As Maryland launches (belatedly, after overriding a veto) into the Blueprint for school reform, education writer Jeff Bryant in The Progressive magazine identifies a problem of trust that can be repaired through developing these innovative "wraparound services" schools. "By emphasizing communication and trust-building," Bryant says, "they offer a solution for repairing the frayed relationship between parents and schools."

Tomorrow is International Women's Day, a global holiday celebrating the contributions of women and the ongoing struggle for gender equity and justice. The holiday originated from labor struggles at the start of the 20th century, and its recognition broadened when it was adopted by the United Nations in the 1970s.

This year, we celebrate the achievements of women leaders who are driving our society toward a more progressive future — but we also take this opportunity to celebrate the women who rarely appear on the national stage. We honor these women, the workers and organizers whose critical contributions take place largely outside the public eye. Their struggles play an essential role in our lives and in the fight for a better world.

Progressive organizations join in appeal to Sen Schumer to move people-centered programs while Ukraine aid and COVID relief kick-start Senate gridlock. In Maryland, business complaints are obstacles to climate action, and a House committee inquires if Hogan's agencies are playing politics (what?!) on COVID care. This and more in your roundup of Maryland news you can use, plus a federal garni following the State of the Union address. Read on.

Black History Month is coming to a close, but we remain committed to uplifting and celebrating Black leaders and communities all year round. Black activists have been on the frontlines of struggles for racial, social, and economic justice throughout history, and we are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate their enormous contributions in the struggle to build a better world. We hope you, too, will continue to recognize and appreciate the ongoing work of Black leaders and organizers every day of the year.

Close to home: final action on allowing local school systems flexibility in mask policy. Plus, the General Assembly continues to churn through its calendar with many bills, for good or ill, crossing over or getting crucial hearings. Be sure to check our Weekly Memo for the ones that matter the most. And we hear from our allied folks at our national affiliate People's Action about what needs your attention at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, down where the Metrorail lines cross. See it all in this roundup of News You Can Use.

Maryland's Senate leadership, initially cautious about the highly popular paid family leave concept, yesterday got on board, as this article from Maryland Matters shows.

Find out more about this bill and its backers -- including Progressive Maryland, who testified in its favor to a House committee Feb. 15 -- in our BlogSpace.

Progressive Maryland has testified Feb. 15 in an Assembly hearing in support of Maryland House Bill 8, the “Time to Care” act, which “would give workers up to 12 weeks paid time off to take care of a newborn, themselves or a loved one who has serious medical conditions.” Find out more about the bill and see our testimony below.

Yesterday would have been the 82nd birthday of the late civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis. Representative Lewis was well-known for encouraging people to make "good trouble" — the kind of trouble that gets stirred up when you fight injustice, as Lewis did with courage throughout his life. 

Let's remember to draw inspiration from Rep. Lewis in moments when progressive change feels difficult or distant. We are committed to continuing to organize, agitate, and make good trouble around the issues that affect working people until we live in a society that treats everyone with dignity and respect. We hope you'll stand with us. 

Our leverage for peace seems limited, especially this morning, but we can work for justice here in Maryland and in the nation because when justice is done, peace is more likely. News you can use from Maryland and the progressive-possible landscape in the US are just below:

Where to get news you can use in Maryland? The landscape is shifting under us every day, as this roundup from Baltimore Fishbowl outlines. Financial squeezes on the legacy media all over the world are bringing change, not all of it good, and it's getting harder to tell well-grounded, factual news from misinformation.