Maryland Now

Blended Public Affairs•baltimorefishbowl.com

Maryland Now is a podcast that goes beyond the headlines to explore the forces shaping Maryland’s politics, policy, and public life. Hosted by Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin — three veteran journalists and public‑affairs leaders with more than 60 years of combined experience — the show brings depth, context, and historical perspective to the issues facing Maryland today. Each episode blends reporting, interviews, and insider knowledge. You’ll hear directly from the people driving decisions in Annapolis and across the state: agency heads, lawmakers, advocates, strategists, and longtime policy experts. The hosts draw on their decades covering and working in Maryland government to connect past decisions to current debates — revealing how we got here, what’s been tried before, and what’s at stake now. Season One follows the 2026 General Assembly session and election cycle, with deep dives into housing, energy, the state budget, public health, and more. The conversations are smart, candid, and grounded in real reporting — not hot takes. If you want to understand Maryland — its politics, its communities, and its future — Maryland Now is for YOU

Last refreshed: April 17th, 2026 at 3:38 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

The Final Gavel: Why the 2026 Session Felt Different

In this season finale "Roundtable" edition of Maryland Now , hosts Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin are joined by two highly regarded Annapolis lawyers and lobbyists: Tiffany Harvey of Cornerstone Government Affairs and Sean Malone of the Harris, Jones & Malone firm. Together, they break down the highs, lows, and unexpected tensions of the 2026 legislative session. The podcast explores the overarching "Protect Maryland" theme that defined the year, analyzing how the House of Delegate...

Apr 16, 2026•47 min•Ep. 10

Inside Maryland's Official State Symbols

In this "Roundtable" edition of Maryland Now , hosts Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin dive into the quirky, surprising, and often controversial world of Maryland’s official state symbols. From the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair to classroom lobbying efforts by elementary school students, the group explores how 26 different icons—ranging from the iconic blue crab to the prehistoric Astrodon johnstoni —became part of the state’s official identity. The episode goes behind the scenes of the legis...

Apr 02, 2026•49 min•Ep. 9

Roundtable Discussion: The 2026 County Executive Races

In this second "Roundtable" edition of Maryland Now , hosts Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin are joined by two of the state’s most experienced political insiders: Don Mohler , former Baltimore County Executive, and Candace Dodson-Reed , Chief of Staff at the Maryland Economic Development Corporation. This episode focuses on the critical battles for County Executive and County Council in Baltimore, Howard, Anne Arundel, and Montgomery counties. The group discusses how voter turnout, publi...

Mar 26, 2026•47 min•Ep. 8

Risk and Reward: When the Private Sector Builds Public Infrastructure

If your child brought home a report card with a C average, you’d likely be underwhelmed. But a C average is what the American Society of Civil Engineers gives Maryland’s infrastructure, and they have some suggestions for how to improve. Infrastructure is the "bread and butter" of government—covering everything from the water in your pipes to the bridges on your commute—but as construction costs rise and traditional funding sources like the gas tax dwindle, the state is looking for new ways to bu...

Mar 19, 2026•30 min•Ep. 7

Are We There Yet? The Pitfalls and Promise of Maryland Transit

For decades, Marylanders have looked at maps of what could have been: a sprawling, interconnected rail network linking neighborhoods from Owings Mills to the Inner Harbor and beyond. While Washington, D.C. successfully colored in its transit lines, Baltimore was left with a "single metro line" and a light rail system described as "two systems flying in loose formation" that fail to feed each other. The dream of a comprehensive network has been stalled by shifting political winds, funding hurdles...

Mar 12, 2026•45 min•Ep. 6

Upstream, Downstream: The Architecture of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement

The Chesapeake Bay is more than just a body of water; it supports a $600 million seafood industry in Maryland; it's a $3.2 billion tourism engine for the state, and it's at the very heart of Maryland’s self-image. But for the other five states in the 64,000-square-mile watershed, the Bay is often an abstract concept, a distant destination. This geographic and emotional disconnect complicates the decades-long effort to restore one of the world’s most productive estuaries. In this episode, hosts D...

Mar 05, 2026•42 min•Ep. 5

The Filing Deadline Roundtable

The filing deadline has passed, and the board is finally set for Maryland’s 2026 elections. With a flurry of last-minute entries and some surprising absences, the stakes for the state’s political future have never been clearer. From a wide-open race in the 5th Congressional District to generational challenges in some state legislative seats, there’s plenty to watch in this election cycle. In this episode, hosts Dori Henry , Josh Kurtz , and David Nitkin are joined by Alex Hughes (Blended Public ...

Feb 26, 2026•44 min•Ep. 4

Why Maryland Can’t Build Enough Housing

Maryland is in the middle of a full‑blown housing crisis — and the consequences are showing up everywhere. For 12 straight years, more Marylanders have left the state than moved in, and the trend is accelerating. As Comptroller Brooke Lierman explains, it’s not just retirees heading south. Younger residents and middle‑income families are leaving too, taking billions in economic activity with them. “I was particularly disconcerted to see how many younger Marylanders are moving away,” she says. At...

Feb 19, 2026•37 min•Ep. 3

Maryland’s State Budget: Delaying the pain, or investing in the future?

The Maryland General Assembly is back in session — and the only thing lawmakers must do each year is pass a balanced budget. And this year, an election year, there is no way that policy makers are going to raise taxes. So to fill an unexpected $1.5 billion gap between revenues and expenditures, fueled by unintended costs in healthcare and rising costs in education, Gov. Wes Moore is looking at spending cuts and untapped pots of money. Like every year, long‑term projections look increasingly grim...

Feb 12, 2026•30 min•Ep. 2

Party Like It’s 1999: How One Bill Reshaped Maryland’s Energy Market

Maryland Now opens its debut season with a deep examination of how a single piece of legislation from 1999 reshaped Maryland’s electricity market and helped set the stage for some of the energy challenges the state faces today. Hosts Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin walk through the political forces, policy decisions, and long-term consequences that contribute to the high electric bills Marylanders are opening this winter. With energy prices rising sharply and lawmakers under pressure to...

Feb 05, 2026•38 min•Ep. 1

Maryland Needs This Podcast — Now

Maryland Now is a new podcast from longtime Maryland journalists and public‑affairs veterans Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin — three people who’ve spent decades reporting on, working inside, and analyzing Maryland government and politics. In this trailer, the hosts introduce themselves, share their backgrounds, and explain why this podcast fills a gap in Maryland’s media landscape. With more than 60 combined years covering state and local government, they bring historical context, insti...

Jan 23, 2026•3 min•Ep. 1

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