I’m heading to U.S. Naval Academy to cover the bonus Herndon Climb. I’m really glad I brought my rain coat. Follow Capital Gazette for our coverage today.

We didn't have pizza, my Cap fam had each other. The election night after the shooting, Chase Cook (The tiels are Poe and Stanley), Paul W. Gillespie and I huddled with our laptops at a watch party just trying to keep our shit together. I slammed a vodka soda straight into my teeth. And still, it was amazing.

Stardew who?

As the Taliban descended on Kabul this month, US officials were dumbfounded by Ashraf Ghani's fixation on unrelated matters. “Ghani would want to talk about digitization of the economy,” said one U.S. official. “It had nothing to do with the dire threat” washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/…

I just ran into one of the security guards in my building. I asked if she was evacuating. She said: “On my salary, either I can evacuate. Or I can pay my rent on the first. I can’t do both.” I wish more people understood that not everyone has the privilege to evacuate. #Ida

Sometimes even Jake Tapper gets got.

This week, Annapolis will open a new chapter in is near 400-year history by holding a municipal election conduced mostly by mail. trib.al/AfC67i2

Update from Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM): Heavy Rains, Flooding, Isolated Tornadoes May Impact Maryland

Thinking of The Wendi Winters Memorial Foundation today and every Wednesday. Trying to channel her joy and determination in spite of hopelessness.

Love to pay taxes

Truth matters: Leaving Americans and thousands upon thousands of our Afghan partners behind is not success—it offends our values and aspirations. Mr. President, bring them home.

Follow Capital Gazette for updates on the tornado. Hope everyone is OK.

West Street closed from Chinquapin Round Road to Gibraltar Avenue due to tornado damage in Annapolis capitalgazette.com/news/ac-cn-ann…

For Capital Gazette, we have Paul W. Gillespie and Lilly Price on the ground covering the tornado. Other Cap reporters are also helping out: capitalgazette.com/news/ac-cn-ann…

Ron Johnson made explicit what the Texas legislature was doing subtly: brushing off the obviously false claims of voter fraud but using them to otherwise constrain voting access. washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/…

In Opinion "Don’t give charity to Louisiana because it’s unique," Andy Horowitz, a writer who lives in New Orleans, says in a guest essay. "Demand that Congress take meaningful action, because Louisiana is not unique, and you may be next." nyti.ms/3yFpGpY

Monica Alvarado, Feed Anne Arundel to be Featured on Good Morning America bit.ly/3DHJtIX

Tiktok activists are flooding Texas abortion “whistleblower” site with fake data using this very easy to use script you can find here: vice.com/en/article/z3x…

Annapolis and Anne Arundel officials have declared a state of emergency after a tornado caused significant damage in Edgewater and Annapolis yesterday. Christine Condon Koene/Lilly Price: capitalgazette.com/weather/ac-cn-…

National Weather Service preliminary survey says Annapolis tornado was an EF-2 with 125mph winds and an 11.25 mile path. Max width was 200 yards. Yikes. Luckily no injuries or deaths.