Maryland

The Maryland General Assembly is considering legislation, backed by Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates, that would mandate longer prison sentences for illegal gun possession. Heather Warnken, executive director of the Center for Criminal Justice Reform at the University of Baltimore School of Law, and Joseph Richardson, a professor of African-American studies and anthropology at the University of Maryland, say longer sentences will only serve to damage communities while having little or no deterrent effect on gun violence.

Sponsors and supporters of the bill say it would help people who were incarcerated and later released reintegrate into society and make Maryland jury pools more representative.

Horoscopes for Feb. 20-Feb. 26.

And why Baltimore County doesn’t really tell the story.

Some readers were shocked at what didn’t make it on my pizza list, so here’s their favorites.

Test your knowledge of this week's local news events by taking our quiz.

Mayor Brandon Scott has hired his third communications director in two years. Cirilo R. Manego III will start with the mayor’s office on Tuesday.

The ceremonial handoff of names between the coequal branches marks a Maryland tradition researchers have traced back well over a century.

Until the new Democratic governor’s nominees are confirmed by the state Senate, appointees of former Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, will continue holding all five seats on the Public Service Commission.

Craig A. Thompson, a lawyer and partner with the Venable firm, says he’s “willing to work night and day” to reach a deal for the Orioles to remain at Baltimore’s Camden Yards.

Buying a waterfront house in Eastport seems like an odd choice for Jeffrey Eckel, an investor funding the generational shift from a carbon-based energy economy to one less likely to wreck the planet.

A highlight is a Friday night tribute performance to late horn player Roy Hargrove that will mix players from RH Factor — which combined jazz, funk, soul, and hip-hop — and the more straight-ahead Roy Hargrove Quintet.

This spring will mark a shift in how many people access COVID tests and vaccines, and who pays for them, but many free public sites will remain open.

The Terps trailed 37-29 before erupting on a 29-4 burst to take control.

More than 75% of millennial-aged women report having received unsolicited lewd imagery.

The new Democratic governor made a direct, public appeal to lawmakers, something that former Gov. Larry Hogan never did during his two terms in office.

This week, a reader is a no longer satisfied in their career and wants to know when is the best time to make a change and what direction they should go in.

Climate change makes hitting the restoration targets for the bay significantly more challenging.

From the inception of catering to the creation of fine dining, Black Marylanders have played a large role in shaping America’s food history, several experts say.

Lawmakers will consider proposals from the Democratic governor to enhance the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit and to increase the minimum wage — all steps that Moore hopes will boost the economic prospects of Marylanders.