Commentary

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.