WYPR News

Darryl De Sousa resigned as Baltimore City Police Commissioner Tuesday, four days after Mayor Catherine Pugh suspended him as he dealt with federal tax charges.

Pugh announced she had accepted the resignation shortly before noon and said in a statement it would not affect efforts to reduce crime in the city.

Some Baltimore City public schools have lost thousands of dollars in federal funding because of changes to the school lunch program. City Council members are looking for ways to bridge the gap.

When Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz died suddenly Thursday morning, the 60-year-old was competing in a crowded field for the Democratic nomination for Maryland governor. With the primary election just six and a half weeks away, Kamenetz’s death could dramatically alter the dynamics of the race.

Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz died suddenly Thursday morning of cardiac arrest. He was 60. 

Kamenetz’s death sent shockwaves through the county courthouse.

Baltimore Police Union President Gene Ryan called Wednesday for the resignation of Marvin McKenstry from the panel overseeing civilian review of the police department under the city’s consent decree. That’s a tougher stance than taken previously.

Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s first three and a half years in office have been marked by contradictions. She successfully prosecuted a number of violent criminals, but came under fire as her cases against six city police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray fell apart. Mosby, who is running for re-election, says she wouldn’t do anything differently.

The former prosecutor turned defense lawyer who wants to become a prosecutor again--the city's top prosecutor--doesn't have much good to say about Marilyn Mosby. Most recently he slammed her use of officers from the now disbanded Gun Trace Task Force trials. Here's Bates outside of the State’s Attorney’s office in March.

Vignarajah’s campaign video sounds like the trailer for a summer blockbuster movie.

“So we have to face facts, Baltimore is not the greatest city in America any more, but it can be," says Vignarajah in his campaign video with a full orchestra behind him.

District Three City Councilman Ryan Dorsey and the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition unveiled a charter amendment that calls for an independent inspector general Thursday. The group needs 15,000 signatures on a petition and approval from city council and the mayor’s office to get the amendment on the November ballot.

At Monday night’s city council meeting President Jack Young introduced  a resolution to hold a hearing with Baltimore City Public Schools on their enrollment task force. City school’s enrollment numbers have been declining faster than the city's population. WYPR’s City Hall Reporter Dominique Maria Bonessi spoke with Morning Edition Host Nathan Sterner.

Two Democrats running for Baltimore County Executive are promising to build three new high schools, Dulaney, Lansdowne and Towson. But that promise would cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and it’s not clear where they would find the money.

It’s known that oysters are not only a favorite delicacy, but also incredibly beneficial to their habitats because of their water-purifying powers. In fact, a typical adult oyster can purify up to 50 gallons of water a day.

But now, Maryland scientists wonder whether the bivalves can serve another purpose: to break up oxygen-starved “dead zones” plaguing the Chesapeake. And they’ve started an experiment in the Severn River, just north of the Route 50 bridge to test the idea.

Earlier this month, County Executive Kevin Kamenetz delivered his final budget message to the County Council. He reflected on his 24 years in office, 16 years on the council, and the last eight years as county executive.

“Over the decades, I probably met with every single resident at least once,” Kamenetz said. “Or maybe it just feels that way.”

Maryland’s General Assembly approved a bill to establish funding for complete streets. Last night Baltimore City Council’s land use and transportation committee met to hear local complete streets legislation proposed by District Three Councilman Ryan Dorsey. WYPR's City Hall Reporter Dominique Maria Bonessi is on the line now with more.

Over the last year or so, the Prince Georges County school system has been tarred by one scandal after another: grade-fixing to boost graduation rates, secret raises for administrative personnel, alleged abuses in the Head Start program.  

Theresa Mitchell-Dudley, president of the county teachers’ union, blames County Executive Rushern Baker, who wrested power from the elected school board five years ago.

As part of her violence reduction initiative, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh has been meeting daily with the heads of every city agency. On Tuesday morning, she took another step, a walking tour of one of the toughest neighborhoods in the city.

A new poll released Tuesday shows that Gov. Larry Hogan is as popular as ever. With the election a little more than six months away, 70 percent of the Maryland residents polled by Goucher College approve of the way he is doing his job.

But the poll also shows that Hogan’s re-election is far from a sure thing. Less than half of likely voters said they would pick Hogan over one of seven Democrats vying to unseat him, and about a quarter said they were undecided.

Measures to be introduced at Monday night’s city council meeting would require local lobbyists to disclose more information and create public financing for city campaigns. The bills come prior to the June primary election.

Baltimore County’s school board voted Tuesday night to remove the word "acting" from Verletta White’s title and make it just Superintendent of Schools.

Now, White, who has been acting superintendent for nearly a year, says it’s time to hit the reset button and begin working to restore people’s faith in the county school system.