ABERDEEN – To the Census Bureau, the section of Aberdeen sandwiched between Route 40 and the Aberdeen Proving Ground is an almost-perfect demographic reflection of the state of Maryland

WASHINGTON – When Linda Patterson decided to become a foster parent, she did not envision a child with disabilities — nor did she ever intend the arrangement to be permanent

WASHINGTON – Disabled children in Maryland were less likely than other foster children to be placed with relatives, more likely to be set on a course of long-term foster care and slightly more likely to end up in group homes or institutions in 1998

WASHINGTON – Maryland’s congressional delegation got an overall grade of B for its record on 10 key child welfare votes, ranging from Medicaid expansion to elimination of the estate tax, according to a report by the Children’s Defense Fund

WASHINGTON – Prison “boot camp” programs are no better at preventing repeat offenses than traditional jail time or probation, according to a new study that analyzed boot camp research nationwide

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court declined to hear a plea Monday from developers who claim Baltimore County violated their constitutional rights by adopting a zoning law designed solely to halt their building plans

WASHINGTON – A federal appeals court has ruled that AT&T can still get a fair trial on charges that it stole trade secrets from a Laurel company, even though its attempts to subpoena the federal government in the case were quashed in the interest of national security

WASHINGTON – A federal appeals court has ruled that former employees of a Severna Park Taco Bell can pursue a sexual harassment claim for the “campaign of torment” that the restaurant manager directed at them

SILVER SPRING – Richard, a kindergartner with close-cropped black hair, slurps his Tasteeos, then leans back and belches before turning to grin at a visitor to New Hampshire Estates Elementary on a recent morning

WASHINGTON – Rep