Politics

Baltimore City Councilman “Yitzy” Schleifer proposed a daily fine against the Department of Public Works director in regard to recycling conditions in the city. Jason Mitchell, who is the DPW director would receive a $1,000 fine a day every time a weekly recycling collection is missed. The collections are often missed because of a shortage of workers.

They’ve outlined lofty visions for increased wages and tens of thousands of new jobs. They’ve talked about investments in transportation, education and small businesses. But among all the policy plans and stump speeches from Maryland’s candidates for governor, the most pressing economic concerns of voters this year are seldom mentioned. “It’s making it tougher to do anything, to save anything,” Tad Trias, a Severna Park resident, said of mounting inflation that’s affecting everything from groceries to gas. “I’ve definitely been a little bit more conscious of what I’m buying, when I’m buying it.”

Abortion rights supporters gather Friday evening outside Baltimore’s federal courthouse to protest the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which had enshrined women’s rights to abortion. Deborah Agus was in college when the landmark Roe V. Wade decision was passed. She did not expect to see the day when the U.S. Supreme Court would overturn the ruling that made abortion a constitutional right. “It’s really frightening,” said Argus, an attorney from Baltimore, on Friday evening outside Baltimore’s federal courthouse on Lombard Street, where a large crowd gathered in support of abortion rights.

When Ukrainians went to the polls in 2019 and elected President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a Maryland election judge was there to observe the democratic process play out. Todd Becker has observed foreign elections for decades with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, giving him a unique perspective on the state of elections now under fire for everything from unfounded claims of fraud to pandemic-related changes.