REPLACING OLD AMTRAK TUNNEL UPENDS A BALTIMORE NEIGHBORHOOD: Baltimore’s Midtown-Edmondson neighborhood has turned into a big construction site as Amtrak prepares to build the western entrance to the future Frederick Douglass Tunnel next door, replacing the decrepit, Civil War-era tunnel that caused bottlenecks. But the construction will upend daily life for years there as residents fear the daily burden will push them out before they see the promised benefits. Daniel Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.

FERGUSON: STATE NOT YET FEELING BRUNT OF TRUMP BUDGET DECISIONS: State officials will get an updated look at Maryland’s revenue picture in a month, but Senate President Bill Ferguson expressed confidence Monday that the state is prepared — at least in the near term – to weather the as-yet-unrealized fallout of ongoing federal budget actions. Ferguson said delays in implementation of recently passed federal budget cuts and employee reductions, and ongoing court challenges to policies implemented by President Donald Trump will have some negative effect on the current budget year. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.

IN THIS CLIMATE, JOBS ARE HARD TO COME BY FOR NEW COLLEGE GRADS: More than a dozen college graduates of the class of 2025 who either grew up or were educated in Maryland spoke of the challenges of finding a job across a variety of industries. Young people, degrees in hand, face a job market destabilized by cuts to research funding, competition with unemployed federal workers and the rise of artificial intelligence. Every grad said they know multiple people who are struggling to find stable employment after graduating. And it’s not their fault. Nori Leybengrub/The Baltimore Banner.

BALTIMORE MAY GET FAR LESS IN OPIOID TRIAL AGAINST TWO DISTRIBUTORS: Baltimore may receive much less than it was hoping from its trial against opioid distributors McKesson and AmerisourceBergen after a ruling from Maryland Circuit Court Judge Lawerence Fletcher-Hill last Friday. Fletcher-Hill ruled that Baltimore is due $100 million in abatement funds from the companies to rectify future issues caused by the widespread sale and distribution of opioids over the last two decades. That’s significantly less than the more than $5 billion the city requested. Scott Maucione/WYPR-FM.

POLL: APPROVAL RATINGS SHRINK FOR MOORE: Troubling poll news continues for Gov. Wes Moore (D) in a new survey that shows approval numbers for the first-term executive continue to slip and the gap between those who approve and disapprove of his performance continues to shrink. The Maryland Now poll is the most recent of several over the last nine months that have shown a continued softening of support for the charismatic first-term governor. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.

SCOTT HITS BACK AS TRUMP INSULTS BALTIMORE: While President Donald Trump was making his case for military occupation of Washington, D.C., which has seen a significant drop in crime, he insulted two other cities, including Baltimore, whose mayor, Brandon Scott, was quick to respond. “This is the latest effort by the president to distract from the issues he should be focused on—including the roller coaster of the US economy thanks to his policies,“ Scott wrote on X. ”When it comes to public safety in Baltimore, he should turn off the right-wing propaganda and look at the facts.” David Klepper/The Associated Press.

HOWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE, UNION REACH TENTATIVE CONTRACT: Howard Community College and United Academics of Maryland, a union representing the college’s full-time faculty, have reached a tentative agreement for their first-ever union contract, with full time faculty receiving a 4% cost of living raise. The union contract is not official until the faculty votes to ratify it on Aug. 22. Eddy Calkins/Baltimore Fishbowl.

• The tentative agreement includes the highest salary increase for faculty in seven years, improved working conditions and stronger job security. Jess Nocera/The Baltimore Banner.

MO CO PLANNERS WORRY ABOUT DROP IN MULTIFAMILY HOUSING PROJECTS: Montgomery County planners say they are concerned by a trend of a low number of building permits for multifamily rental projects being issued by the county from October to June, indicating that the county is facing a worsening housing crisis. The county awarded 38 permits for multifamily housing units from October to June. Elia Griffin/Bethesda Today.

BA CO COUNCILMAN SEEKS IG OVERSIGHT OF COUNTY SCHOOLS: Baltimore County Councilman David Marks wants to expand the inspector general’s reach to include finding waste, fraud and abuse in the county schools. To do it Marks, a Republican, will need Democratic support in the state legislature. The General Assembly has to sign off because local school systems are state agencies. John Lee/WYPR-FM.

OPINION: ENERGY RATES KEEP RISING AND HERE’s WHY: As Marylanders endure another hot summer, skyrocketing power bills have sparked understandable frustration. Maryland Energy Administration Director Paul Pinsky and BG&E Vice President Mark Case have both weighed in on what’s driving these costs. Both point to the same culprit, the competitive energy market, but the data tells a different story. Tyrone Keys/Maryland Reporter.

ASBESTOS FOUND IN WASHINGTON CO HIGH; STUDENTS TO LEARN REMOTELY: Williamsport High School in Washington County will start the 2025-26 school year virtually, after asbestos was found in its building during construction this summer. The more than 900 students who attend the school will start school online on Aug. 25 as their campus undergoes cleaning and restoration to remove the asbestos found in parts of their building. Washington County Public Schools officials said this process could last the first two marking periods of the academic year. Darreonna Davis/The Baltimore Banner.

The post State Roundup: A Neighborhood Is Shaken As Amtrak Replaces 150-Year-Old Tunnel; Ferguson Says State Has Yet To Feel Impact Of Federal Budget Actions appeared first on citybiz.

This contant was orignally distributed by citybiz. Blockchain Registration, Verification & Enhancement provided by NewsRamp™. The source URL for this press release is State Roundup: A Neighborhood Is Shaken As Amtrak Replaces 150-Year-Old Tunnel; Ferguson Says State Has Yet To Feel Impact Of Federal Budget Actions.