A major bridge collapse in Minnesota almost two decades ago revealed bipartisan support and cooperation, a stark contrast to the federal response following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Maryland. Marylanders remain stuck in limbo, waiting to see whether Congress will pay the full cost to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge or if state taxpayers will be stuck footing part of the bill.

Challenger Zac Blanchard took a 28-vote lead over incumbent Eric Costello in the race to represent South and Central Baltimore neighborhoods in the city’s 11th District as the third day of mail ballot counting closed on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Paris Gray and Jermaine Jones maintained the thin leads they had established since the end of election night in the 8th and 11th districts.

The mayor’s race in Baltimore had one candidate who pledged to cut the city’s property tax rate to a competitive level and thus stem the flight of people and capital that cripples its economy and threatens its financial future. Before he dropped out of the race, Thiru Vignarajah said he planned to cut in half Baltimore’s confiscatory 2.248% tax rate on real property and its 5.62% annual tax on “personal property” (really, on business equipment, supplies, and inventory).

New data released this week reflects the extent of the impact that the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge has had on the Port of Baltimore. Commercial vessel traffic had been largely cut off in and out of the port for a month after the container ship Dali struck the bridge March 26. As a result, the data shows, the port’s marine cargo terminals handled a tiny fraction of a typical month’s cargo.

 

Inside the Baltimore sheriff’s office, Sam Cogen boasts of the department’s new computer system, new equipment and new staff members brought on at his direction since the start of his term nearly 18 months ago. But the biggest change? Look no farther than the top of his bookshelf. There sits a copy of “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” a Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller by sociologist Matthew Desmond who went on to found The Eviction Lab at Princeton University.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh was sitting around with his younger brother Jim about five years ago enumerating the many occasions their father, Jack, told the stories that shaped their coaching careers. “These lessons that you learn, it can’t just be us,” John said. “We’re gonna forget these stories. We need people to hear these stories.

The Maryland State Department of Education has received a $6.8 million grant that will allow teachers to take courses on the science of reading, an evidence-based instructional philosophy. The four-year grant will provide free professional development for more than 30,000 eligible teachers, administrators and paraprofessionals.

The search for a new Montgomery County police chief has reached a milestone with the nomination of one of the members of the Maryland county’s police department. Assistant Chief Marc Yamada has been tapped to replace Marcus Jones, who earlier this year announced that he will be retiring in July as head of the Montgomery County Police Department.

The 22 high-achieving University of Maryland students gathered in a loft-like classroom had to apply just to get into this class. And the class itself is a high-stakes competition. Over three semesters, they’re charged with inventing a workable technology to detect gunshots in school buildings, which could reduce casualties. In a year, they’ll gather for a “Shark Tank”-style competition to present their business pitches.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has awarded a 2024 President’s “E” Award for Export Service to the Center for Global Business (CGB) at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. A founding member of the MAPIT Alliance (Maryland Partners in International Trade), Smith’s CGB was recognized for significant contributions over the past four years to expand U.S. business in international markets — contributing to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs.