There is not enough affordable housing for low-income older adults in our state. Given that those 60 and older represent the fastest growing segment of Maryland’s population, more needs to be done to ensure no older adult is left behind. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 22% of Maryland’s population will be 60 and older by the year 2030.

Somehow, someone, through wire fraud, stole more than $280,000 from the city of Frederick. That’s about all we know for certain. The administration of Mayor Michael O’Connor has been mum about the crime, allowing speculation to fill in the gaps. The city said last month that it was the victim of wire fraud in connection with the $24.5 million renovation of the former Gov. William Donald Schaefer Building at 100 E. All Saints St. downtown to create a new police headquarters.

The lines between witness preparation and improper coaching are gray. According to the ABA, “[T]he task of delineating what is necessary and proper and what is ethically prohibited during witness preparation has become more urgent with the advent of commonly used remote technologies, some of which can be used to surreptitiously “coach” witnesses in new and ethically problematic ways.”

Cancer, an unyielding adversary in our lives, has marked its presence in every community. For far too long it has been a story of diagnoses coming too late, treatments too burdensome and cures too elusive. The disparities in cancer outcomes are stark and unsettling. A report from the American Cancer Society brings this sobering reality to light: despite strides made in recent years, significant gaps remain—gaps that disproportionately impact people of color, those with lower socioeconomic status and rural residents.

I get my dogs’ food delivered by Amazon. It started during the pandemic. Stores in Annapolis ran out of the brand they eat, and if you’ve ever suddenly changed your pets’ food, you know it can have messy consequences. All over the carpet. But it also saved me the trouble of schlepping all those bags and cans across town. It cost less, too.

 

An estimated 8,500 young people ages 16 to 24 in Baltimore, including nearly 16% of all Black residents in this age group, were neither working nor in school, according to an estimate by Baltimore’s Promise based on 2022 U.S. Census data. Too many of these young people are at risk of instability as they transition into adulthood. These are our kids, our family and friends.

 

Nobody asked me, but the idea of spending $9 billion to build a third bridge across the Chesapeake Bay still seems absurd, even more so than when I first heard the idea. I say that for several reasons: The effects of climate change on sea-level rise; the need to reduce harmful emissions as the transition to electric-powered cars and trucks takes many more years; the desire to preserve open space, the Eastern Shore’s rural character, and the general quality of life on both sides of the bay; the likelihood that the cost of a new bridge will surpass the current estimate; and Maryland’s many other spending priorities, well ahead of a third bridge.

 

The opioid and overdose crisis continues, and it has evolved as Fentanyl has taken hold as the cause of 81% of overdose deaths in Maryland. Despite all the amazing work by first responders, health care professionals, and many others across the state, there does not seem to be an end in sight. Gov. Wes Moore has shown tremendous leadership in his first year in office, broadening the state’s response to opioids and overdoses by enhancing coordination between and across all levels of government.

Technical internships play a vital role in nurturing and building vibrant innovation ecosystems. As students actively engage with local companies and startups, they bring fresh ideas, talent, and unique perspectives, fueling the growth of Maryland’s next generation of innovators. The majority of students who complete the Maryland Technology Internship Program (MTIP) signal desire to stay and work in Maryland, and retaining this trained and valuable workforce in our state — along with making it financially-viable for small and local businesses to host interns — makes MTIP a crucial player in Maryland’s workforce development.

It is said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Maryland is among states poised to roll back or repeal bipartisan criminal justice reforms, including reforms for children, teenagers and young adults, even when the evidence is clear that they should not. We are former federal judges. We have seen this movie before.