Commentary

Just when Ravens fans thought there was nothing that could restrain the soaring feeling that came with last Sunday’s rock-solid 30-23 victory over the Washington Commanders at M&T Bank Stadium, a really asinine video is posted on social media to make Purple and Black Nation collectively cringe. Surely, you’ve seen it by now. About 32 million already have, or roughly six times the views needed in a week for a video to be regarded as “viral,” and this was logged in a day.

As Election Day draws nearer, it seems increasingly common for former President Donald Trump to say something on the campaign trail that draws backlash. On Sunday, he was on Fox News calling for the U.S. military to be deployed to fight “the enemy from within” — meaning Americans he deems “radical left lunatics,” a group he termed more dangerous than “China, Russia and all these countries.” During a Saturday rally in California, Trump said a female heckler should “get the hell knocked out of her” — apparently because he found her comments disruptive.

In the coming months, Maryland leaders will implement policies that will either attract data centers to the state and grow our economy or risk sending the jobs to our neighbors. In particular, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) is at the center of a debate about where and how data centers should get their electricity. On behalf of the more than 25,000 workers we represent, we encourage Maryland’s leaders to create an environment where data centers can thrive. This is the industry of the future for working families in Maryland.

The Republican National Convention in July featured a variety of peculiar characters, from Marjorie Taylor Greene to Hulk Hogan, but as a college student, I found it most interesting that the event included University of North Carolina college students — fraternity members — as flag bearers. As a college student myself, this imagery surprised me and gave me pause. It has long been thought that college-educated and younger populations lean liberal, but the Republican Party is seeking to shift that narrative.

We live in a moment of profound uncertainty regarding the future of reproductive rights. In Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the United States Supreme Court removed U.S. constitutional protections, overturning Roe v. Wade. Almost immediately a flood of state laws across the country has created a functional barrier to abortion. Due to the Dobbs decision, 14 states restrict abortion at all stages of pregnancy. Five states ban abortions at six weeks (about 1 1/2 months) when cardiac activity is detected.

Another Columbus Day will soon be upon us, and many Americans will spend the occasion debating the propriety of observing the holiday. The explorer’s arrival in the New World in 1492 came at horrendous cost to indigenous people. These are important conversations, but they’ll likely overlook an important bit of history — because Columbus Day’s origins are much bloodier and more complicated than many realize.

The one-two punch of Hurricanes Helene and Milton have been especially devastating to the Southeast. It will be weeks, perhaps even months yet before communities from Florida to North Carolina are back on their feet and functioning anywhere near normal again. The fierce winds and torrential rains have been horrific, and Americans grieve with their neighbors over the death and destruction left in the wake of these historic storms.

If you watched the Harris-Trump debate in Philadelphia recently, you probably learned more about fracking and suddenly asked yourself, “Fracking in Maryland?” The answer could be Yes and No! Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a method for extracting natural gas or oil from shale and other “tight” rock forms.