Fresh from his pathetic attempt on Sunday to edge into the aura of Spain's World Cup championship, Trump announces (surprise!) that "full-scale war" against Iran is on the menu for dizzied gas and diesel customers (and the retailers who must pay more for deliveries). Not much chance of escaping inflationary pressure no matter where you live, but Blue states like Maryland can expect more of the Trump gang's assaults, legal and otherwise, as dwindling MAGA flails for some traction against disaster in the midterm elections. Nevertheless they can't find their agenda with both hands, sending ICE goons out on traffic stops again (Trump's brilliant reversal of his newby DHS director Markwayne Mullin, who saw the risks in every pull-over). And, as we report below, FBI agents appear to be off the task of investigating ICE injuries and deaths to civilians. Convenient.

Here in News You Can Use, we have curated news from states and the feds as well as from Maryland. Readers can get more from Maryland Reporter and Maryland Matters, from whom we gratefully swipe items -- as we do from News from the States . and from many other, less obvious sources. 

NEWS YOU CAN USE is generally posted Mondays but this blog may be  updated as appropriate. New material will be color-accented

HERE IN MARYLAND

Cyclosporia: Health Officials Report 69 Md Cases Through July, More Than Double From Last Week: Cyclosporiasis cases in Maryland have more than doubled since last week, state health officials said late last week. The Maryland Department of Health has confirmed 69 cases of cyclosporiasis reported in the state, 65 of which occurred since May 1 through July 14. Breana Ross/WBAL TV. >> The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that public health officials have linked the ongoing outbreak of cyclosporiasis in five states to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants, the D.C. Bureau of States Newsroom  reports.

Moore's Latest Mission Is To Elect More Black Democratic Governors: Many see Gov. Wes Moore building a profile and allies for a future national run as he bounces around the country campaigning for other candidates, raising money and doing media interviews. He’s often mentioned as a potential 2028 presidential candidate. But Moore also has a distinct personal mission for some trips, including his latest: electing more Black Democratic governors. Baltimore Banner.

 Maryland Air Quality Returns To Normal – Sort Of: Air quality and weather in Maryland somewhat returns to normalcy — for now — after thick smoke, damaging winds and rainfall collectively hammered the region on Saturday. Air quality for much of the state is at moderate levels, while western Marylanders are under a Code Orange where conditions are considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment. Baltimore Banner.

 State Agencies Need More Coordination To Boost Social Equity: State agencies are doing a good job of individually offering social equity programs that benefit everyone, but the state lacks the coordination to boost the effectiveness of those programs statewide. That was among the findings in the first report by the new Department of Social and Economic Mobility, established in October at a time when the federal government under President Donald Trump is pushing to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Maryland Matters.

Roxbury Brawl Points To Short-Staffing At Prisons: A July 4 weekend brawl at Roxbury Correctional Institution in which eight inmates were stabbed and hospitalized has renewed scrutiny of conditions at state prisons, with a lawmaker and labor leaders saying it points up short-staffing problems. Maryland Matters.

Md Election Official Declares State’s Voter Rolls Are Secure: Maryland’s top election official said in a letter to federal officials that Maryland is following federal and state law as it maintains voter rolls, asserted removing any voters from rolls “must be certain” and stressed the importance of reining in comments that sow distrust in elections. Maryland Matters. 

MD’s US House Reps Divided on Permanent Daylight Savings Time Vote: Maryland’s House of Representatives delegation was evenly split over this week’s vote to make Daylight Saving Time year-round. Four members voted for it, four against and the issue made for strange bedfellows with Republican Andy Harris joining three Democrats in voting no. WYPR.

It Came From Different Places, But Money Talked In House Races: Tens of millions of dollars flowed into Maryland’s congressional primary races this year, from small grass-roots donors to political action committees to some well-heeled candidates themselves, and that money made the difference in the outcomes — with one notable exception. Maryland Matters. 

Trump Administration Sues State Over College Tuition For Undocumented Immigrants: The United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the state of Maryland over policies that offer undocumented students in-state tuition at public colleges. Baltimore Banner. 

THE REGION AND THE OTHER 49

Data Centers to Add Billions in Power Costs in 13 States
A power auction conducted by a giant grid operator is expected to add $6.3 billion in additional charges to consumers and businesses, including in Maryland, because of electricity needs of data centers. PJM, the nation’s largest electrical grid operator, on Tuesday released results of an electricity auction that would add $6.3 billion in costs to the bills of millions of households and businesses within the next three years, an increase driven by the power demands of data centers. NY Times

Feds Sue Cities To End 'Sanctuary' Policies: As the Trump administration continues its crackdown on illegal immigration, states and cities that have pushed back with so-called sanctuary policies have faced a barrage of lawsuits from the U.S. Department of Justice. In just the past three months, the administration has sued at least a half dozen jurisdictions, including Maryland, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, a county in Michigan, and the city of Philadelphia, for seeking to place limits on the activities of ICE agents. Maryland Matters.

As heat is soaring and choking clouds of wildfire smoke blanket parts of the US, including Maryland, researchers say that regularly breathing polluted air can significantly increase the risk of preterm births, Utah News Dispatch reports. That repeated exposure to a combination of air pollutants during early pregnancy stages, even in moderate levels, is associated with nearly three times greater odds of preterm birth, researchers found. That’s when infants face higher risks of health complications. News from the States

Virginia: Under previous law, tenants had five days to pay overdue rent before landlords could begin eviction proceedings. A new law extends that grace period to 14 days. News from the States

PA Eases Permitting on Modular Nukes: Pennsylvania lawmakers have approved legislation laying the groundwork for small nuclear reactors. The bill gives the Department of Environmental Protection the authority to set fees for small reactors lower than those charged for larger light-water reactors. (State Affairs) via Pluribus

WV advocates want to know who owns the land proposed for data center development in Tucker County: Tucker County residents are, once again, seeking more information regarding the massive data center and natural gas power plant complex proposed between the mountain towns of Thomas and Davis. Members of Tucker United, the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and the Sierra Club sent a letter to the state Department of Environmental Protection on Thursday requesting the agency to investigate who actually has control of the land where out-of-state company Fundamental Data is proposing to build some of its facilities. Despite the company’s assertion it controls the land, the state Commerce Department wrote it “conducted a search” of property records at the proposed sites and “did not find any property in Tucker County owned by Fundamental Data, LLC or any of its affiliated companies.” Blackwater Falls State Park adjoins the county. News from the States

New Jersey: Thousands of employers will have to provide protected family leave under an expansion of the state’s leave law that went into effect on Friday. News from the States

GUN POLITICS: A federal appeals court has struck down New Jersey’s ban on semiautomatic firearms and large-capacity magazines. The split ruling of the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals relied heavily on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Bruen, the 2022 case that bolstered Second Amendment claims. (New Jersey Monitor) via Pluribus

Pennsylvania: The Democratic governor is considering whether to sign a bill repealing the state’s decades-old law criminalizing certain behavior by people living with HIV. News from the States

GLOBAL, NATIONAL AND THE FEDS

First the bad news: Iran’s president says country is in ‘full-scale war’ after expansion of US attacks -- Masoud Pezeshkian warns Iran may have to endure more strikes, as diplomats say de-escalation talks are continuing. Iran’s president has said the country is in a “full-scale war” after the US expanded its aerial campaign and Tehran struck Washington’s Gulf allies, even as diplomats said talks to de-escalate were continuing. (The Guardian, with clickable updates) POLITICO Playbook asks "is this an escalatory spiral? Though the war hasn’t returned to the all-out nature of its early days, more American deaths could increase domestic pressure on Trump to retaliate — or seek peace. Meanwhile, the price of oil pushed past $90."

Now the worse news: "The House and Senate are both in session," Punchbowl News reports. "It’s the last time this will happen until the week of Sept. 14, nearly two months from now. The Senate will be in through Aug. 7, while members of the House are leaving for five weeks starting on Thursday. Yes, it’s only mid-July, but the House won’t be back until Aug. 31. [Don't know if the early exit tilts bad or good]

Congress has a crowded legislative calendar and an increasingly complex and messy geopolitical landscape. House Republicans will try to move forward on reconciliation 3.0, their last big gamble before Election Day -- an attempt to craft a big money bill full of GOP/MAGA goodies that the Senate can choke down without a filibuster. Prepare to become re-acquainted with the Senate Parliamentarian.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine will be on Capitol Hill this Tuesday for a hearing with the Senate Appropriations Committee; Iran may just come up.

The House. We’re struggling to remember a week that’s more jam-packed than what GOP leaders have planned for the next four days. We’ll note that House Republicans have repeatedly failed to deliver on their promises during the 119th Congress. The GOP-run House has been awash in chaos, with failed rules and floor votes becoming the norm.

The House is scheduled to vote on the FY2027 NDAA, the annual Pentagon policy bill; a short-term “clean” CR to fund federal agencies until Dec. 4; a Republican budget resolution that would unlock a third reconciliation package with $60 billion for the Pentagon [see above]; and a quasi-ban on stock trading for members of Congress that includes a completely unrelated voter ID provision."

People's Action's federal affairs director, Megan E, has a roundup of a startling House vote that showed how disgust with an increasingly vengeful and criminal Netanyahu government has altered Democrats' previously knee-jerk support for military aid to Israel:

"Last week, 103 Democrats (more than voted no) voted for an amendment in the State Foreign Operations Appropriations bill to block military funding to Israel. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries voted against the amendment but did not whip the caucus either way. Democratic Whip Yvette Clarke & former Speaker Nancy Pelosi voted for the amendment. People’s Action submitted a vote recommendation in favor of the amendment and the Congressional Progressive Caucus whipped its members to support the amendment. You can see how your member of Congress voted at this link.  The vote marks a shift in support away from unconditional support for Netanyahu’s government by Democrats. My member of Congress, Glenn Ivey (MD-4), who received significant AIPAC support when he first got elected, voted yes in a shift. Newsweek reported that 'about 20 percent of [AIPAC endorsed Democrats] voted for the Massie Amendment to cut aid to Israel, including Representatives Clark, Pelosi, Seth Moulton, Seth Magaziner, Mike Quigley, and Laura Friedman, among others. AIPAC appeared to edit the lawmakers' profiles on its website after the vote, with the option to donate to the politicians remaining only on the pages of those who supported the measure, as of Saturday.' Several others voted present. 

Trump gang follies: how  "savings" turn into losses. Playbook notes CUTTING DEEP: “Trump’s funding cuts created ‘the perfect storm’ that slowed the government’s cyclosporiasis response,” by CNN’s Blake Ellis and colleagues: “The government’s reaction to the cyclosporiasis outbreak has been undermined by massive budget and staffing cuts under [Trump], CNN has found – including nearly $30 million in funding from a CDC division when Trump axed the US Agency for International Development."

And how much was that "free" Venezuelan oil again? “The U.S. Saw an Investment Boom in Venezuela. Now It’s a $37 Billion Problem,” by WSJ’s Kejal Vyas and Ryan Dubé in La Guaira: “[T]he Trump administration is facing a daunting multibillion-dollar cleanup after twin earthquakes last month tore open roads, downed power lines and flattened buildings. … Failure to rebuild risks more unrest, creating a challenge not only for [Delcy Rodríguez’s] hold on power but also for a U.S. administration that sees Rodríguez as vital to its plans for stabilizing Venezuela.”

And finally, protecting and serving (but who?) Playbook again, reporting  "NOTHING TO SEE HERE: FBI managers received guidance last week that the bureau won’t look into people’s clashes with or assault claims against immigration enforcement officers anymore, NYT’s Devlin Barrett and Hamed Aleaziz report. “If enacted, such a change would sharply limit law enforcement scrutiny of immigration agents,” just as ICE tactics and fatal shootings return to the national spotlight. The Justice Department and DHS denied the change."

Also from Megan E’s DC Update this week: What You Can Do This Week

Wed, July 22nd 8:30am - 10:00am ET Watch the livestream of the Congressional Progressive Caucus’s "Universal Healthcare: Now is the Time for Medicare for All” hearing. Chela Garcia, a leader with the People’s Lobby Education Institute, will be People’s Action Institute’s witness! The hearing will be livestreamed on the Congressional Progressive Caucus’s Youtube page and People’s Action’s Facebook page.