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Commentary

Americans optimistic about transition to electric vehicles — and they should be

A recent poll appears to show that many Marylanders are more scared by the misleading word “ban” in the poll question than by persistently unhealthy air when it comes to gas-powered vehicles. At stake is Gov. Wes Moore’s commitment to reaching Maryland’s climate and clean air goals by adopting the Advanced Clean Cars (ACC) II rule.

Gov. Wes Moore’s gas tax critique suggests the former Rhodes scholar is no Maryland roads scholar

In his first six months in office, Gov. Wes Moore has demonstrated some solid political skills, particularly in effective communication. So it’s easy to forget the 44-year-old author, investment banker and nonprofit executive had never held political office before his January inauguration — at least it was until Wednesday, when he essentially tossed the General Assembly under the bus without much, if any, benefit to himself.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Senate abortion fight snares first woman picked to lead the Naval Academy as I-Day passes

Vice Adm. Sean Buck looked over the sea of white uniforms Thursday — 1,200 young men and women freshly shorn and remade over the course of a single day into the style of an incoming class of Naval Academy plebes. Then he gave them a look that only admirals can give and told them about how tough the weeks ahead would be.

Dan Rodricks: A Baltimore man’s last, best shot at a better life

You hear stories of trauma and wonder how survivors ever manage to smile again. Many don’t. Deanmichael Harrod, however, has an electric smile despite decades of trouble and despite the fearsome challenge ahead — what he calls his “last shot” to finally leave a life of hard drinking and homelessness. Harrod smiles when he speaks. You can see happiness in his face and in the smart clothing he wears.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Development of public policy needs to be done in view of public

Judge Robert A. Greenberg of the Frederick County Circuit Court earlier this month ordered the county government to release records that officials were trying to keep confidential about the evolution of the Sugarloaf Treasured Landscape Management Plan. The result? Another example of how trying to develop government policy in secret almost never works out.

It’s past time to allow more and longer flights at Reagan National

As Congress works through its must-dos before the August recess, one headline-generating topic I hope they’ll deal with is an obscure federal regulation that has governed flights in and out of Reagan National Airport (DCA) for nearly 60 years. The “perimeter rule,” as it’s known, has stymied the airport’s growth and had a negative impact on travelers to and from our nation’s capital. It’s time to dispense with it.

Deans Court beekeeper
What’s the buzz on urban beekeeping in Baltimore?

You know that Supremes song “Up the Ladder to the Roof”? Last week, at the top of the Baltimore Convention Center, those lyrics weren’t just a wistful song of love but literal directions. I traveled up a narrow inner staircase on the Pratt Street tourism complex’s highest floor, across the roof to another set of stairs, and then climbed not one but two ladders to my destination, where a guy in a big helmet carefully handled a bee-covered screen.

Don’t worry about the government taking your gas stove — worry about the pollution inside your home

As a pediatrician a big part of my work is to advise families on nutrition and healthy eating. These days, I find myself talking with parents and patients more often about how they prepare their food — as in what appliances they are using to cook. Several studies in recent years have examined the dangers of having a gas stove in the home.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Stop using sports participation as an excuse for trans bashing

There’s no secret why there’s been a rash of legislative proposals across the United States in recent months aimed at transgender and nonbinary people. The various measures seek to restrict where individuals can go to the bathroom and whether they can receive gender-affirming care. Most recently, the legislation is aimed very specifically at banning transgender adults and youth from sports competitions that match their gender identity. It’s red meat for right-wing politicians seeking to win over Christian evangelicals and other social conservatives.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael S. Harrison: ‘I have done what I came to do’

Just over four years ago, I received an unexpected phone call from then-Baltimore City Solicitor Andre Davis inviting me to consider the role of commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department, which had lost the faith of the citizens it exists to protect and serve through the actions of rogue officers who defiled their oaths by engaging in unmitigated bias and blatant corruption. Freddie Gray’s death while in the custody of police officers was still an open and painful wound.

Read More: Baltimore Sun

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