Commentary

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s sweeping new rules regarding power plant emissions drew the usual reactions from those who profit from coal mining and coal-fired energy. They are already promising to block the regulations in court, claiming they’re unaffordable, unrealistic and even un-American — to the extent that the nation’s electric grid may find itself coming up short in kilowatt-hours.

In 2004, The City of Chicago completed the transformation of 25 acres of surface parking lots and rail tracks into a world-renowned public park. Now Chicago’s beating heart, Millennium Park was born from a vision and leadership. As the story goes, Mayor Richard Daley was sick of seeing a sea of parked cars from his dentist’s office that overlooked downtown.

With the passage of time since the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, we come to fully appreciate the vulnerability of our supply chain and how vital the Port of Baltimore is to maintaining it. As the community scrambles to clean up the wreckage, divert cargo and keep transport as normal as possible, it’s important for corporate citizens and state leaders to step up to the challenge.

The closure this month of the Pariah Brewing Company is merely the latest in a series of closures and relocations that has shaken Maryland’s beer sector in recent months. I believe we should take this opportunity to revisit Maryland’s business climate for craft beer. I previously served as the principal staff regulator of Maryland’s alcohol industry and as lead staff to former Comptroller Peter Franchot’s 2017-18 Reform on Tap initiative.

I caught the latest Larry Hogan-for-Senate commercial where he says pretty much what he always says: Washington is completely broken. It’s time to stop partisan politics. Enough is enough. We need to get stuff done. The former Maryland governor seems to be presenting himself as a non-partisan, middle-of-the-road guy with a magic formula to heal a bitterly divided Congress.

Armstrong Williams (awilliams@baltsun.com; @arightside) is a political analyst, syndicated columnist and owner of the broadcasting company, Howard Stirk Holdings. He is also part owner of The Baltimore Sun.

As register of wills for Frederick County, I would like to set the record straight on HB 1258, which would alter publication of estate notices as it is required today (“Preserving local journalism: Why governor must veto HB1258,” April 22). First and foremost, there certainly was due process during the legislative session. However, it appears that the opposition chose not to participate.