REBUILT Zine

Maryland Ranks Last in Court Reporter Pay. No One Is Tracking What That Costs Litigants. A national infrastructure crisis is erasing court records, raising concerns over the appeal process in Maryland, which has not assessed its own issues. With low pay leading to a shortage of transcriptionists, Maryland lacks essential data on transcript delays, undermining the public's ability to challenge court rulings effectively.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/07/01/maryland-court-reporter-pay-transcript-backlog/

Why FIFA Really Passed Over Baltimore — And Whether the City Has Caught Up Baltimore's bid to host the World Cup in 2026 faced rejection in 2022, attributed to factors like inadequate transit and hotel capacity. Four years later, crime rates have significantly decreased, but hotel inventory has worsened. While transit improvements are planned, the city must address hotel shortages to strengthen future bids for international events.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/06/30/why-fifa-passed-over-baltimore-2026/

Supreme Court Clears States to Bar Transgender Athletes From Girls’ Sports — Where Does That Leave Maryland? The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can restrict girls' sports teams to biological females, affecting laws in West Virginia and Idaho. This 6-3 decision allows states to define eligibility without individual assessments of transgender athletes, impacting future legislation like Maryland's proposed "Fairness in Girls' Sports Act."... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/06/30/supreme-court-transgender-athletes-girls-sports-maryland/

Baltimore Wasn’t Spared — It Was Passed Over Baltimore's bid for the 2026 World Cup, in partnership with Washington, D.C., was rejected despite strong logistics and local support. The decision not only disappointed city leaders but also highlighted a missed opportunity for economic and cultural exposure. As Baltimore grapples with this setback, future bids may rely on renewed leadership and advocacy.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/06/29/baltimore-world-cup-bid-missed-opportunity/

Supreme Court Upholds Mail-In Ballot Grace Periods — Maryland’s Rules Survive the Challenge The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that states can count mail-in ballots with an Election Day postmark, preserving Maryland's mail voting rules for the upcoming midterms. However, dissenting justices raised concerns over election integrity and public trust, questioning the reliability of late-arriving ballots in close races.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/06/29/supreme-court-mail-ballot-grace-period-maryland-ruling/

Maryland Has a Million Voters With No Primary. Here’s How to Fix That. Maryland's closed primary system excludes over a million unaffiliated voters from participating in political processes, limiting their influence in elections. The proposed Independent Primary seeks to remedy this by allowing unaffiliated voters to vote in a distinct primary, ensuring three candidates advance to the general election, thus enhancing electoral representation and competition.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/06/29/maryland-independent-primary-proposal-unaffiliated-voters/

Maryland’s Locked Electorate: When Neither Party Is the Answer Following the Maryland primary, polls reveal widespread voter dissatisfaction, with 81% unhappy with party direction. While 68% support GOP nominee Dan Cox for another election, 24% do not. A significant number favor an open primary system. This reflects frustration with the two-party system, signaling potential shifts in future elections.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/06/28/maryland-locked-electorate-two-party-system-voter-frustration/

Moore’s Own Supervisor Says Governor Did Not Receive Bronze Star — and Was Not in Afghanistan When Fellow Soldier Died Retired Lt. Col. James Gottschling challenges Maryland Governor Wes Moore's military biography, stating he did not receive a Bronze Star but an Army Commendation Medal during his Afghanistan deployment. Gottschling also disputes Moore's claims about a fallen soldier, asserting inaccuracies in Moore's accounts, raising concerns over his integrity amidst the ongoing controversy.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/06/28/moore-supervisor-bronze-star-afghanistan-timeline/

Convicted of Housing Fraud. Now She Runs Prince George’s Land Records Office. Qiana Johnson, who was convicted in 2015 for a property fraud scheme, now leads the race for Clerk of the Circuit Court in Prince George's County after defeating an eight-year incumbent. Despite her criminal history, she advocates for criminal justice reform and has established a nonprofit. The election outcome raises questions about second chances in public office.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/06/27/qiana-johnson-prince-georges-clerk-housing-fraud/

Montgomery County Schools Faces Supreme Court Petition After Barring Teacher for Refusing to Keep Parents in the Dark Kimberly Ann Polk, a substitute teacher, has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court after being barred from Montgomery County Public Schools for refusing to follow gender pronoun policies that conflicted with her religious beliefs. The petition arrives amidst several Supreme Court rulings challenging similar secrecy policies in schools, which could have significant repercussions for educational policy across multiple states.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/06/27/mcps-supreme-court-polk-parental-secrecy-petition/

Orioles Pride Night Features Drag Performer in Family Section, Drawing Sharp Fan Backlash The Baltimore Orioles' upcoming Pride Night at Camden Yards has sparked backlash due to the decision to place RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Heidi N Closet in the family-oriented Tower Federal Credit Union Bird Bath area. Fans across various perspectives voiced concerns, with many threatening to boycott the team. New owner David Rubenstein has yet to comment.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/06/26/orioles-pride-night-drag-performer-family-section-backlash/

What Wes Moore Didn’t Say After Winning Maryland’s Primary Governor Wes Moore, after winning the primary, focused on national issues like redistricting and building congressional support, neglecting pressing Maryland issues. He failed to address the Key Bridge contractor crisis, mounting state deficits, questionable energy bill claims, and discrepancies in his military record, leaving many Marylanders concerned about local governance.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/06/26/wes-moore-post-primary-what-he-didnt-say/

The Firewall Fell Overnight The Maryland Senate's six-month redistricting blockade ended abruptly after primary elections reshaped the political landscape. Governor Wes Moore announced a special session for redistricting, citing emergency needs. The primary outcomes weakened Senate leadership, prompting both discussions on constitutional amendments and potential new maps. Republican leaders criticized the focus on redistricting over pressing economic issues.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/06/26/maryland-redistricting-special-session-firewall-fell/

Maryland Officials Find Their Voice — Just Not for Taxpayers Maryland officials responded to the Supreme Court's ruling limiting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections for Haitian and Syrian nationals. Attorney General Anthony Brown and County Executive Marc Elrich expressed solidarity while avoiding the question of taxpayer representation. Governor Wes Moore, who committed state resources to TPS advocacy, has yet to comment on the ruling.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/06/25/maryland-officials-tps-supreme-court-ruling-taxpayers/

Supreme Court Ruling Puts Maryland’s Gun Law on Constitutional Life Support The Supreme Court ruled in Wolford v. Lopez that Hawaii's law requiring concealed-carry permit holders to seek permission before entering private businesses violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. This decision likely affects Maryland's similar law, SB 1, which is set to be challenged, asserting the rights of vetted permit holders.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/06/25/supreme-court-wolford-v-lopez-maryland-gun-law-sb1/

Building Bridges to Liberia While Baltimore Waits for Its Own Wes Moore, Maryland's governor, signed a memorandum of understanding with Liberia shortly after winning the Democratic primary. This agreement focuses on collaboration but lacks financial commitment or legislative approval. Critics argue that while the signing appears historic, it distracts from pressing issues like the delayed Key Bridge reconstruction, highlighting governance priorities.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/06/25/wes-moore-liberia-key-bridge/

MD-6 Primary Delivers a Clear Democratic Winner — and a GOP Puzzle Heading Into November April McClain Delaney won the Democratic primary in Maryland's Sixth Congressional District with 43.65% of the vote, defeating David Trone. Despite his significant financial advantage, Trone's loss highlighted voter dissatisfaction, as 18% chose lesser-known candidates. Meanwhile, Robin Ficker secured the Republican nomination amidst concerns over his track record, raising questions for the general election.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/06/24/md6-primary-analysis-mcclain-delaney-ficker-november/