Given the demonstrated lack of respect for judicial precedent among the current makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court — see the overturning of Roe v. Wade this summer after 50 years — it is unsurprising that the justices appear poised to strike down affirmative action and its five decades of precedent, as well. This was made clear by questioning from the court’s conservative supermajority Monday during oral arguments in a case involving race-conscious admissions at the University of North Carolina and Harvard. No need to wait for a leak of any draft; it’s almost certain that they will strike down affirmative action as a kind of reverse-discrimination, making no distinction between those whose ancestors came to the country in chains and those whose ancestors were enslavers.
College diversity poised to take a hit: How can schools fight back?
Opinion: Let’s say a permanent goodnight to daylight saving time
Earlier this year, the Senate passed a bill to make daylight saving time permanent. The idea of ending clock changes and sticking to one time was met with celebration — until scientists pointed out that such a change could cause a nationwide case of seasonal depression, learning loss and physical health problems. Now the Sunshine Protection Act sits with the House. But as we prepare to change our clocks this November — and with news of Mexico mostly opting out of daylight-saving time, effective this past weekend (the exceptions: towns and cities on the U.S. border) — the idea is sure to be debated again. Popular opinion supports getting rid of clock changes, and for good reason — they’re disorienting and disruptive. But eternal daylight-saving time is not the answer. Especially if we want to protect young people.
$1.8B East Baltimore redevelopment has had mixed results so far, study finds
Changes sought in Baltimore City’s Middle East community under an ambitious $1.8 billion redevelopment plan over 20 years ago have so far brought mixed results. A report by the nonprofit research firm Urban Institute found the project to reshape 88 acres in the neighborhood by the East Baltimore Development Inc., or EBDI, has succeeded on some fronts, but also fallen short of its original goals to upgrade the community with 1,500 new affordable and market-rate housing units, lower poverty levels in the area and add more new residents with at least a bachelor’s degree. The report found, though, that the EBDI area had recorded higher rents for apartment units since 2011. The 62-page report was released on Wednesday. It recommended further study of the large-scale redevelopment in the coming years to measure its success.
Grimes: Their rules, our kids
So I’m watching and listening to my precious 10-year-old granddaughter as she effortlessly and flawlessly reads the sweet birthday card wishes from my wife and me. When she gets to my simple yet eloquent and deeply profound handwritten note (my column, my assessment) painstakingly penned adjacent to the Hallmark boilerplate, the poor child stops cold, with a look of chagrin on her beautiful little birthday face. Simultaneously, grandfather and granddaughter look desperately to daughter/mommy for explanation and reassurance. “You used cursive, dad. They don’t really teach that in school anymore.” Excuse me? Who is this “they,” and why did they make such a bonehead decision? Full disclosure, I do recall learning of the pending demise of cursive a few years back and at the time thought it an absurd and senseless mistake.
Grocery Outlet moving into Baltimore market, opening in former Giant in Milford Mill Shopping Center
A California-based discount grocer will move into the Baltimore market in the spring, taking over a shuttered Giant, Baltimore County officials said Tuesday. Grocery Outlet Bargain Market will open in the Liberty Road corridor, which has been without a supermarket since Giant closed in 2018. Grocery Outlet opened its first Maryland location in Hagerstown. The vacant supermarket in the Milford Mill Shopping Center at Liberty and Milford Mill roads will be partially demolished and renovated. Baltimore County will provide $2 million for site redevelopment through a revolving loan fund and the American Rescue Plan Act. The support includes $1.4 million from the loan fund and $600,000 in federal funds.
Senior living complex planned for Notre Dame of Maryland campus moves ahead
Plans to convert a portion of the Notre Dame of Maryland University campus into a senior living complex are moving forward with construction expected to begin in early 2024. Baltimore-based Brightview Senior Living officials said on Monday the development will be the company’s first in the city and will hold 171 apartment homes offering independent living, assisted living and memory care services. It is expected to open by 2026. The complex, which was first announced in 2020, will add to 23-year-old Brightview’s portfolio of 45 senior living communities in eight states. The private senior living chain already has five senior living developments in Greater Baltimore in Catonsville, Annapolis, Crofton, Edgewater and Severna Park. The move comes amid other changes in the works at Notre Dame.
Waterfront Partnership announces holiday event series to activate Inner Harbor
Over the years, it’s felt like the Inner Harbor has lost some of its magic, according to Leanna Wetmore of the Waterfront Partnership. With a new event series, the organization aims to re-engage the harbor around the holidays and show it’s a fun place even in the cold. “We always say the harbor is where Baltimore greets the world,” said Wetmore, the group’s director of events and programs. “And we want the world to see who Baltimore really is.” The series, called “Winter on the Waterfront,” launches this week. It includes existing traditions such as the Inner Harbor Ice Rink, which will return this year to the Inner Harbor Amphitheater. The rink will be open from Nov. 11 until Jan. 16.
Maryland Department of the Environment says it needs more staff to do what the law requires
The Maryland Department of the Environment says that it needs nearly 90 new employees to achieve targets set out in a recent law, which requires the agency to reduce a backlog of expired emissions permits and hold polluters accountable by increasing inspections and penalizing violators. The new law took effect in July and required the MDE to inform legislators by Oct. 1 about its staffing requirements to shore up its enforcement and regulatory performance. Environmentalists say both have plummeted under the administration of Gov. Larry Hogan, a moderate Republican. The agency informed the governor’s office and the General Assembly of its staffing requirements.
On Maryland’s 158th anniversary of emancipation, Annapolis recognized as slave port “site of memory”
Residents, local leaders and politicians crowded the church pews and walls of Asbury United Methodist Church in Annapolis Tuesday to recognize the city’s history as a slave port. The standing-room-only event, held on the 158th anniversary of emancipation in Maryland, was a celebration of Annapolis being designated as a “Site of Memory,” one of five locations in Maryland and 42 across the United States where enslaved Africans first arrived in the Americas. Residents, local leaders and politicians crowded the church pews and walls of Asbury United Methodist Church in Annapolis Tuesday to recognize the city’s history as a slave port. The standing-room-only event, held on the 158th anniversary of emancipation in Maryland, was a celebration of Annapolis being designated as a “Site of Memory,” one of five locations in Maryland and 42 across the United States where enslaved Africans first arrived in the Americas.
Sun/UB Poll: Majority of Marylanders support legalizing cannabis for recreational use by wide margin
Most Marylanders plan to vote in favor of a ballot measure that would legalize cannabis in the state for those 21 and older, a poll for Baltimore Sun Media and the University of Baltimore shows. Some 63% of the likely voters surveyed statewide said they agreed with legalizing the drug, 25% said they opposed it and 12% said they were unsure. If the measure succeeds on Election Day next month, possessing up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis would be legal in Maryland for those of age, starting July 1. Larger amounts would still be subject to civil fines. In addition, Marylanders would be able to grow cannabis at home. State legislators have yet to devise a regulatory framework for businesses to sell the drug to the general public, however, rather than just to those with medical cannabis cards. Lawmakers chose to let voters decide on the overall issue before taking those steps