NUMBER OF MARYLAND BRIDGES RATED AS ‘POOR’ GROWS: The number of bridges rated “poor” on Maryland’s state highway system has increased for the first time in at least a decade, as transportation officials face competing demands for money to maintain aging roads, bridges and transit. The State Highway Administration had 20 poor-rated bridges at the start of 2025. Five more deteriorated into the category during the year, while just one previously poor bridge was addressed, bringing the total to 24, and reversing a long-term trend. Tessa Bentulan/The Baltimore Sun.
MOORE: NEW DATA CENTER PLANS TO GET ADDED SCRUTINY: Gov. Wes Moore is commissioning a state task force to examine new data center proposals and advise local jurisdictions considering the projects. The final decision on data center projects still rests with local governments, Moore said. He also also plans to advocate for the repeal of a state tax exemption for data centers, established in 2020, during the next legislative session, which begins in January. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
- Moore’s proposal outlines uniform standards for reviewing new data center projects, establishes a task force within the governor’s office to help steer data center decision-making and creates a dashboard for tracking projects and their environmental impacts. Adam Willis and Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
FEDS TO DEBUT AI TOOL AT BWI, DC AIRPORTS BEFORE NATIONAL ROLLOUT: Major airports in the Baltimore-Washington region will serve as guinea pigs for a new artificial intelligence-powered tool aimed at helping to manage the tarmac and airspace. This week, federal officials offered a sneak peek of the new Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories, or SMART tool. It provides air traffic coordinators with comprehensive real-time and predictive data to give them a more centralized picture of shifting weather, runway congestion and flight diversions. Daniel Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.
TAWES A WINDY BACKDROP DURING BUSY CAMPAIGN SEASON: Democratic congressional nominee Dan Schwartz knew exactly how much time was left in his bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Andy Harris — “41 days and one sleep” — and he does not plan on spending any time away from the campaign trail between now and Nov. 3. That included Wednesday, which was dedicated to the old-fashioned retail campaigning of handshaking and posing for selfies with voters at the J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake in Crisfield, an annual pilgrimage for Maryland politicians for the last 49 years. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS CONTINUE TO LOSE SNAP BENEFITS: Tens of thousands of Americans continue to lose access to food assistance each month, even as Congress debates slowing down major cuts to federal food stamps. New data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows more than 330,000 Americans lost access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, between May and June. More than 5 million people have lost food stamps since the enactment last July of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which cut taxes and federal safety net programs. Kevin Hardy/Maryland Matters.
OP-ED: THE PLIGHT OF CONSERVATIVES IN ACADEMIA: The discrimination against conservatives and conservative thought in higher education is everywhere and self-reinforcing. Pew surveys and others show widespread concern over liberal bias, including the finding by a multi-university research team that “77% of Americans — across party lines — are concerned about liberal bias on campus.” Richard Vatz/The Baltimore Sun.
B’MORE IG: 900+ COMPLAINTS FILED SINCE ACCESS TO CITY FILES CUT: More than 900 citizen complaints have accumulated at the office of Baltimore’s Inspector General since the city cut off its access to government systems in January, the office’s attorney said in a court filing Wednesday. The figure is the clearest account yet from Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming’s side of what it says the monthslong dispute has cost the office’s investigations. Brian Carlton/The Baltimore Sun.
- The Baltimore Law Department yesterday told the Maryland Appellate Court it could cost as much as $3.6 million to hire a legion of private contract lawyers to cull through the subpoenaed documents ordered to be released. But as the Appellate Court ruled two weeks ago in denying another “emergency appeal” by the city, there is no need for the law department to painstakingly check for confidential and other privileged information because Cumming and her staff are prohibited from disclosing it. Mark Reutter/Baltimore Brew.
HARBORPLACE DEVELOPER CLAPS BACK AT OPPONENTS: Harborplace developer MCB Real Estate is fighting back against opponents who have launched yet another legal challenge to the $900 million Inner Harbor redevelopment, accusing them of trying to overturn decisions by Baltimore voters and Maryland courts that cleared the way for the project. Lorraine Mirabella/The Baltimore Sun.
KAY HARTLEB, LONGTIME HOWARD REGISTER OF WILLS, DIES AT 90: Kay Keepers Hartleb, former Howard County register of wills and an advocate for cerebral palsy care, died of complications from a cerebrovascular accident Sept. 14 at her Ellicott City home. She was 90. Jacques Kelly/The Baltimore Sun.
