Former president Barack Obama on Friday endorsed Democrat Angela Alsobrooks for Maryland’s open Senate seat in a campaign ad touting her record on crime and her commitment to protecting democracy — adding extra appeal to her campaign that highlights the high stakes of her race with former governor Larry Hogan (R).
October surprises are coming at a dizzying pace. But the question is whether grave crises at home and abroad can break a dead heat between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in an election that’s already been marked by huge turmoil. The White House is grappling with three challenges that could threaten the vice president’s hopes and offer an opening to the Republican nominee’s narrative of Biden-era negligence.
Undocumented migrants could get access to health care on the state’s insurance marketplace, those 60 and older could get a few more dollars in food stamp benefits and the northern snakehead will get what officials hope is a more palatable name – literally. Those are just some of the more than 400 new laws that took effect Tuesday, a fraction of the more than 1,000 enacted by the legislature this year.
A new state law will require more Marylanders with drunk driving charges to blow into a breath analyzer before starting their cars. The change went into effect Tuesday and is expected to add around 5,600 drivers into the state’s Ignition Interlock Program, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation. “The fact is, drunk drivers are responsible for one-third all of Maryland traffic fatalities,” Del. Vanessa Atterbeary, a Howard County Democrat and chief sponsor of the bill, said in a news release.
The next session of Maryland’s General Assembly isn’t scheduled to start until Jan. 8, but Frederick officials are starting to plan for the requests and issues they would like the legislature to address when it convenes. City officials met Wednesday to discuss what topics they would like discuss in a meeting next week with the state legislative delegation from District 3 ahead of the start of the General Assembly session in January.
Baltimore County Councilman Wade Kach, who has been in public office for nearly 50 years, said Tuesday he will retire at the end of his current term. “In January of 2025, I will have been in public office for 50 years, so at the end of this term will be 52 years,” Kach said. Kach’s current term ends in December 2026. He said he won’t run again, citing his health. (Photo: Wesley Lapointe for The Baltimore Banner)
Gov. Wes Moore Tuesday set a target of eliminating 5,000 vacant Baltimore homes in five years, committing state support and making the issue an administration priority. Moore signed an executive order enabling a series of state actions which could reduce the city’s count of vacant homes, estimated at 13,000 homes and some 20,000 empty lots.
Iran unleashed a major airstrike targeting sites across Israel on Tuesday night, while Israel’s air defenses shot down most of the 180 incoming missiles, according to Israeli officials. The Iranian attack marked the latest escalation in fighting that now stretches into several countries in the region, with warnings that more fighting is likely.
Most Marylanders say they support improvements to roads and transit systems in the state and may be willing to pay more, according to a poll released by a coalition of transportation industry groups. The poll released Tuesday by Together for Transportation Funding comes amid the ongoing debate over how the state should modernize the way it pays for transportation projects, and whether roads or transit should be the priority.
The Maryland Department of Juvenile Services rolled out Tuesday new reforms to existing policies for children charged with or accused of crime and the launch of a statewide commission to review and report on the state’s facilities and programming. The department is adjusting its policies to mandate that children who have been accused of a violent crime but are not being detained are electronically monitored.
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