69 MARYLANDERS DIED IN THE ATTACKS 25 YEARS AGO: It’s been 25 years since the terror attacks that flew two passenger jets into the World Trade Center and one into the Pentagon, and crashed a fourth into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, when the passengers tried to wrest control back from the hijackers. PERA ONAL/MARYLAND MATTERS.
- For those who lived through the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, the date divides a time of relative peace from an era of upheaval and fear. Sept. 11 brought a call to action for some. For others, the date brought a loss of innocence. For Muslims and people of Middle Eastern descent, the attacks triggered an increase in discrimination. And, for those who loved one of the nearly 3,000 victims, Sept. 11 will always be a day of mourning. Julie Scharper, Céilí Doyle and Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
- In the days and weeks after Sept. 11, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the west side of the Pentagon at 530 mph, killing her husband and 183 others, Devora Wolk Pontell found herself lost in a fog of grief and shock. Jonathan M. Pitts/The Baltimore Sun.
STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS ISSUE VACCINE SCHEDULE AMID ONGOING SHIFTS IN FEDERAL GUIDANCE : Maryland health officials issued a first-ever state vaccine schedule Thursday ahead of the annual flu and respiratory illness season, under a new policy created to buck anti-vaccine messaging from the Trump administration in recent years. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
AMID PFAS POLLUTION LAWSUITS, PERDUE WANTS TO INCREASE ITS DISCHARGES. RESIDENTS ARE SKEPTICAL. When Perdue Agribusiness sought state permission to increase the amount of treated wastewater it pours into a local stream, some Salisbury-area residents were skeptical. For the past several years, Perdue has been embroiled in a pollution scandal over allegations that it polluted local groundwater with PFAS, the cancer-causing substances known as “forever chemicals” because they do not readily break down in the environment.Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
- Perdue AgriBusiness, which has come under fire for allegedly exposing the community near its Salisbury plant to dangerous “forever chemicals,” is hoping to drastically increase the amount of wastewater it releases into an Eastern Shore stream. Matti Gellman and Adam Willis/Baltimore Banner.
IMMIGRANT GROUPS SUE DHS OVER ALLEGED WARRANTLESS ICE ARRESTS: Immigrant advocacy groups are suing the Department of Homeland Security over what the organizations allege is the agency’s warrantless immigration arrest practice. A Homeland Security spokesperson denied the lawsuit’s claims. Christopher Scarglato/The Baltimore Sun.
FARMERS FACE GROWING CHALLENGES, SOME FROM NATURE, OTHERS MAN MADE: Swings in climate, as well as tariffs, regulations and the high price of farmland are making this a challenging time for those who work in Maryland’s number one commercial industry, agriculture. John Lee/WYPR.
ROADS ARE DETERIORATING. REPAIR FUNDING IS NOT KEEPING UP: Maryland projects significantly more of its roads will fall into poor condition in the coming years, but the state has not set aside enough money to keep up with the deterioration. The state’s own assessments show pavement conditions worsening as Maryland struggles to fund the maintenance needed to preserve its highway system. Tessa Bentulan/The Baltimore Sun.
CARROLL COUNTY WARNS KRATOM RETAILERS: Carroll County is the second Baltimore-area jurisdiction in recent months to send out warnings about the dangers of kratom, as federal officials increasingly try to clamp down on the popular plant extract. Matthew Wynn/Carroll County Times.
