Newsletter
Baltimore's windfall of restitution funds isn't as much as you think
Baltimore is slated to receive $580 million total in restitution funds after the city accepted an offer from the judge in the case against McKesson and AmerisourceBergen. That seems like a lot of money — until you put it in context.
Dollar signs and discourse mean nothing without decisive action on OD crisis
The influx of public discourse about Baltimore's overdose crisis has been a welcome and undoubtedly positive change. Yet without action, those who use drugs will continue to die at astronomical rates.
Harm reduction is not just a means to a sober end
Baltimore officials appear to view harm reduction as a means to an end. In other words, it's just a way to keep people alive until they can get sober. That may be the case for some, but it's a dangerous conclusion to draw.
Baltimore takes Trump's lead by escalating drug war after mass OD event
Baltimore is expanding an anti-violence program that hinges upon drug busts and lofty charges for those caught up in the mess. It fits nicely into a broader push for a more militarized approach to drug policy.
Drug talk: A lesson in decency and semantics after this week's chaos
Words matter. And in the epicenter of the nation's overdose crisis, the least Baltimore officials and media outlets can do is minimize chaos and halt their use of harmful rhetoric that demonizes drug users.
Baltimore's landmark opioid case faces another delay, but public hearings are finally coming
A judge has granted the city an extension in the historic case, giving it more time to decide whether to accept a significantly lower award from a jury verdict last year or opt for a new trial. However, public hearings are on the horizon.
BPD data makes it hard to argue that Baltimore's drug war isn't alive and well
Earlier this week, the Baltimore Beat published my deep dive on the War on Drugs in Baltimore. Nearly everyone arrested and charged with drug "crimes" is Black.
Baltimore's landmark lawsuit is flawed — and so is the public's view on opioids
Earlier this week, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge P. Lawrence Fletcher-Hill rejected the city's $5.2 billion ask for abatement and reversed a $266 million jury verdict from last year. It shed light on the lawsuit's flaws, but there's more to the story.
BPD pleads for money to fuel drug-war policing as health department faces budget cuts
As it does every year, the Baltimore Police Department asked for an increase in funding this week, in part to fund drug enforcement efforts. Yet its tactics exacerbate the overdose crisis at a time when public health funding could be upended.
In OD crisis talks, Sen. Alsobrooks brings moderate politics to a fight demanding progressive reforms
U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks has positioned herself as a moderate Democrat who will fight to prevent cuts to Medicaid and other public health services. Yet her politics may not meet the calls for more ambitious reforms.
Gov. Moore signs budget with increased SUD program funding as fatal overdose rate slows
Gov. Wes Moore signed the state budget for the upcoming fiscal year on Tuesday. It brings a modest increase in funding for substance use and mental health services as fatal overdoses continue to decline.
Amid a lethal OD crisis, GOP looks to sabotage Medicaid coverage for 32,000 Baltimoreans with SUD
A far-right faction of Republicans in the U.S. House blocked a budget reconciliation bill backed by President Donald Trump and his allies on Friday because they want to slash even more Medicaid funding. Those with SUD stand to suffer amid an unprecedented overdose crisis.