Biased landlords ignore disability rights, uphold segregation, activists say

WASHINGTON — Disability, race, gender, mental illness, and criminal history are used by landlords against low-income renters to deny access to public housing. That’s according to Lydia Brown, a fellow with Washington’s Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health…

Black maternal health crisis prompts politicians, providers to act

WASHINGTON — One previous cesarean section, a five-page written plan outlining post-delivery care for her oldest child and around 12 weeks of natural childbirth classes still didn’t prove to be enough preparation for the arrival of Allyson Brown’s second child.…

Hoyer slams Trump’s border emergency claims, says there’s no border crisis

WASHINGTON — With the threat of another government shutdown looming, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, took aim Wednesday at President Donald Trump’s claims of a border emergency, saying “there is no crisis.” “The bottom line he found is (the…

Bill to “ban the box” would end federal employer requests for criminal histories

WASHINGTON — Former felons could have more success securing employment under bipartisan legislation introduced Thursday that would bar federal employers from asking requests for applicants’ criminal histories before conditional job offers. Reps. Elijah Cummings, D-Baltimore, and Doug Collins, R-Georgia, joined…

Maryland legislators disappointed with Trump’s State of the Union address

WASHINGTON – Maryland’s Democratic lawmakers were cold to President Donald Trump’s call for unity in Tuesday’s State of the Union, saying it failed to break any new ground. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Mechanicsville, said he didn’t want to call…

Maryland legislators pleased with shutdown deal, but Democrats hit Trump

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced Friday that he has come to an agreement with Democrats to reopen the government for three weeks. Several Maryland lawmakers quickly responded that they hoped to find a path to avoiding another shutdown. Minutes…

Unions, Maryland Food Bank partner to help federal workers

BALTIMORE – At lunchtime Wednesday, underneath a dim overcast sky, 77 families of furloughed federal workers showed up to a union parking lot for food. In the crowd was Donna, a Baltimore employee of the Treasury Department. Having fallen on…

In Washington, indigenous peoples march against injustices

WASHINGTON – Amid clouds of ceremonial smudging smoke, hundreds gathered Friday for the first Indigenous Peoples March to raise awareness of injustices affecting native people worldwide and focused on missing or murdered Native American women. Organized by the Indigenous Peoples…

Federal workers to get back pay, but tales of woe mount

WASHINGTON – Furloughed federal workers will be compensated for the time they spent working without pay, thanks to a bill sponsored by Maryland’s senators and signed into law Wednesday by President Donald Trump. The bill, sponsored by Maryland Democratic Sen.…