Commentary

“We have been failed, and we deserve answers.” These are the words of Simone Biles, one of the greatest athletes of all time, in her recent testimony to Congress about the utter failure of systems at every level to protect athletes from USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, who sexually abused over 200 gymnasts. As Ms. Biles pointed out, the victims, mostly children and teens at the time of the abuse, could not even rely on the FBI to take serious, swift action after abuse was reported. Sadly, in many cases their own parents didn’t believe them.

“We have been failed, and we deserve answers.” These are the words of Simone Biles, one of the greatest athletes of all time, in her recent testimony to Congress about the utter failure of systems at every level to protect athletes from USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, who sexually abused over 200 gymnasts. As Ms. Biles pointed out, the victims, mostly children and teens at the time of the abuse, could not even rely on the FBI to take serious, swift action after abuse was reported.

Amtrak Joe — President Joe Biden — is set to deliver on a new national moment for passenger rail. Despite some recent fits and starts, the Congress is close passing a transformational $1.2 trillion infrastructure package. The bill represents a historic investment in passenger rail, providing increased federal operating support for commuter railroads, new grant programs to address aging infrastructure and new support for green railroad technologies.

Johns Hopkins University recently extended the record-breaking tenure of its longest-serving president, Ronald J. Daniels. Under Daniels, Johns Hopkins has prospered, buoyed by the landmark $1.8 billion gift from alumnus Mike Bloomberg. As important, under Daniels, the university has hued to high ideals, recognizing its obligation to address equity. Now the question is whether the university, under Daniels’s extended leadership, will live up to those ideals.

Recently, some of Baltimore’s leading transit advocates, along with experts from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, released a study documenting how many of the city’s low-income neighborhoods of color are isolated by lack of transportation options and how that contributes toward social ills, including: an inability to access jobs, nutritious food, quality education, health care and other necessities that more affluent residents take for granted.

Lawmakers in Washington are currently considering doubling the tax on legal, adult sales of cigarettes, and increasing taxes on other adult tobacco products, like dip, by over 1,677%. As a former police captain in the Montgomery County Police Department, I can say without hesitation that increasing taxes on these products will contribute to the already stressed relationship police have with our most vulnerable communities. Maryland’s congressional delegation should oppose this measure.

Amtrak Joe — President Joe Biden — is set to deliver on a new national moment for passenger rail. Despite some recent fits and starts, the Congress is close passing a transformational $1.2 trillion infrastructure package. The bill represents a historic investment in passenger rail, providing increased federal operating support for commuter railroads, new grant programs to address aging infrastructure and new support for green railroad technologies.