NEW: Baltimore is on track to finish 2025 with its fewest homicides in about 50 years. Before Two-thirds of city residents were even born. Baltimore homicides have further and faster than anywhere in the nation since 2018. www.thebanner.com/community/cr...

After years of covering 300+ homicides, I tried to take stock of what it means for Baltimore to finally see fewer than 150 victims this year. But people kept getting killed. 2 things are true: we’ve seen historic declines, and still too many ppl are dying www.thebanner.com/community/cr...

SCOOP from @emilyopilo.bsky.social & @leeosanderlin.bsky.social: Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said he is “terminating” his coordination with the mayor’s public safety office, which oversees the city’s flagship anti-violence initiative www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

new from @emilyopilo.bsky.social and @leeosanderlin.bsky.social tonight in @thebaltimorebanner.com ——

Baltimore State's Attorney Ivan Bates to cut ties with mayor’s public safety office, citing ‘cloak of secrecy', @emilyopilo.bsky.social and @leeosanderlin.bsky.social. (via @thebaltimorebanner.com)

Scoop: Reps for Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank have been lobbying Gov. Wes Moore’s office in an effort to persuade Maryland to buy Plank’s horse farm, email show. www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

Why is this influential member of the Baltimore Jewish community on prosecutors’ stay-away list for at least one of the defendants in the Dalya Attar extortion case? W/ @leeosanderlin.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/community/cr...

A mom of three who relies on SNAP to feed her family. A 90-year-old whose SNAP benefits supplement her meager pension. Food lines that stretch around blocks. And a whole lot of worry, across Maryland, about what happens next. www.thebanner.com/community/lo...

A mom of three who relies on SNAP to feed her family. A 90-year-old whose SNAP benefits supplement her meager pension. Food lines that stretch around blocks. And a whole lot of worry, across Maryland, about what happens next. www.thebanner.com/community/lo...

A lot of things happened yesterday in Maryland politics. Here’s another: Gov. Moore said he was “confident” in his human services secretary despite a string of missteps www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

Last week, @mdhumanservices.bsky.social Sec. Rafael López issued a policy prohibiting social services agencies from placing children in state care in unlicensed settings. Four days later, the agency broke the rule. @leeosanderlin.bsky.social, Jessica Calefati www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

New: Four days after the Maryland Dept. of Human Services secretary issued a new policy prohibiting foster children from staying overnight in unlicensed facilities like office buildings, a child spent the night in an office. W/ Jessica Calefati www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

👀 Should Joe Biden have helped Marilyn Mosby? Wes Moore seems to think so, @leeosanderlin.bsky.social reports. (via @thebaltimorebanner.com)

Should Joe Biden have helped Marilyn Mosby? Wes Moore seems to think so. www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

Millions of taxpayer dollars go toward restoring Chesapeake Bay beaches to their natural marshy state and cleaning the water. Signs on those shorelines also read: "RESIDENTS ONLY." Important story by @alexmann.bsky.social @leeosanderlin.bsky.social @adampwillis.bsky.social @thebaltimorebanner.com:

Alex Mann, @leeosanderlin.bsky.social and @adampwillis.bsky.social get at a central environmental tension in Anne Arundel County: A desire to protect the Chesapeake Bay and its shoreline meets the reality that almost all shoreline in the county is privately-owned. Read in @thebaltimorebanner.com —

Just one in 533 miles of Anne Arundel County shoreline is open to the public while taxpayers fund millions for private waterfronts. Can Maryland balance what’s best for the Chesapeake Bay with the public’s right to enjoy it? w/ @leeosanderlin.bsky.social &Alex Mann www.thebanner.com/community/cl...

📊 The Maryland poll numbers everyone wants to see 📊 Maryland Governor 2026 🔵 Wes Moore (D): 45% 🔴 Larry Hogan (R): 37% 🟡 Undecided: 14% 928 registered voters, MOE +/- 3.2 Read more from @leeosanderlin.bsky.social: www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

Mom says state agency knew foster teen was ‘high risk’ before placing her in hotel, @leeosanderlin.bsky.social and Jessica Calefati report. (via @thebaltimorebanner.com)

“Why would you take your eyes off her?”: Mom says state agency knew foster teen was ‘high risk’ before placing her in hotel, report @leeosanderlin.bsky.social & Jessica Calefati www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

let this be my legacy

Let's take a trip down to the Port of Baltimore, where a delayed safety inspection into a state-owned shipping pier has left 400,000 tons of salt in limbo. Could a booming, privately-owned terminal gobble up that salt? w/ @leeosanderlin.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/economy/real...

Jimmy Kimmel's suspension is "not enough" for local media giant Sinclair. w/ @leeosanderlin.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/economy/jimm...

Two buildings, $1.6 billion in estimated economic impact, 102 trees and a neighborhood on edge. A postcard from Remington Avenue where Johns Hopkins’ plan to build an artificial intelligence institute unlike any other has met fierce pushback. www.thebanner.com/economy/real...

Bomb threats and misinformation that led to a shooting. Discussions about beefing up security for electeds. Uncertainty about what’s next. Inside Maryland politics’ anxiety-laden last few days w/ @pwoodreporter.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

NEW: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has named Lester Davis as his next chief of staff. Currently a VP at CareFirst, Davis was a VP at powerhouse firm SKDK, advised the Moore campaign & was a top aide to former Bmore Mayor Jack Young. From @leeosanderlin.bsky.social & me: www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

With President Trump repeatedly threatening to send the military to Baltimore, read about how daily life and acts of resistance in Washington exist side by side. www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

Baltimore’s IG tweeted about a city union election. The results are now being contested. Read this @emilyopilo.bsky.social story www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

Trump threatens to revoke Key Bridge funds, send troops to Baltimore www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

Deep state forces at play? 🤔

Baltimore City Council bill would raise taxes on vacant lots www.thebaltimorebanner.com/economy/real...

Insightful profile by @justinfenton.bsky.social

Scoop: Wes Moore’s chief of staff departing to run Baltimore’s Abell Foundation W/ @pwoodreporter.bsky.social www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...

NEW: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s chief of staff, Fagan Harris, is leaving the administration for a gig heading Baltimore’s Abell Foundation. SCOOP from Lee Sanderlin with an assist from me: www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...

A quarter million in campaign donations from a developer with a dubious past, a Residence Inn rooftop and… Barefoot wine? A look at how an extended stay hotel in East Baltimore became a hotspot for Maryland Democratic fundraising. W/ Giacomo Bologna www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...

Head Start, the child tax credit, extra English help: These are all things undocumented and kids in mixed-status families stand to lose under the 2nd Trump admin. Anti-immigrant rhetoric & increased deportations are eating away at kids' mental health www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/ea...

Tubing down the Gunpowder River is the perfect way to spend a summer day— except when E. coli levels are soaring, as they have frequently this year. I spent time with the Gunpowder Riverkeepers to see how they’re working to protect the river. www.thebaltimorebanner.com/gunpowder-ri...

ICYMI: Johns Hopkins is at a critical moment. Can Baltimore capitalize? www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...

New: Does Baltimore have too many low-quality drug treatment programs? www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/lo...

NEW: The Trump administrations attempts to dismantle large parts of the federal workforce are starting to show up in the data. In June, Maryland lost more federal jobs than any state in the country — the most in nearly three decades.‬⁩ www.thebaltimorebanner.com/economy/ripp...

After FEMA axed aid, is an Eastern Shore town lost to the bay? This story from @adampwillis.bsky.social is really worth your time! www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/cl...

Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke is hosting a town hall in Baltimore on Sunday, the latest in a series of events and rallies progressive Democrats have put on across the country since President Donald Trump took office in January. www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...

NEW: Research proves empirical what @lizbowie.bsky.social and I heard from many Baltimore City students: Long and complicated commutes on public transit limit their options even in Baltimore's universal school choice system. We spoke with the researchers. www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/k-...

A new @thebaltimorebanner.com report details the unraveling of former #Orioles reliever Brian Matusz, who passed away in January. I spoke with @leeosanderlin.bsky.social and @danielleallentuck.bsky.social on how the story was reported and why it's one worth telling.

Excellent piece, and a reminder that you never truly know what is below the surface of anyone unless they let you.

The next decade would be a procession of losses — his marriage, his career, his friends — until there was nothing left for Brian Matusz to lose but himself, by @leeosanderlin.bsky.social www.thebaltimorebanner.com/sports/brian...

“The next decade would be a procession of losses — his marriage, his career, his friends — until there was nothing left for Brian Matusz to lose but himself.”

Once, Brian Matusz was seen as Orioles hope and “all-American kid.” In a matter of years, he lost his career, his community, his marriage and then his own life. Impressive, tragic reporting by @leeosanderlin.bsky.social & @danielleallentuck.bsky.social www.thebaltimorebanner.com/sports/brian...

To the outside world, Brian Matusz appeared to have it all. But inside, a battle raged. This is the story of how the once-promising Baltimore Oriole lost his way. www.thebaltimorebanner.com/sports/brian...