By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews
President Donald Trump came to Baltimore County last week, and Gov. Wes Moore stayed away. That set the tone for a stretch, Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, that mixed big promises with hard questions. A submarine shipyard was announced, Prince George’s County moved its Sphere bonds forward, and Maryland got its only governor’s debate. Baltimore also learned that a man accused of killing a 12-year-old girl had walked out of prison eight days earlier. Five stories follow, then five things to watch this week.
Last week
1. Trump touts a $3.7 billion submarine shipyard at Sparrows Point, and Moore skips it
Trump traveled to Baltimore County on Tuesday, Oct. 6, to announce that Anduril Industries will build a shipyard called Arsenal-2 at Sparrows Point, the former Bethlehem Steel site. The 187-acre facility will make components and large assemblies for Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines, not complete boats. Anduril puts its investment at $3.7 billion and says the project will create about 3,100 direct jobs. The Associated Press reported that administration officials said the government would commit $2.9 billion by buying what the yard produces. Other coverage describes the Navy deal as worth up to $2.9 billion, with payments tied to production outcomes. Trump said taxpayers would get a 40% stake, a claim for which details were not provided. He described the whole effort as a $6.6 billion project. WBFF reported that the yard is still years from production, and Anduril has pointed to initial operations in 2030.
The public side of the ledger is less settled. Maryland and Baltimore County have committed incentives worth up to 13% of Anduril’s anticipated private investment through existing incentive programs and new appropriations, WBFF reported, and some of that still needs approval from the General Assembly and the Baltimore County Council. The coverage reviewed did not give a dollar total for that match.
Moore did not attend. His spokesman, Ammar Moussa, said the governor was blocked from speaking at the event. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Moore was invited as a guest and “boycotted” it. Moore praised the project in a statement. The same day, US Wind said it was giving up its Sparrows Point lease to Anduril, which ends its plans to build wind towers and monopiles there. CEO Jeff Grybowski blamed delays from legal disputes and federal uncertainty. The Trump administration pulled a $47.4 million federal grant for that wind site last year.
2. Prince George’s council moves the Sphere bonds forward 11-0, without a union construction guarantee
The Prince George’s County Council voted 11-0 on Monday, Oct. 5, to move forward a financing plan that allows up to $215 million in special obligation bonds for the Sphere at National Harbor. About $130 million of that is tax-increment financing for the venue. Council staff estimated last month that this piece alone would cost roughly $400 million in principal and interest through 2056.
The council adopted two amendments, one requiring a community benefits agreement and one requiring a labor peace agreement, which lets unions organize workers at the venue once it opens. It rejected two amendments that would have reserved 40% of construction jobs for union workers, The Washington Sun reported. Council member Wala Blegay, who voted against one of them, said “we cannot afford to have Sphere walk away.” County Executive Aisha Braveboy told reporters there was no threat to withdraw and no project labor agreement. Council member Edward Burroughs III said his failed amendment was meant as a compromise. The union 32BJ SEIU criticized the rejections, according to DC News Now.
Braveboy called the vote a win and said the project would bring about $67 million a year in tax revenue, roughly three times what Six Flags and Northwest Stadium produced together. The final vote is set for Oct. 27. Construction would start next year, with the venue opening in 2030. MDBayNews broke down the bond numbers on Oct. 1.
3. Moore and Cox meet once, and the polls frame the argument
The only televised debate of the governor’s race took place Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Maryland Public Television’s studios in Owings Mills. The panel included Pamela Wood of The Baltimore Banner and Tracee Wilkins of NBC4.
Republican nominee Dan Cox pressed Moore on taxes and fees, the roughly $3 billion budget deficit and whether he would serve a full four-year term. Moore did not give a yes or no. He said “I’m committed to the people of Maryland,” and pivoted to Trump. Cox said the governor has been out of state for almost a year. The Banner’s fact check counted at least 270 full or partial days out of state during Moore’s first term. On the Key Bridge, Cox said demolition is not finished even though a state website says it is. Moore promised the bridge will open in record time. Cox called Moore’s data center executive order “political theater,” noting that it does not impose a moratorium, and called for a statewide one. Asked whether he would raise taxes to close the deficit, Moore pointed to more private investment instead of answering directly. Cox said he would not raise taxes or fees. Moore spent much of the hour tying Cox to Trump and said the state’s job growth over the past six months is almost double the national average.
The UMBC Institute of Politics released its poll in installments that week. It surveyed 776 likely voters from Sept. 22 to Sept. 27, before the debate, with a margin of error of 3.5 points.
- Governor: Moore 51%, Cox 24%.
- Question 3: 53% against, 25% for and 19% undecided. UMBC described the amendment in plain language instead of reading the ballot wording. Two earlier polls that read the ballot language found 28% and 40% support. Poll director Mileah Kromer said “I’m not convinced it will pass.”
- Moore’s job approval: 49% approve and 42% disapprove. Some 81% of likely voters rated economic conditions over the past year as poor or fair.
- Data centers: Maryland Matters reported that a majority of voters opposed data center construction anywhere in Maryland.
4. Man accused in Khloe Ishway’s killing was freed eight days earlier after a sentence cut
Baltimore police arrested Tyree Reynolds, 23, on Tuesday and charged him in the Oct. 3 shooting that killed Khloe Ishway, 12, at Leon Day Park during a youth football homecoming. He faces about 30 counts, including first-degree murder and attempted murder, WBFF reported, and was held without bail after a hearing Wednesday. He is presumed innocent. Court documents say surveillance video shows Reynolds firing on two men in a parking lot beside the field after an exchange of words, and that one of them shot back and hit him in the ankle. According to those documents, Reynolds fired toward the field. Police are still looking for the other man involved.
The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services confirmed that Reynolds was released Sept. 25. That term came from a 2021 shooting case in which he pleaded to first-degree assault and was sentenced in 2022 to 15 years with seven suspended. At an Aug. 13, 2025, hearing, Circuit Judge Cynthia Jones reduced the sentence to 15 years with 10 suspended, The Baltimore Banner reported. The judge warned him that a violation could send him back for 15 years.
Prosecutors did not oppose the request. State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said the change had a “limited impact” on the time Reynolds was serving and that his office acted on the information available in 2025. This week he called Reynolds’ later conduct deeply concerning and criticized a letter that backed the reduction. Bates said prosecutors agreed in part because of that letter. It came from Mark Mason, chief of victim services at the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, who described himself as Reynolds’ mentor. Mayor Brandon Scott told The Banner the letter had not been approved. A spokesperson for the office said Mason wrote it based on a personal relationship, without permission from the director or chief of staff. Bates called it the kind of decision that led his office to cut ties with the neighborhood safety office last year. Scott said earlier in the week that Reynolds should not have been back on the street.
5. Board of Public Works approves $50,000 for Moore’s outside lawyers
On Wednesday, Oct. 7, the Board of Public Works approved a $50,000 fee cap for the law firm Foley Hoag to handle the motion-to-dismiss phase of the defamation suit that Baltimore Sun owner David Smith filed against Moore. The first version of the board agenda put the total estimated cost at $550,000, the Daily Record reported, and the attorney general’s office revised its request twice before the vote. Foley Hoag will charge $700 an hour for attorneys and $250 an hour for support staff if the case continues, WBFF reported.
Smith sued over Moore’s June 16 comments on MS NOW, including a claim tying Smith to Jeffrey Epstein’s investments. The complaint says Moore spoke in his personal capacity. Treasurer Dereck Davis and Comptroller Brooke Lierman voted yes. Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller sat in for Moore, who was absent, and abstained. Lierman said state law requires the state to defend public officials sued over their official duties, and she predicted the motion to dismiss would succeed. The attorney general’s office said it could not practicably handle the case itself and declined to say more. Smith is executive chairman of Sinclair, whose station WBFF reported on the dispute. MDBayNews examined the legal standard on Oct. 8.
Five things to expect this week
1. Tuesday, Oct. 13: the voter registration deadline. Voters can register or update their registration online until 11:59 p.m., and mailed applications must be postmarked by that day, according to the State Board of Elections guide. Anyone who misses it can still register and vote the same day during early voting or on Election Day by bringing proof of address.
2. Thursday, Oct. 15: the Blueprint board meets. The Accountability and Implementation Board meets at 1 p.m. and could vote on legislative recommendations for the General Assembly. Maryland Matters has reported that they include a study on how much to raise base per-pupil funding. The meeting lands as the Maryland Association of Counties puts about $1.8 billion of the state’s projected $3 billion budget gap in Blueprint costs.
3. The mask-law case. The Justice Department asked a federal judge to block Maryland and two counties from enforcing the mask and ID rules against federal officers while the case proceeds, Fox 5 reported. No hearing date appeared in the coverage reviewed. Watch for how Attorney General Anthony Brown’s office responds, given his May letter warning of a “high likelihood” that a court would find the rules unconstitutional as applied to federal officers.
4. Sphere: a hearing, then a vote. WUSA9 reported that a public hearing will come before the council’s final vote, which is set for Oct. 27. No hearing date appeared in the coverage reviewed. Unions that wanted a construction guarantee, 32BJ SEIU among them, have criticized the council’s decision, so the hearing is likely to draw them.
5. Sunday, Oct. 18: Ravens at Browns. Baltimore is 4-1 after a 30-23 win at Atlanta on Sunday night. Tyler Huntley started because Lamar Jackson was ruled out with an ankle sprain, so Jackson’s status is the main question before the 1 p.m. kickoff in Cleveland.
What to Watch
- Oct. 22 to 29: Early voting, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
- Oct. 27: Last day to request a mail-in ballot to be mailed to you. It is also the date set for the Prince George’s council’s final vote on the Sphere bonds.
- Oct. 30: Last day to request a mail-in ballot online for delivery by email.
- Nov. 3: Election Day. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked or placed in a drop box by 8 p.m.
- Nov. 4: Reynolds’ preliminary hearing.
- Still open: The General Assembly and Baltimore County Council approvals for Sparrows Point incentives, a ruling on the motion to dismiss in Smith’s suit against Moore, and the search for the second gunman at Leon Day Park.
Sources
Reporting and figures in this article come from the following: Josh Boak, Will Weissert and Stephanie Scarbrough, The Associated Press, via PBS News, “Trump announces manufacturing site for submarine components in Baltimore” (Oct. 6, 2026); WBFF, “Multibillion-dollar investment to expand submarine production in Sparrows Point” (Oct. 6, 2026); WMAR, “Anduril plans $3.7B submarine shipyard at Sparrows Point, bringing 3,100 jobs to Baltimore County” (Oct. 6, 2026); Christine Condon, Maryland Matters, “US Wind pulls out of wind turbine manufacturing at Sparrows Point” (Oct. 7, 2026); WTOP, republished by Maryland Matters, “Prince George’s County Council votes to advance billion-dollar entertainment venue project” (Oct. 5, 2026); Kendall Staton, The Washington Sun, “Sphere Won’t Guarantee Jobs for Maryland’s Unionized Construction Workers” (Oct. 6, 2026); DC News Now, “Prince George’s County Council advances Sphere financing plan, with final vote set for Oct. 27” (Oct. 5, 2026); WUSA9, “Prince George’s County Council unanimously votes to move forward on Sphere financing plan” (Oct. 5, 2026); the Prince George’s County Council news release on the Sphere legislation (Oct. 5, 2026); Jimmy Alexander, WTOP, republished by Maryland Matters, “Prince George’s County residents speak out on proposed $1 billion Sphere” (Sept. 24, 2026); Bryan P. Sears, Maryland Matters, “Moore and Cox bring heat to debate, but will it alter the race?” (Oct. 6, 2026); NBC4 Washington, “Economy, affordability and Trump debated by Maryland Gov. Moore, challenger Cox” (Oct. 6, 2026); The Baltimore Banner, “Fact-checking Gov. Wes Moore and Dan Cox’s debate” (Oct. 2026); Fox 45 Baltimore, coverage of the debate (Oct. 7, 2026); the UMBC Institute of Politics poll releases of Oct. 6, Oct. 7 and Oct. 8, 2026; Maryland Matters, “Poll: Voters oppose redistricting ballot question when presented ‘meat of the political outcome'” (Oct. 7, 2026) and its Oct. 8 report on the UMBC data center and job approval results; The Baltimore Banner, UMBC Question 3 poll report (Oct. 7, 2026); WYPR, UMBC job approval report (Oct. 8, 2026); Shayla Colon, Justin Fenton and Dylan Segelbaum, The Baltimore Banner, “Suspect in 12-year-old girl’s killing was released from prison days before shooting” (Oct. 8, 2026); WBFF, “Man charged with 12-year-old’s murder released from prison 8 days prior, state confirms” and “Hunt continues for second alleged gunman after Leon Day Park shooting killed 12-year-old” (Oct. 7 and Oct. 8, 2026); WMAR, “23-year-old arrested in connection with shooting death of 12-year-old Baltimore girl” (Oct. 7, 2026); Sarah Petrowich, WYPR, “Maryland fiscal officers approve outside counsel for Gov. Moore’s defamation lawsuit” (Oct. 9, 2026); Bryan P. Sears, Maryland Matters, “Board approves hiring powerhouse law firm to defend Moore in defamation case” (Oct. 7, 2026); The Baltimore Sun, via WBFF, reports on the Board of Public Works request and vote (Oct. 5 and Oct. 7, 2026); The Daily Record, “MD hires private law firm to defend Moore in lawsuit by Sun owner David Smith” (Oct. 7, 2026); Fox 5 DC, “Justice Department sues Maryland and 2 counties over new law banning face coverings for officers” (Oct. 1, 2026); the Maryland State Board of Elections 2026 gubernatorial election page and the board’s general election guide as reported by WBFF and WMAR (Sept. 2026); William J. Ford, Maryland Matters, “Changes could be coming to Blueprint education plan” (Sept. 25, 2026), and the Maryland General Assembly meeting schedule for the Accountability and Implementation Board; NBC Sports, “Lamar Jackson ruled out for Sunday Night Football vs. Falcons with ankle sprain” (Oct. 9, 2026); and NFL schedule and results data from SportRadar. Prior MDBayNews coverage referenced here was published Oct. 1 and Oct. 6 through Oct. 8, 2026.
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