Meredith Cohn
@mercohn.bsky.social
I am a health reporter for The Baltimore Banner. Send tips to meredith@thebaltimorebanner.com
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
Maryland's U.S. Senators -- Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, both Democrats -- voted against the deal to end the government shutdown.
Recap from @apnews.com & @brendawintrode.bsky.social:
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
Recap from @apnews.com & @brendawintrode.bsky.social:
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
Senate takes first step toward ending the government shutdown
As the Senate held a rare Sunday session, the Republican leader said a potential deal was “coming together” on the government shutdown. But there was no guarantee it would end an impasse now stretchin...
www.thebanner.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Maryland's U.S. Senators -- Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, both Democrats -- voted against the deal to end the government shutdown.
Recap from @apnews.com & @brendawintrode.bsky.social:
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
Recap from @apnews.com & @brendawintrode.bsky.social:
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
Morgan State University President David Wilson got a mysterious phone call at the start of October: a confidential high profile donor was interested in giving to the HBCU.
Two weeks later, $63 million was in the university’s bank account.
Here’s what happened:
www.thebanner.com/education/hi...
Two weeks later, $63 million was in the university’s bank account.
Here’s what happened:
www.thebanner.com/education/hi...
Inside Morgan State and MacKenzie Scott’s $100 million partnership
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott's second gift, $63 million, to Morgan State University came as a surprise.
www.thebanner.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Morgan State University President David Wilson got a mysterious phone call at the start of October: a confidential high profile donor was interested in giving to the HBCU.
Two weeks later, $63 million was in the university’s bank account.
Here’s what happened:
www.thebanner.com/education/hi...
Two weeks later, $63 million was in the university’s bank account.
Here’s what happened:
www.thebanner.com/education/hi...
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
By @juliemore19.bsky.social. ICE is coming! Baltimore’s scooter-riding ‘Paul Revere’ warns immigrants. (via @thebaltimorebanner.com)
ICE is coming! Baltimore's 'Paul Revere' rides to warn immigrants
Grambo’s neighborhood rides come as some communities across the nation scramble to confront stepped-up immigration enforcement.
www.thebanner.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:15 PM
By @juliemore19.bsky.social. ICE is coming! Baltimore’s scooter-riding ‘Paul Revere’ warns immigrants. (via @thebaltimorebanner.com)
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
By @mercohn.bsky.social: Why Maryland is drawing thousands from other states seeking abortions: tinyurl.com/4ansjxyd (via @thebaltimorebanner.com)
Thousands travel to Maryland for abortions, but support is stretched thin
The number of people from around the country who seek help getting an abortion in Maryland continues to rise, but donations are not keeping pace to cover costs for everyone.
tinyurl.com
October 22, 2025 at 1:06 PM
By @mercohn.bsky.social: Why Maryland is drawing thousands from other states seeking abortions: tinyurl.com/4ansjxyd (via @thebaltimorebanner.com)
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
CDC director approves vaccine recommendations from ACIP, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices: Covid vaccines should be available after "informed consent" and pediatricians should split up the chickenpox vaccine from the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) shot.
www.hhs.gov/press-room/c...
www.hhs.gov/press-room/c...
www.hhs.gov
October 6, 2025 at 2:36 PM
CDC director approves vaccine recommendations from ACIP, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices: Covid vaccines should be available after "informed consent" and pediatricians should split up the chickenpox vaccine from the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) shot.
www.hhs.gov/press-room/c...
www.hhs.gov/press-room/c...
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
By @juliemore19.bsky.social: There’s a ghost town buried under Loch Raven. (via @thebaltimorebanner.com)
There’s a ghost town buried under Loch Raven
Warren was once a bustling mill town, but it was flooded more than a century ago to enlarge the Loch Raven Reservoir. Now just a few remnants of the town haunt the surrounding woods.
www.thebanner.com
October 3, 2025 at 1:32 PM
By @juliemore19.bsky.social: There’s a ghost town buried under Loch Raven. (via @thebaltimorebanner.com)
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
The federal government is shut down, and there's a lot at risk for Maryland and Marylanders.
From @brendawintrode.bsky.social & me:
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
From @brendawintrode.bsky.social & me:
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
Senate can’t agree on a spending plan, putting Maryland’s federal workforce at risk
It’s unclear, with the House of Representatives adjourned until next week, when lawmakers could consider their next moves to reopen the government.
www.thebanner.com
October 1, 2025 at 11:38 AM
The federal government is shut down, and there's a lot at risk for Maryland and Marylanders.
From @brendawintrode.bsky.social & me:
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
From @brendawintrode.bsky.social & me:
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
Johns Hopkins says UnitedHealthcare talks are over without return to network
Johns Hopkins says it won't be returning to UnitedHealthcare's network
Johns Hopkins Medicine officials say they have ended negotiations with the insurance giant UnitedHealthcare, leaving its doctors and hospitals out-of-network for some 60,000 patients.
buff.ly
September 16, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Johns Hopkins says UnitedHealthcare talks are over without return to network
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
NEW: The Trump administration is proposing cutting all funding for TRIO, a set of programs that helps low-income, first-generation students attend college. More than 12,000 Marylanders relied on the program last year. Here’s the potential impact:
www.thebanner.com/education/hi...
www.thebanner.com/education/hi...
Program for thousands of Maryland's students on the chopping block
The Trump administration in its proposal called TRIO a “relic of the past,” adding “access to college is not the obstacle it was for students of limited means.”
www.thebanner.com
September 12, 2025 at 12:51 PM
NEW: The Trump administration is proposing cutting all funding for TRIO, a set of programs that helps low-income, first-generation students attend college. More than 12,000 Marylanders relied on the program last year. Here’s the potential impact:
www.thebanner.com/education/hi...
www.thebanner.com/education/hi...
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
Locust Point residents have had to live all summer with a constant hum, about the volume of a vacuum cleaner.
How does their neighborhood compare to the loudest places in Baltimore?
We took to the streets (with a mic!) to find out!
www.thebanner.com/community/cl...
How does their neighborhood compare to the loudest places in Baltimore?
We took to the streets (with a mic!) to find out!
www.thebanner.com/community/cl...
How loud are those Locust Point ships? We went to some noisy spots to find out.
The plight of Locust Point residents who must live with constant noise from two military cargo ships got us wondering: How does the racket there compare to other noisy spots?
www.thebanner.com
September 3, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Locust Point residents have had to live all summer with a constant hum, about the volume of a vacuum cleaner.
How does their neighborhood compare to the loudest places in Baltimore?
We took to the streets (with a mic!) to find out!
www.thebanner.com/community/cl...
How does their neighborhood compare to the loudest places in Baltimore?
We took to the streets (with a mic!) to find out!
www.thebanner.com/community/cl...
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
President Donald Trump said some things today about the National Guard and about Baltimore. Did he say he'll send troops to Baltimore? 🤷♀️ We're still trying to figure that one out.
From your @thebaltimorebanner.com politics team:
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
From your @thebaltimorebanner.com politics team:
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
Trump hints at sending troops to Baltimore; White House won’t clarify
President Donald Trump was declarative on his plans for Chicago but mushy when it came to Baltimore City.
www.thebanner.com
September 2, 2025 at 9:00 PM
President Donald Trump said some things today about the National Guard and about Baltimore. Did he say he'll send troops to Baltimore? 🤷♀️ We're still trying to figure that one out.
From your @thebaltimorebanner.com politics team:
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
From your @thebaltimorebanner.com politics team:
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
With President Trump repeatedly threatening to send the military to Baltimore, read about how daily life and acts of resistance in Washington exist side by side.
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
What Washington D.C.’s occupation can teach Baltimore
With President Donald Trump threatening to send the military to Baltimore, the situation in Washington is instructive to how things may unfold here.
www.thebanner.com
September 2, 2025 at 11:30 AM
With President Trump repeatedly threatening to send the military to Baltimore, read about how daily life and acts of resistance in Washington exist side by side.
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
I’ve been watching President Donald Trump and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore go at it these last couple of weeks.
So have political scientists, and here’s what some of them think about Moore’s strategy:
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
So have political scientists, and here’s what some of them think about Moore’s strategy:
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
Wes Moore’s war of words with Trump is good politics, experts say
President Donald Trump and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore have gone toe-to-toe in recent weeks. Is there a downside to Moore’s tougher tone?
www.thebanner.com
August 31, 2025 at 12:41 PM
I’ve been watching President Donald Trump and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore go at it these last couple of weeks.
So have political scientists, and here’s what some of them think about Moore’s strategy:
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
So have political scientists, and here’s what some of them think about Moore’s strategy:
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
After early stumble, Morgan State launches new plan for medical school, @mercohn.bsky.social reports. (via @thebaltimorebanner.com)
Morgan State aims to open new medical school in Baltimore with nonprofit model
Morgan State University, Baltimore's top HBCU, has been trying to open a medical school for a decade, and officials say they believe they now have the right formula.
www.thebanner.com
August 28, 2025 at 12:48 PM
After early stumble, Morgan State launches new plan for medical school, @mercohn.bsky.social reports. (via @thebaltimorebanner.com)
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
Orioles become last team this season to post a walk-off win
Jackson Holliday’s single gives Orioles their first walk-off win this season
Jackson Holliday pulled a double down the right-field line and Dylan Carlson raced home from first base in the ninth inning of a 4-3 win over the Mariners.
buff.ly
August 14, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Orioles become last team this season to post a walk-off win
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
Belinda Conaway called the allegations “unsubstantiated” without elaborating and did not respond to requests for comment today
New: Baltimore’s register of wills office spent over $1M on media and promotions, including $200k for unaired TV show as well as manicure sets, that audit finds couldn’t be justified www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/cr...
State audit slams Baltimore Register of Wills office for unjustified spending
In response to the audit, the wills office, which has been led by former Baltimore City Councilwoman Belinda Conaway since 2014, called the allegations “unsubstantiated” without elaborating.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com
July 29, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Belinda Conaway called the allegations “unsubstantiated” without elaborating and did not respond to requests for comment today
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
Every McLaren supercar sold in the U.S. comes through the Port of Baltimore.
Soon, they will be processed at a McLaren-specific facility at Tradepoint Atlantic, as opposed to within a public terminal.
(Also: I test drove one today, maxing out at 25 mph.)
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/economy/mcla...
Soon, they will be processed at a McLaren-specific facility at Tradepoint Atlantic, as opposed to within a public terminal.
(Also: I test drove one today, maxing out at 25 mph.)
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/economy/mcla...
McLaren revs up in Baltimore with new Tradepoint Atlantic facility
McLaren’s “high-performance luxury supercars” are manufactured in England, but workers in Dundalk will soon apply finishing touches at a McLaren-specific facility at Tradepoint Atlantic.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com
July 25, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Every McLaren supercar sold in the U.S. comes through the Port of Baltimore.
Soon, they will be processed at a McLaren-specific facility at Tradepoint Atlantic, as opposed to within a public terminal.
(Also: I test drove one today, maxing out at 25 mph.)
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/economy/mcla...
Soon, they will be processed at a McLaren-specific facility at Tradepoint Atlantic, as opposed to within a public terminal.
(Also: I test drove one today, maxing out at 25 mph.)
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/economy/mcla...
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
Who will be Baltimore’s next school leader? It may take nine months to find out, @lizbowie.bsky.social reports. (via @thebaltimorebanner.com)
Who will be Baltimore’s next school leader? It may take nine months to find out.
The board is expected to be interviewing candidates this fall with a new CEO hired by April.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com
July 14, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Who will be Baltimore’s next school leader? It may take nine months to find out, @lizbowie.bsky.social reports. (via @thebaltimorebanner.com)
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
My latest story with @mercohn.bsky.social explores the "soft power" that Johns Hopkins University is using to advocate for federally funded research. They have a new website, a hashtag, more prominent press releases, new lobbyists and in person events:
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/hi...
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/hi...
Rebranding in the Trump era: Hopkins’ campaign to save research through persuasion
After the Trump administration launched a broadside attack against the way the federal government has funded major research universities across the country, Hopkins has been forced to wage a campaign ...
www.thebaltimorebanner.com
July 11, 2025 at 1:59 PM
My latest story with @mercohn.bsky.social explores the "soft power" that Johns Hopkins University is using to advocate for federally funded research. They have a new website, a hashtag, more prominent press releases, new lobbyists and in person events:
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/hi...
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/hi...
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
NEW: Baltimore students told about their experiences with violence and harassment on the way to school in the state's only district without yellow bus service for middle and high schoolers.
@lizbowie.bsky.social and I on what students are facing every day
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/k-...
@lizbowie.bsky.social and I on what students are facing every day
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/k-...
It’s not just late buses: Baltimore kids face serious safety risks
Baltimore students have been followed, harassed, assaulted and held up at gunpoint while crisscrossing the city on public transit to get to and from school.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com
June 23, 2025 at 1:24 PM
NEW: Baltimore students told about their experiences with violence and harassment on the way to school in the state's only district without yellow bus service for middle and high schoolers.
@lizbowie.bsky.social and I on what students are facing every day
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/k-...
@lizbowie.bsky.social and I on what students are facing every day
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/k-...
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
NEW: Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over proposed cuts to DOD federal research funding. Each college involved could lose millions:
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/hi...
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/hi...
Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland sue defense department over funding
Two Maryland universities are joining a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense, arguing they could lose tens of millions of dollars if the department caps its indirect cost rates.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com
June 18, 2025 at 5:23 PM
NEW: Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over proposed cuts to DOD federal research funding. Each college involved could lose millions:
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/hi...
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/hi...
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
Big news: I'm stepping down as editor-in-chief of @thebaltimorebanner.com to join @washingtonpost.com as managing editor. This decision has been difficult. I love what we've built here proving local journalism can thrive. Best job of my life. 🧵
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/ki...
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/ki...
Founding editor Kimi Yoshino to leave The Banner for The Washington Post
Kimi Yoshino, who has led The Baltimore Banner for three and a half years as its first editor-in-chief, will leave to become a senior editor at The Washington Post.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com
May 22, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Big news: I'm stepping down as editor-in-chief of @thebaltimorebanner.com to join @washingtonpost.com as managing editor. This decision has been difficult. I love what we've built here proving local journalism can thrive. Best job of my life. 🧵
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/ki...
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/ki...
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
Preakness, schmeakness. Tonight is also Gunz of Steel, an arm-wrestling competition for women and non-binary people featuring a deranged lunch lady, a gym-obsessed rat and a flying crocheted placenta. 📸: @jessicagallagher.bsky.social www.thebaltimorebanner.com/culture/life...
At Gunz of Steel, arm wrestlers flex muscles and mayhem
A dozen costumed participants, many joined by a costumed manager, will lock arms across Stellmon’s custom-built arm wrestling table for four rounds of competition at Gunz of Steel.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com
May 17, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Preakness, schmeakness. Tonight is also Gunz of Steel, an arm-wrestling competition for women and non-binary people featuring a deranged lunch lady, a gym-obsessed rat and a flying crocheted placenta. 📸: @jessicagallagher.bsky.social www.thebaltimorebanner.com/culture/life...
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
What we know about 36 in-custody deaths auditors say should have been ruled homicides
36 people who died in police custody will have their cases revisited. Here’s who they are
The Baltimore Banner attempted to reach relatives and attorneys associated with each of the 36 deaths that the audit found should have been ruled as homicides, as opposed to “undetermined” or accidental.
buff.ly
May 16, 2025 at 11:26 PM
What we know about 36 in-custody deaths auditors say should have been ruled homicides
Reposted by Meredith Cohn
Groundbreaking audit of Md. police-custody deaths has major implications:
-It "validates concerns" of biased death investigations
-Dozens of deaths will be reexamined
-Nail in the coffin for "excited delirium"
-It all started with the George Floyd trial
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/cr...
-It "validates concerns" of biased death investigations
-Dozens of deaths will be reexamined
-Nail in the coffin for "excited delirium"
-It all started with the George Floyd trial
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/cr...
What you need to know about Maryland’s audit of police-custody deaths
The audit’s implications reach far beyond a finding of 36 wrongfully classified deaths.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com
May 15, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Groundbreaking audit of Md. police-custody deaths has major implications:
-It "validates concerns" of biased death investigations
-Dozens of deaths will be reexamined
-Nail in the coffin for "excited delirium"
-It all started with the George Floyd trial
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/cr...
-It "validates concerns" of biased death investigations
-Dozens of deaths will be reexamined
-Nail in the coffin for "excited delirium"
-It all started with the George Floyd trial
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/cr...