Commentary

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.

What’s the primary trait you need to be an advice columnist? According to Baltimore native R. Eric Thomas, bestselling author, noted playwright and television writer, the answer is simple. “Empathy.” On July 1, Thomas joins the big leagues of the trades with “Asking Eric,” the successor to the legendary Chicago Tribune’s “Ask Amy” column, written by the retiring Amy Dickinson.

Early this year demolition began on the Bard Building in downtown Baltimore. This looming, dark-brick building has a prominent location, fronting Lombard Street at its corner with Market Place. The five-story, 172,000-square-feet structure was built in 1976 as a satellite campus of Baltimore City Community College (BCCC).