After Cesar Diaz’s daughter Melanie died in a fire at the Arrive Silver Spring apartment complex in February 2023, he made a promise to her that he would do everything in his power to prevent any other lives from being taken in fires. That’s why he made sure to be present Thursday as County Executive Marc Elrich signed legislation relating to fire safety protections for renters.

The unpleasant act of comparing Donald Trump’s age and mental fitness with Joe Biden’s became moot on the Sunday afternoon when the 81-year-old president ended his reelection campaign. Now the 78-year-old Trump stands alone for examination on age and mental fitness, a specimen like no other in the history of American elections.

Remnants of Hurricane Debby brought soggy conditions to Maryland on Thursday with more rain expected Friday and a tornado watch in effect until Friday morning. Light and moderate showers soaked parts of the state Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters anticipate off-and-on showers and thunderstorms throughout the evening and into Friday, keeping temperatures around the upper 70s to low 80s.

Archimedes figured out how buoyancy makes a boat float 2,300 years ago. It’s up to the Maryland Natural Resources Police and federal investigators to sort out why the Lovebug, 104 feet of floating opulence and high-tech nautical equipment, did not. “We’re treating it just like any other recreational boating accident,” said Hunter Dortenzo, a police spokesperson.

After nearly four years of discussion, and a week after a Baltimore sanitation worker died of heat-related causes, proposed state regulations to protect workers from heat stress are nearing the final stages of review. The proposed regulations were published by the Division of Labor and Industry on July 26, starting a 30-day public comment period. A hearing has been scheduled for next Friday, Aug. 16, and barring any major changes, the new rules could be in place by early fall.

The origins of the Fund for Educational Excellence date back to 1984, when Baltimore’s then-Mayor William Donald Schaefer requested the creation of an organization that would facilitate public and private partners to uplift Baltimore City Public Schools. From its inception, the Fund has been dedicated to our mission of improving the quality of education in Baltimore, upholding the belief that a thriving public education system is critical to the overall health of our city. Simultaneously, the Fund has evolved to meet the changing needs of Baltimore’s students, educators and families.

Wanda Knotts is a physical education and health teacher at Crossland High School in Temple Hills, Maryland. For the fourth year in a row, she’s spearheading a backpack giveaway at the school for any student in need on Aug. 17. The backpacks, for pre-K through high school students, will be filled with school supplies including notebooks, pencils, erasers and pens.

A senior official under former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) is starting a lobbying and consulting firm. Jeanne Haddaway-Riccio is joining forces with Robert Rauch to form R & R Solutions, a lobbying and consulting firm. The new firm will be led by four principals including Haddaway-Riccio, Rauch, Ryan Snow and Jennifer Williams.

The list of back-to-school supplies can be daunting — and costly — from a new pair of sneakers to binders and lunch boxes. Retailers estimate that Americans will pay more than $870 per student to return their kids to K-12 schools this fall when they add all the clothing, electronics, shoes and other needed items. That’s no small price tag, so shoppers need to do their homework and not just look for good value (and keep to a reasonable budget) but also factor in timing.

I talk a lot about how a fundamental fear of change is at the heart of most opposition to new, denser housing, zoning reform, and affordable housing developments. These are things we need, but far too many of us are far too good at finding reasons they should go somewhere else. Most people that oppose the policies I advocate for aren’t driven just by misanthropy, malice, or greed, but by a combination of those fears.