His letter underscores simmering tension over the ransomware attack with the County Executive and others feeling left out of the loop by Baltimore County Public Schools.

Lawyer for defendants hails the ruling as an affirmation of freedom of speech at public hearings.

A tech expert warned school officials in 2019 their networks were vulnerable to attack. A trove of personal data was exposed later that year. And the state auditor warned of vulnerabilities months ago – and previously in 2015.

In a triumph for homeless advocates, the city has found federal dollars to cover the cost of keeping about 400 homeless people in hotels over the winter.