A contractor turned to alcohol after his wife died. A single mom with two children welcomed food from a stranger. A certified nursing assistant and her working teenage son couldn’t afford a rent increase. They were among those who experienced homelessness in Maryland last year, totaling nearly 6,000 one winter night, according to an annual federal count.
Hiding in plain sight
David Trone: 90 days in solitary won’t solve America’s criminal justice problem
“In solitary, they are trying to break you without realizing that most people in [prison] are there because someone else already tried to break them.” That’s how Paul Torres, a returning citizen who spent 90 days in solitary at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles described his experience in solitary confinement to me last August.
Maryland members of Congress unveil bill to fund Baltimore bridge reconstruction
A group of members of Congress from Maryland unveiled legislation on Thursday that would pay for the reconstruction and repair of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed last month when a container ship struck one of the bridge’s main supports. The two-page bill, dubbed the Baltimore BRIDGE Relief Act, would have the federal government cover 100% of the cost of replacing the bridge.
Lobbying push, policy disagreements derailed MD price caps for ticket resales
Lobbying from national companies and their local representatives, and differences in approach between state Senate and House members, thwarted a push in Maryland this session to cap resale prices for event tickets. State lawmakers, though, say they still passed first-in-the-nation consumer protections against predatory sales practices.
‘Cinema is not dead’: Movie theater returning to old Harford County location
A recently closed movie theater won’t be shuttered for long, and Harford County residents might recognize the new tenant. AMC announced the closure of its Churchville location earlier this week, officially shutting its doors Sunday. On Thursday, Flagship Premium Cinemas revealed it will take over the theater, making its return to the venue more than 20 years after it first opened there.
Baltimore mayor outlines city’s role in recovery from Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott laid out the city’s role in the recovery from the Key Bridge collapse. The mayor’s new action plan includes direct support for the families of the six construction workers on the bridge who were killed, plus a wage subsidy program for businesses impacted by the closure of the Port of Baltimore.
Read the results of the Goucher College Poll-Baltimore Banner survey of Baltimore residents
Goucher College Poll, in partnership with The Baltimore Banner, surveyed Baltimore residents about crime, the economy, housing and other issues facing city residents, as well as their thoughts on the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, impact and response. In addition, the poll also surveyed likely Democratic voters on their preferences in the race for mayor and City Council president.
Run MARC commuter trains into Virginia. It could draw thousands more riders
The Washington region has two commuter rail systems funneling riders from Maryland and Virginia into the District. But currently, those systems — MARC in Maryland and VRE in Virginia — both terminate at Union Station, and don’t continue into the other state. The notion of integrating MARC and VRE into a “through-running” system has been a perennial area of interest amongst transit advocates and officials in the region.
Why it’s hard to get services for children who have autism
April is Autism Acceptance Month, a time to learn, reflect and (I hope) act with and on behalf of the many people who have autism. Despite the increased number of people known to be living with autism, less well-known is just how difficult it can be for them to access beneficial care. Given the somewhat recent changes in the definition of what constitutes autism, an accepted description (from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) states that autism is a condition that results from differences in the way that a brain develops.
Downtown Baltimore sees increase in jobs and residents, but vacancies persist, report finds
The number of people working and living in downtown Baltimore grew last year, thanks to apartment conversions and office relocations, but the central business district still struggled with office vacancies as work-at-home policies expanded, a report released Wednesday showed. The first of thousands of state workers have begun moving from the aging State Center complex in midtown to vacant spaces downtown, lifting employment to 133,950 jobs from 126,047 in 2022, according to the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore’s annual measure of the economy in a one-mile radius of Pratt and Light streets.