Scraping for $,  dumping $

A state budget shortfall (estimated) of nearly $3 billion  next year is not leaving much room for the state to help the most vulnerable, either with healthcare costs climbing like kudzu or keeping students' university system costs under control and fully funding the Blueprint for school improvement. Maryland teachers will wince at hard-pressed Assembly members' reaction to news the state is highly ranked as a good place for teachers to ply their trade. Our reaction: Just what is wrong with being a good place to work? For anyone? We'd like Maryland to be a better state for farming, too, but between farmland being (expensively) gobbled up by development, climate-fueled erratic weather and the outside agitators like Donald Trump and his tariff shenanigans, farming is hard times here. So, for that matter, might be voting. People may actually have to raise a little hell to make sure that MAGA doesn't take desperate measures here and in other states to preserve at least its grip on the Senate -- which, as we see below, is within the grasp of the House majority. As Baltimore hero Frank Zappa set to music, "The torture never stops" when MAGA is dipping into its war chest for a fresh batch of fabrications dumped before the public. For better or mostly worse, it's all News You Can Use.

HERE IN MARYLAND

Summaries from Maryland Reporter

Officials, advocates seek funds to soften blow of rising healthcare costs: Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission members consider new taxes, cost reduction proposals -- State officials are scrambling to find funding to cushion the blow on Marylanders’ pocketbooks of skyrocketing healthcare costs and federal changes to the Medicaid program, in hopes that people can still afford coverage. The search comes as the state faces an anticipated budget shortfall of $2.8 billion or more in the coming fiscal year — but the cost of inaction would be even greater down the road, advocates say. Maryland Matters

Agencies Told to Tighten 2028 Budgets With 3% To 10% Cuts: State agencies are being asked to tighten their belts as they finalize budget requests for the coming difficult fiscal year. Emails to every executive branch agency, as well as state universities, told them to prepare fiscal 2028 budget requests that include reductions of roughly 3%, with two dozen Cabinet-level agencies told to prepare budgets with up to 10% reductions. Maryland Matters.

State Seeks Funds To Cushion Against Federal Medicaid Cuts: State officials are scrambling to find funding to cushion the blow on Marylanders’ pocketbooks of skyrocketing healthcare costs and federal changes to the Medicaid program, in hopes that people can still afford coverage. The search comes as the state faces an anticipated budget shortfall of $2.8 billion or more in the coming fiscal year — but the cost of inaction would be even greater down the road, advocates say. Maryland Matters.

After Fits And Starts, Reparations Commission To Begin Work: To Del. Aletheia McCaskill, “in some ways, this moment still doesn’t feel real.” This moment is the pending launch of a Reparations Commission, years after it was first proposed and 17 months after it was passed by lawmakers, vetoed by the governor as unnecessary and then overridden by the General Assembly. Her optimism comes as the majority of the 23 members of the commission have been selected. Maryland Matters.

Maryland Ranks High as Good Place For Teachers: Maryland was listed at No. 7 on a new WalletHub study that ranked the best and worst states for teachers. WalletHub identified the best states to teach through 24 key measures, including income growth potential and pupil-teacher ratios. Maryland placed No. 7 with a score of 54.80. The state placed No. 25 in opportunity and competition rank, but placed No. 3 in academic and work environment. Baltimore Sun.

State Health Officials Issue Vaccine Schedule Amid Ongoing Shifts In Federal Guidance : Maryland health officials issued a first-ever state vaccine schedule Thursday ahead of the annual flu and respiratory illness season, under a new policy created to buck anti-vaccine messaging from the Trump administration in recent years.  Maryland Matters. 

Immigrant Groups Sue DHS Over Alleged Warrantless ICE Arrests: Immigrant advocacy groups are suing the Department of Homeland Security over what the organizations allege is the agency’s warrantless immigration arrest practice. A Homeland Security spokesperson denied the lawsuit’s claims. Baltimore Sun. 

Farmers Face Growing Challenges, Some From Nature, Others Man Made: Swings in climate, as well as tariffs, regulations and the high price of farmland are making this a challenging time for those who work in Maryland’s number one commercial industry, agriculture. WYPR

Roads Are Deteriorating. Repair Funding Is Not Keeping Up: Maryland projects significantly more of its roads will fall into poor condition in the coming years, but the state has not set aside enough money to keep up with the deterioration. The state’s own assessments show pavement conditions worsening as Maryland struggles to fund the maintenance needed to preserve its highway system. Baltimore Sun.

THE REGION AND THE OTHER 49

Virginia's data center backlash spills into midterms
Virginia's growing data center skepticism is spilling onto the campaign trail, pushing candidates in both parties to address an industry the state spent years courting.
Why it matters: Concerns over electric bills, development and taxpayer subsidies are cutting across traditional partisan lines, even among Richmond-area lawmakers who aren't up for election until next year.
By the numbers: 73% of Democrats and 69% of Republicans oppose Virginia's data center tax break, according to a July VCU Wilder poll. In both parties, majorities also support requiring data centers to pay more to offset their electricity demands. Axios via Virginia Mercury

Primaries next door: Tomorrow, Delaware voters will head to the polls for the state’s primary election. Stateline

Repro Health next door: West Virginia: A Charleston women’s clinic has launched an ad campaign to inform residents that despite the state’s near total ban on abortion, they still have options. The Women’s Health Center of West Virginia has teamed up with Shout Your Abortion to promote the abortion pill with a new PSA campaign, billboards, mailers and digital advertising. Stateline

Minnesota healthcare providers detail harm to patients from Operation Metro Surge
A pair of Minnesota healthcare providers published an article in the New England Journal of Medicine this month detailing the impact of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown on their patients. The article adds to the growing body of health research on Operation Metro Surge, during which thousands of immigration agents descended on Minnesota, killing two U.S. citizens. Thousands of immigrants were arrested and deported, and many immigrant families went into hiding for fear of violence, detention, family separation and deportation. Minnesota Reformer via News from the States

GLOBAL, NATIONAL AND THE FEDS

Suit challenges Trump administration move to allow some ICE presence at polling places: — Latino advocacy groups and voting rights organizations Thursday filed a suit in federal court challenging the Trump administration’s policy of allowing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to enter polling locations in certain circumstances to conduct immigration enforcement during the 2026 midterm elections. The suit in the District Court for the District of Columbia argues that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s recent comments that ICE agents would be at polling locations for the purpose of immigration enforcement violates federal law that prohibits federal “armed men” at election sites. Stateline DC Bureau

From The Conversation: “Scammers have long been raking in cash as people moved their financial lives online, but the risks are now cascading thanks to artificial intelligence. From voice and video cloning to phishing, the technology has become so sophisticated that even wary consumers can be duped. In the U.S. alone, the consulting firm Deloitte projects that AI will help push fraud losses overall to $40 billion by 2027, up from $12.3 billion in 2023. The best response, writes finance researcher Pawan Jain of the University of Michigan-Flint, is not to retreat into helplessness but to take action. He lays out a series of practical steps that can stymie scammers, with an especially careful eye on protecting people over 60, who are most at risk. But there’s only so much one individual can do. Regulation that brings financial institutions into the fight, Jain argues, is what makes a difference – and this message is starting to resonate around the globe. For example, the U.K. now requires banks to reimburse most fraud victims, as these institutions have the tools to spot suspicious patterns across millions of transactions.

How 9/11 changed the way America surveils its citizens -- Twenty-five years after 9/11, the surveillance infrastructure built and expanded in its aftermath has become part of a far larger digital ecosystem — producing tools that can collect and analyze information on a scale unimaginable in 2001. The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, did more than reshape the nation’s approach to terrorism. They changed the architecture of American intelligence and policing. They expanded how government agencies collect, share and analyze information, and brought national security tools deeper into ordinary law enforcement. The infrastructure built in the attacks’ aftermath has proved remarkably durable. Joint terrorism task forces and fusion centers brought federal, state and local agencies into closer intelligence-sharing networks. New laws expanded the government’s ability to obtain information. And police departments acquired technologies that once belonged largely to the realm of national security. But the expansion of surveillance did not go uncontested. Civil liberties groups warned that the new powers could erode Americans’ privacy and constitutional protections, while many Americans accepted expanded government surveillance as a necessary tradeoff for safety in the aftermath of the attacks. The country also entered a period of heightened scrutiny for people perceived as foreign or potentially threatening — with American Muslims and immigrant communities bearing a particularly heavy burden. More at Stateline via Maryland Matters

The Economist reports in its morning brief: “Donald Trump dismissed warnings about the dangers of artificial intelligence, arguing that the risks were exaggerated and that America should prioritise staying ahead of China. His comments came after the boss of Anthropic called for AI firms to slow down development of the technology because of safety concerns. Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of Democrats in the House of Representatives, said that the House needs to “act urgently” to reduce the risks from the technology. Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker, agreed protections are needed, but added that legislation on it should not be rushed.” >> Relatedly, Semafor reports this morning that Hiouse Dems are circulating a letter to Trump saying “We strongly urge your administration to lead a coordinated international effort [NUCU’s emphasis] to establish a global framework to guide the development of this technology and a shared vision for AI end-use — engaging our strongest allies, such as the European Union, as well as formidable global competitors, particularly the People’s Republic of China,” Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., writes in the draft of the letter.

How the US House could overturn the midterm election results Washington — President Donald Trump tried to maintain power following his loss in the 2020 election by exerting pressure on state election officials to, in some cases, “find” the votes. Loyalist Republicans in Congress then attempted to deny Joe Biden the Oval Office when lawmakers gathered to certify the Electoral College, bringing to light loopholes and deficiencies in the law that could have denied voters their choice. Similar flaws exist for U.S. House elections. With concern mounting among GOP lawmakers they may lose control of that chamber following November’s midterm elections, it is not a stretch to imagine state officials could, once again, receive calls from the White House or powerful Republicans in Congress. What’s less understood is that the House itself has the ability to investigate and potentially overturn the results of any of its 435 races. In a House narrowly controlled by one party or the other, disputes over a handful of seats could become significant. More at Stateline DC Bureau

Here is the weekly report on doings at the federal level from Megan E, federal affairs director at Progressive Maryland's national affiliate, People's Action:

Hello People's Action!

I only have time for a quick update today as we’ve got folks flying into DC to advocate  Hands Off our vote and protect our democracy. 

Stand up to Crypto! The main thing happening this week is that the Senate will vote on the CLARITY Act, the Crypto Industry’s bill that they have been working (spending) hard for over two years to buy with millions of dollars in political spending. The massive deregulatory bill will enrich the crypto industry, allow crypto into pension funds and retirement accounts and cause market destabilization (a likely market crash down the road). The Oligarch tech bros want to own their own currency so the US government has less authority over them. 

Democrats who have been supportive of the bill are feeling pressure not to back it. Both Democrats & Republicans need to hear from constituents to oppose the bill.  The Capitol switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. We’re putting up an Action Network petition. 

Our allies at Americans for Financial Reform have factsheets on the bill. 

The other big news is that even the techno billionaire bros are worried about AI development getting out of control. First, Bernie called for a pause in A.I. development after tech workers starting raising alarms when they found out AI “agents” are already going rogue and breaking rules.  “Stop building machines that humans cannot control,” Sanders said.

Last week, an Anthropic employee quit over fears that AI development is going to fast with little guardrails to protect humans. Over the weekend, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, called for a slowdown and published an essay on the topic. Other tech CEOs endorsed the call and essay - even Elon! You know it’s bad when Elon Musk is worried about humanity. Trump said, we have to beat China in the AI race!

Sigh.

-Megan