STATE AGENCIES RUN INTO CHAOS FROM TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: State agencies were unable to access the federal payment system for Medicaid Tuesday, adding to the chaos and confusion over which federal programs will have their funding cut as part of President Trump’s sweeping executive orders on government spending. Maryland Health Secretary Laura Herrera Scott said the payment portal for Medicaid was not working and that when state employees tried to access federal funds they received an error message for “system maintenance.” Lee O. Sanderlin and Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
- Gov. Wes Moore responded Tuesday evening to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump freezing trillions of dollars in federal funding. “The decisions that [were] made today do not make sense,” said Moore to reporters. “Someone has to explain to me how cutting funding for the victims of abuse or cutting funding for military veterans families who were receiving supports to help bury their loved ones, how this makes any sense.” Jeff Morgan/WMAR-TV News.
- Federal spending, Moore said, support programs at schools, hospitals and nonprofits. He noted that a disruption in those funds affects everyone, including first responders, older adults, “Marylanders from the western mountains to the Eastern Shore and everywhere in between.” Hallie Miller and Emily Opilo/The Baltimore Banner.
- Moore said his administration will be working through what the policy could mean for Maryland “both in the short term and the long term.” “I know the judge just issued a temporary freeze to block the freeze until Monday,” Moore said Tuesday. “And while we will continue to monitor the situation, I want people to know this: This chaos will not go unanswered.” Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
MARYLAND JOINS SUIT TO STOP FREEZE ON FEDERAL GRANTS TO STATES: D.C. and Maryland joined 21 states in suing the Trump administration over the halt on grants late Tuesday, after a separate lawsuit from nonprofit groups led to the judge blocking the plan until Monday. More than 30 percent of Maryland’s $63 billion budget comes from federal funding — most of it for Medicaid and federal safety net programs — with grants also paying for child care, public safety, small business aid and environmental programs, among many others. Gregory S. Schneider, Meagan Flynn and Erin Cox/The Washington Post.
MARYLAND CONGRESSFOLK WARN THAT CUTS THREATEN NIH RESEARCH: The abrupt pause in hiring, public communications, meetings and training workshops for some scientists at the Maryland-based National Institutes of Health since President Donald Trump took office is a threat to important medical research, some Maryland Democratic lawmakers warned Monday. Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.
PROPOSED CUTS GARNER CRITICISM FROM BLUEPRINT ADVOCATES: Proposed cuts to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future are inviting pushback from advocates for the landmark education reform package. Gov. Wes Moore recently recommended hitting the brakes on Blueprint funding as the state grapples with how to afford the multi-billion-dollar plan and avoid a budget deficit. Additionally, the Blueprint Accountability and Implementation Board earlier this month voted to adjust the amount of teacher collaborative time prescribed in the Blueprint, due to a shortage of certified teachers. Brooke Conrad/The Baltimore Sun.
CUTTING POLICE TRAFFIC STOPS TO HELP END RACIAL PROFILING, ADVOCATES SAY: Supporters of a bill that would reduce the reasons that police can pull a motorist over say that not only will it help reduce the racial disparity in traffic stops, but it will protect police officers as well. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS MAY END ADVANCED MATH CLASSES: Maryland children may soon lose the ability to take advanced math classes in public elementary schools, according to a sweeping new draft policy unveiled Tuesday by the state’s top education officials. Jessica Calefati/The Baltimore Banner.
BALTIMORE-AREA QUAKERS SUE TRUMP ADMIN OVER CHURCH SAFE ZONES: A Baltimore-area group is one of five Quaker organizations suing President Donald Trump’s administration after federal officials rescinded guidelines that protected churches and schools from immigration raids. Dan Belson/The Baltimore Sun.
TRUMP DEPORTATION PLAN THROWS WRENCH INTO HIRING: President Donald Trump’s promise to carry out the nation’s largest deportation of undocumented people, while also curbing other immigrants’ ability to work, is throwing a wrench in one Baltimore restaurateur’s vision to serve homegrown Venezuelan food from those uniquely qualified to create it. John-John Williams IV and Matti Gellman/The Baltimore Banner.
DEMS TAP DEL. JACKSON TO REPLACE SEN. KLAUSMEIER: A Baltimore County Democratic Party committee has unanimously recommended the appointment of Del. Carl Jackson to fill the state Senate seat vacated by Kathy Klausmeier, who was named county executive earlier this month. Daniel Nguyen/The Baltimore Banner.
- Assuming Moore approves the nomination, Jackson would become the third delegate appointed to the 47-member Senate since the beginning of the year, joining fellow junior Sens. Shaneka Henson (D-Anne Arundel) and Dalya Attar (D-Baltimore City). Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
HARFORD SCHOOLS FACE $60M DEFICIT: As the June 15 deadline for approving the 2026 budget looms, Harford County Public Schools is grappling with a $60 million budget deficit. And County Executive Bob Cassilly and Superintendent Sean Bulson are under pressure to resolve the funding crisis without resorting to tax increases. Cyera Williams/WMAR-TV News.
2026 RACE FOR BA CO EXEC LIKELY A MILLION-DOLLAR AFFAIR: Although the 2026 campaign for Baltimore County Executive is more than one year away, two Democratic Council members who are seriously considering running already have more than $1 million to spend on the campaign. According to campaign finance reports filed earlier this month, Councilman Izzy Patoka has nearly $1.3 million on hand. Councilman Julian Jones has just over $1 million. John Lee/WYPR-FM.
