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Tag: gov. wes moore

  • Republican Dan Cox to run for Maryland governor, looking for rematch with Moore – WTOP News

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    The former Maryland delegate’s candidacy was posted on the Maryland elections board website Friday, and he listed Rob Krop as his running mate for lieutenant governor.

    Dan Cox, a Republican who lost against Democratic Gov. Wes Moore in the 2022 gubernatorial election, has filed to run for governor again this year.

    The former Maryland delegate’s candidacy was posted on the Maryland elections board website Friday, and he listed Rob Krop as his running mate for lieutenant governor.

    The Cox campaign is launching a website, which says it will be operating soon.

    President Donald Trump endorsed Cox during his first run for governor. Cox is a father of 10 and served in the Maryland House of Delegates between 2019 and 2023, representing the 4th District, which includes Carroll and Frederick counties, according to his House of Delegates biography.

    Cox, who was a constitutional lawyer and first-term state delegate when he first ran against Moore, advocated far-right conservative positions following Trump’s Make America Great platform. He railed against “critical race theory” and “gender identity indoctrination” in schools and against the COVID-19 lockdown measures, which did not win over Maryland’s deep blue electorate.

    Cox lost his 2022 election bid in a lopsided victory where Wes Moore held more than 60% of the vote.

    On Saturday, Maryland Democratic Party Chair Steuart Pittman released a statement in response to Republican’s filing that said, “Dan Cox’s entry into the Maryland Governor’s race, and his likely nomination by the Republican Party, creates a historic opportunity for Maryland Democrats to expand our base of support everywhere.”

    “Cox demonstrated his blind allegiance to Donald Trump when he bussed insurrectionists to Washington on January 6, 2021,” the statement continued.

    “He will serve as a reminder to Marylanders what Donald Trump has done for us: his economic assault on farmers, blue collar workers, small businesses, and public servants; his disdain for the rule of law; his disrespect for our veterans; and his lack of fiscal discipline.”

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Diane Morris

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  • Maryland will provide free rail and commuter bus transit to federal workers during shutdown – WTOP News

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    Maryland will provide free MARC train and Commuter Bus service to federal workers during the shutdown, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced.

    We want to know your thoughts on the government shutdown. How are you and your family affected? Share your story — Send us a message or a voice note through the WTOP News app on or . Click the “Feedback” button in the app’s navigation bar.

    Maryland will provide free MARC train and Commuter Bus service to federal workers for the duration of the government shutdown, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has announced.

    Anyone with a federal ID badge can ride for free by showing their badge to the operator.

    The governor made the announcement Friday while at a resource fair in Howard County, where state and local agencies were administering resources for federal workers.

    “This is what Maryland does in times of crisis: We band together and we help each other out,” Gov. Moore said in a statement. “But while Maryland is mobilizing to ease the shutdown’s burden on our people, let’s be clear, no state can fill the gap created by the federal government.”

    The federal government is the largest employer in the state, which lost over 15,000 jobs since President Donald Trump’s administration took office in January.

    In 2019, Trump’s partial shutdown cost Marylanders about $778 million in wages.

    “Since day one of this shutdown, Maryland lawmakers across the federal, state, and local delegations have stood united in the fight to protect all Marylanders,” said Rep. Sarah Elfreth.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Jeffery Leon

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  • Maryland joins multistate coalition to buck Trump administration vaccine policies – WTOP News

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    Maryland has joined a growing coalition of states that are setting their own public health guidelines to counter the Trump administration’s more restrictive vaccine policies, a health department spokesperson said Thursday.

    This article was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.

    The Maryland Department of Health believes joining the Northeast Public Health Collaborative will help “protect the health, safety and well-being” of Marylanders.(Danielle E. Gaines/Maryland Matters)

    Maryland has joined a growing coalition of states that are setting their own public health guidelines to counter the Trump administration’s more restrictive vaccine policies, a health department spokesperson said Thursday.

    As part of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, Maryland joins a cohort of states that are developing vaccine recommendations and other public health guidelines amid growing skepticism of federal health rules being set under the Trump administration.

    “The Maryland Department of Health continues to explore all options to ensure broad vaccine access,” the spokesperson said in a prepared statement. “Part of this effort includes joining the bipartisan Northeast Public Health Collaborative where Maryland will partner with other states and jurisdictions to help protect the health, safety and well-being of our communities.

    “This collaborative will make decisions based on scientific evidence and strive to ensure equitable access to quality health care,” the statement said.

    Other states involved in the collaborative include Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. New York City is also a major player.

    A handful of Northeastern states have been discussing such a collaboration since the start of the Trump administration and have held informal meetings – but it officially launched Thursday.

    The collaborative was created largely in response to more restrictive COVID-19 vaccine recommendations issued by federal health and safety agencies under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has questioned the effectiveness of certain vaccines, including COVID-19.

    The launch of the collaborative comes as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is meeting to create new recommendations that could further limit access to COVID-19 vaccines, among other vaccinations. ACIP is scheduled to vote on the recommendations Friday.

    Kennedy recently added board members who have questioned the safety of current vaccine policies. Their decisions this week could affect whether certain vaccinations will be required to be covered by insurance, which would greatly impact access to the shot.

    In late August, the FDA approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine for seniors and those with health issues that suppress their immune system – a change from previous vaccine guidance that recommended the shot for everyone older than 6 months. The recommendation sparked concern that access to the COVID-19 vaccine would be cut off for some people who do not fall in those categories.

    Top medical societies, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, pushed back on the federal COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. On Aug. 19, the academy recommended that “all young children ages 6-23 months get vaccinated against COVID-19, along with older children in certain risk groups.”

    The Northeast Public Health Collaborative has already released its own recommendations on COVID-19 vaccinations that largely align with the AAP’s recommendation as well as with the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

    Ensuring access to vaccinations and other public health needs has been a concern for the Moore administration since President Donald Trump took office for his second term.

    Before the state joined the collaborative, Gov. Wes Moore (D) assured Marylanders that access to vaccinations would be protected in the state for the time being. In May, he signed legislation that required insurers to cover vaccinations that had been recommended by ACIP as of December 2024, avoiding any change to coverage based on upcoming ACIP recommendation. That law took effect June 1.

    “This protects against the withdrawal of vaccine coverage for a range of illnesses, not just COVID-19,” according to a recent statement from the governor’s office.

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    Diane Morris

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  • Maryland teams with nonprofit to help fund programs that help younger men and boys – WTOP News

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    The nonprofit’s grant award will be divided between two programs. One replicates what’s known as ASAP (Accelerated Study in Associate Programs) in community colleges around the state, including Prince George’s Community College.

    A national nonprofit is teaming up with the state of Maryland to help fund programs that work to help younger boys and men around the state — with results that show this isn’t just good money chasing bad money that’s been already wasted.

    In fact, a prerequisite for a program to be awarded a grant is demonstrated success already.

    Arnold Ventures, a national philanthropic group started by husband and wife John and Laura Arnold of Texas, announced the $20 million in matching grants on Tuesday morning.

    “We see the issues nationwide facing men and boys, facing America’s youth,” said Laura Arnold, co-founder and co-chair of Arnold Ventures. “Anecdotal evidence is not enough to make a dent in this problem. Caring is not enough, sadly, to make a dent in this problem. We need to really focus on what it is that’s going to move the needle for communities that need the assistance of society and government.”

    The nonprofit’s grant award will be divided between two programs. One replicates what’s known as ASAP (Accelerated Study in Associate Programs) in community colleges around the state, including Prince George’s Community College.

    “We have proven programs that create a scaffolding around certain types of students in community colleges that dramatically improves their rates of completion,” Laura Arnold said.

    “That investment is to scale what we know works to support people who are in community college and who have, maybe, complicated lives or who need that little bit of support, that little bit of guidance, that little bit of mentorship to get across the finish line,” she said. “Because we know that once they get a degree, that will improve and increase the impact that they can have in society and in their own lives.”

    Maryland Gov. Wes Moore also spoke with WTOP about the announcement.

    “The data continues to suggest and show that proving programs that support our community college students also have a significant return on our society,” said Moore.

    More than $5 million is also going to help Big Brothers and Big Sisters programs operating around the state to provide more and better mentorship opportunities for boys.

    “There’s been a lot written about this, about the state of America’s youth. I think there’s kind of growing acknowledgment that young men and boys are even more troubled,” said John Arnold, who is also the co-chair of Arnold Ventures.

    “There’s a way to specifically address some of the challenges that boys are facing that don’t come at the expense of girls, but come in addition to what we’re doing for girls. Some of these investments are specifically targeted at those facing the biggest challenges.”

    The governor’s comments kept coming back to data backing the past success of the programs.

    “This is about proven solutions and proven programs,” said Moore. “The capital that’s being deployed is deeply appreciated, but most importantly, what they’re doing is they’re helping government to be better. They’re helping government to make sure that we are actually going to be data driven and heart-led.”

    “We’re taking the programs that have the strongest evidence and research that they really have impact, and trying to make sure that they get scaled at the city and state level,” John said. “And under Gov. Moore’s leadership we’ve been able to do this partnership that we think starts a spark in government, not only in Maryland, but across the nation, of evidence-based policymaking.”

    Similar partnerships between Arnold Ventures exist in Oklahoma and Colorado.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    John Domen

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  • Biden administration asks for emergency funds for Key Bridge replacement – WTOP News

    Biden administration asks for emergency funds for Key Bridge replacement – WTOP News

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    The White House on Friday reiterated its support for full federal funding to replace the Francis Scott Key Bridge in a request to Congress for $4 billion in emergency disaster relief funding.

    This article was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.

    The White House on Friday reiterated its support for full federal funding to replace the Francis Scott Key Bridge in a request to Congress for $4 billion in emergency disaster relief funding.

    The letter from Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young to House Speaker Mike Johnson said the money, an add-on to an October supplemental budget request, is needed to respond to the Key Bridge disaster, the wildfires in Maui and tornado victims in Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma and the Midwest. It also cited the need to be prepared ahead of what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted will be an “extraordinary” hurricane season.

    Of the requested $4 billion, the letter asks for $3.1 billion “for repairing and rebuilding highways and roads that have been damaged in disasters and other emergencies across the Nation, including the cost of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. ”

    While the letter does not specify a particular amount of funds for the Key Bridge, it repeats the administration’s intent to fully fund the replacement at federal expense, as has been done in bridge disasters in the past.

    The letter also encourages Congress to fund the cleanup efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers that allowed for the reopening of the shipping channel into the Port of Baltimore on June 12, almost three months after the container ship Dali slammed into the Key Bridge and sent it tumbling into the Patapsco River. And it said it planned to work with Congress on tax relief for longshoremen who were forced to draw on their retirement plans when work at the port dried up.

    Initial estimates on costs of replacing the Key Bridge replacement have put the price tag at upwards of $1.7 billion and projected that it will take years to complete. The state and the White House have said that they expect to recoup at least some of those costs through insurance payments from the shipping company that caused the crash.

    While the Biden administration has pledged full funding, that decision will be largely in the hands of the Republican-controlled House. Rep. David Trone (D-6th), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statment Friday that the House “must put politics aside and deliver results.”

    That was echoed by Gov. Wes Moore (D). “Now, it’s time for Congress to come together and pass the critical measures necessary to rebuild the bridge for the good of our nation’s economy,” Moore said in a statement released by his office.

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    Valerie Bonk

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