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Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Trump declares Baltimore, other Maryland cities and counties to be ‘sanctuary' jurisdictions
President Donald Trump's administration has declared Baltimore City, the state of Maryland and multiple counties and cities within the Old Line State to be 'sanctuary' jurisdictions violating federal immigration laws — a move that could lead to grant cuts and other penalties for the city. The move comes 31 days after Trump issued an executive order directing Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to 'publish a list of States and local jurisdictions that obstruct the enforcement of Federal immigration laws.' A previous letter by Trump adviser Stephen Miller had threatened 'criminal and civil liability' for jurisdictions the administration deemed were not complying with federal immigration laws. The DHS lists eight Maryland counties — Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Charles, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, Queen Anne's and Talbot — as sanctuary jurisdictions. Ten Maryland cities were also on the list: Annapolis, Baltimore, Cheverly, College Park, Edmonston, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Mount Rainier, Rockville and Takoma Park. In a statement Thursday evening, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott pushed back on the administration, once again saying Baltimore is 'not a sanctuary city' because it lacks jurisdiction over prisons based in the city that are run by ICE and other federal immigration agencies. The mayor has previously said he does not use the term 'sanctuary city' because it is politically charged and distracts from local law enforcement's efforts to tackle crime. 'We follow our limited obligations as defined under federal immigration law. But we are a welcoming city, and we make no apologies for that,' the statement reads. 'We are better because of our immigrant neighbors, and we are not about to sell them out to this administration.' Scott's statement concluded by suggesting the city could sue the Trump administration over the designation, as it already did over the dismantling of federal diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Have a news tip? Contact Carson Swick at cswick@
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Trump declares Baltimore, other Maryland cities and counties to be ‘sanctuary' jurisdictions
President Donald Trump's administration has declared Baltimore City, the state of Maryland and multiple counties and cities within the Old Line State to be 'sanctuary' jurisdictions violating federal immigration laws — a move that could lead to grant cuts and other penalties for the city. The move comes 31 days after Trump issued an executive order directing Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to 'publish a list of States and local jurisdictions that obstruct the enforcement of Federal immigration laws.' A previous letter by Trump adviser Stephen Miller had threatened 'criminal and civil liability' for jurisdictions the administration deemed were not complying with federal immigration laws. The DHS lists eight Maryland counties — Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Charles, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, Queen Anne's and Talbot — as sanctuary jurisdictions. Ten Maryland cities were also on the list: Annapolis, Baltimore, Cheverly, College Park, Edmonston, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Mount Rainier, Rockville and Takoma Park. In a statement Thursday evening, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott pushed back on the administration, once again saying Baltimore is 'not a sanctuary city' because it lacks jurisdiction over prisons based in the city that are run by ICE and other federal immigration agencies. The mayor has previously said he does not use the term 'sanctuary city' because it is politically charged and distracts from local law enforcement's efforts to tackle crime. 'We follow our limited obligations as defined under federal immigration law. But we are a welcoming city, and we make no apologies for that,' the statement reads. 'We are better because of our immigrant neighbors, and we are not about to sell them out to this administration.' Scott's statement concluded by suggesting the city could sue the Trump administration over the designation, as it already did over the dismantling of federal diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Have a news tip? Contact Carson Swick at cswick@
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Over 3 million in Maryland still facing drought despite recent rain
Despite a recent stretch of rain, large swaths of Maryland remain parched, with over 3 million residents living in areas affected by drought, according to the latest federal Drought Monitor. Parts of Baltimore, Carroll and Harford counties continue to experience unseasonably dry conditions. Liberty Reservoir — a major source of drinking water for the region — has dropped to its lowest level in nearly 20 years, prompting the Baltimore Department of Public Works earlier this month to issue voluntary water restrictions for the city and surrounding counties. Statewide, 43% of Maryland is experiencing moderate drought, while 24.6% is considered abnormally dry, according to drought data released Thursday. Weather experts say several factors are contributing to the drought, including persistent wind patterns and a lackluster winter snowfall. 'This past spring has been windy with prevailing winds from the west and northwest. Any cold fronts tend to lose moisture heading through,' AccuWeather lead long-range expert Paul Pastelok said in an email. 'In addition, it has been a very windy spring and any rain that falls runs off or dries out before it's absorbed. Also, it was not a very snowy winter. Snow in the winter helps the deeper layers of soil stay moist in the spring, and helps with deeper root systems. 12.7 inches of snow fell this winter, compared to the historical average of 19.3 inches.' The impacts of drought conditions are being felt in Baltimore's surrounding areas. In Harford County, 244,826 people are affected by drought conditions. From January through April, the area experienced its fifth driest start to the year in 131 years of monitoring precipitation. Baltimore County is also struggling: From January through April, rainfall totals were 4.39 inches below normal, with last month being the 60th driest April on record over the past 131 years, drought data shows. Over 78% of Carroll County residents are experiencing drought, with January through April ranking the third driest year to date over the past 131 years. In Anne Arundel County, 38% of residents, or 204,365 people, are affected by drought. Relief might be on the horizon, according to Pastelok. 'Late May and June still look active, with more cold fronts and rainfall that could ease drought conditions,' Pastelok said. 'We expect near to slightly above average rainfall this summer. If tropical systems from the Gulf track north, that could quickly boost rainfall totals — though pockets of drought may linger into early summer. Drier weather could return later in the season if those storms miss the region.' Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@ or on X as @ToddKarpovich
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
As Baltimore ramps up parking enforcement, citations for one offense are skyrocketing
Baltimore is issuing thousands more parking citations this spring than it has in previous years after launching overnight enforcement. City data shows agents are writing the most tickets for one particular violation — parking with expired tags. Parking agents have issued over 13,000 citations for lapsed registration stickers in the two months since the Baltimore City Department of Transportation launched its '24-hour parking enforcement' plan on March 10, promising to clear up streets with overnight enforcement. That's 17 times as many vehicles with expired registrations cited for parking on city streets as during the same period last year, when agents only wrote 800 citations for expired tags. The targeting of expired tags this spring appears to be driving the recent bump in overall parking citations. Public data on parking violations shows that at least 51,000 citations have been issued this year since March 10, up 10.5% from the same period in 2024. A mayor's office spokesperson provided figures suggesting the jump in parking citations was actually twice that but did not respond to questions asking to clarify that data. The new overnight ticketing shifts allow parking agents to be 'more focused' on the job, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said in a March statement, making enforcement 'more effective and responsive' and giving crews 'the tools they need to get the job done.' Aiming at 'habitual offenders,' the city has ticketed some vehicles dozens of times. One vehicle has received over $1,200 in tickets since March for expired tags and parking in the same tow-away zone in South Baltimore. Cars with Virginia tags made up over 10% of recent citations. The most ticketed make of vehicle? Hondas, followed by Toyotas and Nissans. The crackdown on illegal parking was set to get even tougher, with new fines taking effect Monday aimed at repeat violators in Residential Permit Parking areas. While a first offense for illegally parking in a residential permit area remains at $50, a second offense within the same 12-month period will net a $70 fine. A third and fourth will cost $100 and $150, respectively. Have a news tip? Contact Dan Belson at dbelson@ on X as @DanBelson_ or on Signal as @danbels.62.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Small plane crashes while landing near Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland
A small plane crashed Wednesday morning while landing at an airport near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, according to Queen Anne's County officials. The plane's pilot, the only person on board, was not injured, though the four-seat Cirrus aircraft 'sustained significant damage' at the Bay Bridge Airport in Stevensville, according to Queen Anne's County public information manager Beth Malasky. Malasky said that as the aircraft was landing, it 'veered off the side of the runway into a marshy area, coming to rest partially in the water.' She said that there was no damage to the airport's runway, though it would be closed as federal and state aviation authorities investigated the crash. Have a news tip? Contact Dan Belson at dbelson@ on X as @DanBelson_ or on Signal as @danbels.62.
