The CDC has updated its COVID-19 travel restrictions after a new order from the Biden administration extending mask mandates. COVID positivity rates are creeping up in Baltimore and across the state, but so far no renewed mandates. Governor Hogan signed a host of bills into law as the 2022 Legislative Session came to a close. The deaths of three Baltimore firefighters earlier this year have now been ruled homicides. And the debate over banning plastic bags in Baltimore County is heating up as council members are coming down on opposite sides of the issue.

The last day of Maryland’s legislative session is finally here, and Democratic lawmakers closed out with wins on big agenda items from climate change, to paid family leave to increased access to abortion care. Baltimore County Councilwoman Cathy Bevins is found to have violated charter by moving outside of her district, but there’s no precedent for punishment. The state’s COVID-19 positivity rate continues to rise. Cases remain low but the new omicron B.A.2 subvariant is slowly driving numbers up. We’ll hear from Dr. Leana Wen on how we navigate this stage of the pandemic.

Another slight uptick, and Maryland’s COVID-19 positivity rate is the highest it's been since February. Baltimore’s mayor delivered the first State of the City address from City Hall in three years. The focus: public safety. Baltimore County council’s fraught redistricting map paves the way for a new council candidate. And one council member is sounding the alarm about the health of the county’s pension.

The legal battle over Maryland’s Congressional redistricting map has been settled. For the first time, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County names a woman as president. The state’s COVID positivity rate sees a slight uptick. Baltimore City Hall and state courthouses re-opened for normal business today, but some pandemic restrictions remain. And the Baltimore County Council is taking up the issue of a contract to inspect the Inspector General’s office.

Maryland’s congressional redistricting map is in limbo as legal challenges remain. The race is on in Annapolis to get bills to Gov. Larry Hogan’s desk in the last full week of the 2022 legislative session. Plus hospitals get some economic relief but continue to face a workforce shortage. And a CDC study shows just how pervasive poor mental health has become among teenagers during the pandemic.

A bill to make abortion services easier to access in Maryland passed along partisan lines. House lawmakers take another step in hashing out a bill to reduce Maryland’s carbon footprint. Baltimore County volunteer firefighters will get some ARPA money after all. And a proposal to make it easier to shut down businesses in the county with ties to criminal activity has run into opposition.

Gov. Hogan, joined by House and Senate leaders, announced a more than $1 billion tax relief plan to help small businesses and keep retirees from leaving the state. Maryland’s House and Senate leaders say they’ve come up with a revised congressional redistricting map after a judge threw out the one presented Friday, ruling it unconstitutional. Baltimore County will spend an extra $70 million to fix and replace dated schools. A Johns Hopkins project is using social media to gather global data on changing attitudes about health and well being during the pandemic. And experts at the Bloomberg School of Public Health tell us where we are in the fight against COVID and what we can expect in the near future.

A Maryland judge has sent lawmakers back to the drawing board over a contested congressional map as partisan debate over how elections maps are drawn on the state and local levels remains fraught. With weeks left to go in this General Assembly session, Governor Hogan announces more state funding for crime fighting initiatives and chides lawmakers to take action. And there’s a plan afoot to infuse new economic life into a historically Black community in Baltimore County using its “opportunity zone status.”

Moderna seeks emergency use authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine for younger children. The Maryland General Assembly has cleared crossover day and now has the final weeks to get unfinished legislation done before sine die. Medically necessary gender-affirming care for those who can’t afford it would be covered by medicaid under a bill that cleared the Maryland Senate.

The court battle over redrawn council districts in Baltimore County is creating a headache for at least one candidate. A package of bills in the Baltimore City Council aim to crack down on vacant housing. The COVID-19 positivity rate remains low in Maryland, but public health officials say we’re not in the clear yet. And Senate hearings are underway for the first Black woman to be nominated to the Supreme Court.