We like thinking of history as a series of layers. The layers are the different eras, events and people of our past that can be peeled back to

COMMUNITY • BY JULIE WIATT Bill Murphy’s life course shifted when he took in a homeless man to share his dorm room in a Catholic college in Worcester. Bill

COMMUNITY • BY JULIE WIATT How wide is the human heart? How elastic is the concept of home? Over the past 30 years Sharon and Bill Murphy answered these

TAKOMA ARCHIVES • BY DIANA KOHN In many of my historical accounts for this column, newspapers have provided a major source of detail and understanding of past events.

TRANSPORTATION • BY MALI KRANTZ, CNS Gov. Martin O'Malley defended his proposed six percent sales tax on gasoline before House and Senate committees Wednesday, saying Maryland needs to address

EYE ON ANNAPOLIS • KELSEY MILLER, CNS Grabbing another person's neck to stop their breathing -- an act usually associated with domestic violence cases — is extremely difficult

EDUCATION • BY LIZZY MCLELLAN, CNS In the wake of recent incidents that gained state and national attention, the Maryland General Assembly is considering legislation that would put

FAMILY • BY TOM MCPARLAND, CNS Even as Gov. Martin O'Malley capped a major legislative victory Thursday by signing a bill that allows same-sex couples in Maryland to

EYE ON ANNAPOLIS • TOM MCPARLAND, CNS A long time coming In an historic 25-22 vote Thursday night, the Maryland Senate approved a highly controversial same-sex marriage bill, sending

PHOTOS • BY MARK PODGER On February 19, Voice photographer Mark Podger ventured over the river to the State Theatre in Falls Church, Va., for the 26th Wammies,

MUSIC • BY AMANDA ZIADEH The 26^th annual WAMA awards kicked off a little after 8 p.m. on Sunday, February 19. As the line outside the State Theatre

EYE ON ANNAPOLIS • BY TOM MCPARLAND, CNS A Senate panel voted 7-4 Tuesday to advance same-sex marriage legislation to the entire chamber, where members hope to move

CONGRESS • BY MARK MILLER, CNS Eight of the 10 members of Maryland's congressional delegation voted Friday to reject a bipartisan compromise on extending the payroll tax cut

EYE ON ANNAPOLIS • BY TOM MCPARLAND, CNS [View the story "Md. Same-Sex Marriage" on Storify] After a year of highly contested debate and political wrangling, the

EYE ON ANNAPOLIS • BY TOM MCPARLAND, CNS Shortly after a debate on same-sex marriage legislation was again postponed Thursday morning, Gov. Martin O'Malley met privately with House

MUSIC • BY AMANDA ZIADEH Who really cares about the Grammys? On Sunday, Feb. 19, LOCAL guitar heroes will compete for the chance of winning a Wammie at

EYE ON ANNAPOLIS • BY TOM MCPARLAND, CNS In an unusual two-committee vote Tuesday evening, delegates grappled with several proposed amendments before voting 25 to 18 to send

EDUCATION • BY NICK FOLEY, CNS When Jacen Sherman set out to create a video game in which players must save the world from catastrophe, he didn't think

EYE ON ANNAPOLIS • BY TOM MCPARLAND, CNS Gov. Martin O'Malley said Tuesday evening on MSNBC that he hopes a federal appeals court decision repealing a California ban