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Government

Scaffolding and tarps outside the Kennedy Center in Washington in June. (Al Drago/For The Washington Post)
Aug 13, 2026

Kennedy Center board reapproves Trump’s plan to close for renovations

The Kennedy Center’s board of trustees voted once more to close the performing arts venue for renovations.

From left: Michael Kuykendall of Cattelus Development Corporation; Loudoun County, Virginia, Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Michael R. Turner; Frederick County Division of Planning and Permitting Director Deborah Carpenter; League of Conservation Voters Director of Climate Policy and Justice Rebecca Rehr; and state Sen. Benjamin Brooks, D-Baltimore County, discuss the costs and benefits of data centers during a panel at the Maryland Association of Counties 2026 summer conference on Aug. 12, 2026. (Hannah Gaskill/The Daily Record)
Aug 13, 2026

MD lawmakers mull data center pauses, hear VA’s insights at MACo conference

Some lawmakers at the Maryland Association of Counties conference expressed frustration over the encroaching reach of data centers and got some insights from Virginia.

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Aug 13, 2026

‘Enough is enough’: Activists push back as BGE requests another rate increase

Consumer advocates, environmental groups and workers’ unions are pushing back against the latest rate hike proposal from BGE.

A banner depicting President Donald Trump is put up on the Department of Justice building in Washington on Feb. 20, 2026. (REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo)
Aug 13, 2026

Trump promised a sex-trafficking crackdown. His Justice Department hasn’t delivered.

The Trump administration has repeatedly said the fight against sex trafficking is one of its top priorities. But investigations have stalled and prosecutions declined.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to members of the media at the White House in Washington on July 30, 2026. (REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File Photo)
Aug 12, 2026

Trump administration finalizes ownership reporting exemption for US firms

The Trump administration finalized a rule exempting U.S. companies and individuals from reporting beneficial ownership information to the Treasury Department's financial crimes unit.

A person holds a flag as the Capitol is seen in the background during a Transgender Day of Visibility rally on the National Mall in Washington on March 31, 2025. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo)
Aug 12, 2026

Trump administration bars federal funding of gender-affirming care for low-income minors

The Trump administration finalized a rule barring two major federal health programs from funding puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries to treat gender dysphoria in minors.

GLP-1s such as Ozempic have successfully treated Type 2 diabetes and promoted weight loss. Now, participants in a Providence pilot program say the medication has curbed their cravings for alcohol and illicit drugs. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Aug 12, 2026

MD advocates push politicians to further limit drug costs, as done with Ozempic

Healthcare advocates are urging politicians to help the Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board limit costs for more than two dozen pharmaceuticals. 

Anne Arundel County Circuit Court (Dan Belson/The Daily Record)
Aug 12, 2026

MD redistricting lawsuit unsealed; hearing scheduled for later this month

A lawsuit challenging Maryland's redistricting effort has been unsealed after being hidden from public view for several days.

Visitors to the Lincoln Memorial walk near the drained Reflecting Pool, following renovations and Independence Day celebrations in Washington on July 30, 2026. (REUTERS/Nathan Howard)
Aug 11, 2026

Raskin, Democrats seek records in dropped Reflecting Pool case against ex-Olympian

Democrats are pushing the Trump administration to release case records related to the former Olympian who had been accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Scaffolding and tarps outside the Kennedy Center in Washington in June. (Al Drago/For The Washington Post)
Aug 11, 2026

Kennedy Center must pay over $250,000 to artist who opposed Trump name change

A judge ordered the Kennedy Center to pay more than $250,000 to a jazz musician who pulled out of a performance after the venue’s board voted to rename the building for President Donald Trump.

U.S. President Donald Trump reacts during an event to sign executive orders related to birthright citizenship and the polysilicon industry, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on Aug. 6, 2026. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
Aug 11, 2026

ACLU, others urge judge to block Trump’s latest birthright citizenship orders

The ACLU and other groups asked a federal judge to block U.S. President Donald Trump from enforcing new executive orders to limit the number of people eligible for birthright citizenship. […]

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown will chair the commission, which is composed of two dozen voting members and another 10 nonvoting advisory members. (Pete Kiehart/For The Washington Post)
Aug 11, 2026

At least 230 Black boys died in jail. Their families want answers — and justice.

Maryland's new commission, led by Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, investigates the deaths of at least 230 Black boys at a segregated juvenile jail.