2nd JUDGE RULES AGAINST BALLOT QUESTION ON REDISTRICTING: A second judge has ruled against a ballot question proposing changes to Maryland’s congressional redistricting rules. But the legal battles are far from over. In a Dorchester County case, Circuit Court Judge S. James Sarbanes on Friday ordered that the question cannot go before voters in November, echoing a ruling earlier this week in a similar case filed in Anne Arundel County. The state has appealed both cases, and they’re set for oral arguments in the Supreme Court of Maryland on Thursday. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
- Sarbanes’ 12-page decision hands Republicans a second victory in parallel court challenges to House Bill 2100, which would change the way the state draws congressional districts. In his ruling, Sarbanes found concerns similar to those cited by the judge in an Anne Arundel County case Wednesday, but also agreed with plaintiffs on the Eastern Shore that the passage of the bill after a key deadline and a “misleading” ballot question fail to pass legal muster. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
STATE WORKERS: DELAYS IN INSURANCE COVERAGE WORSENS RECOVERY: Maryland workers who’ve been injured or sickened on the job say their medical problems are compounded by lengthy battles over workers’ compensation delays, denials and appeals — including disputes over the cost of prescription drugs. Workers say they fight for appointments, medicine and procedures. Some say they’re forced to pay out of pocket or turn to their own health insurance for treatment they say workers’ compensation should cover. Lorraine Mirabella/The Baltimore Sun.
MARYLAND FARMERS FEEL PINCH OF FEDERAL TARIFFS: Maryland farmers say rising equipment costs and weaker markets for some crops are squeezing their businesses, pressures they attribute in part to federal tariff policies. President Donald Trump last year imposed tariffs, or direct taxes, on goods from more than 80 countries, raising costs for some imported products. Retaliatory tariffs and shifts in global trade have also affected markets for some U.S. agricultural exports. Tinashe Chingarande/The Baltimore Sun.
LAWYERS SAY B’MORE ICE FACILITY OVERCROWDED, DENIES MEDICAL CARE: Lawyers for several detainees accused U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of overcrowding temporary holding rooms and denying access to medical care in Baltimore, in violation of a federal court order. Sara Ruberg/The Baltimore Banner.
COX, GREEN PARTY CHALLENGE MOORE TO MORE DEBATES: Gov. Wes Moore (D) and two-time Republican nominee Dan Cox (R) are set to square off during a televised debate about a month before Election Day. But Moore’s opponents aren’t satisfied with the debate, which is scheduled for Oct. 6 on MPT. Cox urged Moore to schedule two additional debates, suggesting Maryland universities as potential hosts. Cox isn’t alone. Green Party candidate Andy Ellis has called for a four-candidate debate focusing specifically on data centers, already a central issue this campaign season. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
CURSIVE RETURNS TO MORE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN MARYLAND: The first day of school in Baltimore and Harford counties marks the return of cursive to all second- and third-grade classrooms in the two districts.The counties join schools in neighboring Baltimore City, Howard County and Anne Arundel County that teach the handwriting style, which is seeing a resurgence across the country. Kristen Griffith/The Baltimore Banner.
MOORE URGES FAMILIES TO USE UP THEIR SUMMER SUN BUCKS: Gov. Wes Moore is urging Marylanders to use their Sun Bucks electronic benefits before the 122-day expiration window closes. The Maryland Sun Bucks program — formally known as the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program — provides $40 per eligible student each month from June through August, totaling $120 per student over the summer. The program is designed to help families with school-aged children who receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year afford groceries during the summer break. Staff/WMAR-TV News.
SUPERINTENDENT WRIGHT TOUTS HIGH EXPECTATIONS AT MO CO SCHOOL VISIT: As Montgomery County Public Schools finishes its first week of the 2026-2027 school year, State Superintendent Carey Wright visited, getting a peek in the beginning of the school year amid local and state changes to education. “High expectations, and I think that’s the name of the game,” Wright told reporters during a visit to Odessa Shannon Middle School in Silver Spring on Friday. Ashlynn Campbell/Bethesda Today.
BAY REGION PUSHES BACK AGAINST DATA CENTERS: Data centers, which enable the internet and AI, are proliferating across the nation. Now, a wave of data center pushback is sweeping the Chesapeake Bay region as distrust with the industry deepens and energy bills rise. But pauses and bans on data center development could mean some localities miss out on key financial opportunities. Lauren Hines-Acosta/The Bay Journal.
DATA CENTER COMPANY PULLS APPEAL OF MO CO MORATORIUM: One month after the Montgomery County Council’s passage of an 18-month moratorium on data center development, the California company looking to construct a data center campus in Dickerson continues to evaluate its options for the project, said Kris Warner, an Atmosphere Data Centers spokesperson. Warner said that last week the company withdrew its appeal of a zoning interpretation related to a now-moot six-month data center moratorium implemented by County Executive Marc Elrich in June. Elia Griffin/Bethesda Today.
RESIDENTS TO WEIGH IN ON DATA CENTER PAUSE IN BALTIMORE COUNTY: Data centers will be front and center this week in Baltimore County, with two hearings, including one on whether there should be a moratorium on data centers through 2027. That proposal already has the support of a majority of County Council members, which will hold a hearing on the legislation on Tuesday. John Lee/WYPR-FM.
BA CO POLICE WARN DRIVERS AGAINST NOT STOPPING FOR SCHOOL BUSES: With the first day of school comes this warning from Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough: If you don’t stop for a school bus that’s loading or unloading children, you can expect a citation. “Last school year alone, 40,843 citations were issued to vehicle owners for failing to stop for a school bus with its lights flashing and stop arm extended,” McCullough said. John Lee/WYPR-FM.
MARYLAND MADE TELESCOPE BLASTED INTO SPACE: NASA’s newest crown jewel blasted off Sunday to hunt for planets around other stars, explore secret dark energy and survey the cosmos like never before. SpaceX launched the $4.3 billion Roman Space Telescope, which was built in Maryland and named after the late Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first chief astronomer, shortly after daybreak aboard a triple-the-fire-power Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center. Marcia Dunn of the Associated Press/The Baltimore Banner.
