Saturday, October 26, 2024 | Baltimore, MD
FOLLOW US:

Commentary

(NEW PODCAST ALERT) The Trail Episode 11: Current Thoughts, Maryland Senate Debate, FEMA Lies & More

Stakes could not be higher as we are approaching 20 days away from the 2024 Presidential Election. In this week’s episode, the gang gives their current thoughts about the race, recap the Senate debate between County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and Former Gov. Larry Hogan, as well as discuss Trump’s FEMA lies.

Microphone in a stand
Alsobrooks and Hogan clash in debate: 6 takeaways

U.S. Senate candidates vying to represent Maryland mostly stuck to their campaign scripts during their only debate of the unusually close race in a reliably blue state. But there were some big clashes as they fielded questions for an hour at the debate moderated by NBC’s chief political analyst Chuck Todd at Maryland Public Television in Owings Mills.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Finally, city voters will have their say on Harborplace

Kudos to the Supreme Court of Maryland for reversing an Anne Arundel County Circuit Court judge’s ruling and allowing Question F voting to proceed. Whatever one may think of the state of Harborplace and MCB Real Estate’s plans to tear down the once-popular retail and dining pavilions and build four high-rise buildings, including hundreds of apartments along with retail and office space and off-street parking, the voters of Baltimore should be trusted to render judgment on its future.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Weighing a maverick Republican against a mainstream Democrat

Those who watched Thursday’s televised debate between former Gov. Larry Hogan and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, especially those paying attention to Maryland’s U.S. Senate race, probably weren’t surprised by what they heard. On one side was the familiar presence of the two-term GOP governor, who has elevated his national profile in recent years as a staunch critic of former President Donald Trump.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Thank you for calling FEMA. Please hold while we review your disaster plan.

When downtown Annapolis floods, you can watch the water climb the familiar tableau of Alex Haley telling a story to children, rising from nuisance at his bronze shoes to catastrophe when it reaches his chest. Right now, the “Roots” author and the kids are dry. But Annapolis’ $100 million plan to protect its historic downtown from the most drastic impact of a warming climate is struggling to keep its head above water.

Satellite view of earth
Sun erred badly in publishing false hurricane aid claim

I am disappointed with the recent article by The Center Square, “FEMA’s hurricane relief money dwindles amid migrant spending” (Oct. 7). The article begins by saying that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has told reporters that “FEMA does not have enough funding to last the rest of the year even as it has spent millions of dollars on migrants under the Biden administration.”

Read More: Ba
When the Key Bridge fell, women rose up to play important roles in response, recovery

Ninety-nine days after the Francis Scott Key Bridge fell, Robyn Bianchi’s job was finally complete. On July 3, the assistant salvage master for New Jersey-based Donjon Marine lingered on a pier to watch a container ship pass through the channel where she had worked seven days a week, sometimes 18 hours a day, directing divers’ underwater efforts to cut and clear away the bridge’s wreckage.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Baltimore City residents desperately need tax relief

Renew Baltimore, the organization behind a widely discussed ballot initiative aimed at significantly reducing the city’s property tax rate, has submitted over 23,000 signatures — more than double the amount required to place the measure on the ballot. However, the Maryland Supreme Court recently blocked the proposed charter amendment from appearing on Baltimore City’s 2024 Election Day ballot.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Kamala Harris is working around the mainstream media and it’s brilliant

Howard Stern does not know it, but we have had a one-sided beef since 1997. This dates back to his obnoxiously crude days, when I covered a remote news conference announcing his then-terrestrial radio show’s debut on a local York, Pennsylvania, station. Stern, talking to us via satellite from New York, discovered I was a young Black woman and demanded that the men in the room determine if I was hot (they said I was), asked me graphic questions about whether Black or white men were better lovers, and then queried the next female reporter at the microphone if she would make out with me.

Day to night in the inner harbor of Baltimore
With Harborplace, it’s time to move past nostalgia and embrace progress

Harborplace and I share a history. Born the same year it opened, I spent summers downtown with my family, enjoying crabs at Phillips and taking in the Inner Harbor’s energy. It was a symbol of Baltimore’s pride. Later, when I started my career at Baltimore Development Corp., I became the Inner Harbor coordinator, serving the very place that shaped my memories and those of countless Baltimoreans.

The Morning Rundown

We’re staying up to the minute on the issues shaping the future. Join us on the newsletter of choice for Maryland politicos and business leaders. It’s always free to join and never a hassle to leave. See you on the inside.