Ayanna Alexander

If you are traveling today or tomorrow, please arrive to the airport 4 hours early. We have not previously experienced checkpoint wait times similar to what we are seeing this morning. Travelers most impacted are those departing from Concourses A, B and C.

Maryland lawmakers are poised to pass a state budget that cuts nearly $127 million in developmental disability services. bit.ly/4c9VM41

Maryland lawmakers finalized a $70.8 billion budget that closes a $1.4 billion deficit and reduces cuts to disability services. bit.ly/4lV6E9j

Travelers at BWI Marshall Airport experienced long lines due to staffing shortages tied to the ongoing federal shutdown that forced security checkpoint closures. Read more: bit.ly/4bU3NsF 🎥: Kevin Richardson, @baltimoresun

Friday night sunsets just hit different. Have a good weekend, Baltimore.

I wonder how much Pickles Pub made yesterday

INBOX: Gov. Wes Moore releases supplemental budget, including: $2.5M for DBM audit and finance compliance unit $2.3M for Comptroller's compliance division $5M to address repeat audit findings $5.5M for MDH facilities $5.5M for DJS facilities and electronic health records

A Maryland state delegate facing an $81,500 court judgment tied to unpaid rent at a church he leads said this week he was unaware of the debt — despite court records showing he signed the agreements at the center of the case. Del. Jeffrie E. Long Jr., a Democrat representing parts of Calvert and Prince George’s counties, is seeking reelection in the June primary. The judgment stems from a 20-month legal dispute over a lease for Communion Way of the Cross church in Huntingtown, where Long serves as senior pastor. Court filings show Long signed both the original lease and a later settlement agreement after rent went largely unpaid. A co-defendant also signed the lease on behalf of the church. Read more: bit.ly/4d9AKUg 📸: Kevin Richardson, @baltimoresun

Washington’s cherry blossoms have reached peak bloom, and the city’s spring rush is in full swing. The National Park Service says the flowering blooms hit their peak on Thursday, meaning 70% of the Yoshino Cherry blossoms are open. The blooms last only a few days. 🎥: Associated Press

The latest from Baltimore/Washington International Airport📍 TSA agents at BWI are working long shifts with limited staffing and without pay during this partial U.S. government shutdown. The team at Miss Shirley’s, a Baltimore institution that also made thousands of free meals during WCK’s Covid-19 response, jumped in to support them with hearty, comforting meals. On the menu: fried chicken with grits and barbecue chicken with mac & cheese! #ChefsForFeds

Despite a decline, Howard County's graduation rate remained above the state average. But disparities for some students groups persist. bit.ly/40SWJaK

PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! It's official! The cherry blossoms are opening & putting on a splendid spring spectacle. See you soon. 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸! #CherryBlossom #BloomWatch #WashingtonDC

Jarvis Butts, the man convicted of the murder of 13-year-old Na'Ziyah Harris, was found dead in a Michigan Department of Corrections facility wxyz.com/news/jarvis-bu…

Oh we got the Baltimore shuffle out here at Pickle’s. 🕺

The Fells Point property that formerly housed Bertha's Mussels in Baltimore is condemned, according to signage outside the building. bit.ly/4rVvffE

Republicans warn the amendment weakens standards, while Democrats say it clarifies legal ambiguities. bit.ly/4rWpzSD

Gov. Wes Moore and Rep. April McClain Delaney criticized President Donald Trump’s administration for not being transparent on the planned Washington County immigration detention center following a meeting with community leaders in Hagerstown. But the local commission, which supports federal immigration enforcement in the county, told The Baltimore Sun that they were left off the guest list. “There has not been a single drop of conversation or transparency from the Trump-Vance administration,” Moore said on Monday during the meeting. “They are just dictating what they’re going to do.” The facility, outside of Williamsport, is intended to be one of several new immigration processing centers across the country. Read more: bit.ly/4lM4TLA 📸: Katharine Wilson, @baltimoresun

Going to an HBCU might be better for Black students’ health, according to a recent study ‘At age 62, Black adults who had attended an HBCU had better memory and cognitive function than those who attended a PWI’ theguardian.com/us-news/2026/m…

#BREAKING: Today, we announce @KristenClarkeJD as the new General Counsel of the NAACP. The first Black woman to lead the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, Clarke also served as President and Executive Director of the @LawyersComm and has trained future legal advocates at @HowardU School of Law. She is a fierce advocate who will lead our legal fight to advance civil rights and defend democracy nationwide. Read the full announcement here: naacp.org/articles/civil…

In a 135-1 vote, the Maryland House of Delegates on Monday passed a bill requiring public schools statewide to sharply limit student use of personal electronic devices during the school day, as lawmakers debated how such restrictions would be enforced in practice. The Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act, or House Bill 525, would require every local board of education to adopt policies by the 2027-’28 school year restricting students’ use of cellphones, laptops, smart watches and other devices, while also banning access to social media during school hours. Under the bill, students would be required to put away personal devices for the duration of the school day — including class time, passing periods, lunch and recess. Exceptions would be allowed for school-issued devices, individualized education programs, health needs, emergencies, or when administrators permit use for specific instructional purposes. More: bit.ly/41ubsZL 🎥: Maryland General Assembly