Politics

Gov. Wes Moore (D) called for refinements to an expensive public education reform program and warned of additional difficult budget decisions for the coming year in a speech to county leaders Saturday. Even as he offered full-throated support for implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, Moore provided few details in his speech to the Maryland Association of Counties on the decisions ahead or how the sweeping education reform plan should be refined.

Gov. Wes Moore will address the Democratic National Convention this week about the importance of public service, a theme he has sought to make a signature of his administration. Moore, a top campaign surrogate for President Joe Biden, who will address the convention during its opening night Monday, had been expected to be part of the convention program. It remained uncertain Sunday night when the first-term governor would deliver his speech. He said an announcement was coming “very, very soon.”

Voters in Baltimore and Baltimore County will face a similar question at the polls this fall: In these two much-changed jurisdictions, is it time to reshape the legislative bodies that govern them — and how do you ensure they remain representative of residents? The two ballot questions go in opposite directions.

More than a year after Chicago was announced as the host city, the Democratic National Convention is about to start. Running Monday through Thursday, the convention is a huge moment for national Democrats, who have had a whirlwind few weeks since President Joe Biden quit the race, paving the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the first Black and Asian American woman to lead a major party ticket. Eyes will also be on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who are looking to pull off the massive made-for-TV event without a hitch, building on the success of the 1996 Democratic convention and continuing to push aside historic images of the contentious 1968 DNC.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris picked Prince George’s County for their first public appearance together since the president ended his re-election bid. They headlined a boisterous rally that was designed to promote the administration’s work on drug prices, but also had the feel of a campaign event in this election year.

Senate President Bill Ferguson said Thursday during the Maryland Association of Counties’ annual conference that, in spite of recent cuts made to the active budget, he doesn’t foresee any more major reductions in light of Maryland’s fiscal shortfall. “I think there’s going to be serious, active budget management to make sure that every dollar that goes out is being spent well,” Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat, said in Ocean City on Thursday afternoon.

Government advisers from both the public and private sectors are pushing for local officials to embrace the use of artificial intelligence for cybersecurity. “If you are not using AI within your cybersecurity framework, then I would argue that you’re not really doing cybersecurity,” Stephen Pereira, director of technology services and chief information officer for Calvert County, said during a panel discussion Wednesday.

A new bill in Congress would alter an 1851 shipping law to force the owners of the Dali to pay up. U.S. Reps. John Garamendi, a California Democrat, and Hank Johnson, a Georgia Democrat, introduced the Justice for Victims of Foreign Vessel Accidents Act on Tuesday. The bill would retroactively increase the liability rate for damages by foreign vessels starting March 25, the day before the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, according to a news release from Garamendi’s office.