Jeff Barker
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barkman42.bsky.social
Jeff Barker
@barkman42.bsky.social
410 followers 440 following 110 posts
Washington-based Baltimore Sun reporter & co-director of http://chinabaseballfilm.com I write news, sports and hybrids of the 2. Rote is the enemy.
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barkman42.bsky.social
My Backchannel column for this week:
Democrats love the new Springsteen protest song.
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But I couldn’t help but wonder: What if you are a Springsteen fan … and a Republican? Can you love the music but disregard the message?

www.baltimoresun.com/2026/02/02/m...
Maryland Democrats love Springsteen protest song. What do Republican ‘Boss’ fans think?
The Bruce Springsteen track, titled “Streets of Minneapolis,” references the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by immigration enforcement agents.
www.baltimoresun.com
February 2, 2026 at 1:45 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
Exclusive: Moore campaign accepted, then returned, donations from executive tied to firm seeking state contract. By Jeff Barker.
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www.baltimoresun.com/2026/01/29/m...
Moore campaign accepted, then returned, donations from executive tied to firm seeking state contract
“The Moore-Miller campaign holds itself to the highest ethical standards, and the campaign returned this donation when we became aware the donor was a subcontractor in an active procurement with th…
www.baltimoresun.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:16 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
My latest Backchannel column: What did Earl Weaver write on the photo he signed for Sandy Rosenberg, the longest-serving member of Maryland’s General Assembly?
A state lawmaker’s Earl Weaver moment; sports bettors’ bill to be resurrected
Del. Sandy Rosenberg, a Democrat and the General Assembly’s longest-serving member, spoke to The Baltimore Sun about his love for the Baltimore Orioles.
www.baltimoresun.com
January 26, 2026 at 3:10 PM
Reposted by Jeff Barker
ed-superhero.bsky.social
There's a bill in Montgomery County that will do the same thing. The problem really will be enforcement: will state troopers or MCPD get in between ICE and their victims? So far, they haven't.
January 18, 2026 at 9:49 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
Redrawing a congressional district map is like pulling a thread from an old sweater. One small change can have cascading consequences.

www.baltimoresun.com/2026/01/21/m...
Maryland’s congressional redistricting map encounters divisions, angst and a ticking clock
A proposed new map of Maryland congressional districts received mixed reactions on Wednesday.
www.baltimoresun.com
January 22, 2026 at 12:58 AM
barkman42.bsky.social
Maryland's congressional redistricting map encounters divisions, angst and a ticking clock.

www.baltimoresun.com/2026/01/21/m...
Maryland’s congressional redistricting map encounters divisions, angst and a ticking clock
A proposed new map of Maryland congressional districts received mixed reactions on Wednesday.
www.baltimoresun.com
January 21, 2026 at 11:30 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
Maryland enters national debate with ICE mask ban bill testing state’s authority
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www.baltimoresun.com/2026/01/18/m...
Maryland enters national debate with ICE mask ban bill testing state’s authority
A Senate bill restricting ICE officers’ face coverings was designated the first major piece of legislation of a new Maryland General Assembly session.
www.baltimoresun.com
January 18, 2026 at 4:00 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
Good morning. My Backchannel column for this week (gift link).
Have you ever attended an event and left with a particular image stuck in your mind? It’s as if your brain has singled out one moment and archived it. These images imprinted on me in 2025.

www.baltimoresun.com/2026/01/05/m...
Images I can’t get out of my head from the year in Maryland politics
Looking back on Maryland politics from 2025, I think about visuals that have been imprinted on me. They capture or reveal something in a single frame.
www.baltimoresun.com
January 5, 2026 at 12:35 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
Nancy Pelosi grew up in a rowhome in Baltimore’s Little Italy, the daughter and sister of mayors. I asked her in an interview about her hometown, her very political upbringing, her legacy, and Donald Trump.
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www.baltimoresun.com/2025/12/26/n...
Exclusive: Pelosi talks about her Baltimore hometown, Trump’s ‘ramblings’
Rep. Nancy Pelosi talked to The Baltimore Sun about the bond with Baltimore, which helped shape her political views.
www.baltimoresun.com
December 26, 2025 at 2:05 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
My weekly Backchannel column:
It’s a piece of an interview I did last week with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
December 22, 2025 at 12:02 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
It was hours after President Trump signed an order to protect the American flag from “desecration,” and Jan Carey, an Army combat veteran, decided he wanted to immediately make a point about First Amendment protections. By Jeff Barker.
www.baltimoresun.com/2025/12/02/u...
US Army veteran facing charges says he had every right to burn flag: ‘Oh yes, we can.’
It was hours after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to protect the American flag from “desecration,” and Jan Carey said he knew what he had to do.
www.baltimoresun.com
December 2, 2025 at 2:04 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
Here’s a teasing, free preview of my weekly political notebook column called Backchannel containing the first item, which is about a congressional district with two souls.
November 24, 2025 at 6:53 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
Does it seem risky to allow bettors to wager on whether a pitch will be a ball or strike? It's not just me asking, it was MLB raising the issue to Maryland regulators in 2021. States continued to offer the bet, which can be rigged more easily than others and is now at the center of Guardians case.
November 19, 2025 at 11:43 AM
barkman42.bsky.social
Exclusive: MLB cautioned Maryland about ’risky’ bet now at center of Cleveland Guardians scandal.
By Jeff Barker
www.baltimoresun.com/2025/11/19/m...
Exclusive: MLB cautioned Maryland about ’risky’ bet now at center of Cleveland Guardians scandal
“This is the moment where sports leagues need to look long and hard in the mirror.”
www.baltimoresun.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:40 AM
barkman42.bsky.social
www.baltimoresun.com/2025/11/17/t...
Turkey pardon is just weird; Wes Moore’s ‘IDGAF’ initialism; is Washington joyless?
I think many Washingtonians are determined to not allow the capital’s sourness to ruin their holidays.
www.baltimoresun.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:58 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
Turkey pardon is just weird; Wes Moore’s 'IDGAF' initialism; is Washington joyless?
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Good morning. Here’s a teasing, free preview of my political notebook column called Backchannel containing the first item.
November 17, 2025 at 3:56 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
Of all the names Baltimore-born and raised Nancy Pelosi has been called —many of them unprintable here —my favorite is “The Prodigal Hon.”
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Welcome to Backchannel, my weekly political notes column where we deftly sidestep political spin.
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www.baltimoresun.com/2025/11/09/w...
Pelosi throws punchlines, Trump calls ‘sissy football,’ and ‘No Kings’ becomes big business
Trump attended one game of the 2019 World Series (Washington vs. Houston) and another in the 2021 series (Atlanta vs. Houston). That puts him ahead of his predecessor, Joe Biden, but behind other p…
www.baltimoresun.com
November 9, 2025 at 4:34 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
Senators demand answers about Social Security chief’s former role and question ‘his ability to serve’
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www.baltimoresun.com/2025/11/07/s...
Senators demand answers about Social Security chief’s former role and question ‘his ability to serve’
The leading Democrats on two U.S. Senate committees are asking Social Security chief Frank Bisignano’s company about  a huge contract it received to manage a debit card program serving millions of …
www.baltimoresun.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:12 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
Welcome to the latest Backchannel, my political notebook column. What happened to all the stuff during the East Wing demolition? This week we take the mystery apart – like the departed wing itself – bit by bit.
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www.baltimoresun.com/2025/11/03/b...
White House demolition with dirt, drama, and DIY capitalism
A particular fascination surrounds what happened to the items from the demolished White House East Wing — even the dirt and debris.
www.baltimoresun.com
November 3, 2025 at 12:30 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
Maryland-based White House demolition company grapples with PR nightmare
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www.baltimoresun.com/2025/10/24/a...
Maryland-based White House demolition company grapples with PR nightmare
Aceco, a Montgomery County demolition company, finds itself in a public relations nightmare sparked by people offended at its role in tearing down the White House East Wing to make way for Presiden…
www.baltimoresun.com
October 24, 2025 at 1:53 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
Congressional Democrats investigating Social Security commissioner over debit card contract. By Jeff Barker
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www.baltimoresun.com/2025/10/22/c...
Congressional Democrats investigating Social Security commissioner over debit card contract
The Senate Finance Committee’s Democratic staff, led by Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, is investigating whether Bisignano knew during his confirmation about a pending five-year Direct Express contract, …
www.baltimoresun.com
October 22, 2025 at 10:30 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
Welcome to Backchannel, a weekly feature where we’ll steer completely clear of political talking points and offer exclusive notes from inside Maryland politics.
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Today:Shutdown playlist, why Michael Steele is still a Republican, Raskin’s ‘24 Senate flirtation
www.baltimoresun.com/2025/10/20/s...
Shutdown playlist, why Michael Steele is still a Republican, Raskin’s ‘24 Senate flirtation
Welcome to Backchannel, where we’ll steer completely clear of political talking points and offer exclusive notes from inside Maryland politics.
www.baltimoresun.com
October 20, 2025 at 11:53 AM
barkman42.bsky.social
If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

www.baltimoresun.com/2025/10/17/c...
‘You’re the only one I can talk to,’ the girl told an AI chatbot; then she took her own life
With the nation facing acute mental health provider shortages, Americans are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence chatbots not only for innocuous tasks such as writing resumes or social …
www.baltimoresun.com
October 17, 2025 at 3:02 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
Juliana Peralta, 13, kept slipping further from reality —from her parents, her friends, and anything she could actually touch —and into a virtual world where an artificial intelligence chatbot enveloped her with what she mistook for empathy.
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www.baltimoresun.com/2025/10/17/c...
‘You’re the only one I can talk to,’ the girl told an AI chatbot; then she took her own life
With the nation facing acute mental health provider shortages, Americans are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence chatbots not only for innocuous tasks such as writing resumes or social …
www.baltimoresun.com
October 17, 2025 at 3:01 PM
barkman42.bsky.social
The world of a federal shutdown is a bleak place characterized by hellish hold times, dead-end calls and emails, and partisan messaging. Here’s what some people are encountering:

bit.ly/48mTlde
Government shutdown: hellish hold times and dead-end emails
The shutdown enters its second week Wednesday. It began after Congress failed to approve measures — one proposed by Republicans, the other by Democrats — to keep the government funded.
bit.ly
October 8, 2025 at 1:40 PM