A digest of Baltimore news from local sources.
From the Baltimore Sun: Rep. Elijah Cummings to Seek House Re-Election, Will Not Run for Senate
"Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the popular Baltimore congressman who has been weighing whether to run for Senate for nearly a year, has decided to seek re-election to the House instead -- averting a shakeup in the contest to replace Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski.
"Cummings' campaign made the announcement in a statement early Tuesday, a day before the state's deadline to file for ballot access. The congressman was expected to file for re-election at the State Board of Elections on Tuesday.
"Cummings' decision was not a surprise. Most political observers had long ago assumed the Baltimore Democrat would not run for Senate. The 11-term congressman had not increased fundraising, hired new staff or sought to lock down key political endorsements -- all moves someone considering a statewide campaign could be expected to do.
"On the other hand, Cummings' delay had left the door open just a little for months. A number of polls showed Cummings would have started with a big advantage over the two declared candidates, Reps. Donna Edwards of Prince George's County and Chris Van Hollen of Montgomery County -- enough, at least, to alter the course of the race.
"In an interview, Cummings declined to say whether he would endorse Van Hollen or Edwards in the contest, though his support will be coveted by both lawmakers."
From City Paper: Leon Bridges Premieres Baltimore-Centric Video for ‘River’
"Earlier today, soul singer Leon Bridges premiered a new video for the song 'River,' off his major-label debut album 'Coming Home.' In a message posted on his Twitter, Bridges touched on the significance of rivers in gospel music and wrote that the song is about his "personal spiritual experience" when he was a struggling musician working multiple jobs to support himself and his mother.
"Bridges is from Fort Worth, but the video is all Baltimore. He strums a guitar in a motel room with singer Brittni Jessie as grainy footage from the Baltimore Uprising plays on the room TV. Then there's a series of stories set here: a young girl who gets baptized as part of a church's fire-hose baptism; a man who leaves a grizzly police scene, his shirt bloodied, and returns home to comfort his crying baby; a mother and son who have lost a loved one and share an embrace.
"Some of the people in the video are not actors, but actual residents, including a church congregation that help set up the baptism and protest leaders Tawanda Jones, the sister of Tyrone West who died in police custody in 2013, and Diane Butler, West's aunt. Jones and Butler gathered a group of people who have lost a family member or friend to take part in a vigil, where black balloons are released into the sky, for the video.
"In his message, Bridges said, 'This video showcases the unique struggle many black men and women face across this country. However, unlike the captured images which tend to represent only part of the story, I wanted to showcase that through all the injustice, there's real hope in the world.'"
From the AFRO American: Baltimore Pastor Jamal Bryant Heads to Flint to Lead Environmental Justice Water Rally
"Dr. Jamal Bryant, Pastor of Empowerment Temple AME Church of Baltimore, Maryland has assembled faith leaders, civil rights leaders, attorneys and entertainers to assist the residents of Flint, Michigan as they call for justice. Attorney Benjamin Crump will join Dr. Bryant, along with Judge Joe Mathis, attorney Phaedra Parks, business mogul Russell Simmons, Rev. Jessie Jackson, and gospel artist DeitrickHadden, just to name a few, will meet to lead in a mid-day rally called, 'The Environmental Justice Rally.'
"The assembled group has collected some 47,124 bottles of water. The collection of water will be distributed among six churches: First Trinity M.B. Church, 1226 Beach Street; Cathedral of Faith Church of God in Christ 6031 DuPont Street, Christopher Martin, Pastor; Quinn Chapel AME Church 2101 Lippincott Blvd, Rev. Gerald Cardwell, Pastor; United Outreach Ministries 1429 Roosevelt Ave., LeMarcus Keels, Pastor; and Kingdom of Heaven Ministries 2430 Dutcher Road."