Gov. Wes Moore, Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy and Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates vowed during a forum Monday night to hold juvenile offenders accountable while promising to pursue expanded services for young people in trouble, with the governor reiterating plans to spend more and hire more staff to address problems in juvenile services.

Maryland might soon allow local liquor stores to contract with companies like DoorDash and Instacart for delivery services, though public health organizations have raised concerns about how the policy might exacerbate mental health and substance-use issues. The state’s local liquor boards have the authority to permit liquor stores to deliver to customers, though only using their own employees.

Frederick’s police department can move forward with plans to refurbish a mobile command unit for its use during emergencies and community events, after approval from the city’s aldermen last week. The aldermen voted unanimously Thursday night to approve a work order for $165,898 to the Pennsylvania-based company 911 Rapid Response to begin upgrading the Freightliner command vehicle.

On a scale of 1 to 10, the political rhetoric regarding U.S. border policy has landed somewhere around “11” in recent weeks, as the number of illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border continues to climb and U.S. Border Patrol encounters reach record highs. But amid all the speech-making and fist-banging, communities across the United States face the more practical challenge of how to ensure access to adequate shelter, food and medical care for all people, regardless of their immigration status — whether they’re near the Southern border or in the middle of the Free State.

For perhaps the first time, activists who have spent years advocating for special elections to fill General Assembly seats are getting a serious hearing. For the first time, the legislature is considering a bill that would have aligned Maryland with the 50% of states that use special elections to fill most or all open seats in state legislatures.

It may not look like much, but the empty Baltimore County shopping center surrounded by a sea of empty gray concrete is one of Maryland’s most divisive, and consequential, pieces of land. Purchased by a county-based developer in 2020, Lutherville Station stands a few yards away from a light rail stop that connects Baltimore County to the city and Anne Arundel County. It has been eyed for new development that would add retail stores, commercial tenants and housing — lots of it — to the grounds.

Latecomers found themselves stuck in the hallway or sitting on the floor Thursday night as constituents packed Poolesville Town Hall for the Maryland 6th Congressional District Republican Candidates Forum. The event was the first of this election cycle attended by candidates Dan Cox, the 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee, and Neil Parrott, a former state delegate who ran unsuccessfully for the 6th District seat in 2020 and 2022.

Teaching Spanish is Ilene Chupnick’s passion. She loves helping fourth and fifth graders get an early start on learning a new language through Baltimore County Public Schools’ Passport program. So, when she found out Feb. 5 that the program would be ending after next school year, she had trouble sleeping and eating in the days ahead. “I thought I’d be doing this until I retire,” Chupnick said tearfully. She’s been teaching in the program since 2015. “I only have seven years left.”

Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced plans Friday for spending $90 million on reducing carbon pollution in Maryland, using an unexpected pot of money to fight what he called “environmental injustice.” The largest portion of the money, $50 million, will go toward decarbonizing community buildings like hospitals, multifamily housing and schools, under the plan Moore outlined.

In 2018, Larry Hogan followed a seldom-traveled route to become the first Republican in 70 years to be reelected Maryland governor. He prevailed by presenting a low-key brand of moderation to win critically needed, crossover Democratic votes in one of the nation’s bluest states. Now, Hogan seems poised to adopt a similar approach in his recently announced U.S. Senate campaign, decrying partisan labels and distancing himself from the state Republican Party. But though he is navigating a similar path, the surrounding landscape looks different.