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Maryland collector ‘hit the mother lode’ of Egyptian art. Then the FBI called.
Hobbyist Mark Ragan of Edgewater found himself enmeshed in the underworld of art smuggling when he bought a handful of Egyptian antiquities on eBay.
Celeste Amato and Steve Strickland, who work in Mayor Brandon Scott's administration, outside of Baltimore’s City Hall after getting married on Nov. 9, 2024.
This City Hall love story proves romance can happen anywhere
A lucky few discover love knee-deep in the crisis of a massive water main break in the middle of the woods.
A decorative green man sculpture at The Turning Wheel Bookstore.
5 best places to shop if you’re a witch (or just witchy)
Whether you’re a bona fide witch or just enjoy the witchy/new age aesthetic, here are the best places to shop for crystals, incense, herbs and other tools of the witch’s craft.
Supporters cheer as Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
I am a white woman voting for Kamala Harris. But that isn’t enough.
I finally understand that I owe my country more than my single vote. I owe it my time and effort to impact other voters, says former teacher Kerry Graham.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, center, hugs his children during the final day of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Ill.
Commentary: Let’s choose a teacher as our next vice president
I was excited when presidential candidate Kamala Harris chose Tim Walz, once a teacher, as her running mate. As a former teacher myself, I instinctively trust educators.

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It’s easy for some to assume Black men all vote the same, but Wallace Lane and his friends are divided on who should be our next president.
Commentary: Kamala or Trump? Why Black men are divided
It’s easy for some to assume Black men all vote the same, but Wallace Lane and his friends are divided on who should be our next president.
The Ouija board gravestone of Elijah Jefferson Bond, who patented the device, is now the most-visited landmark in Baltimore’s Green Mount Cemetery, according to Talking Board Historical Society chairman of the board and founder Robert Murch.
Ouija boards, John Waters and the lost grave of Elijah Bond
The strange and improbable story of how a storied filmmaker happened upon a historic discovery.
Reed Diamond played Det. Mike Kellerman on Homicide: Life on the Street
‘Homicide’ actor talks ‘the greatest character I have had the opportunity’ to play
Reed Diamond, who played Detective Mike Kellerman, talks about his love of the show ‘Homicide,’ now streaming on Peacock, and of Baltimore itself.
Wallace Lane's mother's car caught on fire a few months ago, shortly after returning from church. She and his sister got out before it burst into flames and the incident has restored Lane's faith in God.
Opinion: My mom and sister avoided a car fire. My faith in God is now restored.
Wallace Lane’s mother’s car burst in flames shortly after she parked it after church a few months ago. She and his sister had just left the vehicle.
Illustration of a school sign with bullet holes.
When I was a student, school shootings were rare. As a teacher, they were expected.
School shootings have become more widespread and expected across America than in previous generations.

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Donald Trump doesn't get to choose Kamala Harris's identity.
Commentary: White people don’t get to define someone’s Blackness
Donald Trump has brought racial identity to the spotlight by ridiculously questioning Kamala Harris' Blackness.
Illustration of E.R. Shipp, Creative in Residence for The Baltimore Banner.
Why hasn’t the city refilled the Lake Ashburton Reservoir?
Gentrification? A football field? Residents can't see to get a straight answer on when the reservoir will hold water again.
Illustration shows woman, all red, surrounded by orange and red clouds of anger, wiping condensation away from window to see activists outside.
Can I complain about gun violence when I am not doing enough to stop it?
For far too long, I’ve been a hypocrite, expecting action and change from others with no effort of my own.
JD Vance, wearing a blue suit and blue tie, speaks while Donald Trump, wearing a dark suit and red tie, stands over his shoulder watching.
I don’t want kids. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance’s comments about women who don’t have children insults their right to make choices about their own lives.
A sign directing drivers in the direction of the now collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge is seen from the side of Route 2 South on July 17, 2024.
Exits to nowhere: Key Bridge highway signs haunt us — and hint at road to recovery
Three dozen signs for the Key Bridge remain along Maryland highways. These are signs to nowhere, directing drivers to a landmark that no longer stands, and one they cannot reach. What to make of this incongruity?

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Joanna Meade reads aloud love letters from the 1920's in the sun room of her home on February 27, 2024. The letters were found inside of a wall during a renovation.
Secret in the walls: Hidden letters reveal love, lust, scandal in 1920s Baltimore society
A bathroom renovation in Roland Park opened a window to a long-forgotten world. The dusty, tin box held 100-year-old love letters. Who hid them in the wall? And why? That’s where the mystery begins.
Illustration shows black geometric fragments falling from the sky, partially obscuring the faint outline of Key Bridge central span. In the background a sunrise starts to illuminate the darkness.
Grieving my brother and the Key Bridge
Kerry Graham on taking the time to grieve, even when others have moved on.
A hologram optical illusion shows a floating Stormtrooper helmet as a child visitor discovers the illusion at the Jedi Mind Tricks exhibit during the Jedi Academy event at the Maryland Science Center held on May 4, 2024, in Baltimore/
In a science center not far, far away, kids spend Star Wars Day taking Jedi training
The sounds of discovery were supplemented by the tinkering of droid building and whooshing of the Millennium Falcon as parents and their Padawans gathered for a Jedi Academy event, part of the Maryland Science Center’s May the Fourth activities.
Illustration of three bookcases tipping back from left to right, books falling off the shelves, and four librarians standing on right side of shelves trying to keep them from falling.
Commentary: Why book bans are dangerous
Kerry Graham argues that restricting books limits our access to think for ourselves.
Wallace Lane carries his gun in a holster on Friday, March 29, 2024.
Commentary: I’ve lost family members to gun violence. I still got my gun license.
Wallace Lane reflects on his complex relationship with guns.