Deborah Simmons

Battling the coronavirus with science and common sense

Enter the cold-and-flu season, and expect the worst. Add COVID-19, or the coronavirus, and expect a reset. Do not panic, though. Use common sense. Published February 27, 2020

Metro ponders rate hikes, bus cuts, late-night rail service

Officials with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority might finally be facing reality: Metro cannot meet all transit needs most of the time. Published February 24, 2020

Don’t push history into the dark shadows

What do official Washington and City Hall think of Spingarn these days? Not much. Published February 20, 2020

Nancy Pelosi wants to design your school, but not do laundry

And now words of caution: The federal government is coming to help you pay for new schoolhouses and renovations. This, courtesy of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has no children attending public schools and who can afford to send her grandchildren to the private or parochial of their parents' choosing. Published February 10, 2020

Kimberly Klacik vs. Kweisi Mfume in battle for Maryland’s 7th Congressional District

Kweisi Mfume's politics are as progressive as Kimberly Klacik's are pro-Trump, which helps to explain why the 7th District, which includes parts of the city of Baltimore and parts of Baltimore and Howard counties, likes her, too. Published February 6, 2020

Virginia lawmakers foolishly considering bill to protect extreme cultural shenanigans

OK, Dear Readers, a few questions. Published February 3, 2020

Mike Bloomberg and his mayoral endorsements

Muriel Bowser added her name to a growing list of mayors endorsing billionaire Michael R. Bloomberg for president, and it's not surprising. Published January 30, 2020

Kobe Bryant, Morgan Wootten, David Stern make a heck of a basketball group in heaven

There's a heck of a basketball team in heaven. In one month, we've lost former NBA Commissioner David Stern, former DeMatha High School legendary coach Morgan Wootten and NBA Hall of Fame shoo-in Kobe Bryant. Published January 27, 2020

Education by ZIP code

The ZIP code of a child should not determine where that child attends school. Should it? Published January 23, 2020

Oklahoma points the way to better quality of life

Oklahoma is the fist-shaped state in south-central United States that looks like its pointy finger is pointed westward. That's Oklahoma in a itsy-bitsy nutshell, and that's why the headline from the editorial board of the state's largest daily is worthy of attention. Published January 20, 2020

Ordinary Americans should ask tough questions

You'd think the Dems learned in 2016 to scrap the junk. Ordinary Americans, after all was said and done, chose Donald Trump, didn't they? Published January 16, 2020

Reading, writing, arithmetic take back seat to gender-neutral proposal in D.C.

The councilman wants to take a flyswatter to the term council "chairman" in the D.C. Code. The same goes for "manhole," "fireman" and any other gender-revealing nouns, pronouns and adjectives. Published January 13, 2020

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan cracks down on crime and criminals

A poll released this week suggests that Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is targeting the bull's-eye by proposing to crack down on crime and criminals. Published January 9, 2020

2020: The new year brings new questions

With the new year comes the inevitable. Published January 6, 2020

Pay it forward with charitable contributions

Santa's done his thing, and you've sifted through his deliveries to decide which you'll keep, which you'll regift and which (shrug) you'll return to brick-and-mortar stores -- or struggle to find the return labels for shipping. While you're at it, consider paying it forward. Donate to a worthy and reputable cause, and get a tax credit to boot. Published December 26, 2019

Christmas and Harriet Tubman

So, on Christmas Eve 1854, she again trekked from Philadelphia, where she was safe -- relatively speaking, of course -- to Maryland, where her parents and three brothers were enslaved. Her brothers knew she was on her way, because she had sent word via the agents and conductors of the Underground Railroad. Published December 23, 2019

Joe Biden, say it ain’t so

Joseph R. Biden, who twice strode alongside Barack Obama to win the White House and now is in a comfortable pace in the 2020 race, seems to have forgotten Mr. Sharpton's 2009 warning about education not being an option. Published December 19, 2019

It’s time to rethink the faith aspects of the season

Well, it's the time of year to hustle and bustle to try to reroute the reason for the season. The diversions are legion. Published December 12, 2019

Food stamps giveaways takeaways

Shame on those grown folk, of course, because they are not only wasting good food but good money, too. Federal, state and local coffers pay for school feeding programs, and your taxes fill those coffers. Published December 9, 2019

D.C. lawmakers consider robbing PTAs and PTOs

Three D.C. Council members -- David Grosso, Vincent Gray and Brianne Nadeau -- hastened Tuesday to be the initial bearers of glad tidings by introducing the D.C. Public Schools Family and School Community Fundraising Equity Act of 2019. Published December 5, 2019