARLY POLL: MOORE HAS STRONG LEAD AGAINST COX: Gov. Wes Moore leads Republican challenger Dan Cox by 27 points in the early going of their gubernatorial rematch, according to a poll released Wednesday. The survey is the first public poll since the primary election to pit the incumbent governor against Cox, Moore’s opponent in 2022. Moore’s edge, while substantial, is slightly smaller than his margin of victory in the 2022 campaign when he bested Cox by 32 percentage points. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
WHITE HOUSE ASKS DOJ TO REPROSECUTE MARYLAND OLYMPIC CANOEIST: White House officials have asked the Justice Department to consider a new prosecution of a Maryland man accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, according to people familiar with the discussions, as President Trump fumes over U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s decision to drop the case. A new prosecution of the defendant, Olympic canoeist David Hearn, would be highly unusual, especially after Pirro told a judge in surprising detail that the government’s decision to indict him on a felony charge was ill-informed. Alex Leary and Sadie Gurman/The Wall Street Journal.
HEALTH CARE ADVOCATE LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN FOR DRUG PRICE CAPS: Maryland Health Care For All – a statewide nonprofit working to expand healthcare access – launched a campaign on Wednesday to persuade political candidates to support capping drug costs. The coalition is calling on candidates to back a proposal that would allow the Prescription Drug Affordability Board to set upper payment limits for drug costs in Maryland. Sarah Petrowich/WYPR-FM.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ASSETS OF SHUTTERED CITY NONPROFIT? A nonprofit that received roughly $300,000 in taxpayer-backed funding and employed Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s wife shut down last year, but its latest public tax filing showed more than $224,000 in net assets — and there is not yet a final filing showing what happened to the organization’s resources. Patrick Hauf/The Baltimore Sun.
HARBORPLACE REDEVELOPMENT MOVES CLOSER TO REALITY: MCB Real Estate is inching closer toward the redevelopment of Harborplace and the Inner Harbor. This month, a contractor for the Baltimore-based company filed an application with the city for construction permits on several parcels along and near Baltimore’s waterfront. The applications — which are in various stages of review by city agencies — offer some new details about the MCB’s plans. Giacoma Bologna/The Baltimore Banner.
