Politics

One year ago, the world was shocked when Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israel in Gaza, killing hundreds, capturing hostages and launching an ongoing war. In the months since, the violence has escalated, causing tens of thousands more deaths, forcing millions to flee their homes, creating a humanitarian crisis and enveloping Lebanon, and soon possibly Iran.

So much for the separation of politics and governance: The treasurer of Brandon Scott’s campaign committee during the primary has quietly landed a six-figure job at City Hall. For weeks now, Calvin A. Young III has been sighted in and about the building. No one would explain why he was there. He wasn’t registered as a lobbyist, and he refused to talk to The Brew. The curtains finally parted on Tuesday when Councilwoman Odette Ramos and others teased out of a Scott aide that Young was on the public payroll.

Prince George’s County law enforcement officials, resource providers and community advocates have seen enough of an alarming rise in domestic violence. In recent weeks, a 32-year-old mother was charged with attempted murder of her 13-year-old daughter. Separately, a mother was fatally shot by a former boyfriend while holding their 2-month-old baby. “The only way we’re going to change this narrative and make real progress in eradicating domestic violence in Prince George’s County is to make it a priority,” said Denise McCain, director of the Prince George’s County Family Justice Center, an organization that provides services for domestic violence survivors, at a police news conference Friday.

Maryland’s corrections department will cancel the debt for mandatory, parole and administrative release fees, as well as drug testing fees, for people who are currently under the supervision of the agency’s parole and probation division, Gov. Wes Moore said Friday. The action will relieve administrative debt for 6,715 cases, totaling more than $13 million, the governor’s office said. “Marylanders who serve their time deserve a second chance without bearing the financial burden of recurring administrative fees,” Moore, a Democrat, said.

The Israeli military on Thursday warned people to evacuate communities in southern Lebanon that are outside a U.N.-declared buffer zone, signaling that it may widen a ground operation launched earlier this week against the Hezbollah militant group. Meanwhile, Israeli forces said they had struck around 200 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, including weapons storage facilities and observation posts. =

Maryland officials on Wednesday approved a $62.4 million contract to set up a paid family and medical leave insurance program that workers can tap for benefits beginning in 2026. The state will require that all employers with at least one worker in Maryland offer paid family and medical leave insurance. Out-of-state employees working for a Maryland company won’t contribute or be eligible for benefits, though any worker localized in Maryland, including those working for offices not in the state, will contribute and be eligible, according to the state Department of Labor.

Members of the Anne Arundel County Council have introduced revised inclusionary housing policy that requires developers to make a percentage of new units affordable to moderate income residents several months after a previous bill failed. The Essential Worker Housing Act legislation was spearheaded by County Executive Steuart Pittman, but rejected by a 4-3 margin in December 2023. At the time, he called the vote a slap in the face and vowed to come back with alternative legislation.

November elections in Baltimore are typically snoozers — the real action in the Democrat-dominated city comes during the spring primaries. But this year was supposed to be different. Charm City’s denizens were poised to vote on massive issues. There was a proposition to cut the property tax rate by nearly half. Another to give cash payments to the parents of newborns. And yet another could have remade the city’s skyline along the Inner Harbor.