Commentary

Mayor Brandon Scott, like most of us, is clearly frustrated by the levels of gun violence in Baltimore, including Sunday night’s attack on two young people, a 16-year-old and a 14-year-old, on the 400 Block of East Pratt Street in the Inner Harbor, which sent both teens to area hospitals. The mayor has probably used the word “unacceptable” more times than one can count and would no doubt offer less polite phrasing if he thought for a moment it might lower the victim count.

When it comes to aging in America and just about anywhere else on planet Earth, there’s good and bad news. First, the bad news: The rapid rise in the number of adults over age 65 foretells an inevitable and rapid rise in cases of chronic diseases — including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease — all contributing to poor health, frailty, disability, loss of independence and early mortality for an increasing number of the world’s population.

Even after almost 40 years of news reports and investigations, of charges, denials, confirmations and prosecutions, of the disgusting details of extensive coverups, the pedophile sex abuse scandal that has stained the Catholic Church retains its power to shock. Thousands of victims in virtually every state in the country. Thousands of perpetrators. And a church hierarchy that for decade after decade chose to protect the abusers and the church itself rather than protect children.

Tara Stout was addressing the Annapolis City Council again, trying to jump-start an affordable housing project called The Willows. Why, she asked, was her project stuck in planning limbo when one tied to the mayor zipped through the city’s famously creaky approval process? When her three minutes were up, a gentle buzzer went off and Mayor Gavin Buckley cut her off. She asked for more time, saying she’d given away precious seconds to chide the mayor for listening to an aide instead of her. Buckley said no.

There are just days left for Maryland to make history by passing a bill that offers health care to immigrant Marylanders. Over the past decade, Maryland has been a leader in reducing the state’s uninsured rate, thanks to bold policies that prioritize health equity. From lowering market premiums and providing state premium assistance for young adults, we have made significant progress. But, we look to the Senate to take a leadership role in this fight that is far from over.

Round number anniversaries are typically considered milestones, and so it is that the coming baseball season will mark the 40th anniversary of the Baltimore Orioles’ victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1983 World Series. The team is remembered as much for its cast of characters as for its considerable talent.

While we are reluctant to compare Donald Trump to the fictional characters of Shakespeare given the Bard’s skill, subtlety and wit, the ex-president’s rambling Tuesday night seethe-a-thon from the Donald J. Trump Grand Ballroom at Mar-a-Lago had all the elements of King Lear’s Act III rage on the hearth. If Lear’s deep flaw is his vanity and how he values appearances above reality, what better tribute to that highly theatrical moment than Trump blasting the world from his gilded stage in Florida?

It is an age-old regional debate that may be confusing to any outsiders: Is Baltimore a part of the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area otherwise known as the DMV? Depending on who you ask, you’ll either be met with a confused look or you’ll get an earful about what Baltimore is. But as a Baltimorean, I can definitively answer: No. Sure, Baltimore is a city in Maryland, but a majority of Baltimoreans do not consider the city a part of the DMV based on the differences in culture, style and authenticity. Charm City stands out on its own, separate from the region around it.