LABOR LEADER PATRICK MORAN ELECTED PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEE UNION AFSCME: Patrick Moran, longtime Maryland labor leader, was elected president of AFSCME International, one of the largest labor unions in the country, Thursday. Lee O.Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
COURT-ORDERED MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN B’MORE, SOME COUNTIES: Maryland health officials are rolling out a new and controversial program to help those with severe mental health challenges stay on top of their treatment — by using a court order to mandate that those patients comply with their medical plans. Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters.
TORNADO LIKELY TOUCHED DOWN ON EASTERN SHORE THURSDAY EVENING: A tornado is believed to have touched down in Queen Anne’s County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore on Thursday evening, while the Baltimore-Washington area was apparently spared serious damage from storms that passed through the region. Darreonna Davis and Clara Longo de Freitas/The Baltimore Banner.
COURT UPHOLDS EMINENT DOMAIN FOR NEW TRANSMISSION LINE: The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling earlier this month that gave the Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) access to hundreds of private properties along the route of the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP). Nathanael Miller/WYPR.
BRANDON SCOTT’S ENDORSEMENT SWEEP SIGNALS HIS GROWING INFLUENCE BEYOND CITY HALL: The mayor bucked much of the state’s political establishment, including Gov. Wes Moore and U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, in supporting Sabrina Tapp-Harper, who defeated city Sheriff Sam Cogen. And he endorsed state Senate President Bill Ferguson even as Moore refused to do so amid a flap over redistricting. John-John Williams IV/The Baltimore Banner.
WMAR’S ANCHORS BID FAREWELL AS STATION MOVES TO ANCHORLESS STREAMING: The last anchors for Maryland’s oldest news station said goodbye this week after WMAR-2 rolled out an anchorless broadcast, a move that prompted criticism as the station shifts to a streaming model that leans more heavily on artificial intelligence and automation. Shayla Colon/The Baltimore Banner.
SECOND LAWSUIT TARGETS REDISTRICTING AMENDMENT: A second lawsuit challenging Maryland’s proposed congressional redistricting constitutional amendment is moving forward in Dorchester County, with Republican State Senator Chris West arguing the measure could have long-term consequences for the state’s congressional representation and that the language voters would see on the ballot is misleading. Mikenzie Frost/Fox 45 News.
- A Dorchester County judge rejected a request to move a lawsuit challenging the state’s proposed new redistricting regulations to Anne Arundel County, meaning two challenges to the planned constitutional amendment will move forward on two tracks on an extremely tight timeline. Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.
COMMENTARY: THERE ARE GOOD REASONS TO BACK REDISTRICTING REFORM: Assuming it survives court challenges, the looming question is whether Maryland’s voters will approve the proposed constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting. Gary V. Hodge/Maryland Matters.
COUNTY EXECUTIVE CANDIDATE SUES PG COUNTY ELECTIONS BOARD OVER ELIGIBILITY: Aspiring county executive candidate Tonya Sweat has sued the Prince George’s County elections board over its determination that she didn’t secure enough signatures to appear on general election ballots as an unaffiliated candidate this November. Jack Hogan/The Baltimore Banner.
CITIES TURN TO AI TO SPEED HOUSING PERMITTING: Baltimore among cities that have turned to artificial intelligence tools to streamline application process. New housing projects can sometimes stall out as a developer applies to city or county planning boards and goes through cycles of inspections, reviews and approvals. Robbie Sequeira/Maryland Matters.
STATE BLOCKS CONTROVERSIAL SOMERSET SCHOOL LIBRARY POLICY: Maryland’s education chief on Thursday blocked a policy adopted days earlier by the Somerset County School Board that restricted student access to certain books. Josh Davis/The Baltimore Sun.
