A digest of Baltimore news from local sources.
From The AFRO American: New Baltimore Mural Seeks to Change Perception of the City
"Since April’s uprising, Baltimore has not only been ground zero for social justice reform, but also has seen a groundswell of artistic response. Lately, there have been a growing amount of murals and artistic shows seeking to change the perception of the city.
"Ernest Shaw Jr. is just one of the many artists that have contributed to the response spreading throughout Station North and Sandtown over the past couple of months. This is not the first time his artwork is being shown around the city, but his latest mural, which will be unveiled on the side of The Arch Social Club on Nov. 8, is a direct response to the events of April.
"In an interview with The AFRO, Shaw described his creative process and ideas behind the mural.
“'What I noticed is that the older people wanted some representation. The younger folks wanted something in some shape or form to express the temperament of the children of today,' he said 'Then I wanted to put something in there to represent the future and what we should be moving towards.'
The huge mural depicts greats like Billie Holiday, The Met Theatre, an iconic Baltimore gathering place, Ta-Nehisi Coates, the author, with his son, alongside representations of Africa. The idea behind all of these idols together was simple; Shaw wanted to show greatness before, then and now."
From The Baltimore Sun: JLENS Balloon Being Returned to APG, Ruppersberger Praises Program’s Suspension
"Rep. C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger said the Pentagon made the right decision in suspending the Army's balloon-mounted missile surveillance program at Aberdeen Proving Ground after one of two aircraft escaped last week.
'Under the circumstances, suspending the JLENS program until the Army completes its investigation into last week's incident is the right decision,' he said in a statement.
"'It is an unfortunate irony that a program designed to help safeguard the skies over the nation's capital threatened the security of citizens on the ground, including in my district.'
"The football-field sized balloon came free of its moorings a week ago, drifting 160 miles into Pennsylvania trailed by F-16 jets sent to track it. The balloon dragged 6,700 feet of cable behind it, crashing through power lines before coming to ground in Moreland Township, Pa."
From The Washington Post: Supreme Court Appears Conflicted on Dismissal of Gerrymandering Case
"The Supreme Court seemed conflicted Wednesday about whether a Maryland man may proceed with his complaint that the redistricting process in the state is unconstitutionally partisan.
"Some justices were concerned that a single federal district judge had decided on his own to curtail Steve Shapiro’s lawsuit over Maryland’s much-criticized gerrymandered congressional map rather than send it to a special three-judge panel to see whether the complaint had merit.
"Justice Stephen G. Breyer said Shapiro and his co-plaintiffs 'want to raise about as important a question as you can imagine. . . . And if they are right, that would affect congressional districts and legislative districts throughout the nation.'
"But other justices seemed concerned about further involving the court in the political machinations of redistricting, where the party in control of a legislature routinely draws congressional and legislative districts to its own advantage."