Herman Wong

SchoolCast and FedCast are in...

* We lean toward most schools closing tomorrow, except perhaps DCPS, which tend to have a higher bar. Do your homework, just in case...
* We think federal government may open, but a delay is a decent bet. An unscheduled leave option seems close to a sure thing.

We hope you’re staying warm ahead of the storm’s arrival tonight.

What’s changed about our storm forecast since Friday? Not much. The forecast has largely locked in, with no change to our map of snow/sleet amounts at this time.

Still uncertainty as to when Sunday morning the snow changes to sleet.

❄️🥶 Cat-4 winter storm hits tonight. About 5–9" snow near Beltway (more NW, less SE). Flip to sleet/ice Sunday. S MD? Ice + outages.

Travel could be near impossible during storm.

Freeze all week -- maybe till Groundhog Day.

Finalize prep. Stay safe. ❄️

More: www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026...

Preparedness tips National Weather Service is asking media partners to pass along for both the snow/ice and cold.

Low temperatures forecast for Tuesday are very low. Mainly near 0 to 5 around DC.

Map is not wind chills! 🥶🧊

-Single digits to teens Sat am - wind chills below 0.
-Sat forecast 22 and Thur forecast 21. DC hasn’t seen high as cold as 21 since '18.
-NWS has 20s highs for six days. Would be longest streak since seven in Feb 1979.
-5 Tue would break daily record from 1935.

Key quote from National Weather Service discussion this morning: “The combination of heavy snow and ice alongside prolonged very cold temperatures presents a unique and significant risk to life and property across virtually the entire region.”

Under Armour’s Kevin Plank built an empire. Now Rome is burning. After years of regularly being profitable, Under Armour lost $200 million last year and is expected to operate at a loss, though a smaller one, this fiscal year, too.

NEW | As Under Armour ascended last decade, Kevin Plank received public support for his Baltimore Peninsula vision. But his company faltered, he narrowed his empire, and now won't be further developing the area.

UA, though, is still poised for a comeback, he says.
www.thebanner.com/economy/unde...

What have the Orioles done with Mike Elias? And who is this wild man running the front office?

Baltimore’s GM promised a different approach this offseason, and he’s finally delivering. At last, the Orioles aren’t afraid to be bold:
www.thebanner.com/sports/oriol...

Andy Harris taken to hospital after ‘episode of dizziness’ Harris, Maryland’s sole Republican in Congress, was selected to lead the influential House Freedom Caucus last year.

U.S. Rep. Andy Harris was taken to the hospital Friday evening after an episode of dizziness, according to a spokesperson. The Maryland Republican is nine days out from hip surgery and went to the ER "out of an abundance of caution."

www.thebanner.com/congressman-...

U.S. Rep. Andy Harris is being released from the hospital. The Maryland Republican was taken to the ER and evaluated after a bout of dizziness on Friday.

www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

‘No More Trump!’: Protesters Denouncing the President Unite Across the Country

“The last No Kings Day, in June, was one of the largest single days of protest in U.S. history, Mr. Pressman said, adding that an analysis showed that protest events now occur across a wider range of counties than during Mr. Trump’s first term.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/u...

Orioles manager tracker: Interest in Hall of Famer Albert Pujols President of baseball operations Mike Elias said the Orioles hoped to hire a manager “ASAP,” cognizant of the competition that will come from multiple openings across the league.

Well, Albert Pujols added to the tracker, per ESPN's reporting www.thebanner.com/sports/oriol...

Cloudy, but breezy weather to dominate into early afternoon. Maybe some light showers or spits of rain later today but shouldn't amount to much. Winds could gust up to 30 mph this afternoon.

Forecast details at cwg.live

Philanthropy, to the Rescue Having donated more than $19 billion since 2019, MacKenzie Scott ’92 is setting a new model for philanthropy, not just in the scope, but also in the way she gives

MacKenzie Scott is setting a new model for philanthropy, not just in the scope, but also in the way she gives paw.princeton.edu/article/mack...

The housing hustle igniting a foreclosure crisis in Baltimore The foreclosures could send neighborhoods spiraling and make Baltimore America’s next great housing crisis.

Please read this wild tale from Baltimore that has some eerie echoes of the subprime mortgage crisis of yore. A monthslong investigation from @thebaltimorebanner.com.
www.thebanner.com/community/ho...

Just my opinion, and I’ve covered a lot of athletes over the years — Kyle Hamilton is one of the most thoughtful and mature-for-his-age guys I’ve seen in pro sports. Not an easy podium after a quote that got backlash and a dispiriting loss. He owned it all. That is truly rare.

Who owns @propublica.org ?

NO ONE.

We don’t have corporate owners, advertisers or shareholders pulling the strings. ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom. Our only obligation is to the truth.

This model only works because readers choose to fund it.

Today, your $ will be doubled.

The Washington Post Fired Me — But My Voice Will Not Be Silenced. I spoke out against hatred and violence in America — and it cost me my job.

Some personal news:

I've been fired from the Washington Post in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk shooting.

Thread incoming.

substack.com/@karenattiah...

Program for thousands of Maryland's students on the chopping block The Trump administration in its proposal called TRIO a “relic of the past,” adding “access to college is not the obstacle it was for students of limited means.”

NEW: The Trump administration is proposing cutting all funding for TRIO, a set of programs that helps low-income, first-generation students attend college. More than 12,000 Marylanders relied on the program last year. Here’s the potential impact:
www.thebanner.com/education/hi...

Maryland professors were targeted by Charlie Kirk. Now what? After Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Wednesday, some of his professor targets in Maryland worry for their own safety and feel anxious about the climate of distrust he sowed among young people.

More than two dozen Maryland professors were placed on Charlie Kirk’s professor watchlist. Some now worry about their own safety now that Kirk is dead. Others are grappling with how to mourn someone that caused trauma in their own lives. Read:
www.thebanner.com/education/hi...

SNY is reporting that Davey Johnson has died (this is their graphic). It’s unfortunate and saddening that many of the Orioles who knew him as their manager will be at Camden Yards gathering for Cal tonight.

As a player, Davey also won World Series with the Os in 1966 and 1970.

When I was 7 years old, Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s record in the 2131 game — an iconic night for impressionable kids.

Back then, I really thought the Iron Man was invincible. Now, 30 years later, I talked with my childhood hero about the truth of the Streak: www.thebanner.com/sports/oriol...

Digging around in my parents’ basement today in search of leftover Cal Ripken Jr paraphernalia. Left mostly with dust bunnies on my pants, but found this — circa 1996.

Who Wants to Work for ICE? They Do. At a busy hiring expo in Texas, new recruits answer Trump’s call.

The Trump administration wants to hire 10,000 new ICE officers by next year, Nick Miroff reports. He went to Texas to find out who’s answering the call:

Why are the Baltimore Orioles making so many changes to the fan experience? YouTube video by Locked On Orioles

Talking Orioles tickets and fan engagement with @lockedonorioles.bsky.social — thanks for having me on:

youtu.be/-uLMDknZQeE?...

Another Orioles loss proves it: All eyes should be on 2026 Interim manager Tony Mansolino wants to battle, but the focus must turn to development and evaluation.

The Orioles fell to 12 games below .500, and all eyes should turn to 2026 www.thebaltimorebanner.com/sports/oriol...

Me: I'm leaving my job and going to take some time off.
Also me: But this DNI-Obama thing makes me mad so I'm going to install a WordPress instance and write about it.
www.pbump.net/o/the-obama-...

And, uh, some personal news: This is also my last column for The Post. I was offered and accepted a buyout.
To answer one possible next question, I'm not sure what's next save taking some time off. If you want, you can enter your email at pbump.net and I'll let you know when I figure it out!

NEW: Bishop Rojas of San Bernardino has dispensed his Diocese from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass due to ongoing ICE raids.

DOGE layoffs are starting to leave their mark on D.C.’s housing market There are growing signs that the housing market in the Washington, D.C., metro area is starting to shift, and federal workforce layoffs are to blame, according to new data.

Nearly 40% of D.C.-area agents surveyed by Bright MLS said they worked with clients who were buying or selling due to federal layoffs or buyout offers last month.

finance.yahoo.com/news/doge-la...