A change Md. needs

Life is unfair, but that's good for you

It costs $722 to fly from St. Paul/Minneapolis to Bismarck, N.D., and you can fly from St. Paul/Minneapolis to Paris for $754. Life is unfair; we all know this. Big prizes go to mediocrities while you struggle on, unappreciated. The righteous suffer while the...

As northeast Md. grows, higher ed must grow also

Maryland is home to the nation's best-educated and most technologically skilled work force. Such a dynamic and knowledge-based population reaps many benefits. In recent years, Maryland has enjoyed periods of job growth that outperformed nearly every other state and...

The new 'awkward age'

would have been considered 50 years ago, but they're just beyond midlife. Conventionally, this age group has been seen as on the cusp of retirement or retired, doting on their grandchildren.

Math curriculum doesn't compute

Teaching too-hard concepts does students no good

The world needs us

N. - The great recession, mounting debt, military burdens, overconsumption. From New York to Beijing to Paris, there is talk, sometimes jubilant in tone, that the United States is on the decline. Some have even said that it's about time.

An option that preserves land, saves money

The controversy surrounding the state Board of Public Works' recent acquisition of 1,000 acres of undeveloped land in Dorchester County underscores a dilemma for conservationists.

Dan Rodricks: 'We want them to stop killing each other'

"It hurts me so bad, these young men killing each other," Gail Gainer, concerned and vigilant citizen of northwest Baltimore, said in this space a couple of weeks ago, after her son narrowly escaped a late-night street shooting. "What in the world is wrong with these guys? Why do they want to keep...

Don't give up on the kids

A life sentence begins with Rashid's name.

Ugly choice for pageant

Rush Limbaugh's history of misogyny makes him wrong man to judge Miss America

Cheap guy's daughter has pricey demand

Jack Luskin was "The Cheapest Guy in Town." Daughter Jamie McCourt might be the most expensive gal.

Little Italy's big issue

The problem in Little Italy is not its fractious nature. Sitting in any of its community meetings, one understands why post- World War II Italy underwent 30-plus successive governments. Italians - passionate about everything - often engage in fierce debates and...

Dan Rodricks: From TV anchor to advocate for stroke prevention

Mark McEwen, the affable television weatherman who had 16 years with the CBS morning show and who once was listed among the 10 most trusted people in the industry by TV Guide, was twice a contestant on "Celebrity Jeopardy." He won it both times, too - an impressive...

Does Obama's men-only game matter?

As if President Barack Obama didn't have enough on his plate with health care and Afghanistan, he's now faced with the problem that can't be solved: women.

Power to the principals

Baltimore and other cities show that good management of schools is crucial to success

Can we please say 'Good riddance' to goody bags?

Today's Not-So-Great-Depression has claimed a new victim: children's birthday party goody bags.

Life is short — be willing to move on

The former Marine officer Matthew Hoh, who resigned his Foreign Service post in Afghanistan because he feels the war is pointless and not worth dying for, deserves all the attention he's gotten and more. The Obama administration faces hard decisions there, and...

Coming soon: the real 'trial of the century'

Federal authorities have done little to dispel reports that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the al-Qaeda leader who allegedly helped plan the Sept. 11 terror attacks, will soon be indicted in federal court in New York. If this occurs, we will finally - after many false...

Dan Rodricks: Mark Farley Grant isn't crazy, but this system is

I am trying to get a grip on a certain surreality in Maryland criminal justice: If you can prove you were wrongly convicted of murder, you still need to get a psychiatric evaluation before we -- the state -- consider releasing you from prison. Let me run that by you again: If you can prove that...

On public option, public is ahead of the politicians

Last week's health care reform vote in the Senate Finance Committee brought Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe on board - even if she only stays on the boat until the next bend in the river. Ms. Snowe opposes the public option but expresses strong interest in a...

A good deal for Maryland

At a signing ceremony earlier this month, Gov. Martin O'Malley made official the first-ever contract between the state and family child care providers who participate in Maryland's child care subsidy program. I'm among the people who benefit from this agreement -...

Susan Reimer: Men (and underlings) behaving badly

In yet another example of powerful men behaving badly with women underlings, ESPN baseball announcer Steve Phillips admitted last week to having an affair with a 22-year-old production assistant at the network.

Bring back the golden age of civility? Sorry, it never existed

There is much gnashing of teeth and rending of cloth these days about the death of civility.

My daughter needs the H1N1 vaccine; why can't she get it?

I'm beginning to think I'd have better luck finding a needle in a haystack.

Get to work, GOP

As President Barack Obama and his staff continue to learn (assuming they bury their alleged legendary hubris deep in the bowels of the White House) that effective governing, especially when you control both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, is a far cry from excellent...

Dan Rodricks: Arundel Mills slots plan state's best bet

When asked by a reporter why he robbed banks, Willie Sutton, the legendary stickup man, supposedly said, "Because that's where the money is." Similarly, there's a reason why David Cordish, the successful developer, wants to put a $1 billion slots casino and...