Maryland
Some Maryland universities could be impacted by medical research funding cuts, AG says
BALTIMORE — Maryland joined 22 other states in a lawsuit against the Trump administration, and other agencies, over cuts to medical research funding, the attorney general’s office announced Monday.
In a statement, Attorney General Anthony Brown said Maryland institutions could be impacted directly.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), are also named as defendants in the lawsuit. DHHS oversees NIH.
The lawsuit comes after the NIH announced Friday that it would be limiting funding for overhead costs associated with research projects, including a 15% cap on indirect costs for National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants.
According to the coalition of attorneys general, the NIH’s action violated the Administrative Procedure Act.
What are indirect costs?
Indirect costs concern funding needed for operations as it pertains to conducting research. According to the NIH, indirect costs cover administrative support staff, facilities, infrastructure, and other elements needed to conduct research projects.
The lawsuit alleges that the funding cuts would halt crucial research needed to cure and treat human diseases.
“A university also needs the infrastructure necessary to comply with legal, regulatory, and reporting requirements. These facilities costs cannot be attributed to any particular research project, but are still necessary for any research to occur. And university staff need administrative support, including clerical staff, IT support, cybersecurity, and data repositories, as well as staff to administer the university as a whole,” the lawsuit reads.
In a statement, the House Committee on Appropriations said the move would cause irreparable damage to ongoing research efforts – including developing cures and treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and related dementias, ALS, Diabetes, Mental Health disorders, opioid abuse, and more.
How would the funding cap impact Maryland directly?
The attorney general says the funding cap would directly impact public and private institutions in Maryland that conduct medical research, including the University of Maryland College Park and the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB). According to the AG’s office.
More than $300 million in NIH funding to the University of Maryland College Park, UMB, and other higher education institutions in the state could be impacted by the NIH’s measure, the AG said.
The AG’s office said the proposed reduction of UMB’s indirect cost rate would eliminate $49.5 million in annual funding in NIH indirect and pass-through funding that UMB uses to support research programs.
“Maryland’s research institutions have pioneered treatments that have saved countless lives, but they can’t do this vital work without proper funding,” Brown said. “This decision not only jeopardizes Maryland jobs and our state’s position as a global leader in medical research, but it also delays or denies potentially lifesaving discoveries that could help our loved ones.”
Calling all outdoorsmen and women — Maryland’s Lower Shore is home to some of the best hiking, walking and running trails on the East Coast.
Here’s a closer look at four picturesque parks and preserves with nature trails in the Berlin, Salisbury and Ocean City area.
Assateague Island
Assateague Island offers a wide variety of paved and unpaved trails open for hiking and 37 miles of flat beach terrain for wandering and beachcombing. Assateague Island’s Maryland District features a Life of the Dunes trail, Life of the Forest trail, Life of the Marsh trail.
Furnace Town
Furnace Town is nestled between the Pocomoke State Forest and Nature Conservancy’s Nassawango Creek Preserve. The popular historical site offers three Nature Conservancy Trails, three Maryland Forest service Trails, and a 26-acre outdoor museum and recreation area.
Pemberton Historical Park
Pemberton Historical Park, a 262-acre area featuring a trail system, outdoor amphitheater and more, was created in the 1980s. The park offers 4.5 miles of nature trails for walking and hiking only, allowing visitors to explore wetlands, forests and more of the natural world.
Nassawango Creek Preserve
Nassawango Creek Preserve’s primeval forest has an abundance of bald cypress and black gum trees. Visitors are invited to indulge in its four trails, the Nassawango Joe, Prothonotary Warbler, Ron Wilson Memorial Trail and Leifer Trail, as well as self-guided audio tours.
Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.
The 21-year-old second baseman and 11th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft has deep ties to the D.C. region.
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals’ first-round draft pick Chris Hacopian inked his first professional contract Wednesday, a moment made sweeter by the fact it was just a 30-minute drive from home to get to Nationals Park and put pen to paper.
The 21-year-old second baseman and 11th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft has deep ties to the D.C. region. He’s from Potomac, Maryland, and played his high school ball at Winston Churchill, where he was named the 2022 Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year and a 2022 Washington Post All-Met selection.
According to MLB.com, Hacopian grew up a Nationals fan, admiring the likes of Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa and others. He also played his first two collegiate seasons at the University of Maryland, where his father Derek played before him, before transferring to Texas A&M for his junior season.
With the Aggies, Hacopian hit .319 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI across 42 games en route to being named First-Team All-Southeastern Conference and a Third-Team All-American by Baseball America, the Nationals said in a news release.
After inking his contract Wednesday, Hacopian donned his new jersey and ball cap and stepped onto D.C.’s beloved diamond as a part of the Nationals organization for the first time.
“That was so cool, oh my gosh. I’ve been in the stands like, 100 times, but being on the field is so different,” he said.
Hacopian was ranked 14th among MLB Draft prospects by MLB.com. The 6-foot-1-inch, 210-pound second baseman boasted one of the best bats in college baseball, according to MLB.com, with excellent control over the strike zone and feel for the barrel, along with solid pop.
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The state said the five recently traveled together to “a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak.”
Maryland health officials confirmed five more measles cases, all in Carroll County.
“These individuals recently traveled together to a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak,” the state Department of Health said in a release.
The agency said others may have been exposed on the afternoon of July 13 in the emergency department waiting room at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster.
Another measles case recently prompted warnings from health officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District. On June 17, a Maryland resident traveled through Dulles International Airport and visited a D.C. urgent care clinic.
Measles is highly contagious. It can spread through the air through coughs, breathing, and sneezes. Early symptoms can include fevers of over 101 degrees, coughs, runny noses, watery eyes and face or body rashes.
It can take up to 21 days after exposure for the first symptoms to appear, and those who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles are especially vulnerable.
The five new measles cases in Maryland bring the state’s year-to-date total to nine. The state health department confirmed three cases in 2025, and one in each of the previous two years.
“All Marylanders should review potential exposure times, watch for symptoms, and confirm they are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations,” the health department said.
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© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
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