Mass vaccination sites are set to make a comeback in Baltimore County. A vaccine mandate went into effect today for Baltimore City employees. Senator Ben Cardin pays tribute to former Secretary of State Colin Powell. We have a conversation on the public health effects of Baltimore’s public transportation. And everything you need to know about the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s new guidelines on using aspirin to prevent heart disease.

Governor Hogan slams Baltimore’s crime stats and takes aim at efforts to defund the police. An FDA panel approves J&J COVID boosters. Maryland lawmakers hear from medical professionals as they consider legalizing recreational cannabis. Workers at the Walters Art Museum continue their push for union recognition. Hate symbols are now banned in Baltimore County Public Schools. And a quick check in with Maryland’s Deputy Secretary for Public Health, on COVID booster shots and impending vaccines for kids.

The NIH says for those who got the J&J vaccine, it’s okay to mix and match booster shots. Prince George’s former County Executive has announced his running mate in Maryland’s gubernatorial race. The ongoing pandemic is taking a serious toll on the nursing industry, and the head of the Maryland Nurses Association says there are some creative ways to address it.

On Baltimore City’s first official Indigenous Peoples’ Day holiday, Maryland’s COVID positivity rate remains below four percent. The governor plans to replace a detention center in Baltimore with a therapeutic treatment facility. Students in Anne Arundel are testing out of quarantine. And in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, some advice from a breast surgeon on how to manage your breast health.

Thanks to ARPA Funds Maryland is sitting on a more than $2 billion surplus. And Gov. Larry Hogan has a plan for how to spend it. COVID politics play out along partisan lines in Baltimore County. And in Anne Arundel County, there are plans to make something beautiful out of a grim site that is an ugly marker in Maryland’s history.

The needle is moving in the right direction for the state’s COVID metrics. Baltimore’s mayor remains quarantined. Free flu shots are available at clinics throughout Baltimore County. The County Execs’ extended state of emergency is coming under some scrutiny. Anne Arundel’s school bus shortage has been exacerbated by a driver’s strike. Bear Creek could become a Superfund cleanup site. What will Baltimore City do with its six-hundred-forty one million dollars in ARP Funds? The council has some ideas on that...and how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott tests positive for COVID-19. The Baltimore County Council votes tonight on whether to extend the county’s state of emergency. Maryland hospitals have made progress in vaccinating staff, but staff shortages remain a top challenge. Plus we’ll hear from the director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics on the issue of mandating vaccines.

Baltimore’s top health official says the city would drop its mask mandate if multiple COVID-19 trends drop for two weeks. Maryland hospitals are taking measures to reduce a nursing staff shortage. As homicides continue to go up across the country, Baltimore is also on pace to reach a grim milestone. Landmark police laws in Maryland took effect today. Drawing the redistricting lines in the county to better reflect the non white population draws ire. And renters hold a “sleep out” in Annapolis to draw attention to a dire housing crisis.

Baltimore’s acting Housing Commissioner gets officially appointed to the role. Baltimore County is making it easy for its non vaccinated employees to get tested for COVID but not everyone is happy about that change. Baltimore County’s Schools superintendent told the board it’s time to do better. It comes on the heels of a report detailing a dysfunctional system. Less than two months into the new school year, Maryland’s schools are struggling to keep kids COVID free. State senators are calling on the health department to mandate vaccines for students. And, Baltimore County Public School nurses say they are overwhelmed.

A top aide for Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s administration resigns. COVID rates are on the decline in Baltimore County Public Schools, for now. The governor requests a presidential disaster declaration to help two counties recover from Tropical Depression Ida. And Dr. Leana Wen walks us through the FDA and CDC’s latest rulings on booster shots.