Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake promises that immigrants will continue to be welcome in Charm City, and that the city police will not be actively checking immigration status. The promises are a reaction to President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed immigration policies and could cost Baltimore some of its federal funding. Read and listen to the full story here.
Continue ReadingArticles Written By: rdbaye
Maryland sends first all-male delegation to Congress in 45 years
When it comes to women in politics, Maryland has been a national leader for decades. It was the first state to have a bipartisan women’s legislative caucus, and it ranks seventh nationwide in terms of the portion of women in the state legislature. Sen. Barbara Mikulski is a large part of the reason for Maryland’s…
Continue ReadingIn race for Senate, Szeliga highlights ties to Hogan
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kathy Szeliga makes no secret of the fact that she has been endorsed by Gov. Larry Hogan in her bid to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski. She calls attention to the endorsement in her first ad since the primary, released last week. “I am proud to have the endorsement of Gov….
Continue ReadingBaltimore’s fight against sewage spills, 14 years and counting
On sunny days, you might have to look a little harder to find evidence of sewage overflows on the Jones Falls Trail. But it’s there. Read and listen to the full story here.
Continue ReadingPolice launch program to recruit city residents
The Maryland Legislative Black Caucus and the NAACP announced a new legislative agenda last week, following the release of a U.S. Department of Justice report chronicling a system of discrimination in the Baltimore Police Department. Changing police recruitment practices was on the list. “We will mandate and oversee the recruitment of officers by the Baltimore…
Continue ReadingWestern Maryland town proposes fracking ban
Maryland’s two-year ban on hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, is expected to end in October 2017. But a small town in northern Garrett County wants to keep the drilling technique from ever being used within its borders. The issue is divisive among the town’s roughly 500 residents. “I’d say it’s about 50-50 in the…
Continue ReadingCapitol Gains: South Carolina politicians use office to pad pockets
South Carolina elected officials and candidates have what amounts to a personal ATM that dispensed nearly $100 million since 2009 for such things as car repairs, football tickets, male-enhancement pills, GoPro cameras, overseas junkets and gasoline. A joint investigation by The Center for Public Integrity and The Post and Courier also found state lawmakers and…
Continue ReadingSecretive group destroys candidates’ chances, leaves few fingerprints
LAKE RIDGE, Va. — Wedged between a nail salon and a pizza shop in a strip mall about 25 miles south of Washington, D.C., is a postal supply store where a small brass mailbox sits stuffed with unopened envelopes. It’s the unlikely home of one of the country’s most mysterious political hit squads. The Law Enforcement Alliance…
Continue ReadingNational donors pick winners in state elections
If money is influence, the Republican Governors Association wielded more of it than anyone else last year in state elections nationwide. The group, led in 2014 by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, gave roughly $69 million to candidates, political parties and independent groups — more than double its Democratic counterpart — as it tried to…
Continue ReadingCharities risked tax-exempt status with political ads
The Internal Revenue Service prohibits charities from getting mixed up in politics, and those that do risk losing their tax exemption. Despite the threat, a handful of groups in the 2014 midterm elections paid for ads that appeared to be campaign-related. The Natural Resources Defense Council, for example, is known as a 501(c)(3) organization, meaning…
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