Commentary

At the end of the day, when the kids finally gave up on drawing chalk art in the alley and the never-ending barbecue under the shade trees had no more takers, and the boom boom-boom of the music settled down, Sonia Eaddy started slowly for the edge of the grass with mic in hand. She was hard to read: Was she tired? Was she struck with stage fright?

After the FBI searched Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida — an extraordinary event in the history of the United States — the former president and his allies immediately began to howl that Mr. Trump was being persecuted. Mr. Trump issued a statement that said his “beautiful home” was “currently under siege, raided and occupied” and “nothing like this has ever happened to a president of the United States before.” Left out of this victimhood framing was that this wasn’t so much an action but a reaction — a reaction to a president corrupt on a level this country has never seen before.

Much attention is given, perhaps rightly so, to the dramatic moments of 21st century life when people are rescued from certain death. A police officer nabs a shooter, a firefighter pulls a victim from a fire, a Coast Guard helicopter pulls up passengers from a capsized boat in stormy seas. They can be stirring scenes captured on video. And then there are the “miracles” of modern medicine when lives are saved — or at least greatly enhanced — by everything from new vaccines and therapies to miracle drugs and futuristic prosthetics. Kudos to the scientists.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, more than 600,000 people in Maryland quit their jobs in 2021 as part of the “great resignation.” As a result, local businesses have struggled to rehire workers as many are now looking for more flexibility, as well as better pay and benefits. However, in this highly competitive job market, there may be a glimmer of hope in the form of the SECURE 2.0 Act making its way through Congress. The law aims to expand automatic enrollment in retirement plans. For example, the SECURE 2.0 Act would require employers with 401(k) or 403(b) plans to automatically enroll all new, eligible employees at a 3 percent contribution rate. This rate would also increase annually by 1 percent until it reaches at least 10 percent.

If you own an electric car or truck, or drive a hybrid plug-in, congratulations: You’ve made it to the 1%. At the end of July, there were 52,966 EVs or hybrid plug-ins registered in Maryland. That’s just 1% of all motor vehicles across the state. It has been 25 years since the first generation of the Toyota Prius — albeit a hybrid, not a hybrid plug-in with a larger battery — came off the assembly line. Since then, there’s been immense progress in battery technology, along with greater political and cultural acceptance of the environmental need to move away from gas-powered automobiles.

It has long been clear that covid-19 school closures led to widespread learning loss, particularly in low-income communities. As some schools prepare for a new academic year, evidence is piling up that the harm was far more extensive, particularly the toll on students’ behavioral and mental health. The National Center for Education Statistics reported last month that more than 70 percent of public schools surveyed saw a rise in chronic absenteeism after the pandemic began. Nearly 60 percent experienced increased classroom disruption stemming from student misconduct, and about half found that students were more disrespectful toward teachers and staff.

On Aug. 7 the U.S. Senate passed the historic climate legislation package hammered out between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. The House followed suit on Friday, giving President Biden a huge win on one of his administration’s priorities and finally making good on his pledge to tackle climate change.