State overview: Biden asks for emergency funds to rebuild Key Bridge; MTA tightens scrutiny of hazardous materials trucks; Kamala Harris had dedicated Maryland staff in 2020 race and they’re now in the K’Hive

BIDEN ASKS CONGRESS FOR EMERGENCY FUNDING TO REBUILD MAJOR BRIDGE, KEY HIGHWAYS: The Biden administration on Friday asked Congress for $3.1 billion in emergency funding to rebuild major highways, including the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which collapsed in March when it was rammed by a cargo ship. Jacob Bogage/The Washington Post.

MTA MONITORS TRUCKS CARRYING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS IN TUNNELS: The Maryland Transportation Authority has stepped up its scrutiny of what types of materials travel through Baltimore’s tunnels on trucks since the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in late March. The loss of the bridge has diverted trucks to tunnels including the Fort McHenry Tunnel along Interstate 95 and the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel along I-895. Certain hazardous materials, however, are prohibited under Maryland law from entering tunnels due to safety and environmental risks. Dana Munro/The Baltimore Sun.

CONSUMER WATCHDOGS AND ADVOCATES SEEK RESTRICTIONS ON FOSSIL FUELS: In recent years, a consumer watchdog has urged state leaders to reconsider policies that could prolong the use of natural gas in the state. A range of advocacy groups have amplified that call. On Thursday, the consumer advocate and dozens of other stakeholders packed a hearing room at the Maryland Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities, to make their case. Josh Kurtz and Elijah Pittman/Maryland Matters.

SURVEY RANKS MOORE 3^rd MOST POPULAR GOVERNOR IN THE US: A new poll has found that Gov. Wes Moore is the third-most popular governor in America, with a 65 percent approval rating among Maryland residents. “His star has shot out of the sky like a comet,” said Roger Hartley, dean of the University of Baltimore’s College of Public Affairs. “It’s really impressive to have risen so quickly on the national stage” — especially since you’ve never held public office before. Photo: Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.

FEDERAL COURT DENIED EXPEDITED HEARING IN ELECTION SECURITY CASE: A federal appeals court has denied a request to speed up a hearing in a case involving the Maryland State Board of Elections and a group with ties to former Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox. The two groups asked the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond for an expedited hearing on July 16, just a week after they appealed a district judge’s rejection of their election security claims. In a one-page order issued Thursday, the appeals court declined to speed up the case. It gave no reason for denying the request. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VOTING IN NOVEMBER: With Election Day less than 100 days away and the presidential and other elections getting underway, Marylanders are preparing to make their ballot selections. On Election Day, November 5, not only will candidates be up for election in the United States Presidential race, but also seats in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, local courts, school boards and other positions. What do you need to know before you vote? Dana Munro/The Baltimore Sun.

6 SOLAR ENERGY PARK PROPOSED ON PROHIBITED FARM LAND IN CARROLL: Six new solar farms are being proposed for farmland in Carroll County, even though solar farms are prohibited on farmland in the county’s zoning laws. The Board of Carroll County Commissioners will now be forced to revisit the issue. The commissioners voted to ban solar farms from farmland, but the state has the final say on such projects. Sherry Greenfield/The Carroll County Times.

STATE WARNS LAKE HOMEOWNERS TO REPAIR DAM: A 900-foot-long man-made lake that’s home to turtles, fish and migrating geese in Carroll County has become the center of a dispute between state officials and a handful of nearby homeowners. The Maryland Department of the Environment has determined that the Aspen Lake Dam and Reservoir, just west of Hampstead, is deteriorating and in need of repairs. The department has ordered seven homeowners who live near or around the lake and dam to pay for the repairs or face legal action, according to letters sent to the homeowners. Sherry Greenfield/The Carroll County Times.

KAMALA HARRIS’ RISE MEANS MORE DEM FUNDING FOR ALSOBROOKS: The emergence of Kamala Harris as the likely new Democratic presidential nominee has brought new enthusiasm and a flood of dollars to the party. And Democratic leaders are hoping that shine will rub off on their candidates on the ballot — particularly U.S. Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.

2020 B’MORE HARRIS SUPPORTERS AGAIN REINFORCED WITH NEW MISSION: Amid the record fundraising and meme-making, it’s easy to forget that Kamala Harris’s first presidential run nearly collapsed before the campaign staff she brought into her Baltimore headquarters could even get settled in. But those who worked on that abbreviated race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, which ended in December 2019 before a single primary was held, say the response to Harris’s current campaign shows she was simply ahead of her time. Jean Marbella/The Baltimore Sun.

• While many of the staffers left Baltimore when Harris dropped out of the race — opening the door for her to make the same history as vice president — a handful decided to stay in the Baltimore area. They are now applying the infectious, youthful energy they captured working on Harris’ campaign across Maryland — often to the political sphere. John John Williams/The Baltimore Banner.
• So who was part of the Maryland #KHive five years ago? Del. Jheanelle K. Wilkins (D-Montgomery) was a supporter — and had been following Harris’ political career on social media even before she was elected to the Senate in 2016. Sen. Mary L. Washington (D-Baltimore City) was also a supporter. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.

SOME COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS GET PAID FOR CAREER GUIDANCE: Some Maryland community college students will get paid to meet with career counselors under a new grant aimed at keeping students enrolled and helping them complete their degree programs. The grant program, called Expanding Success, awards $125,000 to BCCC, Prince George’s Community College and Wor-Wic Community College. Up to 250 eligible students will be paid $50 a month to meet with career counselors at least once a month for one-on-one support. Lilly Price/The Baltimore Sun.

CLEARINGHOUSE TEACHER COULD HAVE WARNED BCPS OF DECEPTION: Thanks to a national clearinghouse for teacher screening, hundreds of school districts may have had to ask more questions before hiring the high school athletic director arrested in April and accused of using artificial intelligence to defraud a Pikesville principal. The Florida Department of Education reported to the clearinghouse eight years ago that the teacher had been denied a teaching certificate based on “test or document fraud.” Baltimore County Public Schools didn’t get the memo. Kristen Griffith and Dylan Segelbaum/The Baltimore Banner.

Apple workers in Towson to vote on union contract: An Apple store in Towson, the first unionized location in the country, has reached a tentative labor agreement with the company. In addition to raising wages, the offer will improve scheduling, job security and disciplinary measures while maintaining current benefits, the union announced Friday. The store’s approximately 85 employees will vote on the agreement Aug. 6. Dana Munro/The Baltimore Sun.

BLACK MARYLANDER WHO SERVED IN THE WAR OF 1812 FINALLY GETS A HEADSTONE: Louis Giles has spent three years installing a new headstone for Samuel Neale, a black Maryland veteran who served as a steward and a surgeon’s medical assistant during the War of 1812. On Saturday, Giles will complete that mission. Ela Jalil/The Baltimore Banner.