The latest from Rick Hutzell
Free speech is under attack in the Trump era. It’s no time to keep quiet.
In this moment of everyone shouting at once all the time, would we be better off if we all just shut up for a day? Then I remember my right to ignore it all. What if we can’t refuse? That's the risk to free speech today.
I’ve come to love Baltimore as my second city. Why can’t it catch a break?
I don’t live in Baltimore. I spend a few days there a week. But I’m growing to love this big city on the Chesapeake Bay. So, as I read the news about underground fires, police shootings and mass overdoses, I have to wonder. Why can’t Baltimore catch a break?
Annapolis public housing lawsuit could destroy Mayor Gavin Buckley’s legacy
The outcome of mediation in a class action lawsuit will either free the next Annapolis mayor to move past an ugly history or hobble the city with a crippling payout and more years of litigation.
7 things to do in Annapolis: Maryland Hall relaunches outdoor concert series
You could catch Dominique Bianco’s performance in the coming week, join a scooter ride, watch a new production of "Much Ado About Nothing" or celebrate the 20th anniversary of "Wedding Crashers" this weekend.
Boat ramps offer easy access to the Chesapeake Bay. Why cancel one right before the Fourth?
Boat ramps are the gateway to the Chesapeake Bay for hundreds of thousands of Marylanders. So when the public ramp shuts down people are going to notice.
The Declaration of Donald Trump may start the next American revolution
On Independence Day, this is the Declaration of Donald Trump: a vision of America remade in the image of his skinflint cruelty.
7 things to do in Annapolis: Here’s how a cradle of democracy celebrates the Fourth
Independence Day in Annapolis is a highlight of the year, where the city's rich history and modern celebrations meet.
Maryland’s police shooting reports reveal pain, and a path forward
What if Maryland’s new level of scrutiny in police shootings could do more than provide a second look at right or wrong? What if they could prevent more police shootings?
My friends’ names are still in the wind, 7 years after their murder
My friends, murdered seven years ago in Annapolis, find me where they do every morning, shortly after I wake and remember to be grateful that I’m alive. Then they find me when I least expect it.
7 things to do in Annapolis: Eastport a’ Rockin’ returns with dozens of local bands
You could catch a local music fest like no other this week, enjoy a Vegas magic act or soak up some local culture.
For a teacher accused of abusing students, ‘not guilty’ doesn’t equal public exoneration
When a teacher accused of sexually abusing students is found not guilty, the pain won’t go away easily. Not for the teacher, the student, their families or the community.
Trump couldn’t resist the American temptation. We’re at war again.
War is the American temptation, the one every president since the end of World War II has faced. Now it's Donald Trump's war.
Alas, poor FEMA. We knew you well.
President Donald Trump plans to phase out FEMA after this year’s hurricane season. In the future, if you want help after a disaster, you’ll have to call him. How do you think that’s going to go?
7 things to do in Annapolis, from Juneteenth Parade and Festival to a bridge 5K
Annapolis Juneteenth is expanding again in its fifth year, topping the list of things to do in the coming week. You also could hear author Kate Myers of Annapolis talk about her second novel, “Salty.”
An assassination in Minnesota briefly silences ‘No Kings’ rally in Annapolis
Jessica Davis took a breath and looked down at her phone. She read out the news to the ‘No Kings’ rally in Annapolis that a former Minnesota House speaker and her husband had been assassinated.
Trump’s military response to LA supercharges No Kings Day protests across Maryland
What the hell. It’s a pretty apt summary of this moment. No Kings Day protests planned to counter President Donald Trump's military birthday parade Saturday are growing in response to events in Los Angeles.
7 things to do in Annapolis: Porchfest brings a new kind of music festival
Eight front porches in the Homewood-Germantown neighborhood will transform into mini stages Saturday.
The next Annapolis mayor should call a vote on changing local elections
Columnist Rick Hutzell is exploring challenges the next Annapolis mayor and City Council will face when they take office in December, both leftovers from Mayor Gavin Buckley’s years in office and new challenges.
Wes Moore insists he’s not running for president in ’28. So why is no one persuaded?
Why is no one persuaded when Gov. Wes Moore says again and again he isn't running for president? Because not running for president has a track record of success.
Annapolis once made sails. Trump’s tariffs won’t bring those jobs back.
Annapolis was once a sailmaking center, with multiple lofts manufacturing for thousands of boaters on the Chesapeake Bay. That's unlikely to change, despite President Donald Trump's boasts that tariffs will bring manufacturing back to U.S. cities and towns.