Commentary

We are in the midst of a national child care crisis, and Maryland is no exception. Child care is essential for all Marylanders – impacting everyone, including those without children or families who do not need child care services. Ask any business how a lack of consistent, affordable child care affects them, and you’ll hear how workers are stressed and productivity plummets when employees cannot come to work or focus due to child care issues.

In my career as a pediatric lung specialist, I have witnessed the terrible impact that poor air quality has on children’s lungs. Every day, I work with young patients whose asthma and other respiratory illnesses are caused or worsened by poor air quality where they live, play and go to school. I routinely advise children and their parents about the importance of reducing exposure during poor air quality days, which could mean forgoing important outdoor playtime or skipping a soccer match.

Nobody asked me, but Donald Trump saying he won’t debate Kamala Harris a second time is like the Thanksgiving turkey saying he won’t be available for Christmas dinner. Some of the unhappy Republican reaction to Trump’s performance in Tuesday’s presidential debate brought to mind playwright and director George S. Kaufman’s intermission telegram to the scenery-chewing lead actor in Kaufman’s 1931 Broadway musical: “I am watching your performance from the rear of the house. Wish you were here.”

As the new school semester gets underway, we’re once again greeted with a sense of anticipation and change—whether it’s new building renovations or fresh faces among the teaching staff. This year, Montgomery County students are encountering a new initiative aimed at reducing smartphone usage during school hours. The plan requires students to store their devices in lockers or other inaccessible places.

I was not born Black. The birth certificate issued in Rockdale County, Georgia, more than 69 years ago, identified me as “colored,” as were my parents. But I didn’t “happen to turn Black,” the way Donald Trump seems to think is possible. Once upon a time, anything that smacked of Black, as the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged the year before my birth, held negative connotations — especially where race was concerned in this country.

Maryland’s alarming slide from 22nd to 31st place in CNBC’s 2024 Top States for Business rankings is more than a statistic — it’s a glaring warning sign about our state’s economic competitiveness. This significant drop demands immediate attention and decisive action from policymakers, business leaders and all stakeholders invested in Maryland’s economic future.