This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
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“Who’s monitoring all of this?” my dad said, immediately skeptical of the oversight on a fast food promo that pays out in ice cream cones. I get my rule-following instincts from my parents, so I knew they would be A-plus students at trying Chick-fil-A’s viral <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWhRv6sjK-8/">cell phone challenge</a> at a location currently running the campaign: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWhb4tQDwxE/">Towson Place, Maryland</a>.
Let the record show that I assumed my favorite boomers could breeze through a meal without checking their phones. I have since been enlightened.
The concept is simple: Store your silenced cell phone in a “chicken coop” while you enjoy your Chick-fil-A meal in-store and get a free “<a href="https://www.chick-fil-a.com/menu/treats/chick-fil-a-icedream-cone">Icedream</a>” cone as your reward for staying present with your chicken sandwich and your fellow guests. Open to groups and solo acts, the initiative got its start at a Chick-fil-A in the <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/chick-fil-a-cell-phone-challenge-free-icedream/85-f6c4d691-5aa8-41cc-a07b-437180053e30">Atlanta area back in 2016</a>. It hasn’t gotten the nationwide rollout treatment, but it pops up <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTD3eQUEaqA/">around the country</a> every so often at the whim of individual franchisees. This month, the hype went global after <a href="https://x.com/Complex/status/2038462886721294477?s=20">Complex</a> posted Chick-fil-A phone challenge signage on X.
Commenters quickly responded with enthusiasm for the stroke of marketing genius behind quality family time and an immersive tech cleansing. But others called out the “sad” state of affairs with <a href="https://x.com/GrahamCraquer/status/2038477253181686259?s=20">someone</a> adding, “Society has hit a low point holy sh*t.” <a href="https://x.com/The_Trgtguy/status/2038476363284541828?s=20">One hater</a> posted, “I’m trying to enjoy my chicken, not talk to my d*mn family.” <a href="https://x.com/SkattPadding/status/2038678283982618820?s=20">Another</a> person bet that this particular Maryland-based Chick-fil-A would be giving out zero ice cream cones since no one can stay off their phones these days. 
Well, random X user, I brought receipts proving that at least five people have successfully completed the task and cashed in on those cones: my two parents and the three teenagers they paid to participate in the same challenge at another table. Having known my mom and dad my whole life, this all checks out.
My parents FaceTimed me the minute they returned from their mission, sharing boots-on-the-ground perspective on the promo everyone else in America wishes their local Chick-fil-A was running. They were already fans of Chick-fil-A, as well as the Towson Place location’s spacious dining area and flawless customer service. “I love ‘It’s my pleasure,’” my mom said. 
I confessed to stopping by Chick-fil-A when I lived in Los Angeles purely because, unlike people in the rest of the city, the chain’s friendly employees seemed to enjoy serving customers. But back to the challenge at hand.
“We were expecting a chicken coop,” my mom said. There are many representations of the  “coop” from the Chick-fil-A phone challenge on social media (one claims to be made of wood), but the Towson Place version involves a plain white cardboard box meant to secure your phone. (Apparently, it could have used some fun chicken-related decoration, according to “reviews.”) 
Still, my parents persisted, roping in a trio of local teens into the mix, who my mom says “were like … ‘o-kay?’” about the idea. The boys had completed the challenge before and were happy to walk these nice elderly people through the process, accepting $2 each in cash. My parents value the quality time of other people’s grandchildren. And still carry cash.
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<div id="attachment_1071495" style="width: 406px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1071495" class=" wp-image-1071495" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="396" height="491" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-scaled.jpeg 2063w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-242x300.jpeg 242w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-464x576.jpeg 464w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-768x953.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-1238x1536.jpeg 1238w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-1651x2048.jpeg 1651w" sizes=" (max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px" />Lauren Bair / The Daily Wire</div>
They placed their order at the counter, sat down at the table with their drinks, and stowed their phones in the “coop” once their food arrived. 
“Wait. So do you normally use your phone during dinner?” I asked, having no idea what my parents do in their free time.
“No, but I usually have it at the ready,” my mom said, like most of us. (How else are we gonna pick it up <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSaZlROjGuL/">186 times a day</a>?) But when she admitted, “I checked my purse for my phone 10 times while my phone was still in the ‘coop,’” my eyeballs ejected from my face. Full disclosure, I did ask her to document as much pre- and post-coop action as possible. But I was shocked. The challenge, which is so obviously aimed at kids, even had my mom feeling the benefits from sealing her phone in a cardboard box.
“I’ve watched many families come in with young kids, and they do it,” said <a href="https://www.thebanner.com/culture/food-drink/chickfila-towson-free-ice-cream-phones-JHYYQXNZMVFBNL3BVT376CAZRM/">Natalie Martz</a>, owner of the Towson Place Chick-fil-A. “I’ve seen adults come in with adult children and do it.” 
Maybe the Chick-fil-A challenge is just a wholesome excuse to encourage customers to “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNGl6N0t8um/">eat mor chikin</a>” and make it an occasion by purchasing meals for the whole family. But breaking bread sans phones might lead to small, surprising joys beyond chicken nuggets — no matter your age.
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<div id="attachment_1071489" style="width: 381px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1071489" class=" wp-image-1071489" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="371" height="641" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-scaled.jpg 1481w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-174x300.jpg 174w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-333x576.jpg 333w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-768x1327.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-889x1536.jpg 889w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-1185x2048.jpg 1185w" sizes=" (max-width: 371px) 100vw, 371px" />Lauren Bair / The Daily Wire</div>
“I haven’t had a cone in years,” my mom recalled. “It was nostalgic. It brought back good memories for me.” Chick-fil-A happens to be celebrating its 80th anniversary this year with a “<a href="https://www.chick-fil-a.com/press-room/chick-fil-a-launches-collectible-classic-cups-and-yearlong-celebration">Newstalgia</a>” marketing blitz that features retro packaging on drinks and sandwiches along with all-new plushie cows.
“The cone was really good,” my dad reported. That comment on the actual cone part of the old-school vanilla soft-serve dessert is notably high praise from a non-foodie. It warmed my heart hearing that they had fun with the assignment.
As <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWhRv6sjK-8/">one fan</a> summed it up on Instagram, “A free ice cream for being present with your people? That’s a deal worth taking.” Try the challenge for yourself at a participating Chick-fil-A or politely ask your local shop to get in on the action. I’m sure it would be their pleasure.

GettyImages-2169818759

I Thought Americans Could Handle This Simple Challenge At Chick-fil-A. I Was Wrong.

cell phone challenge

Chick-fil-A

Maryland

Upstream

A liberal Maryland county will shell out $1.5 million to a group of religious parents who sued the school board over a policy that blocked parents from opting their children out of instruction on books pushing transgender ideology.  
In addition to paying damages, the board of education for Montgomery County must inform parents whenever there will be instruction related to family life and human sexuality. The <a href="https://becketnewsite.s3.amazonaws.com/20260219151333/Consent-Judgment-in-Mahmoud-v-Taylor.pdf">settlement</a> comes after a group of parents from various religious backgrounds won a major victory at the Supreme Court that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-sides-with-parents-says-schools-cant-mandate-lgbt-curricula">struck down</a> the county’s opt-out policies as unconstitutional. 
The settlement was announced on Friday by Becket, a non-profit law firm focused on litigation issues related to religious liberty. It was approved by Judge Deborah Boardman in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. 
“Public schools nationwide are on notice: running roughshod over parental rights and religious freedom isn’t just illegal — it’s costly,” said Eric Baxter, senior counsel at Becket and lead attorney for the parents. “This settlement enforces the Supreme Court’s ruling and ensures parents, not government bureaucrats, have the final say in how their children are raised.” 
Montgomery County is a heavily Democratic area that borders Washington, D.C. 
In June 2025, the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-sides-with-parents-says-schools-cant-mandate-lgbt-curricula">ruled 6-3</a> in favor of the parents against the county, with Justice Samuel Alito writing the majority opinion. 
“A government burdens the religious exercise of parents when it requires them to submit their children to instruction that poses ‘a very real threat of undermining’ the religious beliefs and practices that the parents wish to instill,” Alito wrote.
The legal battle first began in March 2023, when the school board said that it would no longer let parents opt out of books pushing transgender and queer ideology. In response, a group of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish parents challenged the county in Mahmoud v. Taylor.
“It took tremendous courage for these parents to stand up to the School Board and take their case all the way to the Supreme Court,” Baxter said. “Their victory reshaped the law and ensured that generations of religious parents will be able to guide their children’s upbringing according to their faith.”
Chris Persak, a Catholic father whose children attend Montgomery County schools, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/caught-in-a-scotus-clash-over-trans-ideology-parents-turned-to-faith-and-the-constitution">previously told</a> The Daily Wire it was his faith that helped him stay calm throughout the whole legal process. 
“We said prayers of the Holy Spirit, and just felt this unbelievable calmness as we’re walking in,” he said. “Even with the protesters, even with members of the leadership of Montgomery County, who were protesting against us live that day.”

Supreme Court Hears Arguments On Parental Rights Regarding LGBTQ Books In Schools

Liberal County Took On Religious Parents — Now They’re Paying For It

Liberal County Must Pay Parents After Losing SCOTUS Case On Trans Ideology

Education

gender ideology

Montgomery County

US-ENVIROMENT-SEWAGE-POTOMAC

DEI Disaster: Washington D.C. Is Now Literally Flooded With Poop

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Drinking Water

Matt Walsh

Opinion

potomac river

Washington D.C.

Democrats are claiming that President Trump is a racist because he is deploying help to clean up the giant poop spill in the Potomac.
On Monday, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/16/potomac-raw-sewage-moore-trump-fema-truth-social/">reported</a>:
<blockquote>President Donald Trump said Monday that federal authorities will respond to a major sewage spill that occurred four weeks ago in the Potomac River, which flows between Maryland, Washington and Virginia. In a post on his social network, Truth Social, Trump said the Federal Emergency Management Agency would play a key role in a response involving “Management, Direction, and Coordination” to protect the Potomac. FEMA is one of the agencies affected by the current partial government shutdown; in past shutdowns, its employees have largely been required to work without pay.
Trump blamed “local Democrat leaders” for “gross mismanagement” in his post, and he singled out Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), suggesting that the governor is incapable of handling the situation. On Air Force One on Monday afternoon en route to Washington from Mar-a-Lago, Trump again criticized Moore. “I don’t like the fact that he did that horrible, you know, with the pipes and the Potomac, and he’s not doing the job,” Trump said. “I’m going to have to get the federal government involved in getting it fixed, because he can’t fix anything.”</blockquote>
Wes Moore tried to claim it was actually the federal government&#8217;s fault. It is not. He says he&#8217;s a victim of President Trump now. Sure, it&#8217;s his state pumping raw sewage into the rivers, but it is President Trump who is the real exploiter here.
 Moore will most likely run for president in 2028. I think that would be a quixotic quest; I do not think that he has “it,” whatever “it” is.
“I think the president just seems to have a very real issue with the fact that I do not bow to him and I will stand up to him because I will always defend my people. But the fact that I am the only black governor in this country and the fact that he seems to have a real issue with me, I think that&#8217;s an issue he&#8217;s got to take up,” he <a href="https://x.com/TheArenaCNN/status/2024252428959310008">declared</a>.
It&#8217;s very sad. What a victim.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2371-prince-andrew-arrested"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Moore also claims that President Trump may be a racist because he is “assaulting” employment opportunities for black women.
He <a href="https://x.com/TheArenaCNN/status/2024252428959310008">stated</a>, “He also has spent the past year making a direct assault on scholarships for HBCUs. The past year, we have seen the greatest assault on unemployment for black women that our country has ever seen. He&#8217;s spending his time attacking history and banning books. I honestly think that, you know, it&#8217;s a question not just for the president, but frankly, I think it&#8217;s also a question for white America. If they are looking at his actions. I think that&#8217;s something that people need to wrestle with.”
This is ridiculous. The unemployment rate in the country right now is 4.3%. Trump is not undercutting black women.
If the claim by Moore is that government employment has been cut in certain areas and that demographically this disproportionately affects black women, that does not mean that Trump is specifically targeting black women by cutting federal jobs.
Claiming victimhood on behalf of black women everywhere because President Trump is cutting federal jobs is truly silly, especially on the same day that President Trump was celebrating Black History Month at the White House.
Our apparently incredibly racist president <a href="https://x.com/rapidresponse47/status/2024222985142382935?s=46">said this</a>:
<blockquote>Black Americans have stepped forward to defend the flag and to defend our country like few others. And you&#8217;ve never really been given the recognition that you should get for that. I don&#8217;t think a lot of people have given the kind of recognition, but, everyone knows all about the Tuskegee Airmen. They were great and amazing. The Buffalo Soldiers, you know, the Buffalo Soldiers? Good stuff, right? Black leaders from Frederick Douglass to Martin Luther King. &#8230; have made our country freer. What they&#8217;ve really done is made life more just.</blockquote>
What a racist. That is egregiously KKK-type racist stuff.
One reporter on Wednesday took the opportunity to ask about whether Trump is a racist, since he has been called racist so many times. 
He <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bHKojtGTPI">asked</a>, “Where or when does the president believe he&#8217;s been falsely called racist?”
“You&#8217;re kidding, right?” White House Secretary Karoline Leavitt fired back, “I will pull you a plethora of examples. I&#8217;m going to get my team in that room to start going through the internet of radical Democrats throughout the years who have accused this president falsely of being a racist. And I&#8217;m sure there&#8217;s many people in this room and on network television across the country who have accused him of the same. In fact, I know that because I&#8217;ve seen it with my own eyes.”
I love it. 
One D.C. resident gave a very lively speech during this event at the White House. Her grandson was violently killed in Washington, D.C., and she <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DU6nStNjl2A/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">raved about Trump</a>: 
“We need National Guard, which we did years ago. He brought it on. I love him. I don&#8217;t want to hear nothing you got to say about the racist stuff. And don&#8217;t be looking at me on the news, hating on me because I&#8217;m standing up for somebody that deserves to be stand up for. Get off the man&#8217;s back. Let him do his job. He doing the right thing. Back up off. And grandma said it!”
But, oh, look at that vicious racist in the White House.
Say what?

Maryland Gov. Moore And Utah Gov. Cox Speak At National Press Club On Bipartisanship

Wes Moore Says Trump Is A Racist. AYFKM?

Ben Shapiro

Democrats

Donald Trump

Legacy Media

Racism

U.S. Politics

Wes Moore

WASHINGTON—If you live in the nation&#8217;s capital, you&#8217;ve probably heard that there&#8217;s sewage in the Potomac River.
The issue began in mid-January, when a roughly 60-year-old sewer pipe in Maryland broke, resulting in sewage flowing into the river within the first five days, with additional spills happening this month. So far, roughly 250 million gallons of the sewage has made its way into the river.
The spill has since become the subject of regional and national concern, largely because E. coli levels in the water are higher. The D.C. government says that it is “likely due to a recent rain event” rather than the spill, but still advises that people do not fish or otherwise have &#8220;unnecessary contact&#8221; with the river.
But there&#8217;s some good news for Washingtonians: the tap water is still fine.
“There is currently no impact to drinking water, and so I think as much as we can say that is extremely important to reassure folks. The federal government right now is doing a couple things,” EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water Jess Kramer told The Daily Wire in a Thursday interview. “One is helping to ensure coordination across all the entities involved: the federal partners, the states, as well as the local governments.”
President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social on Tuesday, asking for the governments of Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. to quickly step in, writing, “if they can’t do the job, they have to call me and ask, politely, to get it fixed.&#8221;
“The Federal Government is not at all involved with what has taken place, but we can fix it. But remember, even in that case, with the Democrat Shutdown, we’ll have to bring in true Patriots to do the work because many are not working right now. These Democrat caused Disasters, both River and Shutdown, will only get worse,” Trump added, calling it a “Radical Left caused Environmental Hazard.”
The incident has led to more tensions between the president and Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D), who posted a map on X on Wednesday that highlighted what is and is not considered federal jurisdiction.
“Heard you weren’t sure about what is federal vs. local jurisdiction, Mr. President. So we wanted to make it easier for you. Many thanks to [the National Park Service] for this great map of federal land!” Moore wrote.
Kramer said that she’s “never seen a governor so adamant to not take actions to protect the health of its citizens.”
“The federal piece of this, I think that he&#8217;s pointing to when he&#8217;s talking about federal lands, is that is the National Park Service piece of it. But again, like I just discussed, that second bucket of remediation, that is really going to be led by National Park Service to ensure that the property is cleaned up to the levels and the specificity that&#8217;s necessary for the National Park Service,” she explained.
“And so there is definitely a federal component here, but the break happened within the jurisdiction of Maryland. And so when we talk about cooperative federalism under the Clean Water Act, we really look at the state as the primary enforcement agency. And we, as EPA, the federal government, we have […] oversight authority that lays on top of that. And so we will step in if we need to,” she continued.
She added that the &#8220;federal government is actively working to fulfill requests for assistance that we have gotten over the last 24 hours, from the various state government and local government partners. And those are things that we are providing to help ensure the protection of public health as well as helping to provide resources, to ensure the expedient cleanup and remediation of this site.&#8221;
Earlier on Thursday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a State of Emergency in hopes of getting federal help for the situation, including “100% reimbursement for costs incurred.”
Kramer explained that the goals for remediation fall into three main categories: getting the sewage returned to the Potomac Interceptor, which diverts sewage to a <a href="https://www.dcwater.com/potomacinterceptor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">water treatment center</a>, from the canal in the next four to six weeks; having the land cleaned up after the “sanitary sewage” is back in the interceptor; and doing “necessary inspections and operations and maintenance” on the interceptor quickly to make sure there is not a repeat of the issue.
FEMA is also playing a key role in the clean-up efforts, despite the current lapse in funding for the Department of Homeland Security, as Congress and the White House have yet to reach a deal regarding federal immigration enforcement tactics.
&#8220;Democrats in Congress have shut down [FEMA] funding—leaving our hard working employees to work without pay—yet FEMA is now stepping in to coordinate cleanup of one of the largest raw sewage spills in U.S. history,&#8221; DHS Secretary Kristi Noem posted to X on Monday.
&#8220;Thanks to gross mismanagement by Maryland&#8217;s Democrat leaders, hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage has reportedly been dumped into the Potomac River—flowing straight through our nation&#8217;s capital and endangering millions of people, wildlife, and the entire DC region&#8217;s water supply. Democrats are withholding paychecks from the men and women of [DHS] while they clean up this Democrat-created disaster. Unbelievable hypocrisy,&#8221; Noem added.
When The Daily Wire reached out to Moore&#8217;s office for comment, they referred to the governor&#8217;s Wednesday remarks on the issue, where he said that the EPA did not attend a Maryland General Assembly hearing on the &#8220;cleanup status&#8221; and that &#8220;to blame Maryland in this when this is a DC pipe on federal land is asinine. It is disingenuous, absurd, and politically motivated.&#8221;

‘Radical Left’ Environmental Hazard? Trump’s Potomac Sewage Dare To Dems

enviornment

Trump Administration

Virginia

Governor Wes Moore (D-MD), who has been frequently floated as a potential presidential candidate, signed legislation on Tuesday that would effectively ban all state and local participation in federal immigration enforcement agreements.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Maryland Democrat Governor Wes Moore signs legislation into law to prevent state and local cooperation with ICE.
Moore is choosing to make it harder for ICE officers to deport criminal illegals. <a href="https://t.co/DXwIOtbqdn">pic.twitter.com/DXwIOtbqdn</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/2024138925606834279?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://www.mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/fnotes/bil_0005/sb0245.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Senate Bill 245</a> and House Bill 444, functioning as companion &#8220;cross-filed&#8221; bills, prohibit the State of Maryland, its counties, municipalities, and local sheriffs from entering into or maintaining contracts, intergovernmental service agreements, or memoranda of understanding with the federal government to enforce civil immigration law. Most notably, the legislation targets the controversial 287(g) partnerships, which previously allowed local law enforcement officers to perform the functions of federal immigration agents.
Classified as emergency legislation, the law requires any jurisdiction currently operating under such an agreement to exercise its termination provision within 90 days.
Governor Moore, who had previously signaled his support for the measures, framed the signing as a step toward ensuring that all Marylanders feel protected by their local government. Supporters of the bills argued that entangling local police with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) eroded trust within immigrant communities, making residents less likely to report crimes or cooperate with investigations for fear of deportation.
&#8220;By removing local involvement in federal civil immigration enforcement, we are building a stronger bridge of trust between our law enforcement officers and the communities they serve,&#8221; proponents stated during the legislative session.
However, the move has not been without intense scrutiny. Opponents, including several county sheriffs and Republican lawmakers, raised significant concerns regarding public safety. They argued that programs like the Criminal Alien Program (CAP) are vital for identifying and removing incarcerated undocumented immigrants who may pose a threat to the community. Critics expressed fears that the loss of these federal partnerships would limit the ability of local authorities to keep &#8220;at-large&#8221; criminal offenders off the streets.
The legislation builds upon a foundation laid during a 2021 special session, which previously restricted the use of private detention facilities and limited when police could inquire about an individual&#8217;s immigration status during routine stops.
While the new law restricts active enforcement partnerships, it does not override federal mandates regarding the exchange of information. Under federal law, state and local entities are still prohibited from restricting the sharing of information regarding an individual’s citizenship or immigration status with ICE.
But the total ban on operational &#8220;immigration enforcement agreements&#8221; signals that Maryland has officially withdrawn its personnel and resources from the front lines of federal immigration control.

Maryland Gov. Moore And Oklahoma Gov. Stitt Speak At The Economic Club Of Washington, DC

Dem Darling Wes Moore Nukes Maryland’s Cooperation With ICE

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

A Maryland man is facing attempted murder charges after authorities say he attempted to kill Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought at his home in Northern Virginia.
Arlington County Police arrested Colin Demarco, 26, on January 22. Demarco said that he feared a “fascist takeover” of the country under the Trump administration and that he was writing a manifesto and instructions on topics such as “Body Disposal Guide,” according to court documents reviewed by <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/maryland-man-russell-vought-attempted-murder-charges/">CBS News</a>.
Charging documents say that Demarco planned to kill someone with the initials “R.V.” who “has served as a presidential appointee.” A source familiar with the case later confirmed to CBS News that Vought was the intended target.
“We are grateful for the work of law enforcement in keeping Director Vought and his family safe,” the Office of Management and Budget said in a statement.
Demarco visited Vought’s home last year. He was caught on the director’s Ring doorbell camera on August 10, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/maryland-man-facing-attempted-murder-charges-showing-omb-director-russ-rcna257693">NBC News</a>.
Demarco has been charged with attempted murder, carrying a firearm without a permit, and unlawfully wearing a mask.
The alleged attack on Vought comes amid a series of high-profile politically motivated attacks in recent years. On January 27, a man rushed Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar as she was speaking at a town hall and sprayed her with apple cider vinegar. Prosecutors later <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-charges-man-in-apple-cider-vinegar-attack-on-ilhan-omar">charged</a> Anthony Kazmierczak with a single count alleging he “forcibly assaulted, opposed, impeded, intimidated and interfered” with the congresswoman.
In September, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a college campus event in Utah. Some of the bullet casings from the murder weapon were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ammunition-from-charlie-kirk-assassination-was-engraved-with-transgender-and-anti-fascist-ideology">inscribed</a> with politically-tinged messages, such as “Hey Fascist! Catch” and lyrics from the Italian anti-fascist anthem “Bella Ciao.”
President Donald Trump narrowly survived two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign. During an attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, a bullet grazed the president’s ear. The shots meant for Trump killed one person in the audience, former fire chief Corey Comperatore.
Vought is the architect of key parts of Trump’s deregulatory and cost-cutting agenda. One of his key successes was designing Schedule F, a new classification that eases the process of reducing the size of the federal workforce.
The OMB director has been the target of numerous death threats and now has a security detail from the U.S. Marshals Service, according to CBS.

Russell Vought

Maryland Man Attempted To Murder A Top Trump Budget Official, Prosecutors Say

Crime

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

U.S.

Maryland Democrats are moving forward with an aggressive mid-decade redistricting plan that could eliminate the state’s only Republican-held U.S. House seat, setting up a high-stakes political and legal fight ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission, appointed by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore and chaired by Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), voted 3–2 on Wednesday to recommend a new “congressional map concept” to the governor and the Democratic-controlled General Assembly. While the recommendation is non-binding, its adoption would likely result in Democrats controlling all eight of Maryland’s U.S. House seats.
The proposal would dramatically reshape Maryland’s 1st Congressional District, currently represented by Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. Under the plan, the district would stretch across the Chesapeake Bay, removing conservative-leaning counties such as Harford and Cecil on the Eastern Shore and absorbing Democratic-leaning areas of Anne Arundel and Howard counties, including communities near Columbia.
Supporters have framed the proposal as a response to population shifts and partisan redistricting efforts in other states. Gov. Moore has defended the commission’s work as transparent and responsive to national developments, arguing that Maryland cannot “unilaterally disarm” as other states pursue partisan advantages. Moore has also said he is reviewing the proposal following recent discussions in Washington, D.C., with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Republicans have criticized the move as an overt attempt to eliminate the party&#8217;s only congressional foothold in the state. Maryland Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey, a Republican, called the process “a partisan power grab disguised as reform…designed to silence dissent and cement one-party rule in Maryland.” Rep. Harris’ office has likewise accused Democrats of partisan gerrymandering and signaled potential legal action if the map is enacted, warning that the proposal fractures established communities to engineer a political outcome.
Criticism has also emerged from within Democratic ranks. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-MD) has questioned the proposal’s legality, warning the map could be “objectively unconstitutional” and vulnerable to court challenges for unnecessarily dividing communities and redrawing district lines mid-decade.
The recommendation now heads to the General Assembly, where lawmakers would need to pass legislation for the map to take effect. Maryland’s congressional maps have repeatedly faced judicial scrutiny, raising the likelihood of renewed litigation if the proposal is adopted.
The push in Maryland comes as Republicans in Indiana took the opposite approach. In December 2025, Indiana lawmakers declined to advance a Trump-backed mid-decade redistricting plan that would have aimed to create a 9–0 Republican congressional delegation by reshaping two Democratic-held districts. The Indiana Senate voted 31–19 against the proposal, with more than twenty Republicans joining all Democrats in opposition, preserving the state’s existing 7–2 GOP map.
President Donald Trump criticized the decision and pledged to back primary challengers against the Republican senators who broke ranks in Indiana. While no evidence has emerged of any formal or informal agreement between Indiana Republicans and Maryland Democrats to mutually refrain from redistricting, online speculation has linked Indiana’s vote to Maryland Democrats’ subsequent push. 
As the 2026 midterms approach, Maryland’s proposal underscores how redistricting is again emerging as a flashpoint in the battle for control of the U.S. House, with both parties increasingly willing to test legal and political boundaries in pursuit of advantage.

Maryland Democrats Target GOP’s Only House Seat With Aggressive Redistricting Plan

Elections

Politics

Redistricting

Former Maryland GOP Gov. Larry Hogan does not plan to challenge incumbent Democratic Gov. Wes Moore this November, he announced on Tuesday.
The moderate Republican served two terms as governor, but Maryland law limits governors to two consecutive terms, not a lifetime cap. In 2024, Hogan unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate against now-Sen. Angela Alsobrooks.
“I care deeply about the state of Maryland, and I remain concerned about the direction of our nation’s politics, but I have no intention of running for office again,&#8221; Hogan wrote in an op-ed for <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/2026/01/20/larry-hogan-2026-election/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Baltimore Sun</a>. &#8220;It was an honor to serve, but it’s time to look forward, not back. The fight for Maryland and America’s future does not belong to any one person or any one party; it belongs to the people.”
Ammar Moussa, Senior Press Secretary and Director of Media Strategy for Moore, <a href="https://x.com/ammarmufasa/status/2013614381133660493?s=20">posted</a> to X, “Damn I would’ve enjoyed beating him. Again.”
The Cook Political Report rates the race as solid Democrat, but there were reports circulating that Hogan could be mulling another campaign. Hogan was a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, though Trump ultimately endorsed him during the 2024 cycle. In a June 2024 interview with Fox News, Trump said he wanted Hogan to win to help Republicans take back the Senate, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hogan-maryland-senate-93a6d8e6e495056edd9a55be6e2432cb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>. In August, an Instagram post from Hogan sparked rumors about a potential comeback. The post showed his old campaign RV, joking that it was “slightly used” and suggesting they could “get back out on the road again,” according to <a href="https://foxbaltimore.com/newsletter-daily/social-media-post-former-gov-larry-hogan-preparing-for-another-political-run" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox 45 Baltimore</a>. Hogan later said in September 2024 that he would not vote for Trump during his comeback bid, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/29/larry-hogan-trump-maryland-00181572" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a> reported.
In September, Moore launched his re-election campaign after winning his 2022 race with nearly 65% of the vote. The Democrat has been widely considered a possible 2028 presidential contender, but he told NBC News&#8217;s <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2028-election/maryland-governor-wes-moore-ruling-out-presidential-run-redistricting-rcna229615" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Meet the Press&#8221;</a> in September that he&#8217;s &#8220;not running for president.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to the Moore campaign for comment on Hogan’s decision but did not receive an immediate response.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan

Never-Trump Republican Larry Hogan Won’t Challenge Wes Moore For Maryland Governor

2026 election

Larry Hogan

Activist group One Fair Wage is pushing a 2026 ballot effort in Maryland to get a $25 minimum wage, which would be much higher than any other state in the nation – sparking concerns from some economists about the potential impact.
“$25 isn’t radical! It’s survival,” the group posted to X on Friday morning. “One Fair Wage is pushing a 2026 ballot measure to make Maryland the first state with a true living wage for all workers.”
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, but many states and territories go beyond that, with California at $16.50 an hour and Washington, D.C., at $17.95 an hour. If One Fair Wage’s proposal went into effect, a full-time worker could make a minimum of $52,000 a year.
Maryland-based economist Rachel Greszler, Senior Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, said that the proposal could create serious issues because of its drastic nature.
The Old Line State’s minimum wage is currently $15 an hour, with Montgomery County having a minimum wage as high as $17.65 for companies over 51 people.
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“I think it’s insane. Maryland’s already trying to compete, especially with Virginia nearby, and you were losing businesses, especially the small businesses, which are disproportionately affected by high minimum wages, and to do this is just gonna exacerbate the problems that we’re having with the budget, of course, and of having good jobs for people,” she said, noting that “good intentions don’t necessarily lead to good outcomes.&#8221; Virginia&#8217;s minimum wage will go $12.77 an hour starting January 1.
“You need these starting wages to be able to step onto the ladder and then be able to climb it. If that first step is $25 an hour or $52,000 a year, a lot of people would just never be able to step onto it,” she said, noting the risk of youth employment decline even further.
Greszler wrote in September for the <a href="https://epicforamerica.org/education-workforce-retirement/americas-youth-employment-lacking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Economic Policy Innovation Center</a> that teen employment has gone down 15.6% since 2000 to only 30%.
Non-partisan business groups have also raised concerns about the suggested increase.
&#8220;We understand that many Marylanders are struggling with the cost of living and want better opportunities to get ahead. But Maryland&#8217;s economy is already struggling to create and keep jobs, and raising the minimum wage to $25 would make it even harder,” the Maryland Chamber of Commerce told <a href="https://www.wmar2news.com/local/a-minimum-wage-of-25-an-hour-in-maryland-could-be-put-to-a-vote-in-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WMAR 2 News Baltimore</a> in November.
If it makes it to the ballot, Greszler is not confident that the measure would pass, despite the hope from activists that it could excite voters, according to WMAR.
“I think it’s such a big jump,” she said. “I could see them going for a smaller one.”
The economist noted that she feels “sympathy” on the issue due to cost-of-living concerns, but added that “there’s no way that that’s gonna be sustainable.”
“Half of people who earn it are under age 24. It’s primarily teenagers. And more than half of the people who are earning the minimum wage are just working part-time,” she noted.

minimum wage

Economist Blasts $25 Minimum Wage Proposal: ‘I Think It’s Insane’

Business

Economy

Minimum Wage

A federal judge on Thursday ordered Kilmar Abrego Garcia to be &#8220;immediately&#8221; released from an immigration detention facility as the Department of Homeland Security vows to challenge the decision.
“This is naked judicial activism by an Obama appointed judge. This order lacks any valid legal basis and we will continue to fight this tooth and nail in the courts,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis said that &#8220;since Abrego Garcia&#8217;s return from wrongful detention in El Salvador, he has been re-detained, again without lawful authority&#8221; and granted his petition to be freed from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
&#8220;Abrego Garcia&#8217;s case demands judicial intervention,&#8221; Xinis said.
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Xinis instructed the federal government to inform Abrego Garcia of her order and to notify the court by 5 pm ET on Thursday of the time and location of his release.
&#8220;Because Abrego Garcia has been held in ICE detention to effectuate third-county removal absent a lawful removal order, his requested relief is proper,&#8221; Xinis added.
In March, Abrego Garcia, 30, was deported to El Salvador&#8217;s CECOT mega-prison after President Donald Trump and other administration officials claimed he was a member of the MS-13 crime gang. Over the summer, the Salvadoran native was returned to the United States to face human smuggling charges and released into his brother&#8217;s custody. He has pleaded not guilty and denies being a gang member. He was later detained again by federal authorities and is now being held in a Pennsylvania detention facility.
In November, the Trump administration asked Judge Xinis to dissolve a ban on deporting Abrego Garcia to Liberia, a West African nation. The administration has been seeking to deport him to at least five other countries.
He reportedly lived in Maryland for more than a decade after entering the United States illegally.
Abrego Garcia&#8217;s human smuggling trial in Tennessee is set to start in January, but he&#8217;s trying to get the charges dropped, claiming he is being unfairly prosecuted. According to the indictment, Abrego Garcia and accomplices conspired to unlawfully transport aliens from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, and other nations into the United States.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia Checks In At Baltimore ICE Office After Release From Jail

Federal Judge Orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia Freed From ICE Custody

homeland security

Immigration

Kilmar Abrego Garcia

The Trump administration on Tuesday took action against six blue states that it says have failed to comply with requests to produce their voter rolls. 
The Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-six-additional-states-failure-provide-voter-registration-rolls">announced</a> suits against Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington for not producing statewide registration lists. Without these lists, the Justice Department said that they cannot certify that the states are maintaining an accurate count of eligible voters. 
&#8220;Accurate voter rolls are the cornerstone of fair and free elections, and too many states have fallen into a pattern of noncompliance with basic voter roll maintenance,&#8221; said Attorney General Pam Bondi. &#8220;The Department of Justice will continue filing proactive election integrity litigation until states comply with basic election safeguards.&#8221;
The suits come amid a push from Republicans nationwide to crack down on non-citizen voting and maintain clean voter registration lists.
The lawsuits say that the states are not acting in accordance with the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act, which compel states to maintain accurate voter lists. The attorney general is empowered to enforce those laws and has a right to access the lists under the Civil Rights Act of 1960, the suits say.
&#8220;States that continue to defy federal voting laws interfere with our mission of ensuring that Americans have accurate voter lists as they go to the polls, that every vote counts equally, and that all voters have confidence in election results. At this Department of Justice, we will not stand for this open defiance of federal civil rights laws,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon.
The <a href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1419811/dl?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">lawsuit</a> against Rhode Island says that on September 16 Rhode Island sent a letter to the Justice Department refusing a September 8 request for voter roll information. The letter said that the states “objects to providing” the requested information, according to the suit. This requested information includes driver license information and the last four digits of Social Security numbers used to register for voting. 
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Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha claimed the suit was an example of Trump weaponizing the Justice Department. 
“We stand with and will defend the secretary, and win, because lawsuits concerning lawful conduct are largely unsuccessful,” he said. “But I’m not surprised that this administration is confused about what it means to behave lawfully.”
In September, the Justice Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/justice-dept-sues-six-states-for-refusing-to-hand-over-key-voter-data">announced</a> suits against Michigan, California, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Minnesota, and New York over the same issue.

Justice Department Announces Federal Enforcement Action Against International Criminal Organization

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