Gary C. Watson Jr., who was born and raised in St. John the Baptist Parish, poses for a photo in Edgard, La., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, across the river from a Marathon Petroleum Refinery. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton) “In a stretch of Louisiana with about 170 fossil fuel and petrochemical plants, premature death is a fact of life for people living nearby. The air is so polluted and the cancer rates so high it is known as Cancer Alley .
 “Most adults in the area are attending two to three...

By Andy Ellis “In 2024, after a panel discussion, I was talking with State Senator Charles Sydnor and I kept saying "two-party system." He stopped me. We don't have a two-party system, he said. You're on the ballot. You have a party. You're advocating to change things. Stop acting like you don't exist. He was right. Maryland doesn't have a two-party system. Maryland law explicitly creates two classes of political parties: principal parties (the Democrats and Republicans) and non-principal...

By: Stuart Schmidt Jr. Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan during his run for U.S. Senate. (Lloyd Fox/Staff) “Last month, former Gov. Larry Hogan announced that he will not seek another term this cycle. While Maryland law would permit him to run again after time out of office, his decision marks the close of a significant chapter in our state’s political life…” “Gov. Hogan led during a time when politics increasingly rewarded partisan theatrics over substance. He chose a different path. He...