Commentary

The people spoke, and they had it right.\ When positional All-Star starters were announced, only Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman from Baltimore made the cut, but there were Orioles all over the runner-up spots. Ryan Mountcastle, Jordan Westburg, Anthony Santander and Ryan O’Hearn got well-deserved support on the ballot.

With the summer months upon us, parents and teens alike are excitedly making plans for summer break. Whether it is camps, vacations, hangouts or graduation parties, the time off is often welcomed. But time out of school can offer unique challenges to adolescents with mental health struggles. Not being in school means not having access to resources to help their mental health, like trusted adults at school, daily structure and in-person socialization.

The Maryland pension system earlier this year issued its first report on efforts to protect state public pensions from the risks of climate change. It is also taking initial steps toward establishing an advisory panel of climate risk experts, as contemplated by Maryland’s 2022 Investment Climate Risk law, to ensure that pension investment decisions are informed by the “most current science and data available.”

When I spoke to Dana Jones a few weeks ago, the state delegate mentioned with pride that she had been elected to represent her congressional district at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month. I thought, OK. Who cares? It’s been decades since the Democrats hadn’t settled on their nominee months ahead of the convention. The gathering is just balloons with speeches and a predetermined outcome.

We find ourselves at a crossroads where the principles of fairness and fiscal responsibility stand at odds with the allure of sweeping student loan forgiveness. The Biden administration’s ambitious plan to erase student debt, while undoubtedly appealing to many, raises profound questions about the nature of responsibility and equity in our society.

A new report on the mental health of children in Maryland is a hopeful sign that they are starting to recover from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. But it is far too soon to declare the crisis is past, and it might be years before the damage can be undone, if ever. Even before the pandemic, depression and suicidal thoughts were on the rise among high school and middle school students. The pandemic turbocharged that trend.

Not every high school student is suited for an advanced placement or AP class. They are more rigorous, more demanding courses with a hefty dose of college curriculum. Now it appears not all school boards are prepared for them either. Last month’s vote by a majority of the Harford County Board of Education to cancel an AP African American Studies course on the grounds that the year-long elective class is “politically oriented” and “divisive” suggests a level of ignorance and close-mindedness ill-suited for educators.