Artemis III, Maryland ties: NASA named Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio as mission specialists for Artemis III, with Douglas a former Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory engineer and Rubio a Bethesda-area medical alumnus—plus Luca Parmitano and Randy Bresnik rounding out a crew that will practice Orion docking in Earth orbit. Defense tech in Southern Maryland: The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and Space Force teamed up to expand satellite tracking and testing at Blossom Point Tracking Facility in Welcome, Md., boosting multiband communications and long-duration monitoring. Power grid materials breakthrough: Wood-based nanotechnology is being used to set a new record for transformer insulation, aiming to extend the life of aging U.S. transformers and reduce costly failures. AI in schools, policy catch-up: Maryland is moving to standardize AI use in K-12, with new requirements for AI coordinators, teacher training, and student AI literacy. Privacy and surveillance pricing fight: A lawsuit targets the Washington Post over “surveillance pricing” that allegedly uses personal data to set subscription costs. Local education leadership: Baltimore County Public Schools narrowed its superintendent search to four finalists. Space/tech workforce spotlight: Morgan State students won a national AI innovation title with a privacy-first app for students managing social anxiety. Science outreach via media: CBS Stations is rolling out AR/VR for America 250, including a new immersive studio at CBS Baltimore.