PRISON CORRECTIONS OFFICERS NOW HAVE BODY CAMS: Correctional officers at every Maryland state prison have now been outfitted with body worn cameras as part of a statewide initiative aimed at increasing safety and accountability inside correctional facilities. The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services began rolling out the devices in May, and the program became fully operational in July. Wambui Kamau/WYPR-FM.
COUNTIES STRUGGLE TO FUND EMTs AS STATE SHIFT FISCAL BURDEN: Maryland counties are being forced to squeeze funding for paramedics and EMTs as rising costs and reduced state support put pressure on local budgets. The pressure intensified July 1, when Gov. Wes Moore’s fiscal 2027 budget took effect and shifted more costs to local governments, including reducing the state’s contribution to teachers’ pensions and education programs. The changes mean counties must absorb more of those costs while also facing rising expenses to staff emergency services. Tinashe Chingarande/The Baltimore Sun.
MOORE SPENDS ONE IN FIVE DAYS IN OTHER STATES: Gov. Wes Moore has spent at least a portion of one in every five days in other states since he took office in 2023 — and that pace of travel has accelerated as his national profile has grown. Moore has visited at least 27 states, often for political business in addition to travel directly related to his duties as governor. Lee O. Sanderlin and Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
WHAT TO EXPECT AS NEW SCHOOL YEAR STARTS: Maryland education leaders are preparing for a slate of policy and procedural changes as the 2026-2027 school year kicks off. Wednesday was the first day of school for Frederick County, and other schools will be following suit until Sept. 1.This school year marks the launch of Maryland’s statewide literacy and math teacher coaching program. Sarah Petrowich/WYPR-FM.
- Here’s the list of starting dates for the rest of the state, including seven that start Monday: Anne Arundel, Baltimore City, Charles, Dorchester, Howard, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. When students do return, they will be starting a school year in which they’ll face new — and shorter — comprehensive tests, a renewed emphasis on school attendance and new help for students struggling in math. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
AFTER DOJ THREAT, ARUNDEL SCHOOLS AMENDS LGBTQ+ PARENTAL POLICY: After receiving a threat from the federal government about violating parental rights, Anne Arundel County public schools informed the school community Wednesday that its gender policy for students has been amended to grant parents more access. Superintendent Mark T. Bedell wrote in a letter that the confidentiality section of the school district’s “Safe and Inclusive Environments for LGBTQ+ Students” was revised. In addition, the district is in compliance with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
LIERMAN CHALLENGER: STATE FISCAL PROBLEMS NEED AGGRESSIVE WATCHDOG: Sonya Dunn is running for Maryland comptroller with a blunt argument against Democratic incumbent Brooke Lierman, claiming the state’s fiscal problems demand a more aggressive watchdog. When asked about the race and whether Lierman, who is seeking a second term, has failed during her first term, the Republican businesswoman from Bowie did not hesitate. “Yes,” Dunn said. Gary Collins/The Baltimore Sun.
RASKIN’s DEMOCRACY SUMMER PROGRAM GROWS TO 44 STATES: In 2006, as he mounted his first bid for elected office, Jamie Raskin sought a way to interest his children, nieces and nephews in volunteering for his fledgling campaign in Silver Spring/Takoma Park-based District 20. The “Democracy Summer” program was born with 20 to 25 student volunteers learning through seminars featuring local elected officeholders and political activists. Democracy Summer has grown into an oak tree branching out across the country. The latest round wrapped up earlier this month with more than 2,000 high school and college students having participated in 44 states. Louis Peck/Bethesda Today.
SENIOR ICE OFFICIAL HELD IN CONTEMPT AFTER REARREST OF B’MORE MAN: A federal judge held a senior federal immigration official who served in Maryland in civil contempt Wednesday after he directed agents to rearrest a Baltimore-area resident in defiance of multiple court orders. U.S. District Judge John deGravelles awarded modest compensatory damages in addition to attorneys’ fees to Ibrahim Mohammed, an Ethiopian man who has spent the last 13 months in and out of ICE custody. DeGravelles said harsher sanctions would be warranted if his orders continued to go ignored. Daniel Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.
B’MORE TO OFFER ALL CHILDHOOD VACCINES: The city of Baltimore is continuing to offer all immunizations on the federal childhood vaccination schedule despite President Donald Trump’s latest executive order. Trump’s new order calls for cutting the number of childhood vaccines recommended by the federal government from 17 to 11 and breaking up the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into separate shots. Sarah Petrowich/WYPR-FM.
COLUMN: SPORTS TEAM OWNERS ARE DISCONNECTED FROM FANS: I’ll admit it: David Rubenstein’s bemused reaction to fans at baseball’s trade deadline made me roll my eyes. Since he took over as the Orioles’ controlling owner in March 2024, it has become explicitly clear how little the 77-year-old Rubenstein cared for sports until he suddenly owned a team. In the last 2 1/2 years, Rubenstein has regarded sports fandom with the same scientific curiosity as an anthropologist would a newly discovered remote tribal society. Sometimes it feels as if Orioles fans have that much in common with the team owner, too. Kyle Goon/The Baltimore Banner.
DEAD BEAVER AT MO CO PARK HAD RABIES: A dead beaver found at Seneca Creek State Park in Montgomery County has tested positive for rabies, the third rabid beaver found at a Maryland state park in recent weeks. State Department of Natural Resources officials located a beaver carcass on Monday in the Berryville area of Seneca Creek State Park, downstream from where a 10-year-old was bitten last week, said Rachael Pacella, a spokesperson for the department. “We are unsure if this beaver was involved in the incident,” she said. Clara Longo de Freitas/The Baltimore Banner.
