I'll employ a legal metaphor -- "fruit of a poisonous tree" -- to trace the path of one of the worst failures in U.S. history: The failure to hold Trump criminally responsible for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and Congress, a failure that kept Trump eligible to run for president a third time. … Continue reading Mitch McConnell, the greatest enabler in U.S. history, kept Trump out of prison
Don’t be fooled by black & white images; it’s happening here and now
This old photograph of Nazi propaganda minister Goebbels addressing his deputies makes it seem like something from ancient times -- gone with the winds of history, an image from a lost world. The Western nations supposedly learned a severe lesson from Germany in World War II: Never, in the post-war alliance, would a fascist dictator … Continue reading Don’t be fooled by black & white images; it’s happening here and now
Snow was no problem for Eddie and Pete
You might not believe it — and sometimes I can’t believe it myself — but this is how the sidewalks in my hometown in Massachusetts were plowed all through my boyhood and at least until after I left East Bridgewater for college. The winters were long, snowy, rainy and gray and, for what seemed interminable … Continue reading Snow was no problem for Eddie and Pete
Trump lies, Andy Harris amplifies
Bad enough that Fox "News" and Trump spread the lie that the attacker in the New Orleans horror had driven to Bourbon Street from Mexico, suggesting that the crime was the result of Biden border policy. It was a lie, of course. The killer of 14 was an American citizen and Army veteran. He crossed … Continue reading Trump lies, Andy Harris amplifies
When the world seems perfect
I'm not much for recycling old columns -- I have written more than 6,600 of them since 1979 -- but came across this one while surfing through the archive and thought it might be worth reprinting and reflection here. This was published in The Baltimore Sun on Dec. 30, 2007. That's the year before Obama's … Continue reading When the world seems perfect
The French Butter Bell: Le beurrier
The French butter bell is having a moment in social media. It has been around for several centuries, at least in Europe. The bell allows you to safely leave butter at room temperature so that it's soft when want it to be -- for spreading on baguette or brioche, crepe or pancake, waffle or whatever. … Continue reading The French Butter Bell: Le beurrier
Only .00018 days in prison per tire?
My son and I drove by this place in Westernport, Allegany County, a couple of months ago during a fishing trip and assumed it was a legit (and grotesque) tire dump. We were half right: It was grotesque but not legit. On Dec. 18, a Maryland judge sentenced Michel Osei, 48, to 45 days in … Continue reading Only .00018 days in prison per tire?
A kind county cop in the middle of the night
I included this story in my Christmas column in The Baltimore Sun. I thought I would pull it out and post it here, so that it stands alone. I met Shelley Grant (photo above) on Monday, as she arrived for lunch at Our Daily Bread in Baltimore. She told me a great story about an … Continue reading A kind county cop in the middle of the night
Holiday gift: Framed photos of ancestors
It occurs to me that, when a young person -- son or daughter, niece or nephew -- moves into a new house or apartment, they might not take with them one of those old photographs of long-gone ancestors your parents passed along or left behind. This might not seem like an extraordinary idea. No doubt, … Continue reading Holiday gift: Framed photos of ancestors
Among Maryland’s great citizens: Will Schwarz
I would nominate Will Schwarz for Marylander of the Year, and not because he's a friend of mine -- and producer of my 1990's TV show and director of my play, "Baltimore, You Have No Idea." But because of what he did to enlighten his fellow Marylanders and stir our collective conscience. Will, who had … Continue reading Among Maryland’s great citizens: Will Schwarz
Dan Rodricks 