A digest of Baltimore news from local sources.
From the Baltimore Sun: Man Shot in Neck by Ceasefire Police Officers in Northwest Baltimore
"Police assigned to the anti-gun program Ceasefire shot a motorist on a residential street in Northwest Baltimore on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
"Police said the man reversed a sport-utility vehicle toward two officers, tearing the door off a police car and striking one of the officers in the leg. They said they found a handgun and drugs inside the vehicle.
"The officers opened fire on the SUV and struck the driver in the neck at least once, police said.
"The man's injuries were not considered life-threatening, and he was expected to be released from the hospital and into police custody within hours of the shooting, police said. The officer's leg injury was considered minor.
"Two other men in the vehicle were also taken into custody. Police said all three men will face charges, but those charges were not finalized as of Wednesday. Police did not release their identities."
From the Washington Post: Maryland Democrats Push Labor Bills They Say Will Help Working Women
"A group of Maryland Democratic lawmakers is pushing labor bills they hope will collectively improve the lives of working women in Maryland.
"Their proposals would set up a state program to allow workers on unpaid family and medical leave to continue drawing income, mandate that certain businesses offer up to seven days of paid sick leave and schedule workers’ shifts weeks in advance, and enhance the state’s equal-pay laws.
"Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who has made improving Maryland’s business climate a centerpiece of his agenda, has been resistant to regulations he thinks could kill jobs or hurt businesses. And despite an overwhelmingly Democratic legislature, similar legislation has failed to advance or even come up for a vote in recent years.
"The only women’s economic security policy publicly supported by the legislative leadership this year is closing the wage gap. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) said pay equity for women was his focus when asked this month about his position on mandatory paid sick leave.
"Among the more ambitious proposals touted Wednesday is a measure aiming to give retail workers more predictable schedules by mandating three weeks’ notice and extra pay for last-minute shifts. No other state has adopted such legislation, although a similar measure went into effect in San Francisco last year."
From the Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Mayoral Candidates Debate as Embry Releases Crime-Fighting Plan
"Eleven candidates for Baltimore mayor squared off in Station North on Wednesday evening, debating how to drive down Baltimore's soaring crime and whether high-end development should be subsidized.
"But they all agreed on this: Baltimore needs change. All gave the city low grades on auditing agencies, and all said they'd replace Housing Commissioner Paul T. Graziano.
"Former mayor Sheila Dixon pledged to reduce crime and extend school into the evening. State Sen. Catherine E. Pugh promised to make the streetlights work again. City Councilman Carl Stokes said he'd advocate for Baltimore's ignored communities.
'While we have a Circulator for many parts of the city,' we don't have one in East and West Baltimore, Stokes said. 'They don't have a free freaking bus.'
"The forum was hosted by Impact Hub, a shared workspace, community center, and innovation lab that opened last month in the historic Centre Theater in Station North."