President Trump says he is pro-agriculture, so why would the Department of Agriculture announce that it plans to vacate the nation’s largest agricultural research center?[1] Some actions taken by the Trump administration have already disrupted agricultural research, so the Trump … Read More
by Kristen Weaver, Mayor Pro Tem of Greenbelt City Council The fundamental question of how we choose our elected representatives is very important, and there are pros and cons to all voting systems. In comparing our current system to multi-winner, … Read More
. ​by Michelle Whittaker, Executive Director for Ranked Choice Voting Maryland Greenbelters have a chance to upgrade the way you vote this November, and it’s all about a better, stronger democracy. ​Question 1 asks voters to decide if they want … Read More
On July 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it would vacate the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC). BARC is the largest agricultural research facility in the country. The USDA proposed moving all BARC employees to five … Read More
On July 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it would close the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC). This blog post examines the plan’s legal justification. The July 24 announcement was made in the form of a … Read More
On Thursday, July 24, 2025, a Trump appointee announced a major reorganization of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (Rollins 2025). The plan includes winding down operations at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) over a few years and … Read More
The City of Greenbelt’s Manager, Josué Salmerón, discovered a need when he assumed the job in 2023 – for someone to respond to citizen complaints and going beyond that, coordinate responses on big issues. After posting the new job as … Read More
I was listening to the podcast “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” about the bipartisan-by-design Ethics Committee that’s able to do things like – in the news this week – investigate Matt Gaetz for possible sex-trafficking, lobbying violations and obstruction of justice. … Read More
The following letter by Mark Cheater and me was published 1/18/24 in the Greenbelt News Review. Here it includes a correction suggested by the editor. Title: “Charter Fixes Needed for Council Elections The tragic loss of Councilmember Ric Gordon has … Read More
Voting Starts this Saturday Click here for details about voting in the 2023 City Council elections. Problems with Greenbelt’s Council Elections Back in 2017 I predicted low voter turn-out in the Council elections due to Greenbelt’s system of voting – … Read More
A status update on the Baltimore-Washington maglev proposal, 17 months after the federal government halted its environmental review On November 14, 2022, a maglev representative spoke at NASA Goddard in Greenbelt, and he seemed inexplicably confident that the proposed maglev … Read More
These are the faces of many of our Greenbelt city staffers and nonprofit service providers, seen lighting candles in the window of their facility and waving to the camera for a special holiday video. The YouTube text explains that … Read More
With so many regular voting places closed this year, it was nice that all of us voted at the same place on Election Day, or dropped off our ballots there in advance. The name Eleanor Roosevelt inspires so many of … Read More
If you haven’t voted yet, DO IT! Here’s how: EARLY VOTING CONTINUES THRU TOMORROW – MONDAY, NOV 2 FROM 7 AM TO 8 PM The closest location to Greenbelt is just 9 minutes away (on a Sunday) – DuVal High … Read More
Back in November, Governor Hogan appointed lawyer, Democratic Party activist, feminist and Greenbelter Nicole Williams to fill the District 22 seat in the Maryland House of Delegates previously held by Tawanna Gaines. That new role for her became a reality … Read More
