FEDS REJECT PROPOSED DATA CENTER GUARDRAILS FROM PJM: Federal energy regulators have rejected a proposal that would have required data centers in Maryland and the region to be shut off when the grid is on the verge of a power supply emergency. The proposal was one of two key data center regulations PJM – the electric grid operator for Maryland, Washington D.C., and 12 other states – filed for federal approval in August. Sarah Petrowich/WYPR-FM.
WHILE ROADWAY DEATHS DECLINE, MOTORCYCLE FATALITIES DO NOT: While Maryland is on pace to finish the year with the lowest number of annual roadway fatalities in a decade, one group isn’t experiencing the same decline: motorcyclists. So far this year, 62 motorcyclists have died, and Maryland usually sees about 80 annual motorcyclist deaths. The challenge this year is that the number of motorcyclists dying represents more than 18% of all roadway fatalities, a higher share of total roadway deaths than in each of the previous 10 years, according to state data. Daniel Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.
NEW DATA DASHBOARD TRACKS CRASHES ON MARYLAND ROADS: Maryland drivers now have a resource that tracks crashes on the roads thanks to a new statewide crash data dashboard. Launched by the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office, the new dashboard uses the crash information to identify trends and shape safety initiatives for the future. Aliza Worthington/Baltimore Fishbowl.
COX FINDS IT HARD TO ESCAPE TRUMP’s SHADOW: Four years ago, Dan Cox probably wouldn’t have won the Republican nomination for governor without Trump’s help. In this year’s rematch with now Gov. Wes Moore, Cox is focusing on rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge faster, banning data centers and pledging not to raise taxes. But he’s finding it difficult to step away from his history as a 2020 election denier, fundraising for his first governor run at Trump’s Florida club and last year posting “THANK YOU LORD JESUS” on social media with a screenshot of Trump taking the oath of office. Moore and state Democrats want to keep that history front and center. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
MOORE-MILLER CAMPAIGN KEEPS CASH ISN’T BUYING SINCLAIR AIRTIME: Gov. Wes Moore and Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller’s reelection campaign is airing its TV ads on every Baltimore news station but one: Fox 45, Sinclair Broadcast Group’s flagship. In D.C., the campaign purchased ads on some local stations but did not purchase one on WJLA, the Sinclair station there. All told, the governor’s campaign is spending more than $1 million to air its ads on stations across Maryland, according to records from the Federal Communications Commission. Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
SUSPICIOUS LETTER EVACUATES ELFRETH’s COLUMBIA OFFICE: U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth’s district office in Columbia was evacuated Friday afternoon after a suspicious letter and substance were delivered by mail. No illnesses were reported and Howard County authorities said there’s no indication of danger to the public, but the incident drew fire and police officers to the office space in a building at 10440 Little Patuxent Parkway around 2:20 p.m. Lillian Reed/The Baltimore Banner.
MUSICAL CHAIRS IN SENATE PRESIDENT’s OFFICE: David Schuhlein will leave his role with the Office of the Senate President after five years of managing and coordinating the wide-ranging communication needs for Senate President Bill Ferguson. Matt Jackson will become senior counsel to provide legal and policy guidance to Ferguson and Senate leadership on upcoming legislative priorities. Danielle J. Brown, Christine Condon and William J. Ford/The Baltimore Banner.
JUDGE DISMISSES AG’s BID FOR ICE RECORDS: A federal judge has dismissed Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown’s bid for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement records as part of the state’s investigation into the conditions inside a controversial Baltimore holding facility. In January, Brown’s office issued a subpoena to the federal agency seeking a slew of documents regarding detained immigrants’ access to medical care, food, sanitation and more. Daniel Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.
ARUNDEL PROBES AUGUST CYBER BREACHES: Two “cybercrimes against the county” are under investigation in Anne Arundel, a county spokesperson said on Friday. The county, however, could not answer questions about the scope of the breaches. The county announced Thursday that someone gained unauthorized access to its systems this August. Ahmad Garnett/The Capital-Gazette.
BA CO COUNCIL SET TO GIVE RAVENS FACILITY $25M OVER 10 YEARS: M&T Bank Stadium might seem to be the Ravens’ nest, but really, it’s in Baltimore County. That’s where the players practice, primarily live, and — crucially — pay a bulk of their taxes. To guarantee that things remain that way, county leaders have agreed to give the football team $25 million for practice facility improvements over the next decade in exchange for the assurance that the Ravens keep their headquarters in Owings Mills. The deal was announced in July, and a formal vote by the Baltimore County Council is scheduled for tonight. Hayes Gardner and Rona Kobell/The Baltimore Banner.
4 SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO MISS STATE DEADLINE FOR AI POLICY ADOPTION: Four school districts in the Baltimore area will miss the upcoming state deadline to adopt an artificial intelligence policy, regulating the use of the rapidly changing technology in K-12 education. Tanisha Bhat/The Baltimore Sun.
CARROLL SET WITH AI, CYBERSECURITY POLICIES: While other Baltimore-area school systems race to meet an Oct. 22 deadline to implement artificial intelligence policies under a new state law, Carroll County Public Schools staff says the school system implemented guidelines that met almost every requirement a year ago. The school system also developed and implemented a cybersecurity AI policy through the technology department in August 2025, which was last updated and reviewed in April, the presentation says. Gabriella Fine/The Carroll County Times.
MO CO SCHOOLS SEE LARGEST DROP IN ENROLLMENT SINCE 2021: Montgomery County Public Schools enrollment dropped by 4,000 students from the 2025-2026 school year to the 2026-2027 school year, the largest drop in enrollment since the 2019-2020 to 2020-2021 school year, according to school board documents shared Thursday. Ashlynn Campbell/Bethesda Today.
MARYLANDERS JOIN NO KINGS ‘GET OUT THE VOTE’ NATIONWIDE RALLY: The sound of car honks filled the air Saturday morning on Powder Mill Road in Beltsville as drivers voiced support for the protesters who lined the road under rain threatening skies to participate in the nation’s fourth No Kings protest. More than 100 community members filtered through the protest organized by Beltsville United, braving the cold weather and holding signs with phrases like “Leaders Lead, Tyrants Fall,” and “Defend Democracy.” This is the community’s third No Kings protest. Pera Onal/Maryland Matters.
- A couple hundred people carrying decorated umbrellas walked from the former Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House to the U.S. Capitol lawn Saturday for a No Kings get-out-the-vote event in the nation’s capital. Baya Burgess/Maryland Matters.
FREDERICK COUNTY AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER OPENS: Saturday afternoon saw the grand opening of Frederick County’s African American Heritage Center, featuring 400 years of Black history from across the local region. The project is the dream of late historian Bill Lee, founder of Frederick’s African American Resources Cultural and Heritage Society, who envisioned the center as a museum, telling the lost and forgotten stories of Frederick’s Black community. Nathanael Miller/WYPR-FM.
ANNAPOLIS MAN FACES FEDERAL CHARGES FOR EXPLOSIVE DEVICES: The Annapolis man arrested in April after authorities found more than 30 homemade explosive devices at his home now faces federal charges, according to online court records unsealed Friday. Federal prosecutors charged Lee Scott Wygal Ralston, 37, with a single count of unlawfully receiving, producing or possessing a firearm or destructive device. Cody Boteler/The Baltimore Banner.
The problem with Motorcyclists deaths is 2-fold, you have the biker’s that drive like nuts going 100+ down the highway weaving in and out of traffic, then you have the ones that try and drive properly that get ran over by drivers who do not see them or are reckless. I don’t foresee these deaths declining until most vehicles are self-driving. The percentage will only increase as cars become safer, this making biking the leader of vehicle deaths in the future. Let’s not forget one tally that should still be alive had it not been for that 12-year-old stealing a car and running him over, with no consequences at that.
The No Kings stuff is so dumb, as we do not have a king. The court system has given Trump wins and losses and so has the congress. He has definitely pushed the line on things, often overstepping, but by no means is he a King, and if he were, well, things would be a whole lot different.