Maryland matched an $85 million offer to secure the Preakness Stakes' brand, keeping the race's name and commercial rights under state control.

Baltimore quietly redrew its nine police districts using GIS to balance calls and speed responses, a change officials say will even workloads across neighborhoods.

With the June 23 primary days away, Mfume and Conway are locking horns in a race that’s become a referendum on age, experience and local priorities in Baltimore.

A contested primary next Tuesday will decide who leads Anne Arundel’s probate offices after a 2024 conviction and a judge’s recent removal. Candidates are pitching experience and outreach.

Howard County says it has cleared state parkland conversion rules to secure land for Elkridge’s first high school. Officials still need to finalize funding and a timeline.

Anne Arundel’s council overturned seven of County Executive Steuart Pittman’s zoning vetoes, reopening land‑use decisions across Region 5 and reigniting a local debate.

Four new Maryland laws — on kratom‑like products, EV charging, firefighter screenings and SRO conduct — take effect July 1, 2026, bringing new enforcement and duties for retailers, counties and schools.

Baltimore City Public Schools agreed to pay $5.2M and adopt a state‑backed funding formula for 30 charter schools, settling years of disputes and locking in new charges for central services.

Jermaine Dawson will start as Baltimore City Schools CEO on July 1, pledging to boost literacy, math and graduation while tackling chronic absenteeism. City data show modest gains but persistent gaps.

A federal judge dismissed FreeState Justice's suit seeking to compel the EEOC to enforce transgender workplace protections, saying the court lacks jurisdiction. Advocates say they are weighing an appeal.

Maryland will take tax systems offline Aug. 21–31 to migrate more than 4 billion records into Maryland Tax Connect; individual filers move to the cloud on Sept. 1. Key filing and payment deadlines fall in late July and August.

Three Democrats are competing to replace long‑time Sheriff R. Jay Fisher in a June 23 primary. The race centers on staffing, funding and whether to modernize the sheriff’s office.

The Frederick County Board of Education narrowly approved a $1.01B operating budget for fiscal 2027, advancing the district's spending plan to county officials.