STUDY: HIGH HOUSING COSTS CONTRIBUTE MOST TO POVERTY IN MARYLAND: Maryland is one of 10 states where high housing costs contribute the most to the state’s poverty level, according to a new report by the Pew Charitable Trusts. The report, released Tuesday, said approximately 21% of Maryland poverty is attributable to above-average housing costs, stretching the budgets of the state’s low-income families and offsetting positive impacts of anti-poverty measures such as federal food assistance. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
JUDGE STEPS UP OVERSIGHT OF ICE AT CROWDED B’MORE HOLDING FACILITY: A federal judge has imposed new compliance measures on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after finding the agency violated a judicial order to stem overcrowding at a holding facility in downtown Baltimore. Attorneys representing detained immigrants alleged that ICE was continuing to overcrowd the five cells located in the George H. Fallon Federal Office Building and was providing inadequate medical care in violation of a preliminary injunction issued in March. Daniel Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.
CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM DROPS 9 POINTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Maryland school officials Tuesday celebrated a sharp drop in chronic absenteeism since the pandemic, despite uneven results across school districts and not reaching their goal of cutting post-pandemic rates in half. The Maryland Department of Education announced earlier this month that nearly 23% of students were chronically absent during the 2025-26 academic year, down from almost 32% in the 2021-22 academic year. Pera Onal/Maryland Matters.
ADVOCATES RALLY AROUND BLUEPRINT FUNDING: They acknowledged the looming budget shortfall, and said there have been challenges implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the state’s sweeping education reform plan, but those weren’t the main themes at a meeting on the plan Tuesday. “They better not cut it,” said Cheryl McLeod of Howard County after a two-hour meeting Tuesday night. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
BGE, DELMARVA POWER, PEPCO SEEK TO OFFER $160M IN REFUNDS: Utility companies Baltimore Gas and Electric, Delmarva Power and Pepco are seeking regulatory approval to provide $160 million in tax refunds to customers, though the companies say it’s too early to know exactly how that’ll show up on Marylanders’ bills. The tax savings would include $110 million for BGE customers, $20 million for Delmarva Power customers and $30 million for Pepco customers. Clara Longo de Freitas/The Baltimore Banner.
MOORE FACES CHALLENGE ON PRESS ACCESS AS WELL: When President Donald Trump barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House this month, Gov. Wes Moore framed the fight as a constitutional one. However, back in Maryland, Moore and his administration have faced their own, distinct questions about press access, transparency, and whether critical coverage affects how information flows from state government to the public. Gary Collins/The Baltimore Sun.
BA CO RESIDENTS PUSH AGAINST LARGE PAY HIKES FOR COUNCIL, EXEC: Baltimore County residents pushed back Tuesday against proposed pay raises for the county executive and County Council members, while additional council members questioned whether the increases are justified. Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.
KANE WON’T GIVE ATTERBEARY A FREE RIDE INTO COUNTY EXEC’s OFFICE: After Democrat Vanessa Atterbeary won the June 23 primary for Howard County executive, it looked like she had a free ride to her December swearing in. No Republican had filed for the office. Then along comes Nater Kane whom the Green Party nominated for county executive in July. “After I saw the way the Democratic primary played out, something smelled bad,” says Kane, 48, who, like Atterbeary, grew up in Howard County and attended public schools here. He is a software engineer who lives in Ellicott City. Len Lazarick/Maryland Reporter.
BA CO SCHOOLS ARE 2nd DISTRICT TO FAIL TO MONITOR CONCENTRIC SERVICES: Baltimore County Public Schools paid contractor Concentric Educational Solutions for mentoring services that students did not receive and for repeat home visits to addresses already identified as incorrect, according to an audit that also found the district failed to perform required oversight of the company. It is the second Maryland school system to identify billing and recordkeeping problems involving Concentric, following problems in Baltimore City. Raquel Bazos/The Baltmore Sun.
B’MORE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES SEEK $55M TO COVER SHORTFALL: Baltimore’s Police and fire departments and sheriff’s office are seeking nearly $55 million combined in additional city funding to cover budget shortfalls from the fiscal year that ended June 30, with overtime accounting for a substantial share of the unexpected costs. Jessica Baugh/The Baltimore Sun.
OC TO GET $25.7M FOR BEACH ‘RENOURISHMENT’ WORK: Days after a powerful nor’easter pounded Ocean City’s beaches, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Baltimore District announced Tuesday that it has awarded a $25.7 million contract for the “renourishment” of its beaches. Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. of Houston will begin work in late 2026 or early 2027 and finish before next Memorial Day. Max Schaeffer/The Baltimore Banner.
