The Baltimore Running Festival is one of my favorite days of the year. There’s something pretty special about seeing neighbors gather along the streets for hours, cheering on thousands of runners, most of whom they’ve never met. The handmade signs, the creativity, the encouragement from complete strangers, the whole neighborhood coming outside to be part of it. It’s some of the very best of what community can look like. Lea and I were out cheering again today with my trusty Super Mario power-up sign. I’ve been using this same sign for years, and what you can’t see in the photo is the many layers of duct tape holding it together on the back. Still going strong! Congratulations to everyone who ran today. We loved cheering you on!

Two men were killed and three others wounded in a shooting overnight on East Lombard Street, including two teenagers just 14 and 15 years old. My heart is with the families grieving today, those who were injured, and everyone in Highlandtown shaken by this violence. Baltimore has made real progress in reducing violence with real coordination and accountability. But every shooting is a reminder of why we cannot let up even an inch. The type of chaotic violence we saw in Highlandtown is infuriating. We will not backtrack on the progress we've made to make neighborhoods safer. We must remain committed to preventing violence before it happens, supporting our young people and communities to stay safe, and holding those responsible accountable when violence like this occurs. Anyone with information about this shooting is urged to contact Baltimore Police at 410-396-2100 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP. thebanner.com/community/crim…

Mental health touches every family and every community, yet too many people still struggle in silence or hesitate to reach out for support. On World Mental Health Day, we recommit to building a Maryland where asking for help carries no shame and quality care remains within reach. If you or someone you care about needs support, call or text 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor 24/7.

South Baltimore residents have raised persistent public health concerns about BRESCO incinerator ash and want the ability to independently verify what is in it. I’ve asked the Maryland Department of the Environment whether it can facilitate that testing and, if not, what options exist under current law and whether legislative action is needed.

I spent Saturday in Ellicott City knocking doors with Senator @katiefryhester along with Speaker @PenaMelnykforMD and Delegates Chao Wu and Natalie Ziegler. Senator Hester is an engineer by training. She spent 20 years in international development, building partnerships between companies, governments, and nonprofits, before she held office. She came to politics through Building Bridges, a group she started to restore civility in her community, and ran for the Senate in 2018. In the Senate, she helped secure $8.25 million for flood mitigation in Ellicott City, and she has co-chaired the legislature's cybersecurity committee since 2019. One of her bills signed into law this year targets the use of AI deepfakes to mislead voters. She won this seat in 2018 by less than two points, the only Democrat in Maryland to unseat a Republican senator that year. Keeping it matters, and she has earned another term.

October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to stand with survivors and recognize every person’s right to feel safe at home. No one should live in fear behind closed doors, and we must keep strengthening the resources that help survivors find safety and rebuild their lives. If you are experiencing abuse, help is available through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). You deserve to be heard and protected.

Tonight, Fells Point came together for two neighbors after an unthinkable act of violence. Earlier this afternoon, Claudia, the woman who was critically injured in Tuesday’s attack, died. I’m thinking especially of her husband, Wade, who was attacked alongside her, and of their family, friends and neighbors. Violence can make people retreat from the places they call home. Tonight was the opposite: neighbors came outside and stood together. Thank you to everyone who brought this community together tonight, especially Arch McKown, Brant Fisher, and Gail & Ron Furman.

Thirty communities across Maryland are receiving ENOUGH Act awards this year, including more than $6.1 million for Cherry Hill, Brooklyn and Curtis Bay, and Perkins Somerset Oldtown. When we passed the ENOUGH Act, the goal was to change how government responds to concentrated child poverty: listen to the people closest to the work, build on what communities are already doing, and put real resources behind locally led plans. These communities have already done the hard work of bringing residents and partners together around solutions. This funding gives them the resources to put those plans into action for children and families. governor.maryland.gov/news/p…

Today is a significant day for Curtis Bay and South Baltimore. After years of violations and continued concerns from residents, the agreement announced today by the Maryland Department of the Environment will bring incinerator operations at Curtis Bay Energy to an end. The company will pay a $600,000 civil penalty and, under the consent decree, must cease all incineration operations as the facility transitions to a substantially smaller waste-transfer operation. Curtis Bay residents have been raising concerns about this facility for years. They documented what they were seeing in their own neighborhood, worked with scientists to track emissions, and kept pressing for action. Their photos and videos ultimately became part of the evidence behind the State’s enforcement case. I am grateful to Secretary McIlwain and @MDEnvironment @OAGMaryland and his office for pursuing this case. And I am especially grateful to the residents and community organizations, including @BaltimoreSouth who refused to let these concerns be ignored. Curtis Bay has carried the burden of industrial pollution for generations. This agreement is a meaningful result for a community that has fought for years.

34 more days to make sure we send Senator @ShanekaHenson back to Annapolis🗳️

What happened yesterday morning on Fleet Street is horrifying. Two of our neighbors, a 60-year-old man and a 76-year-old woman, were attacked and robbed in broad daylight. I’m thinking about both victims and their families, and about the fear an attack like this creates for everyone who walks these blocks every day. People should be able to move through their neighborhood without wondering whether they are safe. Whoever committed this attack needs to be found, arrested and held accountable. I’m staying in close contact with Baltimore Police as they work to apprehend the person responsible, and I’ll stay engaged with the State’s Attorney’s Office as the case moves forward.

BGE’s proposal to return tax refund benefits to customers is welcome. The Public Service Commission should ensure the full benefit is returned fairly and transparently to the customers who paid those costs. This would provide real relief, but it is a one-time credit—not a solution to the broader pressures driving electricity bills higher. Marylanders still need lasting relief from rising electricity costs, and that work remains ahead of us. thebanner.com/economy/ripple…

If the federal government’s own records fail to recognize that an American citizen is an American citizen, the burden should not fall on that person to prove it all over again just to vote. Yet that is exactly the risk the Supreme Court acknowledged in allowing this system to move forward. Accurate voter rolls matter. So does protecting every eligible citizen’s right to vote. We should never accept a system that sacrifices one in the name of the other. abcnews.com/US/supreme-court…

As Sukkot begins tonight, wishing Maryland’s Jewish community a joyful holiday filled with gratitude, connection, and time together. Chag Sameach!

Paid family and medical leave is coming to Maryland, and the first major step toward implementation is underway. Employer registration for Maryland's Family and Medical Leave Insurance program (FAMLI) is now open. If you have at least one employee working in Maryland, you're required to register. Contributions begin January 1, 2027, and starting January 1, 2028, eligible workers will be able to take up to 12 weeks of paid, job-protected leave to care for themselves or a loved one. Employers can register now and find resources from @MD_Labor paidleave.maryland.gov/regis…

Election season is underway in Maryland. Mail-in ballots for the November 3rd General Election begin going out today, September 21st! With the General Election coming up, now is a good time to make sure you know where to find accurate, up-to-date election information. The Maryland State Board of Elections is the best resource for official updates and important election information. Visit vote.md.gov to learn more and make your plan.