Capital News Service
banner
cnsmd.bsky.social
Capital News Service
@cnsmd.bsky.social
Reporting across Maryland and in Washington, D.C. Powered by @merrillcollege.bsky.social.
Pinned
Hi there! 👋
We're CNS (Capital News Service), a student-powered news organization run by the @merrillcollege.bsky.social . We provide deeply reported, award-winning coverage of issues important to Marylanders. Follow us for the latest political news, investigations, data reporting and more.
a bear is standing in a field behind a fence and waving .
ALT: a bear is standing in a field behind a fence and waving .
media.tenor.com
Marylanders, does your commute time seem to be never-ending? 🕐🙄 It’s not just you.

#Maryland's average one-way commute time increased to 31.5 minutes in 2023– the second longest in the country.

Story by Sandra Smith:
cnsmaryland.org/2025/11/21/m...
Maryland has the second highest commute time in the U.S.
Marylanders are spending more time on the road– the state now has the second-longest commute time in the country.
cnsmaryland.org
December 6, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Trains regularly hit wildlife, but poor reporting obscures the true toll. See the latest reporting below.👇

This story is part of a collaborative project between The Howard Centers for Investigative Journalism and news organizations from the U.S. and Canada.
🔗: cnsmaryland.org/off-the-rails/
December 5, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Marylanders can expect to pay around $88 for a thrifty 10-person Thanksgiving feast this year. That's according to our new analysis of grocery prices for staple holiday foods.

Read more from Isabella Carrero-Baptista:
Thanksgiving by the numbers: How much Marylanders can expect to spend this holiday
Marylanders can expect to pay around $88 for a thrifty 10-person Thanksgiving feast this year, according to a Capital News Service analysis.
cnsmaryland.org
November 25, 2025 at 5:46 PM
A handful of sheriffs are enforcing immigration policies so aggressively that they’ve put #Maryland ahead of most red states in transferring migrants to ICE custody.

Full story by Aline Behar Kado, Haley Parsley and Raphael Romero Ruiz:
cnsmaryland.org/2025/11/13/m...
November 21, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Jim Bell has never felt comfortable entering Hyattsville Immigration Court, but he still shows up every Thursday afternoon.

He and several other local people of faith say they come to bear witness to the proceedings.
cnsmaryland.org/2025/11/08/l...
November 19, 2025 at 2:24 PM
“It’s a silent plague.”
- Declan Hill, a University of New Haven professor who studies corruption in sports, on gambling addiction.

Read about the call for stricter regulation of sports betting in this story from Xavier Board:
cnsmaryland.org/2025/11/07/l...
Lawmakers press for action to tighten regulation of sports betting amid recent scandals
Now lawmakers, public-health experts and families are pressing Congress to close the gap between state-by-state gambling regulations and the lack of federal regulation they say has fueled gambling …
cnsmaryland.org
November 18, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Maryland progressives are calling for the state to join a handful of others and create new congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

More here from Mira Beinart:
cnsmaryland.org/2025/11/07/m...
Maryland progressives call for new congressional districts
Thirteen states are on a path to possibly redrawing their congressional maps.
cnsmaryland.org
November 17, 2025 at 2:49 PM
“Too old, too small and too exposed.”
[email protected] on the new location of FBI headquarters

#Maryland is suing the #TrumpAdministration over the relocation. Here’s the full story from CNS's Eddy Calkins:
cnsmaryland.org/2025/11/06/m...
Maryland sues Trump administration over FBI HQ relocation
WASHINGTON – The State of Maryland is suing the Trump administration over the relocation of the FBI headquarters. Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, and Pri…
cnsmaryland.org
November 11, 2025 at 9:55 PM
On Oct. 1, several new #Maryland laws went into effect. Among them: the Sergeant Patrick Kepp Act, which changed what constitutes reckless, aggressive and negligent driving. It also increased penalties for those offenses.

Story by Alaysia Ezzard.
🔗: cnsmaryland.org/2025/11/04/a...
Drivers convicted of reckless driving in Maryland could now face jail time
The Sergeant Patrick Kepp Act went into effect at the beginning of October, and it reconstitutes what is considered reckless, aggressive and negligent driving in Maryland.
cnsmaryland.org
November 11, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Reposted by Capital News Service
Two @cnsmd.bsky.social student reporters were ousted from an immigration court in Hyattsville, MD, on Oct. 28 and told not to return without proper authorization.

A week later, they came back with a letter from the DOJ saying they didn’t need permission to observe.
Student journalists ousted from immigration court in Maryland
Student journalists Lillian Glaros and Ruby Siefken were ordered out of an immigration court in Hyattsville, Maryland, on Oct. 28, …
pressfreedomtracker.us
November 7, 2025 at 10:27 PM
“My commitment has been clear since day one – we will explore every avenue possible to make sure #Maryland has fair and representative maps.”
- @govwesmoore.bsky.social, on the launch of a new redistricting commission

Here’s the full story from CNS's Eddy Calkins: cnsmaryland.org/2025/11/04/g...
Gov. Wes Moore enters Maryland into the redistricting conversation
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Governor Wes Moore has launched a new redistricting commission to explore possible changes to Maryland’s congressional map ahead of the 2026 elections. The move comes as s…
cnsmaryland.org
November 10, 2025 at 2:49 PM
On Wednesday, #SCOTUS heard arguments to determine whether the #TrumpAdministration’s tariffs are legal.

CNS TV reporter Zion Williams has the story: cnsmaryland.org/2025/11/05/u...
U.S. Supreme Court hears case to determine the legality of the Trump tariffs
WASHINGTON – Child’s Play Toys and Books says its mission is to bring the best toys to its community. The Trump administration’s tariffs have made that harder. The added import costs have for…
cnsmaryland.org
November 9, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Rep. @raskin.house.gov, D-Maryland, has charged that the #DepartmentofJustice’s investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein case files was halted in January.

The FBI publicly announced the end of its investigation in July.

More here from Mary Burke and Sophia da Silva:
Maryland’s Raskin says Justice Department killed Epstein probe in January
Visit the post for more.
cnsmaryland.org
November 8, 2025 at 7:15 PM
The #Maryland State Department of Education released its annual schools report card. 🎒 📈 Here are some of the key findings from reporter Alexandra Marek:

🔗: cnsmaryland.org/2025/11/04/n...
New Maryland school report card shows small gains
The annual Maryland School Report Card showed overall improvement in school ratings and attendance.
cnsmaryland.org
November 7, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Dozens of community members volunteered at The Assistance Center of Towson Churches, a distribution partner of the #Maryland Food Bank, to pack and distribute grocery bags this week.

Story by Mira Beinart :
cnsmaryland.org/2025/11/04/v...
Volunteers step up to feed neighbors during ongoing government shutdown
Dozens of community members volunteered at a Towson food bank on Tuesday to pack and distribute bags of groceries amid a surge in demand for food.  The Assistance Center of Towson Churches, a distr…
cnsmaryland.org
November 7, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Reposted by Capital News Service
What happens when critical infrastructure is carved up and sold off to investors? A new investigation looks at how these firms are capturing our rail networks and prioritizing profits — often at the expense of safety @cnsmd.bsky.social cnsmaryland.org/2025/10/29/p...
PRIVATE TRACKS: How Wall Street is Reshaping the Railroad Industry
Investment firms are quietly taking greater control over America's railroad industry, accumulating large stock positions in railroad operators and buying up companies that lease and manage rail cars o...
cnsmaryland.org
November 3, 2025 at 6:38 PM
The CDC changed the #COVID-19 vaccination guidelines recently, creating some confusion and concern. Here’s what you need to know from CNS TV reporter Kiliane Gateau.
What Marylanders should know about getting vaccines this year
HYATTSVILLE, Md. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its COVID-19 and flu vaccine guidelines, leaving many Marylanders wondering what has changed. Questions remain about eligib…
cnsmaryland.org
November 3, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Happy Halloween! 🎃

We'd like to treat you to a new data analysis on scary movies from CNS reporter Molecule Jongwilai, who dove deep into The Movie Database to research horror movies released between 1950 and 2022. 📈 📊 👻

Check it out:
cnsmaryland.org/interactives...
Spooky season isn't just in October: Examining the data around horror movies
Capital News Service analyzed data about horror movies released between 1950 and 2022 and found five interesting facts about these spooky films that help us understand them a little better.
cnsmaryland.org
October 31, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Visit Hyattsville Immigration Court and you might see members of St. Camillus Catholic Church outside, joined in prayer.

Below, CNS reporter Ruby Siefken describes the scene. Video by Mia Ferraro.
#Maryland #MarylandNews #immigration
October 31, 2025 at 4:20 PM
#BREAKING:
@govwesmoore.bsky.social directs $10 million towards food banks amid cuts to SNAP

Read more here from Sandra Smith:
cnsmaryland.org/2025/10/30/g...
Gov. Moore directs $10 million towards food banks amid cuts to SNAP
Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency on Oct. 30, two days ahead of the cuts to Maryland’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
cnsmaryland.org
October 30, 2025 at 8:48 PM
It has been 4 weeks since the #GovernmentShutdown. Next week it will mark the longest shutdown in history.

Holliday Woodard is back with the update on what’s being done to end it.
October 30, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Advocates are raising awareness of an increase in sexual assaults ahead of this #Halloween weekend.

CNS video reporter Rachel Brock looked into what students on campus are doing to ensure student safety:
cnsmaryland.org/2025/10/28/a...
Advocates raise awareness of increase in sexual assaults ahead of Halloween weekend
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – As Halloween weekend approaches, University of Maryland student leaders are emphasizing sexual assault awareness and prevention. Student government representatives Pragya …
cnsmaryland.org
October 30, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Yesterday, federal officials ordered two of our reporters out of immigration court and barred them from observing future proceedings until they get permission from the #TrumpAdministration.

Read more here:
cnsmaryland.org/2025/10/28/l...
Local immigration court ousts reporters from hearings
HYATTSVILLE, Md. – Federal officials ordered two reporters out of immigration court on Tuesday and barred them from observing future proceedings until they get permission from the Trump administration...
cnsmaryland.org
October 29, 2025 at 5:45 PM
As of Oct. 1, #Maryland’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education, or SNAP-Ed, has been defunded following President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”
cnsmaryland.org/2025/10/23/m...
Maryland’s SNAP-Ed program defunded at the expense of low-income families
As of Oct. 1, Maryland’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education, or SNAP-Ed, has been defunded following President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” SNAP-Ed provides SNAP participants, low…
cnsmaryland.org
October 29, 2025 at 2:03 PM
How is the #GovernmentShutdown affecting airports? During last Wednesday and early Thursday, FlightAware reported 3,321 delayed flights and 51 cancellations.

Here’s what Washington area travelers are saying.
Story by Holliday Woodard and Peter Riccio:
cnsmaryland.org/2025/10/23/a...
A ‘gamble’: Washington area airport travelers worry about shutdown’s impact on flights
Three weeks into the government shutdown, travelers have mixed feelings about flying in and out of the nation’s capital.
cnsmaryland.org
October 28, 2025 at 8:00 PM