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    Work crews from Garden Sistas begin decorating the Annapolis public Christmas tree on Nov. 19, 2024. The Grand Illumination celebration is set on Dec. 1.
    Maryland has no official Christmas tree, but Annapolis is a good place to start
    In Maryland, Gov. Wes Moore can’t start the holiday season by lighting the state Christmas tree. We don’t have one.
    Absolutely nothing of real-life importance happens in “Hot Frosty,” starring Dustin Milligan, left, as a snowman with abs of steel and Lacey Chabert as a kind widow who takes him in.
    ‘Hot Frosty’ and 4 other stupid TV shows I’m thankful for in an uncertain year
    The wars and racism aren't going anywhere, so I’m thankful for the inconsequential stuff I can escape with, like “Hot Frosty” and “Dancing With the Stars.”
    Rock Zang, owner of Chesapeake Smokehouse in Annapolis, looks over a row of smoked salmon fillets ready for packaging on Nov. 25, 2024.
    Turkey is great, but Maryland should consider eating blue catfish for the holidays
    Blue catfish won’t sit nobly at the center of your feast like a Norman Rockwell turkey, or come with lore like Maryland stuffed ham. It does have the element of abundance, though.
    Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman celebrates his touchdown catch late in the first half with wide receiver Diontae Johnson.
    Kyle Goon: Lamar Jackson is finally getting the help he deserves
    We’re used to seeing Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry take the Ravens on their back. But the 30-23 win over the Chargers featured multiple stars in their roles, the kind of diverse play-making Baltimore needs to get another championship.
    Sean Gallagher works from his Hampden home as a cybercrime investigator.
    He was a cybercrime journalist. Now he’s taking on the bad guys himself.
    Former technology journalist Sean Gallagher wrote about cybercrime for years, until — at 55 — he decided to fight it himself.
    Zach Eflin was once out of the Orioles’ price range. Now they might be willing to spend for a pitcher to supplant him at the top of their rotation.
    Jon Meoli: Just how risky do the Orioles’ want to be when it comes to free agent pitching?
    They can shop for free agents previously thought to be off limits, but it remains to be seen what the Orioles will do when they open their wallet.
    Annapolis lobbyist Johntel Greene demonstrates her AI guide to the Maryland General Assembly on Nov. 19, 2024 in Annapolis.
    Ask this AI guide to the Maryland General Assembly anything. It will tell you what it thinks.
    KC, the avatar of an AI chatbot developed by Annapolis lobbyist Johntel Greene, told me that her debut before the next General Assembly as a portal and phone app should be newsworthy. It could be revolutionary.
    I wasn’t ready to get my kid a phone, but this changing country means he needs one
    Agonizing about the timing and reasoning for getting a cellphone for your child is pretty common. But recent events made that decision for me.
    The Rev. Martin Demek prepares for the second-to-last Sunday mass at the Corpus Christi church in Baltimore on Nov. 17.
    Saying goodbye to a Catholic church — and a link to my family’s past
    There are places that become part of us, and places where part of us of remains. Corpus Christi, one of dozens of Baltimore-area Catholic parishes set to close at the end of the month, is that kind of place for my family.
    An Annapolis lawyer with a storied legal name wants the city to bow to an anonymous complaint that its City Dock flooding project didn’t properly get approval from the city’s own Historic Preservation Commission.
    An Annapolis lawyer blocked one City Dock renewal. Now his son is trying again.
    A legal challenge over the $100 million project to protect downtown Annapolis from climate flooding mirrors a legal a decade over the exact same space, many of the same ideas and even the same family of lawyers.
    Circuit Court Judge Ginina A. Jackson-Stevenson, left, prepares to canvas with supporters of Del. Mike Rogers on Jan. 6, 2024. She lost her seat on the bench in November. It's the first time since 2004 that an appointed Black judge lost to a white challenger.
    Anne Arundel County voted against diversity. That might end judicial elections.
    When Anne Arundel County voters rejected Circuit Court Judge Ginina Jackson-Stevenson for lawyer Tom Casey, they reduced the number of Black judges on the bench by one-third.
    Rockville resident Joan Vassos found love with Chock Chapple on the first-ever season of “The Golden Bachelorette” — and taught us a few things along the way.
    5 things we learned from Joan Vassos, Maryland’s ‘Golden Bachelorette’
    The Golden Bachelorette found new, true love. Here are some lessons we learned from Rockville’s Joan Vassos.
    Lamar Jackson throws a wobbly pass as he is hit by Nick Herbig of the Steelers during the second quarter.
    Kyle Goon: You’re not a Raven until you lose to the Steelers
    The Ravens have the talent to be a championship-level team, but whatever credibility they build is undercut by ugly, self-sabotaging performances.
    Orioles infielder Coby Mayo connects with a pitch during a game against Tampa Bay in September.
    Jon Meoli: What should we make of the Orioles’ new group of hitting coaches?
    Elevating Asche and Sherman Johnson into prominent roles suggests the practices may not change much.
    The unapologetic Martha Stewart attends the premiere of her Netflix documentary “Martha.”
    Powerful women are supposed to apologize, be humble. Martha Stewart says nah.
    Martha Stewart is not sorry. And you’re going to have to deal with it.
    Gordie Howe International Bridge progress, December 2023.
    Can Gordie Howe save Maryland from its Chesapeake Bay Bridge blues?
    The Gordie Howe International Bridges isn’t an exact fit for easy comparison for proposed new Chesapeake Bay bridges. But in terms of scale, it’s the largest bridge project in North America right now, and when finished will be the longest cable-stated bridge on the continent. So are there some lessons there? Maybe.
    Baltimore Ravens punter Jordan Stout (11) and Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker (9) watch as his extra point sails through the uprights in a regular season game against the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, November 3, 2024.
    Kyle Goon: Can Ravens kicker Justin Tucker get back to his old self? He deserves the chance.
    Justin Tucker hasn’t been great lately. But he believes the kicker he has been, setting the NFL’s standard for excellence, is still within him.
    Congresswoman-elect Sarah Elfreth talks with Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman at her election night party in Annapolis.
    Sarah Elfreth heads to Washington with a to-do list and everything she wanted. Almost.
    After a year of campaigning, fundraising, of juggling her role as a state senator and the owner of a new dog — state Sen. Sarah Elfreth will take the oath of office on Jan. 3 as a member of the 119th Congress. It’s not exactly what she wanted.
    Roki Sasaki had a 2.35 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 111 innings for his Japanese team in 2024.
    Jon Meoli: Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki should want to pitch for the Orioles
    The Orioles can be as competitive as anyone when it comes to money, and they have the need atop their rotation.
    The fictional Bartlet administration on "The West Wing" were a bit naive, a little too slick and not diverse enough. But for Leslie Gray Streeter, they're preferable to our current reality.
    Rewatching ‘Scandal’ and ‘The West Wing’ hits a lot different post-election
    After this election, the optimism in "The West Wing," "Parks and Recreation" and "Scandal" seems naive. The craziness feels a lot more plausible.
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