This week in Baltimore Circuit Court: Kweisi Mfume's office called a judge's chambers to see if a staffer could be excused from jury duty.

Hours earlier, she ordered Baltimore City Sheriff's Office to lock up a prospective juror for disobedience: tinyurl.com/35zm5hek (via The Baltimore Banner)

Crime, economy and taxes top of mind for Maryland voters in 2024, poll shows, Hallie Miller reports: tinyurl.com/6pnammpb (via The Baltimore Banner)

Two months before finalizing the $83 million purchase of Harborplace, David Bramble closed on a different deal he calls critical to Baltimore’s future, central to his legacy and more difficult than almost any other project in his real estate portfolio: thebaltimorebanner.com/economy/growth…

NEW TODAY: These sonar CODA images, provided by U.S. Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), show bridge wreckage in the deepest part of the federal shipping channel and one of the Francis Scott Key Bridge main supports.

All reports are in. Dixon out-raised Scott in the latest reporting period (since mid-January), but the incumbent retains a big cash advantage.

Vignarajah, meanwhile, racked up $698K since his late entry, covering a ton of ground with public financing
thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-power…

Woke up to this gem this morning on a Capital article FB post. Oh I certainly learned a few lessons almost six years ago, having my head almost shot off and witnessing my work family massacred in front of me.

It was one last busy day of lawmaking in Annapolis. Here’s what legislators did before midnight. w/Pamela Wood

uly captured some great pictures. How did he get this fist-bump photo?

Here's an update on where key issues stand with about 6.5 hours left until the Maryland General Assembly adjourns Sine Die.

From me and Brenda Wintrode:

thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-power…

LET’S GO, MARYLAND!!! SB 134 - creating the Office of the Correctional Ombudsman - is on to the Governor!!!!!

#PrisonOversight

In a move that is likely to have a real impact on the Maryland prison system, lawmakers have passed a bill that will create an independent correctional ombudsman's office. Law is now awaiting signature from Gov. Wes Moore.

Central to upcoming Baltimore mayoral race will be a fight over who gets to claim credit for more than a year of steep decreases in homicide rate.
Mayor has taken a 'public health' approach while city's top prosecutor, now endorsing his opponent, has 'tough-on-crime' approach.

UPDATE: It’s the last day of our *four-day* ULP strike and Gannett & @Statesman are STILL advertising our jobs online, attempting to lure journalists desperate for jobs into strikebreaking.

The company should be ashamed of the time reporters have inevitably wasted on apps &…

'Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates threw his support behind Sheila Dixon for mayor, just days after going public with a spat with Mayor Brandon Scott,'
via Justin Fenton
thebaltimorebanner.com/dixon-scott-ba…

Hugo Kugiya of The Baltimore Banner won first place in the 2023 Associated Press Sports Editors contest in the Division B Explanatory category. apsportseditors.com/hugo-kugiya-of…

Bananas stay artificially cheap. I just paid nine cents for one like that doesn’t even cover the cost of shipping. You might as well give them away for free

We hopped on a boat with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to learn how they plan to clear the Key Bridge wreckage.
thebaltimorebanner.com/photo-essay/ph…

If journalism schools care about their students' career prospects once they graduate, they should start using their clout to push back against some of these corporate union-busting practices that are becoming commonplace. Stop inviting these companies to job fairs.

“The problem w this American [weapons]largess is that it has bred a sense of entitlement among Israelis over the years,”says Martin Indyk, former Israeli-Palestinian envoy. The Biden admin needs to use that leverage to shape Israeli govt behavior, he added nytimes.com/2024/04/06/us/…