Jonathan A. Blakley

Baltimore firefighter dies during training Friday Charles Mudra, an emergency vehicle driver for the department, suffered a medical emergency as he was training at an East Baltimore facility.

Heartbroken by the loss of two of Maryland’s finest heroes. Lt. Mark Dranbauer and Charles Mudra served their community for years — putting themselves on the line to keep Marylanders safe. 
 
My prayers are with their loved ones and with the entire Baltimore City Fire Dept.

This post convinced me to spontaneously go and watch the movie. Highly recommend. Amazing story, casting, acting, costuming, writing, sound design,...
I want a podcast just about this movie where experts from all different fields explain in depth why it's great.

Alexis Herman, the first Black secretary of labor in U.S. history, dies at age 77 Civil rights groups, labor organizations and politicians praised Alexis Herman as a "trailblazer" who fought for the rights of women, Black people and American workers over the course of decades.

Civil rights groups, labor organizations and politicians praised Alexis Herman as a "trailblazer" who fought for the rights of women, Black people and American workers over the course of decades.

Judge says Voice of America staffers can go back to work The government-funded VOA has been locked in a court battle to stay on the airwaves.

Another victory for U.S.-funded international broadcasters in court against the Trump admin: "Staffers at the government-funded Voice of America news service can go back to work, a federal judge in Washington ruled on Tuesday..." www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/...

AP, in a legal filing this morning, says the new White House policy removing all wire services from the daily press pool rotation clearly violates the court's injunction and asks Federal District Court Judge Trevor McFadden to enforce his order […]

My colleagues and our broadcasts, devoted to telling America’s story to the world — honestly, fairly and with an unwavering commitment to the truth​, are being silenced this weekend […]

[Original post on journa.host]

The main voanews.com webpage hasn’t been updated in more than 24 hours and the programming from the 50 language services not being refreshed. Some shows replaced online and on air with a loop video (this example for VOA’s Persian feed): https://ir.voanews.com/a/8011941.html

All 550 of VOA’s contract status reporters, editors, videographers, engineers and techs just notified they’re terminated effective end of this month. We don’t distinguish internally between them and regular staff — all are highly skilled and absolutely critical to the operation.

Now Spinning #BlackMusicSky #MusicSky

Justin Trudeau gave the exact kind of press conference today that we have been waiting for from our Democratic leaders. Watch it and learn from it. No gimmicks, no stunts, no script, no platitudes, no slogans, no games. Just straight talk, honesty, sincerity and facts.

Kee Malesky, NPR's research librarian for more than 20 years, has died at 74 Kee Malesky, NPR's research librarian for more than 20 years, has died at age 74. She left NPR in 2014. She's remembered for her love of facts, and here's another irrefutable one: She will be missed.

Kee Malesky, NPR's research librarian for more than 20 years, has died at age 74. She left NPR in 2014. She's remembered for her love of facts, and here's another irrefutable one: She will be missed.

For journalists, writers, artists, historians, photographers and cultural workers -- it's going to be so, so important that we document and bear witness to this moment in history.

It's going to be hard, and many of us will have to move differently. But we must try.

The Golden Hour by Karen Attiah | Substack On writing, fighting, and beauty. Click to read The Golden Hour by Karen Attiah, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.

Thank you to all who reached out about the situation at The Washington Post—I appreciate the support.

No matter what, I’m committed to speaking truth to power and helping us navigate these hard times.

Subscribe to my audio columns at The Karen Attiah Podcast.

open.substack.com/pub/karenatt...

No More Female 4-Stars: Franchetti Firing Leaves Top Ranks Filled by Men Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy's first female chief, last week without any clear explanation -- part of a purge of top uniformed leadership that included the Joint...

NOTE: The opponents of DEI are purging anyone who is not a white man from military leadership

This is not about merit; it’s about normalizing racism and misogyny

Singer-Songwriter Angie Stone Dead at 63 Angie Stone -- a singer and member of the iconic hip hop trio The Sequence -- has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

Angie Stone, singer and member of the iconic hip hop trio The Sequence, has died at 63

Some notable DOGE errors added this week include:

-linking to wrong SBA contract (neither were canceled)
-listing $99 million in savings from a $9.9 million contract
-replacing one wrong contract listing from last week with a DIFFERENT wrong listing, inflated claims by ~$150M

Half of the $9.6 billion in savings claims from ending contracts on the DOGE site still weren’t canceled as of Tuesday, NPR found.

bsky.app/profile/stph...

The EEOC filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk's company, Tesla, alleging it allowed "severe racial harassment" of Black employees including “frequent direct verbal racial attacks” and the “constant presence of racist graffiti evocative of lynchings.” Every story about these cuts should say that.

When FAA employees are telling us it’s not safe to fly, we should probably listen.

NPR host Adrian Ma remembers his girlfriend who died in D.C. plane crash NPR host Adrian Ma's girlfriend, Kiah Duggins, was aboard the American Airlines flight that crashed into the Potomac River. He spoke to NPR about that night and about his late girlfriend.

NPR host Adrian Ma's girlfriend, Kiah Duggins, was aboard the American Airlines flight that crashed into the Potomac River. He spoke to NPR about that night and about his late girlfriend.

On Feb. 14th I try always to give honor to one of the greatest contributors to American democracy in our nation’s history, Frederick Douglass. Born into slavery, Douglass never knew his actual birthdate, and adopted Feb. 14th as the day. His penetrating insights about our country inspire me daily.

Maryland National Guard out of Frederick Douglass parade after DoD order Strict guidance from the national defense department crushed plans for a parade held in honor of Frederick Douglass’ 207th birthday because it was being held during Black History Month.

“The Maryland National Guard must decline events which celebrates individuals based all or in part on immutable characteristics,” the memo said.

Douglass was an abolitionist, suffragist, orator and author. That’s what we celebrate him. Let’s be clear: This bars celebrating him because he was Black.

I always loved this image of Barack Obama looking at the statue of MLKJr.

"Jennifer Mercieca, an expert in political rhetoric and at this point perhaps in particular Trump’s, likened this weekend’s schedule and turn of events to “a Roman ‘triumph,’” — a “general being celebrated in Ancient Rome.”

Four years ago right now. This was our evacuation team that got us out of the Capitol. When they knocked on our hiding place door, they had a code word & we had a response word so we knew they were actual USCP. You can see them holding back rioters. The “Join Us!” chant to cops was stomach turning.

With gratitude I am overwhelmed by the response

anntelnaes.substack.com/p/with-grati...

Detroit Lions = America's team

“The insurrectionists failed in the moment, but they set off a series of events that transformed US Constitutional democracy by upending the core principle that no man is above the law.”