Maryland

Per the Maryland Department of Natural Resources: With colors intensifying across the state this week, parts of Maryland are right on the cusp of peak leaf change. The mountains of western Maryland are seeing bold shades of amber, crimson and gold, while other regions of our state are reporting marked increases in autumnal hues, spreading further along the tree canopies in central, northern, and southern Maryland. This weekend’s weather promises to bring warmer than average temperatures to the region, and we’re embracing the shift – and the burst in fall color – by including some of our best locations to enjoy a walk in the woods at one of our state parks and forests.

“Fall has arrived in full splendor” in Frederick County, according to Cunningham Falls State Park Manager Mark Spurrier. Cunningham Falls is located in the picturesque Catoctin Mountains, an ideal spot for viewing fall’s bounty of colors. Aaron Cook, Project Manager/Forester in Clear Spring, predicts Washington and Frederick counties will reach peak leaf change next week as the area enjoys another weather pattern of sun-filled days and crisp, starry nights.

The Supreme Court of Maryland held a Special Session on October 26, 2023, for the posthumous bar admission of Edward Garrison Draper, the earliest known individual found fully qualified to practice law in Maryland, but who was denied the privilege of doing so based on his race. The recording of the proceedings can be seen here.

Per the Supreme Court of Maryland: On October 29, 1857, Mr. Draper—a graduate of Dartmouth who had studied the law for more than two years under the guidance of a Maryland attorney—presented himself for examination for admission to the Maryland Bar before Baltimore Superior Court Judge Zachaeus Collins Lee. After the examination, Judge Lee found Mr. Draper to be “qualified in all respects to be admitted to the Bar in Maryland,” except that he was not white. Mr. Draper was thus precluded from practicing law in Maryland based exclusively on the color of his skin.

Per the State of Maryland (10:25.23): Today, Governor Wes Moore proclaimed 2024 as Maryland’s Year of Civil Rights during a launch event at the Banneker-Douglass Museum, Maryland’s official African American history and culture museum. Joined by First Lady Dawn Moore and the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture, the launch celebrated the upcoming events that will honor Maryland’s Year of Civil Rights and the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“Studying history isn’t just about knowing what happened in the past. It’s about knowing our power in the present. That’s what Maryland’s Year of Civil Rights is about,” said Gov. Moore. “And so my message to Marylanders is simple:—get out into our communities and take advantage of the programs being offered during Maryland’s Year of Civil Rights. Let’s practice our history, let’s protect our history, and let’s participate in our history, by making history of our own.”

Per the Maryland Attorney General’s Office: Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and Public Defender Natasha M. Dartigue today announced the creation of the Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative (MEJC), a new initiative dedicated to reducing the mass incarceration of African Americans and other marginalized groups in Maryland prisons and jails. The goal is to examine the scope and causes of this crisis, and to develop a comprehensive plan for reform and recommendations by January 2025.

“The disproportionate mass incarceration of Marylanders, felt most starkly in the African American community, is a devastating trauma in our State that demands our immediate and abiding attention and resolve,” said Attorney General Brown. “It is a sad reality that the vast majority of people who have been removed from communities across the country and put behind bars are Black. The formation of the Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative will bring together experts from the criminal justice system, academia, government, and the community to identify the underlying causes of this crisis and develop a roadmap for reform. I’m honored to launch this historic collaboration with Public Defender Dartigue.”

Per the State of Maryland: Governor Wes Moore today delivered the keynote address at the Maryland Minority Business Counts “Engage and Elevate” event at Coppin State University. The governor was joined by Comptroller Brooke Lierman; Maryland Department of Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson; and Maryland Department of General Services Secretary Atif Chaudhry. Also in attendance was Governor’s Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs Special Secretary Yolanda Maria Martinez; Greater Baltimore Urban League Chief Executive Officer Tiffany Majors; and Coppin State University President Dr. Anthony Jenkins, Ph.D.. Governor Moore spoke before hundreds of event attendees who gathered to promote state and municipal contracting opportunities and resources for minority owned businesses.

The Maryland Minority Business Counts initiative is a coalition of advocacy, business, civic, and community leaders dedicated to supporting and encouraging existing and future Black business owners across the state. Participants in today’s event had the opportunity to directly engage with state government agencies and attend panel discussions pertinent about doing business with the state.

Per the Maryland Attorney General’s Office: “Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, along with 41 other state Attorneys General, filed a series of federal and state lawsuits against Meta, alleging that the company knowingly designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram and its other social media platforms with the intent of addicting children and teens, while falsely assuring the public that these features are safe and suitable for young users. The federal complaint (attached) seeks injunctive and monetary relief to rectify the harms caused by these platforms.

The Attorneys General assert that Meta’s business practices violate the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires providers of online content, such as Meta, to abide by specific guidelines relating to the collection and handling of minors’ personal information. These practices have harmed and continue to harm the physical and mental health of children and teens, and have fueled what the U.S. Surgeon General has deemed a “youth mental health crisis” that has ended lives, devastated families, and damaged the potential of a generation of young people.