Commentary

As a journalist, I don’t publicly confirm my voting history for reasons of professional ethics — even though a lot of people on X assume they know when they call me a leftist and a commie. I will, however, confirm that my decision as a Black woman will not be determined by any candidate’s sudden status as a convicted felon. In fact, I’m more likely not to vote for that person. I am not a felon, nor are most of the people I know.

There’s clearly been an outbreak of performative politics of late — from the strident reaction of Donald Trump’s supporters to his conviction last week in the hush money case to Monday’s grilling of Dr. Anthony Fauci by a Republican-led House subcommittee clearly more intent on vilifying the infectious disease expert than on drawing lessons that might better inform the U.S. response to the next pandemic.

Donald Trump might fulminate about undesirable immigrants, promising to put them in concentration camps before expelling them wholesale. Britain’s Conservatives might try to send planeloads to Rwanda. Voters across Western Europe might be flocking to populist nationalist parties promising to protect the Volk from foreign intruders. But in a decade or two, all these countries will be embroiled in fierce competition to attract as many immigrants as they can.

The civil unrest that played out at our elite universities this spring grabbed attention. But just as alarming as the historic shift toward embracing the terror organization Hamas over U.S. ally Israel is the fact that you, the U.S. taxpayer is likely paying for it.  An analysis by OpenTheBooks.com, an organization I founded and lead, shows that many top American schools now receive more federal research dollars than they do funds from undergraduate tuition.

Imagine a moment when you can’t stop worrying about a family member who is thinking of hurting himself or herself. Or maybe you yourself are overwhelmed with thoughts about suicide, and it seems you have nobody to talk to. Not long ago, such a person in distress who called a helpline could well end up reaching an automated response. No longer.

I recently made crab dip for 75 people. We threw a party for my son and his fiancée, and this ubiquitous dish has always been one of his favorites. And why not? Made with generous amounts of backfin crabmeat, tangy cheese, mayo, spices and heated to browned perfection, it is Maryland’s comfort food. My wife likes artichoke in it; I prefer un-choked. The dish is good almost any way you serve it.