Maryland Now

Maryland Now, brought to you by Blended Public Affairs

This episode, Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin head to Capitol Hill for a wide-ranging conversation with Congressman Steny Hoyer, the dean of Maryland's congressional delegation, who retires in January after more than four decades in Congress, and Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth, who first walked into his office as an intern in 2011 and now serves alongside him. Together they look at how Congress got here, what it will take to fix it, and what a mentor and his protégé have learned from each other.

In this episode:

• How Congress has changed since Hoyer arrived in 1981, from the Tip O'Neill and Bob Michel era to the confrontational politics he traces back to Newt Gingrich
• Why Hoyer says Congress's problem is psychological, not structural
• Elfreth on the bipartisan freshman retreat where she saw glimmers of hope that opposing sides can come together to do hard things
• The 1983 Reagan and O'Neill Social Security deal, and why reform is harder today
• Both lawmakers on Congress's failure to check the executive branch
• The mentors who shaped them, from Mike Busch and Mike Miller to Hoyer's friendships across the aisle
• Elfreth's work on the Armed Services Committee and what it means for Maryland's military installations
• Advice for the next class of new members, from Elfreth's call for curiosity to Hoyer's Edmund Burke lesson

Got a question or topic you want covered this season? 

• Reach us at [email protected], and find us now on Facebook too.

Technical support by Nate Carper, Carper Creative.

• (00:00) - Welcome and Introductions

Maryland Now — brought to you by Blended Public Affairs

This episode, Dori Henry sits down for a roundtable on women in Maryland politics, joined by Alex Hughes, founder and president of Blended Public Affairs and former longtime Statehouse staffer, Sophia Silbergeld, one of Maryland's top political fundraisers, and Martha McKenna, president of McKenna Media and co-founder of Emerge Maryland.

The conversation covers where Maryland actually ranks on women in office, why the fundraising grind keeps talented women off the ballot, and how a shift in multi-member district culture changed the expectation that one woman in a district was "enough." Martha shares the story of how Sarah Elfreth's 2016 wake-up call helped fuel a wave of women running in 2018, Sophia makes the case that campaigns win by connecting with voters, not by running on identity, and Alex traces how Annapolis culture has shifted since the early 2000s. Dori also revisits the moment a sitting Maryland comptroller told a young intern to "walk again," and how much the culture has, and hasn't, changed since. 

In this episode:

• Where Maryland ranks nationally on women holding legislative office, and which state is ahead of us
• The "million dollar question," sustaining the pipeline of women candidates past the first wave
• How Sarah Elfreth was motivated to run, and how the 2016 election helped spark the wave of women who ran and won in 2018
• How Annapolis's culture has changed, and hasn't, since the early 2000s
• Why personal brand and storytelling matter as much as a resume, and what that means for women candidates specifically
• Advice for any woman considering running, volunteering, or getting more involved

Got a question or topic you want covered this season? Reach us at [email protected], and find us now on Facebook too.

Technical support by Nate Carper, Carper Creative.

• (00:00) - Welcome and guest introductions

A quick note: Maryland Now is taking a short break this week. Enjoy this favorite episode from last season, and join us back on October 1st for a brand new episode.

In this "Roundtable" edition of Maryland Now, hosts Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin dive into the quirky, surprising, and often controversial world of Maryland's official state symbols. From the 1893 Chicago World's Fair to classroom lobbying efforts by elementary school students, the group explores how 26 different icons, ranging from the iconic blue crab to the prehistoric Astrodon johnstoni, became part of the state's official identity.

The episode goes behind the scenes of the legislative "sausage-making" in Annapolis, revealing why some symbols represent deep-seated heritage while others are the result of persistent student campaigns, political compromises, and even a bit of lighthearted debate over the state's official dessert.

In This Episode:

• The World's Fair Spark: How a 19th-century disagreement over a national flower led to the "snowball effect" of state symbols across all 50 states.
• The "Bad Bill" of 2001: The humorous story of how a group of Allegany County students successfully lobbied for the Calico Cat, despite pushback from legislators who thought the General Assembly had "gone to the cats."
• The Jousting vs. Lacrosse Compromise: A look at the legislative maneuver that kept Maryland's traditional state sport intact while elevating Lacrosse to its own official status.
• The Smith Island Cake Crusade: How a humble multi-layered dessert from a small island community became a staple of Maryland pride (and a lesson in the power of grassroots lobbying).
• Repealing History: A serious look at the 2021 decision to officially repeal "Maryland, My Maryland" as the state song and the ongoing search for a replacement.
• Dinosaur Drama: Why a 112-million-year-old "Star Tooth" found in Prince George's County is the only dinosaur officially recognized by the Free State.

Questions or Story Ideas: Email us at [email protected].

Audio and technical support by Nate Carper of Carper Creative.

Maryland Now is brought to you by Blended Public Affairs.

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• (00:00) - Welcome to Maryland Now

Maryland Now — brought to you by Blended Public Affairs

This episode, Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin sit down with Tom Perez — former U.S. Labor Secretary, former DNC Chair, former Maryland Labor Secretary, former Montgomery County Councilmember, and now a partner at Mayer Brown — for a wide-ranging conversation on the 2026 midterms, the state of American democracy, and what comes next for the Democratic Party.

In this episode:

• Why Perez believes Democrats are favored to retake the House and are newly competitive in states like Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, and Texas — and the historical data point he says predicts midterm outcomes better than anything else
• His warning about what he hopes Democrats don't do if they retake Congress, and what he thinks the real priorities should be instead
• A candid conversation about the risk to free and fair elections in November
• Perez's reflections on his time in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division — from working under Reagan-era officials who respected institutional norms, to what he calls the "obliteration" of those same norms today
• His firm's role representing Harvard in its funding dispute with the administration, and why he says the case matters far beyond one university
• A sobering look at what a return to normalcy might cost the U.S. with its allies abroad, and why he thinks trust, once broken twice, is much harder to rebuild

Got a question or topic you want covered this season? Reach us at [email protected], and find us now on Facebook too.

Technical support by Nate Carper, Carper Creative.

Maryland Now — brought to you by Blended Public Affairs

This episode, Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin turn the mic on their own industry, sitting down with TJ Smith — until days ago the host of a talk radio show on WBAL, and before that spokesperson for Baltimore City Police and then-County Executive Johnny Olszewski — and Miranda Spivack, a former Washington Post editor, former top editor at the Gazette newspapers, and author of Backroom Deals in Our Backyards. Together they take stock of Maryland's media landscape today: what's been lost as newsrooms shrink and outlets close, but also what's emerging to try to fill the gap, from nonprofit journalism to a generation that may be starting to crave something deeper than a headline.

In this episode:

• How Pew Research shows the share of Americans following local news closely has dropped from 37% in 2016 to 21% in 2025 — and what that decline actually looks like on the ground, from WBAL cutting local programming to the Washington Post scaling back Maryland coverage
• TJ Smith on the erosion of local news bureaus, the blurred line between "journalist" and "influencer," and how he tried to bridge the gap by recording his own press conference footage for outlets that could no longer send anyone
• Miranda Spivack on the economics of local news, why subscription and philanthropic models are gaining ground, and what it was like watching ownership change at the Washington Post
• The bright spots: the Baltimore Banner's Pulitzer Prize and its expansion into Montgomery and Prince George's counties, and TJ's case for cautious optimism that younger generations may be circling back toward wanting real depth over quick hits
• A candid look at what's still missing even where new outlets are succeeding — the group's take on the loss of the editing function, and where the Baltimore Sun's shift under new ownership fits into the bigger picture
• New models worth watching: bundling news subscriptions like streaming services, cross-promotion between outlets, and the case for local journalists becoming trusted community voices in their own right
• A frank conversation about media distrust, "flooding the zone," and what it takes to rebuild credibility in an information environment that's radically different from the one this group started their careers in

Got a question or topic you want covered this season? Reach us at [email protected], and find us now on Facebook too.

Technical support by Nate Carper, Carper Creative.

Maryland Now — brought to you by Blended Public Affairs

This episode, host David Nitkin takes on healthcare — an industry so big and so personal that he almost didn't tackle it, given his own history working inside the Johns Hopkins system. Drawing on interviews with seven leaders across Maryland's hospitals, physicians, regulators, and insurers, David traces the 50-year history of the "Maryland Model" — the state's unique all-payer healthcare system — from its 1970s origins through today's uncertain future, as a new federal agreement threatens to unwind the very thing that's made Maryland's healthcare financing unlike anywhere else in the country.

In this episode:

• How a 1977 deal with the federal government created Maryland's all-payer waiver — and why it's been called "a third rail" that no one in Annapolis wants to touch
• The 2014 shift to global hospital budgets under Governor O'Malley, and how it changed hospitals' incentives from volume to value
• The real numbers: reduced hospital readmissions, fewer hospital-acquired infections, and why Maryland hasn't lost a single rural hospital while nearly 200 have closed nationwide
• The new AHEAD model, and why it may mean the end of the "all-payer" system as Medicare and commercial insurers start paying different rates for the first time in 50 years
• A stark warning from a CareFirst executive describing a "game of chicken" between hospitals, insurers, and the state

Got a question or topic you want covered this season? Reach us at [email protected], and find us now on Facebook too.

Technical support by Nate Carper, Carper Creative.

• (00:00) - Cold Open

Maryland Now — brought to you by Blended Public Affairs

This episode, Josh Kurtz takes a deep dive into the Blueprint for Maryland's Future — the state's roughly $4 billion, 10-year education reform plan — now about halfway through its run, with a formal progress report due out by the end of the year. Drawing on interviews with eight educators and political leaders, Josh traces the Blueprint's roots back to a 1990s ACLU lawsuit over underfunded Baltimore City schools, through the Thornton and Kirwan Commissions, Governor Hogan's 2020 veto and the legislature's override, and into where the plan stands today — including a look at what's working, what isn't, and the funding fight that's about to define its next chapter.

In this episode:

• How Maryland's decline in national education ratings alarmed policymakers and educators and prompted bold but complicated action
• The five "pillars" of the Blueprint, and why the law also created an unusual new oversight agency, the Accountability and Implementation Board
• All 24 Maryland school districts have now hit $60,000 starting teacher salaries — but neighboring states are catching up fast, and some districts had to sacrifice other priorities to get there
• Why a court ruling striking down Maryland's digital advertising tax has frozen over $535 million earmarked for the Blueprint
• The push from advocacy groups and the teachers' union for progressive revenue measures — and the pushback from counties already stretched thin
• A candid, skeptical take from a former Baltimore City school board member on whether the Blueprint tried to do too much, too fast
• A powerful official's case for staying the course, told through two sports metaphors — a college athletic program still waiting to win games, and a swimmer who covers 26 miles without ever completing the crossing

Got a question or topic you want covered this season? Reach us at [email protected], and find us now on Facebook too.

Technical support by Nate Carper, Carper Creative.

• (00:00) - Welcome and Setup

Maryland Now — brought to you by Blended Public Affairs

This episode, Maryland Now hits the road. Hosts Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin traveled to Ocean City for the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) conference — the annual gathering where most of Maryland's state and local government establishment spends a few days mixing official business with a packed circuit of evening receptions. Rather than one long-form interview, this episode features brief interviews with elected officials, agency heads, and the private-sector players navigating Maryland's biggest policy fights, all tied together with Dori, Josh, and David's own reporting and reactions from the ground.

We cover everything from Maryland's energy challenges with PSC Chair Kumar Barve and State Sen. J.B. Jennings, to the state's fiscal picture with Budget Secretary Jake Weissman and Comptroller Brooke Lierman, and the major reduction in violent crime in Baltimore City with Mayor Brandon Scott…and more.

In this episode:

• PSC Chair Kumar Barve on Maryland's role in a 13-state regional power grid, and why data centers need to "bring their own new generation"
• State Sen. J.B. Jennings on what's really driving Maryland's high electric bills, and why he's skeptical the legislature will fix it this session
• Budget Secretary Jake Weissman on formulating next year's budget amid a structural deficit
• Comptroller Brooke Lierman on why she calls Maryland's housing regulations "the Smith Island Cake effect"
• Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott on six years of falling homicide rates, the group violence reduction strategy behind it, and $7 billion in new downtown investment
• CFG Bank Arena GM Frank Remesch on turning Baltimore into a top touring market – including the story of the night SZA and Queen swapped 57 trucks in and out in under an hour
• Conversations with Howard County executive nominee Vanessa Atterbeary, Baltimore County CAO D'Andrea Walker, and Reps. Johnny Olszewski and April Delaney on affordability, redistricting, and what's ahead in our counties and in Congress
• State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis on rebuilding public trust in the vote count ahead of November

Got a question or topic you want covered this season? Reach us at [email protected], and find us now on Facebook too.

Technical support by Nate Carper, Carper Cre8tive.

• (00:00) - Welcome to Maryland Now

Maryland Now — brought to you by Blended Public Affairs

Season 2 opens with a deep dive into the results of the newest Maryland Now poll, conducted by Blended Public Affairs and Perry Jacobson in partnership with Zenith Research. Hosts Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin sit down with Adam Carlson, Founding Partner of Zenith Research, to break down what 800 likely Maryland voters are saying about the state of their finances, their government, and their governor — and the numbers paint a clear picture: affordability, not politics as usual, is driving the conversation heading into the midterms.

In this episode:

• Why 51% of Marylanders say they're just getting by or struggling — and why utility bills, not jobs or the economy, are the #1 policy priority
• How Marylanders want the state to raise revenue
• Data centers: why 75% of Marylanders are concerned, and why it's one of the fastest opinion shifts Adam has seen in his career
• Governor Moore's approval numbers
• Bipartisan appetite for nuclear power and keeping gas plants online longer
• A candid look at the state of polling itself

Got a question or topic you want covered this season? Reach us at [email protected], and find us now on Facebook too.

Technical support by Nate Carper, Carper Creative.

• (00:00) - Welcome and Guest Intro

Maryland Now is back! In this quick Season 2 teaser, hosts Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin drop big news about the upcoming season. Returning mid-August, the team previews a packed slate of hard-hitting topics, deep-dive reporting, and candid roundtable discussions on the biggest policy and political shifts facing the state.

From exclusive statewide polling ahead of the election to crucial updates on healthcare, Baltimore’s redevelopment, and the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, Season 2 is built to keep you informed on what matters most in Maryland politics and public affairs.

Key Takeaways & Season 2 Highlights

• Season 2 Launch Date: The new season officially kicks off on Thursday, August 13th, with new episodes dropping every subsequent Thursday through the fall.
• Exclusive Statewide Polling: Episode 1 kicks off with an exclusive poll measuring Marylanders’ perspectives on the economy and key election issues—mapping out what voters are excited, concerned, and thinking about heading into the election.
• The Blueprint for Maryland's Future: Deep-dive reporting on the implementation, funding, and real-world impact of Maryland's landmark education policy reform.
• Healthcare Transformation: A critical look at upcoming changes and policy shifts affecting healthcare access and costs across the state.
• Redeveloping Downtown Baltimore: In-depth coverage of major urban redevelopment projects, economic strategies, and the future of Baltimore’s downtown core.

Notable Quotes

"We love the conversations with special guests around the table, and we also love the deep reporting. Those are great topics, and we hope our listeners enjoy it as much as we enjoy making it."— David Nitkin

Sponsored by Blended Public Affairs

Have thoughts on an episode, a guest suggestion, or a story tip for the team?

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