The Daily Dose

Local election officials sound the alarm about enforcing masks and social distancing at the polls come November. And a Baltimore City Public Schools teacher shares a personal reflection on the challenges ahead for  the upcoming school year.

The head of Baltimore County’s Health Department tests positive for COVID-19. The Census Bureau urges residents to be counted in Baltimore City, where response rates are low. Coronavirus cases are spiking in Baltimore. And Governor Hogan puts the brakes on Maryland’s Road Map to Recovery.

Governor Hogan hits pause on Maryland’s reopening plans. The call gets louder for an all mail-in ballot this November. Things got heated in debate over police reforms at a Baltimore County Council public. And environmental activists say a Baltimore City incinerator is a public health threat.

Police-reform legislation goes before the Baltimore County Council. Housing relief applications are due this week, and there are growing calls for Governor Hogan to stave off mass evictions. And Baltimore Mayor Jack Young rules on two pressing charter amendments.

Why is the White House ordering hospitals to send COVID-19 data to a private contractor instead of the CDC? And how useful is increased testing if the results take two weeks to process? Health policy expert Dr. Leana Wen shares her concerns. Plus, the story of a doctor who’s merged his love for baseball with his passion for patient care.

The top headlines of the day, plus the social and educational repercussions of a COVID-19 outbreak at The Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center. And a look at the changing stance of the Trump administration in the face of unavoidable realities.

A COVID-19 outbreak hits the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center. Senator Chris Van Hollen calls for more federal eviction protections. And an oncologist speaks about the high stakes of cancer treatment during a pandemic.

Governor Hogan praises Maryland’s testing positivity rate, but says the under-35 crowd needs to do better. Baltimore's mayor requires residents to wear masks and halts indoor dining. And Baltimore County joins other districts in opting to start the school year with virtual instruction.

Baltimore City Schools delay in-person classes until later this fall. The City Council passes a charter amendment for a new watchdog role over city government. A spike in COVID-19 cases prompts a new mask order in Baltimore County. And Baltimore County elections workers say the governor’s order to open all polling places in November is going to be a problem.

City schools announce a virtual reopening, and Baltimore County school employees are calling for the same. Maryland is officially into phase two of its COVID-19 recovery plan, but residents aren’t all so quick to embrace the relaxed restrictions. Plus, an update on Baltimore’s rental assistance program.

The end of a moratorium on evictions could signal a public health crisis. As COVID-19 infection rates escalate, so does anti-Asian racism and discrimination. And Baltimore’s Black Trans community raises its profile in a big way.

The Superintendent of Baltimore County Schools considers a district-wide ban on the Confederate flag and other hate symbols. And Maryland’s Department of Labor uncovers a coordinated criminal plan to defraud the state’s unemployment insurance program.

Governor Hogan announces a crackdown on thousands of fraudulent unemployment claims, and the superintendent of Baltimore County Schools says he favors district-wide at-home virtual learning this fall.

The pressure is on for Maryland school districts to come up with plans for what reopening will look like in the fall. And Governor Hogan’s decision ordering all polling places to be open for November’s election, in the midst of a pandemic, goes against the thinking of many elections experts.

Applications for rental assistance are extended in Baltimore. Parking meters are back on in the city. Maryland schools look to a hybrid of in-person and virtual classes this fall. In Baltimore County, teachers air concerns about reopening schools. And Senator Chris Van Hollen discusses the politics of the pandemic.

There's an outbreak of COVID-19 cases at a Baltimore juvenile detention facility. The state’s unemployment insurance trust fund is running out of money. And the saga of Baltimore’s ill-fated Christopher Columbus statue continues.

Baltimore expands its COVID-19 testing capacity. Governor Hogan makes a decision on how November’s general election will be conducted. And Baltimore County students and educators address systemic racism in an emotional forum.

Overcrowding in Baltimore County schools, a peek at Governor Hogan’s memoir, and a conversation about COVID-19 and Black Americans’ historical distrust of the medical establishment.

A Maryland lawmaker from a predominately white county takes up the call for a ban on confederate flags. And with a wave of evictions caused by this pandemic on the horizon, Baltimore city funnels millions of dollars into a rent relief fund. Will it be enough?

How are some local businesses managing to adapt to the pandemic while others struggle to stay afloat? Baltimore County is trying to help stave off evictions. Plus, a story about Black-run farms in Baltimore and the intersection of agriculture, politics, and community activism.

More than 400 million dollars have been cut from Maryland’s budget, and state officials say the fiscal crisis won’t end until the pandemic does. The Maryland Food Bank has received record-breaking donations at a moment of unprecedented demand. And Baltimore City announces pools will reopen, but not in time for the long holiday weekend.

A rental assistance program launched today for Baltimore residents affected by the pandemic. Contact tracers are doing critical work, but does Maryland have enough of them? Plus, some good news for Maryland crab lovers.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are on the chopping block as Maryland’s Board of Public Works prepares for a major budget-cutting vote tomorrow. And Dr. Leana Wen looks at the wisdom of reopening the country as COVID-19 infection rates climb nationwide.

The MD Department of Health bans a local lab from collecting and processing COVID-19 tests. State leaders look at how to prevent a possible wave of evictions. And Maryland’s child-care centers cautiously reopen as parents head back to work.

Maryland businesses reckon with the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19 infections. Baltimore County teachers ratify a contract with a much reduced pay raise as schools ponder back-to-class logistics. And former Baltimore mayor Catherine Pugh reports to prison.

Baltimore housing advocates warn of a wave of mass evictions in the city. And the head of a Baltimore nursing home shares a personal story about the harrowing reality that his residents and staff have endured since the onset of COVID-19.

Maryland hasn’t dealt with some 34 thousand residents who are still waiting to be processed for unemployment insurance. Baltimore County’s School Board cuts back a planned pay raise for teachers. Plus, a conversation with Wes Moore about racial inequity, police reform, and what the rest of the country might learn from Baltimore’s experience.

Mounting frustration over trash collection in Baltimore City, and a new contract for teachers in Baltimore County. Plus a look ahead to the upcoming presidential election: How is the COVID-19 pandemic and a wave of social change going to influence voters in November?

Maryland’s governor promised universal COVID-19 testing for the state’s juvenile detention facilities, but the facilities’ residents and staff are still without tests. With Baltimore’s trash and recycling services hindered by the pandemic, residents are taking a DIY approach. And Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olzsewski is frustrated with the state’s inconsistent reopening schedules.

Baltimore City’s Mayor is easing restrictions and allowing more businesses to open. In-person summer school is off the table for Baltimore County kids. And, with enhanced safety measures, hospitals are getting back to business, but not quite business as usual.