Morning Roundup

Maryland’s highest court issued an order on Thursday that prevents the reinstatement of Adnan Syed’s murder conviction by a lower court, while the Supreme Court of Maryland decides whether to hear his appeal. (Baltimore Banner)

Attorney General Anthony Brown announced the indictment of more than a dozen people in connection with contraband smuggling operations at the Roxbury Correctional Institution in Hagerstown. Fifteen people — four outside facilitators, 10 people who are incarcerated, and an RCI staff member — have been indicted for operations that smuggled in drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamines, as well as other prohibited items, into the prison in Washington County. (Maryland Matters)

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise commencement speech virtually during the Johns Hopkins University Commencement ceremony on Thursday. Zelenskyy addressed the Class of 2023 and their families at Homewood Field on the university’s Baltimore campus. (WBAL 1090)

Authorities in St. Mary’s County arrested two people in connection with the Wednesday morning murder of a Mechanicsville man. Marvin Orlando Johnson, 38, of Mechanicsville and Marle Lynn Stokes, 37, of Charlotte Hall, are being held without the possibility of bail. (Southern Maryland Chronicle)

A former Baltimore County official accused of stealing almost $110,000 from a campaign to reelect a former Baltimore County Council member pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of felony theft scheme and one count of perjury in Baltimore County Circuit Court. (Baltimore Sun)

Three families are suing the Montgomery County school board and superintendent over the school system’s updated curriculum that includes books for young students featuring LGBTQ characters. The parents argue that the district’s lack of an opt-out option violates their First Amendment rights. (Washington Post)

Filmmaker John Waters received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Baltimore yesterday. (Baltimore Fishbowl)

Prince George’s County, Maryland, police have offered more than $12,000 for information leading to the arrest of a teenager who’s suspected of trying to shoot an eighth-grade boy on a Prince George’s County school bus earlier this month. (WTOP)

The Baltimore County Council unanimously passed the budget for the 2024 fiscal year on Thursday, worth approximately $4.9 billion. Much of it is funded by property and income taxes. (WMAR)

The Howard County Council has unanimously approved a $2.16 billion budget for fiscal year 2024. The spending plan contains “historic funding increases” for public education. (WJZ)

The Prince George’s County Council passed a $5.4 billion spending plan on Thursday. (Washington Post)

Montgomery County Council voted on their budget as well and it included a 4.7% property tax increase. (WTOP)

The Allegany County Board of Commissioners at Thursday’s meeting adopted their $152 million dollar budget for fiscal 2024. (Cumberland Times-News)

PNC Bank is shuttering 30 locations in seven states, including Maryland. (MSN)

Construction has begun on a new district courthouse in Baltimore. (Baltimore Business Journal)

Jurors on Thursday heard from an FBI agent and one of the defendants in the federal criminal trial of two Maryland doctors accused of conspiring to help Russia. (WBAL)

Coppin State University this week officially opened Coppin Corner, a new on-campus resource to help students facing food insecurity. (Baltimore Fishbowl)

Maryland State Police will bolster enforcement efforts over the Memorial Day weekend to prevent dangerous driving behaviors and save lives as more motorists are expected to travel this holiday. (TheBayNet.com)

Traveling? Check traffic cameras across the state before you go…

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Kyle Gibson pitched seven shutout innings at Yankee Stadium last night lifting the Orioles to a 3-1 win. Baltimore won the series and return home tonight to begin a weekend series against the Texas Rangers. (Camden Chat)