Jeff Barker

Gov. Moore v. Flavor Flav? A new contender emerges to host U.S. women’s hockey team The battle for will would host the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team gained a new competitor: hip-hop icon Flavor Flav.

The governor’s video was an invitation for the women’s hockey team to come to Annapolis. But Wes Moore’s invitation was also something else — an opportunity to tweak Trump , and do it with a smile rather than a scowl. All that was missing was a wink.

www.baltimoresun.com/2026/03/02/m...

Gov. Wes Moore — entering territory more often reserved for presidents— invites US Women's Hockey gold medalists to Maryland.

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Rep. Sarah Elfreth, Democrat, with a Game of Thrones reference on SOTU:

“That was all about demonizing our immigrant neighbors and then throwing that challenge to us and encouraging my Republican colleagues to yell the word ‘shame’ at us like this is a Game of Thrones episode,” she said.

How did the State of the Union feel from the floor? Maryland lawmakers weigh in Maryland lawmakers discuss how President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address felt from the floor of the Capitol.

www.baltimoresun.com/2026/02/25/h...

Oops: Md. GOP suggested candidates use Democrats’ private campaign tool Maryland GOP accidentally encouraged its candidates to use a software platform to target voters administered by the Democratic National Committee.

Oops. By Jeff Barker.

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Monks’ peace walk leaves political Annapolis captivated by calm Members of the crowd, which seemed to number in the thousands at its peak, brought flowers and welcoming signs, and shivered in the cold. Some were delighted to catch glimpses of the monk’s rescue …

You don’t realize how pervasive our phone culture is — and how guarded we can be — until you see people who are behaving so differently.
My column on the monks’ Walk for Peace
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www.baltimoresun.com/2026/02/16/m...

Federal workers say they face new job threat, and the dispute feels personal A specific new threat to federal workers is coming, Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen said at a Capitol news conference last week announcing the Federal Workforce Caucus.

My Backchannel column this week is on a new front in the very personal struggle between federal workers and President Donald Trump. (gift link).
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www.baltimoresun.com/2026/02/08/f...

Maryland Democrats love Springsteen protest song. What do Republican ‘Boss’ fans think? The Bruce Springsteen track, titled “Streets of Minneapolis,” references the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by immigration enforcement agents.

My Backchannel column for this week:
Democrats love the new Springsteen protest song.
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But I couldn’t help but wonder: What if you are a Springsteen fan … and a Republican? Can you love the music but disregard the message?

www.baltimoresun.com/2026/02/02/m...

Moore campaign accepted, then returned, donations from executive tied to firm seeking state contract “The Moore-Miller campaign holds itself to the highest ethical standards, and the campaign returned this donation when we became aware the donor was a subcontractor in an active procurement with th…

Exclusive: Moore campaign accepted, then returned, donations from executive tied to firm seeking state contract. By Jeff Barker.
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www.baltimoresun.com/2026/01/29/m...

A state lawmaker’s Earl Weaver moment; sports bettors’ bill to be resurrected Del. Sandy Rosenberg, a Democrat and the General Assembly’s longest-serving member, spoke to The Baltimore Sun about his love for the Baltimore Orioles.

My latest Backchannel column: What did Earl Weaver write on the photo he signed for Sandy Rosenberg, the longest-serving member of Maryland’s General Assembly?

There's a bill in Montgomery County that will do the same thing. The problem really will be enforcement: will state troopers or MCPD get in between ICE and their victims? So far, they haven't.

Maryland’s congressional redistricting map encounters divisions, angst and a ticking clock A proposed new map of Maryland congressional districts received mixed reactions on Wednesday.

Redrawing a congressional district map is like pulling a thread from an old sweater. One small change can have cascading consequences.

www.baltimoresun.com/2026/01/21/m...

Maryland’s congressional redistricting map encounters divisions, angst and a ticking clock A proposed new map of Maryland congressional districts received mixed reactions on Wednesday.

Maryland's congressional redistricting map encounters divisions, angst and a ticking clock.

www.baltimoresun.com/2026/01/21/m...

Maryland enters national debate with ICE mask ban bill testing state’s authority A Senate bill restricting ICE officers’ face coverings was designated the first major piece of legislation of a new Maryland General Assembly session.

Maryland enters national debate with ICE mask ban bill testing state’s authority
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www.baltimoresun.com/2026/01/18/m...

Images I can’t get out of my head from the year in Maryland politics Looking back on Maryland politics from 2025, I think about visuals that have been imprinted on me. They capture or reveal something in a single frame.

Good morning. My Backchannel column for this week (gift link).
Have you ever attended an event and left with a particular image stuck in your mind? It’s as if your brain has singled out one moment and archived it. These images imprinted on me in 2025.

www.baltimoresun.com/2026/01/05/m...

Exclusive: Pelosi talks about her Baltimore hometown, Trump’s ‘ramblings’ Rep. Nancy Pelosi talked to The Baltimore Sun about the bond with Baltimore, which helped shape her political views.

Nancy Pelosi grew up in a rowhome in Baltimore’s Little Italy, the daughter and sister of mayors. I asked her in an interview about her hometown, her very political upbringing, her legacy, and Donald Trump.
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www.baltimoresun.com/2025/12/26/n...

My weekly Backchannel column:
It’s a piece of an interview I did last week with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

US Army veteran facing charges says he had every right to burn flag: ‘Oh yes, we can.’ It was hours after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to protect the American flag from “desecration,” and Jan Carey said he knew what he had to do.

It was hours after President Trump signed an order to protect the American flag from “desecration,” and Jan Carey, an Army combat veteran, decided he wanted to immediately make a point about First Amendment protections. By Jeff Barker.
www.baltimoresun.com/2025/12/02/u...

Here’s a teasing, free preview of my weekly political notebook column called Backchannel containing the first item, which is about a congressional district with two souls.

Does it seem risky to allow bettors to wager on whether a pitch will be a ball or strike? It's not just me asking, it was MLB raising the issue to Maryland regulators in 2021. States continued to offer the bet, which can be rigged more easily than others and is now at the center of Guardians case.

Exclusive: MLB cautioned Maryland about ’risky’ bet now at center of Cleveland Guardians scandal “This is the moment where sports leagues need to look long and hard in the mirror.”

Exclusive: MLB cautioned Maryland about ’risky’ bet now at center of Cleveland Guardians scandal.
By Jeff Barker
www.baltimoresun.com/2025/11/19/m...

Turkey pardon is just weird; Wes Moore’s ‘IDGAF’ initialism; is Washington joyless? I think many Washingtonians are determined to not allow the capital’s sourness to ruin their holidays.

www.baltimoresun.com/2025/11/17/t...

Turkey pardon is just weird; Wes Moore’s 'IDGAF' initialism; is Washington joyless?
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Good morning. Here’s a teasing, free preview of my political notebook column called Backchannel containing the first item.

Pelosi throws punchlines, Trump calls ‘sissy football,’ and ‘No Kings’ becomes big business Trump attended one game of the 2019 World Series (Washington vs. Houston) and another in the 2021 series (Atlanta vs. Houston). That puts him ahead of his predecessor, Joe Biden, but behind other p…

Of all the names Baltimore-born and raised Nancy Pelosi has been called —many of them unprintable here —my favorite is “The Prodigal Hon.”
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Welcome to Backchannel, my weekly political notes column where we deftly sidestep political spin.
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Senators demand answers about Social Security chief’s former role and question ‘his ability to serve’ The leading Democrats on two U.S. Senate committees are asking Social Security chief Frank Bisignano’s company about  a huge contract it received to manage a debit card program serving millions of …

Senators demand answers about Social Security chief’s former role and question ‘his ability to serve’
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www.baltimoresun.com/2025/11/07/s...

White House demolition with dirt, drama, and DIY capitalism A particular fascination surrounds what happened to the items from the demolished White House East Wing — even the dirt and debris.

Welcome to the latest Backchannel, my political notebook column. What happened to all the stuff during the East Wing demolition? This week we take the mystery apart – like the departed wing itself – bit by bit.
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www.baltimoresun.com/2025/11/03/b...

Maryland-based White House demolition company grapples with PR nightmare Aceco, a Montgomery County demolition company, finds itself in a public relations nightmare sparked by people offended at its role in tearing down the White House East Wing to make way for Presiden…

Maryland-based White House demolition company grapples with PR nightmare
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www.baltimoresun.com/2025/10/24/a...

Congressional Democrats investigating Social Security commissioner over debit card contract The Senate Finance Committee’s Democratic staff, led by Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, is investigating whether Bisignano knew during his confirmation about a pending five-year Direct Express contract, …

Congressional Democrats investigating Social Security commissioner over debit card contract. By Jeff Barker
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www.baltimoresun.com/2025/10/22/c...

Shutdown playlist, why Michael Steele is still a Republican, Raskin’s ‘24 Senate flirtation Welcome to Backchannel, where we’ll steer completely clear of political talking points and offer exclusive notes from inside Maryland politics.

Welcome to Backchannel, a weekly feature where we’ll steer completely clear of political talking points and offer exclusive notes from inside Maryland politics.
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Today:Shutdown playlist, why Michael Steele is still a Republican, Raskin’s ‘24 Senate flirtation
www.baltimoresun.com/2025/10/20/s...

‘You’re the only one I can talk to,’ the girl told an AI chatbot; then she took her own life With the nation facing acute mental health provider shortages, Americans are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence chatbots not only for innocuous tasks such as writing resumes or social …

If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

www.baltimoresun.com/2025/10/17/c...