MOORE, COX CALL EACH OTHER OUT IN TELEVISED DEBATE: Republican Dan Cox and Democratic Gov. Wes Moore debated last night, the likely the first and only gubernatorial debate of the November election. The hourlong debate was moderated by Jason Newton, news anchor, WBAL-TV 11, with panelists asking questions. Those panelists were Jeff Salkin, MPT news anchor; Tracee Wilkins, NBC4 Washington investigative reporter; and Pamela Wood, Maryland politics reporter for The Baltimore Banner. Video by MPT, The Baltimore Banner, WBAL-TV, PBS News Hour, WHUT-TV, WETA-PBS.
- Gov. Wes Moore and Dan Cox questioned each other’s relationship with the truth during their debate, which was at times feisty. “The governor has a truth problem,” Cox said of one of Moore’s claims.“That’s a lie. An absolute lie. A falsity,” Moore said of one of Cox’s. Here’s a fact check of some of their claims. Brenda Wintrode and Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
- Gov. Wes Moore would not commit to serving the entirety of a second term if reelected in November when asked during Maryland’s lone gubernatorial debate Tuesday. Brenda Wintrode and Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
- Cox, who lost to Moore four years ago, painted the governor as a tax-and-spend liberal and at times accused his opponent of lying. Moore at every turn tied Cox to President Donald Trump and portrayed his opponent as a MAGA acolyte, quoting a former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan who once called Cox a “Q-Anon whack job.” Bryan Sears and Pera Onal/Maryland Matters.
BUSY DAY AT TRADEPOINT ATLANTIC WITH TRUMP, MOORE AT SEPARATE EVENTS: President Donald Trump visited Sparrows Point on Tuesday to discuss a multibillion-dollar project that promises thousands of jobs. Anduril Industries plans to invest $3.7 billion in a submarine manufacturing shipyard there, promising more than 3,100 permanent jobs at full operation. Both Maryland and Baltimore County have pledged public support of roughly $481 million. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also spoke. More information is in the blog scroll. Staff/The Baltimore Sun.
- It was a busy day at Tradepoint Atlantic. Shortly after Trump spoke at what will become an Anduril submarine facility, Gov. Wes Moore addressed dignitaries nearby at a new processing center for sports car brand McLaren. Moore applauded McLaren for investing in its facility within the Port of Baltimore and highlighted other construction at Tradepoint Atlantic, including Anduril’s plans. Earlier in the day, Moore had said that the White House excluded him from speaking at that event. Hayes Gardner & Reporters/The Baltimore Banner.
- The defense company’s proposed Arsenal-2 facility would bring large-scale shipbuilding work back to the former Bethlehem Steel industrial area, producing components and eventually entire sections to help meet the Navy’s demand for Virginia-class attack submarines. Brian Carlton/The Baltimore Sun.
- Arsenal-2 will be a 2-million-square-foot “software-defined shipyard,” expected to bring a total of 14,000 jobs to Maryland, including 3,100 permanent ones. Additionally, the shipyard is expected to generate $2 billion in annual economic output, and deliver more than $300 million in wages each year, according to state estimates. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
MOORE EXCLUDED FROM SPEAKING AT TRADEPOINT; DEMS BOYCOTT EVENT: The White House excluded Gov. Wes Moore from speaking at Tradepoint Atlantic on Tuesday. Moore confirmed to reporters the exclusion was at the White House’s direction. “That’s correct,” Moore said. “This was going to be a deal that we helped break.” A White House official wrote that Moore had been invited to attend as a guest but did not deny excluding him from speaking. Other Democrats, like Rep. Johnny Olszewski Jr., a longtime supporter of Tradepoint, and U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth, also pulled out in solidarity after Moore’s removal as a speaker. Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
- Moore said he’s proud of the facility and the deal state officials helped bring to fruition after more than a year of negotiations. “We’re excited about what it’s going to mean to the area,” Moore said. “But if the president of the United States wants to bring the circus into town and tell me that I’m not allowed to speak despite the fact that we were the ones that helped bring the deal, then I will let the circus be conducted while I go back to work for the people of Maryland.” Pera Onal/Maryland Matters.
248 SCHOOLS ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO MEASLES OUTBREAK: Maryland has one of the highest measles vaccination rates in the country, but 248 of the state’s schools enroll enough unvaccinated kindergartners to give the disease a potential foothold, according to the most recent data available from the Maryland Department of Health. Kasturi Pananjady, Meredith Cohn and Liz Bowie/The Baltimore Banner.
POLL: REDISTRICTING BALLOT QUESTION HAS ONLY 25% SUPPORT: A proposed constitutional amendment that could clear the way for Maryland lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional map before the next census faces significant opposition from voters, according to a new University of Maryland, Baltimore County poll. Ayanna Alexander and Tinashe Chingarande/The Baltimore Sun.
- Just 25% of likely voters said they would vote for a constitutional amendment on redistricting that will appear as Question 3 on general election ballots, according to a poll from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Institute of Politics. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
- Mileah Kromer, director of the poll, said she’s not convinced the ballot question won’t pass, despite the numbers. There is time for supporters to mount a full-court campaign for the question, which is backed by Gov. Wes Moore and other Democratic party leaders. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
SQUATTER LAW TAKES EFFECT, BUT NOT IN TIME FOR ONE HOMEOWNER: An occupant Baltimore County police previously described as a squatter is now out of an Essex home after weeks of scrutiny and questions about why police didn’t remove him. The property owner said he ultimately paid the occupants thousands of dollars in a “cash for keys” agreement to regain control of the property. Days after the property dispute ended, a new Maryland law took effect Oct. 1 targeting fraudulent leases. Gary Collins/The Baltimore Sun.
ARUNDEL COUNCIL CLEANS UP ZONING LANGUAGE TO ALLOW FOOD TRUCKS: The Anne Arundel County Council approved an amendment to a comprehensive zoning reform bill that would ease concerns from the county’s food truck operators, but a flurry of additional amendments introduced by one council member could put the broader bill at risk. Cody Boteler/The Baltimore Banner.
OLYMPIAN SEEKS PROBE OF DOJ, INTERIOR OFFICIALS: Lawyers for former Olympian David Hearn of Maryland, who was cleared of charges of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, are asking internal government watchdogs to investigate the conduct of senior Justice and Interior Department officials, accusing prosecutors of indicting him despite knowing that a renovation of the pool was failing. Devlin Barrett/The New York Times.
