Baltimore: Police clashed briefly last night with a crowd of about 200 demonstrators before they were dispersed with teargas and pepper balls. Earlier in the day residents cleaned up trash after Monday night’s rioting that left 144 burned vehicles, 15 torched buildings, and 235 people under arrest.

The death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray after receiving fatal injuries in policy custody hit hard in a city frustrated by drugs, unemployment, poverty, and a contentious relationship with their own police.

President Obama described the rioters as thugs and criminals, but he also blamed the cops. “I think there are police departments that have to do some soul-searching. I think there are some communities that have to do some soul-searching,” Obama said. “But I think we as a country have to do some soul-searching.”

Major League baseball responded to the trouble by delaying games and changing the schedule. The Orioles will meet the White Sox at Camden Yards this afternoon in front of empty seats. Two other games in a three game series were postponed and what was to be tonight’s game is scheduled for daytime with no fans allowed.

Also yesterday the police defended themselves against accusations that they did nothing in the early minutes of rioting. The cops say they knew there was a social media campaign urging high school students to do something when school let out Monday. “When we deployed our officers yesterday, we were deploying for a high school event,” police Captain Eric Kowalczyk told reporters. “I don’t think there’s anyone that would expect us to deploy with automatic weapons and armored vehicles for 13- 14- and 15-year-olds.”

The Amazing Race: Vermont’s Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders is expected to formally announce tomorrow that he’s going to run for the Democratic nomination for president against Hillary Clinton. It’s not a complete surprise. He’s been visiting primary states in recent months. Sanders, who’s been in the Senate since 2007, is one of its most left wing members.

Vows: Justice Anthony Kennedy appeared to be the swing vote yesterday during arguments about gay marriage before the Supreme Court. Kennedy’s comments and questions revealed that he might be reluctant to change the traditional concept of marriage as being only between a man and a woman. But Kennedy also said he didn’t want to exclude same sex couples from the noble and sacred institution of marriage.

The Sports Business: The National Football League announced yesterday that it is giving up its non-profit, tax-exempt status because it’s “a distraction.” That means people want to know the NFL’s business.

The NFL agreeing to pay taxes sounds good until you think about it. Most of the money is made by the league’s 32 teams, which are profit-making businesses that file tax returns. In most recent years the league itself has declared a loss and would not have paid taxes anyway. Going “for profit” means they won’t have to disclose interesting information, for instance that NFL President Roger Goodell made $84 million in 2012.  

World: Australia recalled its ambassador from Indonesia following the execution of eight people convicted of drug trafficking, including two Australians.

> Nigerian troops rescued 200 girls and 93 women Tuesday form captivity by Boko Haram extremists. The girls are not the schoolgirls abducted from Chibok last year.

The Obit Page: Jack Ely, the lead singer of The Kingsmen who sang the indecipherable lyrics of the legendary 1960s song “Louis Louie,” has died at age 71. The FBI investigated, suspecting that the song might be obscene, but concluded that it was “unintelligible at any speed.”

Rumorville: The celebrity gossip website TMZ erroneously reported yesterday that singer Joni Mitchell is in a coma in the hospital and her best friend had applied for guardianship. It turns out that Mitchell, although ill, is awake, aware and rumors of her near death were exaggerated, according to her representatives. TMZ had gotten its hands on Mitchell’s “just in case” document.

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