Politics

Special counsel Jack Smith filed a new indictment Tuesday against Donald Trump over his efforts to undo the 2020 presidential election that keeps the same criminal charges but narrows the allegations against him following a Supreme Court opinion that conferred broad immunity on former presidents. The new indictment removes a section of the indictment that had accused Trump of trying to use the law enforcement powers of the Justice Department to overturn his election loss, an area of conduct for which the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 opinion last month, said that Trump was absolutely immune from prosecution.

Some state retirees and outside observers are flagging warning signs about Maryland’s $67 billion pension fund, including $800 million in yearly management fees and alarms raised by a bond rating agency about risky investments. They’re questioning an investment strategy that leans on private equity, real estate and hedge funds — so-called alternative investments that are supposed to juice returns — but have instead led to subpar performance compared to other states.

She’s taken on some of Baltimore’s top political officials, and now she’s ready to take on a second term. This week, Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming made official a request that none of her predecessors could: She asked her independent board to keep her on the job when her term expires this year. “I will not hesitate to tell the truth and to fight,” Cumming told The Baltimore Sun in an exclusive interview. “I think the people actually respect that.”

Larry Hogan knows what he’s up against in his campaign to become Maryland’s next U.S. senator. Sure, the Republican won statewide elections twice and remained popular through his two terms as governor. But voter registration and voter behavior present a significant challenge for Hogan in his Senate campaign. Not only does Maryland have a significant registration edge favoring Democrats, but voters across the nation very rarely elect senators from the opposite party from the one that dominates their state. Just five of 100 senators represent states that chose a different party’s candidate for president.

An online petition to remove Hagerstown Mayor Tekesha Martinez and city Administrator Scott Nicewarner went up Aug. 19 on the website Change.org. By Aug. 26, the petition had 43 signatures. Robbie Soto, president and program director for Authentic Community Theatre Inc. at 43 S. Potomac St., told The Herald-Mail he started the petition because he believes the city government is treating the theater group differently from. other downtown businesses.

The Baltimore County Council is scheduled to vote on nearly 400 zoning requests Tuesday, the culmination of a lengthy Comprehensive Zoning Map Process that occurs every four years. The CZMP, which began in August 2023, allows residents, business owners, developers and lobbyists to request to rezone a property anywhere in Baltimore County. Planning staff made recommendations, and public hearings were held for each council district in June.

Almost 15 years ago, Baltimore slashed retirement benefits for its cops and firefighters. They never forgot about it. Now, police and fire workers are on the cusp of getting some of those lost benefits back. Under a proposal being pushed by Mayor Brandon Scott, tens of millions in taxpayer dollars could go toward reinstating a few key benefits in the police and firefighters’ pension, which the city cut in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may have suspended his national presidential campaign, but he will appear on the general election ballot in Maryland. Kennedy announced last week that he will wind down his campaign activities and endorsed Donald Trump, the Republican nominee and former president. Despite Kennedy ending his independent run, state elections officials said Kennedy has qualified for inclusion on the November ballot in Maryland.