Trump administration policies pose threats to Maryland’s ambitious climate efforts

The low-lying coastal community of Crisfield, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, lost a federal grant aimed at preventing flooding and managing sea-level rise, while universities and research institutions across the state face extensive funding cuts. Disappearing, too, are federal incentives to move to clean energy sources — replaced by President Donald Trump’s effort to repeal state laws aimed at addressing climate change. Meanwhile, scores of employees at federal environmental agencies, including many from Maryland, have already lost or could soon lose their jobs.

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Questions – and answers – about Maryland’s climate efforts

Maryland touts its climate goals as some of the most ambitious in the country. The state is required by state law to cut its greenhouse gas emissions 60% by 2031 and hit net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Legislation passed in 2022 and a pollution reduction plan published in late 2023 lay out a road map to reaching these goals. But what does this plan involve, and what does it mean for Marylanders? Here’s a closer look.

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Maryland Schools Respond to Opioid Epidemic with Programs that Connect Teens to Screening and Treatment

Karen Siska-Creel, Anne Arundel County’s school health and support director, knows from experience that if a problem pops up in the community, it won’t take long for it to appear in schools. When the opioid epidemic began to spread in Anne Arundel County around 2016, Siska-Creel saw local fire departments establish pop-up stations to help people suffering from addiction. But it wasn’t until a high schooler pleaded with school nurses and the health department for help with their addiction that she realized the depth of need in the public school system.

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