U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECTY: COST OF NEW KEY BRIDGE VASTLY UNDER ESTIMATED: U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expects the replacement of the Francis Scott Key Bridge to cost more than Maryland officials have estimated. A lot more. Maybe double. Preliminary estimates to build the modern, cable-stayed bridge currently in design to replace the span, which collapsed into the Patapsco River in March 2024 after it was struck by a mammoth container ship, put the cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion. Daniel Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.
SEN. LAM FILES BILL TO REDISTRICT CONGRESSIONAL MAP: Democratic state Sen. Clarence Lam filed a bill Wednesday that would redraw the state’s congressional districts, in response to a similar effort by Texas Republican legislators who redistricted in time for the 2026 midterm elections. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
DESPITE CONCERNS OVER TRANSPARENCY, BOP OKs $300M IT CONTRACT: The Board of Public works approved a $300 million IT contract Wednesday despite concerns about transparency and whether Maryland businesses and state agencies could be at a disadvantage in the deal. Under the nine-year contract, a pool of eight preapproved companies will provide digital services to state agencies, with contracts awarded on a rotating basis between the companies. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
STATE ED LEADERS TO TRACK GROWING STUDENT ABSENCES: State education leaders will start tracking student absences on a monthly basis, continuing their efforts to address the massive spike in absenteeism following Covid-19 school shutdowns. Brooke Conrad/The Baltimore Sun.
SCIENCE OF READING CREDITED WITH BETTER SCORES IN BALTIMORE, STATE: Baltimore students keep upping their game on Maryland’s statewide assessment, the results of which were released on Tuesday. Statewide, almost every single grade made improvements across reading and math, though scores and improvements were much stronger in English Language Arts. It’s the same story in Baltimore. State Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright said it’s proof Maryland’s pivot to the science of reading is working. The head of Baltimore’s public schools agreed. Maya Lora, Patrick McCaslin and Ellie Wolfe/The Baltimore Banner.
MORGAN STATE REBOOTS PUSH FOR ACCESSIBLE MEDICAL SCHOOL: Morgan State University is rebooting its effort to launch a medical school, aiming to help usher in a new generation of diverse doctors who might otherwise find a career in medicine out of reach. Meredith Cohn/The Baltimore Banner.
JUDGE KEEPS GARCIA IN U.S. AS HE BEGINS ASYLUM PROCESS: Kilmar Ábrego García cannot be deported until at least October as his deportation case continues, a federal judge in Maryland ruled. Concurrently, his legal team seeks to reopen immigration proceedings and seek asylum. Kate Amara, Rachel Duncan and The Associated Press/WBAL-TV News.
- Abrego Garcia’s longshot bid to gain legal status comes as the Trump administration aims to expel him to Uganda after unlawfully deporting him to a notorious prison in El Salvador in March. Xinis has no jurisdiction over the asylum case, which will be handled by an immigration judge. Ariana Figueroa/Maryland Matters.
TRUMP TELLS STATES TO REMOVE SOME SEX ED MATERIALS: President Donald Trump’s administration demanded Tuesday that dozens of states remove from sex education materials any references to a person’s gender departing from their sex assigned at birth, or lose federal funding. Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom.
BA CO MIDDLE SCHOOLER ARRESTED WITH LOADED, HIGH CAPACITY WEAPON: Baltimore County Police confirmed that the loaded weapon a middle school student was found to be carrying on school grounds was equipped with a high-capacity magazine. According to Baltimore County Public Schools, a school resource officer received a report that a Franklin Middle School student was in possession of marijuana. This prompted the student to be searched, and the weapon was found, investigators said. Baltimore County Police said the 13-year-old was arrested and charged with firearm-related offenses. Alexa Ashwell/WBFF-TV News.
GUN STORE FOUND LIABLE FOR INFLUX OF UNTRACEABLE WEAPONS: A Maryland gun store that developed, marketed and sold kits to build firearms without serial numbers must pay $62 million for helping fuel an influx of these untraceable weapons into Baltimore, a jury found Wednesday. In 2022, Baltimore filed the public nuisance and negligence lawsuit against Polymer80, one of the largest manufacturers of ghost gun parts and kits in the United States, and Hanover Armory, a federally licensed firearms dealer in Anne Arundel County. Dylan Segelbaum/The Baltimore Banner.
HOW A CYBERCRIMINAL GRABBED $1.5M FROM B’MORE ACCOUNT: Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming described how a still-unknown criminal gained access to the city’s electronic Workday system earlier this year and diverted $1.5 million intended as payments to a legitimate vendor. Mark Reutter/Baltimore Brew.
JULIAN JONES TO ANNOUNCE RUN FOR BALTIMORE COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Julian Jones, only the second Black council member ever to hold office in Maryland’s third-largest county, is used to obstacles — and to landing on his feet. And now, after 11 years representing the Randallstown area — including several stints as council chair — he is seeking to move up to the top job. He plans to announce Thursday evening that he’s running for county executive. Rona Kobell/The Baltimore Banner.
STATE SCHOOL BOARD REVERSE CENSURE OF BA CO BOARD MEMBER: The Maryland State Board of Education has reversed a local school board’s decision to censure one of its members. Maggie Litz Domanowski, a member of Baltimore County’s school board, announced on her Facebook page Wednesday evening that the state disagreed with the board’s decision to censure Domanowski for “rude and disrespectful conduct toward the Superintendent.” Kristen Griffith/The Baltimore Banner.
NEW SCHOOL YEAR, NEW CELLPHONE USE POLICY FOR MO CO STUDENTS: The more than 160,000 students returning to Montgomery County Public Schools are free to use their phones on the way to and from school, but during this new school year, they’ll find new rules in place. Kate Ryan/WTOP-FM.
Just because Texas did redistricting does not mean we should as well. We have already gerrymandered our state to become 7-1 dem despite being a 6-2 state for most of my early years in life. Let us not forget the Pterodactyl that sat in the center of the map. 7-1 is an abomination 8-0 would be a tragedy. We must end the partisan redrawing of districts. The Dems have a “High Road” problem. They often want to claim they are the better more moral party, but by playing monkey see monkey do with Texas we are reminded that the Dems are just as bad with Partisan Redistricting and usurping their voters power and will gain little sympathy from voters they are trying to win over in the midterm. Don’t let short term gains lead to long term losses/problems. But alas The Dems will fall for all of Trumps antics, getting baited into public arguments and the like, which often just seem to make him stronger.