Maryland News & Current Events | Public News Service

Neighboring states such as Pennsylvania and Delaware hold closed primary elections. (Adobe Stock)

Lawsuit challenges closed primary elections in MD

A new lawsuit is challenging Maryland's closed primary system. If the lawsuit is successful, nearly a million Marylanders may be able to vote in …

More than 3 million undergraduate students in the United States are also parents. (Adobe Stock)

GOP spending cuts could fall on Maryland's student parents

More than 70,000 Marylanders are student parents, raising kids while attending college full or part-time and proposed cuts in this year's big budget …

The cost of replacing pipes is more than double the cost to electrify a home, at $35,000 compared to $16,300. (Adobe Stock)

Gas company criticized for slow projects in MD, Washington D.C.

As Washington D.C.'s sole gas company continues a multi-billion dollar, 40-year project to replace methane pipes, clean energy advocates argue the …

Experts warn a government agency would not call or text you out of nowhere. (Adobe Stock)

MD seniors targeted by scammers, experts offer tips to protect finances

Next Monday marks the beginning of "PROTECT" week, when AARP helps seniors learn the signs of financial fraud. Experts say Maryland seniors can …

Among those surveyed, 85% of Americans believe CEOs have a responsibility to speak up about things that matter to their consumers and shareholders, according to GLAAD. (Adobe Stock)

Pride products from companies supported by consumers, report finds

Pride Month is here and new research finds most consumers in Maryland and across the country stand behind brands who support the LGBTQ+ community…

Children whose parents lacked secure employment dropped 16% from 2019 to 2023. (Adobe Stock)

MD ranks top 10 in kids' economic well-being, dips in education

Maryland ranks 21st in the U.S. for the well-being of its children, according to a new report. While the report found children living in Maryland …

More than 14% of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth use tobacco, compared to nearly 8% of heterosexual youth. (Adobe Stock)

Tobacco use among those in LGBTQ+ community higher than average

As Pride Month begins, experts are concerned about rates of tobacco use in the LGBTQ+ community and one expert explained policies targeting people in …

Maryland passed a pay equity law in 2016 which dramatically expanded equal pay across the state.(Adobe Stock)<br />

Labor laws meant to 'protect' women benefitted men, study finds

A new study from Northwestern University examining the history of labor laws for women said men ultimately benefited from laws meant to protect women …

The report recorded more than 1,000 instances of students or student groups who were targeted for or received punishment for their speech. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Government increasingly involved in campus free speech crackdowns

Students and faculty are facing more investigations and punishment for exercising their right to protected speech on college campuses, according to a …

Many states, including Maryland, received their worst grades for maternal mental-health care in the category of screenings. (Adobe Stock)

MD fares well for maternal mental health, but work remains

Maryland ranks better than many states for the quality of its maternal mental-health care - but it could be doing more. Maryland receives a "C" …

About 7% of children in the Maryland have a family member that was undocumented and face deportation. (Adobe Stock)

Federal, state laws pull back and forth on immigration policies in Maryland

As Maryland resident Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia sits in an El Salvadorian prison camp, other immigrants in the state are caught in the middle of …

Financial experts said policy changes will influence how small businesses operate, with shifts in tax regulations and tariffs potentially impacting growth strategies. (jackfrog/Adobe Stock)

MD small-business owner optimism hits record lows, report finds

Optimism among small businesses in Maryland and the U.S. is hitting lows comparable to early pandemic days, largely because of changing tariff …

Workers are entitled to 32 ounces of cool drinking water per hour and 15 minutes of rest every hour in the most extreme heat indexes above 100 degrees. (Adobe Stock)

New Maryland heat standards aim to protect summer workers

As the hot summer months begin, Maryland workers will operate on new standards to protect them from extreme heat. The heat standards took effect in …

E-cigarette use among high school students in Maryland was 15%, slightly less than the national average of 18%. (Adobe Stock)

Study: Disposable e-cigarettes bigger, cheaper and still marketed to kids

E-cigarettes in Maryland are getting cheaper and bigger, delivering higher amounts of nicotine to users, according to a new study. The study by the …

Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. <br />(Studio Romantic/Adobe Stock)

Nurse offers tips for Marylanders, families who suffer from strokes

May is American Stroke Month and the American Heart Association wants Marylanders to know the signs of a stroke so they can take action if needed…

More than 140,000 people are killed a year by workplace hazards. (Adobe Stock)

MD workplace deaths remain low amid anti-regulation push

More than 5,000 workers died from traumatic injuries while on the job in 2023, and 135,000 more died from occupational diseases, according to a new …

Humanities programs like Maryland History Day are at risk due to funding cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities. (Adobe Stock)

Trump cuts to humanities endowment hurts Marylanders, advocates say

Supporters of the National Endowment for the Humanities said cuts to the agency by President Donald Trump hurt Marylanders' access to art and culture …

Some reports suggest the Pentagon will look at medical records to see if service members have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria. (Adobe Stock)

Trump admin to begin transgender military ban after court ruling

The Pentagon will begin removing transgender troops from the military after the Supreme Court ruled last week that a ban could be enforced as lawsuits…

Under Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower, people who earned more than $400,000 a year paid a top tax rate of 92%. Today's top rate is 37%. (Yuri Keegstra/Wikimedia Commons)

Higher taxes on the rich to pay for Trump priorities wouldn't slow economic growth

Reports the Trump administration has considered taxing wealthy Marylanders to pay for mass deportations and other priorities come on the heels of a ne…

On average, military families are more likely to have a child with special or mental-health needs compared with civilian families. (Adobe Stock)

Report: MD military families rely on Medicaid, critical to national security

Republican lawmakers are considering billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid. But a new report finds those spending cuts might impact health-care …

Maryland ranks ninth in state spending per child on preschool education. (Adobe Stock)

MD preschool enrollment fails to keep pace with high spending

A new report finds Maryland spends more on each child in preschool than nearly every other state but still falls short of certain preschool quality st…

Environmental experts say you shouldn't stress out about the carbon footprint from grilling because it is meant to be an enjoyable experience. Still, they urge trying

Health experts teach Marylanders to keep grills safe this summer

That unmistakable smell of hamburgers or steak on outdoor grills will soon be making its way through Maryland neighborhoods. With weather warming up…

Research suggests a connection between seasonal inflammation and depression. (Adobe Stock)

Springtime can worsen depression, expert says

Budding flowers, warmer temperatures and longer days are welcome signs to many in Maryland after the long, dark months of winter. Some people might …

About 70% of households receiving energy assistance in Maryland include a person considered vulnerable, such as the elderly or those with a disability. (Adobe Stock)

Trump staff cuts threaten MD low-income utility assistance

The Trump administration is facing a backlash for firing all federal workers in a program helping thousands of Marylanders pay their heating and cooli…

One poll finds a vast majority of Americans, regardless of political affiliation, support increased mental health services in schools. (Adobe Stock)

Report: MD makes improvements in school mental health services

A new report finds that Maryland has made progress in providing school mental health services to its students but work still remains. The report by …

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., has said the potential moves by President Donald Trump to strip tax-exempt status from environmental organizations would violate due process. (Adobe Stock)

An Earth Day twist: Trump could 'target' climate nonprofits

Earth Day is usually cause for celebration by nonprofit groups working to reduce the effects of climate change but this year, they are speaking out …

The city of Baltimore and Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission serve a combined 3.5 million Marylanders. (Adobe Stock)

MD water systems have high levels of cancer-causing chemicals, report finds

A new report found 122 million Americans drink water with high levels of cancer-causing chemicals, frequently from runoff at livestock factory farms…

The average American taxpayer paid just under $3,000 to the Pentagon in 2024, with roughly 40 cents going toward

National tally: Military arsenal among MD taxpayers' top expenses

As Marylanders filed their income tax returns this week or asked for extensions, a national tally showed where some of their tax dollars have been …

Another issue this session included legislation passed providing guidance for ICE officers around schools, hospitals and places of worship. (Adobe Stock)

Budget dominates MD legislative session, special session possible

Maryland state lawmakers ended this year's session addressing a major budget shortfall and countless other issues in the state. But their work might …

Rinsing nasal passages with a saline solution is another option to help flush allergens out of the nose. (Adobe Stock)

Experts offer tips to combat seasonal allergies in MD

About one in four adults and one in five children suffer from seasonal allergies in Maryland, and experts have tips on how to treat them. You may …

In Maryland, the City of Baltimore has had the most federal funds flow into libraries and museums in the area. (Adobe Stock)

Maryland's local libraries brace for federal funding cuts

Public libraries in Maryland are expecting to soon feel the pinch of federal budget cuts, as the Trump administration has opted to dismantle the …

Steps for poultry farmers to prevent bird flu include restricting birds' movement and enhancing farm sanitation practices. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: People fear bird flu's impact on finances over health

Since January, there have been outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza on four commercial farms in Maryland, affecting nearly 800,000 chickens meant for …

Supporters of the pause have said it would not affect the number of electric vehicles sold in Maryland. (Adobe Stock)

MD automakers, health groups rally against delay in vehicle pollution standards

A bill would effectively delay implementation of clean car and truck programs in Maryland, but electric-vehicle manufacturers and health groups are …

Thousands of datasets on a variety of issues have been taken off government websites. (Adobe Stock)

Environmental coalition works to preserve federal climate data

Since President Donald Trump took office, thousands of public government datasets have been removed from federal websites. Often, the data involves …

Legislation regulating cryptocurrency kiosks is being considered in the Maryland House of Delegates. (Adobe Stock)

Crypto kiosk scams target of proposed regulations

A bill in the Maryland General Assembly would regulate cryptocurrency kiosks, the more than 700 ATM-like machines for virtual currencies around the …

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) represents 30,000 state employees in Maryland. (Adobe Stock)

MD unions push for bill to strengthen bargaining process

Maryland state employees are rallying behind a bill that would provide binding arbitration when unions and employers bargain. Current Maryland law …

Fourth graders in suburban and city schools saw the largest dips in reading scores between 2020 and 2022, and nearly half of Black and Latino fourth graders in Maryland do not read at grade level. (Adobe Stock)

Library funding at risk, even as literacy scores drop

This has been "National March Into Literacy Month" but it may become tougher over the summer to "march" into a public library and ask for help finding…

Fewer than .01% of service members in U.S. military history have been awarded the Medal of Honor. (Adobe Stock)

Medal of Honor Day celebrated as bill for monument progresses

Tuesday is National Medal of Honor Day, celebrating the thousands of service members since 1861 who have been awarded the country's highest military …

Past legislation, like the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources Act, has pushed Maryland toward its clean energy goals of 8.5 gigawatts of wind energy production in the next few years. (Adobe Stock)

Maryland doubles down on clean energy, despite Trump policies

As President Donald Trump rolls back clean energy initiatives at the federal level, states like Maryland are pushing ahead with their own energy …

When looking for job training, 74% of urban Gen Zers strongly agree or agree that they could access the training they would need, compared with 62% of rural Gen Zers, according to Gallup. (Adobe Stock)

Limited opportunity pushes young, rural Marylanders out of town

New research suggests fewer than half of rural Gen Zers believe they can find a good job to keep them in their communities. According to U.S…

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 325-thousand Marylanders are members of a union. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Unions surge as Trump admin takes aim at labor watchdog

Since 2021, union elections in Maryland and across the country have more than doubled - and union election wins are at a 15-year high. But …

State wages, salaries and benefits saw a nearly $1 billion increase in 2025, as Maryland lawmakers weigh major cuts to disability-assistance programs. (Adobe Stock)

Advocate: State budget proposals threaten disabled Marylanders

Maryland is facing a $3 billion budget deficit, and planned cuts in 2026 would include millions in disability assistance. But one advocate says those …

More than 70% of people who are imprisoned as a minor have experienced physical abuse growing up. (Adobe Stock)

Some MD youth in justice system traumatized by the experience

Maryland ranks second in the nation for charging children who have committed crimes as adults. But one expert says a more trauma-informed response in …

Faculty unionization in higher education has increased 7.5% from 2012 to 2024. (Adobe Stock)

MD bill may give faculty the right to unionize

Professors on college campuses across the country are unionizing at increasingly higher rates and a bill in the Maryland General Assembly may help the…

A policy from the Biden administration originally restricted federal immigration officers from conducting raids in

Higher ed leaders talk preparation for immigration officers on MD campuses

An executive order from President Donald Trump allows immigration officers to enter traditionally off-limits places, like houses of worship, schools …

Notably, one poll found nearly half of people who hold anti-abortion views are supportive of medical aid-in-dying legislation. (Adobe Stock)

Maryland medical aid-in-dying bill may pass after a decade

Advocates are urging Maryland lawmakers to support a bill that would approve medical aid in dying for people who are terminally ill. A poll last …

A sustainability diet developed by scientists emphasized eating more fish, fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts. Dollar stores provide little of them. (Adobe Stock)

How every Marylander can eat sustainably for the planet

By Dharna Noor of The Guardian for Sentient.Broadcast version by Zamone Perez for Maryland News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Serv…

The National Cancer Institute has found red and processed meat consumption is associated with higher cancer levels. (Wikimedia Commons)

Why are red food dyes – but not processed meats – banned?

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Zamone Perez for Maryland News Connection reporting for the Sentient/Just and Climate-Friendly…

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