On busy Route 1 in Howard County, most bus stops consist of a roadside pole stuck in the ground. But a stop outside a CVS in Elkridge, Md., has a new bus shelter — with a dazzling twist.

In the 2021-22 school year, only one in three fourth graders in the United States was reading at grade level, only one in four eighth graders was proficient in math, and rates of chronic absence had skyrocketed.

Racial bias in home appraising can harm individuals by making home purchases more expensive or refinancing unattainable, but when compounded on the community level, it can have profound impacts on minority communities’ ability to build wealth. Using newly available federal data, this report finds evidence of systemic appraisal bias that undervalues homes in predominantly Black communities in Baltimore City and the surrounding counties.

2025 is a big year for long-time Baltimore resident Chrissy Thornton. She’s turning 50, and the organization she’s led for more than two years turns 40.