Spotlight on Maryland
@SpotlightMDNews
Investigative journalism holding Maryland leaders accountable. You pay the bills — we follow the money.
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A BILLION-DOLLAR PROMISE. A GROWING TAXPAYER TAB.
As Gov. Wes Moore seeks reelection, Baltimore’s promised Red Line remains on the drawing board.
The estimated rail cost has climbed as high as $9 billion, and Maryland is facing multibillion-dollar deficits.
Spotlight on Maryland reporter @GaryCollins examines what happened to the promise — and what taxpayers have paid.
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AFFORDING MARYLAND: Is Maryland becoming too expensive to live in?
Higher taxes. Rising electric bills. Expensive groceries. Families lining up for food assistance.
Maryland is facing another multibillion-dollar budget shortfall, and Governor Moore hasn’t committed to no new taxes or fees.
We want to know: Are you struggling to afford living in Maryland?
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BREAKING: After a yearlong Spotlight on Maryland investigation, a nonprofit leader has been indicted for allegedly operating an unlicensed assisted living program.
It's the first indictment under a 2023 Maryland law that made operating an unlicensed assisted living facility a felony.
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Who’s watching Baltimore’s taxpayer money?
A nonprofit was awarded more than $400K from the city’s youth fund. The nonprofit’s latest publicly available tax filing is from 2023.
And there’s another connection raising questions.
Our investigation:
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Are Maryland transit rules being enforced?
Maryland transit officials have issued hundreds of citations for fare violations. But a rider who says he’s been banned told Spotlight on Maryland he continues using public transit anyway.
Newly obtained records show fare violations accounted for nearly two-thirds of MTA citations over roughly 10 months.
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Banned from Maryland public transit. Still riding anyway.
Fare violations account for 63% of MTA citations.
If riders can ignore the rules, how effective is enforcement?
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FOLLOWING THE MONEY: A Baltimore nonprofit reported just $20,000 in contributions in 2023.
Since then, it has been awarded more than $421,000 in taxpayer-funded grants.
Its recent tax filings aren't publicly available.
Experts are questioning the oversight of tax dollars.
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With Election Day approaching, the top two Maryland Democrats have left voters without direct answers to a consequential question about who will lead the state if Moore leaves office before a potential second term ends.
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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore won't say whether he will serve another four years if reelected. His lieutenant governor, Aruna Miller, won't say whether she's prepared to take his place.
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NEW: More than 250 calls to the Harford County Sheriff's Office in 10 months, all linked to a group home for vulnerable young women.
Now, there are questions about the state's oversight and whether these young girls are in the right placements.
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Wes Moore won't commit to four more years. Aruna Miller won't say if she's ready to replace him.
If Moore leaves state office early to pursue national ambitions, she would become governor. No special election. No voter approval.
Do Marylanders deserve answers before Election Day?
Spotlight reporter @GaryCollins investigations. Watch the story on @FOXBaltimore and read it in the @baltimoresun.
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NEW: The federal government is reviewing allegations that Maryland violated rules meant to protect people with disabilities.
More than 200 appeals missed the 90-day deadline.
Families say the delays are wearing them down.
Our latest Spotlight investigation:
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Open subway gates. Open back doors on buses. And a policy from Maryland’s transit agency that tells employees to state the $2 fare but not enforce it. Riders who don’t want to pay don’t have to, and no one stops them unless police are there.
@TessaBentulan of @FOXBaltimore tells @LyndsayMKeith why fare evasion has become so common in Baltimore.
Watch:
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For Baltimore bus drivers, death threats and fear of assault are a daily occurrence. One driver told @tessabentulan he prays the same words before every shift: “Please God, bring me home.”
@tessabentulan of @foxbaltimore tells @lyndsaymkeith the dangers drivers are facing on the job.
Watch the full story:
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Spotlight on Maryland’s @TessaBentulan talked with @NationalPressHQ host @LyndsayMKeith about fare evasion in Maryland.
The fare for a Baltimore bus or subway ride is $2, yet riders watch others walk right past the fare box every day. Subway gates sit open for hours, and bus drivers say they’ve been told not to enforce fares.
@tessabentulan of @foxbaltimore spent months investigating why so many riders don’t pay. She joins @lyndsaymkeith to explain what she found.
Watch the full episode:
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He promised four more years. Now he won't say.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore once made two things clear: He would serve a full second term if reelected, and he wasn't running for president in 2028.
But as Election Day approaches, his answers are changing.
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Somerset County spends about $24,000 per student.
Yet the district ranks last in Maryland for math proficiency and second to last for English.
Parents are questioning the results. Students are speaking out. And the superintendent acknowledges serious challenges.
Spotlight on Maryland reporter @conrad_brooke investigates.
📸: Steve Pierce/Spotlight on Maryland
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I’d like to speak with a Maryland family about affordability. DM me or email me at tbentulan@sbgtv.com.
@SpotlightMDNews @FOXBaltimore @baltimoresun
Two Maryland school districts. About $24,000 per student in each.
One has the state’s highest test scores. The other is near the bottom.
Somerset County parents want to know why their children aren’t getting better results.
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Gov. Wes Moore touts tax cuts, falling crime and fiscal success. But some Maryland voters question his record as budget deficits grow and campaign claims go unanswered.
