Maryland Agriculture & Biosecurity: The Maryland Department of Agriculture and USDA APHIS expanded the box tree moth quarantine to Caroline, Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s counties, bringing the total to eight counties and requiring certificates of inspection and compliance agreements for regulated boxwood moves. Local Business & Community: Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and the Galt family permanently conserved 231+ acres in Kent County with help from the DoD’s REPI program, protecting cropland, pasture, forest habitat and creek frontage. Public Safety & Enforcement: U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized about $150,000 worth of khat at BWI after passengers tried to smuggle the contraband; CBP also reported other recent airport seizures tied to the same substance. Energy & Infrastructure: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns joined opposition to the Valley Link 765-kilovolt transmission line that would connect West Virginia to Frederick County, Maryland, as data-center power-line fights intensify. Tech & Finance: AiNET, which runs a data center in Beltsville, agreed to pay $1.8M to settle alleged SEC False Claims Act violations over claimed data-center tier standards. Workforce & Health Services: Autism therapy providers’ labor tensions escalated as at least seven locations moved toward union representation, with a Rockville site tied to a strike. Consumer Protection: Maryland’s EBT program is pushing “chip-and-tap” fraud-resistant cards, with activation rates now over half of recipients and deactivation of old cards set for Sept. 30.