Maryland

Per the Maryland Attorney General’s Office: Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown joined a coalition of 15 Attorneys General filing an amicus brief supporting the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in a legal challenge to HUD’s prohibition on housing practices that may appear neutral but in reality are discriminatory under the Fair Housing Act. The HUD regulation, known as the Disparate Impact Rule, has been formally in effect since 2013.

“Dismantling discriminatory practices in homeowners insurance, such as offering inferior policies or imposing burdensome terms and conditions in some neighborhoods but not others, is essential for fair housing,” said Attorney General Brown. “Weakening the federal protections that ensure equal access to homeowners insurance will make it more difficult for states to combat systemic discrimination.”

Governor Wes Moore today released the following statement regarding the Baltimore City Firefighters injured and killed in the line of duty:

“Our entire state grieves for the victims of the fire in northwest Baltimore that took the life of one firefighter and seriously injured four others last night.

In a statement released via social media today, former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has announced that he has informed Harvard that he will be withdrawing his offer to participate in fellowships this fall, stating that he “cannot condone the dangerous anti-Semitism that has taken root on their campus.” The full letter can be seen below:

“Dear President Gay,

Two new records for new species have been established in the Atlantic Division of the Maryland state fishing records program. Angler Chris Stafford of Cherry Hill, N.J. caught  a pompano dolphinfish (Coryphaena equiselis) weighing 2.0 pounds on September 20, and Ellicott City resident Stephen Humphrey caught a great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) weighing 13.0 pounds on October 6. Both fish were caught off the coast of Ocean City.

Pompano Dolphinfish Record: Stafford was working a school of dolphinfish at Poor Man’s Canyon and “bailing” them on light spinning tackle when he noticed that one of the dolphinfish that he caught looked slightly different from the others. Later on, back at the dock, one of the mates that works as a fish cutter at Bahia Marina also noticed that the general body shape and proportions of the fish were different from other dolphinfish. Stafford notified the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, which identified the fish species.

Peak leaf change is right around the corner in the western half of the state, evident in the russet leaves of the oaks, bronze and yellow hickory canopies, and the dazzling ruby red maples. The weather conditions remain ideal during the weekdays when Marylander’s are experiencing crystal blue, sunlit skies during the day, winding down with star-filled skies and chilly temperatures at night. Weekend weather systems have been a regular feature, bringing us wind and rain across much of the region, resulting in premature leaf loss in some areas of our state. However, there is plenty of fall color to be found if you know where to look. And this week, Western Maryland steals the show. Click here for fall foliage in Montgomery County.

Western Maryland: Cold, wet and windy conditions persisted through much of the week in northern Garrett County, bringing more leaves down to the forest floor. But leaf peepers need not despair, according to Forest Manager Sean Nolan. “Plenty of colorful leaves remain in the treetops at Savage River State Forest,” Nolan said. “The maple leaves have all turned while the oak trees are at various stages of color change with many still holding green leaves.  The color change is definitely coming in waves, with individual trees showing vibrant colors and surrounding trees showing subtle changes.  I would say we have certainly reached the midpoint and are moving toward peak as the oak trees continue to change.”